War in Ukraine: Attack on FSB headquarters, nuclear war, three killed near Donetsk… Update on the situation

FSB headquarters in Belgorod were targeted by a Ukrainian drone attack

The headquarters of the Russian Federation’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Belgorod, in the west of the country, was targeted by a drone attack launched by Ukrainian forces, the Tass agency reported on Wednesday, citing local officials.

No casualties were reported but damage was reported to the building. Kyiv also launched a new series of airstrikes against several other Russian regions, once again targeting oil infrastructure.

“UAVs (drones, editor’s note) attack Ryazan refinery”.The telegram was written to Alexander Gusev, the governor of the region of the same name, located south of Moscow. “There was a fire. According to the first information available, there was a casualty.”

According to the Russian Defense Minister, 58 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the attack.

Russia is ready for nuclear war, Putin warns

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia is technologically ready for nuclear war and that if the United States sends troops to Ukraine, it will be seen as an escalation of the conflict.

In an interview with Russian public media published on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin, however, said that this scenario was not on the agenda and that he did not see the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “From a military-technical point of view, we are obviously ready”The head of the Kremlin told the RIA news agency and state television channel Rossiya-1.

He added that the United States understands that if it were to deploy troops to Russian territory or Ukraine, Russia would consider it an intervention. “There are enough experts in Russian-American relations and strategic restraint (in the United States). So, I think there is no rush (to a nuclear conflict), but we are ready for it”Vladimir Putin said.

The Russian president hinted that if the US conducts a nuclear test, Russia may do the same. Speaking ahead of the March 15-17 presidential election that should give him a fifth term, Vladimir Putin indicated, however, that Russia had never faced the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “Why would we need to resort to weapons of mass destruction? This has never happened.”

The Russian president recalled that the Russian nuclear doctrine provides for the use of nuclear weapons if the country is attacked using nuclear weapons or mass destruction, or if conventional weapons are used. “Threatens the Existence of the Russian State.” “Weapons exist for use”he said. “We have our own principles.”

Russia and the United States are the world’s two largest nuclear powers, with both countries controlling more than 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready for a serious discussion on the Ukraine issue.

“Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but it should be based on reality, and not on crazy desires inspired by the use of psychotropic drugs”, he declared. The United States last month rejected Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire to stabilize the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian president also indicated that Russia is not meddling in any election and will work with the US-elected leader, no matter who it is. “We are not interfering in any election in any way. And, as I have said repeatedly, we will work with any leader that is trusted by the American people, the American voters.”

Vladimir Putin said in February that he preferred Joe Biden to remain in power in Washington rather than Donald Trump returning there. During the meeting, the Russian president also said he would deploy troops to Finland’s border, as the country joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 2023. “We didn’t have any troops (on Finland’s border), now there will be some. There was no destruction system, now there will be some.”

At least three were killed in the Russian attack, according to Kiev

At least three people were killed in Russian drone strikes and shelling in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy and Donetsk regions, local officials said on Wednesday.

Russians bombed the city of Mirnohrad in the Donetsk region, killing two people and wounding five, local governor Vadim Filachkin said on Telegram. The military administration of the Sumi region said a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building overnight.

A body was pulled from the rubble in Sumi and rescue operations are still ongoing, emergency services said on Telegram. Eight people were injured and other victims may still be buried under the rubble. Two apartment buildings caught fire in the central Ukrainian city of Krivy Rih on Tuesday after a Russian missile attack.

Local authorities counted five dead and at least 50 injured on Wednesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born and raised in the city, praised the rescue teams in a telegram and promised that Russia would be held responsible. Russian officials said on Wednesday that Kiev carried out a major drone strike on Russian territory bordering Ukraine for the second night in a row, again targeting energy facilities.

By June, Ukraine will receive ammunition from the Czech initiative

By June, Ukrainian forces will begin receiving artillery ammunition under a Czech-led initiative, a senior Czech official said on Wednesday.

“The first delivery of ammunition to Ukraine within the framework of the Czech initiative will take place at the end of June”National Security Adviser Tomas Pojer told Reuters. Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a news conference in Kiev that the arms deliveries would begin within a day. “Near Future”.

Earlier this year, Prague found 800,000 artillery shells available in third countries to supply Ukraine and last week said it had raised enough funds from its allies to buy the first batch of 300,000 shells. “This week we will contact our Czech colleagues, who will present us with a detailed supply plan”Dimitro Kouleba said.

Deliveries of shells will stop during the year, and discussions are underway on financing the same initiative, he added. “Czech initiative is excellent, but not enough”Dimitro Kouleba said. “If two more comparable initiatives are implemented this year, Russian troops in Ukraine will have more problems at the front.”