MOSCOW. Nov 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia can guarantee the safety of its nuclear arsenals, said Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
"We possess everything necessary to safely protect our nuclear arsenals from any forms of unsanctioned access and to prevent possible accidents," Ivanov said at a meeting of the Armed Forces' top brass in Moscow on Wednesday.
In support of this statement, Ivanov cited outcomes of the Accident-2004 special tactical exercises. "These exercises were conducted together with the Federal Atomic Energy Agency at a Defense Ministry site located in the Murmansk region," the minister said.
The exercises were monitored by 49 representatives from 17 NATO countries, Ivanov said. "Contrary to statements that we have problems providing security for our nuclear weapons, which are made abroad from time to time, our partners in the NATO-Russia Council could see the opposite with their own eyes," he said.