Russia's war in Ukraine
By Hafsa Khalil and Mike Hayes, CNN
Updated 10:10 a.m. ET, March 26, 2023
What we're covering
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. Putin added his forces would retain control over any tactical nuclear weapons it stationed there.
Putin's move appears designed to attract the world's attention as the Russian president faces mounting problems elsewhere. Read our analysis here.
The US played down the move, saying there were no indications Russia was planning to use nuclear weapons. Ukraine says the plans are a “step towards internal destabilization" of Belarus.
In other news, the Russian mercenary group Wagner says it has captured a metal plant in Bakhmut, a city where Moscow is seeking a largely symbolic victory.
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18 min ago
Putin's statements about nuclear weapons are a sign he is afraid of losing, Ukrainian presidential adviser says
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Maria Kostenko
Statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus show he is afraid of losing, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Sunday.
"Putin (RF [Russian Federation]) is too predictable. Making a statement about tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he admits that he is afraid of losing and all he can do is scare with tactics," Podolyak said on his official Twitter account.
"Second. He once again states his involvement in the crime. Violating the nuclear non-proliferation treaty," Podolyak added.
Belarus, which is west of Russia on Ukraine’s long northern border, is among Moscow’s closest allies. It helped Russia launch its initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing the Kremlin’s troops to enter the country from the north.
Some more context: In an interview that aired Saturday on Russian state television channel Russia 24, Putin claimed that stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus would not be a violation of nuclear nonproliferation agreements He said Moscow had already transferred an Iskander short-range missile system, a device which can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, to Belarus.
The US State Department told CNN it would “continue to monitor the implications” of Russia’s plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus but would not adjust its nuclear weapons strategy.
“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement to CNN.
38 min ago
Increased Russian strikes continue to make situation in Avdiivka "difficult"
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Maria Kostenko
Russian forces have increased airstrikes and cut off supply routes in Avdiivka, a town in eastern Ukraine, where the situation continues to be “difficult,” a Ukrainian Special Forces Legion of Freedom soldier said Sunday on state television.
"The operational situation is difficult but this is not something that has developed recently,” soldier Maksym Morozov said. “The situation here has been difficult all the time since the beginning of the full-scale war."
"The only thing that has changed, is the number of airstrikes has increased," he added.
Avdiivka is located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the city of Donetsk.
Some Ukrainian officials fear the town may become a second Bakhmut, the city which has become a bloody stalemate in recent weeks.
According to Morozov, Russian forces are using "meat grinder" tactics along the eastern frontline, including in Bakhmut and Avdiivka, but the situation in both differ.
Attacks in Bakhmut have been in waves, whereas in Avdiivka, enemy troops have been accompanied by heavy equipment like tanks, he explained. Likewise, both have seen similar encirclement tactics, but Avdiivka was “threatened” with it from the beginning due to its proximity to Donetsk, he added.
Russian forces have partially cut off supply routes but not to ammunition, he said. "This road to Avdiivka is not cut. The threat of the Avdiivka encirclement is being stopped and controlled."
Morozov said the enemy is not short of ammunition or manpower, with up to 12 airstrikes a day, but for Ukrainian troops, “there is never enough ammunition.”
1 hr 38 min ago
Wagner in ‘full control’ of AZOM plant in Bakhmut, reports Russian state media
From CNN's Josh Pennington
Russia’s private military group Wagner has taken “full control” of the AZOM metallurgical plant in the north of the city of Bakhmut, according to video posted by Russian state media and verified by CNN.
“Wagner has full control of the territory of AZOM, the Artemivsk [Bakhmut] non-ferrous metal processing plant,” a correspondent for RIA Novosti said in a video, which captures Wagner fighters throughout the plant.
CNN cannot independently verify RIA’s claim and has reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment but is yet to receive a response.
Bakhmut has become a focal point of Russia’s invasion, with Moscow pressing hard to capture the city after failing to make major gains elsewhere.
