MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/. Strategic command-and-staff exercises headlined Grom (Thunder) with the participation of all three components of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces will take place in early 2022, a source close to Russia’s Defense Ministry told TASS.

"The Grom drills with the participation of Russia’s nuclear triad are planned for the beginning of 2022," the source said.

TASS does not have an official confirmation of this information.

The strategic command-and-staff exercises of the strategic nuclear forces are held annually. Usually, within the framework of these drills, a subsurface missile carrier of the Northern Fleet launches an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) against a target at the Kura proving ground on the Kamchatka Peninsula and a nuclear submarine of the Pacific Fleet launches an ICBM against a target at the Chizha proving ground in northern Russia. The Russian Strategic Missile Forces also perform combat training launches of the ICBMs and cruise missiles are launched by the planes of the long-range aviation of the Aerospace Forces.

On December 21, at an expanded session of the Defense Ministry’s board, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the Vostok and Grom strategic command-and-staff exercises were scheduled to be held in 2022.