Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Fox Channels May Go Dark on YouTube TV From Wednesday Over Payment Dispute

11 hours ago

California Republicans Sue to Block Congressional Redistricting Plan

11 hours ago

Leaders, Journalist Groups React to Israeli Gaza Strike That Killed Five Journalists

15 hours ago

Trump To Sign Executive Order Directing AG To Prosecute Flag Desecration

17 hours ago

Trump Signs Orders Aimed At Ending Cashless Bail Policies

17 hours ago

Fresno County DUI Crash Sends Car Into Embankment Near Highway 99

19 hours ago

Wrongly Deported Migrant Abrego Again Detained by US Immigration Officials

19 hours ago

Fresno County Wildfire Burns 3,338 Acres, Evacuation Orders Issued

20 hours ago
Putin Warns Again That Russia Is Ready to Use Nuclear Weapons If Its Sovereignty Is Threatened
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
March 13, 2024

Share

Putin sends a clear message to NATO allies supporting Kyiv.

Putin expects Ukraine and its Western allies to accept a deal on Russian terms.

Russian authorities report major attacks by Ukrainian drones.


President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, issuing another blunt warning to the West just days before an election in which he’s all but certain to secure another six-year term.

The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month, when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war.

Putin’s Interview with Russian State Television

Asked in an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that. He also noted that he doesn’t think that the world is heading for a nuclear war, describing U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands the possible dangers of escalation.

When asked for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ reaction to Putin’s remarks, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that “all rhetoric that could lead to miscalculation or escalation with obvious catastrophic consequences for the world must be avoided.”

Putin’s comments appeared to be a message to the West that he’s prepared to use all means to protect his gains in Ukraine. He said that in line with the country’s security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence.”

“All that is written in our strategy, we haven’t changed it,” he said.

Putin’s Message to NATO Allies

In an apparent reference to NATO allies that support Kyiv, he also declared that “the nations that say they have no red lines regarding Russia should realize that Russia won’t have any red lines regarding them either.”

Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, recently lamented that the West too often constrains itself with self-imposed “red lines” regarding Russia. He also welcomed a comment by French President Emmanuel Macron that the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine couldn’t be ruled out.

Putin noted the statements from Biden and his administration that the U.S. wasn’t going to send its troops to Ukraine. He charged that if the U.S. acts otherwise, Moscow would see the American troops as invaders and act accordingly. He claimed that even if some NATO allies deploy troops to Ukraine, it won’t change the course of the war.

“If it turns to official foreign military contingents, I’m sure it will not change the situation on the battlefield … just as the weapons supplies haven’t changed anything,” he said.

Putin’s Expectations for the War’s Outcome

In the wake of recent battlefield gains, Putin argued that Ukraine and its Western allies will eventually have to accept a deal to end the war on Russian terms.

“It shouldn’t be a break for the enemy to rearm, but a serious talk involving the guarantees of security for the Russian Federation,” he said.

Putin said that a recent spike in Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russia is part of efforts to derail the country’s three-day presidential election, which starts Friday and which he’s set to win by a landslide, given his near total crackdown on dissent and tight control over Russia’s political system.

Recent Attacks and Defense Measures

Russian authorities reported another major attack by Ukrainian drones early Wednesday. The Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 58 drones over six regions. One of the drones hit an oil refinery in the Ryazan region, injuring at least two people and sparking a fire. Another was downed as it was approaching a refinery near St. Petersburg.

Along with drone attacks on facilities deep inside Russian territory, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of successful attacks on Russia’s naval and air assets in the Black Sea region with sea drones and missiles. The strikes have crippled Moscow’s naval capability and forced it to limit its operations in the Black Sea.

Earlier this week, Russian media reported that the Russian navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, was fired and replaced with Northern Fleet commander, Alexander Moiseyev. The Kremlin and the Defense Ministry haven’t yet confirmed the reshuffle, which Russian commentators linked to the latest Black Sea Fleet’s mishaps.

Ukraine Reports More Russian Attacks

Ukraine, meanwhile, reported more Russian attacks early Wednesday.

A Russian strike killed two people and wounded another five in the town of Myrnohrad in the eastern region of Donetsk, about 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) from the front line, according to Gov. Vadym Filashkin. Local rescuers managed to pull a 13-year-old girl out of the rubble of an apartment building.

