Russia and Ukraine trade missile and drone strikes

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said that overnight they struck the Kaluganefteprodukt oil depot in Kaluga region southeast of Moscow with drones.

Sources told Ukrainian media the attack caused a series of explosions and a fire at the site.

There has been no comment from the Russian military on the attack, but regional governor Vladislav Shapsha said debris from drones shot down by air defences had caused “a fire on the territory of an industrial enterprise”. Eight drones in total were destroyed, he added.

Ukraine’s military also mentioned attacks in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, without specifying what was hit.

Russian military bloggers, however, said that the Khalino air base in Kursk region had been struck in an attack by eight US-supplied Atacms missiles.

US permission for use of the Atacms is said to be restricted to this region because of the presence of North Korean troops there.

They are thought to be involved in a Russian offensive to drive Ukrainian forces out of a small area of Kursk region, which they captured in the autumn in a surprise attack.

Russia’s defence ministry said only that it had shot down eight ballistic missiles from Ukraine, without saying where.

Russian forces have also been hitting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in an effort to create difficult conditions as winter approaches.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both countries are now trying to secure a battlefield advantage before Donald Trump becomes US president in January and seeks to end the conflict.

He has vowed to end the war within hours but has not provided details as to how.