Biden warns Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Russia carries out strikes on Ukrainian sites in Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk

A destroyed rocket launcher on a street in Kharkiv.

EPA

Russia announced yesterday that its forces launched strikes on Ukrainian sites in several parts of Ukraine, while US President Joe Biden warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its forces carried out strikes in the regions of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk, and indicated that Ukrainian forces carried out an unsuccessful attack near Pravdin in Kherson.

The ministry said that the radiological situation in Zaporizhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is still normal.

She added that two Ukrainian bombing incidents were recorded near the facility yesterday, but a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman denied that Ukrainian forces had bombed near the facility.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of bombing the Zaporozhye plant in southern Ukraine, and the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency issued a resolution last Thursday demanding that Russia end its forces' control of the plant.

US President Joe Biden warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine, and said in an interview with the US CBS broadcaster, excerpts from it, that "the Russians in this case will become pariahs in the world."

In response to a question about the US administration's reaction in such a case, Biden said: "Do you think I'll tell you?

Of course I won't tell you.” But the US president made it clear that this would have dangerous repercussions.

Biden added that "this step will change the face of the war, as nothing else has changed it since World War II."

In addition, a British intelligence assessment stated that Russian forces were strengthening their positions in eastern Ukraine.

The British Ministry of Defense said yesterday, citing intelligence reports, that the Russians had established a defensive line between the Uskil River and the small town of Svatov in the Luhansk region.

Yesterday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyal thanked the United States for its support to Ukraine after receiving new financial aid worth $1.5 billion.

"The state budget of Ukraine has received a $1.5 billion grant," Shmyhal said on Twitter.

This is the last tranche of the $4.5 billion in assistance from the United States from the World Bank Trust Fund.”

He added that the funds will be used to support the expenditure of the budget allocated to pension payments and social support programmes.

On the other hand, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the ban on entry of 41 Australian personalities, including journalists, to Russian territory, in a measure it put in place in response to the sanctions imposed by Canberra on Moscow, due to its war on Ukraine.

And the ministry published in a statement the list of names of people banned from entering Russia.

The list includes the names of employees of Australian arms companies, and in the media, including Sarah Ferguson, a journalist with ABC.

"Given the fact that Canberra does not officially intend to reverse its anti-Russian line and continues to impose new sanctions, this regulation will continue to be updated," the ministry said.

Previously, in June and July, Moscow banned 159 Australians from entering its territory for the same reasons.

Since beginning its attack on Ukraine on February 24, Russia has taken similar measures against hundreds of Western officials.

 Russia bans 41 Australians from entering its territory in response to Canberra sanctions.

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