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Belarus to restore Soviet launch sites for Putin's nuclear missiles

Ukrainian soldiers on an armoured military vehicle in Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers on an armoured military vehicle in Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Belarus will repair disused Soviet missile silos as part of the Vladimir Putin’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in the country, its President has said.

Alexander Lukashenko made the pledge during a speech to Belarus’ parliament in which he also formally accepted the Kremlin’s demand to station nuclear missiles in the country.

“I am not trying to intimidate or blackmail anyone. I want to safeguard the Belarusian state and ensure peace for the Belarusian people," he said

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that Mr Lukashenko told his military to repair sites in Belarus where Soviet Topol missile systems armed with nuclear warheads were previously stored.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus had been left with nuclear missiles. These were returned to Russia under an agreement signed in the mid-1990s agreement.

Belarus is the Kremlin’s most loyal ally and allowed it to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year from military bases in the south of the country.

Mr Putin ordered nuclear missiles to be positioned in Belarus on Saturday.

Mr Lukashenko earlier warned that the Russian President will use the "most awful" weapon if he believes Russia is in danger of collapsing.

Mr Lukashenko, who is one of the Mr Putin's closest allies, said: "It is impossible to defeat a nuclear power.

"If the Russian leadership understands that the situation threatens to cause Russia's disintegration, it will use the most awful weapon. This cannot be allowed."

He called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and for talks to start on a lasting peace settlement.


03:00 PM

Today's liveblog is now closed

Thanks for following today's liveblog. Here is a summary of today's top stories.

  • Vladimir Putin will use the "most awful" weapon if he sees risks that Russia may collapse, the Belarusian President has warned.

  • Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year after organisers announced they were lifting a ban imposed in 2022 in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

  • The Wall Street Journal editorial board has called for Russia's ambassador to the United States to be expelled, following the arrest of one of the newspaper's reporters in Russia on espionage charges.

Please follow along tomorrow for all the latest updates on Ukraine.


02:41 PM

Pictured: Bucha cemetery

Bucha Cemetery on the 1st Anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russian occupation - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Bucha Cemetery on the 1st Anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russian occupation - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Family members of men killed fighting the Russians lay flowers in commemoration in the Alley of Heroes - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Family members of men killed fighting the Russians lay flowers in commemoration in the Alley of Heroes - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Nastia, a widow, in Bucha Cemetery on the 1st Anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russian occupation - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Nastia, a widow, in Bucha Cemetery on the 1st Anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russian occupation - Paul Grover/Paul Grover for the Telegraph

02:15 PM

Wimbledon lifts ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year after organisers announced on Friday they were lifting a ban imposed in 2022 in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Competitors from the two countries will be able to enter the Grand Slam in July if they compete as "neutral" athletes and comply with certain conditions.

Players will be prohibited from expressing support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and those who receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states, including sponsorship from state-operated or state-controlled companies, will remain barred.

The All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, said the conditions had been "carefully developed" after talks with the UK government, Britain's governing Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and international tennis bodies.

Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club, said in a statement: "We continue to condemn totally Russia's illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted. It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for the championships for this year."


01:55 PM

Putin's nuclear war threat: ‘The bullseye he’s aiming for is fear' | Defence in Depth


01:36 PM

The Ukrainian hoax that revealed the Russian pilots who bombed Mariupol theatre

Ukrainian “hacktivists” have outed the Russian pilots allegedly responsible for brutally bombing the Mariupol theatre by tricking their spouses to pose for a risqué military wives calendar, reports Joe Barnes.

Cyber Resistance, the group behind the elaborate stunt, used fake Russian identities to pose as ardent supporters of the Kremlin’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

The plot focused on the wife of Colonel Sergey Valeriyvich Atroschenko, the commander of Russia’s elite 960th Assault Aviation Regiment, who reportedly ordered the bombing of the theatre, which killed an estimated 600 civilians last year.

Read the full story from Joe Barnes here


12:59 PM

Russian missiles destroy residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia


12:30 PM

WSJ editorial board calls for US to expel Russian ambassador

The Wall Street Journal editorial board has called for Russia's ambassador to the United States to be expelled, following the arrest of one of the newspaper's reporters in Russia on espionage charges.

"Expelling Russia's ambassador to the US, as well as all Russian journalists working here, would be the minimum to expect," the board of opinion editors said in a piece published Thursday.

"The timing of the arrest looks like a calculated provocation to embarrass the US and intimidate the foreign press still working in Russia," it added.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, around 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) east of Moscow, and is being held in detention in Moscow until May 29 pending trial.


12:21 PM

Pictured: A resident walks along a snow-covered street after snowfall in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region

A resident walks along a snow-covered street after snowfall in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region - GENYA SAVILOV/AFP
A resident walks along a snow-covered street after snowfall in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region - GENYA SAVILOV/AFP

12:06 PM

Spanish PM says he encouraged China's Xi to speak with Zelensky

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he had expressed concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine during a meeting earlier that day with Chinese President Xi Jinping and encouraged him to talk to Kyiv.

Mr Sanchez told a news conference in Beijing he had told the Chinese leader that Spain supported the peace formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in November, which includes demands to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"I transmitted our concern at the illegal invasion of Ukraine,"Mr Sanchez said, adding that he "encouraged Xi to talk to President Zelensky" to learn first-hand about Kyiv's peace plan.

