Moscow, EuropeBrief News – Russia is stationing its nuclear weapons such as Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles on special alerts. This Russian move suggests that they are aiming to go all out on its neighbour Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the ministry of defence to get nuclear weapons ready and have them on hold citing sanctions and aggressive statements from NATO member states.
In a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov, Putin ordered the Kremlin’s nuclear deterrence but also other ballistic missiles on the special regime of duty.
In a recent statement, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office has confirmed that they are willing to send their team of delegations to meet the Russian delegation near the border with Belarus after assurance from Minsk.
The Ukrainian President said “We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet the Russian delegation without preconditions at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River ”.
Ukraine defence officials said “More than 200 civilians have died in the war as heavy fighting broke out in the country’s second largest city Kharkiv.
Ukraine submits application to ICJ
Ukraine submitted an application against Russia’s unjustified invasion to the International Court of Justice after reporting more than 200 civilian casualties.
President Zelensky tweeted “Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week”.
UN nuclear watchdog to hold meeting:
The UN nuclear watchdog’s 35 nation board of governors are calling for an emergency meeting to discuss the current Ukraine crisis.
They understand the fact that the war is happening in a country that holds the four operational nuclear power plants and several waste facilities of Chernobyl.
Diplomats confirmed that Poland and Canada had asked for the meeting on behalf of Ukraine. Ukraine requested both of these countries to request for the meeting as Ukraine is directly not a part of the board.
The IEA said in a statement “ The IEA Board of Governors will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the current situation in Ukraine”.
Russian troops have captured the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl.
