Russia says ‘top priority’ is to avoid clash of nuke powers, warns of ‘consequences’

Russia has said the world’s top priority should be to avoid a military confrontation between nuclear powers, which could lead to “catastrophic consequences.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the Russian foreign ministry said under the current difficult and chaotic circumstances, in large part to efforts to weaken Russia’s national security, everyone's priority should be to try to avoid the global military conflict of nuclear powers.

Moscow also urged nuclear powers to refrain from encroaching on one another’s vital interests.

Western countries claim the war in Ukraine may lead to a nuclear confrontation.

"Russia is strictly and consistently guided by the tenet that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," the statement read.

Moscow's nuclear doctrine is "purely defensive in nature" and only allows the Kremlin to use such weapons in self-defense in the event of a nuclear attack or the country being threatened, it said.

The statement also called on the United States, Britain, France and China to cooperate “to solve this priority task."

Putin: Moscow reserves right to quit grain deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he reserves the right for Russia to withdraw from the international agreement that allows Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea. However, Putin said he would not prevent Ukraine from sending grain to Turkey.

Moscow withdrew from the deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, on Saturday, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships crossing the Black Sea because of drone attacks.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement that with the help of the United Nations and Turkey as a member of NATO, it has received sufficient written guarantees from Ukraine that it will not use the safe transportation corridor or designated ports of Ukraine for attacks against Russia.

Putin confirmed receipt of the pledges and said if Russia backs down again due to Ukrainian violations, it will replace the entire volume of grain sent to the "poorest countries" free of charge from its reserves.

Russia extends evacuation zone in southern Ukraine

Russia has asked civilians to leave a swath of Ukraine along the eastern bank of the Dnipro, and has accused Kiev of plotting to use prohibited methods of war against its forces in the region.

President Putin ordered the incorporation of the Kherson region into Russia after referendums in four Ukrainian regions in late September.

The mouth of the wide Dnipro River has become one of the most consequential frontlines in recent weeks. Russia has thousands of troops there and has been working to expand reinforcements.

On Monday, Ukrainian officials reported multiple missile strikes in cities across the country, including the capital Kiev, after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking its Black Sea fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said missiles had targeted energy infrastructure in Kiev and other cities, causing electricity and water outages.

Russia said the ships targeted in the Saturday attack had been involved in an internationally-brokered deal to allow grain exports from Ukrainian ports. Following the attack, the Kremlin announced it was suspending its participation in the deal.

The Ukrainian government has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack on the Russian fleet.

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