Vladimir Putin has unleashed a chilling display of Russia’s nuclear capabilities, conducting missile tests and large-scale drills just a day after his planned summit with US President Donald Trump was abruptly cancelled.
The show of force comes amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin announced that a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwestern Russia, while a Sineva ICBM was launched by a submarine in the Barents Sea.
Tu-95 strategic bombers also participated in the drills, launching long-range cruise missiles in a demonstration of Russia’s military prowess, reports The Telegraph.
Putin claims exercises were pre-planned
Despite Putin’s insistence that the exercises had been planned in advance, the timing of the military drills has raised suspicions, coming just a day after the collapse of the highly anticipated Trump-Putin summit in Budapest.
The meeting aimed to kickstart negotiations to end the Ukraine war, but was derailed by disagreements over territorial concessions and Western arms deliveries to Kyiv.
Trump expresses deep anxiety
The US president has previously voiced his concerns about the looming threat of nuclear war, labeling it “the greatest threat to humanity.” The cancellation of the Hungary summit, which was intended to pave the way for a ceasefire, has only heightened fears of a potential escalation in the conflict.
Ukraine strikes Russian chemical plant with British-made missiles
In a bold move, Ukraine’s military targeted a key Russian chemical plant with British-made long-range Storm Shadow missiles. The Bryansk chemical plant, which produces gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel, was hit in a combined missile and air strike, prompting Moscow to warn the West against providing Ukraine with long-range weapons.
Trump hesitates on Tomahawk missile supply to Ukraine
During a White House meeting on Friday, President Trump appeared to backtrack on his earlier willingness to supply US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite the potential boost to Kyiv’s long-range strike capability against Russian targets, Trump expressed concerns about escalating the conflict and draining US stockpiles.
Trump’s U-turn follows phone call with Putin
The US president’s change of heart came just a day after he spoke with Putin by phone, during which the two leaders agreed to hold their summit in Budapest. The meeting was set to take place “within two weeks” before its abrupt cancellation, leaving many wondering about the future of the war in Ukraine.
Russia controls 20% of Ukrainian territory as war rages on
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has managed to seize control of approximately 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Despite Trump’s recent suggestion that Kyiv could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form,” the path to a peaceful resolution remains uncertain.