Russia's armed forces have begun three days of nationwide nuclear weapons drills from May 19 to 21. The exercises involve more than 65,000 troops and 7,800 types of equipment and weapons, aimed at practicing the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of an "aggression threat."
These major air, sea, and land military drills are being conducted in coordination with Belarus. The exercises feature practice launches of nuclear-capable cruise and ballistic missiles to refine the deployment of nuclear force.
The drills take place as President Vladimir Putin travels to Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian forces have carried out fresh cross-border aerial strikes. Kyiv reports that Russia has launched one of its largest barrages in recent days, with aerial defenses reporting dozens of missiles and more than 500 drones fired into various Ukrainian cities as Ukraine steps up its own drone attacks.