Putin oversees drills of nuclear forces amid escalating tensions with Ukraine

Moscow [Russia], October 26 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday monitored drills of the country's strategic nuclear forces involving multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, the Kremlin said.
State television showed Putin overseeing the drills from a control room.
The manoeuvres followed President Vladimir Putin's warning about his readiness to use "all means available" to fend off attacks on Russia's territory, in a clear reference to the country's nuclear arsenals, reported Sky News.
The drills come amid growing fears Russia may trigger a major escalation in Ukraine.
During the exercises, the country's nuclear forces carried out multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, reported Sky News.

Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said that Putin had overseen the training, which he said was being held to practice delivering a "huge nuclear strike in response to an enemy nuclear strike".
The drills saw the test-firing of a Yars land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the launch of a Sineva ICBM by a Russian nuclear submarine and the Tu-95 strategic bombers set off cruise missiles at practice targets, reported Sky News.

Meanwhile, the US said that it was notified Russia was planning to stage the routine drills and the country had complied with the terms of the nations' last arms control agreement.
Military exercises involving land, sea and air components of the Russian nuclear triad have taken place on an annual basis to train the country's nuclear forces and demonstrate their readiness.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder in a press briefing said, "The US was notified, and, as we've highlighted before, this is a routine annual exercise by Russia."
The move comes amid Russia's claim this week that Ukraine could use a so-called "dirty bomb" on its own territory. It is seen by analysts as a new attempt to stoke fear of nuclear escalation among Kyiv's backers, if not a pure one and simple distraction.
Meanwhile, The US and other Western officials have dismissed Moscow's claim that Ukraine plans to use a so-called dirty bomb as a Russian false-flag operation.
A "dirty bomb" is a conventional bomb laced with radioactive, biological or chemical materials disseminated in an explosion.
The term is often used interchangeably with radiological dispersal device (RDD), a bomb where radioactive materials are used.
In a joint statement, the US, France and Britain -- three of the other nuclear powers on the United Nations Security Council -- said Sunday that Russia's claims were "transparently false".
They and Kyiv suspect that Russia might use a dirty bomb in a "false flag" attack, possibly to justify Moscow's use of conventional nuclear weapons as it finds itself on the back foot in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Russia on Tuesday also flagged allegations to the UN Security Council that Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty bomb" on its own territory.
Under the New START Treaty, Russia is obliged to provide advance notification of such missile launches.
New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was the last remaining arms reduction pact between the former Cold War rivals and caps 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed by Russia and the United States of America.