Russia President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two and backed a plan to annex swathes of Ukraine, warning the West he was not bluffing when he said he'd be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia. 

In the biggest escalation of the Ukraine war since Moscow's Feb invasion, Putin explicitly raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict, approved a plan to annex a chunk of territory from Ukraine the size of Hungary, and called up 300,000 reservists.

In a televised address to the nation, Putin said - ."If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without a doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people - this is not a bluff,"

Russia President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two and backed a plan to annex swathes of Ukraine, warning the West he was not bluffing when he said he'd be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia. 

In the biggest escalation of the Ukraine war since Moscow's Feb invasion, Putin explicitly raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict, approved a plan to annex a chunk of territory from Ukraine the size of Hungary, and called up 300,000 reservists.

In a televised address to the nation, Putin said - ."If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without a doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people - this is not a bluff,"