Right now, such scenarios tend to exercise only the minds of Ministry of Defence war-gamers and military thriller writers. But far-fetched as they might sound, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of Britain’s army, believes it is time we dwelt on them more. At home, Russia's economy on the surface appears to have weathered a series of Western sanctions for now, although its budget deficit has soared and oil and gas revenue has fallen dramatically. President Putin, 70, has sought to distance himself from military failures, but his authority, at least outside Russia, has been shredded and he makes few trips beyond its borders. The UN human rights commissioner says at least 8,006 civilians have died and 13,287 have been wounded in 12 months of war, but the true number is likely to be substantially higher.
- But Russians losses have been especially heavy in recent weeks, with several hundred deaths every day on the battlefields of the east.
- He said the intelligence on the prospect of an invasion was “grim”, but added that he did not believe Vladimir Putin had made a decision on whether to act.
- And in a globalised world, many industries that are key in wartime rely on imports.
- We will continue to work with Ukraine and our international partners for a just and sustainable peace.
- It killed at least 41 civilians, including a 15-year-old boy, wounded hundreds, and caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including a maternity hospital.
A Conservative MP has warned that Vladimir Putin may be planning ways to attack the UK and Nato allies, following reports that a fleet of spy ships is mapping wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea. Unprecedented, supposedly game-changing US and EU sanctions will follow an invasion. They include potentially crippling curbs on Russian banks, corporations, exports, loans and technology transfers, diplomatic isolation and the targeting of Putin’s personal wealth and that of his oligarch cronies. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany will be frozen indefinitely. Putin wants an institutionally weak, dependent Ukraine that is responsive to his will and detached from the west – like Belarus.
Will Russia attack the UK? What Putin has said and why there are fears that he will expand the Ukraine war
Despite this, the UK and other allies have increased numbers of troops in NATO countries surrounding Ukraine. It comes as the UK has said that tougher sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine will mean “a much broader range of individuals and businesses can be sanctioned due to their significance to the Kremlin”. Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said these troops would be used “first and foremost” to deal with any humanitarian crisis. Mr Johnson said 350 Royal Marines from 45 Commando had now arrived in Poland, joining 150 personnel already in the country.
At the end of the Cold War, most of the 100-strong network of nuclear bunkers were closed, along with around 1,500 underground posts for the Royal Observer Corps, a 10,000-strong volunteer force. The conflict in Ukraine offers a glimpse of how Britain might prepare for self-defence. Checkpoints and pillboxes would be built at motorway junctions and city entrances. Public buildings and metro stations would be used as air raid shelters, while anti-aircraft guns might be hidden in parks. As fighting intensifies, cross-Channel shipping is attacked by Russian submarines, and long-range conventional missiles strike Dover and Southampton. Blaming Nato's expansion eastwards is a Russian narrative that has gained some ground in Europe.
What's on TV tonight: Putin vs the West
He spoke of preventing Nato from gaining a foothold in Ukraine, then added another objective of ensuring Ukraine's neutral status. After a series of humiliating retreats, his initial invasion plan has clearly failed, but Russia's war is far from over. We've got Alistair for a good while yet, but as he types away answering more of your questions, why not have a watch of this clip of him explaining what an invasion could look like... The Ukrainian government shares the West's concerns but has previously been careful not to panic its people.
- While Russia’s forces are strong they would be dwarfed by Nato’s collective power, making touching a Nato member incredibly risky.
- Russia officially claims that it is an expeditionary oceanographic ship used for marine research, however intelligence sources told DR it is actually a spy vessel.
- In response to his speech, the government insisted that a full military call-up is not on the table.
- If war broke out in Ukraine and Russian forces occupied large swathes of the country, many civilians might flee.
- Additionally, it has largely repelled the Russian Black Sea Fleet from operating in the western Black Sea.
The governor of Russia’s Yaroslavl region has confirmed that a Ukrainian drone attacked the Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Yaroslavl city on Monday morning. “But sometimes, people receive support from both [their new country of residence] and [Ukraine]. I’m not talking specifically about Ukrainians in Germany here, but outlining general ideas. Ukraine has changed its strategy towards “active defence” in recent weeks after its much-vaunted summer counter-offensive failed to achieve major gains. “Since early 2023, Russian Ground Forces (RGF) have been on the offensive in eastern Ukraine,” it said. Regional governor Mikhail Yevrayev said there was no fire, no casualties and anti-air defences had shot the drone down.
But Russians losses have been especially heavy in recent weeks, with several hundred deaths every day on the battlefields of the east. Russia's warnings to the West against arming Ukraine have gone unheeded, with Western assurances of support "for as long as it takes" and pledges that Nato will never be divided. To bolster his depleted forces President Putin announced Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two, although it was partial and limited to some 300,000 reservists. Forced into further retreats from Kharkiv in the north-east and Kherson in the south, that aim remains unchanged, but it has shown little success in achieving it. For years, the Russian president has denied Ukraine its own statehood, writing in a lengthy 2021 essay that "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" dating back to the late 9th Century. He vowed to protect people from eight years of Ukrainian bullying and genocide - a Russian propaganda claim with no foundation in reality.
The Western defence official said that if Russia chose to carry out an attack now it could do so. But he said Russian forces massed on the border were still missing some crucial elements - such as full logistical support, ammunition stocks, field hospitals and blood banks. https://euronewstop.co.uk/how-long-will-ukraine-last.html has fought with great courage to defend their country and defend the principles of freedom and democracy. The United Kingdom will stand with Ukraine today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes. As a consequence of the resilience of the brave people of Ukraine, and with the support of the vast of majority of this Forum, Ukraine remains resolute in the face of aggression and continues to thwart Russia’s malign intentions.
- These are different from strategic nuclear weapons, like the ones used by the US in Japan during the Second World War, but would still represent a significant escalation.
- The Prime Minister has announced 1,000 more British troops will be put on alert in the UK, however, he said Nato is unwilling to send troops into Ukraine itself.
- He said the security situation in Europe was without precedent since the fall of the Iron Curtain.
- He vowed to protect people from eight years of Ukrainian bullying and genocide - a Russian propaganda claim with no foundation in reality.
- The territories have been armed, financed and politically controlled by Russia since 2014.
Russia's aggression towards Ukraine has already driven the price of oil close to $100 per barrel – a level that, given the current strength of demand for oil and gas, is likely to be hit in coming days. One ex senior minister suggested to me that there was a generational divide between those who had lived with the threat of the Cold War era, and those who had not. The former minister, currently a serving Conservative MP, pointed out that the prime minister grew up without that existential threat. To train and equip that larger army would inevitably require more money. The government says it wants to spend 2.5% of national income on defence - but has still not said when.
The territories have been armed, financed and politically controlled by Russia since 2014. But until this week, Russia still recognised them as part of Ukraine. True Russian cyberwarfare capabilities have proved something of a damp squib in Ukraine.