Vladimir Putin has said Europe is “defenceless” against nukes and that his country has “many more” than the continent.

Putin said that his country has “many more [tactical nuclear weapons] than there are on the European continent, even if the United States brings theirs over.”

“Europe does not have a developed [early warning system]. In this sense they are more or less defenceless,” he told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He added that the use of nuclear weapons is only possible in “exceptional cases” and that he does not believe “such a case has arisen.”

The Russian leader and other officials have repeatedly raised the threat of a nuclear attack since sending troops into Ukraine in 2022.

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