On 30 October 2013 Russia conducted a large-scale exercise to check the readiness of its strategic forces. The exercise was carried out under command of the President of Russia. The exercise involved launches of ballistic missiles as well as missile defense and air defense interceptors. All launches were reported to be successful.

The Strategic Rocket Forces conducted two ICBM launches - a Topol missile was launched from the Plesetsk test site and an R-36M2 (RS-10V/SS-18) missile from a silo in Dombarovskiy. Both missiles delivered their warheads to the Kura test site in Kamchatka. (Most recent launches of Topol and R-36M2 were conducted in October 2013 and in December 2009 respectively)

The Russian Navy launched two SLBMs. K-117 Bryansk submarine of the Project 667BDRM (Delta IV) class launched a R-29RM missile from Barents Sea toward the Kura test site in Kamchatka. K-433 Sv. Georgiy Pobedonosets, a submarine of the Project 667BDR (Delta III) class, launched its R-29R missile from the Sea of Okhotsk toward the Chizha test site on the Kanin Peninsula. The last time the Navy launched an R-29R missile was in October 2012, also from K-433 Sv. Georgiy Pobedonosets. R-29RM was most recently launched in September 2011 (the Liner variant of the missile was tested).

The Air and Space Defense Forces conducted a test launch of a "short-range interceptor". The interceptor is apparently the 53T6 interceptor of the Moscow missile defense system, A-135. The last time 53T6 was tested in October 2012.

Among other tests conducted during the exercise are four launches of Iskander and Tochka-U short-range ballistic missiles [One Iskander-M and three Tochka-U] at the Kapustin Yar test site and tests of S-300 and S-400 air-defense systems, also in Kapustin Yar.

Although the official statement indicated that the Long-range Aviation also took part in the exercise, there have been no reports about strategic bombers. It is possible, though, that the flight of two Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela on 28 October 2013 was part of the exercise activities.

UPDATE 10/31/13: Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff, told journalists today that the exercise involved launches of three cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Six Tu-95MS bombers that took part in the exercise took off from the Engels base and were deployed over the Northern part of the country. They launched cruise missiles against targets at the Telemba test site near Chita. The exercise also tested the command and control system of the strategic forces and its capability to deliver launch orders to the strategic launchers.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta posted a very interesting video account of the exercise (it becomes somewhat repetitive after the tenths minute):