Putin says nuclear forces are “always” on alert as war rages on in Ukraine

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that his nuclear forces would be “always” on alert and that Russia would not tolerate threats from the West.

class=”cf”>

In a defiant speech in Red Square to thousands of soldiers in ceremonial dress, Putin praised his army’s fighting in Ukraine and accused “Western elites” of fomenting conflict around the world.

“Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert,” Putin said at the victory parade.

“Dear friends, Russia is currently going through a difficult, crucial time. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us,” he said.

The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and has become Russia’s most important holiday as Putin puts the country firmly on combat alert.

The Russian president has repeatedly described the current fight against Ukraine as an existential fight against “Nazism.”

Putin has also stepped up his nuclear rhetoric. Earlier this week, he ordered the Russian military to conduct nuclear weapons exercises involving the Navy and troops stationed near Ukraine.

class=”cf”>

Last year, Russia abandoned ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and withdrew from a key arms reduction agreement with the United States.

Country guide in Moscow

Red Square will host the Victory Day parade, attended by columns carrying Russian military equipment, including advanced missiles and air defense systems, as well as thousands of military personnel.

Russia often invites representatives of countries it considers “friendly” to the event, although attendance had already dwindled before it sent troops to Ukraine in early 2022 due to a standoff with the West.

Eight world leaders were scheduled to attend Thursday’s parade, Russian state media reported this week, citing a Kremlin official.

They are the heads of five former Soviet states – Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – as well as the heads of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau.

In a high-profile snub, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced he would not attend amid the dispute between the two allies, despite being in Moscow for a regional summit on Wednesday evening.

The Kremlin has scheduled a summit of leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union – a regional bloc of some former Soviet states – the day before the parade.

class=”cf”>

Putin’s Victory Day address comes as his troops advance in Ukraine and shortly after he took oath for an unprecedented fifth term.

The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century and secured a new six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections without any opposition.

The Russian army repelled a much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive last year and has since made progress on the front as Kiev struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages.

class=”cf”>

Thursday’s celebrations come two days after Putin vowed to deliver a “victory” to Russians at a lavish inauguration.

“We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, accomplish everything we have planned, and together we will win.”

The war rages on

class=”cf”>

Eight people were injured in overnight Ukrainian attacks in and around the western Russian city of Belgorod, officials and the army said on Thursday.

Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several apartment blocks and houses were damaged.

“According to preliminary information, eight people were injured: seven adults and one child.”

Ukraine has recently increased its attacks on Russian territory, particularly targeting energy sites.

The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Belgorod was attacked overnight by several Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launchers, adding that 15 missiles and one drone were shot down.

The Russian army said a Ukrainian drone strike hit a fuel depot overnight in the village of Yurovka in the Krasnodar region near the Crimean peninsula, a Ukrainian region annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Russia said on May 8 that its forces had captured two more frontline villages in Ukraine, including in the northeastern Kharkiv region, from where it was forced to withdraw in 2022.

Russian army units “liberated the village of Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region” and Novokalynove in the eastern Donetsk region, the Defense Ministry said.

Kyslivka is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the embattled Ukrainian fortress of Kupiansk, while Novokalynove is about 10 kilometers north of Avdiivka, which was captured by Moscow in February.

Moscow has made numerous territorial gains since the capture of Avdiivka by exploiting a battlefield advantage in manpower and ammunition.

Kiev says the long-delayed arrival of US military supplies will help stabilize the situation at the front.

Ukrainian lawmakers on Wednesday approved a controversial law that, if Zelensky signs it, will allow prisoners to fight, the latest attempt to bolster the ranks of the overstretched army.