LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine and backed a plan to annex parts of the country, hinting to the West he was prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia.
It was Russia’s first such mobilisation since World War Two and signified the biggest escalation of the Ukraine war since Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion.
Russia’s defence minister said the partial mobilisation would see 300,000 reservists with previous military experience called up. Before Putin’s address, world leaders meeting at the United Nations in New York denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine and plans for four occupied regions to hold referendums in the coming days on joining Russia.
He also accused officials of NATO countries of making statements about “the possibility and admissibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia – nuclear weapons”. Russia now holds about 60% of Donetsk and had captured nearly all of Luhansk by July after slow advances during months of intense fighting.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Queen Elizabeth II: As national mourning period ends, 250,000 viewed Queen’s lying-in-stateLONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Some 250,000 mourners filed past Queen Elizabeth's coffin at Westminster Hall in London during her lying-in-state, the government said on Tuesday, as the nation's mourning period ended.
Read more »
UKRAINE WAR UPDATE: Ukraine marches farther into liberated lands, separatist calls for urgent referendumIZIUM, Ukraine, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine said its troops have marched farther east into territory recently abandoned by Russia, paving the way for a potential assault on Moscow's occupation forces in the Donbas region as Kyiv seeks more Western arms.
Read more »
Putin must recognise he cannot win Ukraine war - Scholz at UN - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader.Russian President Vladimir Putin will only give up his “imperial ambitions” that risk destroying Ukraine and Russia if he recognises he cannot win the war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.
Read more »
WATCH | Fikile Mbalula slams reckless drivers as another truck accident goes viralWATCH | Fikile Mbalula slams reckless drivers as another truck accident goes viral: A video of a truck colliding with a white SUV on the R72 towards East London went viral this week.
Read more »