On the 1001st day of the war in Ukraine, outgoing US President Joe Biden further supports Kiev in its war against Russian invading troops by authorizing the supply of anti-personnel landmines after recently allowing the use of long-range ATACMS missiles against Russian territory.
Spain and the USA embassies in Kiev have closed today due to the possibility of a significant aerial attack and are urging their staff to "enhance security measures." Meanwhile, the UK embassy is carefully assessing the situation in the Ukrainian capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Moscow would respond to Ukrainian attacks with US-made weapons inside Russia.
Ukraine claims to have "successfully attacked" a Russian command post in the city of Gubkin, in the Russian region of Belgorod, about 168 km from the Ukrainian border.
Today, for the first time, ATACMS missiles were fired at an ammunition depot in the Russian region of Bryansk, northwest of Kursk, where a Ukrainian incursion has been ongoing since early August.
Putin has lowered the threshold for a nuclear attack in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, increasing nuclear risks amid the highest tensions between Russia and the West in over half a century.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concerns about an "escalation" in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Washington authorized Kiev to use American missiles on Russian territory, calling it a "big mistake."
"This decision by Biden will not only lead to an escalation of the conflict but also to a stronger reaction from Russia," Erdogan stated.
Riding a scooter through a central square in Kiev
A child rides a scooter past destroyed Russian military vehicles in Mykhailivska (St. Michael's) Square in central Kiev.
The Pope describes the war in Ukraine as a "shame" in front of the Ukrainian First Lady
The Pope described the war in Ukraine as "a shameful disgrace for all humanity" during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square, attended by the wife of the Ukrainian president, Olena Zelenska, along with the first ladies of Lithuania, Serbia, and Armenia.
Francis stated that the 1,000 days of conflict remind us of the suffering of Ukrainians "and at the same time a shameful disgrace for all humanity."
"However, this should not deter us from standing by the martyred Ukrainian people, praying for peace and working together to replace weapons with dialogue and discord with encounter," he added.
During the audience, a letter from a Ukrainian university student was read, stating that suffering is also about love, and that is why the 1,000 days of war are also days of love.
Zelenska, along with the first ladies of Lithuania, Diana Nausediene; Serbia, Tamara Vucic; and Armenia, Anna Hakobyan, attended the audience in the front row and were able to exchange a few words with the pontiff afterward.
Anti-personnel mines caused over 5,700 new victims in 2023, 84% civilians
Anti-personnel mines caused over 5,700 victims in 2023, with a report warning about the particular impact of this type of weaponry on the civilian population, as evidenced by 84% of the dead and wounded being individuals not involved in the conflict, with over a third being minors.
The annual report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a coalition of NGOs, identified 5,757 new victims of mines and explosive remnants, with 1,983 resulting in death, in over fifty territories.
The Mine Ban Treaty, which came into effect in early 1999, aims to move towards the total elimination of this type of weaponry, considered especially dangerous because it not only causes casualties during conflicts but also poses risks in the medium and long term.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden has authorized the shipment of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, apparently in an attempt to help Ukrainian forces strengthen the front lines to halt the Russian advance, as reported by several US media outlets such as The Washington Post and CNN.
Russia arrests a German accused of planning sabotage on energy facilities
Russia's main internal security agency announced on Wednesday that it has arrested a German citizen accused of planning sabotage on energy facilities on orders from a Ukrainian, as reported by AP.
The Federal Security Service, known as FSB, stated in a statement disseminated by Russian news agencies that they detained the German citizen Nikolai Gayduk as he entered Russia's westernmost enclave, Kaliningrad, from Poland and seized half a liter of liquid explosives in his car.
It was not indicated whether Gayduk also had Russian citizenship or a visa to enter the country, nor when exactly the arrest took place.
The FSB accused Gayduk, a resident of Hamburg born in 1967, of planning acts of sabotage on orders from a Ukrainian, Alexander Zhorov, who also lives in Hamburg.
The agency claimed that Gayduk was involved in an explosion at a gas distribution station in Kaliningrad in March 2024, and a criminal case was initiated against him for charges of terrorist attack and smuggling of explosives. A court ordered Gayduk to be placed in pre-trial detention pending investigation and trial, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax. No further details were provided.
There were no immediate comments from German authorities.
Russia will retaliate against NATO countries that facilitate long-range missile attacks on Russian territory by Ukraine, said foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin in an interview published on Wednesday.
Naryshkin stated that the changes announced by President Vladimir Putin in the Russian nuclear doctrine mean that, in fact, it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield.
"Our enemies are forced to admit that the determination of the Russian president to firmly defend the country's fundamental interests by all available means reduces the maneuvering room for Washington and Brussels," he told National Defence magazine, as reported by Reuters.
"Attempts by some NATO allies to participate in the preparation of possible long-range attacks with Western weapons on Russian territory will not go unpunished."
"Successful attack" in Gubkin, in the Russian region of Belgorod, about 168 km from the border
"Residents of Gubkin observed thick black smoke, smelled it, and heard loud explosions," said the agency known as HUR in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, as reported by Reuters.
Ukraine claimed on Wednesday that a Russian command post had been "successfully attacked" in the city of Gubkin, in the Russian region of Belgorod, about 168 km from the Ukrainian border.
The Russian Defense Ministry declared on Wednesday that it had intercepted 44 drones launched by Ukrainian armed forces overnight, three of them over the Belgorod region.
Kiev confirms Russia has missiles ready for a massive attack
Ukrainian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that Russia has ballistic and cruise missiles ready to launch a major attack against Ukraine, after the US embassy in Kiev and other diplomatic missions like the Spanish one suspended activities due to the risk of a massive bombing.
"Let me remind you that the Russians have been accumulating missiles for months for a series of attacks against Ukraine," said the head of the Disinformation Center of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Andriy Koval.