Putin's fresh nuke threat

He'll strike at West if Russia becomes target

- CHRIS HUGHES

VLADIMIR Putin has warned he is ready to launch nuclear strikes against the West if Russia's existence is threatened.

His fresh outburst comes just days ahead of an election in which he is guaranteed to win another six-year term. But with his country under attack from Ukrainian drones, the Russian president said he is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to "the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence".

He added: "All that is written in our strategy, we haven't changed it."