Ukraine-Russia war live: Biden to give anti-personnel landmines to Kyiv as long-range missiles hit arms depot
Ukraine hits Putin’s ammunition warehouse with ATACMS near Kursk on 1,000th day of war
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Your support makes all the difference.Joe Biden has approved provision of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine, a US official said, in latest move by Washington to help the country slow the advance of Russia’s ground troops in the east.
The clearance from Mr Biden comes shortly after Ukraine deployed the US-approved longer-range missile to hit Russia’s arms depot 110km deep inside the country on the 1,000th day of war.
Ukrainian forces used the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in a strike on Russia’s Bryansk region, prompting Moscow to issue a warning that it will respond “accordingly”. US officials told American media the ATACMS had been used to hit an ammunition warehouse which sits northwest of Kursk, the region on which a Ukrainian assault has been underway since the summer.
Within hours, Vladimir Putin signed a new nuclear doctrine lowering the threshold under which Russia can deploy atomic weapons to respond to attacks on its territory, warning Washington.
On the battlefield, around 10,900 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk as part of Russia’s airborne unit and marines, with some already participating in battles, a South Korean lawmaker said.
Putin’s ‘irresponsible nuclear rhetoric’ will not deter UK support for Ukraine
US will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons in push to bolster Kyiv before Trump
The Kremlin has revised its nuclear policy. Does that make the use of atomic weapons more likely?
Watch: Ukrainians light 1,000 candles to mark 1,000 days since Russia’s invasion
Russian air defences down Ukrainian drones in six regions, officials claim
Russian air defence units intercepted Ukrainian drones in six southern and central regions late on Monday, with some damage reported on the ground, but no casualties, officials claimed.
In Voronezh, a region bordering northeastern Ukraine, governor Aleksandr Gusev said drones had attacked a plant producing “strictly civilian” goods, triggering a fire. Staff were evacuated and there were no injuries.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed that an unspecified number of drones had been intercepted in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, also on the border. The ministry said air defences had intercepted drones in the Rostov region, on Ukraine’s eastern border and in Kaluga region, further north.
And in Belgorod Region, opposite northeastern Ukraine, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said “several” drones had been downed, with no casualties.
Gladkov said falling debris from a drone had damaged an industrial plant, infrastructure sites and power lines in the town of Alekseyevka, north of the border.
Electricity was temporarily cut to some districts and emergency crews were on site repairing damage.
Video posted on both Russian and Ukrainian military blogs showed explosions and a fire breaking out in Alekseyevka. One Ukrainian site posted a video of blasts in Voronezh region.
Watch: Boris Johnson claims Trump won’t embarrass himself by letting Putin win in Ukraine
Putin’s lowering of nuclear threshold ‘latest example of Kremlin’s irresponsibility’, says No 10
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.”
Denmark makes new €130m donation to Ukraine’s military, PM says
Denmark is making a new donation of €130m to develop Ukraine’s arms industry, prime minister Mette Frederiksen has said.
“Today I’m pleased to announce a new Danish donation to Ukraine. More than €130m directly to Ukraine’s defence industry because we know now what your industry is capable of,” Ms Frederiksen told reporters alongside Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“Because we know that these investments make a real difference on the battlefield. And make no mistake, our support is long-term.”
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine and Denmark had created a “special model” to bring in investments from other countries.
“All the Nordic nations have already joined, more than $1bn have been invested by partners into our industries,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that the programme extended to drones, missiles and artillery production.
Trump can end Ukraine war in a day ‘because Putin respects him’, claims Eric Trump
The son of Donald Trump has claimed the US president-elect can end the war in Ukraine in “one day” because “Putin respects him”.
Speaking to the PA news agency at the Trump International golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Eric Trump said he believes his father – who has said several times he could resolve the conflict in a day.
Asked how that could happen, Eric Trump replied: “Because Putin actually respects him. He’s not going to send $200bn over to see young boys blow each other’s heads off in dirty trenches, broadcast to the world on YouTube every night.
“He will end that conflict. You mark my words. He will end that conflict.”
US has not seen any reason to adjust its nuclear posture, State Dept says
Washington has not seen any reason to adjust its nuclear posture, the US State Department has said, after Moscow lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike.
Calling on Russia to stop irresponsible rhetoric, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington was generally “incredibly” concerned about hybrid warfare conducted by Russia and remains in close touch with European partners about the issue.
Full report: Germany says sabotage behind cutting of telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea
The damage of two undersea internet cables in the Baltic sea must be seen as an act of sabotage, German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.
A pair of fibre-optic communications cables were severed on Sunday and Monday, in an incident which “immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage”, Finland and Germany said in a joint statement.
A 745-mile (1,200 kilometre) cable linking Helsinki to the German port of Rostock stopped working at 2am on Monday, according to Finnish state-controlled cyber security and telecoms company Cinia.
Another cable linking Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island went out of service at 8am on Monday, according to a Lithuanian communications firm.
My colleague Alex Croft has the full report:
Germany says sabotage behind cutting of telecoms cables in Baltic Sea
Two cables were cut, which connect Germany to Finland and Lithuania to Sweden
Ukrainian colonel ‘hoping to inflict a lot of damage’ on Russian troops and arms depots
Asked about Joe Biden’s decision on using US long-range missiles, a Ukrainian colonel – with close links to the army’s top brass – told The Independent: “Hopefully we will be able to upset Russia’s plans by inflicting a lot of damage on troop concentrations and arms depots.”
He added: “It’s better late than never and a positive development.
“But a key issue is how many ATACMS will the US provide? The US can [also] programme the range the missiles can fly – so another important step is what distance they will allow the missiles to strike.”
Askold Krushelnycky has more details:
Ukraine ‘wants to inflict a lot of damage’ with long-range missile strikes in Russia
Askold Krushelnycky speaks to a colonel who says Kyiv’s forces need to inflict as much pain on Vladimir Putin’s army as quickly as they can
Washington seeing no signs Russia planning to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, US official says
The Associated Press has quoted one anonymous US official as saying that Washington is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, as Moscow warns that Ukraine's alleged use of US-made long-range weapons could trigger a strong response.
Asked on Tuesday whether a Ukrainian attack with longer-range US missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.
US to send Ukraine $275m-worth of new weapons, officials say
The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275m-worth of new weapons, US officials have said, as the Biden administration rushes to bolster Kyiv’s defences ahead of Donald Trump entering the White House, and potentially seeking to bring an end to the war, freezing the current lines of conflict.
The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defence, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armour munitions and other equipment and spare parts, US officials say.
The weapons will be provided through presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.
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