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Putin to oversee maneuvers with ballistic missiles in full swing

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to show military strength in full tension with NATO and the United States over the Ukraine issue. The Kremlin chief will oversee some military maneuvers this Saturday, including the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The government has said that teams from the Russian space forces, the southern military district, strategic missile forces, the northern navy and the Black Sea Navy will take part in the maneuvers.

The military exercises come amid growing calls for the United States and NATO to prepare Russia for an attack on Ukraine amid a crisis with the West. Moscow, dissatisfied with Washington’s proposals to rewrite the European defense structure, reiterated on Thursday its threat to launch “technical-military” operations if talks fail.

Putin continues to portray the ability of the Russian military as a maneuver, intimidation and threat of force. In 2018, in his annual State of the Union address, he announced a new generation of nuclear weapons, including the “invincible” intercontinental ballistic missile and the nuclear torpedo. Then US President Donald Trump did so with a colorful presentation and animated videos of several nuclear weapons being transported to Florida, his holiday home in Mar-e-Lago.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that “planned training of strategic defense forces will be carried out.” “Sergeants of military command and missile systems, warships and strategic bombers are ready to carry out their missions and verify the reliability of the weapons of strategic nuclear and conventional forces,” the Sergei-led department added in a statement. Shoiku, the minister closest to Vladimir Putin, will hold talks with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko this Friday. The President of Belarus has already pointed out the possibilities that many military analysts have been considering for some time: Russia could install weapons (and even nuclear weapons) in Belarus; Experts believe that what the Kremlin is referring to in a response to Washington this Thursday is what experts say is one of the “techno-military” measures.

Maria R. Sacuvillo reports from Moscow