Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin tests intercontinental ballistic missile that carries multiple nuclear warheads

Russia has test-fired its new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile just days after the Kremlin insisted that using nuclear weapons in Ukraine was out of the question.

Col Gen Sergey Karakaev, the commander of Russia’s strategic missile forces, said at a military conference on Friday that Russia had recently successfully tested its Sarmat missile, also known as Satan II.

Vladimir Putin tuned in by video link to watch Satan II take flight for the first time during a test in northern Russia in April and said the new ballistic missile will make Russia’s enemies “think twice” before threatening it.

Each massive Satan II is capable of carrying at least 10 warheads as well as decoys and can strike targets thousands of miles away in Europe and the United States.

Russian defence sources have hailed the missile’s ability to evade interception.

Col Gen Karakaev also said on Friday that Russian missile forces were ready to receive a second batch of the Avangard hypersonic glide missiles.

Currently there is just one military unit equipped with the hypersonic weapons, that are able to carry nuclear warheads at 20 times the speed of sound.

Reports of new missile tests came just a few days after a Kremlin spokesman dismissed suggestions that Russia had been threatening to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“Those questions, let alone speculation, are not acceptable,” Dmitry Peskov said.

“It’s the European capitals that are talking about this, whipping up the tensions in this potentially dangerous area.”

In July, when the Kremlin’s nuclear sabre-rattling was at its most intense, Putin warned that Russia would deploy the nuclear-capable Satan II by the end of the year. He has not since made similar claims.

Russian TV propagandists have long used Satan II as a propaganda tool to threaten the West.

Dmitry Kiselyov in his weekly show earlier this year once said Britain is “so small that one Sarmat missile will be enough to sink it once and for all”.

Satan II is reportedly capable of reaching Britain in three minutes.

Earlier this week, the G20 summit highlighted Moscow’s growing international isolation as its representatives in a joint declaration condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine “in the strongest terms”.

China this week said it welcomed Russia’s declaration not to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Speaking after a meeting with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, said that Russia had confirmed its position that a nuclear war was “impossible and unacceptable”.

“It is a rational and responsible position from Russia,” Mr Wang said.

Separately, Bill Burns, the director of the CIA, earlier this week brought up the issue of the Kremlin’s nuclear rhetoric in a rare one-on-one with Sergey Naryshkin, the Russian spy chief, warning Moscow of consequences if it were to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, according to an unnamed US official.

On the battlefield in Ukraine, Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Friday that Ukraine had executed at least 10 Russian prisoners of war, citing videos circulating on social media that purports to show the execution of captured soldiers.

The video shows what appear to be Russian soldiers lying down on the ground in Makiivka, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, after surrendering to armed men with yellow bands on their arms.

Then automatic gunfire rings out and the video shows the bodies. It was unclear when the video was filmed or who filmed it.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukrainian officials.

03:50 PM

Ukraine experts join probe of fatal missile blast in Poland

Experts from Ukraine have joined Polish and American investigators who are looking into a missile blast that killed two men in eastern Poland this week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Friday that the Ukrainian experts were at the grain-drying facility in the Polish village of Przewodow where the missile landed on Tuesday. The village is located about 6 kilometers from Poland's border with Ukraine.

"We will continue our cooperation in an open and constructive manner, as closest friends do," Kuleba tweeted.

"I am grateful to the Polish side for granting them access," he wrote.

03:42 PM

Poland says will not allow Russian delegation at OSCE talks

Poland will not allow a Russian delegation at a meeting of the world's largest security body in Europe next month, the country's foreign ministry said on Friday.

Spokesman Lukasz Jasina replied in the affirmative when asked by AFP whether Moscow was being refused access to the December meeting in central Poland of the Organization for Security and Co-operation, of which Russia is a member.

03:39 PM

Finland unveils plan for 200-km fence on Russian border

Finland unveiled on Friday a plan to increase security on its border with Russia, including a 200-kilometre fence, after the invasion of Ukraine sparked tensions along the border.

"In this situation, we have every reason to reconsider our arrangements," Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen of the Finnish Border Guard agency told AFP.

Some 200 kilometres of the 1,300-kilometre border would be fenced at a cost of around 380 million euros (£330 million), the border agency said.

