Ukraine-Russia war latest: Storm Shadow cruise missile decision ‘already made’ as Putin launches Kursk counterattack

The Kremlin mentioned on Thursday that letting Ukraine use Western weaponry to strike Russian territory would deepen Western involvement within the battle and set off a response from Moscow, the TASS state information company reported.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken is wrapping up a three-nation, Ukraine-focused European tour in Poland after listening to repeated appeals from Ukrainian officers to make use of Western-supplied weaponry for long-range strikes inside Russia.

Mr Blinken travelled to Warsaw on Thursday after spending a day in Kyiv with British International Secretary David Lammy, throughout which they pledged to carry the Ukrainian requests to their leaders.

President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are to fulfill in the US on Friday amid indicators each Washington and London are rising extra receptive to permitting the Ukrainians to make use of their arms to hit targets deeper inside Russia than beforehand authorised.

Russian forces attacked vitality infrastructure in six areas previously 24 hours, Ukraine’s vitality ministry mentioned on Thursday.

The ministry mentioned by way of the Telegram messaging app that the assaults had briefly disrupted the work of energy substations in not less than three of those areas.

Russian drones inflicted important injury to the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop’s vitality infrastructure in an in a single day assault that injured not less than 14 individuals and lower electrical energy to the settlement, native officers mentioned on Thursday.

Rescuers have been working to revive energy within the city, which had a pre-war inhabitants of about 83,000. Regional officers mentioned there had been 10 explosions in the course of the assault and Mayor Artem Semenikhin mentioned the facility system was in crucial situation.

“In the intervening time, vitality employees are doing the whole lot they will to offer electrical energy to the hospital and the water provide system,” he mentioned within the early hours of Thursday.

Hospitals continued to function, he added.

As winter attracts close to, the necessity to assist Ukraine defend the house entrance grows ever extra pressing. The more and more shut relationship between Moscow and Tehran additionally has extremely disturbing implications for the scenario within the Center East.

Ukraine‘s air drive mentioned shot down 44 out of 64 drones launched by Russia in a single day, officers mentioned.

Russia additionally fired 5 missiles, the air drive added in an announcement posted on Telegram. It was unclear whether or not these reached their targets or have been shot down.

Russian forces have begun a big counter-offensive towards Ukrainian troops, a senior Russian commander has mentioned, claiming to have recaptured some territory.

Main Basic Apti Alaudinov, who instructions Chechnya’s Akhmat particular forces combating in Kursk, mentioned that Russian troops had gone on the offensive and brought again management of about 10 settlements in Kursk, TASS reported.

“The scenario is nice for us,” mentioned Alaudinov, who can be deputy head of the Russian defence ministry’s military-political division.

“A complete of about 10 settlements within the Kursk area have been liberated,” he mentioned.

Final week, Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned his forces managed 100 settlements in Kursk over an space of greater than 1,300 sq km (500 sq miles), a determine disputed by Russian sources.

British overseas secretary David Lammy has introduced that Britain would supply an extra £600 million of assist for Ukraine as he visited Kyiv with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The British authorities mentioned it will present £242 million of funding, together with for humanitarian wants, and £484 million in mortgage ensures for World Financial institution lending to Ukraine earlier than the top of the 12 months.

The potential lifting of restrictions on the usage of the US and UK’s longer-range missiles is extensively being billed as a “game-changing” transfer, one that will allow strategic targets deeper inside Russia to be hit by Ukrainian forces for the primary time. Lammy has mentioned that the West is “listening rigorously” to Ukraine’s wants.

Actually for President Zelensky, it comes at a crucial second, because the solidity of the EU’s backing of the struggle seems to be wavering. With Germany going “wobbly” as its domestically-embattled chancellor Scholz requires a peace convention, and with winter now approaching, the Anglo-American present of assist for Ukraine is vitally essential.

However doubtlessly of even better consequence, to a fair better variety of individuals around the globe, is whether or not giving permission to make use of long-range weapons to strike Russian territory proves to be a tipping level for Putin – one which prompts him to go nuclear.

Russian forces attacked vitality amenities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Konotop in a single day, officers in Sumy area mentioned by way of Telegram.

The assault injured not less than 13 individuals, based mostly on preliminary info, in accordance with the assertion.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken will meet with senior Polish authorities officers at the moment to debate assist for Ukraine in its struggle towards Russia, in addition to deepening US defence cooperation with Warsaw.

Mr Blinken’s journey to Nato ally Poland follows a go to to Kyiv yesterday the place he heard Ukraine’s appeals to be allowed to fireplace Western-supplied missiles deep into Russian territory.

The highest diplomat is scheduled to fulfill with Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, president Andrzej Duda and overseas minister Radoslaw Sikorski, in accordance with their places of work.

Greater than two and a half years since Russia’s invasion started, Ukrainian forces are being pressured on the battlefield by a greater armed and larger foe, as they attempt to fend off Russian good points within the east the place Moscow is focusing its assaults.