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Ukraine-Russia news – live: Putin launches nuclear drill amid warning over Bakhmut battle

The Russian military has conducted drills of its strategic missile forces Wednesday, deploying mobile launchers in Siberia in a show of the country’s massive nuclear capability amid the fighting in Ukraine.

As part of the drills, the Yars mobile missile launchers will maneuver across three regions of Siberia, Russia‘s Defense Ministry said.

The movements will involve measures to conceal the deployment from foreign satellites and other intelligence assets, the ministry said.

The Defense Ministry didn’t say how long the drills would last or mention plans for any practice launches.

The Yars is a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of about 11,000 kilometers (over 6,800 miles). It forms the backbone of Russia‘s strategic missile forces.

The massive exercise took place days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Russia‘s neighbor and ally.

Meanwhile, the head of Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that fighting to take control of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut had “practically destroyed” the Ukrainian army but also “badly damaged” his forces.

Key points

  • Russia launches drills of its nuclear missile forces

  • Putin will ‘push, push, push’ if he smells Ukraine is weak, says Zelensky

  • Russia says it intercepted GLSDB smart bomb in Ukraine for first time

  • Ukrainian forces shell Russian-occupied Melitopol

  • Zelensky invites Xi to visit Ukraine

  • The latest from the battlefield

Russia launches drills of its nuclear missile forces

12:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian military conducted drills of its strategic missile forces Wednesday, deploying mobile launchers in Siberia in a show of the country’s massive nuclear capability amid the fighting in Ukraine.

As part of the drills, the Yars mobile missile launchers will maneuver across three regions of Siberia, Russia‘s Defense Ministry said. The movements will involve measures to conceal the deployment from foreign satellites and other intelligence assets, the ministry said.

The Defense Ministry didn’t say how long the drills would last or mention plans for any practice launches. The Yars is a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of about 11,000 kilometers (over 6,800 miles). It forms the backbone of Russia‘s strategic missile forces.

The Defense Ministry released a video showing massive trucks carrying the missiles driving out from a base to go on patrol. The maneuvers involve about 300 vehicles and 3,000 troops in eastern Siberia, according to the ministry.

The massive exercise took place days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Russia‘s neighbor and ally.

Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared to the long-range strategic missiles fitted with nuclear warheads that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

Putin’s decision to put the tactical weapons in Belarus followed his repeated warnings that Moscow was ready to use “all available means” — a reference to its nuclear arsenal — to fend off attacks on Russian territory.

UN atomic watchdog returns to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

14:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the UN’s atomic energy watchdog has returned to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a day after saying a deal to protect Europe’s largest nuclear power facility from a catastrophic accident due to the war in Ukraine was “close”.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi crossed the war’s front lines for a second time to reach the plant, which is located in a partially Russia-occupied part of Ukraine where combat has intensified.

The IAEA, which is based in Vienna, Austria, has a rotating team permanently based at the plant.

Mr Grossi told The Associated Press (AP) in an interview on Tuesday that he felt it was his duty to ramp up talks between Kyiv and Moscow aimed at safeguarding the facility.

He met on Monday with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and said he would “most probably” head to Moscow in the coming days.

But Mr Zelensky said in a separate interview with the AP that he was less optimistic a deal was near.

“I don’t feel it today,” he said.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visits the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visits the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

Spain to send six tanks to Ukraine after Easter

14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Spain will send six German-made 2A4 Leopard tanks to Ukraine after the April 9 Easter holiday to support Kyiv’s efforts to fend off Russia‘s invasion, Defence Minister Margarita Robles told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Robles said the country had just repaired the fighting vehicles that have not been used since the 1990s, and was testing their combat readiness before shipping them.

“By sending the Leopards, we will continue to help the Ukrainian people... to defend themselves against an absolutely unjust attack,” she said, adding that Spain would now repair another four tanks which will be sent “in the near future”.

The Spanish military has trained Ukrainian tank crews for several weeks in the northeastern city of Zaragoza.

Earlier this week, 18 Leopard 2 tanks pledged by Germany and three pledged by Portugal arrived in Ukraine, which says the fighting vehicles are crucial to defeat the Russian invasion. Moscow calls the deliveries of Western weapons a dangerous provocation.

IAEA chief: situation at Ukrainian nuclear plant hasn't improved

13:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that the situation at Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had not improved and that fighting nearby had intensified, Russian news agencies reported.

Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the site of the power plant over the last year. Grossi has been pushing for a safety agreement between Ukraine and Russia to protect the facility. (

Russia stops sharing nuclear information with US

13:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow had suspended sharing information about its nuclear forces with the United States, including notices about missile tests.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that Moscow had halted all information exchanges with Washington after previously suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the US.

Last month, Russian president Vladimir Putin suspended the New START treaty, saying Russia could not accept US inspections of its nuclear sites under the agreement at a time when Washington and its Nato allies had openly declared Russia‘s defeat in Ukraine as their goal.

Moscow emphasised that it was not withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons.

The Russian foreign ministry initially said Moscow would keep notifying the US about planned test launches of its ballistic missiles.

Russia's Wagner chief says battle for Bakhmut damaged his forces

13:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group said on Wednesday that fighting to take control of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut had “practically destroyed” the Ukrainian army but also “badly damaged” his forces.

“The battle for Bakhmut today has already practically destroyed the Ukrainian army, and unfortunately, it has also badly damaged the Wagner Private Military Company,” Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message.

