Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly gone on record to say that he was ready to put Russia's nuclear weapons "on standby" amid tensions over the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea.
According to the BBC, Putin said in a documentary aired on state TV on Sunday that Russians in Crimea were in danger before Russia annexed it.
He also conceded that the life of ex-Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych had been in danger.
Putin said in a previously released clip from the film that he ordered the annexation weeks before a referendum was scheduled to be held.
The annexation of Crimea on March 18 sparked international condemnation.
The documentary was aired amid speculations over Putin's whereabouts as he has not been seen in public since March 5, the report said.
