Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte takes office as the new General Secretary of NATO on Tuesday. Russia strikes a market in central Kherson, killing six and injuring six others. Russia hits Zaporizhzhia with six glide bombs, killing one and injuring 32 others.
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte takes office as new General Secretary of NATO
Mark Rutte, a former Dutch Prime Minister, took over from Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General on Tuesday.
Rutte said NATO’s support for Ukraine would be one of his top priorities in office.
He said he will work with allies to ensure that they fully implement the decisions made at the NATO’s Washington Summit, including the one on Ukraine’s irreversible path to membership in the Alliance.
The new Secretary General of NATO, said he does not see any imminent threat of nuclear weapons being used by Russia despite Putin’s fresh nuclear threats.
When asked if Putin’s decision to change Russia’s official nuclear doctrine would have an impact on NATO’s support for Ukraine, Rutte said: “Well, of course, we hear regular threats from the Kremlin and it’s true that Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is reckless and irresponsible, but at the same time, let me make it absolutely clear, we do not see any imminent threat of nuclear weapons being used. And that’s what I want to say about this at this moment.”
“Let him talk about his nuclear arsenal. He wants us also to discuss his nuclear arsenal. And I think we shouldn’t. We should just acknowledge the fact that clearly, there is no imminent threat of nuclear weapons being used,” he added.
“Generally, not just on nuclear, if you would give in to Putin threats, that would set a precedent that using military force allows a country to get what it wants, and we cannot do that,” Rutte said.
Commenting on the permission to strike into Russia with Western long-range weapons that Ukraine seeks, NATO Secretary General said the decision “is up to each ally.” “I can understand Ukraine’s request. I’m with Jens Stoltenberg on this and what he said before,” he added.
Russia strikes a market in central Kherson, killing six, injuring six others
A Russian artillery strike hit a market in Kherson on Tuesday morning, killing six people and wounding six others, authorities said.
Initial reports said seven had died, but doctors were able to save one person who had been considered dead. He is in a grave condition. Five people were taken to hospital.
Russia has regularly struck Kherson. On September 29, Russian forces sent drones that dropped explosives on public transportation buses three times in one day.
On September 17, a Russian drone dropped a bomb on a passenger vehicle in Kherson, killing one person and injuring four others.
Russia hits Zaporizhzhia with six glide bombs, killing one, injuring 32 others
Russia dropped six glide bombs on Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring 32 others, authorities said.
The strike hit residential neighborhoods and infrastructure sites. Multi-story apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the Komunarskyi district, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov said.