Ukraine is releasing prisoners and criminal suspects with military backgrounds to join the fight against the Russian invasion of the country.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced today, that the freed inmates will be able to “compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots” as Ukrainian forces look to continue to repel the attack from their neighbour.

He said in a presidential video address this morning, “Under martial law, Ukrainians with real combat experience will be released from custody and will be able to compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots of the conflict,”

“We have taken a decision which is not easy from the moral point of view, but which is useful from the point of view of our defences. The key is now defence.”

News also broke that Vladimir Putin decided to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert following comments from UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news briefing: “Statements were made by various representatives at various levels on possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between NATO and Russia. We believe that such statements are absolutely unacceptable.”

PM Boris Johnson dismissed Putin’s nuclear stance change as nothing but a “distraction” from what he believes is a faltering invasion.