Russia will carry out large drills over the coming weekend to test the country’s nuclear capabilities, which President Vladimir Putin will oversee, the Kremlin confirmed on Friday. In a statement released to state-run media, the Kremlin said that on Feb. 19, “under the supervision of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a planned exercise of the forces of strategic deterrence will take place, during which ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched.” The nuclear drills are slated to “check the preparedness of the military organs, launch crews, and the crews of warships and missile carriers to carry out their tasks and to test the reliability of strategic nuclear and non-nuclear weaponry,” according to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters that the exercises are routine and denied they signaled an escalation in the standoff near the Ukrainian border. Speaking also to The Associated Press, Peskov said …