VLADIMIR Putin watched on as Russian forces launched a barrage of ballistic missiles in a chilling "nuclear attack" drill.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the drills were intended to simulate a nuclear strike by Russia in retaliation for a nuclear attack on its soil.
The Kremlin said that all tasks set for the exercise were fulfilled and all the missiles that were test-fired reached their designated targets.
It comes as Russian forces are digging in for the "heaviest of battles" in occupied territory as the Kremlin looks to defend the largest city under its control in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin's ailing forces in the region have been driven back in recent weeks and risk being trapped on the west bank of the Dnipro River where the city of Kherson lies -which has been under occupation since the early days of the Ukraine war.
Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest updates…
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Vladimir Putin would be offering his congratulations to Rishi Sunak after he became the UK’s PM.
Mr Peskov said the Russian president would not, as the UK is an “unfriendly countrie” that have imposed sanctions on Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the training of troops who are responsible for reacting to a nuclear threat or attack.
“Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, a training session was held with ground, sea and air strategic deterrence forces, during which practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure has caused billions of euros worth of damage.
The International Monetary Fund calculated that around $3 billion worth of repairs are needed.
“We still hope that we can stay within these parameters of 3-4 billion, but what changed since we had this discussion is Russia’s terrible bombing of civilian infrastructure,” she said.
“Just to get electricity back and water supply back we are moving towards the upper range of 4 billion … Just imagine a worst-case scenario.”
Those who called Kherson home have left in their masses, after it was illegally “annexed” by Russia.
“I’m sure that more than 70,000 people left in a week since the crossings were organised,” Vladimir Saldo told a regional TV channel.
Many have left after concerns were raised that the Dnipro river was going to be widened, which could cause home destroying floods.
The tyrant is becoming increasingly frustrated as his troops have been hit with a series of disastrous defeats across the frontline in Ukraine.
There are concerns that if Vlad finds himself boxed into a corner, he could resort to using nuclear weapons.
Putin has repeatedly raised the spectre of using the weapons – and it’s feared he could potentially be lining up a test in the Black Sea.
A senior US official has now warned of “new, troubling development involving Russia’s nuclear arsenal”, reports the New York Times.
The source declined to provide any further details.
Russian-installed authorities have been encouraging residents to flee to the east bank of Kherson, but Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said there was no sign that Russian forces themselves were preparing to abandon the city.
“With Kherson everything is clear. The Russians are replenishing, strengthening their grouping there,” Arestovych said in an online video late on Tuesday.
“It means that nobody is preparing to withdraw. On the contrary, the heaviest of battles is going to take place for Kherson.”
Pentagon spokesman Air Force General Pat Ryder said: “The US was notified” of Russia’s nuclear drill.
He added: “And as we’ve highlighted before, this is a routine annual exercise by Russia.
“And so in this regard, Russia is complying with its arms control obligations and transparency commitments to make those notifications, and so that is something that we will continue to keep an eye on.”
Giorgia Meloni’s government took office over the weekend, and she recently made a statement about the war in Ukraine.
“Giving in to Putin’s blackmail on energy would not solve the problem, it would exacerbate it by opening the way to further demands and blackmail,” Ms Meloni said to the lower house of government.
The funds are to go towards reconstruction of infrastructure and residences.
It was announced that $13 billion had been put aside for emergency financing for Ukraine, of which $11.4 billion has been already distributed.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the drills were intended to simulate a massive nuclear strike by Russia in retaliation for a nuclear attack on its soil.
The Kremlin said that all tasks set for the exercise were fulfilled and all the missiles that were test-fired reached their designated targets.
Video released by the the Russian-military run Zvezda showed military personnel in front of computers launching a missile.
Putin’s private army have been forced to wear coloured wristbands on the frontline for a chilling reason.
New recruits in Vlad’s “Wagner Group” have been pictured wearing the colour-coded bracelets after being signed up from some of Russia‘s most notorious penal colonies.
