Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato says Putin wants to ‘wipe Ukraine off map’ as Russia targets its energy grid
Russia has urged its citizens not to travel to the West, especially the US, during the Christmas holidays.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the warning came “in the context of the increasing confrontation in Russian-American relations, which are teetering on the verge of rupture”.
The statement from the Russian foreign ministry, which referred to America “and its allied satellite states”, came after the Pentagon said Vladimir Putin could strike Ukraine again with its new intermediate-range ballistic missile in “the coming days”.
Vladimir Putin has claimed that the Oreshnik, or hazel tree, is impossible to intercept and that it has destructive power comparable to that of a nuclear weapon, even when fitted with a conventional warhead.
On the battlefield, “exceptionally fierce” fighting has erupted near the eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the important strategic hub, Kyiv’s military said last night.
Russia is “throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our troops’ defences,” Ukraine’s top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