The fence will be over three metres tall with barbed wire at the top.

03:29 PM

West Africa next in line for tied-up Russian fertiliser

A top UN official said West Africa is next in line to receive crucial Russian fertiliser that has been prevented from being exported from European ports to needy countries, largely over private-sector concerns about financing and insurance for such deliveries.

Rebeca Grynspan, the head of the UN trade office, hailed "very good news for the world" that Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the world body had a day earlier extended a four-month deal to ease the export of Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs through the Black Sea. The war in Ukraine has helped drive up prices for food and fertiliser around the world.

03:24 PM

Russia accuses Ukraine of executing more than 10 prisoners of war

The Russian defence ministry accused Kyiv of executing more than ten war prisoners and accused Kyiv of "war crimes," the latest allegation of abuses after nearly nine months of fighting.

"No one will be able to paint the deliberate and methodical murder of more than ten restrained Russian soldiers... who were shot in the head, as a 'tragic exception,'" the ministry said in a statement on Friday after videos purporting to show killed Russian servicemen who had reportedly surrendered circulated online.

03:16 PM

In pictures: Rescuers tackle a fire after a missile strike on Kyiv

02:59 PM

'Nearly half' of Ukraine's energy grid disabled by Russian strikes

Almost half of Ukraine's power infrastructure is in need of repair following waves of Russian aerial attacks that have disrupted electricity supplies for millions of Ukrainians.

"Nearly half of our energy system has been disabled," Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Friday, while appealing to its European allies for support.

He said that on Tuesday alone, Russia fired about 100 missiles at Ukrainian cities.

02:45 PM

Russia 'digs trenches 40 miles behind front line' in fear of Ukrainian breakthroughs

Russia is digging trenches nearly 40 miles behind the front line as it works to bolster its defences amid a struggle in Ukraine, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

"Following the withdrawal of its forces from west of the Dnipro River, Russian forces continue to prioritise refitting, reorganisation and the preparation of defences across most sectors in Ukraine," the ministry said in its morning intelligence update.

That includes new trench systems being constructed along the border of Crimea, as well near the Siversky-Donets River between Donetsk and Luhansk.

"Some of these locations are up to 60km behind the current front line, suggesting that Russian planners are making preparations in case of further major Ukrainian breakthroughs," it said.

02:36 PM

Locals form human bridge to transport humanitarian aid

Locals near Novopetrivka village in Kherson didn't let a destroyed bridge stop them from transferring humanitarian aid to those in need following the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region. Instead they formed a human chain over the wreckage and passed the packages along one by one.

02:22 PM

G7 ministers warn of security threats spilling over from Ukraine

Russia's war in Ukraine has a "significant impact" on the security of other countries, G7 interior ministers said on Friday, warning of attacks on key infrastructure and risks posed by returning foreign fighters.

Europe was stunned earlier this week when a missile blast struck a Polish village near the Ukrainian border, killing two people.

In a joint statement, Britain's Suella Braverman and her G7 counterparts said they were closely monitoring the fallout from Russia's war, including the rise of "hybrid threats" designed to destabilise democracies and spread insecurity.

"Hybrid threats to our critical infrastructure, in addition to information manipulation, have increased significantly since the start of Russia's war," the interior ministers said.

The explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany in September had highlighted "the need to better protect our critical infrastructure".

They added that "Developing stronger overall security awareness... and building partnerships at the national and international level, including with the private sector, is crucial to become more resilient".

02:08 PM

Foreign fighters in Ukraine 'could pose a threat' when they return home

New threats to domestic security could emerge when foreign fighters return home from Ukraine with combat experience, the G7 interior ministers said in a joint statement on Friday.

"A small number" of volunteer fighters in Ukraine "could pose a heightened threat upon their return", they said.

They added that the increased flow of weapons in Europe as a result of the war could also pose a risk.

They pledged to work closely with Ukraine on "a strict arms control regime" to prevent the illegal trade of firearms and ammunition.

The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US.

It used to also include Russia but its membership was suspended after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

01:58 PM

Netherlands summons Russian ambassador over MH17 dispute

The Netherlands summoned the Russian ambassador on Friday after Moscow accused a Dutch court of a politically-motivated verdict in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

"In doing so, Russia discredits the Dutch constitutional state. That is absolutely unacceptable," the Dutch foreign ministry said in a statement, a day after the court sentenced three men to life imprisonment.

