Today’s exercises involved the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.

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Hiroshima was 15kT, but Yars can carry 10 150kT nukes – summing up to 1500kt and making it 100 times bigger than Hiroshima.

A video showed the moment the giant missile went up in the night sky.

The mock atomic attack included a nuclear submarine and two Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers.

A Sineva ballistic missile was also launched from the Barents Sea from the strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine cruiser Tula.

The drills assumed a response to an enemy nuclear strike.

Russian propaganda has been stressing a supposed nuclear threat – for which there is no evidence – from the West.

It portrays Russia in an existential standoff with the West over Ukraine.

“Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,  in accordance with the training plan for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, under your leadership,” defence minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin.

“The tasks of delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy’s nuclear strike will be practiced.”

Armed forces chief General Valery Gerasimov also told Putin: “As part of the training, Yars mobile ground-based missile systems of the strategic missile forces, Tula strategic submarine of the Northern Fleet, and two strategic long-range missile carriers Tu-95MS, were deployed.”

The Tu-95MS long-range bombers test-fired air-launched cruise missiles.

The nuclear-capable Yars missile was aimed at a target on the Kamchatka peninsula in the east of Russia.

Moscow is moving to revoke its ratification of a landmark nuclear testing treaty to bring itself into line with the United States.

The tests did not involve new generation Sarmat – or Satan-2 – which is due soon to come into Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

The Tu-95s are the world’s only propeller-powered nuclear bombers.

They first flew some 70 years ago, but remain an integral part of the Russian nuclear armoury.

Russia is also known for its terrifying arsenal of thermobaric weapons launches a barrage of fuel-air explosive warheads so powerful they can “melt” an opposing army.

But last week, Ukraine managed to blow up a £5million Russian tank using only a £300 drone.

Footage shared by Ukraine‘s 59th Motorised Brigade shows the final moments of a TOS-1A Heavy flamethrower before the dramatic explosion.

The epic scene is filmed from a Ukrainian drone that is hovering above the soviet tank, which was later decimated.

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