Ukraine marks 1000 days since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, writes the headline of the newspaper “Guardian“, BTA reported in the press review.
Yesterday's Russian missile attack on Odessa killed 10 and wounded 44 people. Britain is expected to allow Kiev to use British “Storm Shadow“ missiles for strikes inside Russia, the British publication indicates.
Today marks 1000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where troops from both sides are fighting on many fronts. The balance sheet is grim, with Ukraine under constant drone and missile strikes, as Kiev prepares for Donald Trump to return to the White House in January. Thousands of Ukrainians have died, more than six million are living as refugees abroad and the population has shrunk by a quarter since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion that began Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, the Guardian reports.
A Russian missile strike killed 10 people and wounded 44 in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa, the local governor Oleg Kiper and the national police said. Four children were among the wounded, and three people were in serious condition. The national police said seven police officers, a medic and two civilians were killed, and 14 police officers were injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian ballistic missile had hit a residential area, damaging an apartment building, a university building and an administrative building. "These are not random strikes - these are showy strikes. After the talks and meetings with Putin, after all the false rumors in the media about supposedly "refraining" from strikes. Russia is showing what it really cares about - only war," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed as "absolutely good" the decision of US President Joe Biden to allow Kiev to carry out strikes with American ATAKMS missiles inside Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha said on this occasion that "this could change the rules of the game. The longer Ukraine can strike, the shorter the war will be. Ukraine has every right to strike military targets on Russian territory. This could have a very positive impact on the situation on the battlefield.
German Foreign Minister Analene Berbock described Biden's decision as "important" and "significant". However, a German government spokesman said that Germany was sticking to its decision not to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's decision to refuse deliveries of Germany's most powerful missile to Kiev is a serious cause for controversy in Germany, the Guardian notes.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin rejected the media-circulated peace proposal by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which was to be presented at the G20 summit in Brazil, to freeze military action at the current positions of the two countries. Erdogan's plan reportedly includes: freezing the front line in its current form, Ukraine agreeing not to join NATO for at least 10 years, providing Ukraine with weapons to ensure its defense, and deploying international peacekeepers in a demilitarized buffer zone in Donbas. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed freezing the current front line as a condition that would be "unacceptable" for the Russian Federation, the British publication points out.
Moscow is furious after Biden allowed Kiev to use long-range American missiles to strike inside Russia, another British newspaper, the “Independent“, headlines.
Washington is adding fuel to the fire by allowing Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles to strike Russian territory, the Kremlin said.
Condemning President Joe Biden's decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated earlier warnings by Russian President Vladimir Putin that any strikes on Russian soil using American weapons would be interpreted as direct NATO participation in the war in Ukraine, the “Independent“ indicates.
In response to a question from TASS during his regular press conference, Peskov said that Russia had learned about the Biden government's decision only from publications in Western media. He accused the US of fanning the flames of the conflict. Tensions are further rising with reports of North Korea sending troops to help Russia, notes “The Independent“.
In his speech yesterday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not mention Biden's decisions, but condemned the West's involvement in the war in Ukraine and warned of the danger of "World War III". This followed warnings yesterday and the day before by Russian lawmakers that the Biden government's decision risks triggering a world war.
The US permission came at a time when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for a "doubling" of support for Ukraine, putting it at the top of the agenda at this week's G20 summit, the British publication notes.
The US decision to allow Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to strike inside Russia is seen as too late and too limited, the French newspaper "Le Monde" wrote in its headline. After months of denials, US President Joe Biden finally authorized Ukraine on Sunday to launch strikes with US-supplied ballistic missiles inside Russia - something Kiev has long wanted. It is a major strategic reversal just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20, 2025, the French publication points out.
The American decision, taken in response to the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the conflict, is assessed as too late and too limited. More political than military, it could help slow down the advance of Russian forces without changing the balance of power on the ground.
Moscow condemned the decision yesterday as “reckless and dangerous”. The speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, threatened that Russia would use new weapons systems against Ukraine if it attacks its territory with long-range US missiles. Army tactical missile systems (ATAKMS), which are both highly accurate and very powerful, can reach a target at a distance of up to 300 km, but are more of a tactical weapon, notes “Mond“.