Ukraine crisis: Russian President Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert amid tensions with West
Zee News
Russian President Putin told his defense minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty".
New Delhi: As tension escalates between Russia and the West over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin on Sunday (February 27) directed Russian nuclear forces put on high alert accusing Western countries of taking "unfriendly" steps against his country.
After Putin's order asking nuclear weapons be prepared for increased readiness to launch, it has stoked fear of Russian invasion of Ukraine leading to nuclear warfare with the West, AP reported.
Russia has the world's second-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons forming the country's deterrence forces, news agency AFP reported
Putin told his defense minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty". "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," AP quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, after denying talks with Russia in Minsk, the office of Ukraine's president later today said that a delegation would meet with Russian officials at Belarus border.
