Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines Amid Rising Tensions with Russia

US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines on Friday, escalating a spat with a Russian official over Ukraine and tariffs from online exchanges to a real military move.

Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, had been exchanging sharp words on social media for several days.

Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform took the confrontation into the seldom-discussed domain of nuclear forces.

“Based on the highly provocative statements,” Trump said, he had “ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”

“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances,” the 79-year-old Republican added.

Trump did not specify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, nor did he disclose their exact locations, which are classified by the US military.

However, in an interview aired Friday night, Trump said the submarines were “closer to Russia.”

“We always want to be ready. So I have sent two nuclear submarines to the region,” he said. “I just want to make sure that his words are only words and nothing more.”

Trump’s comments came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow had begun mass producing its hypersonic nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile and could deploy them to Belarus by the end of the year.

This nuclear posturing follows Trump’s deadline for Russia to take steps to end the Ukraine war by next week or face unspecified new sanctions.

Despite pressure from Washington, Russian attacks on Ukraine continue unabated.

An analysis showed that Russian forces launched a record number of drones at Ukraine in July.Russian strikes have killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians since June.

A combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday killed 31 people, rescuers said.

Putin, who has rejected cease-fire calls, said Friday he wants peace but maintains “unchanged” demands, including that Ukraine abandon territory and halt NATO ambitions.

Speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said specialists had chosen sites for future Oreshnik missile positions and expected to complete preparations by year-end.

The US and Russia control most of the world’s nuclear weapons. Washington keeps nuclear-armed submarines on permanent patrol as part of its nuclear triad.

Trump told Newsmax that Medvedev’s “nuclear” remarks prompted his submarine deployment.

“When you mention the word ‘nuclear’… my eyes light up. We better be careful because it’s the ultimate threat,” Trump said.

Medvedev had criticized Trump on Telegram, referencing the “fabled ‘Dead Hand,’” a Cold War-era automated nuclear control system.

Medvedev also condemned Trump’s threats of sanctions over Ukraine and called the US president “a failed former President of Russia,” warning him to “watch his words.”

Medvedev, a staunch supporter of the war, often trolls the West on social media but holds limited power within Russia’s political system.

In Kyiv on Friday, residents observed a day of mourning for 31 people, including five children, killed in Thursday’s missile strike on a nine-storey apartment block.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said only Putin could end the war and renewed his call for a meeting between the two leaders.

“The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness,” he wrote on X.