'Rattled Putin's threats show his war against Ukraine is failing'

VLADIMIR Putin was today accused of turning his country into a "global pariah" after escalating his "failing" war in Ukraine with a partial mobilisation of Russian troops and a nuclear threat to the West.

- Martin Bentham and Will Stewart

In a televised address, the Russian president claimed that his decision to call up reservists was intended to preserve his country's territorial integrity against what he alleged was Western aggression.

He also warned that his nuclear armed country had "lots of weapons to reply" and would use "all the means at our disposal" to retaliate, adding that his threat was "not a bluff". But his remarks which follow a succession of Russian reverses on the battlefield that have seen Ukraine take back large swathes of territory- provoked a rapid international backlash.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Putin's actions were an admission that Ukraine was winning the war and accused him of sacrificing thousands of Russian soldiers on his failing mission.

"President Putin's breaking of his own promises not to mobilise parts of the population and the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine are an admission that his invasion is failing,” Mr Wallace said. “He and his defence minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill-equipped and badly led.

“No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah.”