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Russia likely used Iranian drones for first time, UK says
Russia may have used unmanned Iranian-made aerial vehicles in Ukraine for the first time, Britain’s defense intelligence agency said on Wednesday, after Kyiv said it shot down one of the UAVs – a Shahed-136 – on Tuesday. The device is a “one-way attack” weapon, the State Department said, and has been used in the Middle East. The downing of the drone near the front line in Ukraine suggests that Russia is using the weapons as a tactical weapon rather than a strategic one targeting military installations deeper into Ukrainian territory. He added: Russia is almost certainly sourcing more weapons from other heavily sanctioned states, such as Iran and North Korea, as its stockpiles dwindle. Ukraine’s presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych pointed to the prospect of capitalizing on weekend gains in the Kharkiv region by moving into eastern Luhansk province, which along with Donetsk is known as the Donbas. “There is now an attack on Liman and there could be an advance on Shiversk,” Arestovich said in a video posted on YouTube. However, the pro-Russian leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic denied the claims and said in a video post that Liman remains in their hands. “The situation has stabilized. The enemy of course tries to advance in small groups, but the allied forces (under Russia) completely repel them.” A field is covered with craters left by shelling near Izium, Kharkiv region. Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/AP Any such move by the Ukrainian military would be very bold since Zelensky has spoken of trying to stabilize the huge amount of territory recaptured in the region. His comments suggested a security-first approach to avoid being overwhelmed by counterattacks by Russian forces. But it begs the question of whether Ukraine can build on the momentum of its forces and press and even win the war. For some answers to this big question, you can read this piece by our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Updated at 06.26 BST Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that “stabilization measures” are still underway in the Kharkiv region to consolidate the spectacular gains of his armed forces over the weekend. In a speech on Tuesday afternoon, he said about 8,000 square kilometers (3,100 square miles) had been liberated so far, apparently all in the northeastern region of Kharkiv. “Stabilization measures” had been completed in about half of that territory, Zelensky said, “and in a liberated area of about the same size, stabilization measures are still ongoing.” He also said that progress had been made to shore up international support for Ukraine’s future security. He said: We are working to ensure that the guarantors of our nation’s security become the most powerful entities in the free world. We have already built together with our partners a strong anti-war coalition that includes dozens of different countries. And now we are working to turn the most powerful nations that already help us into a coalition of peace that will last forever. I’m Martin Farrer and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. I’ll bring you updates for the next hour or so. Here are the main developments you need to know:
Ukraine has set its sights on freeing all territory seized by invading Russian forces after pushing them back in a swift counter-offensive in the northeast. In a speech on Tuesday afternoon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said about 8,000 square kilometers (3,100 square miles) had been freed so far, apparently all in the northeastern region of Kharkiv. “Stabilization measures” had been completed in about half of that territory, Zelensky said, “and in a liberated area of about the same size, stabilization measures are still ongoing.” Major setbacks for Moscow’s forces in Ukraine will further test the “unfettered partnership” between Russia and China when Vladimir Putin meets his Chinese counterpart in Uzbekistan on Thursday, analysts say. The meeting, scheduled for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, is likely to include jockeying for influence in central Asia, where the two world powers have long waged a “quiet rivalry.” US President Joe Biden said it was hard to say whether Ukraine had reached a turning point in the six-month war. Asked about the situation on Tuesday, he said: “It is clear that the Ukrainians have made significant progress,” he said. “But I think it will be a long way off.” The White House said the United States is likely to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine in the “coming days.” Russian forces have abandoned defensive positions, particularly in and around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a US spokesman said. Ukraine’s presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych maintained prospects of capitalizing on the gains by moving into the eastern province of Luhansk, which along with Donetsk is known as the Donbas. “There is now an attack on Liman and there could be an advance on Shiversk,” Arestovich said in a video posted on YouTube. The pro-Russian leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic denied the allegations and said in a video post that Liman remains in their hands. “The situation has stabilized. The enemy of course tries to advance in small groups, but the allied forces (under Russia) completely repel them.” Asian stocks fell in the session on Wednesday as a worse-than-expected US inflation report dashed hopes of a peak in fuel and food inflation fueled in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US Federal Reserve is now almost certain to raise interest rates by another 0.75% next week to fulfill its pledge to tame inflation, meaning more pain for economies facing energy shortages in the coming northern winter . The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces warned that Russian forces were continuing their looting as they withdrew from the occupied territories. On a section of the highway heading into Russian territory, Ukrainian officials spotted civilian vehicles with license plates from the Kharkiv region, driven by Russian soldiers and weighed down with looted items. In the south, there were reports of Russian occupants breaking down private garage gates and taking cars, as well as removing furniture. Russian forces continued to strike a number of urban and civilian infrastructure facilities across Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions on Tuesday, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said. Through airstrikes and shelling and highly mobile artillery rocket systems, the Russian force attacked settlements in Luhansk Oblast and Donetsk Oblast in the east and Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Cherkasy Oblasts in the south.
