Putin likens Ukraine's forces to Nazis and threatens standoff in the Arctic

Russian president hits back at invasion accusations as Nato accuses Kremlin of 'blatant violation' of Ukraine's sovereignty

Russia's president Vladimir Putin. Photograph: Itar-Tass/Barcroft Media

Shaun Walker in Mariupol, Leonid Ragozin in Moscow, Matthew Weaver and agencies- Friday 29 August 2014

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has hit back at accusations that he has effectively invaded Ukraine, accusing Ukrainian forces of behaving like Nazis in the conflict in the east and ominously threatening to take his standoff with the west into the disputed Arctic.

Putin Likens Ukraine's Forces to Nazis and Threatens Standoff in the Arctic by Thavam