RIA Novosti: Putin Checks Readiness of Russia’s Nuclear Deterrent

Russia ICBM on Mobile Launcher

MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a snap check of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, aerospace defenses and strategic aviation, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

“The exercise involved launches of ballistic missiles, drills by air defense and missile defense units,” Peskov said, adding that all practice targets had been destroyed.

The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the launches of two ballistic missiles as part of the snap check drills.

“Russia’s Missile Forces conducted launches of a RS-12M Topol ballistic missile from the Plesetsk space center and a RS-20V Voyevoda ballistic missile from the Dombarovsky missile site [in central Russia],” the ministry said in a statement.

“Both missiles hit the designated targets at the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula,” the statement said.

The exercise was the latest in a series of surprise combat-readiness checks since January and follows a major shake-up at the top of the country’s military establishment, tarnished by persistent evidence of rampant corruption.

The previous snap check, in July, was the largest in the post-Soviet period and involved some 160,000 servicemen, about 1,000 tanks and armored vehicles, 130 aircraft and 70 warships from the far-eastern and central military districts.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who took the post in November 2012, has said snap inspections of combat readiness will be conducted regularly and will involve all branches of the Russian Armed Forces.

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