Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said that Russia had begun moving nuclear weapons to its territory, which borders the European Union, ratcheting up tensions with the West over the Ukraine conflict.
“The transfer of nuclear munitions has begun,” Lukashenko told reporters during a visit to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Russia’s move “yet another example of making irresponsible and provocative choices”.
She added, however, that “we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture… nor any indication that Russia is prepared to use nuclear weapons from Belarus”.
Russia and Belarus signed a deal on Thursday formalising the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin.
It is unclear how many nuclear weapons would be kept in Belarus. The US 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.
1920 GMT — Ukraine shouldn’t use US weaponry inside Russia: US general
The United States has long asked Ukraine not to use US-provided military equipment to carry out attacks inside Russian territory, the top US general said, following accusations by Russia that pro-Ukrainian militia used US armoured vehicles.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said his office was looking into social media imagery of vehicles and military hardware in a cross-border incursion on Monday by militia in the Russian region of Belgorod.
“I can’t say with definitive accuracy right this minute to you whether that — and I saw the same video — whether that’s US supplied equipment or not, what was the nature of the attack, who did what to whom,” Milley told a press conference at the Pentagon.
“I can’t say that with definitiveness right this minute, but I can say that we have asked the Ukrainians not to use US-supplied equipment for direct attacks into Russia.”
1830 GMT — US warns Wagner Group seeking arms, slaps sanctions on group’s head in Mali
The US has said Russian mercenary force Wagner Group may be working through Mali and other countries to hide its efforts to acquire military equipment for use in Ukraine, and accused it of supplying a Sudanese paramilitary with surface-to-air missiles.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement it imposed sanctions on Wagner’s chief in Mali as it said the group’s employees may have been attempting to work through the west African country to acquire equipment such as mines, drones, radar and counter-battery systems for use in Ukraine.
The US has repeatedly warned of what it says are Wagner’s destabilizing activities and has ramped up sanctions against the private army following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside regular Russian troops in Ukraine, including in some of the most intense battles.
On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that Wagner was seeking to transit military equipment through Mali. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday dismissed the US allegations as a “hoax.”
1412 GMT — Russia summons Germany, Sweden, Denmark envoys over Nord Stream
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it has summoned the ambassadors of Germany, Sweden and Denmark to protest over what it said was the “complete lack of results” in an investigation to identify who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.
Several unexplained underwater explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipelines that link Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark and both countries say the explosions were deliberate but have yet to determine who was responsible.
The two countries and Germany are investigating the incident.
1407 GMT — Sweden looking at Ukrainian pilots test flying its Gripen fighter jets
Sweden may allow a few Ukrainian fighter jet pilots to test fly the Nordic country’s Gripen aircraft, its defence minister has told broadcaster TV4.
Defence Minister Pal Jonson however repeated earlier comments that Sweden has no plans to send any of its Gripen to Ukraine as all six divisions are needed at home for the defence of the Swedish territory.
“This concerns the Ukrainians putting in inquiries about various kinds of aviation systems – it can be Tornados, F-16s or Gripens – so that they can test the kinds of platforms and systems that we and other countries operate,” Jonson said.
“We are now looking at the possibility that the Ukrainians can test the Gripen.”
1347 GMT — Russia reiterates it is ‘aware’ of Ukraine’s involvement in drone attack on Kremlin
Moscow is aware that Kiev was behind the drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month, the presidential spokesman has said.
Commenting on media reports that the US believes Ukraine’s military intelligence is responsible for the May 3 attack, Dmitry Peskov said: “We immediately said that the Kiev regime is behind this.”
“In the end, it doesn’t make much difference which of the divisions of the Kiev regime is behind this.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials deny any involvement.
1302 GMT — Russian defence chief says NATO waging ‘undeclared war’ against Russia, Belarus
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said that NATO is “waging an undeclared war” against Russia and Belarus.
NATO’s military activity has “taken the most aggressive orientation,” the alliance is deploying military contingents, building military infrastructure, enhancing training and increasing reconnaissance activities, Shoygu said, speaking at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin in Minsk.
In Ukraine, where over 2,000 foreign mercenaries are fighting at Kiev’s side, the situation, in general, is used for NATO expansion, with all efforts spent toward escalating the armed conflict in the region, he added.
NATO’s Defender Europe 2023 military drill suggests the participation of countries that are not part of the bloc, the minister noted, stressing that in such circumstances, regular meetings of defence ministers of Russia and Belarus are important.
1259 GMT — Finland to send more arms to Ukraine
Finland’s government has said it would send additional military equipment to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft weaponry and ammunition at an overall cost of $120 million (109 million euros).
“For operational reasons and in order to ensure the safe delivery of assistance, no further details are provided on the exact content, method or timetable of assistance,” the government said.
1222 GMT — EU froze over $215B worth of assets of Russian central bank: Official
EU countries froze over $215 billion (€200 billion) worth of assets of the Russian central bank, an EU official has confirmed.
