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One of the world's most powerful companies, founded by one of the planet's richest men, is about to boost the size of its footprint in Australia.

Amazon's sprawling new sort centre in Melbourne is almost finished, with the online behemoth claiming the facility will speed up delivery to its customers and be open in time for the festive season.

The giant building, which occupies a 5600sqm site, around the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is the US company's first dedicated sort centre in Australia.

Watch a time-lapse of the massive Amazon centre being built in the player above

Amazon sort centres are where already-picked-and-packed customer orders are further sorted by final destination, and shipped to last mile sites for delivery to customers.

Now valued at more than $1 trillion, the company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos is tooling up to dominate the growing online shopping market in Australia.

More than 80 per cent of Australians shopped online last year, spending a record $62.3 billion.

Pandemic lockdowns saw more and more people move their shopping habits online

Creating vast and efficient urban logistics networks is critical for retailers wanting to rule this space.

Supermarkets Coles and Woolworths are both investing heavily in this area and building massive new automated warehouses which will be powered by robots.

Consultant Brittain Ladd, a former Amazon executive, said high-tech warehouses are key retail battlegrounds of the future.

"We are about to witness the largest disruption of retail and the supply chain that we've ever encountered … and it's going to be driven by technology," Ladd told the JLL podcast.

READ MORE: Sydney forecast to break rain record as multiple states brace for storms

READ MORE: The reality of a brutal loss for Russia evident on Ukraine streets

Amazon told 9news.com.au in a statement the centre would create around 200 jobs.

The company is also wanting to hire 2000 workers for the Christmas shopping rush.

In recent years US regulators have scrutinised Amazon over employment and working conditions.

Workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, made history earlier this year when they voted to form the company's first US labour union.

Amazon warehouse work can be incredibly demanding.

One Amazon worker described the job as "an intense workout every day" in testimony before members of the US Senate last year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a veiled threat to dramatically escalate the war in Ukraine by using nuclear weapons, but how serious is he?

Ahead of Russia's formal annexation of four occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, Putin raised the spectre of nuclear weapons deployment.

"The territorial integrity of our homeland, our independence and freedom will be ensured, I will emphasise this again, with all the means at our disposal," Putin said in a speech last week.

READ MORE: Russian losses evident in key liberated Ukrainian city

He added that "those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction."

Threats aim to blunt Ukrainian advances

And after Russian troops suffered further reverses in eastern Ukraine, Ramzan Kadyrov, who is an ally of Putin and leader of the Chechen republic, said Putin should use low-yield, or tactical, nuclear weapons.

International security expert Professor John Blaxland, of the Australian National University, told 9News that Putin's threats are aimed at boosting Russian military efforts in the annexed provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

"He is aiming to restrain and constrain the Ukrainian advances … and shore up defences in the four provinces," he said.

And their annexation – condemned by the international community – has added uncertainty about the border of Russia, which Putin has vigorously pledged to defend.

"Where are the boundaries now?"

READ MORE: Ukraine flag flying in annexed city after Russians retreat

What is a tactical nuclear weapon?

Compared with strategic nuclear weapons, tactical, or battlefield ones, are much less powerful. Their warheads have the explosive impact of up to about 100 kilotons of dynamite – compared with roughly 1000 kilotons for strategic warheads.

Tactical nuclear weapons have a range of about 500km and can be launched from land based launchers, warships or submarines.

These tactical weapons include bombs, artillery ordnance or warheads for short-range missiles and are intended to strike a crushing blow to troops on one designated section of the front line.

Even a low-yield nuclear weapon used on the battlefield, aside from killing troops in the immediate vicinity, would still contaminate a broad area and expose large numbers of civilians in densely-populated Ukraine and neighbouring countries to radiation risks. In fact, Russia and its ally Belarus would face the highest contamination risk because of prevailing winds.

What authority does Putin have over nuclear weapons?

These weapons are doctrinally controlled at the highest levels and would require Putin to make the decision on a strategic strike.

While Russian morale on the battlefield has suffered amid Ukrainian advances, Putin's grip on power remains strong, Blaxland says.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is involved in the chain of command for issuing a nuclear strike, but he remains under the thumb of Putin.

READ MORE: Sydney forecast to break rain record as multiple states brace for storms

How would the US and its western allies respond?

Former US general and CIA director David Petraeus said the Biden administration and its western allies would retaliate strongly against Russia.

He said the US and other NATO forces would destroy Russian troops and equipment in Ukraine – as well as sink its Black Sea fleet – if the Kremlin ordered a nuclear strike.

The strikes could be carried with conventional non-nuclear, long range weapons.

So what's holding Putin back?

The resolve shown by the US and its western allies in supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24 has shocked Putin.

And the Russian president realises deploying nuclear weapons in the war is a big leap in the dark, Blaxland says.

"You cross that threshold and you don't know what happens next.

"He cannot be sure such an escalation will be successful."

Jetstar flights have again been cancelled, leaving passengers in the lurch, just two days after the airline assured passengers there would be fewer delays and cancellations.

A flight from Melbourne overnight was cancelled as passengers were waiting at the departure gate, having checked in their baggage.

A family of six have told 9News the flight was due to take off in just one hour when they were told it had been cancelled.

READ MORE: Jetstar asks Aussies for forgiveness after months of turbulence

Some passengers have also been stranded in Hawaii after their flight to Melbourne was cancelled with about 24 hours' notice.

The flight was reportedly cancelled due to engineering issues.

Customers have reportedly been offered $300 compensation for hotels and $46 for meals, but some have said they are confused about the compensation.

The cancellations come after on Monday the airline Chief Operating Officer Matthew Franzi told 9News Jetstar's issues were officially over, following months of issues.

"We know we haven't delivered to the customer expectation," Franzi said.

READ MORE: Aussies stuck overseas for up to a week due to Jetstar cancellations

The airline said its engineering issues had been fixed, while 1500 extra staff had been hired across the Qantas Group, to prevent any future major delays or cancellations.

Several customers stranded at Melbourne Airport this morning have told 9News they are very disappointed and would not choose the airline again.

Thousands of Australians were left stuck overseas in September due to Jetstar cancellations, with some left unable to get home for more than a week.