 (AP)
(AP)

Russia says it has stopped all data exchanges with U.S. on nuclear weapons

12:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that Moscow had stopped notifying the United States about its nuclear activities, including test launches, after it pulled out of the New START arms control treaty last month.

“All notifications, all forms of notification, all data exchange, all inspection activities, in general all kinds of work under the treaty are suspended, they will not be carried out,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.a

Sweden summons Russian envoy over 'retaliation' remark

11:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sweden’s Foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned the Russian ambassador after Moscow’s diplomatic mission to Stockholm posted on its website that the Scandinavian country would become a “legitimate target for Russia‘s retaliatory measures” if it joins NATO.

Foreign Minister Tobias Billström decried what he called an “obvious attempt at influence.”

Billström told Swedish news agency TT that the country’s security policy is determined by its government and no one else.

It’s unclear when the Russian ambassador will appear at the Foreign Ministry.

In May, Sweden and neighboring Finland angered Moscow after jointly applying for NATO membership, abandoning decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Sweden’s bid has stalled due to opposition from Turkey whose president has said his country wouldn’t ratify membership before disputes between Ankara and Stockholm are resolved.

The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations.

Moreover, Hungary’s parliament has yet to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership bid and it remains unclear when it will do so.

Russia starts exercises with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles

10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops, its defence ministry said on Wednesday, in what is likely to be seen as another attempt by Moscow to show off its nuclear strength.

President Vladimir Putin has aimed to make the Yars missile system, which replaced the Topol system, part of Russia‘s “invincible weapons” and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal.

“In total, more than 3,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment are involved in the exercises,” the defence ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging service.

The drills involve the Strategic Missile Forces comprehensive control checking of the Omsk missile formation together with a command and staff exercise with the Novosibirsk missile formation equipped with the Yars systems.

During the exercises, the Yars mobile systems will conduct manoeuvres in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions.

“Also, strategic missilemen will carry out a set of measures to camouflage and counter modern aerial reconnaissance means in cooperation with formations and units of the Central Military District and the Aerospace Forces.”

There are few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile systems, which reportedly have an operational range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles).

According to military bloggers, the systems are able to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads and can be mounted on a truck carriers or deployed in silos.

Hungary says 'grievances' hold up ratification of Sweden's NATO accession

10:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hungary is holding up Sweden’s admission to NATO because of grievances over criticism by Stockholm of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s policies, the Hungarian government spokesman said on Wednesday.

Bridging the gap will require effort on both sides, spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said.

Sweden and its neighbour Finland asked to join the NATO military alliance last year following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Hungary and Turkey.

After months of foot-dragging by Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, Hungary’s parliament approved a bill on Monday to allow Finland to join NATO but the Swedish bill is still stranded.

“In the case of Sweden, there is an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed before the country’s admission is ratified,” Kovacs said on his blog.

Hungary’s PM Victor Orban (AP)
Hungary’s PM Victor Orban (AP)

Swedish representatives “have been repeatedly keen to bash Hungary through diplomatic means, using their political influence to harm Hungarian interests”, he said, referring to Swedish criticism over the erosion of rule of law by Orban’s government in the past 13 years. Orban denies these allegations.

He said Stockholm had taken a “hostile attitude” to Budapest for years.

“Adding Ankara’s woes and grievances to the mix does not leave much room to manoeuvre, at least not until the Swedes start changing their tune and help these lingering wounds heal,” Kovacs said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey’s parliament would also start ratifying Finland’s accession. But it held off approving Sweden’s bid, accusing it of harbouring Kurdish militants.

Russia's Patrushev says Moscow is committed to preventing nuclear war

09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday that Moscow is committed to preventing nuclear war and military confrontation between nuclear-armed states, the TASS news agency reported.

It comes after his earlier comments where he said Russia “has modern unique weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States, in the event of a threat to its existence”.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

UN nuclear boss heads to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

08:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog set off on Wednesday for Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station for the second time since Moscow’s forces invaded last year.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says he is travelling to Europe’s largest nuclear power station to review the situation there as part of a push to reduce the risk of a major accident.

Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the site of the power station over the last year. Grossi has pushing for a safety agreement between Ukraine and Russia to protect the facility.

An IAEA spokesperson confirmed Grossi was on his way to the plant. He said Grossi was in the Zaporizhzhia region, but declined to say where. He shared a photograph of Grossi standing in body armour by an armoured U.N. car on the side of a road.

Grossi told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro that his attempt to broker a deal to protect the nuclear plant was still alive, and that he was adjusting the proposals to seek a breakthrough.

Grossi, who met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, described the situation at the plant as “very dangerous” and very unstable.

The IAEA has had its own monitors stationed at the Zaporizhzhia plant since last year, when Grossi travelled to the facility and fears were mounting of the possibility for a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi with Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)
Rafael Grossi with Volodymyr Zelensky (AP)

Ukrainian forces shell Russian-occupied Melitopol - Russian media

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces have shelled the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol, south of the Zaporizhzhia region, and Russian media reported on Wednesday that as a result, the city’s power supply had been cut.

Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March last year, said on the Telegram messaging app that several explosions had gone off in the city.

Russia‘s state TASS news agency, citing Moscow-installed officials in the area, said Ukrainian shelling had damaged the city’s power supply system and knocked out electricity in the city and some nearby villages.

TASS also reported that a locomotive depot was destroyed but according to initial information, there were no casualties.

Melitopol is some 120 km (74 miles) southeast of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to visit the plant later on Wednesday.

