Putin threatens to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The Ukrainian troops maintain control of Bakhmut. A Russian missile strike hit the center of Slovyansk, in Donetsk region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. has not seen \u201cany indication he\u2019s [Putin] made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around. We\u2019ve, in fact, seen no indication he has any intention to use nuclear weapons, period, inside Ukraine,\u201d Kirby said on CBS\u2019 \u201cFace the Nation\u201d on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 25, Putin said Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The move comes in response to Britain\u2019s decision last week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium (that are by no means nuclear weapons). Putin said Russia had helped Belarus convert 10 aircraft to make them capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. He also said Moscow had already transferred an Iskander missile system, which can be fitted with nuclear warheads, to Belarus. Russia will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by July 1, Putin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even China responded to Putin\u2019s threats. \u201cAll sides should focus on diplomatic efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and work together for de-escalation,\u201d Mao Ning, China\u2019s foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn January last year, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states issued a joint statement noting that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and stressed that war between nuclear-weapon states should be avoided and strategic risks reduced,\u201d said Mao Ning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secretary of Russia\u2019s Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev has warned that Russia has the weapons to destroy any enemy, including the United States. \u201cAmerican politicians trapped by their own propaganda remain confident that, in the event of a direct conflict with Russia, the United States is capable of launching a preventive missile strike, after which Russia will no longer be able to respond,\u201d Patrushev told a state Russian newspaper Monday. \u201cRussia is patient and does not intimidate anyone with its military advantage. But it has modern unique weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States, in the event of a threat to its existence\u201d, he said. He did not specify what he meant by that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the collapse of the USSR Russia has \u201ccorrected its mistakes\u201d and can now maintain its security \u201cagainst outside threats\u201d, Patrushev said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander of Ukraine\u2019s ground forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi made another visit to the hottest spots on the Bakhmut axis, Ukraine\u2019s Defense Ministry said on Monday. \u201cThe situation in the city is consistently difficult,\u201d Syrskyi said. He assessed the situation in the area and took measures to tackle the issues that obstruct the efficiency of combat assignments. Syrskyi also made decisions \u201caimed at strengthening Ukraine\u2019s capabilities to deter and defeat the Russian forces,\u201d according to the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe defense of Bakhmut is due to military necessity. Skillful use of the city\u2019s defense possibilities, fortifications, and fighting holes lies at the basis of the defense,\u201d Syrskyi is quoted as saying. The most intense phase of the battle for Bakhmut continues, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, President Zelenskyi made a visit to the Bakhmut area. On Monday, he visited the frontline positions of the Ukrainian troops in Zaporizhzhia region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday morning, the Russian forces struck Slovyansk with two S-300 missiles. Two people were killed and 29 others injured in the attack, according to an updated toll issued by head of the Donetsk regional military administration Pavlo Kyrylenko. The strike damaged a number of municipal and office buildings, five multi-story houses, and seven private houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After months of new weapons deliveries from the West, Ukraine is poised to punch back at Russia\u2019s invasion forces in coming weeks\u2014a high-risk campaign that will set the course of subsequent battles and potential peace negotiations. Ukraine\u2019s operational plans remain confidential, but some aspects of what is to come are discernible from a look at the equipment each side has\u2014or doesn\u2019t have\u2014and their recent performance on the battlefield, an article by the Wall Street Journal says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kyiv\u2019s prospects will depend on its ability to coordinate different types of troops, including artillery units, tank corps and foot soldiers, in what are known as combined-arms maneuvers. Ukrainian forces have been training for months in Western Europe and the U.S. to use modern equipment and to operate on a battlefield in large formations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine won\u2019t be able to launch a NATO-style assault, because neither side controls Ukraine\u2019s skies. Instead, strategists say, Ukraine will probably launch a big attack\u2014or multiple smaller attacks\u2014using ground-based precision long-range weaponry including rockets and artillery, much of it donated by Western allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following an initial fusillade of artillery and rockets, Ukrainian ground forces are likely to advance in large numbers, much as U.S. troops would. A big difference is that U.S. or allied forces would be led by a vanguard of modern main battle tanks, while Ukrainian forces will only have a small number of them. Behind a front wave of tanks would likely follow dozens of armored fighting vehicles. Some, such as the French AMX-10s and U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles, resemble tanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where Ukraine will strike Russian troops remains an unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Latest Chinese-russian alliance and its \u201cpeacemaking\u201d ambitions. Ukraine in Flames #380 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n