Vladimir Putin watched a series of new nuclear exercises conducted by Russian forces.
The Kremlin leader can be seen watching military exercises unfold on the screen in new terrifying footage.
The state-run Zvezda TV channel revealed that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin that the drills practiced “delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy’s nuclear strike.”
Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and Tupolev strategic bombers are involved in the exercises.
Weapons were launched from the northern Plesetsk cosmodrome and from a Russian nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea.
“The tasks set during the training of the strategic deterrence forces have been completed in full, all missiles have reached their targets,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Similar nuclear exercises are held in Russia every year.
Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief of the Financial Times, tweeted: “They do them every year and Russia warned the US about them in advance.”
“But the last time Russia held such an event was in February, just a few days before the invasion of Ukraine.”
During today’s meeting, Putin Russia’s repeated accusations of potential use of a “dirty bomb” by Ukraine.
He said the risk of conflict in the world and the region is high, and that there is a need to strengthen security around key infrastructure facilities.
Putin’s comments followed Defense Minister Sergei Shaigu’s unsubstantiated claims that Kyiv was seeking to “escalate” the war.
During a conversation with French representative Sébastien Lecornu, he said that Kyiv could use a bomb in nuclear material that could spread radioactive fallout across the region.
Shaigu made similar statements during a conversation with British Defense Minister Ben Wallace.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said the conversation between the two men was “professional and respectful”, but Mr Wallace rejected Russia’s claims.
“He warned that such accusations should not be used as a pretext for further escalation,” the spokesman added.
Over the past day, Russia has struck more than 40 villages around Ukraine, officials in Kiev said, killing at least two people and fueling terror that forces people into battle shelters every night.
Kremlin forces reportedly launched five missiles, 30 airstrikes and more than 100 attacks from multiple rocket launchers.
The attacks come amid growing fears that Russia, faced with setbacks on the battlefield, may turn to even more extreme measures to escalate the war.
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Russia carries out nuclear drills with missiles, submarines and bombers
