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A Queensland family has arrived in Mexico to join the search for missing mum Tahnee Shanks, who hasn't been seen in almost a week.

The international search is ramping up for the 32-year-old from the Whitsundays, whose two-year-old daughter Adelynn was found abandoned in a local church in Cancun.

The toddler was found shoeless and without either of her parents, but is now in the custody of the family.

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The little girl has also been issued an emergency Australian passport.

Shanks' brother, Daniel Shanks, said yesterday the family has no confidence they will find the missing mother.

"We're doing our best to keep it together but it's pretty tough at the moment," he said.

"I've got no confidence in finding Tahnee to be honest."

Shank's family is offering a $5000 reward for anyone with information about her whereabouts.

Shanks had been living in Mexico with her partner and Adelynn's father, Jorge Aguirre Estudillo, and was holidaying in the country's south when she disappeared.

Her brother confirmed the relationship between his sister and Estudillo had begun to deteriorate, with Shanks considering a return to Australia.

READ MORE: Why May 9 is a big day for Russia

Witnesses say they believe it was Estudillo who left the young child at the church.

"We've got three eyewitnesses telling us that, verifying it was him. And Tahnee's the one missing," Shanks said.

"And he's on the run, as far as we're concerned."

Shanks said he was initially contacted by his sister's concerned ex-boyfriend after the young mum went silent on social media.

She has not been heard from since Sunday.

Mexican police have obtained CCTV of the car the family was using leaving their residence.

"We do know they've gone to Tahnee's residence … gone inside and searched the place, got CCTV footage of the vehicle leaving," Shanks said.

He added the car the family had been driving was recently found dumped in Cancun, two hours from their travel destination in Tulum.

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Estudillo is wanted for questioning but has not been located by authorities.

Mexican authorities have filed a missing persons report while police in Australia confirmed they are doing what they can.

"If it involves someone who should be in Queensland, or was meant to be coming back, we will be involved in that to find out what's gone on and get answers for that family," Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.

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Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and since then President Vladimir Putin has insisted that his troops are carrying out a "special military operation" instead of a war.

But speculation is growing that this could change in the coming days.

Western officials believe Putin could formally declare war on Ukraine as soon as May 9, a symbolic day for Russia paving the way for him to step his campaign.

READ MORE: Kremlin denies plans to formally declare war on Ukraine

What is May 9?

May 9, known as "Victory Day" inside Russia, commemorates the country's defeat of the Nazis in 1945.

It is marked by a military parade in Moscow, and Russian leaders traditionally stand on the tomb of Vladimir Lenin in Red Square to observe it.

May 9 is designed to show off to the home crowd, to intimidate the opposition and to please the dictator of the time," James Nixey, director of the Russia-Eurasia Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London, said.

Western officials have long believed that Putin would leverage the symbolic significance and propaganda value of the day to announce either a military achievement in Ukraine, a major escalation of hostilities – or both.

The Russian president has a keen eye for symbolism, having launched the invasion of Ukraine the day after Defender of the Fatherland Day, another crucial military day in Russia.

READ MORE: Russia pounds Ukraine, targeting supply of Western arms

Preparing for mobilisation?

Putin has many options on the table, according to Oleg Ignatov, senior analyst for Russia at Crisis Group.

"Declaring war is the toughest scenario," he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who has not formally declared war on Russia – imposed martial law in Ukraine when the Russian invasion began in late February.

Another option for Putin is to enact Russia's mobilisation law, which can be used to start a general or partial military mobilisation "in cases of aggression against the Russian Federation or a direct threat of aggression, the outbreak of armed conflicts directed against the Russian Federation".

That would allow the government not just to assemble troops but also to put the country's economy on a war footing.

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Russian forces have lost at least 15,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war, according to Nixey, and reinforcements will be needed if Moscow is to achieve its goals in Ukraine.

Mobilisation could mean extending conscription for soldiers currently in the armed forces, calling on reservists or bringing in men of fighting age who have had military training, said Ignatov.

But it would also represent a big risk for Putin.

"It would change the whole Kremlin narrative," Ignatov said, noting that the move would force Putin to admit that the invasion of Ukraine has not gone to plan.

Full-scale mobilisation could also damage the struggling Russian economy, he said.

It could still be possible for Putin to enact the mobilisation law without officially declaring war on Ukraine, he said.

Putin could also impose martial law in Russia, suspending elections and further concentrating power in his hands, Ignatov said.

This would impose rules such as restrictions on men of fighting age leaving the country, which could also prove unpopular.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was "no chance" Putin would declare war on May 9.

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What else could happen?

If Putin doesn't declare war, he may look elsewhere to make a statement to mark Victory Day.

Other options include annexing the breakaway territories of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, making a major push for Odesa in the south, or declaring full control over the southern port city of Mariupol.

There are also indications that Russia could be planning to declare and annex a "people's republic" in the south-eastern city of Kherson.

"He (Putin) will be able to declare that the Russian army had some victories in Ukraine," Ignatov said.

"He can try to use this date to solidify his support."

Scott Morrison has taken a heavy swing at Anthony Albanese during a speech in Perth, calling the opposition leader "weak".

The prime minister focused his attention on Albanese's gaffes on the campaign trail.

Morrison criticised Albanese's "small target" campaign.

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"A small leader is a weak leader," Morrison said.

"And a weak leader is a risk to Australia. Our economy and our security."

The speech came after Albanese blanked on details of Labor's NDIS policy on Thursday.

"If you can't hack the campaign then I think people are starting to think, 'Is this guy really up to it?'," Morrison said.

Labor MP Michelle Rowland told TODAY people were more concerned about cost of living pressures.

READ MORE: Albanese grilled in fiery exchange with Ally Langdon

"I don't think this chest-beating by Scott Morrison really impresses anyone these days, to be frank," she said.

"I think that people's minds are focused on supporting their families, on doing their best and not on some of these fighting words that Scott Morrison is using to try and rally his troops."

As Morrison campaigned in Perth, Albanese attended a Hindu community dinner in Sydney's west.