Putin was prepared to alert nuclear arsenal, surprised over Crimea success

MOSCOW, March 16 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was surprised about the success of the annexation of Crimea and that he was prepared to put the country's nuclear arsenal on alert.

In a documentary broadcast on Sunday by the state-run Rossiya 1 channel, titled "Crimea: Path to the Homeland," Putin offered insight over circumstances surrounding the Crimean annexation and his involvement.

"I was speaking with colleagues and said, 'Frankly, this is our historical territory and Russian people live there, they were in danger, and we cannot abandon them,'" Putin said in the documentary.

The documentary was created to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the March 18 annexation of Crimea.

Putin said he was surprised by the success of special forces operations in the Black Sea peninsula after former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from power, an event Putin said was orchestrated by the United States.

"The real puppeteers were our American partners and friends," he said.

Putin also said he was ready to face "the worst possible turn of events" and said he considered putting Russia's nuclear arsenal on alert, but later felt it was unnecessary.

Crimea was formally taken over from Ukraine and returned to Russia on March 18, 2014, to global reproach and disapproval. Many international organizations still consider the act illegal.

Armed troops bearing no identification on their uniforms later seized the Crimean Parliament. Russia initially denied involvement, but President Vladimir Putin later admitted Russian troops were sent to Crimea and "stood behind Crimea's self-defense force."