Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday to put the Russian army’s “deterrent force” on alert, which may include a nuclear component, on the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian president justified this decision by the “bellicose declarations of NATO” towards Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday that he would put the Russian army’s “deterrent force” on alert, which may include a nuclear component, on the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “I order the defense minister and the chief of staff to put the Russian army’s deterrent forces on a special combat alert regime,” Putin said in a meeting with his military chiefs. broadcast on television. “It’s understood,” agreed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
A decision justified by “the bellicose declarations of NATO”
Vladimir Putin justified this decision by the “bellicose declarations of NATO” towards Russia. He also criticized the economic sanctions taken against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to him “illegitimate”. The Russian deterrent forces are a set of units whose purpose is to deter an attack on Russia, “including in the event of war involving the use of nuclear weapons”, according to the Ministry of Defense.
These forces are equipped with missiles, strategic bombers, submarines and surface ships. On the defensive side, they include an anti-missile shield, space control systems, anti-aircraft and anti-satellite defense. Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, sending international shock waves.