Ukraine has fired British long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time, The Independent understands, as momentum builds in the West’s military support for Kyiv’s war effort.
The British-made missile – which Kyiv has been lobbying to use beyond Russia’s borders for months – was fired at Russia on Wednesday, with images published by Russian military bloggers purporting to show Storm Shadow fragments in Russia’s Kursk region, beyond Ukraine’s northeastern border.
It comes after Ukraine fired an American-made long-range ATACMS missile more than 100 kilometres deep into Russia on Tuesday, after US president Joe Biden gave way to months of pressure from Kyiv.
On Wednesday, the US also announced it would allow the Ukrainian military to use anti-personnel landmines, as it seeks to slow down Russian advances.
Moscow has responded angrily to the developments, accusing the West of escalating the conflict.
Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a revised version of Moscow’s nuclear doctrine, which lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons.
Key Points
- Ukraine fires first UK Storm Shadow missile into Russia – reports
- Russian intel chief warns Russia will retaliate against Nato nations enabling Kyiv strikes
- US embassy in Kyiv shuts down over anticipated air attack
- Biden now clears anti-personnel landmines for Ukraine
- UK condemns ‘depraved’ Putin’s ‘irresponsible’ change to nuclear doctrine
Full report: UK ministers scrap warships, helicopters, and drones in £500m defence cuts
Wednesday 20 November 2024 21:48
Andy Gregory
The defence secretary has announced emergency cuts to the UK military including the Royal Navy’s two amphibious assault ships, a frigate and 31 helicopters.
John Healy has blamed the disputed £22bn black hole left in the finances by the Tories. However, the Conservatives have warned that the cuts have come because Labour refuses to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
Mr Healey told MPs that Labour had “a dire inheritance” from the Tories in defence so needed to scrap six “outdated” defence projects which will save £500m over the next five years.
“We have begun to fix the foundations going forward,” he added. “For too long our soldiers, sailors and air staff have been stuck with using outdated equipment.”
The emergency statement caught MPs by surprise on Wednesday and has left doubts over whether the UK could take back the Falklands if they were invaded again.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full report:
When did Britain first send Ukraine Storm Shadow missiles?
Wednesday 20 November 2024 21:22
Arpan Rai, Rachel Hagan
The UK first confirmed it would supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles in May last year, for use on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.
Then defence secretary Ben Wallace had touted that the weapons would give Ukraine the “best chance” of defending itself.
Ukraine has deployed Storm Shadow missiles on several occasions during the war. In June last year, the then-defence secretary Ben Wallace told parliament that the missiles were already having a “significant impact on the battlefield”.
Storm Shadow missiles have also been used by British and French air forces in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile?
Wednesday 20 November 2024 20:58
Andy Gregory
Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 155 miles (250km). The French call it Scalp.
After launch, the weapon, equipped with its navigation system, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before locking on to its target using an infra-red seeker. On the final approach, the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximise the chances of hitting the target.
On impact, it penetrates the target before a delayed fuse detonates the main warhead. Powered by a turbo-jet engine, the 1,300kg Storm Shadow travels at speeds of more than 600mph, is just over five metres long and has a wingspan of three metres.
My colleagues Arpan Rai and Rachel Hagan have more details in this report:
Labour MP says he hopes Storm Shadow missiles ‘can take the fight to the Russians'
Wednesday 20 November 2024 20:34
Andy Gregory
Labour MP Alex Ballinger, who previously served with the Royal Marines, said he hopes the Storm Shadow missiles can “take the fight to the Russians”.
The MP for Halesowen said it is “completely right to say that defence of the UK starts in Ukraine”, telling the Commons: “It is excellent to hear about the military support that we are providing to Ukraine, including the Storm Shadow missiles that we are hearing about in the media at the moment.
“I trained on those weapons and I hope that they can really take the fight to the Russians.”
Russian chess grandmaster rejects claims Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons is an escalation
Wednesday 20 November 2024 20:08
Andy Gregory
Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov has rejected suggestions that Ukraine using long-range missiles to hit targets in Russia is an escalation of the war.