 (AP)
(AP)

Zelensky invites Xi to visit Ukraine

08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

“We are ready to see him here,” Zelensky told the news agency in an interview.

Xi has not talked to Zelensky since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February last year but China published a 12-point plan for “a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis” last month.

Xi discussed the conflict with his “dear friend”, Russian President Vladimir Putin, while on a state visit to Moscow last week, although the talks did not show progress on how to end the war.

China’s proposal includes a call for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.

But the United States has been dismissive of the proposal, given that China has declined to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The United States says a ceasefire now would lock in Russian territorial gains and give Putin’s army more time to regroup.

Ukraine has welcomed China’s diplomatic involvement but Zelensky has said he will only consider peace settlements after Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

What is happening on the frontline?

07:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here is the latest from the battlefield:

* Russian forces are moving forward in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut despite fierce resistance and have almost taken full control of a metals plant there, the Russian-installed leader in the region said.

* Russian forces trying to encircle the town of Avdiivka in recent days have made only marginal gains despite heavy losses in armoured vehicles, including a tank regiment that has likely lost a large proportion of its tanks, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update.

What are tactical nuclear weapons?

07:00 , Martha Mchardy

Tactical nuclear weapons are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield. They have a relatively short range and a much lower yield than nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

Unlike the strategic weapons, which have been subject to arms control agreements between Moscow and Washington, the tactical weapons never have been limited by any such pacts, and Russia hasn’t released any numbers in its arsenal or other specifics related to them.

 (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.

While strategic nuclear weapons are fitted to land- or submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missiles that are constantly ready for launch, tactical nuclear weapons are stored at a few tightly guarded storage facilities in Russia, and it takes time to deliver them to combat units.

Some Russian hawks long have urged the Kremlin to send a warning to the West by moving some tactical nuclear weapons closer to the aircraft and missiles intended to deliver them.

Xi Jinping invited to Ukraine by Zelensky: ‘We are ready’

06:59 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky says he has extended an invitation for Chinese president Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine.

“We are ready to see him here,” he said. “I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn’t have.”

The Chinese president has called for an end to the conflict and claimed to be neutral when it comes to the war.

But in a rather public show of partnership, Mr Xi visited Mr Putin in Russia last week, raising the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile.

The visit ended without any such announcement. Days later, Mr Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbours Russia and pushes the Kremlin’s nuclear stockpile closer to Nato territory.

Putin will ‘push, push, push’ if he smells Ukraine is weak, says Zelensky

06:28 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could gather international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises.

If Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, Vladimir Putin would “sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran,” Zelensky said.

He added: “If he will feel some blood — smell that we are weak — he will push, push, push.”

He also invited the leader of China, long aligned with Russia, to visit Ukraine.

Read the full story here:

Ukraine's Zelenskyy: Any Russian victory could be perilous

In pictures: Zelensky visits war’s front-line areas

06:00 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents a medal to a serviceman in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents a medal to a serviceman in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents a medal to a serviceman in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents a medal to a serviceman in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the train station in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the train station in Trostianets in the Sumy region of Ukraine, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo with military personnel, police officers and civilians (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo with military personnel, police officers and civilians (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
A woman cries during the singing of the national anthem during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
A woman cries during the singing of the national anthem during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
People sing the national anthem during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
People sing the national anthem during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Russia not making progress in Bakhmut, Avdiivka, says Ukraine

05:36 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military officials have said Russia is not making progress in the battle hotspots of Bakhmut and Avdiivka despite relentless attempts in the bombed-out sector.

“They simply try to exhaust our troops with attack after attack,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the military’s eastern group, said on national television, reporting 70 shelling incidents in Bakhmut alone.

As Ukrainian fighters continued to repel the attacks and Russia was suffering high combat deaths, the Britain’s defence ministry said Russian forces had made only “marginal progress” in an attempt to encircle Avdiivka and had lost many armoured vehicles and tanks.

Both towns have been at the forefront of Russia’s attacks, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement yesterday evening.

Defending the Russian forces, a Moscow-installed leader from Donetsk region claimed that most Ukrainian forces had pulled back from a metals factory in western Bakhmut and Russian forces were making progress.

Russia starts exercises with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles

05:09 , Arpan Rai

Russia has begun military exercises involving the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops, its defence ministry said today.

“In total, more than 3,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment are involved in the exercises,” the defence ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging service, in a move likely seen as another attempt by Vladimir Putin to show off Moscow’s nuclear strength.

This system can carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads and can be mounted on a truck carrier or deployed in silos.

The drills involve both the Omsk missile formation together with a command and staff exercise with the Novosibirsk missile formation equipped with the Yars systems.

The Yars mobile systems will conduct manoeuvres in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions.

“Also, strategic missilemen will carry out a set of measures to camouflage and counter modern aerial reconnaissance means in cooperation with formations and units of the Central Military District and the Aerospace Forces.”

The Russian president is looking to make the Yars missile system, which replaced the Topol system, part of Russia’s “invincible weapons” and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal.

What are Ukraine and the west saying about tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus?

05:00 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine has responded to Putin’s move by calling for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

“The world must be united against someone who endangers the future of human civilization,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that U.S. officials “haven’t seen any movement of any tactical nuclear weapons or anything of that kind” since Putin’s announcement on Belarus. He has said Washington has seen nothing to prompt a change in its strategic deterrent posture.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NATO rejects Putin’s claim that Russia only is doing what the U.S. has done for decades, saying the Western allies act with full respect of their international commitments.

“Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said, adding that the alliance hasn’t yet seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.

Lithuania, which borders Belarus, described Putin’s statement as “yet another attempt by two unpredictable dictatorial regimes to threaten their neighbours and the entire European continent,” calling them “desperate moves by Putin and Lukashenko to create another wave of tension and destabilization in Europe.”

More than 76,500 Russian war crimes recorded, says Ukraine

04:45 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine has accused the Russian forces of committing more than 76,500 war crimes and crimes of aggression since it launched a full-scale invasion of the country, officials have said.

The Russian military has committed 76,753 war crimes and crimes of aggression like indiscriminate attacks on civilians, torture, sexual violence, rape and looting, the prosecutor general’s office has said.

Watch: Russian navy fires anti-ship cruise missiles in Sea of Japan war simulation

04:00 , Martha Mchardy

What are the possible consequences behind putting tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

03:00 , Martha Mchardy

With his latest statement, Putin again is dangling the nuclear threat to signal Moscow’s readiness to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which has a 1,084-kilometer (673-mile) border with Ukraine, would allow Russian aircraft and missiles to reach potential targets there more easily and quickly if Moscow decides to use them. It would also extend Russia’s capability to target several NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.

The move comes as Kyiv is poised for a counteroffensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russia.

 (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, warned last week that attempts by Ukraine to reclaim control over Crimea was a threat to “the very existence of the Russian state,” something that warrants a nuclear response under the country’s security doctrine. Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

“Every day of supplying Western weapons to Ukraine makes the nuclear apocalypse closer,” Medvedev said.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said Putin’s goal is to discourage Ukraine’s Western allies from providing Kyiv with more weapons ahead of any counteroffensive.

Putin is “using nuclear blackmail in a bid to influence the situation on the battlefield and force Western partners to reduce supplies of weapons and equipment under the threat of nuclear escalation,” Zhdanov said. “The Belarusian nuclear balcony will be looming over not only Ukraine, but Europe as well, creating a constant threat, raising tensions and rattling the nerves of Ukrainians and their Western partners.”

What will Russia do with tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

02:00 , Martha Mchardy

Putin said Russia already has helped upgrade 10 Belarusian aircraft to allow them to carry nuclear weapons and their crews will start training to use them from April 3. He noted Russia also has given Belarus the Iskander short-range missile systems that can be fitted with conventional or nuclear warheads.

He said the construction of storage facilities for nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by July 1. He didn’t say how many nuclear weapons will be stationed there or when they will be deployed.

Putin emphasized that Russia will retain control over any nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus, just like the U.S. controls its tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its NATO allies.

If Moscow sends nuclear weapons to Belarus, it will mark their first deployment outside Russian borders since the early 1990s. Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan inherited massive nuclear arsenals after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 but agreed to ship them to Russia in the following years.

Watch: British Challenger 2 Tanks Arrive In Ukraine Ready For Deployment On Battlefield

01:30 , Martha Mchardy

Why is Putin deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

01:00 , Martha Mchardy

Putin said President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has long urged Moscow to station its nuclear weapons in his country, which has close military ties with Russia and was a staging ground for the invasion of neighboring Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Russia already has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons — something that Belarus’ authoritarian leader has repeatedly mentioned.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)

In remarks broadcast Saturday, Putin said the immediate trigger for the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium. Putin toned down his language after first falsely claiming that such rounds have nuclear components, but he insisted they pose an additional danger to the civilian population and could contaminate the environment.

Putin also said that by stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia will be doing what the United States has done for decades by putting its nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. He alleged the Russian move doesn’t violate an international treaty banning the proliferation of nuclear weapons, even though Moscow has argued before that the U.S. has breached the pact by deploying them on the territory of its NATO allies.

Putin’s move contrasted with a statement he and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued after their talks in the Kremlin last week, which spoke against nuclear powers deploying atomic weapons outside their territories, in an apparent jab at the United States.

What had been the hold up in sending tanks?

Wednesday 29 March 2023 00:30 , Martha Mchardy

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, had come under increasing pressure to allow the re-export of the Leopard tanks, dozens of which are held by armies across Europe – but could not be sent to Ukraine with the express permission of Berlin.

Germany initially resisted such a move, saying Western tanks should only be supplied to Ukraine if there is agreement among Kyiv’s main allies, particularly the United States. Berlin has been trying to strike a balance between ensuring Ukraine can defend itself and not supplying arms that could encourage Kyiv to make attacks on Russia or draw Nato into conflict with Moscow. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly said that the tanks are for defending Ukraine, and recovering Ukrainian territory lost to Moscow. Not for attacking Russia directly.

A Leopard 2 tank is seen in action during a visit of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
A Leopard 2 tank is seen in action during a visit of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

While Mr Scholz promised a “sea change” in Germany’s defence and security policy in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his neighbour, that shift has appeared slow to Kyiv and its most vocal allies in Europe including Poland and the Baltic nations – who border either Russia itself or Belarus and Ukraine and fear the threat of Russia’s war on its doorstep.

The German leader has repeatedly voiced concern over his country being perceived as escalating the war and provoking President Putin, who has hinted he could resort to nuclear weapons.

Why does Russia want tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

Wednesday 29 March 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy

The announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus appears to be another attempt to raise the stakes in the conflict in Ukraine.

It follows Putin’s warnings that Moscow is ready to use “all available means,” to fend off attacks on Russian territory, a reference to its nuclear arsenal.

Read the full story here:

Why does Russia want tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

Which countries have pledged to send tanks to Ukraine?

