Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to place the country’s nuclear defence forces on high alert as a response to “aggressive remarks” made by NATO members.
The order was made public by the TASS news agency at a meeting between Putin and Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, and Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Russia, Valery Gerasimov.
“Senior officers of NATO’s leading countries allow aggressive statements against our nation, therefore, I order the Minister and Chief of the General Staff [of Russia’s Armed Forces]” Putin stated in the statement. It was also quoted by state-run TASS.
It is unclear what this “special mode of fighting duty” meant. Putin warned other countries against interfering in his ongoing invasion of Ukraine. He said it could lead to “consequences” they have never seen. Putin deployed anti-air missiles to Belarus and his fleet to the Black Sea to stop a western intervention in Ukraine.
Hundreds have been killed in the Russian invasion. Russia launched missile strikes on buildings in Kyiv and Kharkiv as part of an all-out attack that threatens to overwhelm the country.
