War in Ukraine: Are Putin and Zelensky ready for peace talks?
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The British defence ministry has this morning reiterated the Biden administration’s warning that a “full-fledged” military partnership is emerging between Russia and Iran.
The US suggested Tehran has become Moscow’s “top military backer”.
“Iran’s support to the Russian military is likely to grow in the coming months,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update. It added that Russia is “attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles.”
US national security council spokesperson John Kirby yesterday said Moscow is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development and training. He said Moscow was offering Tehran an “unprecedented level” of military and technical support.
Both nations were considering setting up a drone assembly line in Russia for the ongoing war in Ukraine, Mr Kirby said, adding that Russia was training Iranian pilots on its Sukhoi Su-35 fighter.
Moscow has been accused of using Iranian “kamikaze” drones to launch a series of attacks on Ukraine in October.
“Russia’s been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat, critical services,” Mr Kirby said.
UK warns Iran is Russia’s ‘top military backer’
The British defence ministry today reiterated the Biden administration’s claims that Iran has become one of Russia’s ‘top military backers’ since Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
It warned that Tehran’s support to the Russian military is likely to “grow in the coming months”.
“Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles,” the British ministry said in its daily update.
In return, Russia is highly likely offering Iran an “unprecedented level of military and technical support” that is transforming their defence relationship.
Zelensky names pilot with bloodied face ‘Hero of Ukraine’
A Ukrainian fighter pilot who posted a photo of his bloodied face has been named “Hero of Ukraine” by president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vadym Voroshylov reportedly shot down Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones over the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia and ejected from his damaged jet before it crashed.
The Ukrainian president in a statement said: “Major Vadym Oleksandrovych Voroshylov shall be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and be presented with the Order of the Gold Star.”
Ukraine says it shot down 10 ‘kamikaze’ drones
Ukraine’s air force says it has shot down 10 Iranian-made Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 drones over Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts last night.
Over 2,800 education facilities ‘destroyed’ since Russia’s invasion
Education minister Serhii Shkarlet said over 2,800 educational facilities in Ukraine have been damaged since Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February.
In the past 100 days alone at least 390 institutions have been damaged and destroyed in Russian shelling, he said.
Mr Shkarlet added: “Despite the fact that the occupiers continue to destroy schools, kindergartens, universities and vocational schools, Ukrainian children and youth continue to study.
“Teachers, lecturers and educators courageously hold the educational front.”
British PM says Russia must pull troops out of Ukraine before peace talks
Rishi Sunak has said that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine before any peace agreement can be considered in the 10-month conflict.
The prime minister’s comment came in a phone call today with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in which Mr Sunak confirmed that more UK anti-air guns and short-range air defence missiles will arrive in the coming weeks.
It came as Russian president Vladimir Putin said that an agreement would have to be reached “in the end” but that he was wary to do so because of what he perceived as Western duplicity over the Minsk accords of 2014 and 2015.
Andrew Woodcock has more.
PM promises more weapons in phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky
Nato chief fears Ukraine war could widen into bigger conflict
The head of Nato has expressed his concern that the fighting in Ukraine could widen out into a war between Russia and the defence alliance.
“If things go wrong, they can go horribly wrong,” Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in remarks to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
“It is a terrible war in Ukraine. It is also a war that can become a full-fledged war that spreads into a major war between Nato and Russia,” he said.
“We are working on that every day to avoid that.”
The head of NATO has expressed worry that the fighting in Ukraine could spin out of control and become a war between Russia and NATO
Australia sanctions Iran and Russia for rights violation
Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said today that the government would place targeted sanctions on Russia and Iran in response to what it called “egregious” human rights violations.
She said Canberra was imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions on 13 individuals and two entities, including Iran’s Morality Police and Basij Resistance Force, and six Iranians involved in the crackdown on protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody in September.
Seven Russians involved in what the foreign minister said was the attempted assassination of Kremlin critic leader Alexei Navalny would also have human rights sanctions imposed on them, Ms Wong said in her statement.
In addition to human rights sanctions, the minister said Australia was placing further targeted financial sanctions on three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.
“The supply of drones to Russia is evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilising global security. This listing highlights that those who provide material support to Russia will face consequences,” she said.
Russia could adopt US preemptive strike concept, says Putin
Vladimir Putin said Moscow could adopt what he described as a US concept of using preemptive military strikes amid rising tensions with Nato over the war in Ukraine.
“We are just thinking about it. They weren’t shy to openly talk about it during the past years,” the Russian president said yesterday.
Mr Putin was speaking at a summit in Kyrgyzstan of a Moscow-dominated economic alliance of ex-Soviet nations.
“Speaking about a disarming strike, maybe it’s worth thinking about adopting the ideas developed by our US counterparts, their ideas of ensuring their security.”
Champagne-sipping Putin says ‘they started it’
Vladimir Putin has attempted to justify attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure by claiming Kyiv “started it” when the Crimea bridge was bombed.
Addressing a group of Russian servicemen as part of a lavish reception at the Kremlin, the Russian president said: “There is a lot of noise now about our strikes on the energy infrastructure [of Ukraine]. Yes, we are doing it.
“But who started it? Who struck the Crimean bridge?” he said, before taking a sip from a glass of champagne.
Emily Atkinson reports.
Russian President says attacks began in retaliation to Ukraine’s alleged attack on the Crimea Bridge in October
US warns against Iran and Russia’s ‘full-fledged’ defence partnership
The Joe Biden administration has issued alarms against the deepening defence deepening cooperation between Russia and Iran as Tehran “provides drones” to support Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Iran were considering standing up a drone assembly line in Russia for the war in Ukraine, US national security council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday.
He said Russia was training Iranian pilots on the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter and Iran could receive deliveries of the plane within the year.
In return, Russia was offering Iran “an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership.”
