Putin issues thinly-veiled threat as he warns Russia has upgraded entire nuclear arsenal
Vladimir Putin claims Russia has nearly upgraded its entire nuclear arsenal in a bid to beat the West
Reuters
Vladimir Putin claims Russia has nearly upgraded its entire nuclear arsenal in a bid to beat the West.
During a defence ministry meeting in Moscow, the Russian president said the proportion of modernised weaponry available to their nuclear forces “has been brought to 95 per cent”.
According to Kusti Salm, a senior Estonian defence ministry official, Russia’s ammunition production is seven times better than the west’s.
Putin also suggested the strategic forces were being kept at the highest level of readiness as the West threatens a “hybrid war” against Russia.
Putin also suggested the strategic forces were being kept at the highest level of readiness as the West threatens a 'hybrid war' against Russia
ReutersHe added that the war in Ukraine had shifted in his favour.
The Russian president said his invasion forces "have the initiative" on the battlefield, and: "We do what we think is necessary, what we want."
He claimed Ukraine "suffered heavy losses and has largely squandered its reserves."
Taking a jab at Ukraine’s international allies, Putin said the “myth of invulnerability of Western military equipment has also collapsed”.
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He added: "All attempts, as they say in the West, to inflict a strategic military defeat on us were beaten by the courage and fortitude of our soldiers, clashing with the greater power of our armed forces, the potential of the national industry and defence production."
His comments come after the US and EU failed to provide Ukraine with almost £90 billion of aid it had promised.
Putin said Russia would be prepared to talk to Ukraine, the US and Europe about the future of Ukraine if they wanted to.
He asked: "In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States – do they want to negotiate?
Vehicles on fire, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the Odesa region of UkraineReuters"Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests. We will not give up what is ours."
Putin later claimed that the West was planning to divide Russia up into parts.
He said: “And Russia itself, as we know, was planned to be divided into parts... five... They did not hide it. Everything was discussed openly, openly discussed.”
He said western countries “worked with the Russian fifth column, separatists and international terrorist organisations” in an attempt to “destroy” Russia.