Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday oversaw large-scale nuclear force drills involving test missile launches, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed their planned summit on the war in Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, the exercises involved all components of Russia’s nuclear triad. A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk site in northwestern Russia, while a Sineva ICBM was fired from a submarine in the Barents Sea. Tu-95 strategic bombers also took part, launching long-range cruise missiles.
The drills were aimed at testing command-and-control readiness, including the procedures for authorizing the use of nuclear weapons, the Kremlin said. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, briefed Putin via video link, describing the exercise as a routine but comprehensive readiness test.
Putin stressed that the drills had been scheduled in advance, though their timing coincided with Trump’s announcement that his planned meeting with the Russian leader in Budapest had been put on hold. Trump said Tuesday he did not want the meeting to be a “waste of time.”
The postponement followed a call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two sides reportedly failed to agree on the framework for peace talks in Ukraine.
Lavrov reiterated on Tuesday that Moscow opposes an immediate ceasefire, while Trump has continued to shift his position throughout the year on whether a truce should precede broader negotiations or allow Ukraine to reclaim occupied territories.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said both leaders agreed that the summit required more preparation before moving forward. “No one wants to waste time — neither President Trump nor President Putin,” Peskov told reporters. “Both leaders value effectiveness and productivity, and that requires proper groundwork.”
The drills, held amid heightened global tensions, underscore Moscow’s continued emphasis on showcasing its nuclear capabilities while diplomatic uncertainty clouds future talks on the Ukraine conflict.