9:51 p.m. ET, June 16, 2023
Moscow continues its attack on Ukraine. Here’s what you need to know:
By CNN staff
Moscow launched attacks on Kiev and Kherson on Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, as Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the first tactical nuclear weapons stored in Belarus had arrived there.
Here is the latest news on the conflict:
Attacks and Injuries: According to the Ukrainian authorities, at least six people, including a child, were injured in a rocket attack in the capital region of Kiev on Friday. In the south, at least 23 people were injured in “massive” artillery shelling in the city of Kherson.
Biden on Ukraine’s NATO application: US President Joe Biden is satisfied with removing one of the hurdles to Ukraine joining NATO, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
According to the source, Biden would be willing to forego a procedural step called the Membership Action Plan. Its removal would be a small step in facilitating Ukraine’s entry into the defense alliance, although the US still does not see Kyiv’s membership as imminent due to reforms still to be carried out and the ongoing conflict.
Putin’s nuclear claims: The first tactical nuclear weapons, stored in loyal Russian ally Belarus, have arrived, Putin told an economic forum in St. Petersburg. The use of nuclear weapons by Russia is “theoretically possible if there is a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation,” he said. Putin also claimed that Russia has more weapons than NATO countries. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden’s administration is closely monitoring the situation but has “no reason to adjust its nuclear stance” and sees “no signs” that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon. Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said Putin’s remarks should be taken “very, very seriously” by the West.
Probe of the Nova Kakhovka dam: It was “highly likely” that the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region was caused by Russia, said a team of international legal experts supporting Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, according to preliminary findings of their investigation released on Friday. The dam collapse last week is one of the biggest industrial and environmental disasters in Europe in decades.
African leaders visit Ukraine: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema called for the conflict to de-escalate after meetings between African leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Several African countries have outlined a ten-step peace initiative for the war. However, Zelenskyy said that peace talks with Russia would only be possible after the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories. African leaders are due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg tomorrow.
On the battlefield: According to the Ukrainian military, very fierce fighting broke out along the southern front, with both sides suffering significant casualties.
Ukrainian units were consolidating their advances around the southern cities of Melitopol, Berdyansk and Mariupol, their three main targets of the southern offensive, military spokesman Valerii Shershen said. However, he estimated that Ukraine’s gains in the region were limited to small distances of a kilometer or less.
To the east, Ukrainian troops have made some advances around the contested town of Wuhledar and the long-contested town of Bakhmut, officials said.
CNN cannot independently verify claims about battlefield developments.
Russian airstrikes and artillery shelling are currently the main problems faced by Ukrainian forces as they advance in southern and eastern Ukraine, a senior military officer close to the frontline told CNN.
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