Moscow will send Belarusian nuclear missiles within a few months

President Vladimir Putin said when he welcomed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukaschenko that Russia would deliver to Belarus a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in the coming months. Read about the day’s events on the live blog. All time Paris time (GMT + 2).

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9:59 pm: Zelensky says Ukraine will regain Severodonetsk and other cities

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he would regain all the lost cities in Russia, including Severodonetsk.

In a late-night video speech, he also said Ukraine had been hit by 45 Russian missiles and rockets in the last 24 hours, a cynical attempt to destroy the spirits of his people.

6:29 pm: Putin says he aims to enable the Belarusian Air Force to carry nuclear weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to upgrade Belarusian fighters to carry nuclear weapons on Saturday as tensions with the West over Ukraine increased.

“Many Su-25s (aircraft) are used by the Belarusian army. They can be upgraded in the appropriate way. This modernization must be carried out at the Russian aircraft factory and personnel training must begin accordingly.” Said Putin.Said after Belarusian President Alexander Lukaschenko In a television interview, I asked him to “adapt” the plane.

4:43 pm: Prime Minister Erdogan suggests no progress in Sweden’s NATO bid, the president says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan His office signaled on Saturday that Sweden’s bid to join NATO was not progressing and called on Stockholm to take “concrete action” to address Ankara’s concerns, his office said.

In a statement, the Turkish president reiterated in a phone call with Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson that “Sweden should take steps on fundamental issues such as the fight against terrorism.”

Turkey added, “I wanted to see a binding commitment to these issues, along with concrete and clear actions.”

4:19 pm: Russian troops occupy all of Ukraine’s Severodonetsk, the mayor says

Ukraine’s Severodonetsk was “fully occupied” by Russian troops, the mayor said on Saturday after weeks of fighting over major eastern cities.

“The city was completely occupied by the Russians,” said Mayor Oleksandr Striuk.

Ukrainian troops said on Friday that they would withdraw troops from a city of about 100,000 inhabitants before the war to better protect the neighboring city of Lysychans’k.

3:03 pm: Street clash in Ukrainian major city Lysychans’k, pro-Russian separatists say

Russian troops and allies entered Lysychans’k on Saturday, and street fights are underway in a city in eastern Ukraine adjacent to the strategic twin Severodonetsk, pro-Moscow separatists said.

“Militias and Russian troops from the People’s Republic of Lugansk have invaded the city of Lysychans’k,” said Andrey Marochiko, a representative of pro-Russian separatists, in a telegram.

“Street fighting is happening now,” he added.

Claims that could not be independently verified come after Ukrainian troops were ordered to withdraw from the eastern major city of Severodonetsk. Don Bus An area where Russia is on the verge of conquest.

1:11 pm: Mayor said Ukrainian troops “almost left” Severodonetsk

Ukrainian Mayor Sieviero Donetsk said the Ukrainian army has since “almost left” the strategic frontline cities. Withstand the advance of Russian troops for weeks..

Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk did not confirm whether a complete withdrawal was underway. On Friday, local officials said Ukraine was ready to pull its troops back there.

“Unfortunately, they almost left the city,” Strike said on national television.

12:47 pm: Ukraine reports “massive bombardment” from Belarus

Ukraine said it had received a “massive bombardment” on Saturday from neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally who was not officially involved in the conflict, the day after announcing its withdrawal from the strategic city of Severodonetsk.

Military headquarters in northern Ukraine said in a statement that 20 rockets had targeted the village of Desna in the northern region of Chernihiv, adding that the infrastructure had been hit but no casualties had been reported yet. Belarus has provided logistical support to Moscow, especially in the first few weeks since the invasion on February 24, and is subject to Western sanctions like Russia, but is officially involved in the conflict. not.

“Today’s strike is directly related to the Kremlin’s pulling efforts. Belarus As a co-belligerence to the Ukrainian war, “Ukraine intelligence said. Vladimir Putin And his Belarusian counterparts and close allies Alexander Lukaschenko Saturday in St. Petersburg.

12:29 pm: Moscow says Russian troops kill “up to 80” Polish fighters in Ukraine

Russia said its troops killed “up to 80 people” on Saturday Polishing A “precision strike” fighter in eastern Ukraine.

In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, “A precision attack at the Megatex zinc plant in Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, up to 80 Polish mercenaries, 20 armored fighting vehicles and eight Grad multiple rocket launchers. Was destroyed. ” ..

The Russian-claimed region has been the scene of combat since Moscow launched an attack in Ukraine in late February.

The Russian ministry did not say when the strike took place. “In Mykolaiv, the city of the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, more than 300 Ukrainian troops, foreign mercenaries and 35 heavy weapons were destroyed in one day,” the ministry added in a statement.

9:54 am: Russian missiles are pouring into military installations throughout Ukraine, local officials say

Dozens of Russian missiles fell on military installations in western and northern Ukraine on Saturday, local officials said. This is because Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II has entered its fifth month.

Maxim Kozitzky, governor of the Lviv region of western Ukraine, said in a video posted online that six missiles were launched from the Black Sea at Yavoriu base, four hit the base, two were intercepted and destroyed. Said that he hit the target.

Vitaliy Bunechko, governor of the Zhytomyr region in the north of the country, said a strike on a military target killed at least one soldier.

“Nearly 30 missiles were launched at one military infrastructure facility very close to the city of Zhytomyr,” Bunechiko said, adding that nearly 10 missiles were intercepted and destroyed.

(France24 with AP, AFP and Reuters)

First published on France24