New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Russian ground units, equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as vessels from the Northern and Pacific Fleets, have been placed on high combat alert, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday.
The Russian Navy includes submarines armed with nuclear missiles, RT reported.
The ministry said the move was made in accordance with the order issued by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, RT reported.
Putin cited "illegitimate sanctions" against Russia and "aggressive statements" by Western officials, without elaborating.
Many countries, including the US, the UK and EU member states, have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in response to its military operation in Ukraine.
Earlier, Putin had placed the country's nuclear deterrent forces on "special" alert on Sunday, RT reported.
The move was announced during Putin's meeting with Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.
"Western countries are not only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic area. I'm speaking about the illegitimate sanctions that everyone is well aware of. However, the top officials of the leading NATO countries also make aggressive statements against our country as well," Putin stated.
The move comes in response to 'hostile' rhetoric by top NATO officials, Putin said, RT reported.
The latest statistics released by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that 30,550 Indian students received a Tier 4 Study Visa for the year ending September 2019, up from nearly 18,730 the previous year.
The manifesto unveiled on Tuesday ahead of next month's elections calls for a new body to oversee the legacy of colonialism and a race equality unit at the Treasury. It also contains policies on how to combat anti-Semitism in Britain.
The man charged with the sexual assault and murder of a teenage Indian-American student in Chicago grabbed her around the neck from behind and put her in a chokehold after she refused to talk to him or acknowledge his catcalls, prosecutors have said.
A 35-year-old Punjabi youth identified as Nirveer Singh hailing from Vadda Ghar village of Moga district was allegedly shot dead at Binangonan town in Rizal province in Philippines on Tuesday.
The celebrations started in July with the distribution of blankets to the needy in Johannesburg and continued with food parcel distribution and other community activities.
