Russia begins transferring tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus

Chiến sự ngày 456: Nga phá hủy rốc két HIMARS, bắt đầu chuyển vũ khí hạt nhân - Ảnh 1. — A Russian unit participating in the campaign in Ukraine

TASS news agency on May 25 quoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying that Russian air defense forces intercepted 8 HIMARS rockets and shot down 28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within 24 hours.

Russian air defense systems shot down Ukrainian UAVs in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

In the direction of the city of Kupiansk, Mr. Konashenkov said Russian forces neutralized four Ukrainian "subversive groups." In addition, the Russian side attacked 95 artillery units at the Ukrainian firing point.

Ukrainian officials lower expectations for spring counteroffensive

On the same day, the Kyiv Independent news site quoted information from the Ukrainian Air Force saying that Russia had sent 36 Shahed 131/136 UAVs to Ukraine on May 25. All UAVs were shot down by the Ukrainian military.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, it appears that Russian soldiers are targeting key military and infrastructure facilities in western regions of Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine have not commented on each other's information.

Russia begins to transfer nuclear weapons?

TASS news agency on May 25 quoted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as saying that the relocation of some tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus has begun.

Earlier in the day, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement formalizing the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory.

"In the context of extremely serious escalation of threats on the western borders of Russia and Belarus, the decision was made to adopt countermeasures in the nuclear-military sphere," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

President Lukashenko: Russia may introduce strategic nuclear weapons into Belarus

Mr Shoigu said Moscow would retain control of the weapons and any decisions about their use.

According to Mr. Shoigu, Iskander-M missiles, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, have been delivered to the Belarusian armed forces and a number of Su-25 aircraft have been converted to be able to use nuclear weapons.

Tactical nuclear weapons are lower-yield weapons designed for use on the battlefield, as opposed to strategic weapons that can wipe out an entire city. Russia does not disclose how many tactical nuclear weapons it has.

Russia summons ambassadors of many countries

According to The Guardian , the Russian Foreign Ministry said on May 25 that it had summoned the ambassadors of Germany, Sweden and Denmark to protest what Moscow called a "complete lack of results" from the investigation into the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in September 2022.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the three countries were trying to conceal who was behind the explosions, and expressed dissatisfaction with the so-called opaque nature of the investigation and their refusal to participate with Russia.

According to a United Nations report, three underwater explosions severed a gas pipeline between Russia and Germany northeast and southeast of Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea on September 26, 2022, equivalent to the power of several hundred kilograms of explosives.

The destruction of three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, which had stopped transporting gas at the point of the explosion, has been the subject of much speculation.

The explosions occurred in the exclusive economic zones of Sweden and Denmark, and both countries believe they were intentional, but it is not yet clear who was responsible. Both countries and Germany are investigating the incident.

EU facilitates Ukraine's exports

According to CNN on May 25, European trade ministers agreed to extend temporary measures to suspend customs duties and quotas on Ukrainian imports into the European Union (EU) for another year, until June 2024.

The temporary relaxation of trade regulations between Ukraine and the EU will take effect from June 2022.

“By extending these measures, the EU is continuing to demonstrate its firm political and economic support for Ukraine,” the European Council said in a statement.

The European Council met in Brussels on May 25 and said further lifting of restrictions would help “ease the difficult situation faced by Ukrainian producers and exporters”.

More than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned

According to CNN, Mr. Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine, said that more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Bakhmut area and being captured were released in a prisoner exchange.

"We are bringing 106 of our people home. These are fighters from the Bakhmut direction - eight officers and 98 soldiers. They fought for Bakhmut and made a feat that prevented the enemy from advancing further into our east. Each of them is a hero of our country," he said.

The Ukrainian headquarters for the coordination of prisoner treatment said three bodies were also returned, including two foreigners and a woman. In total, 2,430 Ukrainians have returned home since the start of the fighting, including 139 civilians.

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