Putin orders nuclear drills with troops near Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, the defence ministry said Monday.

Putin has upped his nuclear rhetoric since the Ukraine conflict began, warning in his address to the nation in February there was a "real" risk of nuclear war.

"During the exercise, a set of measures will be taken to practise the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the defence ministry said.

Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as tactical nuclear weapons, are designed for use on the battlefield and can be delivered via missiles.

The ministry said the exercises would take place "in the near future" and were aimed at ensuring Russia's territorial integrity in the face of "threats by certain Western officials".

Aircraft and naval forces will take part, as well as troops from the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine and includes the occupied Ukrainian territories, it said.

Western officials have become increasingly alarmed by the Kremlin's nuclear rhetoric during the offensive in Ukraine, with Putin frequently invoking Russia's nuclear doctrine.

Last year Russia ditched its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and pulled out of a key arms reduction agreement with the United States.

Ukrainian drone stikes

A Ukrainian drone attack hit vehicles carrying workers in Russia's frontier Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35, the governor said Monday.

Belgorod has come under an increasing number of fatal Ukrainian drone and missile attacks in recent months and Monday's bombardment is the deadliest in weeks.

"Unfortunately, as a result of an explosion, six people died at the scene from their wounds," Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

He added that "35 people were wounded" in the attack near the village of Berezyovka.

Gladkov said the attack hit two vans transporting employees of a nearby factory as well as a passenger vehicle.

The Belgorod government said the vehicles belonged to a meat production facility.

Gladkov said two children were among the wounded and that one man was in "serious condition" and undergoing surgery.

The official published a photograph of that back of a bus that had blown out windows and a damaged roof.