Russian troops have taken the recently contested strategically important city of Sievjerodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Both sides confirmed this in the evening. Russia wants to deliver Iskander-type surface-to-ground missiles to Belarus, which can also be equipped with nuclear-capable missiles. President Vladimir Putin promised the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. According to Ukrainian sources, a nuclear research facility in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov has again been shot at. The 121st day of the war at a glance.

Putin: Russia will deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus ‘in the coming months’

Russia will soon deliver nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus, according to President Vladimir Putin. As Putin announced at a meeting with Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko, “in the coming months” Russia will deliver the Iskander-M missile system to Belarus, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads.

Lukashenko had already announced the planned purchase of Iskander missiles and S-400 air defense systems from Russia in May. Putin has now also promised Lukashenko to help upgrade Belarusian warplanes so that they can also transport nuclear weapons in the future.

Kyiv: Moscow is trying to ‘draw Belarus into the war’

After Ukrainian reports of Russian rocket attacks from Belarus, the leadership in Kyiv accuses Russia of wanting to involve its ally Belarus in the war. “Today’s attack is directly related to the Kremlin’s efforts to drag Belarus into the war in Ukraine as a comrade-in-arms,” ??the General Directorate of Ukraine’s Intelligence Service, which reports to the Defense Ministry, told Telegram. According to information from Kyiv, Russia had fired rockets at several Ukrainian regions, including those from neighboring Belarus.

Nuclear research center in Kharkiv under fire

According to Ukrainian sources, a nuclear research facility in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov has again come under fire. Buildings and infrastructure such as ventilation ducts were damaged, the country’s nuclear regulatory authority said. The part of the facility where the nuclear fuel is stored was not mentioned in the damage listing. No increased radiation was found. Ukraine blamed Russia for the attack. But that could not be checked.

Staff are currently investigating the damage. But this is made more difficult because of the risk of new attacks, it said. In the event of a new shelling by Russian troops, it cannot be ruled out that nuclear safety could be impaired, the authority said.

Sieverodonetsk is “completely occupied”

“After units of our troops withdrew, the enemy got stuck in Sieverodonetsk,” the Ukrainian General Staff said. Earlier, Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said on Ukrainian television that Sieverodonetsk was “completely occupied” by Russian forces. Russia also reported in the evening that it had control of the city. Pro-Russian fighters from the Luhansk People’s Republic “completely liberated” the city with the support of Russian troops, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Ukraine had already announced its withdrawal from Sievjerodonetsk on Friday.

Russian troops also claim to have taken the entire left bank of the Severskyi Donets river in the Luhansk region.

Separatists: Russian army advances to Lysychansk

Troops loyal to Moscow are on the southern outskirts of Lysychansk. The neighboring city of the conquered Sieverodonetsk has become the next target of the Russian army. According to the pro-Russian separatists, their troops are said to have already advanced into the town. The Russian army and the militia of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic have invaded there, said Andrei Maroshko, a representative of the pro-Russian separatists, in the online service Telegram. “There are street fights at the moment.” The information could not be independently verified.

British intelligence: Russia exchanges several generals

British intelligence sees several changes in the Russian high command for the war in Ukraine. In its daily situation report, the Ministry of Defense writes that since the beginning of June it is highly likely that several generals have been replaced from key operational leadership positions. Among them are said to be the commander of the airborne troops, Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov, and the supreme commander of the southern troop formation, General Alexander Dvornikov. According to British intelligence, command is said to have passed to Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin.

Moscow: 800 soldiers killed in one day

In the bitter battle for eastern Ukraine, Russian troops said they killed almost 800 enemy soldiers within 24 hours – including 80 volunteer fighters from Poland. The “mercenaries” were liquidated by a rocket attack on a zinc plant in the city of Kostyantynivka, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow. A rocket attack on Mykolaiv in the south killed about 300 soldiers. The government in Kyiv also reported heavy shelling in many areas.

Other important articles on the Ukraine war:

You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.