A Kremlin spokesperson has claimed Vladimir Putin placed his nuclear deterrence forces on high alert following statements made by the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

According to the Interfax news agency, Dmitry Peskov said, “Statements were made by various representatives at various levels on possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between NATO and Russia.

“We believe that such statements are absolutely unacceptable.

“I would not call the authors of these statements by name, although it was the British foreign minister.”

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An ally of the British Foreign Secretary blasted the Kremlin’s claims, and said, “Nothing Liz has said warrants that sort of escalation. It’s clearly designed to distract from the situation on the ground in Ukraine.

“The Foreign Secretary has always talked about NATO in the context of it being a defensive alliance.

“Her point is that we stand by Article 5, and that we must do everything we can to help Ukraine short of putting boots on the ground.

“We take it very seriously and want to keep the situation calm.”

On Monday Russia’s “nuclear strategic missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets” are now on “enhanced combat duty.”

Following high tensions with the West over Ukraine Vladimir Putin ordered for “Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be put on high alert” on Sunday afternoon.

Putin said, “Western countries aren’t only taking unfriendly economic actions against our country, but leaders of major NATO countries are making aggressive statements about our country.

“So I order to move Russia’s deterrence forces to a special regime of duty.”

On Monday the Interfax news agency reported that Russia’s Defence Ministry said their strategic missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets had been placed on “enhanced combat duty.”

It added that this was in line with an order from President Putin.

Defence minister Sergei Shoigu told the Russian President that “shifts on duty at the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and the Long-Range Aviation Command began to carry out combat duty with reinforced personnel,” Interfax quoted the Ministry as saying.

The British Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood MP has warned on Sunday that Vladimir Putin could, in the “worst-case scenario” could launch low yield tactical nuclear weapons if his forces fail to enter the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.