(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, 19 FEB - Russian President VladimirPutin has kicked off the planned military and strategic missile maneuvers in Russia from the Kremlin 'situation room', in the midst of the escalation on Ukraine.
The exercises involve the army, the air force, the Northern and Black Sea fleets with their submarines armed with nuclear missiles, and strategic missile forces, recalls the spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov.
Putin's oversight, according to Peskov, is needed when strategic and cruise missiles are involved.
"Such launch tests are obviously impossible without the head of state.
You know about the famous black briefcase with the red button" with the codes that give the command for a nuclear attack, the presidential spokesman recalled.