The exact status of the battle for the city is unclear, but if confirmed Wagner’s claims would suggest Russia has made gains despite positive signals from Ukraine this week.
On Thursday one of Kyiv’s top generals said Russian forces are depleted in Bakhmut and a Ukrainian counter-offensive could soon be launched.
Read more here.
2 hr 16 min ago
A tale of two wars
From CNN's Tim Lister
While the fury of conflict echoes across the eastern Donbas region, a very different war is being waged in Crimea: one of night-time explosions, sabotage and disinformation.
Reclaiming Crimea may seem like an unlikely quest for Ukraine but it is putting considerable effort into making Russia’s occupation as uncomfortable as possible. And the Russians are going to great lengths to fortify the peninsula, which they illegally annexed in 2014.
That includes hiring legions of workers to build fortifications and trenches.
The Ukrainian military has been carrying out attacks in Crimea with two goals: harass the Russian Black Sea fleet and disrupt vital Russian supply lines.
Satellite imagery in February showed a substantial Russian build-up of equipment and armor at several points across northern Crimea.
Few details emerge about Ukrainian strikes in Crimea. Only occasionally does unofficial social media video provide clues about what has been hit. And only occasionally do normally circumspect Ukrainian officials refer to any actions in Crimea.
This is part of the conflict that is fought largely in the shadows, a far cry from the brutal attritional warfare that rages across Donbas.
But last week Ukraine’s Main Intelligence reported that explosions in the Crimean town of Dzhankoi were due to a strike against Russian Kalibr cruise missiles being transported via rail. It said the strike served to “demilitarize Russia and prepare the Crimean peninsula for de-occupation.”
Read more here.
2 hr 51 min ago
With plan for tactical nukes in Belarus, Putin is scaring the world to distract from his problems
Analysis by CNN's Jill Dougherty
Vladimir Putin says he plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, the neighboring ally from which he staged part of his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. When the Russian President uses the word “nuclear” the world pays attention and that appears to be a major reason why he said it.
As usual with Putin, the world should read the fine print and check the context. The weapons Putin plans to move to Belarus are not strategic nuclear weapons, those giant intercontinental ballistic missiles that, if fired, could end life on earth.
Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller, but powerful, and can be used on the battlefield. Putin has been threatening the possibility of nuclear war for the past year, especially when his military operation in Ukraine is faltering.
That could help to explain the context of Putin’s announcement. He’s a man with a lot of problems right now. Russian forces are bombarding Ukrainian cities from the air, but their ground war is not making much headway.
Then there’s the International Criminal Court and the arrest warrant it has issued for Putin.
Now, about that fine print.
Putin is blaming his decision on the other side, saying he made it in response to the United Kingdom supplying Ukraine with anti-tank ammunition that contains depleted uranium.
That, Putin charges, is a dangerous escalation. The UK denies this, explaining that the ammunition is used only for conventional purposes.
Read the full analysis here.
4 hr 14 min ago
Putin claims “no military alliance” with China after Xi meeting
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a visit from Xi in Moscow. On Tuesday, Xi held talks with Putin at the Kremlin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a visit from Xi in Moscow. On Tuesday, Xi held talks with Putin at the Kremlin. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua/Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin says Russia has not “created a military alliance with China and does not threaten any countries."
The comment follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Moscow last week, which was closely watched for signs China might step up support for Russia.
The US administration maintains China has been providing “non-lethal” assistance to Russia through its companies.
Speaking during a TV interview Putin also accused the West of “starting to build a new axis similar to the one built by fascist Germany and militaristic Japan.”
Some background: Xi visited Putin for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, a trip which Beijing cast as a "journey of peace."
But the visit came just days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on account of war crimes, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said showed China's intent to provide "diplomatic cover" for alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
China has claimed neutrality in the conflict, seeking to portray itself as a peacemaker. At the same time is has backed Kremlin rhetoric blaming NATO for the war and refused to condemn the invasion.
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