Russia-Ukraine war Live updates: Spain to send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine after Easter

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow will no longer notify Washington about its nuclear activities. The development comes a month after Moscow suspended its participation in the New START arms control treaty.

"All forms of notifications, all data exchange, all inspection activities, in general, all types of work under the agreement are suspended, they will not be carried out," Ryabkov said on Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency.

Germany has agreed to send an additional 12 billion euros ($13.01 billion) in military support to Ukraine. This additional funding includes 3.2 billion euros to be disbursed this year and credit lines between 2024 and 2032 amounting to some 8.8 billion euros.

Ukraine's sports ministry on Wednesday condemned the partial change of position by the International Olympic Committee to allow atheletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in international competitions as neutrals.

Releasing a statement, the sports ministry, "We have consistently advocated and will continue to insist that under the conditions of the unprecedented unprovoked military aggression of the Russian Federation with the support of the Republic of Belarus against Ukraine, which contradicts the principles of the Olympic Charter, representatives of aggressor states should not be present at international sports arenas."

Spanish Defence Minister  Margarita Robles said on Wednesday that her country will send six German-made 2A4 Leopard tanks to war-torn Ukraine after the April 9 Easter holiday.

"By sending the Leopards, we will continue to help the Ukrainian people... to defend themselves against an absolutely unjust attack,"  Robles said, the news agency Reuters reported. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine could bring about "negative" consequences for the nation. In a televised meeting with the government, Putin said the sanctions imposed against the Russian economy in medium term could really have a negative impact. 

IAEA chief Rafeal Grossi said on Wednesday that he is trying to reach a deal with Russia and Ukraine on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Grossi arrived at the plant to review the situation. 

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the site of the power station over the last year.  

Russia on Wednesday called the pictures showing equipment of NATO arsenal in the hands of Ukrainian troops a card played by the Pentagon. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said it has an “element of psychological war." 

“This, unfortunately, is a sad classic of conducting informational psychological wars. They will informatively and psychologically process representatives of the armed forces of Ukraine,” Maria Zakharova said during an interview. 

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked in an interview about him extending an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for a visit to Kyiv, Russia reacted on Wednesday. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “We know China’s balanced position, we value it highly, and we believe the leader of China makes his own decisions on the expediency of certain contacts. We have no right to offer any advice here." 

After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued guidelines for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions, Kremlin hit back saying the recommendations have elements of discrimination. 

“Such recommendations were characterised as containing elements of discrimination, which is unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media. 

Weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced exiting the New START arms control treaty, the nation's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow has stopped notifying the United States about its nuke activities which inlcudes any test launches. 

“All notifications, all forms of notification, all data exchange, all inspection activities, in general all kinds of work under the treaty are suspended, they will not be carried out,” reports said quoting Ryabkov. 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi visited Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in Ukraine, a facility which has been under the control of Russian forces, as per reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi for making a visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Earlier he told Grossi that the safety at the NPP could not be guaranteed until Russian troops make their way out and leave.