Putin orders nuclear forces on high alert

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his defense chiefs to put the country’s nuclear “deterrence forces” on high alert Sunday and accused the West of taking “unfriendly” steps against his country, The Moscow Times reported.

“I order the defense minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said.

“You see that Western countries are not only unfriendly to our country in the economic sphere — I mean illegitimate sanctions,” he added, in a televised address.

“Senior officials of leading NATO countries also allow aggressive statements against our country.”