Russia’s nuclear forces began a large-scale three-day exercise on Tuesday morning, according to the Defence Ministry.
“From 19 to 21 May 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are conducting exercises on the preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression,” the ministry said in Telegram.
What had previously been described as a Russian-Belarusian exercise involving tactical nuclear weapons has now expanded into a large-scale drill involving all three components of the nuclear triad: land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles and strategic bombers.
The exercise involves the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern Fleet, the Pacific Fleet, the Long-Range Aviation Command, as well as elements of the Central and Leningrad military districts. […]
This is likely to be one of the largest nuclear weapons exercises in post-Soviet history. […]
The areas of the Barents Sea closed to civilian navigation and air traffic include a launch zone north of Kola Bay, a larger area north of the Kola Peninsula, and a vast area north of the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. Läs artikel