Ukraine‘s military has claimed the plastic wristbands are being used to mark out which new conscripts have serious infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
The Wagner Group has been mass-recruiting inmates from Russia’s infamous prisons, where drug use is widespread and diseases often spread through the sharing of dirty needles.
Those who called Kherson home have left in their masses, after it was illegally “annexed” by Russia.
“I’m sure that more than 70,000 people left in a week since the crossings were organised,” Vladimir Saldo told a regional TV channel.
Many have left after concerns were raised that the Dnipro river was going to be widened, which could cause home destroying floods.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Vladimir Putin would be offering his congratulations to Rishi Sunak after he became the UK’s PM.
Mr Peskov said the Russian president would not, as the UK is an “unfriendly countrie” that have imposed sanctions on Moscow.
The Kherson region looks set to see heavy fighting in the coming days and Russian forces are already digging in, a senior Ukrainian official has said.
Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said late last night: “With Kherson everything is clear. The Russians are replenishing, strengthening their grouping there.
“It means that nobody is preparing to withdraw. On the contrary, the heaviest of battles is going to take place for Kherson.”
Sanctions have been placed on Russian and Moldovan officials, and oligarchs.
US Treasury Department said in a statement, “widely recognised for capturing and corrupting Moldova’s political and economic institutions and those acting as instruments of Russia’s global influence campaign."
The practice simulations were set up so Russia could respond to an aggressor with a "massive nuclear strike".
It is intended to fend off attacks from other nations, reportedly.
Margrethe Vestager said it could be extended till as far as the end of 2023, so businesses can donate money easily to help Ukrainians.
Rules were announced in March for Ukraine, when the war with Russia broke out, but were then revised in July.
“One of the things we are consulting on is a prolongation for a full year until 31 December 2023. We are also consulting on larger aid amounts,” Vestager told a European Parliament hearing.
The funds are to go towards reconstruction of infrastructure and residences.
It was announced that $13 billion had been put aside for emergency financing for Ukraine, of which $11.4 billion has been already distributed.
It is reported that fighting has intensified in the region.
Specific areas include Kreminna and Svatove.
Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the training of troops who are responsible for reacting to a nuclear threat or attack.
"Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, a training session was held with ground, sea and air strategic deterrence forces, during which practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure has caused billions of euros worth of damage.
The International Monetary Fund calculated that around $3 billion worth of repairs are needed.
"We still hope that we can stay within these parameters of 3-4 billion, but what changed since we had this discussion is Russia's terrible bombing of civilian infrastructure," she said.
"Just to get electricity back and water supply back we are moving towards the upper range of 4 billion … Just imagine a worst-case scenario."
Those who called Kherson home have left in their masses, after it was illegally "annexed" by Russia.
"I'm sure that more than 70,000 people left in a week since the crossings were organised," Vladimir Saldo told a regional TV channel.
Many have left after concerns were raised that the Dnipro river was going to be widened, which could cause home destroying floods.
It is claimed that Russia’s “dirty bomb” accusations could materialise if it detonates a bomb on its own nation and blames Ukraine.
The nation insists it does not have plans to unleash a bomb on Russia, foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said the UN can have full access to substantiate its innocence, reports Reuters.
The tyrant is becoming increasingly frustrated as his troops have been hit with a series of disastrous defeats across the frontline in Ukraine.
There are concerns that if Vlad finds himself boxed into a corner, he could resort to using nuclear weapons.
Putin has repeatedly raised the spectre of using the weapons – and it's feared he could potentially be lining up a test in the Black Sea.
A senior US official has now warned of "new, troubling development involving Russia's nuclear arsenal", reports the New York Times.
The source declined to provide any further details.
Russian-installed authorities have been encouraging residents to flee to the east bank of Kherson, but Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said there was no sign that Russian forces themselves were preparing to abandon the city.
"With Kherson everything is clear. The Russians are replenishing, strengthening their grouping there," Arestovych said in an online video late on Tuesday.
"It means that nobody is preparing to withdraw. On the contrary, the heaviest of battles is going to take place for Kherson."
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