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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.
Biden administration to ‘send every dollar at our disposal’ to Kyiv ahead of Trump return
Joe Biden’s administration will send “every dollar we have at our disposal” to Ukraine before Donald Trump returns to the White House, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said.
Speaking during a visit to Brussels where he met with Nato chief Mark Rutte, Mr Blinken said: “President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and January 20”, when Mr Trump is due to be sworn in.
Mr Blinken warned that Nato countries must focus their efforts on “ensuring that Ukraine has the money, munitions and mobilised forces to fight effectively in 2025, or to be able to negotiate a peace from a position of strength”.
The US will “adapt and adjust” with the latest equipment it is sending, Mr Blinken said.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 12:01
Finnish investors to buy Helsinki Arena from sanctioned Russians
A group of Finnish investors have agreed to buy Finland’s flagship sports and events venue from its sanctions-hit Russian owners – after the city of Helsinki threatened a forced takeover.
The Helsinki Arena has stood idle for two years since sanctions were imposed on Russian investors following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and Helsinki said last year that Russian-Finnish energy billionaire Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg would face expropriation unless they voluntarily sold the arena.
The capital city initiated a forced takeover on Monday and a deal was announced by the Finnish Foreign Ministry the next day.
The Finnish buyers, grouped under Trevian Asset Management Ltd and led by Heikki Viitikko, a previous ice hockey club owner, said it took them two years to negotiate the deal with lawyers working for the Russian owners.
“Yesterday, we were finally able to sign the deeds,” Trevian chief executive Reima Sodervall told Reuters, adding that the deal would still require an exceptional permit from the European Union to be approved because of the sanctions.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 11:46
Ukraine cannot trademark anti-Russian insult, EU court says
Ukraine’s border guard force cannot register a trademark in the European Union on its wartime insult “Russian warship, go fuck yourself” because it is a political slogan, the EU’s General Court has ruled.
The phrase comes from the early days of Russia’s invasion, when the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed on the outpost of Snake Island and ordered them to surrender or die. The reply came back: “Russian warship, go f*** yourself!”
The phrase quickly became a national slogan, featured on billboards, T-shirts, office mugs and even a postage stamp.
But the EU court upheld a lower tribunal’s decision this week, saying: “The Court observed that a sign is incapable of fulfilling the essential function of a trade mark if the average consumer does not perceive, in its presence, the indication of the origin of the goods or services, but only a political message.”
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 10:42
South Korea says North Korean soldiers are fighting Ukraine forces
South Korea’s spy agency has warned that North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia are engaging in combat against Ukraine.
Following reports of 10,000 North Korean soldiers arriving in Russia, some are claimed to have been stationed in Kursk, the region attacked by Ukraine in August.
Experts have told The Independent that they believe Vladimir Putin may now be amplifying his efforts to take back territory in Kursk ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 10:24
Polish security services detain Belarusian suspected of attempted arson
Polish special services have detained a Belarusian citizen suspected of committing acts of sabotage by attempting to set fire to a building in Gdansk.
Poland believes its role as a hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a key target for spies who are trying to gather information on support for Kyiv’s war effort and engage in acts of sabotage.
In January and May, Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) arrested citizens of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus whom it accused of carrying out arson attacks on buildings in Gdansk, Gdynia and Marki, and preparing similar attacks in Wroclaw.
“This is another arrest in the investigation into the activities of an organised criminal group that, at the request of foreign special services, carried out acts of sabotage, in particular arson,” the agency said on Wednesday.
The prosecutor’s office has charged the detained Belarusian citizen with participation in an organised criminal group and committing acts of sabotage, diversion or terrorist crimes on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. A court ordered his detention for three months.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 10:01
Trump picks new US defence secretary from his favourite talent pool – Fox News
Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defence world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defence secretary and in effect helm the world’s largest and most powerful military.
The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington, as Mr Trump bypassed a number of established national security heavy-hitters in favour of a US Army National Guard captain who is best-known as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends Weekend.
If confirmed, Mr Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the expanding alliance between Russia and North Korea to the growing competition with China.
On air, Hegseth has complained the US is spending too much supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia and has been an outspoken advocate for Israel.
Our US reporter Josh Marcus has more details here:
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 09:33
Comment | Europe is in immense danger if Trump hands any kind of victory to Putin in Ukraine
Examining the prospect of Donald Trump seeking to bring the war in Ukraine to a rapid conclusion, Keir Giles of the Chatham House think-tank writes for Independent Voices:
For Europe, an end to the fighting in Ukraine makes the danger from Russia much greater, not less. European and North American intelligence and defence chiefs are unanimous that Russia is preparing to mount an attack against a Nato state in the near future.
Where there is disagreement though is not over whether Russia will attack, but where and when. The unexpected speed with which Russia has been rebuilding its land forces has triggered a spate of warnings across the continent to prepare for conflict more urgently.
And as soon as Ukraine is no longer demolishing those forces on the front line, Russia will be able to rebuild and re-equip them much faster – including with manpower pressed into service from Ukraine’s occupied territories, and now reinforcements from North Korea.
The end of the current fighting in Ukraine will not bring “peace” without effective means of deterring Russia from starting another war.
Read his analysis in full with Independent Premium:
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 09:14
Ukraine’s grid operator to temporarily limit power supply for businesses
Ukraine’s national power grid operator Ukrenergo has introduced limits on electricity supply for businesses on Wednesday due to “significantly” lower imports and lower generation, the company said.
“The restrictions will be in place during the day. In the evening, after the equipment is fixed, the restrictions will be lifted,” Ukrenergo said.
The last time massive restrictions on electricity supplies to both businesses and households were imposed was after a massive Russian missile and drone attack in late August.
Ukraine’s largest private power generator and distributor DTEK said restrictions would apply to Kyiv, the Kyiv region, Odesa, Dnipro and the Donetsk regions.
“The reasons: a shortage (of electricity) in the power grid due to previous shelling by Russia and a drop in temperature,” DTEK said on the Telegram.
Officials have said Ukraine has lost around half of its generating capacity as a result of Russian attacks and now relies mainly on energy generated by three nuclear power plants.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 08:55
Blinken meets Nato chief in Ukraine talks ahead of Trump transition
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has met Nato chief Mark Rutte in Brussels as the outgoing Biden administration seeks to cement support for Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s return.
Mr Blinken is expected to discuss in Brussels how US allies can take greater leadership over support for Ukraine with Washington’s future role uncertain.
Following his meeting with Mr Rutte at the alliance’s headquarters, Mr Blinken is later expected to meet Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
He will also meet top EU officials and British foreign secretary David Lammy in Brussels on Wednesday.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 08:33
Ukraine claims to shoot down missiles and 37 Russian drones launched in overnight attacks
Ukraine’s air force said it has shot down two cruise missiles, two ballistic missiles and 37 Russian drones as regions across Ukraine were targeted in overnight attacks.
A further 47 Russian drones were lost in different regions of Ukraine, while two left Ukraine’s airspace oin the direction of Belarus and Russia, Kyiv said.
Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv were among the regions targeted, Ukraine’s air force said.
Andy Gregory13 November 2024 08:16