War in Ukraine, day 804. NATO, the EU and the US qualified as irresponsible the military exercises for the use of tactical nuclear weapons announced by Moscow, which motivated this decision following the statements of some Western officials and the increasing involvement of the West on the part of Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.
The most important events of the last 24 hours:
- Vladimir Putin took the oath for the fifth presidential term: “We will become even stronger”
- Russian MFA: “The arrest of soldier Gordon Smith has nothing to do with espionage or politics”
- An American soldier was arrested in Russia
- Poland is funding Starlink terminals for the Ukrainian military
- Putin orders nuclear drills in response to Emmanuel Macron’s ‘threats’
- Finland is considering building a TNT factory in response to the war in Ukraine
- The EU starts work on a new defense innovation office in Kyiv
- Minister of Strategic Industries: Ukraine will produce more weapons worth 10 billion dollars if it is financed
- Russia is trying to regain control of Nestryha Island in the Kherson region
- Kiev claims Russia has lost 475,300 troops in Ukraine since the start of the war
Update 12:30 Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a new six-year term in the Kremlin in a televised spectacle designed to highlight the politician’s position of strength in power for some 25 years as head of state or prime minister.
“I swear that in fulfilling the mandate of the president (…), to respect the rights and freedoms of man and citizens, to respect and defend the Constitution of the Russian Federation…”, he said, in the presence of a gathering of about 2,000 guests .
In March, Putin won a presidential election with 87% against three “unproblematic” opponents, and the Western media wrote that the Kremlin leader himself would have selected them.
Aged 71, Putin has dominated political life in Russia for the past 24 years: he had two successive presidential terms between 2000 and 2008, then “switched roles” with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, returned to the Kremlin in 2012 for an extended six-year term, won a fourth term in 2018, amended the Constitution to allow him to remain in the Kremlin until 2036, when he will be 83, and finally won the election without emotion in spring of this year.
“The security of the Russian people is, for me, above everything. The will of millions of people is a colossal force for me. This means an extraordinary confidence in the fact that we will determine our own destiny. For the sake of the current and future generations, you have confirmed , once again, the correctness of our country’s path. We will go through this difficult period with dignity. We will fulfill our long-term plans and large-scale development projects (…) We are open to relations with all states I see in Russia a loyal partner. We do not refuse the dialogue with the Western states. We will follow the same path, without giving in to the pressures exerted on us”, said Vladimir Putin in the speech on taking over the fifth term. presidential.
This event comes in the context of Moscow announcing exercises with tactical nuclear weapons.
The Kremlin said on Monday that the military exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin are a response to statements about the possible sending of NATO troops to Ukraine.
Update 11:00 The American soldier detained last week in the Russian Far East has been arrested for theft and remanded in custody until July 2, according to an announcement made by the Vladivostok court on Tuesday.
“The Pervomaiskii District Court in Vladivostok has arrested American soldier Gordon Black until July 2 for theft,” announced the spokeswoman of the court, Elena Oleneva, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The American soldier faces up to five years in prison, according to the Russian criminal code.
The Baza channel on Telegram, close to the Russian law enforcement, as well as the daily newspaper Izvestia, reported that the American soldier would have visited his Russian girlfriend in Vladivostok.
He allegedly beat the woman, stole 200,000 rubles (approximately 2,000 euros) and alcohol.
“This file is not related to politics or espionage,” the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Vladivostok said on Tuesday.
In recent years, several American citizens have been arrested and sentenced to heavy prison terms in Russia.
Washington, which has been supporting Ukraine militarily and financially in the face of the Russian invasion for over two years, accuses Moscow of wanting to exchange the arrested Americans for Russian criminals held in the US.
Update 10:00 An American soldier was arrested in Russia while on a private trip, reports the international press.
The soldier, who was reportedly stationed in South Korea and whose name has not been released, was accused of stealing from a woman, US officials said.
He was arrested in the port city of Vladivostok on May 2, said Cynthia O. Smith, a spokeswoman for the US military.
“The Russian Federation has notified the US State Department of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” Smith said.
The White House is aware of reports of a US soldier being detained in Russia, national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
Update 08:00 The Polish government has announced that it is funding the operation of 20,000 Starlink satellite Internet access terminals in Ukraine, a network essential for the country’s military communications.
“Today, we have more than 20,000 Starlink terminals, the operation of which is financed by Poland,” said Polish Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski, during a visit to Kyiv
In January, the Polish Ministry of Digitalization announced that Warsaw is “the largest provider of Starlink terminals” for Kyiv.
Currently, the Starlink network has more than 2,000 low-Earth orbit satellites.
Ground terminals connected to these satellites allow access to the Internet.
After the start of the Russian invasion, Elon Musk’s company, Space X, delivered to Ukraine several thousand terminals, essential for the communications of the Ukrainian army.
Kiev thanked Musk for the help, but later expressed outrage when the billionaire proposed that Ukraine cede territory to achieve peace.
Update 00:01 “Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible. NATO remains vigilant,” a spokeswoman for the Alliance, Farah Dakhlallah, told the EFE agency. NATO’s collective deterrence and defense posture “will continue to guarantee the protection of every centimeter of allied territory”, and Ukraine has the right to self-defense against the Russian invasion and “allies will continue to support Ukraine”, added the NATO representative.
The Russian nuclear exercises are “categorically a clash of swords” and “a continuation of Russia’s irresponsible behavior”, a spokesman for the European Commission, Peter Stano, reacted in turn, according to the DPA agency. According to him, the nuclear military exercises announced by Putin constitute “another proof that the Kremlin is interested in the continuation of the escalation of the situation that it caused through its illegal aggression against Ukraine”.
And the Pentagon denounced Moscow’s “irresponsible rhetoric”. “This is a typical example of irresponsible rhetoric that we have seen in the past from Russia. It is completely inappropriate given the current security situation,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told the media, quoted by AFP. The United States has not yet observed “any change in the positioning of Russian strategic forces”, but will continue to monitor them, the American official said.
War in Ukraine, May 6, 2024 | Several heavy artillery rockets hit a power plant in Donetsk
War in Ukraine, May 5, 2024 | Volodymyr Zelensky, Easter message: “Today our prayer is for all Ukrainians”
War in Ukraine, May 4, 2024 | Six injured, following a Russian drone attack in the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk
War in Ukraine, May 3, 2024 | Ukrainians advised not to go to church on Easter, for fear of a Russian attack
War in Ukraine, May 2, 2024 | Huge fire in Odessa, after a Russian attack with ballistic missiles
