The test strengthens Russia’s nuclear command and control systems amid rising tensions with the West.

Russian defense officials are claiming a successful test of the Ilyushin Il-80 deep-sea communication system, allowing the Russian ‘Doomsday’ plane to communicate with deep-sea nuclear submarines in the event of a nuclear war.

According to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, the Il-80 ‘Flying Kremlin’ successfully communicated with Russian nuclear submarines located deep underwater using ultra-long wave signals, enabling the Russian President to communicate and coordinate Russian military activity in the event of nuclear conflict.