The flight was shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Most of the victims were Dutch as the plane had departed from Amsterdam.

01:47 PM

Germany army reservist found guilty of spying for Russia

A German army reservist was handed a suspended prison sentence on Friday for passing information to Russian intelligence services.

The 65-year-old, named as Ralph G., is the latest in a string of suspected Russian spies uncovered on German soil.

He was found guilty of providing Russian contacts with information on the inner workings of the Germany army, known as the Bundeswehr, between 2014 and 2020.

A court in Duesseldorf gave him a suspended sentence of one year and nine months, noting that he had pleaded guilty and had no criminal record.

According to the court, Ralph G. was in contact with several members of Russia's GRU military intelligence who were also military attaches at the Russian embassy in Berlin.

He provided his contacts with "a large number of documents and information about the Bundeswehr's reservist system in Germany", the court said.

He is not thought to have been paid for his services but instead received "invitations to events organised by the Russian embassy in Berlin" and to an annual security conference in Moscow.

01:39 PM

Kherson torture victims 'scrawled prayers in Russian' on prison walls

Russian-speaking prisoners of a torture house in Kherson scrawled religious messages on the wall, according to a photo published by the Ukraine Ministry of Defence.

The inscriptions say "Pray to God for us" and "God give us strength" in Russian, alongside an image of a cross.

The ministry shared the photo on Friday, saying it came from a torture chamber in Kherson.

"No matter what language you spoke, the slightest disobedience to the occupiers was enough to send you to the dungeon," it said.

01:24 PM

Ukraine braces for hours-long power outages amid cold snap

Ukraine's electricity grid operator warned of hours-long power outages on Friday as Russian assaults zeroed in on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Colder temperatures are putting additional pressure on energy networks.

"We understand that the enemy wants to destroy our power system in general, to cause long outages," Ukrenergo's chief executive Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told Ukrainian state television. "We need to prepare for possible long outages, but at the moment we are introducing schedules that are planned and will do everything to ensure that the outages are not very long."

Kudrytskyi added that the power situation at critical facilities such as hospitals and schools has been stabilised.

01:15 PM

EU parliament to vote on declaring Russia 'state sponsor of terror'

The European Parliament will vote next week on whether to declare Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism".

Several draft resolutions on the issue were reportedly being drawn up this week by various blocs of the parliament.

One resolution drafted by the European People's Party and seen by Euronews accuses Russia of perpetrating atrocities in Ukraine, including the "mass murder" of civilians, attacks on critical infrastructure, torture and sexual violence.

The European Parliament's spokesperson Delphine Colard confirmed on Friday that the issue would be put to a vote on November 23rd.

12:40 PM

Asian leaders fail to agree position on Ukraine war

Ministers of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group said most members condemned the war in Ukraine but that "There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions," in a joint statement on Friday.

The statement was issued at a summit of leaders of the 21 APEC member countries. The lack of agreement was little surprise given that the group counts Russia and China among its members, although as with the G20 summit, President Putin did not attend.

French President Emmanuel Macron had urged leaders at the summit to recognise that the war in Ukraine is also "your problem".

France was working to build "an increasing consensus in order to say this war is also your problem because it will create a lot of destabilisation", he said.

12:11 PM

Soldiers sign clothes in Kherson

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence tweeted photos on Friday of what it described as a "new trend in Ukrainian fashion".

The photos showed soldiers in newly-liberated Kherson signing children's clothes, creating what some said could end up being historic items.

"Those unique pieces may one day be auctioned at @Sothebys," the ministry even suggested.

11:52 AM

Praise for Black Sea grain extension pours in - but Moscow emphasises 'it's a package deal'

Praise poured in for the Black Sea grain deal after it was extended yesterday, allowing Ukraine to continue exporting millions of tonnes of food for another four months - but Russia said that more of its demands need to be met.

In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Zelensky said: "This is a very specific thing that makes the world see the importance of Ukraine... Tens of millions of people, primarily in African countries, have been saved from starvation" by exports from the Black Sea ports, with much of the grain bought by the World Food Programme.

