Russia, which continues its military invasion of Ukraine, has shifted its focus from the fiercely fought area of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk Oblast, but there is a view that troop losses are continuing. Against this backdrop, the Russian government has announced that it will hold a meeting next month to strengthen cooperation with neighboring Belarus, and the two leaders may exchange views on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.
Regarding the fierce battle site of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, the commander of the Ukrainian Army reiterated his determination to protect Bakhmut on SNS on the 28th, saying, "The Russian army has not given up on its attempts to encircle and seize the city."
On the other hand, there is a view that the Russian military is shifting the emphasis of its forces to Avdiivka, which is about 50 kilometers south of Bakhmut.
Regarding the situation in Avdiivka, the British Ministry of Defense said on the 28th that "the Russian army has been prioritizing the operation to encircle the city in the past few days," but analyzed that there was no major advance, and expressed the view that losses seem to be continuing due to problems such as indiscipline violations and low morale among the troops.
Against this backdrop, Russian Prime Minister Mishustin announced on May 27 that President Putin and President Lukashenko of Belarus, a neighboring and ally of Belarus, will hold a meeting on June 6 to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting will be held in Moscow, and there is a possibility that views will be exchanged on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which President Putin announced earlier.
In this regard, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 28th in response to a question from Russia's state-run TASS news agency, arguing that the acceptance of tactical nuclear weapons is necessary for strengthening the country's security and defense capabilities, and does not violate the NPT = Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.