The Russian military will begin three days of nuclear weapons exercises today involving thousands of soldiers across the country , as Kiev steps up drone strikes and President Vladimir Putin travels to China.
"From May 19 to 21, 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will conduct an exercise on the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of a threat of aggression," the Defense Ministry said.
"Overall, the exercises will involve more than 64,000 personnel and more than 7,800 units of weapons, military equipment and special vehicles, including over 200 missile launchers, over 140 aircraft, 73 surface vessels and 13 submarines , including eight strategic missile submarines." According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the ongoing nuclear exercises of the Russian Armed Forces are aimed at practicing deterrence against the enemy and testing the preparedness of the troops involved .
The objectives
The Military Department stated that the objectives of the exercises are: to improve the skills of the command and operational staffs, as well as the organization of command and control of subordinate troops (forces) during the preparation and implementation of measures aimed at deterring a potential enemy; to test the level of preparedness of military command bodies and troops (forces) involved in tasks of preventing aggression; to provide practical training to military command bodies, formations, and military units on issues related to the organization of command, interaction, and comprehensive support in carrying out the intended tasks; and to assess the ability of the troops (forces) involved in the exercise to complete the intended tasks.
As specified by the Military Department, the practical exercises include measures to prepare various units and formations of the nuclear forces for missions and provide them with comprehensive support, as well as to conduct ballistic and cruise missile launches at test sites on the territory of the Russian Federation.
