US PRESIDENT Joe Biden has sent a fierce WARNING of "consequences" to Vladimir Putin if he was use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine.
In a preview for this Sunday’s 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley asked Joe Biden what words he would offer Putin if he is considering using nuclear weapons.
Biden responded: “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. You will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.”
Pelley then asked the president for America’s response if Putin was to cross the line.
“It’ll be consequential,” Biden said.
Adding: “[Russia] will become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been.
“And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur.”
Read our Ukraine-Russia blog below for the latest updates…
- Henry Moore
A visual look at Ukraine's heroic counteroffensive
Over the last week, Ukrainian forces have taken back large swathes of the Kharkiv region.
Russian forces have been forced to retreat as Zelensky's soldiers regained around 3,000 miles of land.
Here is a visual look at the gains:
- Henry Moore
Famous Ukrainian ballet dancer dies in Donetsk
Oleksandr Shapoval, a famed Ukrainian ballet dancer, was killed in Donetsk after volunteering to defend Ukraine.
Images have now been released of Ukrainian soldiers paying their respects to the fallen soldier.
Shapoval was a soloist of the Ukrainian National Opera.
- Henry Moore
Ukraine receives $1.5bn in extra funding
Ukraine has received the final instalment of its $4.5bn in financial aid from the World Bank Trust Fund.
According to a Ukrainian government official, the payment will be used to "reimburse budget expenditure for pension payments and social assistance programmes."
- Henry Moore
Pope says supplying weapons to Ukraine is 'morally acceptable'
Pope Francis has defended the act of sending weapons to Ukraine, as "self-defence."
According to Reuters, the religious leader emphasised the need for Ukrainians to protect their homeland.
"Self defence is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend (something) loves it," he said
- Henry Moore
Ukraine’s First Lady to attend Her Majesty’s funeral
First Lady Olena Zelenska is one of the hundreds of high-profile dignitaries set to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
A source said: “Olena Zelenska’s presence is yet another sign of the global support for Ukraine while Russia is isolated.
“Britain is one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies. Her presence at the funeral is a sign of that friendship and mutual respect.”
- Henry Moore
Russia brands funeral snub ‘profoundly immoral & blasphemous’
Russia has slammed the UK for not inviting its representatives to Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the snub as an “attempt to use the national tragedy for geopolitical purposes”.
She said: “We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country… as deeply immoral.
“This is particularly blasphemous towards Elizabeth II’s memory.”
She added: “The unifying image of Queen Elizabeth II, who has not interfered with politics as a matter of principle during her reign, has not become an obstacle to London’s dissenting attacks, which are subject to accomplishing their own conjectural objectives.
“For our part, we express our profound condolences to the British people for the great loss that befell them.”
- Louis Allwood
‘Convicts’ recruited to join the Russian army in Ukraine
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group has been recruiting convicts to join the Russian army in Ukraine.
“Kremlin-linked Russian private military company Wagner Group has been conducting a campaign to recruit Russian convicts for service in Ukraine since at least July,” the report claims.
“Prisoners have been offered commutation of their sentences as well as cash incentives.
“This has been reinvigorated, with a recently posted video highly likely showing Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin making a recruitment pitch to prisoners. In the video, Prigozhin emphasises that he is only seeking ‘fighters for assault units’.”
- Louis Allwood
Chilling warning sent to Xi Jinping
Russia's bloodthirsty dictator sent a chilling warning to the United States as he met with China's Xi Jinping.
Putin met with the Chinese leader at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan, their first meeting since his brutal invasion of Ukraine began.
The meeting saw the Russian despot send a stark warning to the United States and its allies.
"The United States and its allies, who supply weapons to the Kyiv regime, are actually becoming accomplices in its war crimes,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“If Washington decides to supply Kyiv with longer-range missiles, it will cross the red line and become a direct party to the conflict."
