Putin stages major nuclear missile exercises involving 3,000 troops in show of strength to the West

Vladimir Putin organizes major nuclear missile exercises involving 3,000 troops in a show of strength to the West.

The Russian despot’s troops are conducting war games with his “invincible” Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system in three regions of Russia.

A video shows the Yars missile system – which replaced the Topol – in exercises during its war against Ukraine and high tensions with the West.

“In total, more than 3,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment are involved in the exercises,” the Russian defense ministry said on Wednesday.

The exercises included extensive control checks by the Strategic Missile Forces of the Omsk missile formation, along with a command and personnel exercise with the Novosibirsk missile formation equipped with the Yars systems.

Pictured: The launch of the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system in October 2022

During the exercises, Yars’ mobile systems will conduct maneuvers in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions.

“Strategic Missiles, in conjunction with Central Military District and Aerospace Forces formations and units, will undertake a range of measures to camouflage and counter modern aerial reconnaissance assets.”

Putin has sought to make the Yars missile system part of Russia’s “invincible weapons” and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal.

There are few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile systems, which are said to have an operational range of 7,500 miles, meaning they could be capable of hitting both Europe and the US.

The missile is fully deployed, unlike Putin’s hypersonic Sarmat – also known as Satan-2 – which appears to be subject to delays after failing to meet a deployment deadline of late 2022.

The systems can carry multiple independently targetable warheads and can be mounted on a truck or deployed in silos.

The war games in Western Siberia follow Putin’s announcement that he will station nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.

The exercises involve both Novosibirsk and Omsk Missile Corps equipped with the Yars strategic intercontinental ballistics system.

“A committee of the strategic missile command will assess cohesion among personnel in the performance of their duties,” the ministry said.

The exercises include extensive control checks by the Strategic Missile Forces of the Omsk missile formation, along with a command and staff exercise with the Novosibirsk missile formation equipped with the Yars systems

The systems can carry multiple independently targetable warheads and can be mounted on a truck or deployed in silos

The RS-24 Yars – a modification of the Topol-M missile – is Russia’s strategic missile system, armed with a solid propellant intercontinental ballistic missile.

Yevgeny Kelgayev, commander of the Missile Regiment, said: “The Missile Regiment, led by the Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, has begun to disable the Yars missile system to attack patrol routes and field positions.”

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has conducted numerous military exercises alone or with other countries such as China or South Africa.

It has also expanded military training with Belarus, which borders both Russia and Ukraine, and conducted a series of extensive exercises over the past year.

Belarus has said it had decided to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons in response to Western sanctions and what it said was a military buildup by NATO member states near its borders.