London: Russian President Vladimir Putin has staged a missile launch to prove his forces are ready for nuclear war, a day after the collapse of an attempted summit to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Putin broadcast the missile test showing him sitting at a circular desk with six screens to monitor the launch of an intercontinental missile from northern Russia at the same time a submarine fired a missile from the Barents Sea.

Russia also sent Tupolev Tu-95 bombers into the air to fire cruise missiles and issued a statement claiming it had tested its military command structure and the procedures for launching nuclear weapons.

The display came after Ukraine proved its ability to strike targets deep inside Russia by using a Storm Shadow missile supplied by Britain to destroy a Russian plant

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