© Elisabeth Mandl/Reuters
© Planet Labs
© Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times
© Doug Mills/The New York Times
© Doug Mills/The New York Times
© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, via Reuters
Belarus will practice “planning the use” of nuclear weapons and Oreshnik missiles during joint military exercises with Russia scheduled for 12-16 September, Defense Minister Viktor Krenin announced, according to Belarusian state news agency BELTA.
“We will, of course, within the framework of the West-2025 exercise, together with our Russian colleagues, work out issues of planning the use of this type of weapons,” Krenin said when asked whether the drills would include planning for nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik missile system.
The Belarusian defense chief emphasized that “nuclear weapons are capable of inflicting unacceptable damage on potential adversaries” while describing them primarily as “an important element of strategic deterrence.”
Krenin repeated Russian narratives about the alleged “militarization” and “military activity” of the West along Belarus’s western and northern borders. He warned that NATO leadership was supposedly using West-2025 as a pretext for conducting their own exercises and threatened a “response.”
“What worries us most is the decision of the Polish military leadership to create a grouping of more than 30-34 thousand servicemen. In our opinion, this is already a serious grouping. We need to monitor this very carefully (and we will do this) and react. If they show any aggression towards the Republic of Belarus, we have something to respond with,” the minister expressed particular concern about Polish military plans.
Russia accumulated military forces in Belarus before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, officially citing joint exercises as justification. In February 2022, Russian forces attacked Ukraine from Belarusian territory and subsequently launched ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets from Belarus.
In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Oreshnik systems could be deployed in Belarus in 2025, using the weapon system to pressure the West after Ukraine received permission for long-range strikes against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded that Putin was “waving the Oreshnik” to prevent US President Donald Trump from ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced Ukraine was developing its own air defense system and missile system as a deterrent against Oreshnik strikes.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has made contradictory statements about receiving the Oreshnik system, claiming in January 2025 that Belarus would receive it “any day,” then acknowledging in March that the promised weapons had not arrived. In July, Lukashenko stated the Oreshnik would allegedly be deployed in Belarus by year’s end.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told U.S. lawmakers that recent American military strikes dealt a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program by destroying the country’s only metal conversion facility, a U.S. official told Associated Press on June 29.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the intelligence, the official explained that Ratcliffe outlined the significance of the strike during a classified briefing last week, calling it a major setback that would take Tehran years to recover from.
Ratcliffe also told lawmakers that most of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium likely remains buried under rubble at the Isfahan and Fordo nuclear sites, two of the three key facilities targeted by U.S. strikes.
While the uranium may still be intact, the official emphasized that the destruction of the metal conversion facility has left Iran without a crucial component needed to build a nuclear weapon. "You can’t do a nuclear weapon without a conversion facility," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during the NATO summit. "We can’t even find where it is, where it used to be on the map. You can’t even find where it used to be because the whole thing is just blackened out. It’s gone. It’s wiped out."
President Donald Trump has continued to defend the operation, which came just before a ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect last Tuesday.
"It was obliterating like nobody’s ever seen before," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that assessment, stating the sites were “destroyed.”
A preliminary report by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, however, concluded the strikes inflicted significant damage but did not completely demolish the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on CBS’ "Face the Nation" that three major Iranian nuclear sites with “capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.”
However, he cautioned against overstating the damage. “Some is still standing,” Grossi said, adding, “If they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.” He emphasized that inspectors must be allowed in to fully assess the extent of the destruction. “Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there,” he said.
The destroyed metal conversion facility, located at the Isfahan nuclear site, had played a central role in Iran’s nuclear weapons development. The facility’s function—to convert enriched uranium gas into dense metal—is a critical step in producing the explosive core of a nuclear bomb. Ratcliffe emphasized this point during the classified hearing, describing the facility’s elimination as a strategic win that effectively undercuts Iran’s ability to weaponize its uranium.
Ratcliffe also told lawmakers that the 12-day U.S. assault severely weakened Iran’s air defense systems. According to the U.S. official, the CIA director explained that Iran now lacks the capability to defend against future Israeli airstrikes, making any attempts to rebuild its nuclear program highly vulnerable.
The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat
The United States would consider bombing Iran again if the country's nuclear program once again became of concern, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters during a press briefing on June 27.
When asked whether Trump would consider bombing Iran if the country were able to enrich uranium to a concerning level, Trump responded: "Sure. Without question, absolutely."
On June 21, the United States conducted strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, dropping over a dozen bunker buster bombs on the sites and causing significant damage to the country's nuclear program.
