Vladimir Putin vows to accelerate Russia's nuclear triad development

Russian president Vladimir Putin announced plans to strengthen the military and speed up development of the nuclear triad, while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he views Russia's actions as amounting to a broader war.

Russian president Vladimir Putin used a broadcast tied to Defender of the Fatherland Day to announce plans to strengthen the armed forces and to accelerate development of Russia's nuclear triad. He described the triad as a priority for strategic deterrence and said work on advanced weapons would be stepped up. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia's actions already amount to a broader war and spoke about resisting further escalation. These statements were reported alongside descriptions of recent strikes inside Russia that disrupted flights and affected energy infrastructure. Key reported developments: - Putin announced accelerated development of Russia's nuclear triad and additional military strengthening measures. - He framed the triad as central to Russia's strategic deterrence and said advanced systems development would be sped up. - Zelensky said he believes Russia's actions amount to a broader war and emphasized efforts to stop further escalation. - Reports said Ukrainian strikes temporarily closed Moscow airports and damaged an oil pumping facility, and that there were reported civilian deaths in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. Summary: The announcements and reported cross-border strikes indicate heightened military rhetoric and continued incidents that have disrupted transport and energy infrastructure and led to reported civilian casualties. The broader implications for regional security were highlighted by both leaders. Undetermined at this time.