"We are not planning to attack anyone. But our partners should clearly understand... that the armed forces will be used if necessary to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and its allies, including on a preventative basis, including with the use of nuclear weapons," Baluevsky was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"Military force can and must be used to demonstrate the decisiveness of the top leadership of the country to defend its interests and as a last resort on a massive scale at a time when all other methods prove insufficient," Baluevsky was quoted as saying at a conference in Moscow.