The exercise simulated the practice of launching a number of intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as letting warships and strategic bombers drop cruise missiles on test targets. This is a major test of the weapons on land, sea and air of the country's nuclear triad.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Grom (Thunder) 2019 exercise had the participation of 12,000 soldiers, 213 missile launchers, 105 aircraft, 15 surface warships and 5 subspace ships. Mr. Putin directed the exercise from the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the exercise was to test "the ability of the army to complete tasks in armed conflicts and nuclear war".
During the October 17 exercise, Russian nuclear warships launched intercontinental ballistic missiles from the Barents Sea, Okshotsk Sea and an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the Yars ground from the military launch site in Plesetsk, northwest Russia.
Warships in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea also launched kalibr cruise missiles, while Iskander cruise missiles were launched from the firing areas of the southern and eastern military regions.
As part of the exercise, Tu-95 strategic bombers also launched cruise missiles at artillery positions in the Arctic and on the Kamchatka peninsula in the east, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Russia has expanded the scope of military exercises in recent years amid rising tensions with the West. Relations have deteriorated to the lowest level since the Cold War after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014, while the Kremlin called NATO drills near Russia's borders a testament to the alliance's hostile intentions.
Regarding the exercise, earlier this week, Major General Yevgeny Ilyin - leader of the international cooperation department of the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the exercise was not directly against any specific country but noted that the exercises simulating the reaction to tensions occurring near the Russian border, which could threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country.
Earlier this year, the US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed in 1987, accusing Russia of violating. The accusation has been denied by Moscow. Mr. Putin criticized the US move, calling it a move that causes damage to strategic stability. He pledged that Russia would not deploy missiles previously banned by the INF Treaty to any area if the US had not taken the lead.
