Ukraine-Russia war: Nato military chief demands 'warfighting transition'
Nato’s top military official has demanded countries in the alliance undertake a ‘warfighting transition’.
“We need a warfighting transformation of Nato,” Adm Rob Bauer told a meeting of military chiefs in Brussels.
He said the alliance must adapt to “an era in which anything can happen at any time, an era in which we need to expect the unexpected, an era in which we need to focus on effectiveness in order to be fully effective”.
He added: “Ukraine will have our support for every day that is to come, because the outcome of this war will determine the fate of the world.”
Major military aid packages worth £60billion and £43billion respectively have been held up in the United States and the European Union in recent months.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said last week that weapons pledges made by “most EU member states” were “not enough” to meet Ukraine’s needs.
03:10 PM GMT
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03:09 PM GMT
Today's headlines
Ukraine shot down 19 of 20 Russian drones launched overnight as a missile attack on Kharkiv killed one civilian and left 17 injured
The European Union rebuked Germany for unilaterally pledging £6 billion ($7.6billion) in aid for Ukraine
Nato needs a “warfighting transformation”, its seniormost military official said
Ursula von der Leyen said she was “confident” the EU would approve a £43bn aid package for Ukraine vetoed by Hungary in December
Rare violent protests erupted in a small Russian town after an anti-war activist was jailed for inciting “racial hatred”
The Kremlin said it was developing its relations with North Korea in all areas including those which are “sensitive”
Railway tracks in three Russian regions were blown up by “unknown” partisans
Vladimir Putin may be preparing for an invasion of the Baltic states after claiming they had expelled ethnic Russians, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said
Antony Blinken told a conference at Davos that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia remains unlikely
02:51 PM GMT
Men of fighting age must return to Ukraine, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated calls for Ukrainian men of fighting age who are living abroad to return to the country.
“If you are of mobilisation age, according to Ukrainian law, you must be in Ukraine,” he said at Davos. “It is a fact. And then you will fight or not fight.
“You can work and not be at the front, it depends on the situation. But you have to pay taxes.
“In general, it is fair to pay tax. But during the war this issue is very acute. This issue is justice.”
02:41 PM GMT
Sergei Lavrov to visit New York City
Sergei Lavrov will travel to New York City next week for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
He will attend a debate on the Middle East on January 23.
02:16 PM GMT
Ceasefire unlikely, says Blinken
Antony Blinken has said a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia is unlikely in remarks at Davos.
“I don’t see it now. We are always open to this, attentive to this, because the Ukrainian people want this most of all,” he said.
“But there must be a willingness on Russia’s part to engage, to negotiate in good faith on the basis of the principles that its aggression has challenged: Territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.
“If and when Russia is ready to negotiate on these principles, it will find Ukrainians who are willing to do so and will certainly find support from the United States and many other countries.”
01:35 PM GMT
Revealed: Germany's latest aid package
Germany has released the details of its latest military aid package for Ukraine:
Ammunition for Leopard 1 main battle tanks
25 RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones
8 armoured personnel carriers
Material for explosive ordnance disposal
50 SatCom terminals
5 border protection vehicles
1,840 combat helmets
500 LED lamps
3 vehicles (trucks, minibuses, all-terrain vehicles)
16 Zetros fuel tankers
01:15 PM GMT
In pictures: Ukraine and Russia today
01:01 PM GMT
Russian shelling wounds three in Kherson village
Russian artillery shelling has left three civilians wounded in a Kherson village, the south-eastern region’s governor has said.
A 60-year-old woman, her 62-year-old husband and another man, 54, were left wounded after the attacks on Berislav.
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said all three had been treated by paramedics.
12:31 PM GMT
Von der Leyen 'confident' of agreement on Ukraine aid
Ursula von der Leyen is “confident” that every European Union member state will agree the proposed £43billion ($54billion) aid package for Ukraine.
Hungary vetoed the package in December but it is now hoped that concessions will secure its support.
“I am confident that we will find a solution by 27,” she told the European Parliament.
The aid can only be given to Ukraine if every EU member state agrees to it.
12:04 PM GMT
Russia forced to scale back air operations after A-50 downed, says MoD
Russia will likely be forced to scale back its surveillance air operations after Ukraine shot down an A-50 spy plane over the Sea of Azov, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.