Tuesday 28 March 2023 23:30 , Martha Mchardy

The US and Poland have pledged to send tanks to Ukraine.

The US has also pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram tanks, plus recovery vehicles. However, the logistics involved in getting the tanks to the battlefield, as well as the extensive and complex maintenance and required for the high-tech vehicle, mean that it may be some time before they appear on the frontlines.

Poland will also send an additional 60 of its PT-91 tanks. The PT-91 is a Polish-made battle tank that came into service in the 1990s. It was developed from the T-72 range.

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Tuesday 28 March 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy

Further battalions of Leopard, Abrams and Challenger tanks could eventually be a game-changer, Andy Gregory reports.

How Leopard tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Who is sending tanks to Ukraine?

Tuesday 28 March 2023 22:30 , Martha Mchardy

Tanks from Germany and the UK have arrived in Ukraine.

The UK has sent a squadron, or 14, of its Challenger 2 battle tanks, which have a 120 mm rifled gun. As well as training for Ukrainian troops.

Germany has sent 14 Leopard 2 tanks to begin with, with potentially dozens more to come. It will also allow other countries that hold them to re-export them to Kyiv.

Two Leopard 2 tanks are seen in action at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Two Leopard 2 tanks are seen in action at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Why does Ukraine want tanks?

Volodymyr Zelensky said such heavy weaponry is crucial to replenish his nation’s military hardaware to fight off Russia’s invasion. Kyiv also wants them to try and recapture territory taken by Moscow’s forces.

Germany’s Leopard 2 tank is regarded as one of the West’s best. German defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has built more than 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks since beginning production in 1978.

The tank weighs more than 60 tons, has a 120mm smoothbore gun and can hit targets at a distance of up to five km. It has a laser range finder that can measure distance to an object, meaning that aiming at moving targets while travelling over rough terrain becomes easier. Night vision capability also helps.

Some 20 nations operate the Leopard 2, which also makes it easier for Ukraine to manage maintenance and crew training.

How many Leopards are available?

The Leopard 2 is one of the most widely used Western tanks. But in general, three decades after the end of the Cold War, tanks and other heavy weapons are in scarce supply in most of the West. Many countries drastically reduced their armies after the fall of communism.

Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, German military expert Carl Schulze says.

Ukraine has said that it would like 300 tanks, although it is unlikely to get quite that number. More than 100 across the nations in Europe that hold Leopard 2s would be a more approachable figure, plus tanks from elsewhere.

Beyond the nations mentioned above, countries operating the Leopard include Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Turkey.

It is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly. Germany’s defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery. Although German ministers have said they are looking to significantly speed up procurement.

World-first child research hub in London will support Ukraine war victims

Tuesday 28 March 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy

The world’s first hub for child blast injury research has been opened in London – with an immediate focus on providing support to victims in Ukraine.

The Centre For Paediatric Blast Injury Studies, a partnership between Imperial College London and Save The Children, will particularly focus on reducing pain in children with limb loss and developing new prosthetics.

Almost 1,000 recorded civilian casualties among children in Ukraine have been caused by explosive weapons, with actual numbers expected to be considerably higher.

More than 250,000 explosive devices have already been removed and destroyed since the conflict began last February.

World-first child research hub in London will support Ukraine war victims

US and Russia stop sharing nuke data under faltering New START treaty

Tuesday 28 March 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy

The United States and Russia have stopped sharing biannual nuclear weapons data under the faltering New START treaty, the last arms control pact between the two countries, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department said the U.S. had offered to continue providing this information to Russia even after President Vladimir Putin suspended Russia’s participation in the treaty last month, but Moscow informed Washington that it would not be sharing its own data.

“Because of Russia’s noncompliance with these obligations under the treaty, the United States will not provide its biannual data exchange to Russia either, in order to encourage Russia to return to compliance with the treaty,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

Read the full story:

US, Russia stop sharing nuke data under faltering New START

Situation at Ukraine’s Russian-occupied nuclear plant ‘very dangerous’ - U.N. nuclear watchdog

Tuesday 28 March 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, who met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday, described the situation at Ukraine’s Russian-occupied nuclear plant as “very dangerous” and very unstable.

It has lost its external power supply six times since Russia’s invasion, forcing emergency diesel generators to kick in to cool its reactors.

Mr Grossi said the water level in a nearby reservoir controlled by Russian forces was another potential danger. Water supplied by the reservoir is used to cool the reactors.

“If the reservoir level goes down beyond a certain level, then you don’t have water to cool down the reactors, and we have seen especially in January that the levels of the water were going down significantly. They recovered somehow in the past few weeks,” he said.

The IAEA has had its own monitors stationed at the Zaporizhzhia plant since last year.

Mr Grossi blamed a recent delay in their rotation on a row between Russia and Ukraine over the route they were supposed to take.

“We had an agreed route. All of a sudden that route was not agreed anymore... It took an awful lot of time to come to an agreement,” he said.

Deal to protect Ukraine’s Russian-occupied nuclear plant still alive, says head of International Atomic Energy Agency

Tuesday 28 March 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday his attempt to broker a deal to protect Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was still alive, and that he was adjusting the proposals to seek a breakthrough.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the comments a day before he is expected to travel to Europe’s largest nuclear power station in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine.

