President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine it would be considered a significant escalation of the war.

Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not “rushing” up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” Putin, 71, told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.

Putin said the U.S. understood that if it deployed American troops on Russian territory - or to Ukraine - Russia would treat the move as an intervention.

  • maynarkh@feddit.nl
    2·
    8 months ago

    Well, before the war they were the prime provider for orbital launches, so … maybe?

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      8 months ago

      They had space know how.

      But look at the relative budgets set aside for the nukes. No way they’re maintaining dedicated equipment.

      To be clear, we can’t plan on that, especially since there are other ways to deliver a nuke. (Ie simply by handing it to terrorists; and letting them smuggle it into a target…)