Russia holds massive nuclear drillsRussia holds massive nuclear drills amid Ukraine drone attacks
Russia on Tuesday began three days of nuclear forces drills involving ballistic and cruise missile launches and tens of thousands of troops. The exercises took place as Ukraine reported a rise in drone attacks, and they matter because they signal a continued show of force in the war and a heightened nuclear message toward NATO.
Russian Perspective
Moscow described the exercises as a planned readiness test for its nuclear forces. Officials said the drills rehearse how the military would respond if Russia faced aggression.
Ukrainian Perspective
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry criticized the drills as a dangerous escalation. It said Russia was normalizing nuclear threats and turning Belarus into a staging ground near NATO borders.
- Russia inherited most of the Soviet Union’s nuclear arsenal after 1991.
- Ballistic missiles follow a high arc and can travel much farther than most aircraft.
- Ukraine’s western borders are closer to several NATO capitals than to Moscow.
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia and Ukraine are locked in an retaliatory long-range drone and missile war that now strikes deep into both countries, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea, and major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Dnipro. Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on June 26, striking 12 Russian regions and hitting key energy targets, while Russia continues massive retaliatory bombardments that kill civilians and destroy infrastructure.
26 June, 09:41 AM
Ukraine unleashes massive drone bombardment on 12 Russian regions24 June, 10:31 AM
Ukrainian drones knock out power in Russian-held Sevastopol22 June, 03:20 PM
Ukraine strikes Russian missile electronics plant in Voronezh
