MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Russia is holding drills on May 19-21 to practice preparing and employing nuclear forces amid an aggression threat, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

TASS has put together key facts about Russia’s nuclear forces drills.

Scope of the drills

- Russia is holding drills on May 19-21 to practice preparing and employing nuclear forces amid an aggression threat, the ministry reported.

- Overall, the drills will bring together over 64,000 personnel, more than 7,800 pieces of armament, military and special equipment, including over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, among them eight strategic missile-carrying submarine cruisers, according to the ministry’s data.

- The drills have brought together the Strategic Missile Force, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, the long-range aviation military command and some forces of the Leningrad and Central Military Districts, the ministry said.

Goals of the nuclear forces drills

- The drills aim to refine the skills of work of the commanding and operational staff, organize command and control of subordinate troops (forces) in the process of preparing and implementing measures of deterrence against a potential enemy; inspect the level of preparedness of military command centers, troops (forces) involved in accomplishing the tasks of preventing aggression; practice measures by military command centers, military units and formations to exercise command and control, interoperability and comprehensive logistical support in fulfilling assigned objectives; assess the ability of troops (forces) involved in the drills to accomplish assigned missions, the ministry reported.

- The drills are set to practice readying some of nuclear forces’ units and formations for accomplishing assigned objectives and rendering them comprehensive logistical support, and also carrying out test-launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at practice ranges across Russia, it specified.

- The drills will also practice jointly preparing and employing nuclear weapons deployed on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the ministry said.

Statement by Belarusian Defense Ministry

- The press office of the Belarusian Defense Ministry reported on May 18 that the republic had kicked off a military exercise for the combat use of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons logistical support involving missile troops and the Air Force.

- Belarusian military units assigned with the combat use of nuclear weapons will also practice interoperability with Russia for the delivery of nuclear munitions during the exercise, it said.

- The exercise is a scheduled event of troop training as part of Russia-Belarus Union State measures. It is not directed against any other countries and does not pose a threat to security in the region, it stressed.