Stocks fell Tuesday as investors fled to safety amid rising geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 400 points, or 0.9%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite lost 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively. Treasurys increased as investors moved into the safe haven, driving yields lower. Gold futures also gained.

The market pressure began overnight after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. that the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons had lowered, a new stance coming after President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia.

Then losses accelerated on news that Ukraine hit Russian border region Bryansk with U.S.-made missiles, according to the Russian military. The new York Times confirmed the attack, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials. The attack was on an ammunition warehouse, according to the report.

"Rising geopolitical tensions has been and continues to be a risk for markets," said Gaurav Mallik, chief investment officer at Pallas Capital Advisors. "The combination of Russia ratcheting up its war rhetoric and uncertainty about how the incoming U.S. presidential administration will respond, is a recipe for stock market volatility."

Source : CNBC