Russia holds strategic military exercises
PLA Daily 2004-02-11
MOSCOW, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Russian armed forces are conducting strategic military exercises, First Deputy Chief of Staff Col. Gen. Yury Baluyevsky said Tuesday.
"The exercises are aimed at training in new methods for using strategic arms, and troops and forces incorporated in the strategic nuclear forces and conventional forces," he was quoted by Interfax as saying.
He told a press conference that during the war games, which have been under way since late January at the headquarters level, sea- and land-base strategic missiles will be launched, but no missile launches are planned in the direction of the Atlantic Sea.
The exercises will also involve the use of strategic aviation, he said.
Baluyevsky said that the exercises were planned beforehand and are not related to the upcoming March 14 presidential election, and not for demonstrating "our nuclear fist" to the world.
He said that Russia has notified the United States about the exercises and has not received any statements from the United States about any violations in the course of the exercises.
Meanwhile Baluyevsky dismissed the media reports that the exercises would be the largest since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.
The scale of the exercises will be approximately the same as inprevious years, he said.
He also told the press conference that Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold joint missile defense exercises in 2004 and 2005.
"Joint exercises in missile defense with NATO will be held in aNATO country in 2004, and in Russia in 2005," he said.
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