Russia President Putin orders nuclear deterrent on 'special alert' spread fear across west

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MOSCOW (TSAT) - The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered its defense ministry to put nuclear deterrent on special alert.

The President move came after several Westren countries imposed tough economic sanctions against Moscow, the TASS News Agency reported.

"Top officials in NATO’s leading countries have been making aggressive statements against our country. For this reason, I give orders to the defense minister and chief of the General Staff to introduce a special combat service regime in the Russian army’s deference forces," the agency quoted Putin as saying during at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in the Kremlin.

Putin stressed that the Western countries were also taking unfriendly actions against Russia in the economic sphere.

"I am referring to the illegitimate sanctions, which are very well-known to everybody," he added.

On Sunday, the Ukraine officials claimed that its forces destroyed Russian forces convoy and killed several Russian troops and captured several others.

Heavy fighting between Russian and Ukraine forces continued on Sunday in different parts of the country and Moscow claimed that over 500 Ukraine air defense soldiers surrendered to them

Russia also claimed that its troops captured Kharkiv, the second largest city of Ukraine which Kyiv rejected and said the city still under their control.