"I believe it's a plan that lays the foundations for a durable peace in Ukraine and is perfectly aligned with the United Nations charter and its principles, which have been violated by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin with his invasion," he said.


11:42 AM

Russia to trade food for North Korean weapons to fight war in Ukraine

Russia is sending a delegation to North Korea to offer food in exchange for weapons to support its war in Ukraine, the White House has said.

As part of the proposed deal Russia would receive “over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang”, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman.

He added: “We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions.”

Read the full story here


11:15 AM

Putin has broken one of the last taboos in a naked ploy for leverage

No one who knows Evan Gershkovich believes he is a spy.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has yet to present its evidence, but at this stage it seems completely clear that he has been fitted up for simply doing his job: asking people questions, and writing down what they say.

Under expanded war-time national security laws, that might be enough for the FSB to come up with a narrowly legal pretext for holding him, however absurd.

Read more from Roland Oliphant here


10:57 AM

Pictured: Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service clear rubble at a destroyed building

Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service clear the rubble at the building which was destroyed as a result of Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia - Andriy Andriyenko/AP
Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service clear the rubble at the building which was destroyed as a result of Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia - Andriy Andriyenko/AP

10:32 AM

Nine Russian missiles rock Kharkiv

At least nine Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday, the regional governor said.

Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, wrote on Telegram: "A total of 9 missiles were fired over the city, previously the S-300 air defense system."

He said a civil infrastructure facility and private residential buildings were damaged, with some of the rockets exploding in the air.

Three people received minor injuries but there were were no casualties.


10:17 AM

Nato chief says Finland to become member 'in coming days'

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said that Finland would formally become a member within days, as he congratulated its president on clearing the final obstacle to joining.

"I look forward to raising Finland's flag at Nato HQ in the coming days. Together we are stronger and safer," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

After months of delays, Turkey's parliament on Thursday removed the last hurdle for Finland by becoming the last member of the US-led military alliance to ratify its application.

Stoltenberg said in separate statement that "Finland has highly capable forces, advanced capabilities, and strong democratic institutions."

"So Finland will bring a lot to our alliance," he said.


09:50 AM

Russia 'should not be' permanent Security Council member, says US envoy to UN

Russia "should not be" a permanent member of the UN Security Council, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in an interview with AFP.

"Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council. It shouldn't be, because of what it is doing in Ukraine, but the (UN) charter does not allow for a change in its permanent membership," Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday from Costa Rica, where she was attending a democracy summit.

Russia is also set to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council on Saturday for a month.

The US ambassador said she expects Russia to behave "professionally" in the presidency, but expressed doubts.

"We also expect that they will also seek opportunities to advance their disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States and all of our allies," she said.

"At every opportunity, we will raise our concerns about Russia's actions," she added, reiterating Washington's condemnation of Moscow's "war crimes and human rights violations" in Ukraine.


09:18 AM

Comment: Vladimir Putin’s dismal fate is increasingly plain for all to see

Vladimir Putin is a “wimp” who “doesn’t give a f--- about the people”.

So runs a leaked recording of a phone conversation purported to be between Iosif Prigozhin, a Russian music producer, and the billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov.

While personal disdain from one-time allies may sting, it’s the apparent political predictions in the call that will keep Putin awake at night.

Read more from Robert Clark here


08:54 AM

Zelensky says Ukraine 'will never forgive' on Bucha anniversary

Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would "never forgive" Russia for its occupation of Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital where Moscow's forces were accused of massacring civilians.

"365 days since it is a free Ukrainian city once again. A symbol of the atrocities of the occupying country's army. We will never forgive. We will punish every perpetrator," the Ukrainian president said in a statement on social media.


08:38 AM

Latest MoD update


08:13 AM

Listen to Ukraine: The Latest


07:53 AM

Turkish parliament ratifies Finland's accession to Nato

Turkey's parliament has approved a bill to allow Finland to join Nato.

The Turkish parliament was the last among the 30 members of the Western defence alliance to ratify Finland's membership after Hungary's legislature approved a similar bill earlier this week. Sweden has also sought Nato membership.

Nato countries individually, notably the United States, UK and European nations, and the alliance collectively have provided major military and financial support to the Kyiv government.

"Soon both Finland and Sweden will be (Nato) members, meaning that President Putin is getting the exact opposite of what he wanted," Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato Secretary General, told Fox News.

"He wanted less Nato. He is getting more Nato."


07:48 AM

Pictured: Ukrainian army medics treat a wounded man in a field hospital near Bakhmut

Ukrainian army medics treat a wounded man in a field hospital near Bakhmut - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu
Ukrainian army medics treat a wounded man in a field hospital near Bakhmut - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu

07:45 AM

US condemns Russia's arrest of American journalist on spy charges

The US has condemned the "unacceptable" arrest of an American journalist who Russia claims was caught "red handed" spying near military facilities

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent in Moscow, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday. He was formally charged with espionage and remanded in pre-trial detention by Moscow's Lefortovo district court at a closed hearing on Thursday afternoon.

He is the first US journalist to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War, and the move is likely to trigger a high-stakes diplomatic row with Washington.

Read the full story here


07:40 AM

Good Morning

Good morning and welcome to today's Ukraine liveblog.

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