Putin Ally Warns Russia's Nuclear Weapons in 'Full Combat Readiness'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned on Friday that Moscow's nuclear weapons are in "full combat readiness."

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, tensions between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries and the Kremlin have continued as NATO leaders have increasingly warned that direct conflict with Moscow is a realistic danger as it has more nuclear warheads than any other country, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICANW). This comes after Putin and senior Russian officials have repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation against Kyiv and its Western partners since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to Tass, a Russian state news agency, Lavrov said in an interview with Sky News Arabia that while "nobody wants a nuclear war," he warned the country's nuclear weapons are in "full combat readiness."

"We talk about red lines, expecting that our assessments, statements will be heard by intelligent, decision-making people. It is not serious to say that if tomorrow you do not do what I demand of you, we will press the 'red button,'" the Russian foreign minister said. "I am convinced that in such situations, decision makers have an idea of what we are talking about. Nobody wants a nuclear war."

He added that Russia possesses weapons "that will have serious implications for the handlers of the Ukrainian regime."

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian defense Ministries via email for comment.

Lavrov's remarks come after another Putin ally, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, issued a new nuclear response warning last week.

In a Telegram post last week, Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council and former Russian president, spoke about a nuclear response and that it is a "hugely complex decision with irreversible consequences," but warned that "you can only test someone's patience for so long."

"Yet, Russia has been patient. It is obvious that a nuclear response is a hugely complex decision with irreversible consequences. What arrogant Anglo-Saxon dimwits fail to admit, though, is that you can only test someone's patience for so long," Medvedev said.

He added: "It will turn out in the end that certain moderate Western analysts were right when they warned: 'True, the Russians are not likely to use this response, although...it's still a possibility. Besides, they may use new delivery vehicles with conventional payloads.' And then—it's over. A giant blot of molten-grey mass in the place where 'the mother of Russian cities' [historical name of Kiev] once stood. Holy s***, it's impossible, but it happened..."

Responding to a previous inquiry from Newsweek, the U.S. Department of State dismissed the seriousness of Medvedev's various statements.

"We know by now not to take Medvedev seriously," a department spokesperson wrote. "This is standard Kremlin nonsense."

The United States and other Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid to defend itself against Russia. Earlier this year, the U.S. began supplying Ukraine with longer-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles.

Ukraine has pressed hard for the U.S. and the United Kingdom to drop their prohibition on American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles to be used to target Russian territory amid concerns that Kyiv's use would escalate the conflict.

Ukraine says it needs the long-range weapons to target air bases used by Russia's warplanes that launch glide bombs against Kyiv often from deep inside Russian territory. Storm Shadow missiles with a range of around 150 miles have been used against Russian targets in occupied Ukrainian territory only.

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