Ukraine war: Putin puts nuclear forces on the alarm – sanctions against Russia “illegitimate”

<h2>Russian troops threaten Kiev. But the resistance of the Ukraine continues – especially the city of Kharkiv is fought over</h2>

Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the country’s nuclear forces on high alert. “I am instructing the defense minister and the chief of staff to put the Russian army’s deterrent forces on special combat readiness,” Putin said in a televised conversation with senior military officials on Sunday. Putin justified the step with “aggressive statements” by high-ranking representatives of NATO countries.

He also criticized the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries as “illegitimate”. The Russian “Deterrent Forces” are a set of units designed to deter an attack on Russia. In addition to a massive arsenal of ballistic missiles, they also include nuclear weapons.

The Ukrainian armed forces continue to pull together to defend the capital, Kiev. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar wrote on Facebook on Sunday (February 27, 2022). Mobilization is ongoing across the country. The air force intercepted Russian fighter jets and transport aircraft over Kiev, and the navy thwarted a Russian landing in the south.