Live blog: Russia places nuclear bombs in Belarus as warning to West

Friday, June 16, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, something he confirmed for the first time had already happened, was a reminder to the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Russian tactical nuclear warheads had already been delivered to close ally Belarus, but stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons for now.

The move, Moscow's first deployment of such warheads - shorter-range nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, the Russian leader said.

"...It is precisely as an element of deterrence so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on us are not oblivious to this circumstance," said Putin, using a diplomatic term for a defeat so severe that Russian power would be diminished on the world stage for decades.

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1847 GMT — African leaders urge de-escalation after missile attack on Kiev

A delegation of African leaders have met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and told Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate and negotiate, hours after sheltering from missile strikes on Kiev.

The high-level diplomatic team came to the Ukrainian capital voice the concerns of a continent that has suffered from the fallout of the conflict, including rising grain prices, calling their visit a "historic mission".

Shortly after their arrival, air raid sirens sounded across the country, as Russian missiles were detected.

The African delegation had gone first to Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become a symbol of the alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The delegation included four presidents: South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall and Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema, plus Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who heads the African Union.

1802 GMT — Zelenskyy rules out talks with Russia as he meets African leaders

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out talks with Russia as he met with a delegation of African leaders.

"I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering," Zelenskyy told reporters after meeting several leaders including South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.

The delegation is to meet with Russian President Putin on Saturday.

1727 GMT — White House denounces nuclear rhetoric from Putin

The White House has denounced comments from Putin on the possible use of nuclear weapons, but said the United States had made no adjustments to its nuclear posture in response to the rhetoric.

The comments came after Putin said earlier that Russia could "theoretically" use nuclear weapons if there was a threat to its territorial integrity or existence, but that it did not need to.

Responding to questions aboard Air Force One, White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton also reaffirmed the US commitment to NATO's principle of collective defence.

1440 GMT — Ukraine offensive stands 'no chance', says Putin

Putin has claimed that Ukraine had failed to make progress in its counteroffensive and said its army had "no chance" against Russia's.

Recalling his stated objectives at the start of the conflict to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine, Putin told an economic forum in St Petersburg that Kiev would soon run out of its own military equipment, making it totally reliant on hardware supplied by the West.

"Well, you can't fight like that for long," he added.

Independent military analysts say Ukraine has outperformed Russia's much larger army in the nearly 16 months of the conflict, forcing it into major retreats around the cities of Kiev, Kharkiv and Kherson.

Kiev's military chiefs earlier said advancing Ukrainian troops were facing "desperate resistance" from Russian forces around the city of Bakhmut, which Russia captured last month after the longest battle of the offensive.

Ukraine claims it has recaptured seven villages and 100 square km (38 square miles) in the early stages of its counter-offensive.

1328 GMT — US providing $205 mln in additional humanitarian aid for Ukraine

The United States is set to provide an additional $205 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

The aid "provides the people of Ukraine with critical support, including food, safe drinking water, protection services, education, livelihoods, legal assistance, accessible shelter, health care, and more," Blinken said in a statement.

The money also helps family members maintain contact if they been separated or displaced, he added. More than 6 million people have left Ukraine and more than 5 million have been internally displaced since Russia started its offensive in February 2022, Blinken said.

1304 GMT — Swedish government inks $24M support package to Ukraine

The Swedish government has decided on a 12th support package to Ukraine, worth $23.7 million (250 million crowns), that includes Ukrainian pilots test flying the Nordic country's Gripen fighter jets.

The government said in a statement that the bulk of the money would be channelled through one British and one NATO fund for the procurement of defence and military training equipment among other things.

1217 GMT — Macron seeks to sway Saudi's MBS on Ukraine in Paris talks

French President Emmanuel Macron has hosted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris, seeking to nudge the de-facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom into more vocal support of Ukraine against the Russian offensive.

A French presidential official, who asked not to be named, said Paris wanted Crown Prince Mohammed to understand the scale of the Ukraine conflict and "help us speed up the final outcome of the war, which means a victory for Ukraine on the ground".

"We are going to tell him how important the Ukraine issue is and how Saudi Arabia can exert influence, including on Russia," added the official.

1200 GMT — Cats and dogs saved from Ukraine floods find new homes

More than a hundred cats and dogs have made their way to a shelter in an exhibition centre pavilion after being rescued by volunteers in the Kherson region, where the Kakhovka dam breach caused massive floods last week.

Some have already found new homes, while others are waiting to be reunited with their owners, who have been found via social media.

