Vladimir Putin has ordered nationwide nuclear drills to prepare Russia for “armed conflict involving nuclear powers,” in an apparent attempt to sow fear among his people and gain support for his war in Ukraine.
Sirens and loudspeakers sounded in all regions of Russia’s 11 time zones during exercises that lasted two days starting on Tuesday – although many in cities such as Novosibirsk and Vladivostok heard nothing at all.
Television broadcasts were suddenly interrupted to test systems with the same message: ‘Attention, everyone! It is checked whether the warning system is ready for the population. Please stay calm!’
In some areas, schoolchildren were trained to put on gas masks, while elsewhere officials were forced into bunkers.
Experts say the tests were aimed at spreading fear among the population as Putin cracks down on domestic dissent and prepares for a possible re-election bid next year.
The exercises were organized to simulate how Russia would respond if 70 percent of its housing facilities were destroyed.
The nationwide exercise was based on the assumption of a massive nuclear attack from the West.
The tests worked as if martial law had been imposed and the Russians had undergone a full mobilization.
In Volgograd, the city formerly known as Stalingrad, two air raid shelters were used. One of them could accommodate up to 36,000 people.
“The main purpose of the exercises is to check whether we are ready for specific actions,” said Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov, who oversaw the drills.
Bystanders have warned that the exercises may actually be aimed at population control, presenting the West as a nuclear threat and aggressor.
“The practice of martial law is particularly useful as Putin continues to crack down on Russia and isolate Russia from outside influence,” she told The Express.
Russia has mounted a steady censorship campaign spanning multiple industries to curb dissent during the war in Ukraine.