Mr Kasparov said: “Russia has been bombarding Ukraine with missiles and drones every day for years. Years! Entire cities erased, tens of thousands of civilians killed.
“Don't treat it like escalation when Ukraine is allowed to strike back at military targets in the aggressor's territory.”
UK defence secretary says Britain ‘doubling down on support for Ukraine'
Wednesday 20 November 2024 19:45
Andy Gregory
Addressing the Commons after a point of order was raised over reports of Storm Shadow missiles being used by Ukraine to strike Kursk, Labour’s defence secretary John Healey did not deny that the missiles had been used, saying he could not “go into any further operational details.”
But he noted: "We as a nation and government are doubling down on our support for Ukraine" and that “Ukraine’s action on the battlefield speaks for itself”.
Russian intelligence chief warns Russia will retaliate against Nato nations enabling Kyiv strikes
Wednesday 20 November 2024 19:22
Andy Gregory
In an interview published on Wednesday, Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said that Moscow would retaliate against Nato countries that facilitate long-range Ukrainian missile strikes, as Kyiv used British Storm Shadow missiles in Kursk.
Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, said previously that long-range missiles to be fired into Russian territory “operated by American military experts” would be taken as a “new phase of the Western war against Russia and will react accordingly”, he said.
Full report: Ukraine fires British missiles at Russia for first time
Wednesday 20 November 2024 18:59
Andy Gregory
Ukraine has fired British long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russia territory for the first time, The Independent understands, the latest sign of a change in stance from Western countries on involvement in the conflict.
Images circulating online appear to show fragments of Storm Shadow missiles in Russia’s Kursk region – the border area into which Ukrainian forces staged a surprise assault in August, taking a swathe of territory they still hold.
Approval for use of the weapons is believed to have been given in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops in Kursk alongside Russian troops in what UK and US officials have warned was a major escalation of the war.
David Maddox and Alex Croft have the full report:
Trump picks Matthew Whitaker as nominee for Nato ambassador
Wednesday 20 November 2024 18:44
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump has chosen loyalist and former acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker as his nominee for the post of US ambassador to Nato, amid fears the US president-elect could choose to abandon the Western military alliance.
“Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended. Matt will strengthen relationships with our Nato Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Whitaker has been actively involved with the right-wing America First Policy Institute, which has been working closely with the Trump campaign to shape policy for his second term.
US expects embassy in Ukraine to reopen on Thursday, State Dept says
Wednesday 20 November 2024 18:33
Andy Gregory
The United States expects its embassy in Kyiv to return to normal operations on Thursday after a security threat, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said.
The embassy was closed on Wednesday and embassy employees were instructed to shelter in place, a day after Ukraine used American missiles to hit a target inside Russia in what Moscow described as an escalation in the war.
At least 200 jailed in Belarus over pro-Ukraine stance, warns human rights group
Wednesday 20 November 2024 18:00
Andy Gregory
At least 200 Belarusians have been given prison sentences and hundreds more arrested for showing solidarity with Ukraine, human rights activists have warned, amid a sweeping crackdown by authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who is a key ally of Vladimir Putin.
At least 1,671 Belarusians have so far been detained for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, and at least 200 of them have been given prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years on charges of “extremism” and “conspiracy against the state”, according to the group Viasna.
In addition to the arrests, convictions and prison sentences, the report alleged that people were tortured, held in inhumane conditions and given fines, with some subjected to forced psychiatric treatment.
Viasna warned that the crackdown has escalated in recent weeks, with hundreds arrested in raids targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners and participants in online chats organised by residents of apartment buildings in various cities.
At the same time, Mr Lukashenko has pardoned some political prisoners in an apparent signal that he is open for dialogue with the US and the European Union, which imposed sanctions because of his crackdowns on dissent.
Mr Lukashenko’s office announced on Wednesday that another group of 32 political prisoners have been freed, adding to the 146 who were pardoned since July. Those freed had health problems, wrote petitions for pardons and said they repented.
“There have been contradictory signals from the government, with repressions intensifying, and at the same time small numbers of little-known people granted pardon,” said Viasna’s Pavel Sapelka.
