Putin says he would annihilate the world with his nuclear weapons if nukes were fired at Russia because 'why do we need a world if Russians cease to exist?'

• Vladimir Putin promised he'd retaliate in case of nuclear attack
• Russian President swore to wipe out the world with his own nukes
• Told TV documentary there would be no need for a world without Russia

By WILL STEWART FOR MAILONLINE

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would destroy the world with nuclear missiles if Russia came under attack.

Putin, who was pictured kissing an enamoured fan on the campaign trail this week, made clear that ifRussia was hit by nuclear weapons and faced being wiped out, then the world would not be worth saving. 

In a TV documentary he said: 'I want to tell you, and I want this to be known here and abroad.

From Russia, with love: President Vladimir Putin made it clear that if Russia was under attack and faced being wiped out, then the world would not be worth saving

Vladimir Putin showed how much he loves his fellow Russians last week when he kissed a female supporter as she took a selfie at an election campaign meeting

'Our plans for using it (his nuclear arsenal), I am hoping it will never happen, our theoretical plans of using it is a so-called retaliatory, counter strike.

'A decision about using nuclear weapon can be made only if our missile warning system recorded not only the launch of missiles, but also gave an accurate prediction of flight trajectories and the time when the warheads fall on Russia.'

He said: 'This is called a retaliatory, counter strike, when we receive a legal right to respond.

'Yes this will be a global catastrophe for humankind. It will be a global catastrophe for the world.

'But as a citizen of Russia, as a head of the Russian state, I want to ask - why do we need a world if Russia ceases to exist?' 

Cake fan: President Putin looked over the moon to be visiting a bakery and confectionery factory in Samara, Russia on Wednesday

Poser: The President joined the staff for a photo opportunity at the factory

Earlier this week, Putin surprised onlookers by kissing a female supporter on when she asked to take a selfie with the president.

The famously dour Russian leader, 65, was photographed kissing fan Larisa Sergukhina at the Luzhniki stadium in the capital Moscow after a concert intended to drum up support for him.

After the March 3 concert, Putin agreed to have some photos taken with his supporters, one of which got more attention in Russian media than the event itself.

Onlookers were gobsmacked when Putin planted a kiss on the forehead of his admirer Ms Sergukhina.

Putin is the hot favourite to win the presidential election on 18th March, though if no candidate gets more than half the votes cast a second round will be held on 8th April, with less popular candidates removed from the ballot slip.

Putin is running as an independent. His opponents include Pavel Grudinin of the Communist Party and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the liberal LDPR party.