Friday, January 5, 2024

1409 GMT — Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine offered to move some residents from its capital to safety, after Kiev's forces pounded the city with intense bouts of shelling.

The offer came a day after overnight shelling wounded at least two people and knocked out glass from high-rise buildings, prompting panic among residents.

"I see several appeals on social media where people write: We are scared, help us get to a safe place," Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a video message.

He said residents would be transported to the towns of Stary Oskol and Gubkin, further from the border, where they would be housed in "comfortable conditions".

"I will appeal to my colleagues, the governors of other regions, to help us," he said.

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1841 GMT — Türkiye 'ready' to hold Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Erdogan to Zelenskyy

Türkiye is "ready" to undertake the role of a facilitator and host talks to ensure peace in Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Türkiye is making "intense efforts" to stop the bloodshed in both Ukraine and the Palestine and to ensure permanent peace, Erdogan said.

He added that it is important for the Black Sea grain corridor to be restructured and become operational, and that he continues diplomatic contacts for this purpose.

A ceasefire should be achieved in Ukraine as soon as possible and the door should be opened for peace, the Turkish leader added.

1448 GMT — Russia claims it downed Ukrainian missile, drones

Russia claimed that it downed a Ukrainian missile and drones launched to strike the country’s territory.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Ukraine attempted to conduct an attack using a Neptune cruise missile.

“The Ukrainian missile was detected and destroyed by air defence systems on duty over the northwestern part of the Black Sea,” it said.

A statement earlier in the day also claimed that Ukraine attempted to strike Russia using drones. The statement indicated that Russian air defence systems shot down 36 drones over the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, and one drone over the country’s Krasnodar region.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.

1418 GMT — Kiev claims Russia attacked Ukraine using North Korean missiles

Kiev claimed that Russia conducted airstrikes on Ukraine using North Korean missiles, mirroring a statement made a day earlier by the US.

“There is no longer any disguise... As part of its outright genocidal war, the Russian Federation for the first time struck at the territory of Ukraine with missiles received from... North Korea,” Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X.

Podolyak’s comments came hours after Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said that remnants from missiles found in the eastern Ukrainian region show they were not produced by Russia.

“We are conducting all the necessary research. I will say in advance that the markings have been erased from these missiles, but what we can see is the country of manufacture is not the Russian Federation,” Synyehubov said during a briefing, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported.

1024 GMT — Ukraine says Russia attacked with 29 drones overnight

Kiev that Russia had attacked Ukraine with nearly 30 Iranian-designed attack drones overnight but 21 of them had been downed.

"A total of 29 Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were launched," Ukraine's air force said on social media, adding that its forces had shot down 21 of the drones over regions across the country.

0848 GMT — Kiev 'can't confirm yet' Russia using DPRK missiles in Ukraine

Ukraine has said it was unable to confirm that Russia had used North Korean missiles to attack it after Washington accused Moscow of using missiles and launchers provided by Pyongyang.

"So far, we have no information that such missiles have been used. The United States made a statement to that effect. So experts will study the wreckage, and then we can say whether this is a fact or not. I can't confirm it yet," Ukraine's air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat told state media.

Earlier both US and UK have accused Russia of using North Korean missiles and ammo in its fight against Ukraine.

0724 GMT — Defence systems, missiles Ukraine's number one priority: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said securing delivery of additional air defence systems and missiles for his country is currently his “number one" priority.

“The entire team of our diplomats, all those responsible for communication with partners, and Ukrainian representatives abroad are doing everything they can to ensure the delivery of additional air defence systems and missiles. This is the number one priority,” Zelenskyy said in his speech broadcast by local media late Thursday.

Many regions and cities of Ukraine have been subjected to Russian air attacks, Zelenskyy said, claiming that the Russian government is trying to use the New Year’s period to “break our spirit and bring back the old threat we faced last year.”

“The threat of destruction of our energy sector, the foundations of our life. Our defenders of the sky are doing everything possible to protect the state,” he added.

2155 GMT — Russia accused of using North Korean missiles

Britain has condemned what it called Russia's decision to use ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in recent attacks against Ukraine.

"The UK strongly condemns Russia’s decision to use ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in recent attacks against Ukraine," the UK's Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

"We urge North Korea to cease its arms supply to Russia."

The reaction followed the White House, citing newly declassified intelligence, saying that North Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missiles and launchers for use in Moscow's war against Ukraine, some of which Russia has fired into Ukraine.

North Korea is subject to a robust sanctions regime, the UK Foreign Office spokesperson said.

"The UK will continue to work with its partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine."

2147 GMT — Ukraine targets Belgorod; US says Russia using N. Korean missiles

Russian air defence systems have downed 10 airborne targets over the southern city of Belgorod, with two people injured and some damage to a residence, the regional governor said.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the targets were downed as they approached the city. "Our air defence system worked over Belgorod and the Belgorod district — 10 air targets were shot down on approach to the city," he added.

Two people were being treated in hospital for injuries. Gladkov said windows were blown out in a multi-storey apartment building, and at least 30 cars sustained damage.

Ukraine launched missile and drone attacks on Wednesday on Belgorod region, local officials said. Russia said 25 civilians, including five children, were killed in attacks last weekend.

Belgorod city lies about 30 kilometres from the tense border and has been repeatedly struck by what Moscow says is indiscriminate shelling by Kiev's forces.

For our live updates from Thursday, January 4, click here.