It was announced by Russia that President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee military drills involving “strategic forces” on Saturday. The exercise will include multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles according to the defense ministry. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will also be overseeing Saturday’s drills.
The drills will include the air force, some units from the southern military district, the Black Sea fleets, and the Northern Sea fleets. Moscow insists that it does not plan to invade Ukraine, however, has demanded the Ukraine and ex-Soviet nations to be kept out of the NATO alliance and that NATO forces be pulled back from Eastern Europe. The allies and the United States bluntly refused to listen to Russian demands. Russia holds drills of its strategic nuclear forces annually, however, the maneuvers planned involve the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula. A Kremlin spokesperson said the exercises should not cause any concern and Putin will likely take part from a situation center.
Read more: Russia: Putin to oversee huge nuclear drills amid Ukraine tension