US defence secretary sets out reasoning for U-turn on anti-personnel landmines in Ukraine
Wednesday 20 November 2024 17:47
Andy Gregory
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Laos, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington’s shift in policy to allow Ukraine to deploy US-supplied anti-personnel landmines follows changing tactics by the Russians.
He said Russian ground troops are leading the movement on the battlefield, rather than forces more protected in armoured carriers, so Ukraine has “a need for things that can help slow down that effort on the part of the Russians”.
Mr Austin added: “The land mines that we would look to provide them would be land mines that are not persistent, you know, we can control when they would self-activate, self-detonate and that makes it, you know, far more, safer eventually than the things that they are creating on their own.”
Anti-personnel land mines have long been criticised by charities and activists because they present a lingering threat to civilians. Non-persistent land mines generally require batteries, so over time they become unable to detonate, making them safer for innocent civilians than those that remain deadly for years.
Mr Austin noted that Ukraine is currently manufacturing its own anti-personnel land mines. The US already provides Ukraine with anti-tank land mines. Russia has routinely used land mines in the war, but those do not become inert over time.
Irish embassy staff in Ukraine told to work from home as tensions escalate
Wednesday 20 November 2024 17:18
Andy Gregory
Staff at the Irish embassy in Ukraine have been told to work from home as tensions continue to escalate – after the US shut its Kyiv embassy because of a “potential significant air attack” by Russia.
Irish premier and defence minister Micheal Martin said that “for the purpose of precaution”, Ireland’s embassy staff are working from home and not in the embassy building in Kyiv.
“That follows consultations between different embassies across Ukraine at the moment, but there’s no plans of withdrawing staff from the embassy,” Mr Martin said.
“This is an abundance of caution here, but obviously the situation is escalated, and we believe Russia should stop this war. The amount of carnage in this war hasn’t got the proper headlines, but it’s absolutely unacceptable.
“I spoke to somebody who came back working with an NGO yesterday. He said to me that the level of fatalities of young soldiers on both sides is enormous, and it’s just an appalling lack of any moral compass that leaders can preside and President Putin can preside over such carnage and it should stop.”
Netherlands delivers final two promised F-16’s for training Ukrainian pilots
Wednesday 20 November 2024 16:49
Andy Gregory
The Netherlands has delivered the final two of 18 promised F-16 fighter jets to a training facility in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots and ground staff are being taught to fly and maintain the planes in battle.
The Netherlands has been one of the driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s to strengthen its air defence against Russia’s invasion, and the training of Ukrainian pilots in Romania began in September.
Pictures purport to show fragments of Storm Shadow missiles in Kursk
Wednesday 20 November 2024 16:23
Andy Gregory
Russian military bloggers have posted images purporting to show fragments of British-made Storm Shadow missiles fired by Ukraine into Russia’s Kursk region.
Both Bloomberg and the Financial Times cited an unnamed Western official as saying that Ukraine had fired the long-range missiles into Russian territory for the first time.
Downing Street declined to comment on the reports and said it would not comment on operational matters.
Royal Navy flagship and 16 Chinooks to be decommissioned, Britain’s defence secretary says
Wednesday 20 November 2024 15:57
Andy Gregory
Two former Royal Navy flagships, a frigate and 14 Chinook helicopters will be decommissioned in cost-saving measures announced by Britain’s defence secretary John Healey.
The savings, which Mr Healey blamed on the “dire inheritance” left by the Tories, will see assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which have both been flagships, decommissioned after having been effectively mothballed at a cost of £9m a year. The ageing frigate HMS Northumberland is beyond economic repair and will also be decommissioned.
The Army’s Watchkeeper drones, which cost around £5m each and have been in service for a decade but have been beset by problems and are effectively obsolete, will be grounded.
“For too long our soldiers, sailors, aviators have been stuck with old, outdated equipment because ministers wouldn’t make the difficult decommissioning decisions,” Mr Healey told MPs, who insisted he had “full backing from our service chiefs” as he added: “As technology advances at pace, we must move faster towards the future.”
