Russia flexed its nuclear muscle Saturday with a series of alarming missile drills at the same time it continued denying that it is preparing to invade Ukraine.
The wargames by Russia’s strategic nuclear forces involved launches from land, ships, submarines and planes that struck targets on land and at sea, the Kremlin said.
Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency aired footage showing a split screen of various senior military leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the drills to begin. Putin observed from what the Kremlin called a “situation center,” accompanied by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally.
Here’s a rundown on the types of missiles Russia showed off in the drills:
Yars intercontinental ballistic missile
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles — one from a site in northwest Russia and the second from a submarine in the Barents Sea. They hit targets thousands of miles away in the far east peninsula of Kamchatka.
Russia has multiple models of the Yars missile, which can carry multiple warheads and travel more than 6,500 miles.
Kalibr cruise missiles
Launched by ships and submarines from the Northern and Black Sea Fleets, the Kalibr is a long-range cruise-missile similar to the US Tomahawk that can strike targets up to 1,500 miles away.
There are over a dozen different variants of the weapon that may be launched from land, submarines, ships and aircraft, according to the National Interest, a foreign-policy-focused magazine.
Zircon hypersonic missiles
Also launched from ships, the Zircon can reportedly travel 4,600 miles per hour — five times the speed of sound — and is believed to have a range of 250 miles, according to Fox News.
Believed to be more accurate than traditional ballistic missiles, Russia tested the weapons in November.
Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles
A Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that reportedly travels at Mach 10, or over 7,500 mph and can reach targets up to 1,500 miles away.
The Kremlin claims the exercises are part of a regular training process and denied they signal an escalation of the standoff with Western nations over Ukraine. None of their footage could be independently corroborated
The drills are due to end on Sunday.
With Post Wires
