Putin’s chilling threat with nuclear force on ALERT after warning West may face ‘greatest consequences in history’
VLADIMIR Putin has put his nuclear forces on high alert just after warning the West “may face the greatest consequences in history”.
The Russian tyrant is said to be “furious” he’s not been able to subdue Ukraine and lashed out at NATO for its “unfriendly measures” he says forced him into the chilling nuclear gamble.
The move means Putin has ordered the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads prepared for launch readiness.
That raises the terrifying possibility the crisis and a miscalculation could spill over into nuclear war.
In an address on state TV, Putin claimed aggressive statements by NATO leaders and economic sanctions against Moscow have forced his hand.
He said “not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures” such as “illegal sanctions” but “top officials of leading NATO countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements with regards to our country”.
Putin said he has now ordered his military command to put Russia’s deterrence forces – a reference to units which include nuclear arms – on high alert.
“I order the defence minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said.
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Ahead of his invasion of Ukraine, Putin chillingly warned Russia is “today one of the most powerful nuclear powers”.
“To anyone who would consider interfering from outside – if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,” he said.
In response, the US rejected Putin’s claims and its Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called his move “unacceptable”.
“It means that President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable and we have to continue to stem his actions in the strongest possible way,” she said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Putin’s response was familiar and “we’ve seen him do this time and time again”.
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“At no point has Russia been under threat from Nato, has Russia been under threat from Ukraine,” she said.
“This is all a pattern from President Putin and we’re going to stand up to it.”
NATO Secretary General condemned what he said was Putin’s “dangerous rhetoric” adding his behaviour was “irresponsible”.
A top EU official has said the bloc will close its airspace to Russian airlines, fund arms supplies to Ukraine and ban pro-Kremlin media.
The move has left the world scrambling to decipher what Putin’s move signifies.
Both Russia and the United States typically have land and submarine-based nuclear forces on alert and prepared for combat at all times.
But nuclear capable bombers and other aircraft are not.
Russia’s nuclear doctrine was updated in 2020 allows for first-strike attacks if it has “reliable information” about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting its territory.
Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based analyst and head of the Russian Nuclear Forces project, it was “hard to tell” what the order meant but could be “preliminary command.”
While it “makes a retaliatory strike possible but it “does not mean preparation for a first strike”.
He added that doesn’t appear to include bombers being loaded with weapons and taking off.
VLAD’S GAMBLE
A UN spokesman said the idea of a nuclear war was unimaginable.
Stephane Dujarric said “The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable.”
The former chief of the Royal Navy, Lord West told The Sun one “miscalculation” could spark a war in Europe – which could spiral into a world war involving the use of nuclear weapons.
The battle for Ukraine is continuing to rage but Russian forces faltering, worrying new evidence has emerged about how much blood Putin is willing to shed.
Intelligence chiefs have said he is willing for 50,000 of his troops to be sacrificed in the war,
The grim prediction comes as the Russian Ministry of Health is preparing for a massive medical emergency.
Officials are looking for doctors with a number of specialisms from across Russia to come forward,
Medical organisations should be be ready “to be promptly involved in activities aimed at saving lives and preserving the health of people in Russia”, the ministry has urged.
On a more optimistic note, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to peace talks with Russia.
Delegations from the two countries will meet on the border with Belarus, he said.
On the fourth day of the invasion, hero Ukranian troops and civilians scramble to beat off the Russian invaders.
It comes after a day of fighting during which Russian troops failed to capture the capital.
Shells rained down across Ukraine following the invasion- as the battle for Kyiv stretched into a fourth day.
The city awoke to more air raid sirens after missile attacks that turned the sky orange during what Zelenskyy said was a “brutal” night.
And on Sunday night, Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko delivered the devastating news that the capital was now surrounded.
Asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops took the city, he said: “We can’t do that, because all ways are blocked.”
He added: “Right now we are encircled.”
Ukrainian forces are also battling the Russian invaders on the streets of Kharkiv and remain in “full control”, local commanders say.
The Ukrainian government says it has killed 3500 Russian soldiers have been killed while there have been 240 civilian deaths on its side.
As his forces encounter stiff resistance from Ukrainians defending their homeland, the Kremlin strongman must be “furious” about the lack of progress, a former Nato defence chief has said.
“Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days,” tweeted Riho Terras, who is also the former commander of the Estonian armed forces.
He said Ukrainian intelligence believes the Russians don’t have a “tactical plan” to deal with an enemy that is fighting back.
“The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered,” Terras said.
Earlier terrified civilians were urged to take cover in subways and basements as darkness fell on Saturday night.
Residents were warned the burning depot was emitting smoke and poisonous fumes and were told to keep their windows shut and to take cover.
Russian missiles also hit a nuclear waste disposal site on the outskirts of Kyiv, the Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has confirmed.
There were widespread fears that the Russian army would step up its efforts to seize Kyiv this weekend, targeting commercial businesses in a bid to destroy Ukrainians’ morale.
A city-wide curfew is being enforced in the capital while authorities hunt down “sabotage and reconnaissance groups,” Kyiv’s mayor said.
The EU’s executive said Europe was now facing its biggest humanitarian crisis in years – and the number of Ukrainians displaced by the war could total more than seven million.
Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said: “We are witnessing what could become the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent in many, many years. The needs are growing as we speak.
“So for the humanitarian situation overall, the currently expected number of displaced Ukrainians is over 7 million.”
The UN Security Council will hold another emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the looming humanitarian crisis.