Russian invasion of Ukraine: Day 681

Summary for Friday, 5th January 2024 - DAY 681

• Russia is using North Korean ballistic missiles and missile launchers to attack Ukraine, the White House has said. The missiles, with ranges of about 900km (550 miles), were fired by Russia in two attacks on Ukraine within the past week, said the national security council spokesperson, John Kirby.
  
  
• The development highlights calls for Ukraine’s western allies, such as Germany, to supply it with missiles that are capable of comparable long-range strikes, such as Taurus, and would help Ukraine hit strategic Russian targets.
  
  
• The US and allies would raise the matter at the UN security council as it represented a breach of UN sanctions against North Korea, Kirby said. “This is a significant and concerning escalation of the DPRK’s [North Korea’s] support for Russia.” Britain said it “strongly condemns” Russia’s use of North Korean missiles and called it “symptomatic of [Russia’s] isolation on the world stage and a sign of its desperation”.
  
  
• Russia is also planning to buy short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, a step that would enhance Moscow’s ability to target Ukraine’s infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing US officials.
  
  
• Ukraine attacked a Russian military unit near Yevpatoria in Russian-occupied Crimea on Thursday, the Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said. On Telegram, he said: “Thanks to the air force pilots and everyone who planned the operation for perfect combat work.” Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces shot down Ukrainian missiles over the peninsula.
  
  
• Ukraine’s military intelligence agency published a video it said showed a Russian Su-34 fighter jet being set on fire at an airbase deep inside Russia. The agency did not claim the sabotage, adding: “The causes of the plane’s ignition are being determined.”
  
  
• Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, in conjunction with the international criminal court, has visited the sites of Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure in the Kharkiv region.
  
  
• A Russian missile strike last week killed 32 people in Kyiv, authorities said on Thursday, raising the toll of the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital since the war began.
  
  
• Russian hackers were inside Ukrainian telecoms company Kyivstar’s system from at least May last year in a cyber-attack that should serve as a “big warning” to the west, Ukraine’s cyber spy chief said. Illia Vitiuk, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine’s cybersecurity department, disclosed details about the hack in an interview with Reuters.
  
  
• Polish farmers blockaded the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine on Thursday, the private broadcaster Polsat News reported, resuming a protest intended to secure government subsidies for corn and to prevent tax increases.
  
  
• The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, will convene a meeting between Nato diplomats and officials from Ukraine on 10 January, after the recent wave of heavy Russian airstrikes.
  
  
• One civilian was killed and eight wounded on Thursday in a Russian missile strike on Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine, damaging energy company buildings and causing power and water supply cuts, the regional governor said.
  
  
• Vladimir Putin has issued a decree allowing foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine and their families to obtain Russian citizenship.
  
  
• Seventeen Ukrainian journalists imprisoned in the occupied territories have been added to the international list of persecuted journalists whose release is demanded by the European Federation of Journalists.
  

White House outlines North Korean support for Russia's war

Our information indicates that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several [dozen] ballistic missiles.
On the 30th of December 2023, Russian forces launched at least one of these North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine. This missile appears to have landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region.
And on January 2nd, Russia launched multiple North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine, including as part of its overnight aerial attack. We’re still assessing the impacts of these additional missiles.

We expect Russia and North Korea to learn from these launches, and we anticipate that Russia will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.
These North Korean ballistic missiles are capable of ranges of approximately 900km. That’s about 550 miles.
This is a significant and concerning escalation in the DPRK’s support for Russia.

Now, in return for its support, we assess that Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Russia, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials, and other advanced technologies. This would have concerning security implications for … the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

We will raise these arms deals at the UN security council alongside our allies and partners, and we will demand that Russia be held accountable for yet again violating its international obligations.
Second, we will impose additional sanctions against those working to facilitate arms transfers between Russia and the DPRK and between Russia and Iran.
Third, we will continue to release information to the public and expose these arms deals, as we are doing today, because we will not allow countries to aid Russia’s war machine in secret.

UK condemns Russia's use of North Korean missiles

The UK strongly condemns Russia’s decision to use ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in recent attacks against Ukraine. We urge North Korea to cease its arms supply to Russia.
Russia is turning to North Korea for its weapons in pursuit of its cynical and ill-conceived military aims in Ukraine. This is symptomatic of its isolation on the world stage and a sign of its desperation. Furthermore, this activity is in violation of multiple UN security council resolutions – which Russia supported as a permanent member.
Any support for North Korea’s own illegal weapons programmes risks significantly undermining the UN’s long-standing commitment to security, and further destabilising the region.
North Korea is subject to a robust sanctions regime, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

UK says Russia making very gradual gains in key sectors on frontline

Germany has delivered more air defence for Ukraine, as well as ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles

One fatality, seven injured in recent Russian drone attack on Kherson Oblast

A group of 125 Ukrainian refugees has been evacuated from a hotel due to high water in the Netherlands

Polish farmers resume protest at Ukraine border

Farmers who had been blocking the border-crossing with Ukraine at Medyka have resumed their protest after an 11-day pause

Ukraine’s air force said that its forces shot down 21 out of 29 Shahed drones launched by Russia.

Nepal stops issuing permits for Russia work after soldiers killed

Ukraine says it caused “serious damage” to Russia’s defence systems on the Crimean peninsula during an attack on a military command post there on Thursday.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones shot down over occupied Crimea and southern Russia, Russia says

Some of the latest images coming in from Kyiv:

Summary of the day

• Grant Shapps, the British secretary of state for defence, said today that “together with our partners we’ll make sure North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia.”
  
  
• The comments came after the White House said on Thursday it has information indicating that North Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several dozen ballistic missiles.
  
  
• Micheál Martin, Ireland’s foreign minister, said that the international community must “remain firm in its resolve to support” Ukraine.
  
  
• Ukraine said it caused “serious damage” to Russia’s defence systems on the Crimean peninsula during an attack on a military command post there on Thursday.
  
  
• Russia said it air defences downed dozens of Ukrainian drones in occupied Crimea and southern Russia.
  
  
• Ukraine’s air force said its forces shot down 21 out of 29 Shahed drones launched by Russia.
  
  
• A British defence intelligence update on Ukraine noted that “over the last week, ground combat has continued to be characterised by either a static frontline or very gradual, local Russian advances in key sectors”.
  
  
• Germany delivered more air defence for Ukraine, as well as ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles.
  
  
• Nepal decided to stop issuing permits for its citizens to work in Russia and Ukraine.
  
  
• 2,000 trucks were waiting on the Ukrainian-Polish border, according to the Ukrainian border guard service.