May use nuclear weapons only for defence: Russia Foreign Ministry

Moscow [Russia], June 15 : Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry told a news briefing on Thursday that Russia's hypothetical use of nuclear weapons may happen exclusively and will be possible only for defensive purposes, reported TASS.

The hypothetical use of nuclear weapons by Russia comes after Ukrainian forces are claiming some success in their offensives in the south and east, while Russia said its troops repelled Ukrainian offensive operations in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed of using nuclear weapons in extraordinary circumstances like for defensive purposes, reported Russia's news agency.

Zakharova said, "Russia's nuclear deterrence policy is strictly defensive. The hypothetical use of nuclear weapons is clearly limited by extraordinary circumstances within the framework of strictly defensive purposes."

She also noted that Moscow was fully committed to the principle of the inadmissibility of nuclear war.

Zakharova stressed, "There can be no winners in it. It must never be unleashed. We consistently call on all other parties to the joint statement of the leaders of the five nuclear states on the prevention of nuclear war and the inadmissibility of an arms race to adhere to these postulates."

Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian military commander has claimed that more than 100 square kilometres of territory have been regained in its counteroffensive against Russia, reported CNN.

Ukraine's Brigadier-General Oleksii Hromov told a media briefing, "We are ready to continue fighting to liberate our territory even with our bare hands."

Military officials also said that the Ukrainian army has moved forward by 3km (1.9 miles) near the village of Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region and by up to 7km (4.3 miles) near a village south of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, as per CNN.

Moreover, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark have joined hands to deliver "high priority" air defence equipment to Ukraine.

In a joint statement, on Thursday, these nations announced that hundreds of short- and medium-range air defence missiles and associated systems would be delivered to Ukraine.

The statement added that the delivery of the equipment has begun and "should be complete within several weeks."

The help was declared before the meeting of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Belgium, TASS reported.