Urgent: Putin orders nuclear “deterrent forces” to be placed on high alert

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he was putting the Russian army’s “deterrent forces” on alert, on the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I order the Defense Minister and the Chief of the General Staff to put the deterrent forces of the Russian army on special combat alert,” Putin said in a televised meeting with his military chiefs.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu replied: “Affirmative.”

International tensions have already spiked over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s order could cause even more alarm.

Moscow possesses the world’s second-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles that form the backbone of the country’s deterrence forces.

“They see that Western countries are not only hostile to our country in the economic field, I mean the illegitimate sanctions,” he added, in a televised speech.

“Senior officials from major NATO countries also allow aggressive statements against our country,” he said.

The Russian president ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning. Since then, troops have entered the country from the north, east and south, but have faced fierce resistance from Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian authorities say some Russian troops are demoralized and exhausted, saying dozens have surrendered.

However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called Russia “irresponsible” on Sunday after President Vladimir  Putin  put the Russian army’s nuclear “deterrent force” on alert.

“This is dangerous rhetoric. It’s irresponsible behavior,” Stoltenberg told CNN.

“And of course, if you combine this rhetoric with what they are doing on the ground in Ukraine, waging war against an independent sovereign nation, carrying out a full-blown invasion of Ukraine, this adds gravity to the situation,” he added.