Russia says it is preparing a “response” to recent Ukrainian ATACMS missile strikes

Russia reported on Tuesday that it had been targeted in recent days by two new Ukrainian strikes carried out using American ATACMS missiles. The Russian government announced on Tuesday that it had expelled a British diplomat accused of espionage and also confirmed the detention of a Briton accused of having fought for kyiv. Le Figaro takes stock of the situation this Tuesday, November 26.

Russia reports two new strikes using US ATACMS missiles

Russia reported on Tuesday that it had been targeted in recent days by two new Ukrainian strikes carried out using American ATACMS missiles, a weapon against which Moscow has promised a severe response.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces struck «installations» in the Russian border region of Kursk on November 23 and 25. He recognized, a rare occurrence, that several missiles have “reaches their targets” and reports two Russian soldiers injured and a radar damaged in these shots.

The ministry also said on Tuesday it had prepared a “answer” to recent Ukrainian strikes using American ATACMS missiles against its territory. “The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is monitoring the situation and preparing a response”he said in a press release.

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Four dead, seven injured in strike on bus in occupied Russian territory

At least four people were killed and seven others injured Tuesday in a Ukrainian strike on Nova Kakhovka, in the Moscow-occupied part of the southern Kherson region, Russian-installed authorities said. During a bombing on Nova Kakhovka, “a bus carrying civilians was hit”lamented on Telegram Vladimir Saldo, an official of the Russian occupation in the Kherson region. “This tragedy cost the lives of four of our compatriots and seven other people were injured to varying degrees”he said. “The perpetrators will be punished”also promised Vladimir Saldo, who published the photo of a bus with blown windows.

The town of Nova Kakhovka, where some 45,000 inhabitants lived before the conflict, is located along the Dnieper River, which in this area serves as a natural front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Nova Kakhova is located near a major dam on the Dnieper, which was partially destroyed in June 2023, causing the evacuation of thousands of people in territories controlled by kyiv, on one side, and in the zone occupied by Moscow, on the other. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for this disaster.

Ukraine suspends use of defective mortar shells, launches investigation

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced that it had suspended the use of defective mortar shells used by the army against Russian forces on the front and had launched an investigation into the matter, amid a scandal revealed by the press. “At least 100,000 shells” caliber 120 mm produced by a Ukrainian factory were thus withdrawn from the front, claimed the influential Ukrainian news site Dzerkalo Tyjnia.

Popular Ukrainian war journalist Yuriy Butousov gave the same figure on Sunday, denouncing a “criminal negligence”. According to the private Ukrainian television 1+1, soldiers began to complain about these shells in early November, describing munitions that did not explode, remained stuck in the mortar or even fell aside. Faced with these criticisms, the Ministry of Defense announced in a press release that it had suspended the use of these munitions on the front and had «should» part.

“Use” of these shells and their “delivery to combat units” have been suspended “until the causes of the malfunction are determined”he said. Defective ammunition will be replaced with imported shells, he added. The Ministry of Defense has been leading for more than two weeks “the investigation into the abnormal triggering” of this ammunition but the information on this subject is “sensitive” due to the ongoing war, he assured in the press release. According to preliminary results of the investigation, charges of poor quality powder or violations of shell storage conditions are “possible causes” of this problem, said the ministry.

British diplomat expelled by Russia: London denounces “unfounded” espionage accusations

The British Foreign Office denounced as “malicious and unfounded” accusations of espionage made by Russia against a British diplomat whose expulsion it announced.

“This is not the first time that Russia has made malicious and unfounded accusations against our personnel. We will respond in due time”declared a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in a press release, after this new diplomatic incident between the two countries, which occurs in the middle of the conflict in Ukraine.

Moscow bans around ten British ministers from entering Russia

Russia has announced that it is banning around ten British ministers from entering its territory, presenting this decision as a response to policies “Russophobes” from London.

Those targeted include Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and more than a dozen other senior politicians in the new Labor government.

The G7 denounces the “escalation” of Moscow provoked by the firing of a ballistic missile

The firing of a Russian ballistic missile on Ukrainian soil proves “reckless escalation” from Moscow, the heads of G7 diplomacy denounced on Tuesday. “The launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on November 21 is further proof of its reckless escalation”said the ministers of the G7 countries in the final communiqué published after a meeting near Rome.

Russia announces expulsion of British diplomat for espionage

Russia announced on Tuesday that it would expel a British diplomat, accused of spying and communicating “false” personal information to the authorities upon his arrival in the country, and summon the British ambassador Nigel Casey, a new diplomatic incident between the two countries.

The Russian secret service (FSB) said it had found “signs of espionage and subversive activities carried out by this diplomat”Russian news agencies reported. “British ambassador summoned to Foreign Office”declared the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova.

Russia carries out massive drone attack

Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it had been the target of a Russian attack overnight with a record number of 188 combat drones which, according to kyiv, damaged residential buildings and “essential infrastructure”.

“During the night attack, the enemy launched a record number of Shahed and unidentified combat drones”as well as four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said. “Unfortunately, critical infrastructure sites have been affected”she added.

Russia confirms detention of Briton accused of fighting for kyiv

A Russian court confirmed on Tuesday that it had remanded in pre-trial detention a Briton accused of having fought for the Ukrainian army in the Russian region of Kursk, where kyiv launched a cross-border offensive in August.

A court in the Kursk region considered the case behind closed doors on Monday and decided to incarcerate James Anderson, who “crossed illegally” the Russian border in order to take part “to hostilities” in the area, according to a press release from its press service. London had promised on Monday to bring all its “support” to this national, after the publication of a video presented as showing his capture and broadcast on social networks by pro-Kremlin accounts.

Russia claims to have conquered a village in the Kharkiv region

The Russian army claimed Tuesday the capture of a village in the Kharkiv region, in northeastern Ukraine, Russia increasing its conquests in recent weeks in the face of a struggling Ukrainian army.

“Thanks to decisive actions, units of the +West+ military grouping liberated the village of Kopanky in the Kharkiv region” in northeastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said. This locality is located in an area which had been occupied by the Russians at the start of the conflict, but which kyiv had managed to recapture in the fall of 2022.

kyiv says it cannot respect its commitment to destroy antipersonnel mines

Ukraine will not be able to respect its commitment to destroy nearly six million Soviet-era antipersonnel mines, made under the Ottawa Convention, a Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, the implementation of this obligation is not possible at present”declared Yevhenii Kivshyk, during an international summit in Siem Reap, Cambodia on landmines.

And accuses Russia of carrying out “genocidal activities” with antipersonnel mines

Russia is leading “genocidal activities” using antipersonnel mines in Ukraine, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Tuesday during an international summit in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Moscow disseminated these explosive charges in “cities, farms, public transport stations”said Oleksandr Riabtsev, affirming that these threats concerned regions where some six million Ukrainians reside.