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Russian diplomat says Moscow didn’t step up nuclear deterrence

Moscow signals in are maliciously distorted in the West for propaganda purposes, Konstantin Vorontsov said

UNITED NATIONS, October 7. /TASS/. Konstantin Vorontsov, a deputy director at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department for arms nonproliferation and control, on Friday said Russia hadn’t taken any measures to reinforce its nuclear deterrence forces, even as the West is saying the opposite.

"Our signals in are maliciously distorted in the West for propaganda purposes. Thus, for the sake of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria, the decision of the president of Russia to temporarily place the deterrence forces on a special duty regime was presented in a distorted light," he said at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee. "However, in reality, it was exclusively about expanding the staff that are on duty at command posts. This means that vigilance has been heightened against the backdrop of confrontational statements and actions of Western nuclear countries. No measures were taken to strengthen the grouping of nuclear deterrence forces and means."

Vorontsov also said that state of affairs "is recognized by the Western military."

On February 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the nuclear deterrence forces to be place on a special combat duty regime in response to aggressive statements by senior officials of leading NATO countries.