Ukraine has utilized US ATACMS missiles to target Russian territory, seizing the opportunity provided by the recently granted approval from the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden, coinciding with the 1,000th day of the conflict.
According to Russia, its forces intercepted five out of six missiles aimed at a military installation in the Bryansk region.
One missile’s debris struck the facility, igniting a fire that was quickly extinguished without causing any injuries or damage, as reported.
Ukraine claimed it successfully hit a Russian arms depot approximately 110km within Russian territory, resulting in secondary explosions.
A US official noted that Russia managed to intercept two of the eight missiles, indicating that the attack targeted an ammunition supply location.
This week, President Biden authorized Ukraine to deploy ATACMS, the longest-range missiles provided by the United States, for operations within Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the deployment of ATACMS is a clear indication that the West intends to escalate the conflict.
Russia has asserted that such weaponry cannot be employed without direct operational support from the US, and their deployment would make the US a direct participant in the conflict, risking retaliation from Russia.
The assault unfolded as Ukraine commemorated 1,000 days of war, with approximately one-fifth of its land currently under Russian control, raising concerns about the future of Western assistance with President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House.
At the United Nations in New York, Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya delivered a statement on behalf of his nation, 42 other countries, and the European Union, denouncing Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of Ukrainian land and calling for an immediate withdrawal.
“One thousand days serve as a tragic reminder of the necessity to remain steadfast in upholding … that international law must prevail, not only in Ukraine but wherever it faces challenges,” he expressed.
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Military analysts suggest that the use of US missiles could aid Ukraine in maintaining control over a portion of occupied Russian territory in the Kursk region as leverage but likely won’t dramatically sway the outcome of the now 33-month-long war, partly due to the timing being too late.
The missile’s effective range of up to 300km falls short compared to some Russian missiles used against Ukraine, including the hypersonic Kinzhal weapon which boasts a range of up to 2,000km.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has enacted a revised nuclear doctrine that seems intended as a cautionary message to the United States.
This new doctrine lowers the threshold for Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons to include responding to threats against its territorial integrity.
President Zelensky remarked that this move indicates Putin’s lack of interest in pursuing peace.
The Pentagon announced that the US State Department has approved a prospective $100 million (€94 million) sale of military equipment and services to Ukraine, while Denmark has also committed a new donation of approximately $138 million to aid the development of Ukraine’s armaments industry.
Donald Trump criticized the extent of US aid to Ukraine and claimed he could swiftly bring an end to the war, without specifying how.
Both parties seem to anticipate that his return in two months may spark renewed efforts for peace talks, which have not been publicly conducted since the war’s early stages.
The involved sides have been escalating measures in an attempt to secure more advantageous positions for any forthcoming negotiations.
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President Zelensky stated that his country must exhaust all means to ensure a diplomatic resolution to the war in the coming year.
“At this point in the conflict, the outcome is being determined regarding who will emerge victorious,” he conveyed to parliament.
He continued: “Whether it will be us over the enemy, or the enemy over us Ukrainians … and Europeans.”
“And everyone globally who aspires to live freely and not succumb to a dictator.”
Numerous civilians and soldiers gathered for a moment of silence during a candlelight vigil that evening in Kyiv.
“My life has been turned upside down. There is no existence for me,” Yuliia from Mariupol, a city captured by Russia in 2022, expressed.
“I yearn for victory and to return home. I am grateful to all the men defending our nation,” she added.
1,000 candles were lit on the 1,000th day of the war with Russia in Kyiv.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric referenced data from the UN Human Rights Office, indicating that over 12,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 27,000 injured in Ukraine over the past 1,000 days, alongside more than 2,400 child casualties.
More than six million Ukrainians have sought refuge abroad, and the national population has decreased by 25% since Mr. Putin initiated the invasion, marking Europe’s most significant conflict since World War II.
Military losses remain substantial, although casualty figures remain undisclosed.
Public Western estimates based on intelligence reporting suggest that hundreds of thousands have been injured or killed on both sides.
During the initial year after the invasion, Ukrainian forces succeeded in pushing back Russian troops from the outskirts of Kyiv and reclaiming lost territory.
Since then, relentless trench warfare has rendered eastern Ukrainian cities nearly uninhabitable.
A fragment of a downed Russian hypersonic Zircon missile which was recovered following an attack.
In a move characterized in the West as escalation, Russia has deployed 11,000 North Korean soldiers, some of whom Ukraine claims have engaged in clashes with Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
President Zelensky indicated that North Korea could potentially send up to 100,000 soldiers.
As winter approaches, Russia renewed its air assaults on Ukraine’s power infrastructure on Sunday, launching the most significant bombardment since August.
No visible reduction in negotiating stances has been reported.
Russia continues its advance in Donetsk.
After months of consistent progress, Russia announced that it has captured a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as its forces persist in their efforts to reclaim territory in Kursk.
The Russian defense ministry claimed that on the 1,000th day of its aggressive war, troops had taken control of Novoselydivka.
Russian military forces are now rapidly advancing across the Donetsk region, edging closer to the strategically vital industrial hub of Kurakhove, having secured control of the surrounding area.
In the northern sector, Russia launched an attack on the Sumy region overnight, decimating a Soviet-era residential building and resulting in at least 12 fatalities, including a child.
Emergency rescuers indicated that four individuals are likely trapped under the rubble.
The attack struck a dormitory in Glukhiv, a town that previously had a population of around 30,000, situated just 10km from the Kursk region in Russia, where Ukrainian forces gained substantial ground during a major offensive in August.
Since the incursion, Ukrainian forces have been gradually ceding territory, warning that Russia has gathered 50,000 troops, including those from North Korea, to expel them.
Ukraine reported having shot down 51 out of 87 drones launched by Russia overnight.
NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte made comments on Russia’s war against Ukraine at defense talks.
The head of NATO cautioned that Mr. Putin cannot be allowed to prevail in the conflict.
“Why is it essential for Putin not to succeed? Because if he does, we will face an emboldened Russia at our border … and I firmly believe it will not end there,” Mark Rutte stated to reporters as he joined EU ministers for defense discussions in Brussels.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has urged its allies to significantly enhance their military support to achieve a “sustainable” resolution to the war.
“Ukraine will never acquiesce to the occupiers, and the Russian military will face justice for infringing upon international law,” the ministry asserted in a statement.
“We advocate for peace through strength, not appeasement,” the ministry emphasized, in response to growing calls for Ukraine to engage in negotiations with Russia to conclude the conflict.
Russia also pledged to secure victory over Ukraine.
“The military operation against Kyiv persists,” its spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters, before insisting that it “will come to fruition.”
The EU’s departing chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, urged member states to align with Washington in allowing Kyiv to conduct strikes within Russia using donated long-range missiles. This decision by the US was quickly followed by Mr. Putin’s revision of his nuclear strategy.
Kyiv insists on a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from all occupied territories and demands Western security assurances comparable to NATO’s mutual defense commitments to avert any future Russian assaults.
Conversely, Russia contends that Ukraine must relinquish all aspirations of NATO membership and withdraw its troops from territories Russia claims to have annexed since the onset of its invasion.
