When Vladimir Putin readied for the invasion of Ukraine, amongst his final actions was an exercise of Russia's nuclear forces which tested the readiness of its nuclear arsenal and the delivery systems of ships, submarines, aircraft and missiles that would carry them across the globe. Ostensibly it would have also checked the communication systems to ready the weapons for launch and the codes to activate the actual launch. Coming as it did, just a month before the invasion of Ukraine and accompanied by much publicised photos of Putin himself watching the exercises, it was a clear statement of how far he was willing to go in pursuit of his eventual aims.
The nuclear threat has come up thrice during the war, mainly voiced by the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who warned that "World War III will be a nuclear war"-a thinly veiled warning that should external forces enter the conflict, it could resort to nuclear means. The bombast cannot be completely discounted as an idle threat. And when the West did launch the most powerful weapon in its arsenal-sanctions-Russia went ballistic (pardon the pun). It compared the crippling sanctions to a nuclear strike on its economy and it placed its nuclear forces in a state of “Special Readiness Alert”, a heightened state of readiness that would reduce the time taken to launch a nuclear attack should that dreadful situation arise.
Bu hikaye The Sunday Guardian dergisinin March 13, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Sunday Guardian dergisinin March 13, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
DOMESTIC SPACES AS MUSEUMS OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Traditional knowledge systems of India are profound, deep rooted and insightful.
INDIA’S FIRST VANDE BHARAT SLEEPER TRAINS WILL BE ON TRACK WITHIN 2 MONTHS, SAYS VAISHNAW
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that India's first Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be on track within two months.
ABHISHEK BANERJEE TAKES HIATUS AMID SPECULATION OF RIFT WITHIN TMC
This sudden decision by Abhishek is being read in Bengal and Delhi as a sign of internal difference between him and Mamata, who while belonging to the same blood line, more often than not are on the same page.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST HIGHLIGHTS FAILURE OF BODIES FORMED BY GOVT ON MISSING PERSONS
Human rights activist Mahrang Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) highlighted on Thursday the failure of all commissions and committees formed by the Pakistan government to look into the cases of missing persons and enforced disappearances and called such efforts 'eyewash', Pakistanbased Dawn reported.
'HELLO FROM MELODI TEAM': ITALIAN PM MELONI SHARES VIDEO WITH PM MODI
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shared a video of herself alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recently concluded G7 Summit meeting in Italy.
The 'mystery' of thriving political dynasties
Scores of inheritors in sports, cinema and corporate India have failed despite having all the initial advantages. The natural question is why doesn't the same happen in politics?
Challenges faced by Tibetans are enormous
The focus on Mandarin Chinese and Han cultural norms has resulted in Tibetan children losing proficiency in their native language
A historic third term for PM Modi
Despite the minor electoral setback, Mr Modi appears committed to his economic reform agenda and advancing India's international profile.
GOPAL RAI INTRODUCES AN AMBITIOUS 12-POINT SUMMER ACTION PLAN
The Delhi government has announced a 12-point summer action plan to control pollution, following fluctuating Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the national capital, which have ranged from moderate to poor over the past 15 days.
KATHUA TERRORIST ATTACK PROMPTS SECURITY MEASURES IN PATHANKOT
\"Any terrorist activity or infiltration in Kathua could quickly escalate and affect the peace of Punjab, especially neighbouring Pathankot district.”
