Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (local time) said that UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss's remark about the possible involvement of NATO in the conflict in Ukraine has prompted Moscow to put its deterrence forces on high alert.
At a meeting with female flight crews of Russian airlines, the Russian President explained that Russia decided to bring the deterrence forces into a special combat duty regime after Truss "blurted out that NATO could be involved in the conflict" in Ukraine, reported Sputnik.
"The reaction followed -- they said that nothing of the kind was meant, but no one rebuked her, no one disavowed these statements. If anyone told us something, as in, this is her personal opinion, do not pay attention. Nobody [said] anything. And what should we think about this? What should we think about this? Of course, we took it as a signal," Putin said.
According to Sputnik, Putin said that the Russian army has nearly completed the demolition of military infrastructure in Ukraine.
"The first thing they did was the destruction of the entire military infrastructure. Well, not all, but partially, mainly warehouses with weapons, ammunition, aviation, air defense systems. Air defense systems, their elimination requires a certain amount of time: they need to be opened, then hit. Practically, this work has been completed," Putin said at a meeting with female flight crews of Russian airlines.
According to Putin, only professional servicemen are participating in Russia's military operation in Ukraine, not conscripts, and the government does not plan to involve them in the operation.
"Only men who voluntarily made a very responsible choice for themselves in life - to defend their homeland - take part in this operation. They perform this task with honor," the president added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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