Urals

Belarusian military units are taking part in military exercises of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation held in Russia's Ural region. The drills bring together forces from CSTO member states, a Russia-led alliance that includes Belarus, and come at a time of heightened attention to joint military activity between Minsk and Moscow.

Ukrainian media are reporting on Russia's so-called "Dead Hand" perimeter nuclear retaliatory system, outlining what is publicly known about a secretive military facility in the Urals linked to automated command-and-control of Russia's nuclear arsenal. The coverage reviews the system's Cold War origins, its semi-automatic response capabilities, and the lack of verified official information about its current status and location.