Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off the Tsar Cannon, a 40-tonne iron weapon, inside the Kremlin walls in Moscow before boasting about Russia's nuclear power. He later attended a prayer service at the Archangel Cathedral and then issued a message about the nation's atomic strength.
Putin's Nuclear Summit and Claims
Putin held an emergency summit with top officials to mark 81 years of Russia's nuclear capabilities, bragging that Moscow holds a global monopoly on atomic tech. Addressing his inner circle, he said Russia is the "only country in the world" capable of dominating the entire nuclear production chain.
He stated: "Nuclear energy sector, with its tremendous concentration of scientific expertise, technology, state-of-the-art materials...is, without exaggeration, a source of pride for our country." Putin also claimed that state nuclear giant Rosatom is building 28 atomic power units, with foreign powers scrambling to secure Russian technology.
New Nuclear Power Plans
Unveiling a new masterplan, Putin vowed to construct up to 30 new gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity. The plans include scattering new atomic reactors across the Urals, Siberia, Russia's Far East and the Arctic circle. He said the energy surge was vital to fuel military-grade artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced industrial robotics.
Putin demanded his nuclear chiefs scale up domestic fuel production, build new standard power units on assembly lines, and lock down global supplies to ensure Russia dominates the world stage. He said: "Competition in the global nuclear energy industry is fierce, and we must strengthen our technological leadership in this field."
Ally Issues Threat to UK
It comes as top Russian propagandist and close Putin ally Vladimir Solovyov issued a threat to target Britain's drone manufacturing facilities. Solovyov suggested that the UK should face devastating consequences for supplying drones to Ukraine, which have been deployed in long-range attacks deep inside Russian territory.