Mr Grossi has been pushing for a safety zone to be created at the plant to prevent a possible nuclear disaster as Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the site of the power station since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with with U.N. atomic energy chief Rafael Mariano Grossi (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with with U.N. atomic energy chief Rafael Mariano Grossi (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“We are making some adjustments on the proposals that we are putting on the table,” Mr Grossi said in an interview in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

“I am confident that it might be possible to establish some form of protection, perhaps not emphasising so much the idea of a zone, but on the protection itself: what people should do, or shouldn’t do to protect (the plant) instead of having a territorial concept.”

The contours of the proposed deal have not been made public.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Reuters)
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Reuters)

Diplomats say Mr Grossi’s latest proposal no longer includes a defined radius around the plant to mark the zone.

Ukraine does not want a deal that will in effect recognise or allow a Russian military presence at the plant. Other elements of Grossi’s plan include no firing at or from the plant, and the removal of heavy weapons.

“I am not giving up in any way. I think on the contrary we need to multiply our efforts, we need to continue,” Mr Grossi said.

He said there had been increasing military activity in the region without giving details.

Putin using Bakhmut to destroy Wagner Group and ‘put its chief in his place’, says ISW

Tuesday 28 March 2023 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia’s months-long battle to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is being used by the Kremlin to “largely destroy” the private Wagner Group and put its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin “in his place”, according to experts monitoring the conflict.

Analysts have suggested an alterior motive to the Russian leadership’s determination to keep throwing mercenary units into the bloody siege, with disagreements over Ukraine increasingly driving a wedge between Vladimir Putin and his long-time ally.

The Wagner Group has trained and deployed thousands of convicted criminals in Ukraine – promised their freedom if they can survive six months on the frontline – ever since the Russian president launched his full-scale invasion of the former Soviet nation.

Arpan Rai reports:

Putin using Bakhmut to ‘largely destroy Wagner Group and put its chief in his place’

France to double munitions supplies to Ukraine - defence minister

Tuesday 28 March 2023 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

France will double this month its supplies of 155 artillery rounds to Ukraine to about 2,000 shells a month, its defence minister said on Tuesday, adding that Paris was also planning to boost a fund that enables Kyiv to buy French weaponry.

Ukraine has identified the supply of 155 mm shells as a critical need as it engages in a fierce war of attrition with invading Russian forces. Both sides are firing thousands of artillery rounds every day.

“We are doubling the delivery of 155 mm shells to bring it to 2000 a month from the end of March,” Sebastien Lecornu said in an interview published on Tuesday with Le Figaro newspaper.

Ukrainian and Western leaders have warned in recent weeks that Kyiv is burning through the shells more quickly than its allies can provide them, leading to a renewed push to send supplies and find ways to ramp up production.

France and Australia agreed in February a deal that would see Canberra provide gunpowder, which is not produced in France, to enable arms producer Nexter to manufacture 155mm shells. The faster deliveries will come from this, a French official said.

European Union countries on March 20 agreed a 2 billion euro plan to send 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine over the next year by digging into their own stockpiles and teaming up to buy more shells.

Lecornu also said that the government was also discussing adding more money into a fund that enables Ukraine to buy French weaponry after the existing 200 million euros had been used. The official declined to say how much could be added.

France is also looking to provide with a new package of light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles after completing the delivery of a first batch this month, two French officials said.

Paris has declined to say how many it has delivered.

Arctic Council under pressure as Norway readies for Russian handoff

Tuesday 28 March 2023 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Norway said it will prioritise a smooth transition with Russia as it plans to assume the chair of the Moscow-helmed Arctic Council on May 11, but will not commit to restarting stalled cooperation given the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions.

Norway announced its priorities on Tuesday, noting it would focus its work as chair on climate change, the oceans, sustainable economic development and the peoples of the Arctic.

The Arctic Council comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. Other nations, including China and India, are official observers to the council’s activities.

At the time of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia was halfway through its two-year chairmanship of the council which rotates between members.

This led the other seven Arctic nations to soon pause cooperation with Moscow, putting about a third of the Council’s 130 projects on hold because they had direct Russian involvement. Russia called the action “regrettable”.

Russia‘s possible degree of involvement with the Council once Norway takes over is still unclear. For now, the focus is squarely on attaining a seamless shift from Russia to Norway.

“We want an orderly transition,” Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Eivind Vad Petersson told Reuters, adding, “Norway is in contact with Russia to prepare the transition.”

“At the same time, it is out of the question to have senior political officials going to a ministerial event in Russia and we have communicated that clearly to Russia.”

Asked whether the pause would continue under Norway’s chairmanship, Petersson said: “We will not be able to communicate on the future work of the council until we have taken up the chairship role.”

Montenegro president: ‘Negligent’ EU has allowed Russian influence in Balkans

Tuesday 28 March 2023 18:15 , Martha Mchardy

Montenegro’s pro-Western president has criticised the European Union for allegedly allowing Russia to spread its influence in the Balkans, saying on Tuesday that the volatile region has become a “platform” for anti-EU policies due to the bloc’s “negligence”.

President Milo Djukanovic spoke to the Associated Press as he prepares for a Sunday runoff election with a political newcomer who has the support of the Montenegrin government, which includes parties seeking closer relations with Serbia and Russia.

“Russia has simply walked into an open space left by the European Union,” Mr Djukanovic said of the EU’s position toward the Balkans.

Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“The European Union in the past 10 years didn’t know what to do with the western Balkans, but Russia did. It has developed its network in the Balkans.”

Mr Djukanovic, who has held Montenegro’s largely ceremonial presidency since 2018, won the most votes in the first round of the country’s presidential election, which was held on March 19.

