Putin commands nuclear drills as summit with Trump hangs in balance

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday supervised the drills of the country's strategic nuclear forces as uncertainty hangs over his proposed summit meeting with US President Donald Trump to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

“Today, we have a scheduled strategic nuclear forces management drill, as the defence minister just reported. Let's get to work,” Putin said in his televised remarks from the crisis command room in the Kremlin. Addressing online the top military leadership, Putin underscored that the current drills are scheduled involving land, sea and air-based strategic nuclear forces.

According to a Kremlin release, practical launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and air-based cruise missiles were carried out during the drill. The exercise was held under the supervision of President Putin and involved Yars ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) launchers, the strategic nuclear-powered submarine Bryansk of the Northern Fleet and Tu-95MS strategic bombers, the Kremlin specified.

Meanwhile, amid news of the postponement of the Putin-Trump summit in Hungary's Budapest to discuss the Ukraine conflict, the Russian officials are issuing different statements.