MOSCOW, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Strategic Missile Forces will conduct a series of exercises on October 9-17 in the Ivanovo Region, the forces' press service said on Thursday.

At least six warplanes and helicopters will participate in the exercises, to be held near the town of Teikovo, located about 250 km east of Moscow.

The statement did not specify the nature of the exercises, but said 36 pilots would participate.

Teikovo is the base of 54th Strategic Missile Division, where the first two battalions were equipped with six road-mobile Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin) intercontinental ballistic missile systems.

Topol-M missile, with a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 km), is the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russia's nuclear triad. As of the start of 2009, the SMF operated 50 silo-based and six road-mobile Topol-M missile systems.