The Russian military conducted large-scale drills of its strategic nuclear forces on Wednesday, featuring multiple missile launch tests.
Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement the maneuvers included the practice launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a Karelia nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea.
From Associated Press:
As part of the drills, a ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile was also launched from the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia and Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers fired cruise missiles at test targets.
Russia has expanded its military drills in recent years amid tensions with the West as relations plummeted to post-Cold War lows after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
The war games come less than two months before the New START U.S.-Russian arms control treaty expires in early February. Moscow and Washington have discussed extending the pact, but differences have remained.
AP: Russia conducts drills of its strategic nuclear forces
PHOTO: tvzvezda.ru
