NATO secretary general says Putin’s nuke threat is ‘dangerous, reckless rhetoric’

“We will remain calm and continue to support Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “Putin's speech demonstrates that the war is not going according to his plans. He has miscalculated a lot.”

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons is "dangerous and reckless rhetoric," Stoltenberg added.

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin announced on Sept. 21 a partial mobilization in Russia.

Read also: Expert: How many Russians can be mobilized, and why most won’t be combat-ready

Shortly after, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that 300,000 reservists would be called up during the partial mobilization. He estimated the total mobilization resource of Russia to be almost 25 million people.

Earlier, Kremlin-controlled authorities on the territory of the occupied Donbas announced the dates of sham referendums on accession to Russia. Representatives of militants in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts stated that the sham voting would take place Sept. 23-27.

Kremlin-installed officials in Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts also announced plans to also hold “referendums” on “joining” Russia on the same dates.

Read also: White House taking Russia’s nuclear threats seriously, but not going to change plans

The statements were made shortly after a rapid counter-offensive by the defenders of Ukraine: on Sept. 14, the Ministry of Defense reported that since Sept. 6 (in the space of one week), the Armed Forces had liberated 388 settlements and about 8,500 square kilometers in Kharkiv Oblast alone.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Yermak said Russia's blackmail regarding the holding of sham referendums in the temporarily occupied territories was the product of “the fear of defeat.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in other comments said that none of the pseudo-referendums that Russia is trying to organize in the occupied territories would help its position.

Now in Russia, desertion, absence from service and voluntary surrender will be punished more severely.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine