MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin's family has been evacuated to a safe place ahead of Russia's preparations to launch a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. International media reported that Putin had instructed top military officials to conduct a nuclear evacuation drill. Putin's order came shortly after Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Koneshenkov said he had used hypersonic missiles to destroy a military depot in the western Ukrainian village of Deloitte.

Putin's family has been relocated to a high security bunker built in Siberia. Western media reported that these were secure bunkers that even nuclear bombs could not destroy. Putin has hinted about nuclear war to senior leaders including Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy secretary of the Russian National Security Council, Valentina Matviyenko, the only woman on Putin's team, and Vyacheslav Vladin, chairman of the Duma's lower house of parliament. They have been warned to prepare for a nuclear evacuation drill using hypersonic missiles as per the international report.

Putin has reportedly instructed military commanders to deploy nuclear weapons for war. Russia has built 897 nuclear warheads on missiles that can be used at any time. This includes 310 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Meanwhile, Ukraine says Russian troops have bombed a school building in Mariupol, where about 400 refugees were staying. Ukraine said the school building was completely destroyed and several people were trapped inside.