Russia conducts nuclear drills, fires Yars ICBM
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- Russia launched nuclear‑capable missiles and issued nuclear munitions to select units on May 21 as part of its largest nuclear drill in years.
- Putin told Belarusian President Lukashenko, Defence Minister Belousov and senior generals that nuclear weapons would remain an “extreme measure of last resort.”
- Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was test‑fired from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome during the exercises.
- Zircon hypersonic missile was launched from a Barents‑Sea frigate, and a submarine fired a liquid‑fuelled Sineva ballistic missile.
- Belarus and Russian units received nuclear munitions for the drills, though the warheads were dummies.
Why it matters: NATO allies confront heightened strategic risk as Russia’s 64,000‑person nuclear drill underscores an existential stance, prompting a reassessment of NATO’s deterrence posture and reinforcing the urgency of allied defense coordination.
