Yars missiles redeployed in course of patrolling mission in Irkutsk region - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. March 1 (Interfax) - Yars road-mobile missile systems have been redeployed in the course of a patrolling mission in the Irkutsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"Over 1,000 servicemen and about 100 pieces of hardware took part in an exercise of the Irkutsk missile formation," the ministry said.

The forces trained rollup of Yars launchers and combat support vehicles, relocation to new positions, hardware positioning, camouflage, and tactical security.

"The exercise involves over ten pieces of modern military hardware, including systems for engineering, defense, security, and radiation, chemical and biological protection units," the ministry said.

The maneuvering missile forces will practice dispersal in a forest to ensure secrecy of Yars systems, it said.

The ministry said on Monday that the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and the long-range aviation command were put on high alert.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that the deterrence forces be put on high alert on February 27.

The Strategic Missile Forces are a branch of the Russian Armed Forces and a chief component of the strategic nuclear forces. They are tasked with nuclear deterrence of a possible aggression. The modern silo-based and road-mobile Yars systems are the core of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces. Yars operates on a range of up to 11,000 kilometers and carries multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.