- Louis Allwood
Kherson administration building hit by missile
On Friday, shocking footage showed smoke billowing from the roof of the city's Russian-occupied administration building after Ukraine's missile attack.
Russian-backed separatists in the city said Ukrainian forces had bombarded government buildings – killing at least three people and leaving 13 wounded.
Pro-Kremlin officials had reportedly been meeting in the building, which served as the headquarters for the Russian occupiers in the area.
- Louis Allwood
Russia hit with more losses
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence have claimed that Russia have lost a further 200 troops taking the total number to 54,250.
Russia have also lost a further 11 armoured vehicles as well as three more tanks.
- Louis Allwood
Putin blames Europe's restrictions
Putin has said that if the European Union wanted more gas it should lift sanctions preventing the opening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The Nord Stream 2 sits alongside the Nord Stream 1 and was built a year ago, however Germany chose not to proceed with this due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Putin said: "The bottom line is, if you have an urge, if it's so hard for you, just lift the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which is 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year, just push the button and everything will get going."
- Louis Allwood
Biden claims there will be ‘consequences’ if Putin uses nuclear weapons
In a preview for this Sunday's 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley asked the president what words he would offer Putin if he is considering using nuclear weapons.
Biden responded: "Don't. Don't. Don't. You will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II."
Pelley then asked the president for America's response if Putin was to cross the line.
"It'll be consequential," Biden said.
Adding: "[Russia] will become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been.
"And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur."
- Louis Allwood
Zelensky speak out after mass graves discovery
Bodies are being dug out of around 450 graves near Izyum after being killed by Vladimir Putin’s troops as they withdrew in the face of Ukraine’s lightning advance.
Zelensky Tweeted: "Russia is a terrorist country. I don't know why the world is slow to recognise it.
"We liberated Izium. Over 400 graves were found in the forest next to it.
"How many tortured Ukrainians are there is unknown. How many more of our people must die so that all finally figured it out?"
- Louis Allwood
Ukraine's MoD send hilarious response after Russia leave behind 'tons of ammunition'
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence have said that they received "thousands of tons of ammunition" since Russia's recent retreat.
They have however, refused to accept the "gifts" and so, will be returning everything "in the coming days".
The MoD said that the weapons will be getting returned "right down to the last shell" hinting that they will use the weapons against the Russians.
- Louis Allwood
Ministry of Defence release latest intelligence update
The Ministry of Defence have confirmed that Russian forces have now "established a defensive line".
The MoD said: "Ukraine continues offensive operations in the north-east of the country while Russian forces have established a defensive line between the Oskil River and the town of Svatove.
"Russia likely sees maintaining control of this zone as important because it is transited by one of the few main resupply routes Russia still controls from the Belgorod region of Russia.
"In addition, this line sits along the border of Luhansk Oblast, part of the Donbas, which Russia aims to ‘liberate’ as one of its immediate war aims. Any substantial loss of territory in Luhansk will unambiguously undermine Russia’s strategy.
"Russia will likely attempt to conduct a stubborn defence of this area, but it is unclear whether Russia’s front line forces have sufficient reserves or adequate morale to withstand another concerted Ukrainian assault."
- Louis Allwood
Close to 400 children killed
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, 384 children have been killed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The largest number of casualties was reported in Donetsk Oblast, where 393 children have been killed or injured.
- Louis Allwood
Russian losses surpass 54,000
Russian losses have surpassed 54,000 as of September 16, according to Ukrainian military sources.
200 of these losses reportedly came in the last 24 hours.
Russia has also lost 250 planes, and 2,199 tanks during the war in Ukraine.
- Louis Allwood
Putin takes drastic measures to bolster crumbling Ukraine frontline
Putin’s desperate generals have started recruiting violent and dangerous inmates to fight on the front line in Ukraine.
Murderers and sex offenders from some of Russia‘s most notorious prison camps are among the new volunteers signing up for Putin‘s doomed war in Ukraine.