Analysts in Montenegro think his challenger in the two-candidate runoff, former economy minister Jakov Milatovic, stands a good chance of winning because he has the backing of other candidates and political parties.

With an early parliamentary election scheduled for June 11, this weekend’s vote is considered an important indicator of the future path of Montenegro, a small Nato member nation of 620,000 people.

A political stalemate has stalled the country’s EU path and raised fears of instability as the war rages in Ukraine.

Mr Djukanovic told the AP the presidential contest presents a choice between his pro-EU policies and the “brutal populism” of the current coalition government, which is dominated by parties that favour closer ties with Serbia and Russia.

His Democratic Party of Socialists governed the country more or less unchallenged for three decades.

The president alleged that the ruling coalition that came to power after a 2020 parliamentary vote has devastated Montenegro economically and financially.

“For the past two and a half years, we have witnessed serious stumbling by Montenegro,” Mr Djukanovic said.

The coalition government has pledged that Montenegro would remain on its European Union path.

Mr Milatovic, the president’s challenger, also has expressed support for the country pursuing EU membership.

Analysts say the Western-educated Mr Milatovic, 36, is seen as the favourite on Sunday against Mr Djukanovic, 61, who as prime minister took Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defied Russia in 2017 to secure Nato membership.

Who is sending tanks to Ukraine?

Tuesday 28 March 2023 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Tanks from Germany and the UK have arrived in Ukraine – with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky having said such heavy weaponry is crucial to replenish his nation’s military hardaware to fight off Russia’s invasion.

Kyiv also wants them to try and recapture territory taken by Moscow’s forces.

Our foreign editor Chris Stevenson reports:

Countries are sending more tanks to Ukraine to fight Putin’s forces – here’s why

Russia convicts father of teen who drew antiwar pictures

Tuesday 28 March 2023 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian court on Tuesday convicted a single father over social media posts criticizing the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to two years in prison — a case brought to the attention of authorities by his daughter’s drawings against the invasion at school, according to his lawyer and activists.

The case of Alexei Moskalyov, who was indicted and tried in his hometown of Yefremov, about 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) south of Moscow, has drawn international attention and is a grim indication that the Kremlin is intensifying its crackdown on dissent, targeting more people and handing out harsher punishments for any expression of criticism of the war.

Russia convicts father of teen who drew antiwar pictures

Watch: Donald Trump says he could negotiate an end to the Ukraine war ‘within 24 hours’

Tuesday 28 March 2023 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

UN nuclear boss seeks breakthrough to protect Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant

Tuesday 28 March 2023 16:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday his attempt to broker a deal to protect Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was still alive, and that he was adjusting the proposals to seek a breakthrough.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, spoke to Reuters a day before he is expected to travel to Europe’s largest nuclear power station in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine.

Grossi has been pushing for a safety zone to be created at the plant to prevent a possible nuclear disaster as Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling the site of the power station since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

“We are making some adjustments on the proposals that we are putting on the table,” Grossi said in an interview in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

“I am confident that it might be possible to establish some form of protection, perhaps not emphasising so much the idea of a zone, but on the protection itself: what people should do, or shouldn’t do to protect (the plant) instead of having a territorial concept.”

The contours of the proposed deal have not been made public.

Diplomats say Grossi’s latest proposal no longer includes a defined radius around the plant to mark the zone.

Ukraine does not want a deal that will in effect recognise or allow a Russian military presence at the plant. Other elements of Grossi’s plan include no firing at or from the plant, and the removal of heavy weapons.

“I am not giving up in any way. I think on the contrary we need to multiply our efforts, we need to continue,” Grossi said.

He said there had been increasing military activity in the region without giving details.

Belarus to face more sanctions over nuclear arms plan, Poland says

Tuesday 28 March 2023 16:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Belarus will certainly face further European sanctions due to a Russian plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in the country, Poland’s prime minister said on Tuesday, as tensions between Warsaw and Minsk hit new highs.

President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday Russia would station the nuclear arms in Belarus, his latest gambit in a worsening stand-off with the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

“This step taken by Russia... the announcement of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, will certainly lead to the announcement of additional sanctions, the level of sanctions will be much more severe for the Lukashenko regime,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference in Bucharest, referring to the Belarusian president.

The United States, the world’s other leading nuclear superpower, has reacted cautiously to Putin’s statement, with a senior Biden administration official saying there were no signs Moscow planned to use its nuclear weapons.

However, Lithuania has said that it will call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk in response to Russia‘s plan.

 (AP)
(AP)

Morawiecki said he was in daily talks with other European Union leaders about an 11th package of sanctions against Russia and that it would include more measures targeting Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.

Relations between Warsaw and Minsk were strained even before the war in Ukraine made them allies of opposing sides in the conflict.

Poland accuses Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis along its borders which reached a peak in 2021, though migrants continue to arrive at the frontier today. Minsk denies pushing migrants towards the border.

The two neighbours are also in dispute over the jailing of a journalist of Polish origin in Belarus and the vandalism of Polish graves in the country.

Amid the deteriorating ties, Poland closed one of its key border crossings with Belarus in February, a move Minsk has

condemned

. On Tuesday, Morawiecki said Poland was considering further limitations on cross-border traffic.

“We border Belarus and, as part of our bilateral relations, we are considering tightening the parameters of passenger and freight traffic in order to send a signal that we do not accept actions that serve Russia in its aggressive actions in Ukraine.”

Zelensky visits two Ukrainian towns recaptured from Russians

Tuesday 28 March 2023 15:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited two northern towns on Tuesday to celebrate their recapture a year ago in battles which he said showed Ukraine would defeat its Russian invaders.

