Russian President Vladimir Putin In Speech Announcing Strategic Deterrence Forces Training: The 'Nuclear Triad' Remains A Reliable Guarantor Of Russia's Sovereignty

Amid tense relations between Russia and the West over the Ukraine War and other issues, the Kremlin in late September 2024 changed the country's nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. When asked whether the changes were a signal to the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "This should be considered a definite signal."[1] Russia is also regularly conducting Strategic Deterrence Forces (SDF) exercises, the function of which is to deter a nuclear attack against Russia or its allies and to "inflict a defeat on the aggressor, including in a war involving nuclear weapons."

On October 29, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially launched a training program for the country's Strategic Deterrence Forces.[2] In his opening speech, he reiterated the country's principal stance that a use of the country's nuclear arsenal is an "extreme, exceptional measure to ensure the security of the state," that allows it to "fulfill the tasks of strategic deterrence and maintain nuclear parity and the balance of power in the world." Putin noted growing geopolitical tensions and stressed that the country has enough resources to have a "modern and permanently combat-ready" SDF.

Russian President Putin giving a statement announcing the SDF exercises.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense,[3] the training involved practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles: The Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome, which is about 500 miles north of Moscow, at a target located on the Kura Missile Test Range in Kamchatka, a peninsula that extends into the Pacific Ocean in Russia's Far East. The flight path of a missile between the two points is about 3,500 miles long. Sineva and Bulava ballistic missiles were launched from the Novomoskovsk and Knyaz Oleg nuclear-powered strategic missile submarines in the Barents Sea, which is north of Scandanavia, and the ​​Okhotsk Sea, which is northeast of Japan, respectively. Tu-95MS long-range aircraft also launched cruise missiles.[4] The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that all the goals set by the training of the SDF were fully accomplished: All missiles reached their targets and confirmed their "specified characteristics."[5]

The Russian Defense Ministry Telegram channel released a clip showing a launch of the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[6]

The launch of a Sineva ballistic missile from the Barents Sea.[7]

The SDF includes both the Strategic Offensive Forces and the Strategic Defensive Forces. The former are equipped with intercontinental-range missile and aviation systems, including strategic and long-range bomber units and naval missile-carrying aircraft equipped with conventional long-range precision weapons, as well as submarines and surface ships. The SDF also includes a missile attack warning system, space control system, anti-missile, and anti-space defense, as well as part of the country's Air Defense forces.[8]

The Russian Defense Ministry Telegram channel released a video showing the launch of a Bulava ballistic missile from the Okhotsk Sea​​.[9]

SDF exercises have been held anually since 2022; the previous exercise was held at the end of October 2023.[10] In February 2022, by Putin's orders, the SDF were put on special alert.[11] It should be noted that in his address in October 2024, the President stated that the country does not intend to get involved in a new arms race, but will maintain nuclear forces at the level of "necessary sufficiency."[12]

It seems that the super-heavy intercontinental ballistic missile RS-28 "Sarmat" was not used in the training. In September 2024 some media outlets reported a failed "Sarmat" test at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[13] However, there was no confirmation of the incident by the Russian authorities.