In a video shared online, hundreds of inmates at a high-security penal colony in Mordovia line up in front of a recruiter.
The speaker is the infamous Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s chef”, who is believed to be in charge of the Wagner group of mercenaries.
- Louis Allwood
United States invests a further $600m in Ukraine
Ukraine's Minister of Defence, Oleksii Reznikov, has announced a new package of financial aid from the US.
The $600 million package includes ammunition, mine clearing equipment, night vision devices and cold weather equipment.
Recent reports have claimed it will take around $300 billion for Ukraine to fully recover from Russia's brutal invasion.
- Louis Allwood
Ukraine's First Lady to attend Her Majesty's funeral
First Lady Olena Zelenska is one of the hundreds of high-profile dignitaries set to attend the Queen's funeral on Monday.
A source said: “Olena Zelenska’s presence is yet another sign of the global support for Ukraine while Russia is isolated.
“Britain is one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies. Her presence at the funeral is a sign of that friendship and mutual respect.”
- Louis Allwood
UN to investigate mass grave in Kharkiv
Following the discovery of a grave filled with 440 people in Izyum, a city in the Kharviv region, the UN will send investigators to look into the crime.
“They (monitors) are aiming to go there to try to establish a bit more about what may have happened,” said Liz Throssell a spokesperson for the UN's human rights office, reports the Independent.
No time frame was given for the investigation.
- Louis Allwood
Nato chief cautious amid Ukrainian victories
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that while Ukraine's successful counteroffensive is "encouraging", Zelensky and his allies must be "prepared for the long haul."
“It is of course extremely encouraging to see that Ukrainian armed forces have been able to take back territory and also strike behind Russian lines,” Stoltenberg said, speaking to BBC radio.
“At the same time, we need to understand that this is not the beginning of the end of the war, we need to be prepared for the long haul.”
- Louis Allwood
Russia brands funeral snub ‘profoundly immoral & blasphemous’
Russia has slammed the UK for not inviting its representatives to Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the snub as an “attempt to use the national tragedy for geopolitical purposes”.
She said: “We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country… as deeply immoral.
“This is particularly blasphemous towards Elizabeth II’s memory.”
She added: “The unifying image of Queen Elizabeth II, who has not interfered with politics as a matter of principle during her reign, has not become an obstacle to London’s dissenting attacks, which are subject to accomplishing their own conjectural objectives.
“For our part, we express our profound condolences to the British people for the great loss that befell them.”
- Louis Allwood
Horrifying mass grave discovered in liberated Ukrainian city
A mass grave of at least 440 people has been found in Izyum, a city in the Kharviv region.
Previously under Russian control, Ukrainian forces liberated the city this week.
Chief Police Investigator Serhii Bolvinov said the victims had been shot, but added that each body will be investigated.
The police officer told Sky News: "I can say that there is one of the biggest burials in one liberated city, which contains more than 440 graves.
"Some 440 bodies were buried in one place.
"We know that some were killed [shot dead], some died because of artillery fire, so-called mine explosion traumas. Some died because of airstrikes.
"Also we have information that a lot of bodies have not been not identified yet. So the reasons of death will be established during the investigations."
He went on to say: "For me, it was especially shocking and horrific and this is a crime against humanity. It shouldn't be like this in a civilised world in 2022.
"This is such a horrendous story and unpleasant from any angle. I am confident that the evil will definitely be punished."
- Louis Allwood
Russia shortens soldier training camps as losses mount
As Russia continues to lose troops in Ukraine, training for soldiers has been shortened, claims the British MoD.
"Russian military academies are shortening training courses and bringing cadets graduation dates forwards.
"This is almost certainly so cadets can be deployed to support the Ukraine operation. The impact of Russia's manpower challenge has become increasingly severe.
"The acceleration of officer cadets’ training and Wagner’s demand for assault troops suggests that two of the most critical shortages within the military manning crisis are probably combat infantry and junior commanders."
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