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Russia’s top brass uploads video with missile launches in strategic nuclear forces’ drills

According to the video, the bombers employed the latest air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101 and Kh-555 (Kh-55 strategic missiles converted into conventional versions) they carried in their weapons bays

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video with the launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in the strategic nuclear forces’ drills supervised by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The video shows the launches of strategic cruise missiles conducted by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers that took off from the Engels and Ukrainka airfields.

According to the video, the bombers employed the latest air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101 and Kh-555 (Kh-55 strategic missiles converted into conventional versions) they carried in their weapons bays.

The Kh-555 is a subsonic air-launched strategic cruise missile, a Kh-55 modification with a conventional warhead. The missile can be outfitted with different types of warheads. Kh-555 missiles were employed by Russian Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers during the air task force’s operation in Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry also released a video showing the launch of a ballistic missile by the nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarine Karelia from the submerged position. The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine carries Sineva intercontinental ballistic missiles as its main armament. Before that, the submarine K-18 Karelia launched a Sineva ICBM from the submerged position on October 17, 2019, according to open data.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also made public a video with the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russia.

Russia’s strategic nuclear forces launch ballistic, cruise missiles in drills

The Strategic Missile Force, the crews of strategic missile-carrying bombers, the Aerospace Force and the crew of a nuclear-powered submarine launched ballistic and cruise missiles in strategic nuclear forces’ drills, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"The combat training launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a submarine-launched ballistic missile and airborne long-range precision cruise missiles were performed from the Plesetsk state testing cosmodrome, the Barents Sea and also by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers from the Engels and Ukrainka aerodromes," the ministry said in a statement.

The missiles struck the targets at the Kura and Pemboi proving grounds.

The drills for the strategic nuclear forces’ command and control were held in Russia on December 9 under the command of Russia’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Vladimir Putin in compliance with the plan of the Armed Forces’ training. All the tasks set during the drills were accomplished in full, the Defense Ministry stressed.

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