Day 457 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sharper and sharper tones are coming from Moscow. The news ticker on the Ukraine war.
- President Zelensky: Take more Russian prisoners of war for exchange
- Air raid alert over in the capital: New attack with drones
- All the news from the Ukraine war in our news ticker. Some of the information comes from the warring parties in Russia or Ukraine. They often cannot be independently verified.
Update from May 26, 10:20 a.m.: Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev issued a warning of a possible preemptive strike if the West were to consider providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons. According to several reports, he tells various Russian news agencies: "There are incontrovertible laws of war. When it comes to nuclear weapons, there must be a preemptive strike."
Medvedev, former president of Russia and a close confidant of the current head of state Vladimir Putin, currently holds the position of deputy chairman of the National Security Council. This body plays a key role in shaping Russia's foreign, security and defense policy.
+Considered a hardliner: Dmitry Medvedev.
© IMAGO/Ekaterina Shtukina
President Zelensky: Take more Russian prisoners of war for exchange
Kyiv/Moscow – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his troops to capture more Russian soldiers. "Everyone on the front line should remember: the more Russian prisoners of war we take, the more of our people will return," Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Thursday (25 May).
He welcomed a prisoner exchange in which 106 Ukrainian military personnel were handed over by the Russian side. They had fought in the area of the now almost completely destroyed city of Bakhmut, as Zelensky said. Among them are eight Ukrainian officers. Many of the returned military had previously been considered missing. Zelenskyy did not specify how many Russians were handed over in Thursday's exchange.
Ukraine war: The origins of the conflict with Russia
Ukraine war: The origins of the conflict with Russia
Ukraine war: Another air alert in Kyiv
In Kiev, an air raid alarm was triggered again on Friday night. The Ukrainian capital had already been attacked with drones in recent weeks. People in central regions of the country were also called upon to go to shelters. In the western areas, the night remained quiet at first.
According to the authorities, a Ukrainian missile was shot down in the south of Russia. Air defenses hit them near the city of Morozovsk, Governor Vasily Golubev wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian media pointed out that there is a Russian military airport in Morozovsk.
Lukashenko: Deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus started
Meanwhile, according to Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, Russia has begun deploying tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country. The number of weapons and places of storage have also been determined, Lukashenko said on Thursday in Moscow after a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko did not give details.
This is the first time since the 1990s that Belarus has received nuclear missiles after voluntarily surrendering its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stressed that Moscow has sole control and decision over the use of nuclear weapons. (with agencies)
Category list image: © IMAGO/Ekaterina Shtukina
