Russia-Ukraine war: Belarus says transfer of nuclear weapons from Russia has begun – as it happened

Russia moved ahead on Thursday with a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president, claimed that the relocation of some of the weapons from Russia to Belarus had already started, according to reports.

Unverified footage appears to show a drone speedboat attack on the Russian naval vessel the Ivan Khurs in the Black Sea on Wednesday. The video appears to show at least one of the drones getting extremely close to the ship, though it remains unclear whether or not any damage was done.

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has begun withdrawing its forces from the devastated Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, according to its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Ukraine has secured the release of 106 captured soldiers in a prisoner exchange with Russia on Thursday, according to Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff. The soldiers, including eight officers, were reportedly said to have been captured fighting in Bakhmut.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the ambassadors of Germany, Sweden and Denmark to protest over what it described as the “complete lack of results” in an investigation to identify who blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.

Ukraine said on Thursday it had shot down all 36 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks which it claims likely targeted key infrastructure and military facilities.

Russia has denied a fire broke out at the ministry of defence in Moscow, after users on social media and reports in the local Tass news agency said emergency services had been called to the building. State-owned Tass initially reported on a fire at the ministry early on Thursday morning, but later reported the ministry saying there was none.