State television footage shows the Yars rocket, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and has a range that encompasses all of Europe and the continental United States, being loaded into the ground at the Kozelsky base, 260 kilometers south of Moscow.
A day earlier, another footage showed another missile arriving at the same site, and a retired Russian general warned state television viewers that Russia should prioritize striking London over Washington.
Russian official media have posted images of a Yars nuclear missile being put into a silo south of Moscow.
From the Kozelsky base where they are stationed, Yars missiles can target all of Europe and the United States’ mainland.
Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev told viewers, “You don’t need to strike Washington first; it’s too far away.”
“London is close by…. London is the epicenter of all evil.”
Since waging war on Ukraine in February, Vladimir Putin has increased his nuclear saber-rattling, with the West as his main objective.
In recent weeks, he has toned down his threats after Beijing ordered him to stop, but they are progressively escalating ahead of Russia’s annual Strategic Missile Forces Day on December 17.
In October, when Putin watched the annual Grom nuclear exercises, Russia displayed its Yars rockets for the last time.
Submarines, nuclear-capable bombers, and Russia’s nuclear missile forces all participated in these drills, which Putin supervised from his nuclear command center.
Colonel Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defence magazine, stated that the exercises were a rehearsal for the destruction of the United Kingdom and the United States.
Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev recommended to viewers of Russian official television that Russia might consider striking London with nuclear weapons before striking Washington, D.C.
A day after releasing film of another missile being brought to the same location, Russia published footage of the Yars missile being delivered.
State television footage shows a member of Russia’s strategic missile forces bringing one of the Yars nuclear missiles to its silo.
General Gurulev stated, following the broadcast of the most recent Yars missile footage, that the West is hell-bent on seeing Ukraine strike Russia.
He asked, “So why are we embarrassed to declare that we should hit London?”
I am not suggesting that everyone should be demolished. Control centres, military sites, and airfields should be demolished, along with other vital infrastructure.
“I am certain we should have a catalogue at the General Staff, and it should be constantly updated… Is it atomic…[or not]?
If it is not nuclear, you must determine the number of missile carriers, ships, planes, satellite constellations…and long-range [drones] required.
And a strike on London, as bizarre as it may sound, would serve as the first and last warning to the [actual decision-makers – Washington]’
According to sources, the Kozelsk missile base in the Kaluga region is undergoing modernization and renovation.
The Yars is a variant of the Topol-M missile system, and it was deployed for the first time in 2009.
Since initiating the war in Ukraine earlier this year, Vladimir Putin has threatened to use his nuclear arsenal, but has toned down his rhetoric in response to warnings from Beijing.
In October, Russia conducted a test launch of one of its Yars missiles amid rumors that it was preparing for an attack on the United Kingdom or the United States.
»By placing it into a silo, Russia prepares its second Yars nuclear missile«