The “member states have reported to the (European) Commission over €200 billion of immobilised assets of the Russian Central Bank,” Christian Wigand, spokesperson in charge of justice, told reporters at the EU executive body’s daily news briefing.
It is the first time that the EU announced the sum of the frozen assets and reserves of the Russian central bank after the bloc’s latest sanctions package obliged EU operators to report to the European Commission.
1157 GMT — Ukraine secures release of 106 soldiers in swap with Russia – Kiev
Ukraine secured the release of 106 captured soldiers in a prisoner exchange with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff has said.
The soldiers, including eight officers, were captured fighting in the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut Russia says it has captured, but where Kiev’s forces say they still have a small foothold.
“Every one of them is a hero of our state. Many of the ones we are returning from captivity were considered missing. The relatives of these people have gone through a difficult time,” said the senior official, Andriy Yermak.
0853 GMT — Wagner head claims 20,000 of his fighters died in Bakhmut battle
Head of the Wagner private military company (PMC) Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed 20,000 of his employees died in the battle for Ukraine’s city of Bakhmut.
In an interview with Russian Senator Konstantin Dolgov published on Wednesday, Prigozhin claimed Wagner’s losses are three times less than those of Ukraine’s armed forces.
“I had 35,000 on the front line. During the operation, I chose 50,000 prisoners, of which about 20 percent died. The same number of fatalities are among those who joined Wagner under a contract (not from prison),” he said.
0741 GMT — South Korea says Ukraine artillery ammo report ‘inaccurate’
South Korea has dismissed a US media report that its artillery rounds were heading to Ukraine, saying its position on not providing lethal aid to Kiev was unchanged.
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported that hundreds of thousands of South Korean-made shells were set to be delivered to Ukraine via the United States under a “confidential arrangement” between Seoul and Washington.
“The South Korean government’s position on aid to Ukraine remains unchanged… and there are also inaccuracies in the (WSJ) report,” Jeon Ha-kyu, the defence ministry’s spokesperson, told reporters.
0732GMT — Wagner says transferring Bakhmut positions to Russian army
The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group chief has said his troops had started transferring their positions in the flashpoint eastern Ukraine town of Bakhmut to the Russian military.
“We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today,” Evgeny Prigozhin said in a video released on social media. “
We are handing over positions to the military, ammunition and everything.”
0626 GMT — Russia arrests Ukrainians planning nuke power plant strikes: FSB
Russia has arrested two Ukrainians who had allegedly planned to target nuclear power plants in the country, the FSB security service has said.
“A sabotage group from the Ukrainian foreign intelligence service … tried to blow up some 30 power lines of nuclear power plants in Leningrad and Kalinin in early May with the aim of stopping the nuclear reactors at the plants,” Russian news agencies quoted the FSB as saying in a statement.
The aim was to cause “serious economic harm to Russia and damage its reputation,” it said.
0303 GMT — Kiev says its defences repelled overnight Russian drone attack
Russian forces carried out overnight drone attacks on Kiev, officials said, continuing a month-long campaign of air strikes against the Ukrainian capital.
Military chiefs said Kiev’s air defences destroyed all of the drones during the three-hour air attack, the twelfth this month.
Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration, said in a message on Telegram that Russia “again attacked Kiev from the air”. “The attack was massive,” the statement added. “The enemy continues to use attack tactics in several waves, with intervals between groups of attacking drones.”
0549 GMT — Six drones downed in Crimea, no victims: governor
Six drones were downed or blocked overnight in Russian-annexed Crimea, the region’s Moscow-appointed governor said.
“During the past night, six drones were shot down or blocked … in different parts of Crimea,” Sergey Aksyonov wrote on Telegram, adding “There were no victims or injured.”
On Wednesday, the governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the territory was targeted overnight by numerous drones.
2132 GMT — Ukraine profits from transit of Russian gas despite calling Moscow ‘aggressor’: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said despite labelling Moscow an “aggressor,” Kiev profits from the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine.
“Two lines of the gas pipeline (go) through Ukraine. Ukraine has blocked one of them. We didn’t do it! By the way, we supply gas to Europe through the second line, whereas Ukraine safely collects cash for transit, though it calls us an aggressor,” Putin said during an address at a plenary session of the second Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow.
Noting that Russia is fulfilling all its obligations in full with regard to energy supplies, he said that energy prices in Europe were approaching economically justified levels and questioned what had caused the energy crisis in the continent.
2027 GMT — US approves $285M sale of NASAMS air defence system to Ukraine
The United States has announced the approval of a $285 million sale of a NASAMS air defence system and related equipment to Ukraine as Kiev seeks to boost protection against Russian strikes.
“Ukraine has an urgent need to increase its capabilities to defend against Russian missile strikes and aircraft,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. “Acquiring and effectively deploying this capability will enhance Ukraine’s ability to defend its people and protect critical national infrastructure.”
The agency also said the sale will support US foreign policy national security goals by “improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”
Source: TRTworld.com
