Russia warned that Ukraine had received radioactive materials in the ports of Odessa and Kronomorsk, accusing it of preparing for "nuclear provocations".
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, in a statement on the ministry's website, that on February 16, containers containing radioactive materials and markings in English were delivered from the territory of a European country to the port of Chornomorsk in the Odessa region.
The statement continued that similar containers were delivered on February 19 containing the radioactive substance Californium-252, which is actively used in checking the safety of nuclear reactors of nuclear power plants, to the port of Odessa on one of the bulk carriers.
She added that these materials bypassed customs inspection, and the radiological monitoring system was disabled at the time of transporting the goods.
The source is American
She explained that it was proven that the supplier of this radioactive material is the American company Frontier Technology Corp, which works in the production of containers for radioactive isotopes, especially sources of neutron radiation.
Zakharova referred to the previous warnings of the Russian Defense Ministry that Ukraine was preparing for nuclear provocations aimed at accusing Moscow of hitting dangerous radiation objects that could lead to the leakage of radioactive materials and contamination of the region.
She said that information about possible nuclear provocations echoed among Ukrainians and residents of neighboring countries of Eastern Europe.
Attack on Crimea
On the ground, the Russian army announced that it had responded to a massive Ukrainian attack by drones on the Crimea peninsula.
A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, said that his country's forces thwarted an intense Ukrainian attack attempt by drones on facilities in Crimea, without material or human losses.
He added that Russian air defense systems shot down 6 Ukrainian attack drones, and disrupted 4 other marches through electronic warfare.
Bakhmut is on fire
The attack on Crimea coincided with the intensification of battles on the strategic Bakhmut front between Ukrainian forces and Wagner militia loyal to Moscow.
Russia's "Rebar" military website said that Wagner's militia advanced in the northwestern side of the city of Bakhmut, towards the town of "Khromova", the last supply route for the Ukrainian army in the city.
The site added that the Wagner militia also advanced into the city of Bakhmut from the east, and became close to the Bakhmutovka River, and is trying to continue advancing from the south to complete the encirclement of the city.
The founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Ukrainian forces had sent additional reinforcements to Bakhmut, and that the battles there were getting bloodier.
Possible withdrawal
With field developments accelerating, Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic advisor to the Ukrainian president, told CNN that his country's army might withdraw from Bakhmut.
In his statements today, Rodnyansky made it clear that the Ukrainian army "will study all options, of course," and that "if necessary, it will withdraw strategically. We will not sacrifice all our personnel for nothing."
The Ukrainian official's statement contradicts what the Ministry of Defense announced earlier that it was committed to regaining control of the city, and that it had sent additional military units to defend Bakhmut.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had described the battles on the Bakhmut front as the most fierce, noting that Russia does not care about "the lives of the fighters at all, and is pushing them to attack our positions."
refugees in Poland
On the humanitarian level, Poland announced that the number of Ukrainians who entered its territory since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has exceeded 10 million.
The Polish Border Guard unit stated in a tweet on Twitter, Wednesday, that Poland has received a large wave of refugees since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
She added that the number of those who crossed from Ukraine to Poland since the beginning of the war has reached more than 10 million, noting that the number of Ukrainians who left Poland after entering it exceeded 8 million.