In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said a partial mobilization would be necessary for the next phase of its war with Ukraine. He also accused the West of engaging in 'nuclear blackmail.'

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Russia has been hit by global sanctions following President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.

Russian Sanctions

Russia mobilizes 300,000 reservists for Ukraine war

Whatever Putin is responding to Russia's losses in Ukraine. He's also taking aim at Canada and other NATO countries the back Ukraine. International address this morning, the Russian leader, accuses the west of what he called a nuclear. Blackmail Putin makes a new threat as well. I picked up with a little redness. Putin is mobilizing 300,000 Russian reservist. Russia's defense Ministry says that call off will be limited to reservists with military experience in the new revelation. The defense minister announced as almost six thousand troops have been killed fighting in Ukraine and that's the first official announcement of Russian losses. Since March Western military observers believe the actual number of Russian dead is far higher potentially numbering in the tens of thousands, senior correspondent, Breyer Stewart, joins us. Now, from London, BBC News, team, covering Russia's war in Ukraine, and you brought your experience reporting from Moscow, to your coverage. Let's start with b Amir Putin's decision to call up, hundreds of thousands of new troops. Still won't call this a war but what we make of his new move? Well, I think the only way you can take it John is this is a clear signal of just how much Russia is struggling in Ukraine. There have been rumors about mobilization. Swirling for months even Back in, in February at before the tanks moved into Ukraine and the analysts that we talked to an outside Observer. Zoe said that Putin was so hesitant to do that because it would basically be a wake-up call to Russia. That the country was at War. And so now you have this decision for a partial mobilization at to call at three hundred thousand. Young men swimming pool of about 232.5 million men that are eligible. These are young men in their 20s who have served in the military before, because they went through kind of a mandatory conscription. So now they're going to be called up and I can tell you that just a short while ago, I spoke with a young man in his twenties, who received one of these draft notices, he's a university student and actually on his is that paper that he got. It said he'd be drafted into the military to perform a technical role. He told us that he went down to the office and when he was given his paperwork back, they'd actually changed it to say that he should be serving as a front line Soldier. Now he's not sure what to do and so he's going down to the office with his father to see if they can straighten it out. But this is really my calling. This mobilization is really kind of brings the war home to people in Russia because for so long the government has been you know, trying to push this narrative that what's happening in Ukraine is only a special military operation in that life. For the most part continues as normal in Russia. What is this? Partial mobilization really shatters. That idea is also leveling new accusations at the West warning that an escalation to nuclear weapons, if Russian territory has threatened. So, let's talk about how this threat might factor into the new scramble by pro-russian. Breakaway, republics and Russian occupied territories, and Ukraine to join Russia. Well that's right. And an obviously that the nuclear threat coming from Putin is not new. He is made this threat a number of times but the context in which is being made right now is quite different. And as you mentioned, you have, these are for Republic's hours for Regions, story in Ukraine that are occupied by Russia done. At SLU, has the breeja and her son and all of them in a joint. Moved basically, a hastily called these referendums that are going to begin Friday. And so Russia says it supports the referendum and it's basically setting the stage for Russia to Annex these territories. And what's important here is that if that happens in Russia claims this area as their own, what happens, then when Ukraine tries to take them back and, you know, begins firing weapons into those areas. What then what Putin says is that, that would basically give Russia licensed to use. Whatever means at its disposal to defend itself to defend its quote, territorial Integrity. No pooping in his speech did say that he was not. Bring up when it came to the nuclear threat, you still do have some analysts that we've spoken to who say, you know, they don't think brush is willing to go down that road because Putin knows just what that would mean. I a fresh I were to to eat already there nuclear weapons but I do think it is all very worrying and have to remember that before Russia invaded. There were a lot of observers to that said brush, it wasn't going to do that. So I do think that this is a and unpredictable regime and where you are right now, you can see that Russia is clearly struggling. It did just lose a large chunk of Ukraine that has had seized during The Invasion and that it is in a desperate situation Stewart in London.

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Ukraine Invasion

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