Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons as he escalates his invasion of Ukraine: 'This is not a bluff'

Russian President Putin said he would use nuclear weapons if he was attacked.

Putin accused the West of threatening to use nuclear weapons and said Russia might use them in a speech on Wednesday.

Putin accused the West of encouraging Ukraine to shell the Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in the country.

He said NATO officials had discussed the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Russia.

Russia was blamed for the shelling. NATO did not threaten Russia with nukes.

If Russia was attacked, Putin said he would retaliate with nukes.

"If you allow yourself to make such statements about Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for some parts more modern than those of the NATO countries," he said.

If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will use all the means at our disposal to protect it. This is not a lie.

The Kremlin is trying to organize referendums to formally annex the parts of Ukraine it has captured.

Putin could use that process to claim that Russian territory had been violated.

Russian public figures have made threats of nuclear attacks. On the day of the invasion of Ukraine, Putin raised the possibility of a nuclear war.

Several experts told Insider that Russia was unlikely to use nuclear weapons.