During the final day of discredited voting in Russian-held Ukrainian regions, there were reports of Russian soldiers accompanying election officials. This sparked questions about their purpose. Serhiy Haidai, governor-in-exile in the region of Luhansk, accused separatist authorities of taking down the names of voters. He also suggested that Russians were searching for people to mobilise as soldiers and to seize pro-Ukrainian items.
Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine
Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, saying that NATO is supporting the separatists. A Russian state television personality, Vladimir Solovyov, said that if NATO continued its support of the Ukrainian government, Russia could launch a “massive nuclear strike” against the country. He said only “mutants” living in Lake Baikal, one of the world’s deepest lakes, would survive such an attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons against the separatists in Ukraine. However, it is unlikely that he would use strategic nuclear warheads against NATO. They would be ineffective, and Putin would be completely destroyed in a strategic war. But he could use tactical nuclear weapons, which would do much less damage than conventional missiles. This would cause a global outcry against the nuclear taboo, and even China and India would condemn Putin.
Russia admits mistakes during mobilization
Russia is facing backlash over mistakes it made during the mobilization of its reservists. The Russian government, which had decreed the mobilization after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said that it made a number of mistakes. The Kremlin apologized for the mistakes and shifted the blame to regional agencies. The Russian government said that it would improve the process and hopes that mistakes will not happen again.
The Kremlin admits that it made mistakes during the mobilization of its reservists, including the fact that it had called too many people despite the fact that they were too old or disabled to serve. Russia has already seen significant protests and unrest following the mobilization edict issued last week. President Putin’s call for a “partial mobilization” will officially include around 300,000 reservists. However, media reports said that up to one million individuals would be called up.
Russia says it will take over Ukraine if vote is successful
There is widespread concern that Russia will annex the four occupied regions of Ukraine if the vote for independence is successful. Various reports have highlighted multiple irregularities during the voting process. As a result, many analysts predict that the four regions will be annexed by the end of the week. In addition, many Russian reservists have reported to Russian military bases.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun mobilizing more troops for war and has threatened to use nuclear weapons to protect his territory. He’s also threatening to halt any attempts by Ukraine to retake these regions. He has also called up 300,000 army reservists, who are preparing to enter the conflict. Earlier this month, Russian forces were forced to retreat from large areas of northeastern Ukraine, but the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues.
NATO ramps up help for Kyiv in response to “sham” referendum
President Trump and NATO are ramping up help for Kyiv as Russia ramps up military intervention in the country. The decision to ramp up military support for Kyiv comes as Ukrainian investigators uncover evidence of war crimes in Russian-held Ukraine. Several reports have pointed to rape, torture and imprisonment of children. Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenka, said the recent developments are shocking and upsetting.
Earlier this week, the Pope condemned Russian annexation efforts, but did not name Russia by name. He also called for the release of Ukrainian charity chief Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. After his release, the cardinal visited mass graves and was targeted by light gunfire. Meanwhile, the dollar rose to a new two-decade high on Wednesday, spooked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments.
