In the Kherson region, the progress of the Ukrainian army is more complicated than in the north-east, a minister said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday attended training of his strategic deterrence forces, troops responsible for responding to threats including nuclear war, the Kremlin announced. “Under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, the ground, sea and air strategic deterrence forces conducted exercises and practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles”The Kremlin said in a statement. “The tasks set during the strategic deterrence exercise were fully completed, all the missiles hit their target”The Kremlin continued.

One ballistic missile was launched from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, and another was launched from the waters of the Barents Sea in the Arctic. Tu-95 long-range aircraft were also involved in the exercise.

Russia usually conducts extensive military maneuvers at this time of year, known as drills “Chrome” To verify the readiness of the three components of its nuclear deterrent forces. forces “strategy” Russian forces, in their broadest definition, are designed to respond to threats, including nuclear war. They have intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range strategic bombers, submarines, surface ships and naval aviation.

The drills come amid a Russian offensive in Ukraine and a crisis with the West. Russian officials have repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons in the event of an existential threat to the Russian state.