MOSCOW, September 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia's arsenal of nuclear weapons is in secure hands, defense ministry inspectors have ruled.

Safety standards among the Strategic Missile Forces have passed their audit test, ministry official Colonel Igor Yegorov told TASS on Friday.

Missile divisions have been under scrutiny at bases in Barnaul, in the West Siberian plain's Altai territory, at Irkutsk in Siberia, and at Teikovo, in central Russia. And the results, said Yegorov, show that "Division command activities are up to requirements for nuclear and radiological safety ensuring the proper level of nuclear weapons safety."

Audit criteria focused on command procedures, headquarters operations, services to ensure weapons stocks' safe management, and training for emergency response personnel.

"When summing up the results of inspection, the ministry noted high organization, competent action by commanders, and preparedness for the accomplishment of first-priority measures to eliminate the aftermath of nuclear weapons breakdown," Yegorov said.

"Servicemen of the divisions and units demonstrated good knowledge and skills in tackling practical tasks," he added.