Video footage posted online by Zelensky’s office showed him visiting Okhtyrka and Trostyanets in Sumy, the sixth region he has visited in the past week - some of them near the front line - as expectations of a Ukrainian counter-offensive rise.

“These days, these weeks, we are celebrating the anniversary of the liberation of our cities and communities in our northern regions,” Zelensky told a small crowd of soldiers and civilians at the railway station in Trostyanets before handing out medals.

Russian forces poured into the Sumy region, which borders Russia, at the start of the invasion in February 2022. They were driven out of the region after about a month of occupation that was met by fierce resistance.

The video footage posted online showed heavily damaged buildings in the towns Zelensky visited. Ukrainian officials say territories close to the border are still regularly bombarded by Russian artillery and air strikes.

“Our people proved that this occupier will be defeated by us, by our morale, by our Ukrainian character. Our people proved it, our warriors proved it,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram under the footage of his visit to Sumy.

The Russian invasion has been bogged down for months in fierce fighting along the eastern front, and Ukraine‘s ground forces commander said last week that a Ukrainian counterattack could come “very soon”.

 (AP)
(AP)

Ukrainian shelling kills two civilians, say Russian-installed officials

Tuesday 28 March 2023 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces killed two civilians late on Monday when they shelled an apartment building in the Russian-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Russian-installed officials said on Tuesday.

Reuters reporters saw rescue workers combing through the rubble in the building, the lower part of which had collapsed, and one victim’s legs protruding from the debris.

“A Ukrainian shell struck an apartment building at 246 Kuybyshev Street (in Donetsk),” the Russian-installed police force in the part of Ukraine‘s Donetsk region controlled by Moscow said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, two civilians died of their wounds under the rubble of the damaged building.”

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities, who say Russian forces have killed thousands of people in similar attacks on civilian areas and that their own armed forces are trying to seize back control of Ukrainian territory.

Moscow, which says it does not deliberately target civilians, is trying to take control of all of Ukraine‘s Donetsk region, a big chunk of which it has already seized, and is facing fierce resistance from the Ukrainian army.

The facade of the building was blackened by smoke and its windows were blown out with people’s damaged furniture and belongings left lying in the yard.

“There was just this crazy bang. (My) child was so frightened,” said one local resident who only gave her name as Irina.

“It is sad. The situation is very tense. It all seems like it’ll never end. And it’s very scary to live like this.”

Natalya Kasyanenko, another resident, said her family’s apartment had got off fairly lightly but that other people faced a tragedy.

“Before this, a 16-storey building has been hit, a dental clinic and high school No. 51. But our neighbourhood had remained relatively calm. We did not expect anything like this,” she said.

Russian father whose daughter drew anti-war picture given two years' jail

Tuesday 28 March 2023 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian man who was investigated by police after his daughter drew an anti-war picture at school was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in a penal colony after being convicted of discrediting the armed forces, the OVD-Info rights group said.

Alexei Moskalyov has been separated from his daughter Masha since he was placed under house arrest at the start of this month and she was moved to a children’s home in their hometown of Yefremov, south of Moscow.

The case has provoked an outcry among Russian human rights activists and sparked an online campaign to reunite father and daughter.

Moskalyov was convicted over comments he himself had posted online about the war in Ukraine. But the investigation started after Masha, 12, drew a picture last April showing Russian missiles raining down on a Ukrainian mother and child, prompting the head of school to call the police.

Police began examining Moskalyov’s social media activity and he was initially fined 35,000 roubles ($460) for comments critical of the Russian army. In December, investigators opened another case against him on suspicion of discrediting the armed forces, this time based on a social media post in June.

The banned Russian human rights group Memorial said it considered Moskalyov to be a political prisoner.

A lawyer for the family visited Masha on Tuesday in a children’s home and came away with drawings she had made for him. He was also allowed to photograph a letter she had written him that read “Dad, you are my hero”, according to a video posted by the independent news outlet SOTAvision.

Shortly after invading Ukraine last year, Russia passed laws against discrediting the armed forces or knowingly spreading false information about them, with a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.

Alexei Moskalyov looks out through the window of his flat after he was placed under house for repeating Ukraine posts discrediting the Russian army (AFP via Getty Images)
Alexei Moskalyov looks out through the window of his flat after he was placed under house for repeating Ukraine posts discrediting the Russian army (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia says it intercepted GLSDB smart bomb in Ukraine for first time

Tuesday 28 March 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Tuesday it had shot down a U.S.-supplied GLSDB guided smart bomb fired by Ukrainian forces, the first time Moscow has claimed to have intercepted one of the weapons that could double Ukraine‘s battlefield firing range.

The Ground-launched Small Diameter Bomb is fired on a rocket and then glides to its target, guided by GPS satellite, at 150 km range, around double that of the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that Kyiv deployed last year.

Ukraine had long sought the weapons to hit Russian command centres, supply lines and other targets deep behind the front line. Washington is thought to have begun supplying them this year.

The Russian statement said air defence forces had shot down the GLSDB within the last 24 hours, without saying where this had taken place.

Widespread deployment of the GLSDB could put far more of Russia‘s supply lines in eastern Ukraine within striking distance, and force Moscow to move its supplies and ammunition depots further from the front lines.

Independent defence experts already credit the delivery of HIMARS to Ukraine last year as helping turn the tide of the war after Russia‘s initial attempt at a blitzkrieg invasion failed.