Russia's nuclear deterrent forces have been placed on high alert by Putin

MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, deployed the country's nuclear deterrent force in response to a rising international outcry over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine's defence ministries have agreed to meet on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border "without preconditions," despite the rising tensions.

Meanwhile, Russia's incursion into Ukraine is continuing apace. 
Reports of fighting and citizens being told to shelter in place as Russian military vehicles invaded Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv.

Key officials in Kyiv's municipal administration asserted that "the capital is entirely controlled by the Ukrainian army and defence" in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.