Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally attend nuclear missile drills this weekend in a piece of military grandstanding the Kremlin insists is not designed as a warning to the West. In a statement on Friday, Russia’s defense ministry announced Putin will be at the large-scale tests on Saturday where “ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched.” The statement claimed the tests were planned before NATO allies started accusing Russia of plotting an invasion of Ukraine. According to the ministry, the drills will involve “the air forces, the Southern military district forces, strategic cruise missile forces and Northern and Black Sea naval fleets.” Britain’s defense secretary Ben Wallace earlier this month that the Kremlin could stage nuclear drills to ramp up the pressure on NATO ahead of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
