Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin suspends key US-Russia nuclear treaty in speech denouncing West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided an update on Monday's strike by Russian forces, citing that the blasts came from a "new batch" of drones.

Zelenskyy, however, said in a statement that most of the Iranian Shaheds drones "fell short of their intended targets,"

"[Thirty] Shaheds were shot down - not bad," he said in a statement.

Zelenskyy appealed to the leaders of the Northern European countries with a request to provide more weapons, shells, and new defense capabilities.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko have concluded their talks in Belarus’ capital Minsk, hailing their countries’ close relationship, but giving few details of any agreements they reached.

The two leaders gave a joint press conference following their talks in front of their top officials, including Putin’s defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, and foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.

Putin and Lukashenko gave little indication they had agreed for Belarus to play a greater role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. But Putin said the two sides had agreed to continue joint military exercises and were developing a shared military doctrine.

Lukashenko and Putin both said they agreed Russia would train Belarusian pilots to fly nuclear-capable bombers. The Kremlin and Lukashenko have previously hinted at the possibility Russia would deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus -- an apparent threat to Europe.

"I consider it possible to continue the implementation of the proposal of the President of Belarus to train the crews of combat aircraft of the Belarusian army, which have already been converted for the possible use of air-launched ammunition with a special warhead," Putin said.

Putin also denied that Russia had any intention of “swallowing” anyone up, referring to speculation that Russia has pressured Lukashenko to sacrifice Belarus’ political and economic independence to Moscow in return for its help in propping up his dictatorship.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell

Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Belarus Monday for a meeting with his ally Alexander Lukashenko amid fears Russia is seeking to force Belarus’ army into directly joining the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed as "absolutely ridiculous conjecture" speculation Putin will attempt to force Lukashenko into sending troops to fight in Ukraine.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet in the Belarus’ capital, Minsk. Talks will center on "military questions," Peskov said without providing specifics.

This is the first time Putin has visited Belarus since 2019, and the trip comes amid warnings from Ukrainian commanders that Putin is preparing to launch a fresh offensive against Ukraine in early 2023.

Russia launched an unsuccessful attack on Kyiv in February from Belarus and it has long been believed the Kremlin is pressuring Lukashenko to send Belarusian troops to bolster Russia’s floundering war.

- ABC News' Patrick Reevell

A little over a week since he was freed in the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner, the Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout has visited the city of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, one of the regional capitals of the Donbas that is occupied by Russia.

Bout took part in a ceremony opening the local branch of the far right pro-Kremlin Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), of which he has become a member since his release.

Video of the event showed Bout with a senior MP from the party at the ceremony in a hall. Bout compared Lugansk’s annexation and return to Russia with his own return.

"I closely followed what was happening in Donbas all these 8 years," Bout said. "And you know, your example for me did a lot for me, it helped me, because you are all heroes … And so big thanks to all of you. And you were also for me an inspiration which allowed me to also return to the motherland, like all of Donbas, to return to Russia. Thank you."

Bout has expressed his "full" support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in his first interview after his release said he would have gone to fight if he could.

Lugansk has been under Russian control since 2014, when Moscow used proxy fighters to help set up two breakaway statelets in Donbas. The Lugansk region was one of the four Ukrainian regions Putin annexed in September.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell