Russia has said that four Ukrainian regions whose annexation it proclaimed last month are under the protection of its nuclear arsenal.
The statement Tuesday from the Kremlin came at a moment of acute tension, with both NATO and Russia expected to hold military exercises shortly to test the readiness of their nuclear weapons forces.
Asked by reporters if the regions were under Moscow's nuclear umbrella, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "All these territories are inalienable parts of the Russian Federation and they are all protected. Their security is provided for at the same level as (it is for) the rest of Russia's territory."