A five-story building in the northern city of Sumy was struck by a drone launched from Russia overnight, killing two people and wounding eight, according to the regional administration.

In Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, the death toll from a Russian missile attack the previous night rose to five, Gov. Serhii Lysak said. He said that 43 people were wounded in Kryvyi Rih, including 12 children, the youngest a 2-month-old infant.

“Every day our cities and villages suffer similar attacks. Every day Ukraine loses people because of Russian evil,” Zelenskyy said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

New Fresno EOC Chief: ‘We Have to Eliminate Bleeding Programs’

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested in Domestic Violence Case

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Crash With Semi-Truck Leaves Man Dead

DON'T MISS

Fox Channels May Go Dark on YouTube TV From Wednesday Over Payment Dispute

DON'T MISS

California Republicans Sue to Block Congressional Redistricting Plan

DON'T MISS

Two Students Arrested After Fight at Visalia’s Redwood High School

DON'T MISS

Trump Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim This Year, He Tells South Korea

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Man After Shooting and Stabbing Leave Two Hospitalized

DON'T MISS

Entz: Bulldogs Must ‘Learn, Burn, Return’ After Kansas Loss

DON'T MISS

Caleb Quick’s Father, Other Parents Protest at Fresno Court to Repeal Prop 57

UP NEXT

Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested in Domestic Violence Case

UP NEXT

Fresno County Crash With Semi-Truck Leaves Man Dead

UP NEXT

Fox Channels May Go Dark on YouTube TV From Wednesday Over Payment Dispute

UP NEXT

California Republicans Sue to Block Congressional Redistricting Plan

UP NEXT

Two Students Arrested After Fight at Visalia’s Redwood High School

UP NEXT

Trump Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim This Year, He Tells South Korea

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Man After Shooting and Stabbing Leave Two Hospitalized

UP NEXT

Entz: Bulldogs Must ‘Learn, Burn, Return’ After Kansas Loss

UP NEXT

Caleb Quick’s Father, Other Parents Protest at Fresno Court to Repeal Prop 57

UP NEXT

SF Has Avoided Trump’s Ire Until Now. Will He Send National Guard?

Fox Channels May Go Dark on YouTube TV From Wednesday Over Payment Dispute

11 hours ago

California Republicans Sue to Block Congressional Redistricting Plan

11 hours ago

Two Students Arrested After Fight at Visalia’s Redwood High School

11 hours ago

Trump Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim This Year, He Tells South Korea

12 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man After Shooting and Stabbing Leave Two Hospitalized

12 hours ago

Entz: Bulldogs Must ‘Learn, Burn, Return’ After Kansas Loss

12 hours ago

Caleb Quick’s Father, Other Parents Protest at Fresno Court to Repeal Prop 57

13 hours ago

SF Has Avoided Trump’s Ire Until Now. Will He Send National Guard?

14 hours ago

Lil Nas X Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges of Assaulting Police

14 hours ago

Leaders, Journalist Groups React to Israeli Gaza Strike That Killed Five Journalists

15 hours ago

New Fresno EOC Chief: ‘We Have to Eliminate Bleeding Programs’

Steven R. Lewis, the brand new chief executive officer of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, says he’ll be prepared to ax p...

7 hours ago

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission CEO, Steven Lewis
7 hours ago

New Fresno EOC Chief: ‘We Have to Eliminate Bleeding Programs’

Fresno County sheriff’s deputy Jaime Mendoza, 30, was arrested Monday, August 25, 2025, on suspicion of domestic violence, officials said. (Fresno County SO)
7 hours ago

Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested in Domestic Violence Case

fresno
11 hours ago

Fresno County Crash With Semi-Truck Leaves Man Dead

YouTube app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. (Reuters File)
11 hours ago

Fox Channels May Go Dark on YouTube TV From Wednesday Over Payment Dispute

California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with local congressional representatives, state officials and supporters, speaks as he announces the redrawing of California's congressional maps, calling on voters to approve a ballot measure, in response to a similar move in Texas being supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
11 hours ago

California Republicans Sue to Block Congressional Redistricting Plan

11 hours ago

Two Students Arrested After Fight at Visalia’s Redwood High School

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
12 hours ago

Trump Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim This Year, He Tells South Korea

12 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man After Shooting and Stabbing Leave Two Hospitalized

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend