Ukraine-Russia war live: Explosions in Kyiv after missile attack as British troops ‘may have to go to Ukraine’
UK may have to deploy troops to defend Europe if Putin gains upper hand, claims ex-PM
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Your support makes all the difference.Blasts have been heard over Kyiv as Ukraine accused Russia of launching its first missile attack on the capital since August and urged residents to take cover.
The attack by Vladimir Putin’s forces involved missiles launched by strategic bombers as well as ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s military said. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.
Ukraine has been faced nightly drone attacks but has been anxiously awaiting a mass Russian attack on energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.
It came as former prime minister Boris Johnson claimed British troops may have to be deployed in Ukraine if American president-elect Donald Trump cuts Kyiv’s funding.
The former prime minister said that if Russian president Vladimir Putin gains the upper hand in the conflict, the UK may have to deploy troops to defend Europe.
On the frontline, Russia was continuing its push in the east and appeared to be amplifying its counterattack in the Kursk region, with Ukraine claiming Moscow had suffered two consecutive days of record losses, including nearly 2,000 casualties on Monday.
Russian strategic bombers patrol over neutral waters of Barents sea, Interfax reports
Russia’s defence ministry said two Tu-95MS strategic bombers made a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Barents sea on Tuesday.
The Tu-95s flew for around four hours, according to a statement cited by the Interfax news agency. The Barents is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, off the northern coasts of Russia and Norway.
Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced
A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine is expected to be sentenced in federal court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors have argued that Jack Teixeira should be sentenced to 17 years in prison, saying he “perpetrated one of the most significant and consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American history”.
The leak exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine, and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a US adversary’s plans to harm US forces serving overseas.
Michael Casey reports:
Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced, could get up to 17 years in prison
A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine is expected to be sentenced in federal court Tuesday
Trump may look to rekindle dialogue with North Korea ‘sooner rather than later’, analyst says
Donald Trump may look to rekindle a conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “sooner rather than later”, an analyst has suggested.
With reports of 10,000 North Korean troops being deployed to Russia, as both nations ratified a new military pact, Bulent Gokay, professor of international relations at Keele University, suggested the US president-elect could also soon look to reopen a dialogue with the pariah state.
Professor Gokay said: “Since Trump last met with Kim, the North has greatly expanded its military arsenal, in particular massive intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic and short-range weapons that could deliver nuclear warheads against the US mainland or military bases in the region.
“Despite this, Trump may feel that his engagement worked well during his first presidency in that he feels that he can ‘solve’ the North Korean nuclear issue without any violent encounter. So, he may look to rekindle a conversation with Kim sooner or later.”
Russian doctor jailed over alleged comments about war in Ukraine
A Russian court has sentenced a Moscow paediatrician to five and a half years in a penal colony, after the mother of one of her patients made a video criticising comments the doctor allegedly made about Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
In line with Russia’s crackdown on discussion of the war since it began in full in February 2022, Nadezhda Buyanova, aged 68, was charged with spreading “fake” information about the Russian army, over remarks that she has denied making.
Ms Boyanova’s supporters, some wearing T-shirts carrying prints of her face printed on, packed the courtroom to hear the sentencing, erupting in protest and crying “shame” as she was handed the lengthy term, Russian media reported. “The sentence is monstrously cruel,” Buyanova’s lawyer told Mediazona.
“I can’t get my head around it,” Buyanova, her grey hair closely cropped, told reporters before the verdict.
As Judge Olga Fedina pronounced her guilty, the courtroom erupted in protest. Several cried “Shame!”, Russian media said.
The legal action came after Anastasia Akinshina recorded a video in which she said Ms Buyanova had referred to her child’s father as a “legitimate target of Ukraine” – comments she denies. The clip was picked up by Telegram channels with millions of subscribers.
A group of Russian doctors previously wrote an open letter in Buyanova’s defence, calling the denunciation a “disgrace”, while a petition for her release has garnered over 6,000 signatures.
Starmer says Ukraine must be put in ‘strongest position’ possible, ahead of Trump presidency
Sir Keir Starmer is pushing Western allies to step up support to put Ukraine in the “strongest position” possible before Donald Trump takes office.
Asked what his message to Mr Trump was, the prime minister told reporters at the Cop29 climate summit: “I’m not going to start sending messages to the president-elect but I’m very happy to be very clear about what my own position is, because it’s been my position since the very start, which is that we strongly support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
“I’m very proud of the fact that the UK has stood firm in that commitment throughout the duration of this conflict. I now think that we need to put Ukraine in the best possible position as we go forward.
“That has been the centre of the discussions that I’ve been having with other leaders in recent weeks. So, strong support for Ukraine, we want to put Ukraine in the best possible, strongest position as we go forward.
“And I’m not going to be drawn into discussions about capabilities as we go forward but that is the strong and in principle position that I take.”
US secretary of state to attend Ukraine meetings in Brussels this week
US secretary of state Antony Blinken will travel to Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine in meetings with Nato and European Union counterparts this week, the State Department has said.
Following meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mr Blinken with then travel to Peru and Brazil for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week and the G20 Leaders’ Summit, the department said in a statement.
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