In its latest defence intelligence briefing, the MoD said the A-50 was “critical” to the Russian armed forces’ surveillance of the war in Ukraine.
“It is likely that Russia will now be forced to reconsider limiting the operational areas of its aircraft,” it said.
“The A-50 is critical to the Russian air surveillance picture over the battlespace.
“The Russian Air Force possesses eight A-50 airframes which can likely cover the immediate operational impact.
“However, the increased stress on the remaining airframes coupled with the loss of the crew will likely constrain longer term mission sustainability.”
11:45 AM GMT
Watch: Russian missiles hit Ukraine's second-biggest city
11:36 AM GMT
EU condemns Germany for pledging £6bn Ukraine aid
The European Union has rebuked Germany for unilaterally pledging £6 billion ($7.6billion) in aid to Ukraine.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, made the promise on Tuesday and said the funds would go towards military and humanitarian aid.
But Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, condemned the move because it will not go through the bloc’s multilateral mechanisms.
“Today we see that Germany is trying to go solo, it hasn’t fooled anyone, and in particular it is trying to stop supporting the European Peace Facility,” he said.
The spat came as Emmanuel Macron announced France would sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine in February and supply Storm Shadow missiles and “several hundred” bombs.
11:17 AM GMT
ISW: Putin may be preparing for attack on Baltics
Vladimir Putin may be preparing for an invasion of the Baltic states after claiming they had expelled ethnic Russians, a prominent think tank has said.
The move by Latvia and other countries “directly affects” Russian security, he added, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In fact, Latvia has said Russian citizens needed to follow the general procedure for obtaining EU permanent residence status by November 2023.
The ISW said there were no indications of an imminent Russian attack, but added: “Putin may be setting information conditions for future aggressive Russian actions abroad under the pretext of protecting its ‘compatriots’.”
10:43 AM GMT
Russia imports £2.3bn in Western components despite sanctions
Russia imported £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) in components from Western companies in the first 10 months of 2023 despite sanctions.
“The products of more than 250 Western companies were found in samples of destroyed or captured Russian weapons,” Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said in a statement.
The figures follow research by a working group led by Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff, and Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia.
10:23 AM GMT
'Unknown' Russian partisans sabotage railways
Railway tracks in three Russian regions have been blown up by “unknown” partisans, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) has said.
The sabotage attacks in Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov oblasts – to the north, east and south-east of Moscow respectively – “paralysed” lines being used in military logistics.
“Unknown opponents of Putin’s regime once again burned several relay cabinets on the railway,” the HUR said.
A number of other incidents on Russia’s railways have been linked to Ukrainian intelligence in recent months.
10:02 AM GMT
Cameron to meet Kuleba at Davos
Lord Cameron will meet Dmytro Kuleba at Davos to re-iterate Britain’s support for Ukraine.
“In my discussion with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, I will make clear the UK will continue to be a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, so it not only wins the war, but emerges from it as a strong, sovereign and free country,” Lord Cameron said.
“Ukraine is standing up for the rules that keep us all safe. This is why the UK has provided almost £12 billion in support to Ukraine. We will stand with them for as long as it takes to achieve victory.”
Britain’s foreign secretary will also meet Antony Blinken, the United States secretary of state, and Bill Gates.
09:45 AM GMT
Kremlin developing relations with North Korea in 'sensitive areas'
Russia is developing its relations with North Korea in all areas including those which are “sensitive”, the Kremlin has said.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is our very important partner, and we are focused on the further development of our relations in all areas, including in sensitive areas,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
North Korea’s foreign minister lauded its ties with Russia on Tuesday and then held rare talks in the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin.
Putin has also been invited by Kim Jong-un to visit North Korea.
09:38 AM GMT
West needs to be patient, says Kuleba
The West needs to be patient and maintain its support for Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“We are fighting a powerful enemy, a very big enemy that doesn’t sleep,” the foreign minister said in an address to the World Economic Forum at Davos.
“It takes time.
“We defeated them on the land in 2022. We defeated them in the sea in 2023 and we are completely focused on defeating them in the air in 2024.”
09:21 AM GMT
In pictures: Kharkiv missile damage
09:11 AM GMT
Protestors detained by Russian police after activist jailed
Protestors have been detained by Russian police after an activist was sentenced to four years in a penal colony.