"We also managed to reduce the pressure on the global food market. And this means that food prices are significantly lower than they would be without our food exports," he added.

Senior UN official Rebeca Grynspan also said on Friday that "we are really very pleased on the extension... It is very good news for the world."

But she added that "we are still not where we want to be, there is still work to be done".

In a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - whose government helped to broker the deal - Vladimir Putin emphasised the "package nature" of the deal.

One key issue that still needs to be resolved is the export of Russian ammonia via a pipeline to the Black Sea. Ammonia is a key ingredient in fertiliser, and a shortage of it is contributing to the food crisis.

But with the pipeline running through Ukrainian territory, Zelensky has previously said he would only allow it in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

11:26 AM

First train to Kherson

Ukrainian Railways is launching the first Kyiv-Kherson service today. The overnight train will depart at 22.14 local time and arrive in Kherson the next morning.

Coming a week after Kherson was freed from Russian occupation, it is being dubbed the "Train to Victory" and its carriages have been painted by Ukrainian graffiti artists.

It will help reconnect families who have not been able to see each other for months.

11:21 AM

Putin to attend summit of post-Soviet military alliance next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a summit of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Armenia next week, the Kremlin said on Friday.

CSTO is a military alliance composed of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

10:57 AM

Orban hits out at EU sanctions as Hungary's economy falters

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said EU sanctions against Russia were "a step towards war" on Friday.

Mr Orban - the closest person that Putin has to ally in the EU - has long opposed EU sanctions, although he didn't block them after obtaining key exemptions.

"It's a step towards war, if someone intervenes economically in a military conflict," Mr Orban said during a radio interview, adding that "taking a stand" could quickly amount to "becoming an actual belligerent."

By "supplying destructive weapons, training Ukrainian soldiers on our own territory, sanctioning energy" the EU was endangering itself, he said.

Budapest has blamed sky-high inflation on the sanctions - inflation in Hungary reached 21.6 per cent in October, one of the highest across the EU.

Hungary's food inflation rate was the highest in the bloc at over 45 per cent.

With recession looming, Orban's economic woes come as EU funds totalling over 14 billion euros have been withheld over corruption and rule-of-law concerns.

Read more: The black sheep of the EU heads for crisis as Brussels cuts off lifelines

10:38 AM

The latest photos from the Donetsk front line

The occupied region of Donetsk is experiencing intense fighting as it becomes a new epicentre of the war after Russia's withdrawal from Kherson. Here are some of the latest images from the front line in eastern Ukraine.

10:17 AM

Russia non-committal on Nord Stream repairs

Russia will wait until a full damage assessment to the Nord Stream gas pipelines is done before deciding on any repairs, if any, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Swedish investigators said they had found traces of explosives at the site and said it was the result of "gross sabotage".

They are continuing work to see if they can identify who was responsible for the September explosions at the pipelines, which carry gas from Russia to Germany.

10:01 AM

Brittney Griner 'trying to stay strong' in remote penal colony

US basketball star Brittney Griner is “trying to stay strong” after being sent to a remote Russian penal colony to start her nine-year sentence.

Ms Griner's legal team said they had visited her and that she was doing "as well as could be expected".

They confirmed she was serving her sentence at IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia, 300 miles away from Moscow.

“We visited her early this week. Brittney is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment," lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a statement.

It comes as Russia said it was hopeful a prisoner exchange could be agreed with the US, which is expected to include Ms Griner.

Read more: Basketball star Brittney Griner sent to remote Russian penal colony and 'trying to stay strong'

09:51 AM

Russia is 'fortifying' Crimea

Russia confirmed British intelligence that it is reinforcing its defensive positions in Crimea on Friday, as Ukraine reclaims territory in the neighbouring Kherson region.

"Fortification work is being carried out on the territory of Crimea under my control with the aim of guaranteeing the security of all Crimeans," the Moscow-appointed governor of the region, Sergei Aksyonov, said on social media.

The UK Ministry of Defence said on Friday that new trench systems were being constructed along the Crimean border, and as far as 40 miles behind the front line, as Russia anticipates further Ukrainian breakthroughs.

