Explosions in Kyiv as Zelensky says Putin is afraid to use nuclear weapons: Live

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine have been prepared and are about to be formalised.

“The amendments have been prepared, and will now be formalised,” Mr Peskov told a Russian state TV reporter yesterday.

Last week, president Vladimir Putin warned the West that under proposed changes to the doctrine Russia could use nuclear arms if it was struck with conventional missiles and would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.

Mr Peskov cited the international situation, escalating tensions near Russia’s borders and the growing proximity of Nato infrastructure to them, and what he called the deeper involvement of Western nuclear powers’ in the Ukraine war on Kyiv’s side, as the backdrop for the changes to the doctrine.

He did not mention Russia’s arms imports from Iran and North Korea, including drones and ballistic missiles, which are widely reported to have been used to strike Ukrainian cities.

More than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia yesterday, officials said.

Russia’s ministry of defence reported that it had shot down 125 drones overnight across seven regions. The southwestern region of Volgograd came under particularly heavy fire, with 67 Ukrainian drones reportedly downed by Russian air defences.

The barrage of drones sparked a wildfire and set an apartment block alight in one of the largest barrages seen over Russian skies since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Of these, 17 drones were also seen over Russia’s Voronezh region, where falling debris damaged an apartment block and a private home, said governor Aleksandr Gusev. Photos posted on social media showed flames rising from the windows of the top floor of a high-rise building. No casualties were reported. A further 18 drones were reported over Russia’s Rostov region, where falling debris sparked a wildfire, said governor Vasily Golubev.

Russia never confirms the full extent of damage or loss to life caused by Ukrainian attacks, especially those that succeed in causing military losses.

Three days before his communist government turns 75, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi warned his fellow leaders against an “expansion of the battlefield” in Russia’s war with Ukraine and said the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict toward its end.

“The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield… China is committed to playing a constructive role,” Mr Yi said. He warned against other nations “throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains,” a likely reference to the US.

China has been an ally of Russia, a nation that has been accused of violating the UN Charter by secretary-general António Guterres, the US and many nations.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is afraid to use nuclear weapons because “he loves his life”.

“Nobody knows what’s in his head,” Mr Zelensky said in the interview with Fox News. “He could use nuclear (weapons) on any country at any time – or not. (But) I don’t think that he will,” he said.

Putin warned the West last week that under proposed changes to its nuclear doctrine, Russia could use atomic weapons if it were struck with conventional missiles – saying it would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack.

The warning has been viewed as a direct response to the discussions among Western leaders, including prime minister Keir Starmer and US president Joe Biden, about allowing Kyiv permission to strike Russia with long-range weapons supplied by the West.

Loud explosions were heard in Ukraine’s Kyiv as Russia launched several waves of drone attacks, Ukraine’s military said.

The Ukrainian air defence units were engaged in repelling the strikes for several hours, they said.

Kyiv and its surrounding region and all of the eastern part of Ukraine has remained under air raid alerts since around 1am this morning. Witnesses in the Ukrainian capital confirmed they had heard numerous blasts in Kyiv in what sounded like air defence systems repelling the incoming Russian drones.

“Several enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) are over and near the capital,” Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, asking citizens to remain careful.

Ukraine’s air force said several groups of Russian drone attacks were heading towards Kyiv and Ukraine’s west. Russia also fired several guided bombs around 4.40am from the Ukrainian territory it controls, the air force said.