"Turned out to be unbelievable," Trump said of the strikes on June 27, despite mixed reports on the success of the strikes.
A leaked U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, reported by CNN, found that the strikes did not destroy the core of Tehran's nuclear program. Instead, the intelligence suggests the attacks likely delayed Iran's progress by "a few months."
Despite the leak, Trump administration officials have rebuffed reports that the strikes did not fully fulfill its object, amid reports of Iran having possibly moved its enriched uranium away from the sites.
"The objective was to eliminate enrichment in Iran… and he achieved that objective," U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on June 24, adding that he personally reviewed damage assessments and saw "no doubt" that key nuclear infrastructure was destroyed.
Trump's comments on future attacks comes as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplayed the success of the strikes, claiming victory over Israel and the United States.
"I SAVED (Khamenei) FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," Trump wrote on Truth social on June 27, adding that he has halted plans to potentially ease sanctions on Iran. "The sanction are BITING," Trump wrote.
"Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them," he added.
On June 24, Trump announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had come into effect, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and a retaliatory Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff condemned on June 24 the leak of an intelligence assessment that undercuts U.S. President Donald Trump's claims of having "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program.
His remarks follow a leaked U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, reported by CNN, which found that strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, did not destroy the core of Tehran's nuclear program. Instead, the intelligence suggests the attacks likely delayed Iran's progress by "a few months."
"It goes without saying that leaking that type of information, whatever the information, whatever side it comes out on, is outrageous. It's treasonous," Witkoff said during an appearance on Fox News. "It ought to be investigated, and whoever is responsible should be held accountable."
Witkoff, who served as Assistant to the U.S. president and led peace mission efforts during the recent conflict between Israel and Iran, defended Trump's portrayal of the U.S.-led strikes as a decisive success.
"The objective was to eliminate enrichment in Iran… and he achieved that objective," Witkoff said, adding that he personally reviewed damage assessments and saw "no doubt" that key nuclear infrastructure was destroyed.
The report leaked in media contradicts public statements from Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had described the operation as delivering "total obliteration." Trump, for his part, stood by the claim on June 24. "Those targets were obliterated," he said. "That place is demolished."
According to the DIA assessment, though the strikes damaged above-ground infrastructure, most of the centrifuges and the enriched uranium stockpile reportedly remain intact. The assessment also noted that underground sections of the sites, where Iran's most sensitive work is done, were largely unaffected. Two officials told CNN that Iran likely retains operational nuclear facilities that were not targeted.
Witkoff dismissed the report as "preposterous," insisting that the Isfahan conversion facility, critical to Iran's ability to weaponize enriched uranium, was "completely destroyed" by a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb.
"Without conversion, you can't begin or end enrichment," he said. "They cannot weaponize, even if they've enriched to 90%."
Witkoff also claimed successful targeting of Fordow and Natanz, saying the U.S. dropped more than a dozen bunker busters on the sites that made the facilities inoperable.
The White House acknowledged the assessment’s existence but strongly dismissed it. "This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
"The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration."
Trump, for his part, stood by his assessment of the mission's success. "I think it’s been completely demolished," he said on June 24. "Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated, and the pilots should be given credit.” Asked if Iran could rebuild, Trump responded: "That place is under rock. That place is demolished."
While both Trump and Hegseth praised the strikes as decisive, others expressed caution. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said it was "way too early" to determine whether Iran retained nuclear capabilities.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on June 22 that Iran’s nuclear program must be dismantled to prevent it from threatening the Middle East or the wider world, following U.S. air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“The Iranian regime’s aggressive actions and long-standing destructive policy aimed at undermining global peace and security – particularly its hostility toward Israel and others – have led to the current situation,” the ministry said in an official statement.
These comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on June 21 that the U.S. air strikes targeted three nuclear sites in Iran, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, joining Israel's campaign against Iran's nuclear program amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The ministry added that Iran continues to destabilize the region through its support of proxy groups and is complicit in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Iran is complicit in the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The Iranian regime is providing military assistance to Russia, including the supply of UAVs and technologies that Russia consistently uses to kill people and destroy critical infrastructure,” the statement read.
The ministry noted that although the U.S. and other nations have made peaceful diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, these efforts have ultimately failed to produce meaningful results.
“As early as this spring, the United States warned Iran of the consequences in the absence of constructive steps.”
Ukraine also asserted its unique moral position on nuclear issues, having given up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in the 1990s, and argued that the elimination of Iran’s nuclear ambitions would enhance global safety.
Meanwhile, Moscow has diplomatically backed Iran after Israel launched the initial air strikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets on June 13, an operation that sparked further waves of aerial attacks from both sides.
