Compilation by Sahar Yaghoubi
Alert for “special combat readiness”: Because of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin declared Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be in “special battle readiness” on Sunday.
Putin made the announcement at a meeting with Russia’s Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu, and Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov, according to RT News.
As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly economic measures against our country—I’m talking about the illegal sanctions that everyone is well aware of—but also top officials from leading NATO countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements about our country, Putin said on state television.
On the international scene, the decision was met with astonishment and worry.
“We feel this is not only a needless step to take, but an escalator step that may make things much more hazardous,” a US defense department source told Fox News on Sunday. “We have no reason to dispute the veracity of this command, but the manner in which it has presented itself is still unclear.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has agreed to meet with a Russian team in Belarus, and Russians are on their way to the location where the negotiations will take place, according to Vladimir Medinsky, the leader of the Russian mission.
According to the Belta news agency, the discussions would take place in the Gomel area on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. The Russian team is ready for the discussions, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, and is awaiting the arrival of their Ukrainian colleagues.
As you may be aware, President [of Belarus, Alexander] Lukashenko spoke with President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy on the phone.
After that, President Lukashenko went to President [Vladimir] Putin on the Russian side, pleading with him not to return the Russian team, since Ukraine had indicated its readiness to attend the Gomel negotiations “According to Peskov.
The invasion has killed at least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, according to the director of Ukraine’s Health Ministry, who was reported by Reuters on Sunday.
64 civilians were murdered, according to a UN agency, while 3,500 Russian troops were killed or injured, according to a Ukrainian presidential advisor. The figures could not be verified, according to Reuters.
Pictured: Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir). Credit: Russian military.
