In a rare address to the nation, he said he was not bluffing and would use “all means at our disposal” if Russia’s territorial integrity was threatened. Mr Putin also ordered an immediate “partial mobilisation” – calling up the country’s military reserves – a move which Russia’s defense minister said amounted to around 300,000 troops. Live: Putin orders ‘partial mobilization’ in Ukraine and calls in military reserves “Now they (the West) are talking about nuclear blackmail,” the Russian leader said. “The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was bombed and also some high positions – representatives of NATO states – who say that the use of nuclear weapons against Russia may be possible and permissible,” he added. He said people should be “reminded that our country also possesses various weapons of mass destruction, and in some respects they are even more modern than NATO’s.” “If there is a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to the protection of our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal – and I am not bluffing,” President Putin said. It also authorized referendums in four Ukrainian regions currently under Russian occupation. Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia announced plans for referendums on Tuesday. They are scheduled to take place from September 23 to 27. Together, the regions make up about 15% of Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the plans, saying: “The Russians can do whatever they want. Nothing will change.” The UK Ministry of Defense said the referendums were likely “driven by fears of an imminent Ukrainian attack and the expectation of greater security following formal accession to Russia”. Foreign Secretary Gillian Keegan told Sky News that Mr Putin’s threat was something that “is something that needs to be taken very seriously because, you know, we’re not in control – I’m not sure he is in control, really. “This is obviously an escalation,” he said. In his speech on Wednesday morning, Mr Putin again repeatedly referred to Ukrainian forces as “neo-Nazis” and accused them of “terrorist acts” against civilians in Russian-controlled areas.
