Vladimir Putin has moved at least four heavy Tu-95MS nuclear bombers closer to Europe. The strategic aircraft are often used to bomb Ukraine, and Insider UA says they have been loaded with missiles, leading to a “high probability” of an imminent major attack.

But, if confirmed, the move comes after Donald Trump ordered two nuclear submarines “closer to Russia” after a threat of atomic war from the Kremlin dictator’s close ally, Dmitry Medvedev. The US submarines are now “where they have to be”, Trump said late on Sunday. Putin rebased his Tu-95MS planes from Olenya airbase in the Arctic Murmansk region after an audacious June 1 drone strike by Ukraine.

They were also moved from Engels-2 in Saratov region amid fears of Ukrainian attacks. They were sent to Russia’s Ukrainka air base in Amur region, 3,650 miles east of Moscow, where they were considered safe from attack, but evidently some of the planes are returning.

“Russia has transferred bombers from the Far East closer to Ukraine,” said the report. “At least 4 Tu-95MS aircraft were redeployed from Ukrainka [air base] to Olenya/Engels-2. Some of the aircraft are already equipped with cruise missiles.”

The planes are part of Russia’s nuclear strike arsenal but are also used for hitting Ukraine with conventional bombs. The report is in a week when Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to travel to Russia ahead of the imposition of sanctions on the Kremlin by the US if there is no move to a ceasefire and talks about ending the war.

The initiative to meet Witkoff comes from the Putin regime, said Trump.

Russia today sought to downplay Medvedev’s comment when he accused Trump of bringing war closer between Russia and the US.

“Every new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” said Medvedev, which Trump said was “highly provocative”.

But Putin’s spokesman said today that it was the dictator’s words that mattered, not those of Medvedev, an ex-president who is now deputy head of the Russian security council.

“Listen, in every country, members of the country’s leadership have different points of view on current events, have different attitudes,” he said. “There are people with a hardline attitude in the US and in European countries; this is always the case.

“But the main thing, of course, is the position of President Putin. You know that in our country, foreign policy is formulated by the head of state, that is, President Putin.”

On the Trump submarine move, he said: “It is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process. That is the first thing.

“But, of course, we would not want to get involved in such polemics or comment on this in any way. We are very careful about any statements related to nuclear issues. You know that Russia takes a responsible position. President Putin’s position is well known. Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And, of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.”

He warned: “There can be no winner in a nuclear war… We do not believe that we are talking about some kind of escalation.

“It is clear that very complex and sensitive situations are being discussed, which, of course, are perceived by many very emotionally.”