Oleksandr Turchynov: Missile-nuclear finale of the “Zapad-2017”

On September 20, 2017, the Russian Federation completed the active phase of the strategic command and staff exercise (SCSE) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation "Zapad-2017". At the last stage, a hypothetical massive missile-nuclear strike involving the forces and means of all three components of the nuclear triad was worked out. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov in his comment.

According to him, during the last day of the exercise, six Tu-95MS and Tu-22MZ distant aircrafts, carrying out flights in the airspace of the Barents, Baltic and Norwegian seas, were involved in the missile-nuclear strike. "Strategic missile troops were represented by the combat crew of the 14th missile division, which carried out a training-combat launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-24 "Yars" from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk region) hitting targets at the "Kura" proving ground (the Kamchatka Peninsula). The strategic missile submarine cruiser "Dmitry Donskoy" of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation conducted an electronic launch of the sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile", - he said.

Moreover, according to Mr. Turchynov, missile-firing exercise on naval targets was carried out: in the water area of the Laptev Sea - by the combat unit of the coastal missile complexes "Rubezh", and in the waters of the Barents Sea - by the naval unit of the Northern Fleet, headed by the heavy atomic missile cruiser "Peter the Great" and combat units of the coastal missile complex "Bastion" of the 536th separate coastal missile-artillery brigade.

"This massive missile and air strike of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation once again proves the aggressiveness and offensive nature of Russia's foreign and security policy, its readiness to escalate tensions with the West up to a full-scale war, and demonstrates Russia's aspiration to dominate in Europe", - Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stressed adding that active measures by the Alliance and the Armed Forces of the United States to monitor Russian military activities attest to "a complete understanding by the Western military of the scale of Russian military threat".

"After the completion of the training and combat tasks within the framework of the "Zapad-2017" SCSE, the relocation of personnel, military equipment and weapons to Russia from the proving grounds in Belarus is planned to be carried out starting from September 21 this year. Ukraine together with its partner states will closely monitor the withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus and their return to places of their permanent basing", - Oleksandr Turchynov summarized.