Putin ‘could resort to using nuclear weapons’ as tyrant is poised to ‘mobilise half million men in weeks’ in WW3 threat

VLADIMIR Putin could resort to using nuclear weapons, a top Nato chief has warned – as the dictator is poised to prime half a million troops. The tyrant has sparked World War Three fears with the rumoured mass mobilisation – and is keen to claw back control after suffering a string of powerful Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia. Russia has ramped up its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities Credit: EPA A top Nato chief has warned that the Kremlin may resort to using nukes Credit: East2West Vladimir Putin has had his back against the wall after a series of successful Ukranian drone attacks Credit: EPA A drone swarm blitzed the Russian border city of Belgorod overnight Credit: East2West The chilling claim that he could resort to nuclear force came from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who has met the Kremlin dictator and other senior Russian officials in the past two months. He said: “When a war of attrition at the front turns into attrition in the rear, the question is no longer whether to lose the war, but whether you will continue to exist as a nation. You use the last resort you have. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “During my visit to Russia, it seemed that this issue could be raised, as there was talk that the public is demanding something of the sort. “We have discussed this with Western partners, and they are aware of it as well. This is a dangerous situation. Nearly a dozen people were injured in Odesa as Russia struck the city with some 20 missiles Credit: East2West Kyiv was the victim of a drone and missile barrage in the early hours of Saturday morning Credit: Reuters “Everything that people say will not happen ultimately does happen.” The stark warning came as Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Putin is rumoured to mobilise half a million new soldiers within weeks in a terrifying threat to Ukraine and the West. His aim would not only be to swell Russia’s forces against Kyiv, but also to pile psychological pressure on Nato amid fears of widening the war. Zelensky quoted Putin as saying that there is “no guarantee that I will use these half a million only in Ukraine“. Most read in The Sun A Russian serviceman intercepting Ukraine drones with a machine-gun Credit: EPA A Russian self-propelled gun ‘Giatsint-S’ firing at an undisclosed location in Ukraine Credit: EPA He claimed to have intelligence on the dictator’s plans for a massive stealth mobilisation following Russian parliamentary elections in late September. Zelensky said: “He is thinking about how to deceive his people. He will carry out a mass mobilisation without officially declaring it.” Russians could be duped into signing “shady contracts” for supposedly safe work away from the frontline before being sent into his meat-grinder units. Those of military age could also be stopped from travelling abroad as Putin moves to “block the borders”, preventing them from fleeing. Zelensky said: “We are already seeing many of these steps.” He added that the mass mobilisation would be designed to exert psychological pressure on European countries and fuel WW3 fears. Zelensky suggested the Kremlin could use the threat of a wider conflict to deter Western nations from backing Ukraine and reduce support for Kyiv. “We need to have a general understanding of what’s happening with the Russians to understand that they will resort to anything,” he told a United News telethon. “There will be hundreds, even thousands, of cyberattacks, the use of missile strikes, intimidation tactics, and so on. “Why? Because Putin cannot yet find a victory in this war. “He needs to sell a victory. But there will be no victory for him in Ukraine. “He needs to seize the Donbas region. We are not going to withdraw on our own.” As well as mobilising half a million men, Putin is reportedly bringing in up to 50,000 North Korean fighters. The warnings came amid savage overnight missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian civilians. Russia blew apart an apartment building in Kharkiv, killing at least two people and injuring 13. Major Ihor Terekhov said: “There are people trapped in the building, and a rescue operation has been launched at the scene.” New Russian Banderol missiles were reportedly used. In Odesa, residential blocks and historic buildings were hit by dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, triggering fires and injuring at least eight. Ukraine’s depleted air defence systems were exposed as the barrage struck the Black Sea city without a single missile being intercepted. Earlier, Ukraine struck the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik, just 15 miles from Putin’s £1 billion clifftop palace, hitting a military unit compound. Plumes of smoke rose over Gelendzhik as sirens sounded and tourists were ordered to immediately leave all beaches. The FSB military plays a role in guarding Putin’s sprawling Black Sea palace, which has been likened to the lair of a James Bond villain. Comment now