Ukraine-Russia latest: UK Storm Shadow missiles used inside Russia for first time

Downing Street has condemned Vladimir Putin’s decision to lower the threshold for nuclear weapons as the “latest example of irresponsibility” from the “depraved Russian government”.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, which marked 1,000 days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a No 10 spokesperson said: “Our focus remains on supporting Ukraine ... we’re very clear that Vladimir Putin could end this war tomorrow.

“He could remove his troops, roll back his tanks and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia. That is entirely within his gift. We would urge him to do so.”

Asked whether the Russian leader was behaving irresponsibly, the spokesperson said: “It would be fair to say it’s the latest example of irresponsibility that we’ve seen from the depraved Russian government.

“We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine and the defence of an illegal invasion, and we’ve always said that the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine.”

Denmark is making a new donation of €130m to develop Ukraine’s arms industry, prime minister Mette Frederiksen has said.

“Today I’m pleased to announce a new Danish donation to Ukraine. More than €130m directly to Ukraine’s defence industry because we know now what your industry is capable of,” Ms Frederiksen told reporters alongside Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“Because we know that these investments make a real difference on the battlefield. And make no mistake, our support is long-term.”

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine and Denmark had created a “special model” to bring in investments from other countries.

“All the Nordic nations have already joined, more than $1bn have been invested by partners into our industries,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that the programme extended to drones, missiles and artillery production.

The son of Donald Trump has claimed the US president-elect can end the war in Ukraine in “one day” because “Putin respects him”.

Speaking to the PA news agency at the Trump International golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Eric Trump said he believes his father – who has said several times he could resolve the conflict in a day.

Asked how that could happen, Eric Trump replied: “Because Putin actually respects him. He’s not going to send $200bn over to see young boys blow each other’s heads off in dirty trenches, broadcast to the world on YouTube every night.

“He will end that conflict. You mark my words. He will end that conflict.”

Washington has not seen any reason to adjust its nuclear posture, the US State Department has said, after Moscow lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike.

Calling on Russia to stop irresponsible rhetoric, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington was generally “incredibly” concerned about hybrid warfare conducted by Russia and remains in close touch with European partners about the issue.

The damage of two undersea internet cables in the Baltic sea must be seen as an act of sabotage, German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.

A pair of fibre-optic communications cables were severed on Sunday and Monday, in an incident which “immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage”, Finland and Germany said in a joint statement.

A 745-mile (1,200 kilometre) cable linking Helsinki to the German port of Rostock stopped working at 2am on Monday, according to Finnish state-controlled cyber security and telecoms company Cinia.

Another cable linking Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island went out of service at 8am on Monday, according to a Lithuanian communications firm.

My colleague Alex Croft has the full report:

Asked about Joe Biden’s decision on using US long-range missiles, a Ukrainian colonel – with close links to the army’s top brass – told The Independent: “Hopefully we will be able to upset Russia’s plans by inflicting a lot of damage on troop concentrations and arms depots.”

He added: “It’s better late than never and a positive development.

“But a key issue is how many ATACMS will the US provide? The US can [also] programme the range the missiles can fly – so another important step is what distance they will allow the missiles to strike.”

Askold Krushelnycky has more details:

The Associated Press has quoted one anonymous US official as saying that Washington is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, as Moscow warns that Ukraine's alleged use of US-made long-range weapons could trigger a strong response.

Asked on Tuesday whether a Ukrainian attack with longer-range US missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.

The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275m-worth of new weapons, US officials have said, as the Biden administration rushes to bolster Kyiv’s defences ahead of Donald Trump entering the White House, and potentially seeking to bring an end to the war, freezing the current lines of conflict.

The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defence, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armour munitions and other equipment and spare parts, US officials say.

The weapons will be provided through presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.

Vladimir Putin’s alteration of the Russian nuclear doctrine is “the result of careful escalation management by both sides”, an analyst has suggested.

Professor Sam Greene, of the Centre for European Policy Analysis, said on X: “Deep breaths, everyone. The fact that Russia published a revised nuclear doctrine on the same day that Ukraine first fired ATACMs across the border is the result of careful escalation management by both sides.

“We may eventually get to WWIII, but probably not tonight. None of this happened at a moment’s notice. Ukraine had been asking for permission for long-range strikes for ages. Biden made it clear it was a matter of time. Putin will have decided that this--a relatively minor revision of a document--would be his response.

“That said, the same factors that keep Nato and Russia from going to war with each other make it more difficult for Ukraine to win the war, to the enduring frustration of many in Ukraine and elsewhere. It’s a circle the Biden Administration was never able to square.

“The question now is, will Trump do any better?”