“These decisions are set to save the MoD £150m over the next two years and up to £500m over five years, savings that will be retained in full in defence,” he said.
But Tories raised concerns about the impact of the decision on the Marines, and former defence committee chair Sir Julian Lewis warned the absence of the assault ships could encourage an enemy “to try something like the Falklands in the future”.
Germany declines to support EU proposal for defence bonds
Wednesday 20 November 2024 15:30
Alex Croft
The German government has declined to explicitly support an EU proposal to issue defence bonds, as countries look for ways to increase defence spending and strengthen support for Ukraine.
Berlin has previously opposed the idea of joint EU borrowing to fund key investments in areas such as defence, frustrating politicians across Europe.
On Tuesday, foreign ministers from Poland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK pledged to “strengthen Europe’s security and defence, using all levers available to us, including the economic and financing power of the European Union”.
Despite this, a German foreign ministry spokesperson appeared to play down the prospect of a change in policy.
Asked about the prospect of issuing Eurobonds for defence, the spokesperson said they did “not find any other aspects that you had in your question in the declaration”.
German embassy in Kyiv stays open despite US embassy attack threat
Wednesday 20 November 2024 15:17
Alex Croft
Germany’s embassy in Kyiv has remained open in a limited capacity and can still be contacted by German citizens in Ukraine, a foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.
“We are in constant contact with our colleagues on the ground so that we can take appropriate measures if the situation changes,” the official said.
The US shut its embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday after it received a “specific information of a potential significant air attack”.
Ukraine’s top spy agency has since said that Russia spread fake information about possible strikes in “massive information-psychological attack” – but it is not confirmed whether they were related.
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile? Ukraine hits Russia with British weapon for first time
Wednesday 20 November 2024 15:05
Alex Croft
Ukraine is believed to have used British-made Storm Shdaow long-range missiles inside Russia for the first time.
It comes days after Joe Biden gave the green light for Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles to target Vlasimir Putin’s forces deep inside Russia, the first such missiles were used on Tuesday.
That opened the door for Britain to do the same, with the UK missiles relying on US targeting programmes.
Read the full report:
Ukraine fires first UK Storm Shadow missile into Russia - reports
Wednesday 20 November 2024 14:55
Alex Croft
The Ukranian military has fired a long-range Storm Shadow missile beyond Russia borders for the first time, according to reports.
The British-made missile, which Kyiv has so far been prohibited from using while it defends its territory against Putin’s invasion, was fired at Russia on Wednesday, Bloomberg cited an unnamed source as saying.
Meanwhile, images published by The Telegraph appear to show fragments of a Storm Shadow missile in Russia’s Kursk region.
The UK government has not yet commented.
Report: Putin gifts a lion, bears and dozens of other animals to North Korea zoo
Wednesday 20 November 2024 14:47
Steffie Banatvala
Vladimir Putin has gifted dozens of animals – including a lion and two bears – to a zoo in North Korea, the latest in a series of gift exchanges as Russia relies on Pyongyang’s artillery and troops to bolster its invasion of Ukraine.
More than 70 animals, including an African lion and two brown bears, were sent by plane with veterinarians from Moscow’s zoo to be transferred to a zoo in Pyongyang.
The animals were “a gift from Vladimir Putin to the Korean people,” the Russian government said.
Steffie Banatvala reports:
Report: Stock market today: Asian markets mostly lower as worries over Russia-Ukraine war loom
Wednesday 20 November 2024 14:34
Alex Croft
Asian stocks were mostly lower on Tuesday, despite gains on Wall Street, as worries mounted over escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war.
U.S. futures edged higher while oil prices were little changed.
On Tuesday, Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, according to the official, marking the first such use in nearly 1,000 days of war. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons.
China has key role to play in avoiding nuclear escalation, Macron says
Wednesday 20 November 2024 14:22
Alex Croft
France’s Emmanuel Macron has said that China has an important role to play in avoiding nuclear escalation, after Russian president Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike.
Meeting with China’s president Xi Jinping in Rio de Janeiro as part of the G20 summit, Mr Macron said he asked him to put pressure on Mr Putin to end the war with Ukraine.
