Latest Ukraine-Russia war: Putin raises nuclear threat as UK expected to sign missile strikes

After reports emerged that Ukraine could use the US-made ATACMS missile in Russia’s Kursk region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military is monitoring the situation very closely.

It comes after US President Joe Biden’s administration allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia, according to two US officials and a decision familiar with the matter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a revised nuclear doctrine that lowers the bar for using nuclear weapons.

The revisions were first announced in September and have been signed by Putin after US President Joe Biden authorized the use of US long-range weapons deep inside Russian territory.

Any massive air strike could now provoke a nuclear response, the doctrine declares.

It also said that attacks against his country by a non-nuclear power with “the participation or support of a nuclear power” would be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation” – although it did not specify whether this would be met with a nuclear reaction.

Nuclear weapons could also be used in response to aggression against Russia’s ally, Belarus.

Aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear state will be treated as a joint attack, a Kremlin spokesman has said.

It comes as Russia reacts furiously to US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow the use of long-range missiles inside Russian territory.

The Kremlin’s goal is to ensure that its potential enemies recognize the inevitability of Russian retaliation for any attack on Russia or its allies, the spokesman added. But the Kremlin’s warnings that it is prepared to use nuclear weapons are nothing new and have been consistent over the past few years.

Russia has always aimed to minimize the nuclear threat, the spokesman claimed.

He argued that the US ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and power grid.

We take a closer look at the weapons that could mark a turning point in the war.

Read Barney Davis’ full report:

In a major policy shift just weeks before his term ends, the US president signed off on Ukraine’s use of ATACMS missiles outside its own borders. This comes after months of rejecting Kiev’s requests, which it said were vital to its defense against Russia’s invasion. The missiles are likely to be used first inside the Kursk region near Russia’s border, where troops have massed to try to retake territory Kyiv’s forces seized in a daring offensive this summer.

It also opens the door for Britain to authorize the use of Britain’s own long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russia. But what are they?

Russia has reserved the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against it or Belarus using conventional weapons, a Kremlin spokesman has said.

Any critical threat to Russia’s sovereignty will be met with a serious response, Russia stressed.

Russia still treats the use of nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence, an extreme measure, the Kremlin added.

Putin’s regime has consistently sparred with the West over the threat of nuclear weapons.

The United Kingdom will “double down” on aid to Ukraine, fueling speculation that British-supplied missiles could be used by Kyiv’s forces to hit targets deep inside Russia.

Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to attack sites in Russia after months of pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The UK government would not be drawn on whether restrictions on the use of Storm Shadow missiles it supplied would also be eased, but Defense Secretary John Healey stressed that the UK was working in “close cooperation” with the US.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “I don’t want to get into operational details because the only winner if we were to do that is (Vladimir) Putin and I’m not prepared to do that.”

He told broadcasters at the G20 summit in Brazil: “I’ve been really clear for a long time, now we have to double down. We have to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs for as long as it needs it, because we can’t allow Putin to win this war.”

Eight people including a child were killed in a Russian drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

The drone attack on a residential building in Hlukhiv, a small residential town bordering Russia, left 12 people injured, including two children, Sumy’s military administration said on Telegram.

“Each new Russian attack only confirms (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s true intentions. He wants the war to continue, he is not interested in talking about peace,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

A video shared by Mr Zelensky shows emergency workers sifting through the rubble after two drones partially destroyed the building.

Russian forces have heavily bombarded the Sumy region in recent months. A missile attack on Sunday killed 11 people and injured 89.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 51 of 87 drones launched by Russia overnight on Tuesday.

It lost track of the remaining 30 drones on its radars, and one was still flying in Ukrainian airspace, the force added.