Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin’s forces ready for ‘large missile attack’ as US vows North Korea troop response
US secretary of state Antony Blinken warns North Korean troops deployment ‘will get a firm response’
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Your support makes all the difference.Vladimir Putin’s forces are ready to launch a massive attack on Ukraine, the head of Kyiv’s national security council has warned, as the country braces for large-scale missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Blasts were heard over Kyiv on Wednesday as Ukraine accused Russia of launching its first missile attack on the capital since August and urged residents to take cover as air raid sirens blared in multiple regions.
But Ukraine security chief Andrii Kovalenko warned the the attacks on Wednesday – involving cruise and ballistic missiles – were less intense than those Moscow was equipped to carry out in the future, as it continues to stockpile cruise missiles. Russia’s plans are known and understood, and Ukraine will counter, he insisted.
It came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken travelled to Brussels, meeting Nato chief Mark Rutte and Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
Vowing that the Biden administration will bolster Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Mr Blinken also warned that Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops “demands and will get a firm response”.
Nato chief issues warning over growing Russian cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea
Russia’s growing economic and military cooperation with China, North Korea and Iran is threatening Europe, the Indo-Pacific and North America, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has said.
In what appeared to be a message to the incoming Trump Administration, Mr Rutte underlined the importance of transatlantic unity and continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, describing what he saw as the dangers posed by North Korean and Iranian military assistance for Russia.
“At the same time, China backs Russia’s economy, enables its defence industry and amplifies its narrative all over the world stage,” Mr Rutte said, ahead of talks with France’s Emmanuel Macron.
“Russia working together with North Korea, Iran and China is not only threatening Europe, it’s threatening peace and security, yes, here in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific and in North America.”
Full report: Doctor convicted for alleged criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine
A doctor accused of criticising the war in Ukraine in front of a patient has been jailed, as part of an unrelenting Kremlin crackdown on dissent.
Dasha Litvinova has the full report:
Doctor accused of criticizing Russia's war in Ukraine is convicted and given over 5 years in prison
A doctor accused of criticizing Russia's war in Ukraine in front of a patient was convicted of spreading false information about the military and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison
Nato chief says alliance must back Ukraine for ‘the long haul'
As he held talks with France’s Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Nato chief Mark Rutte stressed the need to back Ukraine for the “long haul”.
Highlighting the “importance of keeping up the support as Ukrainians prepare to face what could be their harshest winter since 2022”, the new Nato secretary-general said: “We must recommit to stay in the course for the long haul. And we must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight.
“We need to raise the cost for Putin and his enabling authoritarian friends, by providing Ukraine with the support it needs to change the trajectory of the conflict.”
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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