Pentagon CANCELS test of ballistic missiles to 'show restraint' to Putin amid Ukraine war

The Pentagon announced Wednesday it will delay its nuclear missile test scheduled for this weekend to avoid angering Russian President Vladimir Putin as he continued shelling Ukrainian cities and civilian and military casualties continued to climb.

Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby said the move is a show of 'restraint' after the Russian leader put his country's nuclear forces on high alert and amid warnings from the U.S. he is deploying vacuum bombs and cluster munitions across the border.

Ukraine war: The latest The Pentagon cancelled a test of the Minuteman III nuclear missiles as a show of 'restraint'.

'In an effort to demonstrate that we have no intention in engaging in any actions that can be misunderstood or misconstrued, the Secretary of Defense has directed that our Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles test launch scheduled for this week to be postponed,' he announced.

Biden declared Putin a 'Russian dictator' and said Moscow is 'more isolated than ever' as he added to already strict Western sanctions against Russia with the closure of U.S. air space to all Russian flights.

The president spent the first 12 minutes of his State of the Union speaking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and announced 'strict' new measures against Moscow and its wealthy elite with a new task force to go after the 'crimes' of Russian oligarchs, while reaffirming that he would not send American forces into Kyiv.This included closing U.S. air space to all Russian aircraft and flight.

The show of force comes after months of mounting and increased Chinese aggression directed at Taiwan, including nine Chinese aircraft entering the nation's airspace Thursday - the day Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10570747/Pentagon-CANCELS-test-ballistic-missiles-restraint-avoid-Putins-misunderstanding.html