MOSCOW - Intelligence agencies of the United States and its allies are stepping up surveillance of Russian nuclear weapons in the wake of recent statements made by Moscow, reported Sputnik.
"We’re watching it more closely," one of the officials with access to intelligence on Moscow’s nuclear forces was quoted by the Politico newspaper in a report published on Tuesday.
The US and its allies have stepped up efforts to collect and analyse data on Russian nuclear units in the air, space and cyberspace according to the official.
Western intelligence is trying to assess whether it is possible for Russia to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. A spokesperson for the US Strategic Command told Politico that the group was "always on watch and ready to respond if needed," the report said.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered partial mobilisation of army reservists to support the Russian military operation in Ukraine and warned that Moscow would use "all means" in the event its territorial integrity is threatened.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that Russia would do everything to prevent hostile neighbours including Ukraine from obtaining nuclear weapons. The official believes that NATO will not intervene directly in the Ukraine conflict since US and European politicians "have no intention to die in a nuclear apocalypse." -BERNAMA