As Western attention has been bestowed on Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine, Moscow launched a massive nuclear offensive exercise.

As Western attention has been bestowed on Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine, Moscow launched a massive nuclear offensive exercise, media reports said.

According to the Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces began on Thursday a massive three-day exercise involving 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 pieces of equipment from more than 30 units.

The major purpose of the drill, according to the report—which cites multiple senior Russian military officers—is to ensure Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces have sufficient readiness to conduct offensive operations involving the massive and simultaneous use of nuclear missiles.

Troops were expected to conduct surveillance for chemical, biological and radiological threats, as well as to identify and stop conventional efforts to thwart the offensive.

Russian strategic missile forces chief Col. Gen. Sergei Karakaev first unveiled plans for the command staff exercise in December, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported. The drill was expected to focus on the Omsk and Orenburg armies of Karakaev's missile forces, and to involve 1,000 pieces of equipment belonging to more than 30 units of the Russian military.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta article said there was no connection between the current nuclear exercise and the crisis in Ukraine, noting that testing the readiness of Russia’s strategic forces was especially important in light of the “current reality of the world situation.”