Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of playing a 'bloody, dangerous game' and said Moscow is not planning on using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the UN's nuclear watchdog will verify whether Ukraine has produced 'dirty bombs' to use in the war against Russia.
By India Today Web Desk: The UN's nuclear watchdog has decided to carry out an "independent verification" of Russian allegations concerning the production of so-called dirty bombs at two sites in Ukraine. But, the United Nations said it is not aware of any biological weapons program in Ukraine, a claim made by Putin and other Russian officials as Ukrainian forces continue their advance in Kherson that is set to witness "heaviest battle" since the beginning of the invasion.
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In the last 24 hours, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed two conferences and blamed the US and its allies for the raging conflict in Ukraine as he ruled out using nuclear weapons against Kyiv. He described the conflict there as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.
Speaking at a conference of international foreign policy experts, Putin said it’s pointless for Russia to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons. “We see no need for that. There is no point in that, neither political, nor military,” he said.
Here are the top points.
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin accused the US and its allies of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a “dangerous, bloody and dirty” domination game. He said that the world has reached a turning point where the West is no longer able to dictate its will but still tries to do it, and the majority of nations no longer want to tolerate it.
After days of nuclear rhetoric and drills, Putin said there is no need to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons. According to Putin, Russia was not threatening to use nuclear weapons and had only responded to nuclear "blackmail" from the West.
However, Putin has reiterated his claim that Ukraine is preparing to use a 'dirty bomb' to spread nuclear material in the Russian-occupied port city of Kherson. But Ukraine suspects Russia might itself use a dirty bomb in a "false flag" attack, possibly to justify the use of conventional nuclear weapons.
The United Nations has said it is not aware of any biological weapons program in Ukraine, after Russia accused the United States of "military-biological activities" there and called for a UN probe.
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The UN's nuclear watchdog has decided to carry out an "independent verification" of Russian allegations concerning the production of so-called dirty bombs at two sites in Ukraine.
"We think it's a very serious danger," Russia's deputy UN Ambassador Dimitry Polyanskiy said after the UN meeting.
"Ukraine has all the reasons to do so because we know that Zelenskyy's regime wants to avoid first of all defeat, secondly, wants to involve NATO in a direct clash with Russia," he said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Putin's counterpart in Ukraine, President Volodymy Zelenskyy, delivered a late night address to his nation as he stood outside in the dark next to the wreckage of a downed drone.
"Shelling will not break us. To hear the enemy's anthem on our land is scarier than the enemy's rockets in our sky. We are not afraid of the dark," he said.
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Ukraine is preparing itself for a cold, dark winter as Russian strikes knocked out more than 40 per cent of its power-generating capabilities, leading to energy rationing and blackouts throughout the country.
Even as the war rages on with no immediate peace offering in sight, Vladimir Putin has sent signals that he is open to direct negotiations with Ukraine. The latest message came via Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, President of Guinea Bissau, who visited Kyiv to meet with President Volodmyr Zelenskyy.
Talks between Kyiv and Moscow have stalled since March, each side blaming the other for the stalemate.
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Russia's 'special operation' in Ukraine has met with repeated setbacks in recent times, with Putin changing his military commander, imposing partial law on annexed regions and striking civilians as Ukraine's forces launched a counter-offensive, recapturing territory in the east.
Edited By:
Manisha Pandey
Published On:
Oct 28, 2022