The plight of animals stranded and distressed in floods prompted numerous volunteers to go and rescue them and the Kiev centre opened its doors to house them –– particularly dogs, since it has large and suitable enclosures.

"In a week, since we started working, we have already taken more than 100 animals," said the director of the Patron Pet Centre, Iryna Podvoiska.

1154 GMT — Russia's Sberbank sells Austrian subsidiary in withdrawal from European market

Russia's dominant lender Sberbank has said it had finalised the sale of its Austrian subsidiary to an Austrian company controlled by Stefan Zochling, withdrawing completely from the European banking market.

Sberbank was targeted with sweeping Western sanctions soon after Moscow despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022, exiting the majority of its European operations.

Sberbank declined to disclose the price of the deal, and said all necessary regulatory approvals had been obtained.

1100 GMT — Highly likely Russia behind Ukraine dam collapse: International experts

It is "highly likely" that the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was caused by explosives planted by Russians, a team of legal experts assisting Ukraine's prosecutors in their investigation have said in preliminary findings.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of destroying the Kakhovka dam as a Western-backed tactic to escalate the conflict.

Ukraine is investigating the blast as a war crime and possible criminal environmental destruction, or "ecocide".

1038 GMT — Britain commits 60M GBP to NATO Ukraine fund

Britain is set to commit $77 million (60 million pounds) to NATO's Ukraine fund, the government has said, bringing the UK's contribution to the fund to over 80 million pounds since February last year.

"This new contribution ... is part of our ongoing commitment to provide Ukraine with the equipment and training it needs," British defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement.

1033 GMT — Russia’s Putin seeking to revive Soviet Union, German president says

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has accused Putin of pursuing imperialist goals and seeking to revive the Soviet Union.

“Putin wants to revive the so-called ‘greatness’ of the Soviet Union, which is in fact nothing other than a dictatorship, tyranny, and imperialist madness,” he said.

“We must not allow this madness to destroy Europe’s peace and freedom,” he added.

The German president said Russia’s offensive against Ukraine is threatening peace and freedom in Europe and he stressed that Germany will continue to support Ukrainians to defend their country.

0850 GMT — Explosions in Kiev as African delegation visits Ukraine

Explosions were heard in central Kiev as an African delegation visited Ukraine on a peace mission, Reuters witnesses and the Kiev mayor reported.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in the central Podil district and warned that more missiles were headed towards the capital.

Another Reuters correspondent in Kiev saw the smoke trail of two missiles in the air. It was not clear if those missiles were fired by Russia or by Ukrainian air defences.

The African delegation includes the South African President and senior officials from Zambia, Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo and the Comoro Islands.

0925 GMT — African leaders set to meet with presidents of Ukraine, Russia in bid to end war

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Ukraine as part of a delegation of African leaders and senior officials seeking ways to end Russia's war, though an air raid in Kiev during their visit was a grim reminder of the challenge they face.

Ramaphosa’s press service said that he was met by a Ukrainian special envoy and South Africa’s ambassador at a rail station near Bucha, the Kiev suburb where bodies of civilians lay scattered in the streets following Russian forces’ withdrawal last spring.

0836 GMT — NATO may remove some hurdles on Ukraine's path to membership: Germany

NATO allies may be ready to remove some hurdles from Ukraine's path to the military alliance, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, a few weeks before a NATO summit that aims to bridge differences over Kiev's accession.

"There are increasing signs that everyone will be able to agree on this," Pistorius told reporters in Brussels when asked about reports that the US is open to permitting Kiev to forgo a formal candidacy process required of some other nations in the past.

"I would be open for this," said Pistorius, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with his NATO counterparts at the alliance's headquarters.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the United States is giving tentative backing to a plan that would remove barriers to Ukraine's entry into NATO without setting a timeline for its admission.

It quoted a senior US official as saying Washington is "comfortable" with a proposal from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that would allow Kyiv to circumvent the alliance's so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP).

0827 GMT — Russia mounts 'desperate resistance' near Bakhmut: Ukraine

Advancing Ukrainian troops are facing "desperate resistance" from Russian forces around the eastern city of Bakhmut, a senior Ukrainian commander said.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who is in charge of Ukrainian ground forces, said the situation in the east was tense and Russia was bringing its best divisions into the Bakhmut sector with backup from artillery and aircraft.

"We continue to conduct offensive actions in separate directions, occupying dominant heights, and strips of forest with the aim of forcing the enemy gradually out of the outskirts of Bakhmut. Realising this, the enemy units put up a desperate resistance," Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app.

0815 GMT — Kremlin says Putin open to any contacts on Ukraine conflict resolution - RIA

The Kremlin has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is still open to any contacts to discuss a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, Russian news agencies reported.

