Liveblog: ++ Lavrov calls fighter jet deliveries “nuclear threat” ++

Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov has accused the West of creating a “nuclear threat” by supplying fighter jets to Ukraine. The head of the security conference, Heusgen, criticizes the NATO damper for Ukraine. The developments in the live blog.

Russia’s military leadership has reportedly fired the commander-in-chief of the Russian 58th Army stationed in southern Ukraine, Ivan Popov. Addressing the soldiers in a voice message circulated on Duma Deputy Andrei Gurulev’s Telegram channel, Popov said he had been relieved of his post because of his criticism of inefficient warfare. “I have drawn attention to the greatest tragedy of modern warfare – the lack of artillery detection and countermeasures and the multiple deaths and injuries at the hands of enemy artillery.” After that, the Ministry of Defense got rid of him.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the West of creating a nuclear threat for Russia by supplying Ukraine with modern fighter jets. “The United States and its NATO satellites create the risk of a direct military conflict with Russia, and that can have catastrophic consequences,” Lavrov told the Russian internet portal lenta.ru. Russia cannot ignore the fact that the F-16 fighter jets that the West wants to supply to Ukraine can potentially carry nuclear weapons, the Russian diplomat said. “We will consider the mere fact of the emergence of such systems in the Ukrainian armed forces as a nuclear threat from the West,” Lavrov said. At the same time, the minister denied that Russia was planning a nuclear strike in Ukraine.

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, has criticized NATO for not inviting Ukraine to join after Russia’s war of aggression at its summit. “There is a fear that Ukraine’s NATO membership could lead to a new world war,” Heusgen told the editorial network Germany. “I think caution and restraint play a role here, out of concern that even an invitation for later membership will be seen as an escalation of the conflict on the part of NATO.” But the reality is different: “It’s Vladimir Putin who keeps escalating.”

According to Russian information, the private mercenary group Wagner has handed over numerous heavy weapons to the Ministry of Defence. Germany apparently wants to supply more parts for the Patriot missile defense system. Wednesday’s developments to read.