Mr Macron said North Korea’s decision to send troops to fight in Ukraine had raised the stakes for China, and that it should push for a de-escalation after Mr Putin’s decision to change Russia’s nuclear doctrine.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the summit, the French president said he would invite Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk to France in February for an artificial intelligence summit.
Ukraine and Middle East wars eating away at US air defence stocks, top official warns
Wednesday 20 November 2024 14:10
Alex Croft
Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are eating into US stockpiles of air defences, the top US admiral overseeing American forces in the Asia-Pacific region has warned.
“With some of the Patriots that have been employed, some of the air-to-air missiles that have been employed, it’s now eating into stocks and to say otherwise would be dishonest,” said Admiral Sam Paparo.
“Inherently, it imposes costs on the readiness of America to respond in the Indo Pacific region, which is the most stressing theater for the quantity and quality of munitions, because the PRC is the most capable potential adversary in the world,” he said, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
In pictures: Russian military fires at Ukrainian defences
Wednesday 20 November 2024 13:56
Alex Croft
German citizen detained on suspicion of terorrism
Wednesday 20 November 2024 13:44
Alex Croft
Russia has detained a German citizen who is suspected of explosives-smuggling and terrorism, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday.
Nikolai Gaiduk is accused of blowing up a pipe at a gas distribution station, the FSB said, in an attack in Russia’s Kaliningrad Baltic Sea exclave in March, using a home-made bomb.
He was arrested when later attempting to enter Kaliningrad from Poland. Authorities searched his car, finding 0.5 litres of liquid explosive.
The FSB said Gaiduk was born in 1967 and lives in Hamburg. He is accused of acting on instructions of a Ukrainian man also living in Hamburg.
“Currently, measures are being taken to identify and bring to justice the persons who assisted Gaiduk ... in carrying out illegal activities,” the agency said.
The German Foreign Ministry is aware of the case, and the consulate general in St Petersberg has been in contact with Russian authorities.
Special investigation: UK-trained elite commandos approached to fight for Russia against Ukraine
Wednesday 20 November 2024 13:31
Holly Bancroft, Fahim Abed, May Bulman and Jessica Purkiss
For Ghulam, it began with a form handed to him by a colleague, offering him a way out. For more than 12 years, he had been part of an elite troop of Afghan special forces set up, trained and paid by the British government. Now, after being forced to flee the Taliban and leave his homeland for Iran, he worked long days in a recycling factory and had to evade police because of his undocumented status.
The fellow Afghan who gave Ghulam the form knew of his military background, and thought he might be open to an offer. For some in Ghulam’s situation, a form comes first; for others, it’s contact by phone from other Afghan veterans. Some have been approached face to face. But however it’s done, and whatever the terms, the offer to these elite UK-trained commandos is broadly the same: come to fight for Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces against Ukraine.
Holly Bancroft, Fahim Abed, May Bulman and Jessica Purkiss report
Russia spreads fake warning of imminent air attack in Ukraine
Wednesday 20 November 2024 13:17
Alex Croft
Russia staged a “massive information-psychological attack” on Ukraine by spreading a fake warning about an imminent mass air attack, Kyiv’s top spy agency said on Wednesday.
The fake warning purported to be from Ukrainian military intelligence, but Kyiv has confirmed the message was a hoax.
“A message is being spread via messengers and social networks ... about the threat of a ‘particularly massive’ missile and bomb strike on Ukrainian cities today,” the Main Directorate of Intelligence said in a statement.
“This message is a fake, it contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations.”
ICYMI: Russia warns Kyiv using US-provided ATACMS mark ‘new phase of war’
Wednesday 20 November 2024 13:04
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s use of US given ATACMS missiles to strike deep inside Russia has marked a new phase of war, a senior Russian official has warned.
Ukraine used US’s ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory yesterday taking advantage of newly granted permission from the outgoing administration of US president Joe Biden on the war’s 1,000th day.
