During the same week the General Assembly of the United Nations convened, Russian President Putin reasserted his resolve to continue the war in Ukraine through conventional and potentially unconventional warfare. Putin announced the mobilization of 300.000 reservists and celebrated Russia’s plans to annex the occupied Ukrainian territories with referendums occurring from the 23rd to the 27th of September. Putin´s statements revived the threat of using nuclear weapons to defend Russia and its “territorial integrity.” In this geopolitical note, we describe the capabilities of the Russian nuclear arsenal and how Russia and the West would view any potential escalation by examining both strategic and tactical scenarios. In addition, we provide a military strategy perspective on what the short-term and long-term implications may be for Russia’s announcement of partial mobilization.