Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, personally oversaw military drills designed to simulate a "massive nuclear strike".

The exercises followed Putin's warning about his readiness to use "all means available" to fend off attacks on Russia's territory, amid heightened tension with the West over the conflict in Ukraine.

During Wednesday's drills, a Yars land-based intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the northern Plesetsk launch site.

A Russian nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea launched a Sineva ICBM at the Kura firing range on the far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

Tu-95 strategic bombers also launched cruise missiles at practice targets. The Kremlin said in a statement that all tasks set for the exercise were fulfilled and all the missiles that were test-fired reached their designated targets.

Drills involving Russia's nuclear forces have taken place on an annual basis to demonstrate their readiness.

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