The Latest Updates on the Ukrainian War on the 396th Day [Updated at 13:05]

Live text broadcast – short and concise about the most important things in the Ukrainian war on March 26. Ukraine has been heroically defending its land against the aggressor’s invasion for a whole year.

13:05. With his announcement about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken Belarus as a nuclear hostage, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, said on Sunday.

“Putin’s announcement about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is a step towards internal destabilization of the country, it increases the level of negative perception and rejection of Russia and Putin in Belarusian society to the maximum,” Danilov tweeted.

“The Kremlin has taken Belarus as a nuclear hostage,” added Danilov.

11:45. Analysts of the US think tank “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW) have concluded that Putin’s announcement about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is not related to the risk of a nuclear war, and that such a risk is still very low.

With such a statement, Putin is trying to take advantage of Western concerns about nuclear escalation, according to analysts.

10:50. The loss of Russian troops in Ukraine has reached 170,550 soldiers by Sunday morning, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army.

According to the data of the General Staff, 660 invaders were destroyed during the day.

09:05. The United States does not believe that Russia is going to use nuclear weapons, the National Security Council of the United States has stated, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

“We see no reason to adjust our strategic nuclear posture, nor any indication that Russia is going to use nuclear weapons,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

00:10. The statement of British intelligence allowed that Russia in Ukraine could reorient operational attention to Avdiyivka, which is located south of Bakhmut, and to the Kreminna-Svatov sector in the north. In these areas, Russia could only try to stabilize the front line.

“This indicates a general return to an operational plan that is more defense-oriented after Russia has not achieved convincing results in an attempted general attack since January 2023,” the British Ministry of Defense announced.