Russia and Ukraine locked horns on Thursday following Moscow’s accusation that a Ukrainian sabotage group had crossed the border into Russia’s Bryansk region and had fired at civilians and taken some hostage in one village.
Ukraine rejected the accusations, accusing Russia of a “deliberate provocation” but also claiming anti-government Russian partisans were behind the attack.
Back in Ukraine, Russian forces appear to be tightening the noose around the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk, prompting military analysts in Ukraine to question whether a tactical withdrawal by Ukrainian forces must be seriously considered now.
Standard Russian units and mercenary fighters belonging to the Wagner Group have been slowly advancing on the industrial city in eastern Ukraine since the start of the year, although fighting has been taking place around Bakhmut for seven months. Reports increasingly suggest routes into the city are being cut off as Russian forces encircle it.
In other news, Group of 20 foreign ministers are meeting in India on Thursday, with Ukraine dominating the agenda despite India’s attempts to steer the summit toward other issues. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke “on the move” at the meeting in India, Russia’s foreign ministry said, but did not hold any further talks or negotiations.
Russian envoy says nuclear powers may clash over Ukraine
A senior Russian diplomat warned that increasing Western support for Ukraine could trigger an open conflict between nuclear powers.
Speaking at the U.N. conference on disarmament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov denounced the U.S. and its allies for openly declaring the goal of defeating Russia in a “hybrid” war, arguing that it violates their obligations under international agreements and is fraught with the war in Ukraine spilling out of control.
Ryabkov warned that “the U.S. and NATO policy of fueling the conflict in Ukraine” and their “increasing involvement in the military confrontation is fraught with a direct military clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.”
He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to suspend the 2010 New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the U.S. came in response to the U.S. and NATO action on Ukraine.
Source: cnbc
