Thibault Camus / AFP via Getty Images
Russia announced plans to hold missile test launches the day after threatening a military response in the escalating standoff with Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that the drills would be held on Saturday to test the combat readiness and weaponry of its nuclear and non-nuclear forces, the country's RIA news agency reported.
The ministry said in a statement, according to RIA: "The exercise of the strategic deterrence forces was planned earlier to check the readiness of military command and control bodies, launch combat crews, crews of warships and strategic missile carriers to carry out assigned tasks, as well as the reliability of the weapons of strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces."
RIA reported that Russia's Aerospace Forces, Southern Military District, and Strategic Missile Forces would take part, as well as its Northern and Black Sea Fleets. The Southern Military District operates near Ukraine.
Russia has built up more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border in recent weeks, and Ukraine, NATO, the US, and other Western countries warn an invasion could happen soon.
President Joe Biden said on Thursday that there was a "very high" risk that Russia will invade Ukraine in the next few days.
Around 500 explosions were recorded in Ukraine between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, an international security monitor on Thursday told the UN Security Council.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Thursday that Russia "plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack" on Ukraine.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/p8LR3Ff
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