Russia Begins 3-Day Nuclear Drills Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict and Putin’s China Visit

On Tuesday, Russia initiated three days of nuclear weapons drills involving thousands of troops across the nation, as Kyiv escalates its drone attacks and President Vladimir Putin prepares to visit China.

Throughout its more than four-year offensive in Ukraine, Moscow has flaunted its possession of nuclear weapons and repeatedly threatened to use them. The drills also come months after the last nuclear arms pact between Russia and Washington broke down and amid a spate of comments from Putin touting the prowess of Moscow’s nuclear forces.

“From May 19 to 21, 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are conducting an exercise on the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of a threat of aggression,” the defense ministry said. The drills will involve more than 65,000 soldiers and 7,800 types of equipment and weapons, including over 200 missile launchers.

The ending of the New START agreement with Washington in February formally released the world’s two largest nuclear powers from a raft of restrictions. Russia has vowed to take a “responsible” approach to strategic nuclear capability but has also said that developing Russia’s nuclear forces is an “absolute priority.”

Moscow this month tested a new long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which it deployed in its neighboring ally, Belarus. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of preparing a new offensive from Belarus and ordered his troops to reinforce the country’s northern border.

Moscow announced the start of the drills hours before Putin was due in China for a two-day visit.