Russia is said to have simulated a nuclear missile attack on Wednesday, while Mariupol announced that it would allow the last besieged civilians to evacuate the area, where it plans to hold a military parade in a few days.
Read more: [EN DIRECT] 70 days war in Ukraine: Here are all the latest developments
Read more: [EN VIDÉO] The Russian fighters were filmed in a ‘Z’ setting
From the beginning of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons. Since then, he has repeated it from time to time when complaining that countries supply arms to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Moscow said its military had simulated a nuclear-capable missile attack on a Russian enclave in Kaliningrad.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Russia had simulated “electronic launches” of Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons during a military maneuver in the area between Poland and Lithuania.
The report said Russian forces had carried out single and multiple strikes on targets that mimicked the missile system missiles, airports, protected infrastructure, military equipment and imaginary enemy command positions.
After conducting the “electronic” shots, the soldiers undertook a maneuver to change the position to avoid a “possible retaliatory attack”, according to the Ministry of Defense.
War units carry out “operations under conditions of radiation and chemical pollution”.
Humanitarian walk for three days
In addition, the Russian Defense Ministry promised that the humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstel steelworks in Mariupol would remain open for three days. Ceasefire will also be implemented.
The Russian military on Wednesday launched a major offensive against the factory, which is home to the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Gelensky on Wednesday sought the help of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “rescue” the wounded at a steel plant.
Army parade on May 9
At least relying on information from Ukrainian intelligence, Moscow is setting the stage for victory by organizing a military parade in Mariupol in the coming days.
Read in a telegram from the Directorate General of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) that “Putin’s official task is to prepare for the May 9 ceremony.”
“The main thoroughfares of the city are being urgently cleaned, debris and bodies of the dead are being removed, as well as unexploded ordnance,” the statement said.
The Feast of May 9, historically dedicated to the victory over Nazi Germany, is a major military parade event in Moscow’s Red Square every year.
The rehearsal for the parade also took place on Wednesday in the skies of the Russian capital.
It had the appearance of being associated with the war in Ukraine because Russian fighters coined the letter “Z”, a controversial propaganda symbol used to refer to Russian forces in Ukraine, which support Moscow in the current conflict.
