MOSCOW: The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said on Thurs­day his troops had started transferring their positions in the flashpoint eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut to the Russian military.

Japan said it had scrambled fighter jets after detecting Russian “intelligence gathering” planes off its coastline, while Moscow announced China’s special envoy would discuss Ukraine with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

In Bakhmut, Wagner said it began pulling out its fighters after claiming to have fully captured the destro­yed city at the weekend.

“We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today. We are handing over positions to the military, ammu­nition and everything,” Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video.

“We pull back, we rest, we prepare and then we will get new tasks,” added Prigozhin.

Russia begins moving nuclear weapons to Belarus

Ukraine, which denies that Bakhmut has fallen to Russia, insisted it still controlled a “micro district” of the ruined city and said it was still advancing on the flanks.

Scrambled fighter jets

Japan scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after Russian “intelligence-gathering” aircraft were detected off its coasts along the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan, the country’s Joint Staff said.

One Russian aircraft travelled from Japan’s north down along part of its west coast, while the other took a similar route along the opposite coast and returned the same way, the Joint Staff said in a brief statement.

“In response, fighters of the Air Self-Defence Force’s Northern Air Force and other units were scrambled,” it added.

Moving weapons

Belarusian leader Alexan­der Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia had begun moving nuclear weapons to its western neighbour and ally, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to transfer them in March.

There were no new comments from Russia on bringing the nuclear weapons to Belarus. “The transfer of nuclear munitions has begun,” Luka­shenko said told reporters during a visit to Moscow.

Lukashenko has allowed his territory — which borders Ukraine as well as EU and Nato members Poland and Lithuania — to serve as a launching pad for Russia’s Ukraine offensive. Luka­shenko said Putin had informed him on Wednes­day that he had signed a decree on the transfer.

Talks with China envoy

Russia’s foreign ministry announced a visit to Moscow by China’s special envoy for Ukraine, Li Hui.

His visit to the Russian capital, where he is expected to meet the country’s top diplomat Lavrov on Friday, comes after Li met Zelensky in Kyiv. Li has said there is “no panacea to resolve the crisis”.

China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of terrorising Ukrainians, as his military announced it had shot down 36 Iranian-made attack drones deplo­yed by Moscow’s forces. “The enemy continued to terrorise Ukraine by laun­ching 36 Shaheds. None reached their target,” Zelensky said.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2023