On Wednesday, October 25, Russian troops conducted a training "massive nuclear strike".
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the "Yars" intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region at the "Kura" test site in Kamchatka, and the "Syneva" ballistic missile was launched from the Barents Sea from the "Tula" nuclear submarine cruiser. The head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov said that two Tu-95MS long-range missile carriers took part in the training.
The department also published a video of the launches.
The head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu, reporting to Putin, informed that the exercises were conducted "in accordance with the plan for preparing a massive nuclear strike in response to an enemy nuclear strike."
Commenting on these launches, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate (also kniwn as GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Yusov said on "Channel 24" that it was a "show".
"We should not take it in any way — this performance is not for Ukrainians. But yes, it is a performance. It is quite obvious that nothing new has been said, demonstrated or done," Yusov emphasized, adding that these launches were a demonstration for the Russians themselves, as if their leadership had everything under control.
"Globally, nothing new has happened. Nuclear blackmail is no longer the trump card that helps Putin, but there will be such attempts in the future," Yusov noted.
- On October 25, 2023, in Russia, the Federation Council approved a draft law, previously approved by the State Duma, on the withdrawal of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Before that, Russia suspended its participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty, which was signed with the United States in 2010.