'No chance of survival': Putin's latest nuclear warning has the world on edge

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday (Oct 5) that Moscow is aiming to create a "new world" as he blamed the Western hegemony for a grinding offensive in Ukraine. The Russian leader also portrayed the war in Ukraine as a part of a long-standing confrontation with the West.

Putin claimed Russia had “practically finished work on the modern strategic weapons that I have been talking about and I announced a few years ago”.

Heonce again issued a nuclear threat and added that the‘Satan-2’ and ‘Flying Chernobyl’ missiles would be ready soon.

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“From the moment the launch of missiles is detected, no matter where it comes from - from any point of the world ocean or from any territory - such a number, so many hundreds of our missiles appear in the air in a retaliatory strike that there is no chance of survival there will be no single enemy left, and in several directions at once," Putin said.

Putin said Russia is "tasked, essentially, with building a new world" and further added that the West was aiming for global "hegemony". Putin said, "The West always needs an enemy."

In a stark warning to the West, Putin said that Russia could resume nuclear testing for the first time in over three decades and might withdraw its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.

Putin mentioned the Burevestnik as he said that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile. He said that the capabilities of the Burevestnik are unmatched.

Putin also said that no one in the world in their right mind would use nuclear weapons against Russia and that potential enemies knew about Russia's nuclear arsenal.

The Kremlin chief said there was no need to change Russia's nuclear doctrine, however, as any attack on Russia would provoke a split-second response with hundreds of nuclear missiles.

On the nuclear doctrine, Putin said, "Do we need to change this? And why? Everything can be changed but I just don't see the need for it."

"I think no person of sound mind and clear memory would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia," he said.

Watch:Ex-German ambassador to NATO on war in Ukraine & impact of US Elections

Putin targets US

Putin also accused the US of directing other countries on how to behave.

In his annual keynote speech at the Valdai Discussion Club, in Sochi, Putin targeted the US and said, "All the time, we hear 'You must', 'You have to', 'We're seriously warning you'. Who are you anyway? What right do you have to warn anyone? Maybe it’s time you yourself got rid of your arrogance and stopped behaving that way towards the world."

Ukraine war not a 'territorial one'

The Russian leader said that the conflict in Ukraine was "not a territorial" one and that Moscow has "no interests from the point of view of conquering some territories."

In the aftermath of the war, Russia's army occupies large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine, and Putin has formally annexed four Ukrainian regions: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Lugansk.

Putin has consistently said that Ukrainian territory was historically Russian and questioned Ukrainian statehood.

(With inputs from agencies)

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