Sirens blared across Russia and television stations interrupted regular programming on Wednesday as part of sweeping emergency drills intended to test the readiness of the country’s responders amid the war in Ukraine.
The exercise, which began on Tuesday, follows Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and other cities. The Russian Defence Ministry said air defences shot down 31 Ukrainian drones over border regions early Wednesday as the drills continued.
Russian media reported that the exercise scenario includes the increasing danger of a conflict between nuclear powers, simulating a response where 70% of housing and vital infrastructure is destroyed, areas contaminated by radioactive fallout, and a general mobilisation is announced.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, has repeatedly warned of the growing threat of nuclear war. Over the weekend, he lambasted Western officials pushing for more military aid to Ukraine, saying “those imbeciles are actively pushing us to World War III.”
The stark drills contrast with the government’s efforts to reassure a public weary from nearly 20 months of fighting, which the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation.” Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials have stated that no new mobilisation wave is needed, as the army has enough volunteer soldiers.
