Russia has urged its citizens not to travel to the West, especially the US, during the Christmas holidays.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the warning came “in the context of the increasing confrontation in Russian-American relations, which are teetering on the verge of rupture”.
The statement from the Russian foreign ministry, which referred to America “and its allied satellite states”, came after the Pentagon said Vladimir Putin could strike Ukraine again with its new intermediate-range ballistic missile in “the coming days”.
Vladimir Putin has claimed that the Oreshnik, or hazel tree, is impossible to intercept and that it has destructive power comparable to that of a nuclear weapon, even when fitted with a conventional warhead.
On the battlefield, “exceptionally fierce” fighting has erupted near the eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the important strategic hub, Kyiv’s military said last night.
Russia is “throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our troops’ defences,” Ukraine’s top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Nato must adopt wartime mindset, says secretary-general Rutte
Nato secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map” and could come after other parts of Europe next.
“It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” Mr Rutte told security experts and analysts at the Carnegie Europe think-tank in Brussels.
He said people should gird themselves for the prospect that Russia might try to use “swarms of drones” in Europe as it has to deadly effect in Ukraine.
The Russian president “is trying to crush our freedom and way of life,” Mr Rutte said. The former Dutch prime minister listed Russia’s attacks on Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and the all-out invasion launched almost three years ago.
“How many more wake-up calls do we need? We should be profoundly concerned. I know I am,” he said. “Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation. With Ukraine, and with us.”
The Nato official has also urged Europeans to press their governments to ramp up defence spending.
The Russia-Ukraine deal must be struck from a position of strength
Russian air defences down at least 11 drones in three regions
Russian air defence units destroyed at least 11 Ukrainian drones over three southern Russian regions late last night, officials said.
Russia’s defence ministry said six drones were destroyed over Rostov region to the east of Ukraine and four in Belgrade region, just over the border from northern Ukraine, in a period from 9pm to 10pm (6pm to 7pm GMT).
The governor of Bryansk region, also on the northern border, said local air defences destroyed one drone.
Russian forces edge closer to key Ukrainian city
The warning comes as analysts estimated Russian forces are now within just a few miles of the important city.
Ukrainian troops repelled nearly 40 Russian attempts to storm defences around Pokrovsk over the previous 24 hours, the General Staff said in a battlefield report Thursday.
“Russian occupiers are throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through the defences of our troops,” Ukrainian army chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi said. His forces are outnumbered, he added.
US announces new arms aid package for Ukraine worth $500m
The Biden administration has announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine valued at $500m, secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement.
President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration is seeking to provide Ukraine as much assistance as possible against Russia’s invasion before his term ends in January, when Republican president-elect Donald Trump will enter office.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said earlier the US would continue to provide additional packages for Ukraine “right up to the end of this administration.”
Washington said 10 days ago it would send Ukraine $725m worth of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other weapons.
In its latest package worth $500m, the US has included ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), among other assistance, according to Mr Blinken.
After Thursday, about $5.6bn worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to rush weapons from US stocks to the frontlines remains available to Mr Biden without requiring congressional approval.
Putin signs off record Russian defense spending as top EU officials visit Kyiv
Kyiv not yet ready for talks, says Zelensky’s aide
Kyiv was not yet ready to start talks with Russia as it lacked the weapons, security guarantees and international status that it sought, said Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff in an interview broadcast late yesterday.
“Not just yet today,” Andriy Yermak told Suspilne, when asked whether Ukraine was ready to embark on talks.
“We don’t have the weapons, we don’t have the status that we are talking about. And that means an invitation to Nato and an understanding of clear guarantees that would provide for us, so that we could be sure that (Russian president Vladimir) Putin won’t be coming back in two-three years,” Mr Yermak said.
His comments come as Mr Zelensky publicly considers the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the war with Russia, launched by Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling. Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition
What is ATACMS? The US missiles being used inside Russia
There are several variants of Army Tactical Missile Systems, a long-range missile system that often carries varying amounts of cluster bomblets.
Ukrainian forces used the US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for the first time in October 2023, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying the weapons had “proven themselves.”
Ukraine likely has what are known as M39A1 Block IA ATACMS that are guided in part by Global Positioning System and have a range of 40 to 190 miles. They can carry a payload of 300 bomblets. The M39 Block IA were used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to Army documents, and were added to the US arsenal in 1997.
Two women pulled from rubble 7 hours after Russian missile strike
Source: independent.co.uk