Putin test-fires ballistic missiles in strategic nuclear force command and control drills: Kremlin

Moscow, Oct 27: Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in strategic nuclear forces command and control drills last night, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Putin is also the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russia’s armed and aerospace forces. "The exercise practiced interaction of the Strategic Missile Force, nuclear-powered submarines of the Northern and Pacific Fleets and long-range aviation of Russia’s Aerospace Force," Mr Peskov said. "The supreme commander-in-chief made launches of four ballistic missiles," Mr Peskov said. Russia’s Defence Ministry reported yesterday that a planned training exercise was held on that day to practice command and control of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. During the exercise, three intercontinental ballistic missiles were launched from the nuclear-powered submarines while one missile was test-fired from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in north Russia. All the practice targets were successfully destroyed, Tass news agency said. According to the reports of the Russian Defence Ministry, the exercise involved strategic Tupolev Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers, which took off from their airbases Ukrainka, Engels and Shaikovka, and launched airborne cruise missiles against ground targets at the practice ranges Kura (Kamchatka), Pemboi (the Republic of Komi) and Terekta (Kazakhstan). "The training assignments were accomplished in full and all the practice targets were successfully destroyed," the Defence Ministry said. The exercise was held in accordance with the training plan of the Russian Armed Forces, the Ministry said. UNI