The Blubber

Russia has tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike, per Reuters.

Russia has conducted a successful test to demonstrate its capability of executing a substantial retaliatory nuclear strike through land, sea, and air, according to an official statement from the Kremlin on Wednesday. This show of force coincides with Moscow's decision to withdraw its ratification of a significant nuclear test ban treaty.

The exercise involved the testing of missile launches from a land-based silo, a nuclear submarine, and long-range bomber aircraft. This display comes at a time when Moscow finds itself in a perceived existential standoff with the West over the situation in Ukraine.

Amidst tensions reaching their highest level since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, Russia, which possesses the world's largest nuclear arsenal, is rapidly moving to annul its ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty in order to align itself with the United States.

The Kremlin provided details about the nuclear drills in a statement, noting that "practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place during the training."

State television showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reporting to President Vladimir Putin via video link about the exercise, characterizing it as a rehearsal for a "massive nuclear strike" in response to a nuclear attack by an aggressor.

The exercise involved the firing of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from a test site towards a target in Russia's far east, the launch of a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea, and Tu-95MS long-range bombers conducting test-fires of air-launched cruise missiles, as outlined in the Kremlin's statement.

The statement further explained that the training exercise evaluated the preparedness of military command authorities and the skills of senior and operational staff in coordinating subordinate troops and forces, adding that "the tasks planned in the course of the training exercise were fully accomplished."

Video footage from the defense ministry depicted the land and submarine-based missiles piercing the night sky with thunderous noise, along with nuclear-capable bomber aircraft taking off from an airfield under the cover of darkness.