Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s experimental missile carried dummy warheads, Kyiv says
Vladimir Putin has called the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile strike a successful test
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Your support makes all the difference.Ukrainian officials say an experimental new ballistic missile fired by Russia at Dnipro last week carried multiple warheads but no explosives. The missile caused minor damage upon hitting its targets in Ukraine’s east, two officials said, because it was carrying dummy warheads.
Vladimir Putin has called the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile strike a successful test and claimed it reached its target – a missile and defence facility.
Earlier, Downing Street rejected Russia’s “baseless” allegations that an expelled British diplomat in Moscow was a spy.
The Russian FSB security service named the diplomat, whose photo was splashed across TV news bulletins, as Edward Wilkes and alleged he had intentionally provided false information when he entered Russia – a claim disputed by the UK Foreign Office as “malicious and baseless”.
And Ukraine is withdrawing around 100,000 faulty 120mm mortar shells from the frontline after multiple reports of them misfiring. The supply of defective shells is being investigated by an interdepartmental commission, Ukraine’s defence ministry said.
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South Koreans remain opposed to sending arms to Ukraine, polls suggest
South Koreans remain widely opposed to directly supplying arms to Ukraine, polls suggest – despite renewed international requests from Kyiv after North Korean troops were deployed to Russia.
A Ukrainian delegation led by defence minister Rustem Umerov were set to meet South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol – who is suffering record low approval ratings due to domestic scandals – as early as Wednesday, amid media reports that their visit aimed to seek arms support.
“No to the South Korean government planning arms supply to Ukraine,” read a banner held by a small group of protesters outside the presidential office in Seoul.
Most South Koreans viewed growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow as a threat, a Gallup Korea poll showed in October, but nevertheless 82 per cent opposed sending military aid, including arms.
“To the South Korean government, there will be fewer benefits for continuing to support (military aid) when there is little domestic support and the relationship with the next US government could deteriorate,” Yang Uk, an analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Reuters.
Mr Yoon’s low approval ratings, along with little public backing for supply of weapons, are burdens sapping his mandate on foreign policy, he added.
Georgian ruling party nominates hardline ex-soccer player for president
Georgia’s ruling party has nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a fierce critic of the West who briefly played football for Manchester City in the 1990s, as its candidate for president ahead of next month’s election.
Mr Kavelashvili is a founder member of People’s Power, a splinter group of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and has a record of hardline, anti-Western statements, in September describing the opposition as a “fifth column” who were trying to undermine peace in Georgia at the instruction US officials.
In June, he accused US congressmen of planning for “a direct violent revolution, a plan for the Ukrainisation of Georgia, and an insatiable desire to destroy our country”.
His election is all but assured, as Georgian Dream dominates the electoral college of members of parliament and local government representatives. He is set to succeed President Salome Zourabichvili, who was elected as an ally of the governing bloc, but has become a trenchant critic, accusing it of deliberately derailing Georgia’s EU accession hopes.
Although the president’s post is largely ceremonial, the choice of Mr Kavelashvili is likely to be viewed by the European Union and the United States as a further sign that Georgia is turning away from the West and moving closer to Russia.
Ukrainian delegation visiting Seoul to ask for weapons aid, media reports say
A Ukrainian delegation led by defence minister Rustem Umerov is visiting South Korea this week to ask for weapons aid, according to reports.
Seoul, which has emerged as a leading arms producer, has been under pressure from some Western countries and Kyiv to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons – but has so far focused on non-lethal aid including demining equipment.
However, South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Tae-yul said earlier this month that all possible scenarios were under consideration as thousands of North Korean troops were deployed to Russia, with Moscow expected to share military technology with Pyongyang in return.
The Ukrainian delegation met with South Korea’s national security adviser Shin Won-sik to exchange views on the conflict in Ukraine, the DongA Ilbo newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The South China Morning Post also reported this week that a Ukrainian delegation was due to visit South Korea to request weapons aid, citing an informed source.
The delegation was expected to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as early as Wednesday, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Asked for comment, an official at Yoon’s office declined to confirm the reports.
In an interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS in October, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would send a detailed request to Seoul for arms support including artillery and an air defence systems.
Three wounded in Russian drone attack on Kyiv, officials say
A Russian drone attack on Kyiv has wounded three people, officials in the Ukrainian capital have said.
Falling debris from a destroyed drone damaged a non-residential building in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said that air defence units were operating in the city after midnight on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian military said its air defences downed 36 of 89 Russian drones launched overnight. The military said it had lost track of 48 drones, and another five had left Ukraine’s airspace in the direction of Russia and Belarus.
The strikes come after Russia launched a record number of drones targeting Ukraine on Tuesday, cutting power to much of the western region of Ternopil and damaging residential buildings in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine downs 36 out of 89 Russian drones, air force says
Ukraine’s air defences downed 36 of 89 Russian drones launched overnight, the Ukrainian military said this morning.
The military said on Telegram it had lost track of 48 drones, and another five had left the territory of Ukraine to Russia and Belarus.
The overnight attack comes a day after Russia fired its biggest aerial attack with 188 drones on Kyiv yesterday.
New Nato chief Rutte says alliance ‘needs to go further’ in support for Ukraine
Nato’s new secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance “needs to go further” to support Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion and accused Moscow of dangerously escalating the conflict by bringing in thousands of North Korean troops.
“In pursuing its illegal war in Ukraine, Russia makes use of North Korean weapons and troops, Iranian drones and Chinese dual use goods for its defense industry,” Mr Rutte said while on a visit to Greece yesterday. “This is a dangerous expansion of the war and a challenge to global peace and security.”
Mr Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who took over as Nato chief last month, met Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens and thanked him for Greek support for Ukraine that includes weapons and ammunition, as well as training for F-16 pilots and technicians.
New NATO chief Rutte says alliance ‘needs to go further’ in support for Ukraine
NATO’s new Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the need for increased support for Ukraine and condemned Russia’s use of North Korean troops and weapons, Iranian drones, and Chinese dual-use goods on a visit to Athens
Russia hammers civilian areas of Ukraine with increasingly heavy attacks since middle of year
Russia has been hammering civilian areas of Ukraine with increasingly heavy drone, missile and glide bomb attacks since the middle of the year.
At the same time, Russia's army has largely held the battlefield initiative for the past year and has been pushing hard in the eastern Donetsk region where it is making significant tactical advances, according to Western military analysts.
Ukraine faces a difficult winter, with worries about the reliability of the electricity supply amid Russia's attacks and how much US support it can count on next year after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
Russia says it destroys 22 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russian air defence systems destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said this morning.
Of these, 10 of the drones were destroyed over the territory of the southern Rostov region, while the rest were in the Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Smolensk regions, the ministry said on Telegram.
Sixty British troops investigate mystery drones flying over US airbases in England
Dozens of British soldiers have been drafted in to help the US find out who is responsible for flying more mystery drones over three air bases in England.
A small number of drones were spotted overnight flying over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, United States Air Force (USAF) confirmed on Tuesday.
Sources told the PA news agency around 60 troops have been deployed to help USAF in its investigation of the incident.
Sixty British troops investigate mystery drones flying over US airbases in England
USAF confirms drones spotted overnight flying over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk
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