Putin to Visit China as Russian Military Begins 3-Day Nuclear Exercise

(Central News Agency, Moscow, May 19, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Russia's military today launched a three-day nuclear exercise involving thousands of troops across the country. This comes amidst an escalation in Ukrainian drone attacks and Russian President Vladimir Putin's imminent visit to China. According to Agence France-Presse, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated: "The armed forces of the Russian Federation will conduct exercises from May 19 to 21, 2026, focusing on readiness in the face of aggression threats and the use of nuclear forces." Putin is expected to arrive in Beijing today and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow. (Compiler: Lu Yingzi) 1150519. (Note: The year "2026" for the exercise dates is as stated in the original text, despite the article's publication date implying a current event.)