Ukraine said it struck a Russian arms depot about 110km (70 miles) inside Russia, an attack that caused secondary explosions. Ukraine’s military did not publicly specify the weapons used, but a Ukrainian government source and a US official confirmed it had used ATACMS.
“This is, of course, a signal that they want to escalate,” Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said in Brazil yesterday at G20 news conference.
“We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. And we will react accordingly,” he added, accusing Washington of helping Kyiv operate the missiles.
Report: Ukraine has seen success in building clean energy, which is harder for Russia to destroy
Wednesday 20 November 2024 12:52
Alex Croft
Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine, pulls out a piece of paper with bar charts showing how much new electricity his company has brought online this year in the country versus how much Russian bombs have destroyed.
Total electricity goes up, then down, then up, then down — capturing the company’s constant rebuilding each time Russian missile attacks take out a facility, which include wind and solar farms and thermal (coal or gas-fired) generating stations. The Russian strikes are part of a campaign to target energy infrastructure to reduce power in Ukraine as winter looms.
“What other choice do we have?” said Timchenko during an interview on the sidelines of this year’s U.N. climate talks, taking place in Azerbaijan. “Sit and wait and pray that they don’t hit us, or do our job and bring lights back to our people?”
Read the full report:
North Korea sent more conventional weapons to Russia, South Korea says
Wednesday 20 November 2024 12:40
Alex Croft
North Korea recently supplied additional artillery systems to Russia to support its war efforts against Ukraine, while some of the thousands of North Korean troops deployed in Russia have begun engaging in combat, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday.
The South Korean assessment came after Russia warned Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war. U.S. officials said Biden’s decision was triggered almost entirely by North Korea’s entry into the war.
Read the full report:
US and EU respond to Putin’s nuclear doctrine
Wednesday 20 November 2024 12:28
Alex Croft
Officials from the US and EU have both responded to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s update to the nuclear doctrine.
The White House National Security Council said: “We were not surprised by Russia’s announcement that it would update its nuclear doctrine; Russia had been signalling its intent to update its doctrine for several weeks.”
Josep Borrell, the EU Foreign Policy Chief: "It is not the first time that they threatened with nuclear escalation, which is completely irresponsible. Russia has subscribed to the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won, and so it must never be fought."
Zelensky visits injured Ukrainian soldiers to award them with state honours
Wednesday 20 November 2024 12:14
Alex Croft
Turkish president Erdogan responds to Putin’s revised nuclear doctrine
Wednesday 20 November 2024 12:02
Alex Croft
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan has responded to Putin’s revised nuclear doctrine, which lowers the threshold for Russian use of nuclear weapons.
"Russia has and needs to have the power and the measures to protect itself,” Mr Erdogan said
“Similarly, as a NATO country, we have to protect ourselves and take steps to protect ourselves... This step should be reviewed by NATO officials.”
Earlier, French foreign mininster Jean-Noel Barrot described it as "rhetoric", adding: “we are not intimidated."
Ukrainian military downs 56 drones and two missiles
Wednesday 20 November 2024 11:46
Alex Croft
The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it downed 56 out of 122 drones and two out of six missiles launched overnight by Russia.
It lost track of 58 Russian drones on its radars, five returned to Russia and one went to Belarus.
UK embassy in Kyiv remains open despite U.S. embassy missile threat
Wednesday 20 November 2024 11:30
Alex Croft
The British embassy in Kyiv will remain open despite the US shutting down its own due to the possibility of a “significant air attack” by Russia.
The closure came after Ukraine’s first use of US-supplied missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia. The British government is considering its position on whether to permit Kyiv to use UK long-range Storm Shadow missiles in Russia.
On Wednesday morning, UK science secretary Peter Kyle said the UK is monitoring the situation and "will do everything we can to keep British citizens safe".
The Foreign Office said the UK embassy is open but that the safety of staff and British nationals was of “paramount” importance. The embassy in Kyiv has been operating a limited diplomatic function and is not providing in-person consular assistance.
The Italian and Greek embassies said they have closed their doors after the U.S. warning. The French embassy remains open but has urged caution from its citizens.