The comments came on the eve of a visit by African leaders to present a new peace initiative to Putin, nearly 16 months after Russia's military campaign in Ukraine began.

"President Putin was and is open to any contacts to discuss possible scenarios for solving the Ukrainian problem," Interfax quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

0745 GMT — Russian defence ministry: Ukraine taking heavy losses

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that Ukrainian forces had continued to suffer heavy losses on the south Donetsk and Donetsk fronts, where Ukraine's counteroffensive has been focussed, state news agency RIA reported.

RIA's report could not be independently verified.

0734 GMT — Security measures taken at St Petersburg forum where Putin due to speak - TASS

The Kremlin said that "unprecedented" safety measures had been taken at the showcase St Petersburg International Economic Forum, at which Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to speak on Friday, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

TASS cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that the measures were required as "the enemy acts brazenly".

Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for a serious of drone, artillery, and bomb attacks on Russian territory in recent months.

0700 GMT — South Africa's Ramaphosa arrives in Ukraine on African peace mission

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Ukraine as part of an African peace mission, the South African presidency said on Twitter.

Ramaphosa is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then travel to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg.

The South African presidency posted footage of Ramaphosa arriving by train in the Bucha area near Kiev after travelling via Poland.

International investigators are collecting evidence in Bucha and other places where Ukraine says Russian troops committed large-scale atrocities following the conflict began in February 2022.

Russia denies the allegations.

0649 GMT — Germany to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine - defence chief

Germany has announced that it will be providing 64 more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as Kiev continues its counter-offensive against Russian forces.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made the announcement on Friday as he indicated that NATO allies may be ready to remove some hurdles on Ukraine's path to join the military alliance.

"There are increasing signs that everyone will be able to agree on this," he told reporters in Brussels when asked about reports that the U.S. is open to permitting Kiev to forgo a formal candidacy process required of some other nations in the past.

"I would be open for this," he said.

0300 GMT — Russia accuses US of helping Ukraine 'cover' dam blast tracks

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said the US is helping Ukraine to "cover the tracks" of its attack on the Kakhovka dam.

Speaking at a press briefing in Saint Petersburg, Zakharova criticised Ukrainian authorities for their "impolite" response to a call by Türkiye for an international expert commission to investigate the explosion that destroyed the dam.

She pointed out that instead, Kiev decided to "use the services" of the International Criminal Court [ICC], which she described as "discredited and sullied."

Zakharova noted that a commission established by the ICC for this purpose was "transported" to the Kherson region personally by the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], William Burns.

"Now that is 'justice' when the American intelligence services transport commissions of so-called 'international legal mechanism' to a place of incident. Is this a new international structure where the director of the American intelligence serves as a prosecutor?" she said.

According to Zakharova, the goal is "understandable" — "to clean up tracks of crimes of Ukraine's armed forces and create an illusion of Russia's guilt."

0256 GMT — Macron seeks to sway Saudi's MBS on Ukraine in Paris talks

French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris, seeking to nudge the de-facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom into more full-throated support of Ukraine against the Russian military operation.

A French presidential official, who asked not to be named, said Paris wanted MBS to understand the scale of the Ukraine conflict and "help us speed up the final outcome of the war, which means a victory for Ukraine on the ground".

Saudi Arabia has maintained a cautious stance throughout the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, stopping short of condemning the assault while emphasising the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

MBS hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month in Jeddah during an Arab League summit, the Ukrainian leader's first visit to the Middle East since the invasion began, and won his praise for supporting Ukraine's "territorial integrity".

But Saudi also retains close ties to Russia, particularly through Moscow's involvement in the expanded OPEC+ format of the oil cartel that includes 10 non-OPEC members.

0106 GMT — Defence chiefs from NATO, Ukraine hold meeting

A meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission has opened with discussions by NATO defence ministers on further support for Kiev amid the Russian war.

In his opening speech, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on the allies to "continue and increase the supply of military equipment, weapons and ammunition" to Ukraine as it has recently "launched a counter-offensive and is gaining ground" against Russia.

He said that NATO defence ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov will discuss a multi-year support package for Ukraine to rebuild its "security and defence sector and to transition from Soviet to NATO standards."

The package is expected to be adopted by NATO leaders at their summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on July 11-12.

The NATO-Ukraine Commission will also address Ukraine’s accession to NATO, said Stoltenberg.

"Ukraine's future lies within the Euro-Atlantic family, and all allies agree that it will become a member of the alliance," he added.

For our live updates from Thursday (June 15), click here.