Russia has successfully tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike by land, sea and air, a Kremlin statement has said, a display of force which coincides with Moscow de-ratifying a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.
The exercise, which involved the test launch of missiles from a land-based silo, a nuclear submarine, and from long-range bomber aircraft, comes as Moscow is locked in what it casts as an existential standoff with the West over Ukraine.
With tensions at their highest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Russia - which has the world's largest nuclear arsenal - is moving quickly to revoke its ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty to bring itself into line with the United States.
"Practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place during the training," the Kremlin said in a statement on the nuclear drills.
State TV showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reporting by video link to Putin on the exercise, which he said was a rehearsal for "a massive nuclear strike" in response to an aggressor's nuclear attack.
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from a test site at a target in Russia's far east, a nuclear-powered submarine launched a ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, and Tu-95MS long-range bombers test-fired air-launched cruise missiles, the Kremlin statement said.
"In the course of the events, the level of preparedness of the military command authorities and the skills of the senior and operational staff in organising subordinate troops (forces) were tested," it said.
"The tasks planned in the course of the training exercise were fully accomplished."
Video footage of the exercise published by the defence ministry showed the land and submarine-based missiles noisily streaking into the night sky and nuclear-capable bomber aircraft taking off from an airfield under the cover of darkness.
Russia carries out such exercises to test its so-called nuclear triad from time to time. The United States also carries out regular nuclear drills.
Russia has made it clear that - despite its de-ratification - it has no plans to abandon a 1992 moratorium on nuclear test blasts in line with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which Moscow has signed.
Russia would only resume such testing - a move that Western military experts believe it might be tempted to do to signal intent and evoke fear in any standoff with the West - if the United States did so first, Moscow has said.
The only reason Russia says it is revoking its withdrawal of the CTBT is to bring itself into line with Washington which signed but never ratified the same document.
One killed in blast
Earlier today, officials said that at least one person was killed in a dawn airstrike on the city of Beryslav in Ukraine's southern Kherson region.
A 42-year-old man died in the blast, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said in a post on social media.
Around 16 people were injured in the western Khmelnytsky region from falling debris after Ukrainian air defences shot down Russian drones, Ukraine's interior minister Igor Klymenko said.
Ukraine's energy ministry also said that Russia had struck near a nuclear power plant in the region, blowing out windows in nearby buildings and damaging power lines.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was braced for more Russian attacks on the country's energy facilities over the winter.
"This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond," he said in a post on social media.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 11 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight.
Russia has used hundreds of the self-detonating drones against Ukraine in attempted overnight attacks in recent months.
Shelling was also reported in several regions close to the front lines.
In the northeastern Kharkiv region, artillery fire yesterday killed two civilians, governor Oleg Sinegubov said.
Mr Zelensky also said Ukrainian forces were engaged in "heavy, tough battles" around the cities of Kupyansk and Avdiivka.
Avdiivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, has been the focus of heavy Russian attacks in recent weeks.
The industrial city has become a byword for Ukrainian resistance and has, so far, been able to repel the columns of armoured vehicles and troops Russia has sent.
"Our soldiers are holding their ground," Mr Zelensky said.
Separately, Russian authorities have opened a terrorism investigation after they said a Russian soldier was killed in a car bombing in Berdyansk - a southern Ukrainian city seized by Russian forces at start of the war.
Russia's Investigative Committee said an unknown person planted an improvised explosive under a parked car on Monday evening which detonated when the soldier got into the vehicle.
