Russia to conduct strategic deterrence force drills under Putin’s direction on February 19

"On February 19, 2022, a scheduled exercise of the strategic deterrence force will take place under the direction of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin, during which ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched," the ministry said in a statement.

As the Russian Defense Ministry emphasized, "the strategic deterrence force drills have been planned in advance to inspect the preparedness of military command centers, launch combat teams, the crews of combat ships and strategic missile carriers for accomplishing assigned missions and the reliability of the strategic nuclear and conventional forces’ weapons."

Russia’s scheduled strategic deference force drills will bring together the forces and capabilities of the Aerospace Force, the Southern Military District, the Strategic Missile Force and the Northern and Black Sea Fleets, the ministry specified.

Russia’s strategic command and staff drills involving all the three components of the strategic nuclear forces are conducted annually, normally at the end of the troops’ regular combat training year.

As the practice of these drills suggests, during these maneuvers a strategic missile-carrying submarine of the Northern Fleet fires an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards the Kura proving ground in Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East and a nuclear-powered submarine of the Pacific Fleet launches an ICBM against a target at the Chizha firing range in the north of Russia. Also, the Russian Strategic Missile Force test-launches an ICBM and long-range aircraft of Russia’s Aerospace Force fire cruise missiles.