Is Russia collapsing? As Western leaders decide whether to let Ukraine shoot missiles at military targets, Putin has pledged to meet fire with fire. Yet some think his regime will soon reach breaking point.
Putin weak and bluffing say experts
Threat: Last week Moscow received 200 Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran. The missiles have a range of up to 75 miles, enabling Russia to hit targets further inside Ukraine. Glossary
White House - The official residence of the US president, in Washington DC. Burnt by British troops in 1814, it was rebuilt and painted white to hide the smoke stains.
Putin - Vladimir Putin — Russia’s ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West.
UN - United Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security.
Nato - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to unite Western democracies in Europe and North America against the perceived growing threat of the USSR. It now has 31 members.
Kremlin - A central fortress in a city, used to refer to a complex in Moscow with five palaces and four cathedrals. The Russian government is run from within this citadel.
Apocalypse - A Christian name for the end of the world. Descended from a Greek word meaning uncover, it was used to describe the Biblical book of Revelation.
Artillery - Weapons.
Empire - A group of countries or states ruled by a single power — sometimes a king or queen.
Autonomous - Having the freedom to control itself or its life.
Kursk - A city in western Russia. In 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise assault and took over parts of the region, as part of the Russia-Ukraine war which began in 2022.
Pokrovsk - A city in Donetsk Oblast (region) in eastern Ukraine.
Fractious - Irritable or unruly.
Persians - Someone from ancient or modern Persia, a once-dominant nation in west Asia in the area that is now mostly modern Iran.
Napoleon - The French military commander and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.
Soviet Union - Officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991.