U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines to areas near Russia in response to recent threats made by Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the move was a precaution following what he described as Medvedev’s “foolish and inflammatory statements” concerning Russia’s nuclear capabilities and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions,” Trump wrote, adding: “Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Earlier this week, Medvedev accused the United States of issuing a “game of ultimatums” after Trump announced he was shortening a 50-day deadline for Russia to end its war against Ukraine to just 10 days.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on July 28, Medvedev warned that each ultimatum brought the world closer to conflict, and on July 31 he reminded the United States of Russia’s ‘Dead Hand’ — a Cold War-era automated nuclear launch system designed to respond if Russia’s leadership is wiped out.
“If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right,” Medvedev said in response to Trump’s warning to “watch his words.”
The exchange marks a rare direct clash between Trump and Medvedev, who has become one of Moscow’s most vocal hardliners since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian officials were quick to dismiss Medvedev’s statements. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the New York Post that Medvedev was “very stupid” to issue such threats, speculating he might have been under the influence of alcohol.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Medvedev’s comments should not be underestimated, despite his limited formal power.
“Obviously, he’s someone who once held office there and is still in a government role, and his words are going to have an impact in the role of a provocateur,” Rubio told Fox Radio on July 31.
Later on Thursday, Trump intensified his criticism of the Russian leadership, claiming that nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers had died in July alone, bringing the total number of Russian military casualties this year to more than 112,000.
“That is a lot of unnecessary death,” Trump wrote, adding that Ukraine has also suffered heavy losses, with about 8,000 soldiers killed since January 1, excluding those missing in action. Neither Russia nor Ukraine regularly publishes official casualty figures.
The Kremlin has not officially responded to Trump’s submarine deployment order.
