IN VLAD’S CROSSHAIRS
Putin ramps up nuclear threats and warns that game-changer F-16s donated to Ukraine by West will be blown out of the sky
The Russian Foreign Ministry today said Nato wargames in Europe are 'proactive'
VLADIMIR Putin has ramped up his nuclear threats against Nato as he warned any F-16 jets supplied by the West will be blown out of the sky.
The dictator vowed attacks on Nato airfields if Ukraine used them to launch the game-changing supersonic fighters against Russia.
7
7
7
7
During a visit to a military training facility in Torzhok, Putin told airforce pilots that F-16s are "carriers of nuclear weapons" - and Russian forces would completely destroy them just like any other military equipment.
The unhinged dictator said: "If they put in F-16s - they are talking about it, they are training [Ukrainian] pilots, this will not change the situation on the battlefield.
";The F-16s are also carriers of nuclear weapons.
"And we will destroy their aircraft in the same way that we destroy their tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers."
more on Putin
Putin even went on to say that he would target and attack any third country that launches these supersonic jets against Russia.
"Of course, if they are used from third-country airfields, they become a legitimate target for us, wherever they are," he said.
“We will also have to take this into account when organising combat operations.”
However, mad Vlad quickly contradicted himself as he said he had no plans to attack a Nato state.
Most read in The Sun
"We have no aggressive intentions towards [Nato] states.
"The idea that we will attack some other country - Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czechs are also being scared - is complete nonsense. It's just drivel."
Putin fears hypersonic weapons secrets leak to Nato as Kremlin challenged over men at massacre hall
Putin's visit to the military base took place while Russian soldiers from a regiment of Yars strategic missile launchers were being trained to repel an attack in a military crisis exercise.
"The Yars regiment has gone on combat patrol routes during a command-staff exercise," said the Russian defence ministry as it released footage of the war games.
"It will change field positions and disperse missile battalions that will overcome contaminated areas.
";Specific attention is paid to repelling attacks of subversion groups."
Yars missiles are currently the main element of the ground-based component of the Russian strategic nuclear force.
If [F-16s] are used from third-country airfields, they become a legitimate target for us, wherever they are
Vladimir Putin
Putin's statements about the F-16s came shortly after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the aircraft should arrive in Ukraine soon.
F-16s are one of the prized Western weapons that Ukraine has been trying to seek for a long time.
The frighteningly fast Fighting Falcon F-16s travel at twice the speed of sound and are the second most advanced generation of jets in the Nato arsenal.
Last year, the US gave the go-ahead for allies to send Ukraine the long-awaited F-16 warplanes to fight Russia in the skies.
Nato allies like Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have all pledged to donate F-16s to Ukraine.
And a coalition of Nato countries has promised to help train Ukrainian pilots to use the supersonic jets.
Meanwhile, Putin's Foreign Ministry today said Europe is preparing for a possible conflict against Russia, dubbing Nato's activity in the region "proactive".
“The expansion of the Romanian air base is yet another proof that the North Atlantic bloc continues the unbridled militarization of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region,” the Foreign Ministry told .
Just a few days ago, Nato declared the construction of its largest European military base in Romania.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The super military base is set to be the size of a small city - and will house 10,000 troops to bolster regional security.
Once complete, it will become the largest and most important base in Europe, surpassing the Rammstein base in Germany in both size and operational capacity.
7
7
7
Topics