09:41 AM

Banksy video shows him spray painting buildings in Ukraine

British graffiti artist Banksy has shared a short video of his time in Ukraine, where he worked on several murals on the walls of destroyed buildings in the Kyiv region.

The video shows him working on some of the paintings and speaking to Ukrainians in the street. 

It is set against the sound of "Chervona Ruta," a popular Ukrainian song that became an anthem of resistance after the war began. The song is played by some buskers who are also captured in the film.

09:27 AM

Russia 'hopeful' of US prisoner swap that could free Griner

Russia is hopeful it can reach an agreement with the United States to return notorious Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap, it said on Friday, after US basketball star Brittney Griner was transferred to a penal colony.

"I would like to hope that the prospect [of an exchange] is not only still a topical issue, but that it is being strengthened, and the moment comes when we get a concrete agreement," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.

Ms Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and handed nine years in prison for possessing vape cartridges with a small quantity of cannabis oil.

Her lawyers confirmed on Thursday she had been transferred to a penal colony in the central region of Mordovia to serve out her sentence.

Analysts believe that Griner could be traded for Bout, who is serving 25 years in prison on a 2012 conviction.

Another American jailed in Russia, retired US Marine Paul Whelan, is also slated for a possible exchange, observers say.

Read more: 'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout offered by US for prisoner swap

09:15 AM

Ukraine's cemetery of fallen soldiers

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry posted a video of a cemetery of its fallen soldiers on social media on Friday morning.

"Do not forget the price Ukraine pays," it wrote.

09:09 AM

Russia 'urges North and South Korea to avoid confrontation'

Russia is "concerned" by the situation on the Korean peninsula and has called for the parties involved to move away from confrontation, Russian news agencies quoted the deputy foreign minister as saying on Friday.

It comes after North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, which landed 130 miles off the coast of Japan.

Many noted the irony of the statement, however, given the war it is waging in Ukraine and support for North Korea.

Victor Cha, head of the Korea division at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told the New York Times that the recent flurry of tests in the North had been “enabled by China and Russia,” which have scuppered attempts to impose new sanctions at the UN Security Council.

Russia is also believed to be buying North Korean weapons for its war in Ukraine.

08:55 AM

Explosive traces found at site of Nord Stream sabotage

Swedish prosecutors investigating the explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September say they have confirmed it was the result of "gross sabotage".

In a statement, lead prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said that "extensive seizures" were made during the crime scene investigations and that "traces of explosives" were found. Advanced analysis is continuing in order to draw further conclusions and identify suspects, Ljungqvist said.

Read more: Nord Stream pipeline explosions caused by sabotage, says Sweden

08:39 AM

Pope Francis repeats offer to mediate peace talks

The Vatican is ready to do anything possible to mediate and put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis reiterated on Friday in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa.

Asked whether he believed reconciliation between Moscow and Kyiv was possible, the pontiff called on everyone not to give up. "But everyone must commit to demilitarising hearts, starting with their own, and then defusing, disarming violence. We must all be pacifists. Wanting peace, not just a truce that may only serve to rearm. Real peace, which is the fruit of dialogue," he told the paper.

08:26 AM

Zelensky says MH17 convictions are just the beginning

The conviction of three men for the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is just the beginning of the criminal justice Russia must face, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In his nightly address on Thursday, the president said "this decision is not just about three murderers. Russia lied a lot about this catastrophe, but nevertheless the key facts were established. Now the perpetrators have been convicted and the basis is provided to convict the culprits of a higher level, too."

"This is something without which it is impossible to protect the world from the repetition of such wars as Russian aggression against our state," he added. "When all the murderers and torturers are convicted... it will be a very solid foundation for a lasting peace... Every Russian war crime, every terrorist attack of theirs will receive its legal response. Today's decision in The Hague proves it."

Read more: All Russian war crimes must be punished, says Zelensky

08:06 AM

10 million Ukrainians without power as temperatures drop

More than 10 million Ukrainians were without electricity last night, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, after Russia once again pounded the country's energy infrastructure.

It comes as the first snow fell yesterday and temperatures drop.

Most of those without power are in the Vinnytsia, Odesa, Sumy and Kyiv regions, the president said, adding that "We are doing everything to normalize the supply."