MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has taken part in major military drills and personally launched four ballistic missiles as part of the exercises.

Russian news agencies quoted Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday as saying that Putin participated in Thursday's training which was aimed at testing Russia's strategic nuclear arsenal.

The Defense Ministry said Thursday that three ballistic missiles were fired from nuclear submarines and one from a launchpad in Russia's northwest as part of the drills.

Earlier this month, Russia conducted exercises involving intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.

The maneuvers follow massive war games conducted last month by Russia and Belarus that caused jitters in some NATO countries, including Poland and the Baltics.