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Not sure if Musk is subscribed, but anyway... :)
Something similar was said on Nov 12, 2016.

Yes, he said that. However, effectively the same thing was said by Yeltsin in 1999, in a similar context. Russian nuclear forces haven't considerably changed in terms of capability since that time. Why the big surprise?

Regardless of political preferences... I simply can't imagine in what form those threats could have been made. Phone call? Letter? Email? How can anyone be so [IMHO, unrealistically] stupid to mention using nuclear weapons knowing that every word in today's communications is being recorded and would be published by the opposite side?

It was made during a verbal question and answer session some days ago. You can read a transcript of the full thing, without western media's blatantly selective quoting and bias, right here. Do go read it for yourself. The press has been having a field day with taking individual sentences out of context, in many cases not even mentioning that Putin was responding to questions from Russian citizens, to make it look like he's issuing press releases about Ukraine specifically. It's the most amazingly dangerous set of selective quotations I've ever seen. In this case Putin wasn't even talking about Ukraine!

I copy/pasted the full question and answer in a post below. But you can easily find it in that page. It's a long answer to a relatively vague question that asks (amongst other things) about how Russia can avoid being drawn into large scale conflicts. So right at the start he says he doesn't want to be drawn into any large conflicts, he doesn't think it's going to happen and that he thinks nobody has any intention of starting a large scale conflict (er, he might want to re-evaluate that given the noise coming out of NATO). Then he goes on to point out that Russia can defend itself, and talks about the "nuclear deterrent" (same language as the UK uses), and then states again that it's for defence.

You can choose not to believe him if you like. But the USA and UK also have "nuclear deterrents" and their so-called Departments of Defence routinely engage in offence at the drop of a hat. We routinely see far more aggressive language coming out of the White House. So I don't think anything Putin is saying here is particularly unique or unusual.

Full transcript of this youth camp Q and A session is available here.

ROMAN SMAGIN: Good afternoon, Mr President.

I am Roman Smagin from Novosibirsk Teacher Training University.

It’s no secret to anyone that history tends to repeat itself. Historical events seem to unfold according to a cyclical theory. Over these last two years we have remembered and celebrated the historic choices that Russia made at important moments for our country’s destiny, such as in 1612, 1812, and 1914.

In this context, I want to ask you what view you take of the cyclical nature of history as we can see it in Russia. Also, I want to ask you about your view of historical memory, how it helps us, how it can help to preserve Russia’s political influence on the international stage, contribute to our society’s development, and not let Russia be drawn into a new open global conflict.

Thank you.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Historical memory is a very important part of our culture, history and present. Of course, we must draw on our historical experience and historical memory as we look towards the future. I can therefore say straight away that Russia is certainly not about to let itself be drawn into any large-scale conflicts. We do not want this and will not let this happen.

Naturally, we need to be ready to respond to any aggression against Russia. Our partners, no matter what the situation in their countries and the foreign policy ideas they follow, always need to be aware that it is better not to enter into any potential armed conflict against us. Fortunately though, I don’t think anyone has the intention today of trying to start a large-scale conflict against Russia.

Let me remind you that Russia is one of the world’s biggest nuclear powers. These are not just words – this is the reality. What’s more, we are strengthening our nuclear deterrent capability and developing our armed forces. They have become more compact and effective and are becoming more modern in terms of the weapons at their disposal. We are continuing this work to build up our potential and will keep doing so, not in order to threaten anyone, but so as to be able to feel safe, ensure our security and be able to carry out our economic and social development plans.

As far as cycles are concerned, yes, I think that the world’s development does go in cycles. This has pretty much been proven as far as the economy is concerned. There are economists here and they can no doubt explain it better than I can, but there are various cycles in the economy, small waves, large waves and so on, and any country’s development depends on the state of the economy. This is why economic growth and the transition from one technological level to another always have an impact on people’s lives and prosperity and on the social and political situation.

Just look, for example, at the way demand is growing in the European countries, and how hard it is to keep up with this constantly growing demand even at today’s level of technological development. This is a sign that there is a need for something else, that we must compensate somewhere for what we are not managing to achieve with the help of foreign policy and defence policy.

I hope very much that not just Russia’s historical memory but that all of humanity will prompt us to search for peaceful solutions to the various conflicts that are currently unfolding and that will arise in the future. We support political dialogue and the search for compromise.

how a prize named after Andrei Sakharov is gonna go over with Snowden's landlord, a veteran of the KGB that tormented Andrei Sakharov.

Reportedly, Putin is a fan of Sakharov.

An excerpt some early interview with American "National Public Radio":

Mr. Siegel: On another subject, our listener, Alfred Friendly Jr., sent us this question. He wants to know what influence you believe Andrei Sakharov and other human rights advocates and their supporters in the West had on the course of Soviet and Russian history.
President Putin: I think that was a crucial impact that they provided. It was a fundamental impact that they provided to the Russian history. At different periods, certain periods of time in the life of any nation, there will be people who turn on the light, if you will, and they show a road for the nation to follow. And no doubt Andrei Sakharov was one of those people who turned on the light.
Link: http://archive.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2001/11/16/2355_type82916_142499.shtml

That is, there are no problems whatsoever regarding Sakharov prize for Snowden.

You might also want to check that Putin is a fan of Solzhenitsyn, too -- under Putin, Solzhenitsyn's masterpiece was included into the Russian regular high school curriculum.

This guy will have one ready in a couple of years.

Now, I'm not sure what to criticize for Russian Parliament or President in terms of freedom of computing. Microsoft copyright (or anybody else's for that matter) is not enforced in any way here. As I said, even databases with taxpayers information are sold in small shops all around the city. DVD sets with "complete Microsoft" etc. New movies show up packed up to 8 movies per DVD disk, playable on standard DVD players (not MPEG4). Linux shows up slowly in this mix of software.

I have recently submitted a complain to Putin about the new regulation for customs limitation of 35 kg for personal travel. There is a complain department with his administration and if enough citizens complain or offer to do something it gets reviewed. He may or may not decide to act on this, but so far he was quite a populist, i.e. something that got lots of people pissed off usually gets changed. English version of the page is here (I've used Russian version of course)http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/send_let ter_Eng1.shtml

This is a kind of direct link to the top of the Govt. is good IMHO. Being able to submit through the Web is very nice also. I'm working on a letter in relation to OSS and Linux support and anti- Microsoft and Hollywood regulation, to relieve them of the copyright priviledge for monopolistic abuse and passing totalitarian laws around the world.

Now, I know what mass repressions are if not by my personal experience, then by my grandfather generation relatives. DMCA and new law in Germany that makes unauthorized software copying a criminal offense is bona fide ground for mass repressions in the West. This is the law, that being enforced would put 10-20% of the population in jail. There is no such law in the works in Russia, and if there would be one it would get repelled. Companies that sell unauthorized copies are facing a fine, it's regulated by civil law (like it should, like it was in the US not so long ago).