Putin orders Russian military chiefs to put nuclear forces on high alert

He ordered the Russian defence minister and the chief of the military’s General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”

"As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in the economic dimension - I mean the illegal sanctions that everyone knows about very well - but also the top officials of leading Nato countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements with regards to our country," Putin said on state television.

"So I order to move Russia's deterrence forces to a special regime of duty."

A man hugs his twin sons at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, after they fled their home in Ukraine. Picture taken Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru).

The order raises the threat Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to the use of nuclear weapons.

The Russian leader last week threatened to retaliate harshly against any nations that intervened directly in the conflict in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Putin nuclear war threat - What is Russia's nuclear capability?

As he launched the full scale invasion on Thursday morning, he issued a chilling warning to any western allies who might consider coming to Ukraine’s.

He said: “To anyone who would consider interfering from outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history,” he said. “All the relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me.”

Currently no Nato troops are on the ground in Ukraine, but the alliance is sending support through weapons and aid to the country.

Putin: "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly economic actions against our country, but leaders of major Nato countries are making aggressive statements about our country. So I order to move Russia's deterrence forces to a special regime of duty." pic.twitter.com/AC1yHncqZc

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 27, 2022

The United States immediately denounced the nuclear escalation threat by the Russian President as "completely unacceptable".

US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: "President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable."

The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, told CNN: “This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a behaviour which is irresponsible.”

It is not immediately clear what the “special mode of combat duty” entails with experts suggesting the move may have been a way of adding to pressure on Mr Zelensky to agree to the talks.

Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based analyst and head of the Russian Nuclear Forces project, said it was hard to tell what the order meant but that it may be a “preliminary command”.

It made a retaliatory strike possible, he said, adding: “But does not mean preparation for a first strike.”

The moves came as Mr Zelensky announced he had agreed to talks with a Russian delegation on the Ukraine-Belarus border.

Mr Zelensky had earlier rejected an offer of talks in Belarus, saying the Russian ally had been a launchpad for the invasion of his country.

Earlier on Sunday the UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Putin may be prepared to use "the most unsavoury means" to secure victory in Ukraine.

Ms Truss said any use of nuclear or chemical weapons would represent an "extremely serious escalation" of the conflict which could see Russian leaders brought before the International Criminal Court.

Her warning came after the Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said that in the "worst-case scenario" Mr Putin could deploy low yield tactical nuclear weapons if his forces failed to make a breakthrough.

With the Russian advance on the capital, Kyiv, apparently bogged down in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, Ms Truss said the survival of Mr Putin's regime could now be at stake if his invasion plan failed.

READ MORE: Putin may use 'most unsavoury means' amid nuclear weapons fears

"This could well be the beginning of the end for Putin. I fear that he is prepared to use the most unsavoury means in this war," she told Sky News's Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme.

Asked about Russia's arsenal of chemical and tactical weapons, she said: "I fear this conflict could be very, very bloody.

"I urge the Russians not to escalate this conflict but we do need to be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons. I think it would be hugely devastating. We need to avoid this at all costs."

Speaking later on the BBC's Sunday morning programme, she said that senior Russian officials could be tried for war crimes "if they do go into that arena".

A Ukrainian woman arrives in tears at the Medyka border crossing, in Poland, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

"This would be extremely serious escalation of the situation," she said.

READ MORE: Edinburgh Ukraine protest — Scots tell Putin ‘loud and clear’ to end invasion

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 people have been forced to flee Ukraine following the Russian invasion to bordering nations like Romania, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and the Czech Republic.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said the invasion will have "devastating humanitarian consequences" on civilians.

During her TV interviews this moring Ms Truss declined to say how many refugees from Ukraine the UK will accept but insisted the UK Government is "urgently" looking at what more it can do.

Boris Johnson's Government has faced intense criticism over its failure so far to relax the visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals.

Ms Truss said Britain has always welcomed refugees fleeing from war, but did not say how soon the country will welcome people from Ukraine or how many will be accepted.

Asked if the Government will waive visa requirements for Ukrainians coming to the UK, she told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme with Sophie Raworth: "It is a desperate situation.

"We're working with the United Nations, we're working with the Red Cross, to keep humanitarian corridors open.

"We've put support into the neighbouring countries like Slovakia and Poland to help with the refugee crisis.

"And of course Britain has always welcomed refugees fleeing from war, and we're urgently looking at what more we can do to facilitate that.

"But ultimately what we need to make sure is that we protect Ukraine as a sovereign democracy.

"Ultimately, the people of Ukraine want to live in Ukraine."

It was put to the Cabinet minister that anyone who has no connection to the UK cannot get in, and she was asked if that will be changed.

She said: "We are looking urgently at what we can do. We're working with European partners about how we support refugees who are leaving Ukraine. So, yes, is the answer."