In Focus: ‘We want to inflict a lot of damage’: Ukrainian troops seek revenge on Russia with Biden’s long-range missiles
Wednesday 20 November 2024 11:13
Alex Croft
“Hopefully we will be able to upset Russia’s plans by inflicting a lot of damage on troop concentrations and arms depots”.
That is the reaction of a Ukrainian colonel – with close links to the army’s top brass – to news that Joe Biden had lifted the restriction on US-supplied long-range missiles being used to target Vladimir Putin’s forces deep inside Russia after months of pleas from Kyiv.
A few hours later, on the 1,000th day of the invasion, Moscow claimed the first use of the US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles on the Bryansk region of Russia, about 80 miles from the Ukraine border. The missiles have a full range of around 190 miles.
Askold Krushelnycky writes:
Putin’s lowering of nuclear threshold ‘latest example of Kremlin’s irresponsibility’, says No 10
Wednesday 20 November 2024 10:57
Alex Croft
Downing Street has condemned Vladimir Putin’s decision to lower the threshold for nuclear weapons as the “latest example of irresponsibility” from the “depraved Russian government”.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, which marked 1,000 days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a No 10 spokesperson said: “Our focus remains on supporting Ukraine ... we’re very clear that Vladimir Putin could end this war tomorrow.
“He could remove his troops, roll back his tanks and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia. That is entirely within his gift. We would urge him to do so.”
Asked whether the Russian leader was behaving irresponsibly, the spokesperson said: “It would be fair to say it’s the latest example of irresponsibility that we’ve seen from the depraved Russian government.
“We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine and the defence of an illegal invasion, and we’ve always said that the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine.”
In pictures: Russian minister visits Pyongyang
Wednesday 20 November 2024 10:42
Alex Croft
Turkish president Erdogan opposes US long-range missile decision
Wednesday 20 November 2024 10:26
Alex Croft
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticised the U.S. decision to allow long-range ATACMS missiles to be fired into Russia territory.
Russia and Ukraine should both be focussed on peace and retraint, Mr Erdogan added according to CNN Turk.
U.S. citizens should keep food and water reserves in case of Russian strike, says embassy
Wednesday 20 November 2024 10:08
Alex Croft
The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has urged American citizens to keep water, food and medical reserves in the event of a “possible temporary loss of electricity and water” caused by Russian strikes.
"Persistent Russian attacks targeting civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine may result in power outages, loss of heating, and disruption of municipal services," the embassy said.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Security Council’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, said Russia is ready to conduct more air strikes.
He said: "Let me remind you that the Russians have been stockpiling missiles for a series of attacks on Ukraine for months. This includes Kh-101 missiles, which they continue to produce, as well as Kalibrs and ballistics.”
Russia has consistently warned the West that allowing Ukraine to fire U.S., British and French missiles deep into Russia would mean that the NATO members are considered by Moscow to be directly involved in the war.
Report: Biden approves sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in latest policy shift during final days in office
Wednesday 20 November 2024 09:52
Joe Sommerlad
President Joe Biden has approved the supply of anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine to use in its fight against Russia, according to reports – marking his latest policy shift as he scrambles to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
Two US officials told The Washington Post that Kyiv has committed to deploying the explosive devices exclusively on its own territory and not in areas populated by civilians
Ukraine hopes the development will enable it to slow the advance of Russian ground troops in the east, especially when used alongside other munitions gifted by its western allies, an official told Reuters.
Read the full report:
British Army fires Archer artillery system for first time close to Russia’s border
Wednesday 20 November 2024 09:35
Lucy Leeson
British soldiers have fired a new artillery gun for the first time on a tactical exercise close to Russia’s border in Finland.
It comes as Russia responds furiously to US president Joe Biden’s decision to approve the use of American long-range ATACMS missiles in Russian territory for the first time.
The Swedish-made Archer 155mm self-propelled guns have been acquired as an interim replacement for the 32 AS90s which the UK has donated to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
The Archer, which is designed and built by BAE Systems Bofors, has double the maximum range of the AS90, greater operational mobility, greater availability and reduced time into action, according to the Ministry of Defence.
