Russia Again Holds Nuclear Missile Launching Exercise, Involves RS-24 Yars

JAKARTA - Russian troops are holding exercises involving Yars nuclear missile mobile launchers, Russian media reported on Tuesday, the second exercise in less than a month.

The missile launcher crew in the Volga river valley, about 700 kilometers (435 miles) east of Moscow, will move 100 kilometers (62 miles) and practice camouflage and deployment, the Interfax news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the missile-equipped system with several warheads could hit the target at a distance of 11,000 km. The newspaper also reported that the system could be mounted on transport trucks or spread in silo.

RS-24 Yars is said to be an intercontinental thermonuclear ballistic missile equipped with an independent multiple targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV).

The drills followed similar exercises in early July in at least two different areas and lasted less than two months after Russia held a tactical nuclear weapons deployment exercise with its Belarusian ally.

Russia's Ministry of Defense earlier this month said the drills also involved Yars' mobile nuclear missile launchers. The ministry said Yars missile launcher crews in at least two different regions would move as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) and practice camouflage and deployment.

In a video published at the time, the ministry showed a maneuvering launcher along the forest road and taking a position before troops covered it with a camouflage net.

"Similar exercises will be carried out by other missile units in the near future," the ministry said at the time.

Since launching an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has carried out a number of its own military exercises or with other countries, including with China to South Africa.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow did not need to use nuclear weapons to secure victory in Ukraine, but added he did not rule out changes to the country's nuclear doctrine.