In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry urged a response from the U.N. Security Council, saying that "the confrontational actions of the U.S. and Israel must be collectively rejected."
The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that he plans to travel to Russia on June 22 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The statement was made during Araghchi's press conference in Istanbul on June 22, according to Associated Press.
"We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions," Araghchi said with reference to Russia.
Araghchi also said that there is "no red line" that the U.S. has not crossed in its recent actions against Iran.
Earlier that day, Russia condemned the U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them a violation of international law and Iran's sovereignty, a statement in stark contrast to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry urged a response from the U.N. Security Council, saying that "the confrontational actions of the U.S. and Israel must be collectively rejected."
Tehran provides Moscow with ballistic missiles and thousands of Shahed attack drones for its war against Ukraine as part of Russia and Iran's close strategic partnership.
Russia and Iran have cooperated to develop their own nuclear programs as both countries face Western sanctions. Russia supplied Iran with the Middle East's first nuclear power plant despite objections from the West.
The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post
The United States conducted air strikes on nuclear sites in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 21, calling the attacks a "spectacular success."
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air airspace," Trump said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. attacks and warned they will have "everlasting consequences," with Tehran requesting an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting.
Israel and Iran have exchanged strikes in recent days as Israel voices concern over Tehran's continued development of nuclear weapons.
The White House has backed Israel, remaining cautious in escalating its role in the conflict. The strikes mark U.S. military involvement in the conflict.
"A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors," Trump said.
The U.S. president shared a separate post with a screenshot that said, "Fordow is gone."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had detected no increase in radiation at the targeted sites, while the Iranian state media and officials sought to downplay the damage.
"Iran must now agree to end this war," Trump then said in another post on social media.
Trump later held a live address where he reiterated calls for Iran to join negotiations as the U.S. and Israel demand that Iran abandon its nuclear program.
"This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left," Trump said.
Trump has called for Tehran to negotiate an end to the conflict as Israel and Iran exchange strikes.
The U.S. president hopes that the strikes will push Iran to the negotiating table, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, adding that the U.S. is not planning additional military actions in Iran.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has condemned Trump's decision to conduct air strikes without congressional approval.
"President Trump must provide the American people and Congress clear answers on the actions taken tonight and their implications for the safety of Americans," Schumer said.
Israel asked the U.S. to join military operations targeting Iran’s nuclear program, including a strike on the fortified Fordow uranium enrichment site, Axios reported on June 14, citing two Israeli officials.
Trump suggested in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would consider joining the operation if needed, an Israeli official told Axios.
A White House official denied that claim on June 13. Another U.S. official confirmed that Israel had urged the U.S. to take part, but said Washington is not currently considering involvement.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told Fox News on June 13 that "the entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow."
Russia and Iran have cooperated to develop their own nuclear programs as both countries face Western sanctions.
Russia supplied Iran with the Middle East's first nuclear power plant despite objections from the West.
Iran has assisted Russia in its war against Ukraine, providing drones and missiles. Tehran has helped Moscow develop weapons of its own. Russia's Geran drone is modelled after the Iranian Shahed drone.
The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post
Satellite images reveal that Russia has expanded and modernized at least five nuclear-related facilities near European borders in recent years, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported on June 16, citing new imagery obtained from Planet Labs.
One of the most notable developments is in Kaliningrad, where the suspected nuclear weapons storage site has undergone significant reconstruction.
Images taken in May 2025 show the addition of triple-layered fencing, new buildings, and advanced communications equipment. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski previously said that up to 100 tactical nuclear warheads might be stored at the site.
Kaliningrad, a militarized Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania, is a key concern for NATO because of its advanced missile systems and expanding nuclear infrastructure.
The Osipovichi base in Belarus, a former Soviet nuclear storage facility, is also being renovated. Satellite imagery shows new air defense installations and a modernized loading platform for rail-based logistics.
In Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic archipelago long linked to Soviet-era nuclear testing, several new buildings have appeared, reinforcing its role as a potential site for future test activities.
On the Kola Peninsula, near the borders with Finland and Norway, Russia has built about 50 storage bunkers for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and constructed a specialized pier for loading those missiles onto submarines, according to the imagery.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson responded to the findings, saying Stockholm is "closely monitoring" Russian nuclear capabilities. Sweden officially joined NATO in March 2024 after years of non-alignment, citing escalating Russian threats as a primary reason.
The Kremlin has repeatedly used nuclear threats to pressure Ukraine and Western countries since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy
Connexion