Fail Alsynov was found guilty of inciting ethnic hatred after he was accused of insulting migrant workers in a protest speech against gold mining in Bashkorstan, a region near the Ural Mountains.
His supporters argue that the case against him is retribution for his role in protests that blocked proposals for a soda mine.
Police with riot shields were deployed after hundreds gathered to protest the sentence at the court in Baymak, a town 860 miles east of Moscow.
Mr Alsynov was the leader of Bashkort, a movement which sought to protect the region’s culture, language and ethnic identity. It was banned as an extremist organisation in 2020.
08:52 AM GMT
Russian air operations over Sea of Azov decrease after A-50 downed
Russian air force operations over the Sea of Azov have decreased in the days after an A-50 spy plane and Il-22 airborne command centre were shot down.
Col Yuriy Ihnat, the Ukrainian air force spokesman, said Russia’s tactical aviation presence over the region was lower “than ever before”.
He said the two aircraft enabled Russia to detect air targets at a range of 372 miles (600km) and transmit that to commanders in real time.
The attacks are not expected to reduce the intensity of Russian missile and drone strikes because these are co-ordinated on the ground.
08:36 AM GMT
EU 'confident' Ukraine aid package will be agreed in weeks
The European Union is “confident” that its £43 billion ($54 billion) aid package will be approved “within a couple of weeks”, it has been reported.
Politico cited EU sources who said Hungary is ready for a compromise after vetoing the four-year aid plan in December.
“It is highly unlikely that EU countries will take a decision that will give Hungary the opportunity to permanently blackmail,” one European diplomat stressed while adding that some concessions will be made to Viktor Orban.
The report said officials are considering including the option to revise the funding in 2025 after Hungary demanded that the aid be reviewed every year.
08:22 AM GMT
Nato needs 'warfighting transformation', military chief says
Nato needs a “warfighting transformation”, its seniormost military official has said.
“We need a warfighting transformation of Nato,” Adm Rob Bauer told a meeting of member states’ military chiefs in Brussels.
He said the alliance must adapt to “an era in which anything can happen at any time, an era in which we need to expect the unexpected, an era in which we need to focus on effectiveness in order to be fully effective”.
08:09 AM GMT
Ukraine attacks Belgorod
Ukraine attacked the Russian border region of Belgorod with 11 missiles and six drones overnight, Moscow’s defence ministry has said.
The ministry claimed it had shot down all of them at 3am on Wednesday morning.
Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said there were no casualties and that a number of residential buildings were damaged.
07:59 AM GMT
Russian missiles kill one and wound 17 in Kharkiv
A Russian S-300 missile in the centre of Kharkiv killed one and injured 17 on Tuesday night.
The attack on Ukraine’s second largest city left two women seriously injured and badly damaged at least 19 buildings.
Ukraine’s Emergency Services, writing on Telegram, said one of the missiles had hit a three-storey building that had previously housed a clinic.
Volodymyr Tymoshko, the regional police chief, told public broadcaster Suspilne that one of the missiles had hit a road.
07:44 AM GMT
Macron to sign security pact with Kyiv
Emmanuel Macron will sign a bilateral security pact with Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv in February.
The French president said the deal is still being finalised but aims to “continue to help Ukraine to hold the front line and protect its skies”.
Mr Macron also announced that France would deliver 40 Scalp missiles – known in Britain as the Storm Shadow – and “several hundred” bombs in the coming weeks.
07:35 AM GMT
Coalition to arm Ukraine with thousands of drones
A coalition of Western countries will arm Ukraine with “thousands” of drones.
Latvia is leading the effort and defence minister Andris Spruds said on Tuesday that 20 countries have now signed up.
“The main goal is to do everything possible to ensure that as many of these drones as possible are also delivered to Ukraine,” he said.
It is not clear when the drones – which have become crucial in the war in Ukraine – will be delivered.
07:24 AM GMT
Ukraine shoots down 19 Russian drones overnight
Ukraine shot down 19 drones launched by Russia overnight.
Three people were injured in the southern city of Odesa and 130 evacuated from their homes when debris from the Shahed UAVs damaged homes, cars and a gas pipe.
“The kamikaze drones entered at a critically low altitude from the Black Sea,” the armed forces’ southern command said in a statement.
