President Putin Launches Strategic Nuclear Exercise With Belarusian President, US Defense Secretary: Make Things Complicated

President Putin and President Lukashenko observe the launch of Russia's strategic missile drill. (Source: Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin launched drills by a strategic nuclear missile force on Saturday, while Washington said Russian troops converging near the Ukrainian border were "ready to strike".

The Kremlin said Russia had successfully tested hypersonic and cruise missiles with targets at sea and land during exercises by Russian nuclear forces.

President Putin sat watching the drills on screen together with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, from what the Kremlin describes as a 'situation control center'.

The drills follow a large series of maneuvers by the Russian armed forces in the past four months that have included a troop increase, estimated by the West to number 150,000 or more in northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine.

Russia's move has drawn concerns from the United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He said the nuclear drills sparked concern among defense leaders around the world, given the Russian military's focus on a massive force build-up around Ukraine.

"When you add a very sophisticated exercise with a strategic nuclear force, it complicates things to the point that you could have an accident or an error," he said.

In addition, Minister Austin said Russian troops were starting to "drop off and move closer" to the border with its former Soviet neighbor, while the opposite was expected.

"We hope he steps back from the brink of conflict," he said on the sidelines of a visit to Lithuania.

Russian military strategic missile launch exercise. (Source: Kremlin.ru)

Mobilization of separatists and refugees

Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine earlier announced full military mobilization, a day after ordering women and children to flee to Russia, citing threats of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces.

"It's really scary. I've brought everything I can carry," said Tatyana, 30, who boarded the bus with her 4-year-old daughter.

In one breakaway region, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said he had signed a decree on mobilization. Asking people who are "capable of holding weapons in their hands" to come to the military commissariat. The Luhansk People's Republic issued a similar decree.

Meanwhile, Russian news agencies said on Saturday 10,000 refugees had arrived so far in Russia. Separatist authorities say they aim to evacuate 700,000 people.

At a market in Donetsk, Oksana Feoktisova, 38, rides an evacuation bus with her 9-year-old son and mother. They were accompanied by Feoktisova's brother Yuri, who lives in Donetsk.

"They don't allow men, and I'm not going to be frank. After all, I am a reservist. I am an artilleryman by birth. I am loyal to my country, to my people," Yuri said.