Kiev/Moscow – On Saturday shortly before noon (CET), the announced military exercise by the Russian armed forces to test their missile armament began. The aim of the annual maneuver called Grom (“Thunder”) is to test the reliability of strategic nuclear weapons. According to the Kremlin, a supersonic rocket was successfully launched. Airlines have been warned in advance to avoid the maneuvering areas (in the Barents Sea, off the Pacific island of Kamchatka and in the Black Sea) until Tuesday next week. Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be overseeing the maneuver himself.
