This should be more concerning news, but the mainstream media, when it reports it, seems to regard it a bluff. Putin has now moved to place Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alert, meaning the nukes, if needed, could be fired immediately. Putin cited economic sanctions, and aggressive hawkish statements by NATO as moving the apocalypse to the next level. Given the destructive potential of Russia this is a situation of greater concern, comparatively, than the Cuban missile crisis was. I find the nuclear Poseidon torpedo, which can cover Britain in a tsunami of radioactive water, the worst nightmare. But Russia offers many to fear.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/vladimir-putin-nuclear-deterrence-forces-russia?fr=operanews
Vladimir Putin has ordered his military command to put Russia's nuclear deterrence forces on high alert on Sunday as tensions with the West escalate over the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin blamed "aggressive statements" by NATO members and hard-hitting economic sanctions against Moscow as the reason for increasing Russia's preparedness to launch nuclear weapons.
"Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," Putin said on state television, according to the Associated Press.
"Senior officials of the leading Nato countries also allow aggressive statements against our country, therefore I order the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff [of the Russian armed forces] to transfer the deterrence forces of the Russian army to a special mode of combat duty," Putin added in the appearance with top Russian military officials.
The order came at a meeting between the president, the defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of the general staff of the armed forces of Russia, Valery Gerasimov, the Guardian reported.
At the meeting, Putin ordered his top military command to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty."