VLADIMIR Putin’s forces have practised nuclear missile strikes and chemical attacks in chilling war games on NATO’s border.
Moscow confirmed its troops ran simulated nuclear missile strikes in the western enclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday amid heightening tensions over the war in Ukraine.
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The announcement came on the 70th day of Mad Vlad‘s blundering invasion of Ukraine which has seen thousands killed and more than 13 million displaced in the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
Ailing Putin has made outright threats to nuke NATO if it continues to arm Ukraine.
During Wednesday’s war games in the enclave wedged EU member states Poland and Lithuania, Russia practised simulated “electronic launches” of nuclear-capable Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems, the defence ministry said in a statement.
They also boasted about conducting multiple strikes on mock missile systems, airfields, protected infrastructure, military equipment and command posts, the statement said.
Military personnel are said to have carried out a manoeuvre to change their position in order to avoid “a possible retaliatory strike,” the defence ministry added.
The combat units – consisting of more than 100 men – also practised “actions in conditions of radiation and chemical contamination”.
Russia placed nuclear forces on high alert shortly after Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.
Putin has warned of a “lightning fast” retaliation if the West directly intervenes in the Ukraine conflict.
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Observers say that in recent days, Russia’s state television has attempted to make nuclear weapons use more palatable to the public.
“For two weeks now, we have been hearing from our television screens that nuclear silos should be opened,” Russian newspaper editor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov said on Tuesday.
Putin could use his six superweapons including the deadly Sarmat missile, dubbed “Satan 2”, that was launched last week to attack NATO countries.
The missile can fly 11,000 miles, carry 15 warheads and has the potential to destroy an area the size of France.
Speaking to lawmakers, the unhinged despot said: “If someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia.
“They must know that our response to counterstrikes will be lightning fast. Fast.
“We have all the weapons we need for this. No one else can brag about these weapons, and we won’t brag about them.
“But we will use them.”
And it comes as Belarus began sudden large-scale drills yesterday to test their combat readiness, the country’s defence ministry said.
The drills involved “he movement of significant numbers of military vehicles, which can slow down traffic on public roads,” the statement read, according to Reuters.
Minsk claimed the exercised posed no threat to its neighbours or the EU in general.
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