Donald Trump has deployed two nuclear-powered submarines near Russia following inflammatory remarks from a senior Russian security official regarding his Ukraine war deadline.

The military manoeuvre threat to Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine comes as tensions escalate between Washington and Moscow over the President's demand for Russia to reach a peace agreement by the close of next week.

The submarine deployment represents a largely symbolic gesture, given America's existing fleet of nuclear-capable vessels already maintains constant readiness for potential conflicts.

The President characterised the repositioning as a precautionary measure in response to what he termed "highly provocative statements" from Moscow.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former President who now serves as deputy chairman of the nation's Security Council, triggered the American response with his social media post describing the sanctions ultimatum as a clear "step toward war."

The Russian official warned the US President against following what he called "the Sleepy Joe road" and suggested the threats could lead to conflict with America itself.

The American leader responded furiously on Truth Social, writing: "Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory."

Potus's posts specifically targeted Medvedev whilst notably avoiding direct criticism of Vladimir Putin.

REUTERS

Moscow launched another brutal assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the city of Kramatorsk during the night, resulting in at least 31 fatalities and 150 wounded individuals.

Among those killed was a six-year-old child, as Russian missiles struck directly at residential buildings in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared footage of the devastation where he said: "Kyiv. Missile strike. Directly into a residential building. People under the rubble. All services are on site. Russian terrorists."

The overnight bombardment forms part of Moscow's sustained campaign of drone and missile attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

TRUTHSOCIAL

Residential properties and apartment complexes have been the main target of these regular assaults.

The Russian President offered his initial public remarks since the American ultimatum was issued, suggesting that "inflated expectations" were hindering progress towards ending the conflict he initiated in 2022.

Putin said: "All disappointments come from inflated expectations," emphasising the need for substantive discussions away from public scrutiny.

He advocated for "deep conversations, not in public, but in the silence of a negotiating process" to achieve a peaceful resolution.

REUTERS

Putin's comments came as his American counterpart expressed mounting frustration over seemingly constructive telephone discussions being immediately followed by Russian strikes on Ukrainian urban centres.

The pattern has reportedly caused increasing exasperation in Washington despite previous assertions about maintaining workable relations.

Russia has been forced to turn to North Korea for help topping up dwindling military supplies in a fresh blow to Putin.

According to logistics data analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics Institute, goods flowing from Putin's main military storage facilities to the front-line are down to pre-invasion levels.