Pressed on how many refugees the UK will accept and how soon, Ms Truss said:

"Well, as I've said, this is something we are urgently looking at."

She said the UK is already providing support on the ground with teams in Poland and Slovakia.

"I will be travelling to the region this week and we will do all we can to support Ukrainians, both in Ukraine and those who have had to flee because of this appalling war," she said.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said visa restrictions for those seeking sanctuary in the UK from Ukraine are "totally unacceptable".

The Russian invasion has left hundreds of civilians dead. Russia has launched missile strikes against buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other major Ukrainian cities as it threatens an all-out assault not seen since the second world war.

On the fourth day of the full-scale assault Kyiv yesterday remained under Ukrainian control, while officials claimed they had repelled an attack on Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, where street fighting was taking place.

Kharkiv residents were urged to stay indoors by its governor, Oleg Sinegubov, who said “there has been a breakthrough in light equipment including in the central part of the city”. A nine-storey building was reportedly hit, with one woman killed.

Russian forces also blew up a gas pipeline in the city, the Ukrainian state service of special communications said, prompting the government to warn of a potential “environmental catastrophe” and to urge people to protect themselves from the smoke by covering their windows.

President Zelensky has promised to arm foreign volunteers to travel to his country to join the battle against Mr Putin's forces.

Reports have emerged of foreign volunteers heading to Ukraine to help the resistance to Russia in what some commentators have compared to the help international fighters gave to Spain's anti-fascist fighters in the 1930s.

Asked on the BBC's Sunday Morning programme if she would support UK citizens who chose to answer the call, Ms Truss said: ‘I do. I do support that and of course that is something that people can make their own decisions about.

Nicola Sturgeon called yesterday on UK ministers for clarity on support for people fleeing the war after a UK Government Minister appeared to suggest they could come to Britain to pick fruit and vegetables. The First Minister said that asking refugees to be migrant seasonal workers is “not the route” people seeking refuge should rely on. 

Meanwhile, Scottish external affairs secretary Angus Roberston demanded that Russian diplomats are expelled from Scotland and backed calls for the Russian Ambassador to the UK to be sent back to Moscow from London.

Ms Truss's warning that Mr Putin may be prepared to resort to "the most unsavoury means" to suppress Ukraine came after the Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said that in the "worst-case scenario" Mr Putin could deploy low yield tactical nuclear weapons if his forces failed to make a breakthrough.

With the Russian advance on the capital, Kyiv, apparently bogged down in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, Ms Truss said the survival of Mr Putin's regime could now be at stake if his invasion plan failed.

"This could well be the beginning of the end for Putin. I fear that he is prepared to use the most unsavoury means in this war," she told Sky News's Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme.

Asked about Russia's arsenal of chemical and tactical nuclear weapons, she said: "I fear this conflict could be very, very bloody.

"I urge the Russians not to escalate this conflict but we do need to be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons. I think it would be hugely devastating. We need to avoid this at all costs."

Speaking later on the BBC's Sunday morning programme, she said that senior Russian officials could be tried for war crimes "if they do go into that arena".

"This would be extremely serious escalation of the situation," she said.

"The International Criminal Court has already said they are looking at what is happening in Ukraine and if I was a senior Russian official, or indeed the president, I would be very wary of taking further steps."

Western officials have previously raised the prospect that the Russians could use thermobaric "vacuum bombs" which suck in oxygen to create a devastating, high temperature blast.

Mr Ellwood said Western allies needed to think now what their response would be if Mr Putin were to use unconventional forces.

"He could certainly use other weapons systems which haven't been really tested or that we aren't really used to," he told the BBC.

"Chemical weapons, the worst case scenario would be low yield tactical nuclear weapons as well. We need to ask those questions as to what we would do."

Following the co-ordinated announcement by the UK, US, EU and Canada late on Saturday that some Russian banks would be excluded from the Swift global payments system, Ms Truss said it was vital to maintain pressure on Moscow with more economic sanctions.

She said the Government would bring forward its planned Economic Crime Bill next week and was drawing up a "hit list" of Russian oligarchs who would be targeted with travel bans and asset freezes in the coming weeks.

"There are over 100 billionaires in Russia. We have compiled a hit list of oligarchs. We are working through and putting the cases together, and every few weeks we will sanction new oligarchs," the Foreign Secretary told Sky News.

"We will be targeting oligarchs' private jets, we will be targeting their properties, we will be targeting other possessions that they have and there will be nowhere to hide."

Ms Truss acknowledged there would be an "economic cost" to pay but said it was essential that President Putin was stopped to avert future wars in Europe.

"If we don't stop Putin in Ukraine we are going to see others under threat - the Baltics, Poland, Moldova, and it could end up in a conflict with Nato," she said.

"Yes, there will be an economic cost here in Britain, there will be a cost in terms of access to oil and gas markets. I firmly believe that the British public understand the price we will pay if we don't stand up to Putin now."