Putin takes a submarine ride

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Putin takes a submarine ride

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Russian President Vladimir Putin boarded a Northern Fleet submarine Monday to observe first-hand ongoing nuclear war games that are to culminate this week with the flights of strategic bombers and launches of ballistic missiles.

Putin arrived at the fleet's headquarters in Severomorsk on Monday evening and shortly afterward was shown on television boarding the Arkhangelsk ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarine. The president, wearing a heavy naval coat and cap, was accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who is commanding the strategic exercises.

The Akula-class submarine, which is armed 20 RSM-52 ballistic missiles along with other armaments, was then towed away from the dock with Putin on board, Interfax reported.

Putin was to stay on board until Tuesday afternoon to observe the launches of missiles in the Barents Sea, Rossia television reported.

The launches are part of military exercises that have been under way since late January and entered what the Defense Ministry described as the active stage Monday evening.

In addition to Northern Fleet submarines, Russia's only aircraft carrier -- the Admiral Kuznetsov -- also put out to sea to participate in the exercises Monday, Interfax reported. The carrier had been docked at a Northern Fleet base for four years.

Virtually all branches of the country's armed forces are participating in the war games, including the Navy, Air Force, Strategic Missile Forces, Airborne Troops and Army, national news agencies reported.

This week, at least two ballistic missiles will be test-fired across the country, two satellites will be launched and more than a dozen long-range Tu-160 bombers will take part in sorties that include the firing of cruise missiles over the Atlantic Ocean, according to local media reports.

Among other maneuvers, units of the Siberian Military District and the Volga-Urals Military District are being deployed westward, while airborne units are being dispatched by air and rail to unspecified destinations.

Source: Agencies

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