Russia deploys missile carriers in the Black Sea, and Kiev follows a new military tactic in Bakhmut

Ukraine revealed that Russia has deployed more ships in the Black Sea, and Kiev announced the expansion of the use of marches in the strategic city of Bakhmut, in the east of the country, where the fiercest battles have been taking place for months.

While the foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continue their meetings today, Wednesday, in Brussels, and they discuss the Russian-Chinese rapprochement and its relationship to the Ukraine war.

Ukraine's Southern Command said Russia had deployed additional ships to the Black Sea, and the Kyiv Independent newspaper reported that "there are currently 15 ships, including 6 missile carriers."

The Russian Navy is firing missiles from its Black Sea fleet towards regions inside Ukraine, mainly targeting infrastructure and power generation facilities.

Russia's Black Sea fleet is stationed on the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow has annexed since 2014 despite Kiev's refusal and lack of international recognition.

On the other hand, "Novosti" agency reported that a Ukrainian march took place near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

It added, quoting a Russian military commander working within the protection team at the station, that this drone could have fallen over the station and posed a threat to its security, noting that the march was Polish-made and could strike and bomb facilities.

In Bakhmut, where the fate of the strategic city is still ambiguous, the Ukrainian forces said that they have expanded the scope of using drones to detect and bomb the locations of Russian forces.

The role of the sniper unit in the Ukrainian Special Forces has also expanded, after battles took place in the streets of the city, which Ukrainian officials describe as a painful front of attrition for Russia.

During the past weeks, the Russian military forces of Wagner announced their control of several areas in Bakhmut, after talking about an almost complete encirclement of the city.

Kiev says the battle for the industrial city of Bakhmut - which had a pre-war population of 80,000 - is key to repelling Russian forces along the eastern front.

Zelensky in Poland

These developments come at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw, according to Reuters, citing an aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda, where he is holding talks with senior Polish officials.

Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Polish President and Prime Minister Mateusz Moravski. Zelensky has a friendly evening meeting at the Royal Castle in Warsaw with refugees from Ukraine.

Poland received about 1.6 million war refugees from neighboring Ukraine, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Warsaw is also a major supporter of Kiev during the war by providing weapons and military equipment and urging the Europeans to provide more support to Ukraine.

Finland's accession to NATO

This visit comes at a time when reactions about Finland's accession to NATO continued, as the Russian Foreign Ministry said that "the accession of the Northern European countries to NATO ends the era of security in the region."

For its part, the Kremlin stressed that Finland's accession to NATO "does not enhance stability and security in Europe and constitutes a threat to Russia," stressing that "Russia does not yet see any horizon for negotiation with Ukraine," and stressed that "Russia will need additional measures to ensure its security and will do everything what it takes".

Finland officially joined NATO on Tuesday, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Finland has become a full member of the alliance and will participate in all its meetings, adding that this step will make NATO stronger.

In turn, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said that his country's membership in NATO does not target anyone, stressing that his country will play an important role in achieving security and stability in the region.

NATO meeting

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of NATO member states continue their meetings for the second day in the presence of Finland, the newly joined member of the alliance.

The Scandinavian country became the 31st member to join NATO after advancing in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine more than a year ago.

NATO allies host representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea at NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss China's relationship to the war.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said before the meeting that, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, the allies will discuss China's "growing rapprochement with Russia."

In addition to concerns that China is considering supplying arms to Russia and Beijing's stance on Taiwan, NATO members and allies will discuss the impact of the Ukraine war on the Indo-Pacific region.

"What happens in Europe is important for the Indo-Pacific and for Asia. What happens in Asia is important for Europe," Stoltenberg said. "The war in Ukraine really illustrates that in all its global ramifications," he said.

In preparation for the NATO leaders' summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the allies are also set to discuss more ambitious defense spending and work to set the alliance's current pledge of 2% of GDP as a minimum.

Sweden's accession

The meetings also continue today in the presence of Sweden, which is looking forward to removing the last obstacles that prevent its accession to the alliance represented in the Turkish and Hungarian reservations.

NATO ministers will hold a special session with Sweden devoted to discussing the file, following the official announcement of Finland's accession to the alliance, which submitted its candidacy file at the same time with Sweden last May, but was able to obtain Turkish approval, which had previous objections to this accession, To record the fastest accession process in the history of the alliance.

Stoltenberg said yesterday, Tuesday, that he is in contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a view to achieving an understanding that would allow for accelerating Sweden's accession to the alliance as well.

The alliance charter stipulates the need to achieve unanimity of all member states to accept the accession of any new member. Ankara has reservations about Sweden's accession due to accusations of harboring groups that Turkey classifies as terrorist.