November 20, 2024 - Russia-Ukraine news

A woman walks past the US Embassy in Kyiv on November 20.

The United States embassy in Kyiv has “resumed services,” according to a Wednesday post on X from Bridget A. Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine.

The embassy closed earlier due to a “possible threat of a significant attack” on the Ukrainian capital.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said Russia had staged an “information and psychological attack” by spreading a fake warning of a massive attack on Kyiv, purporting to be from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said earlier that the embassy was expected to reopen on Thursday. He said he was “not aware of any significant strikes” in the Ukrainian capital, and he would not go into detail about the specifics of the threat that led the embassy to shut down.

Ukraine launched British-French-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time on Wednesday, according to reports. It follows Ukraine launching US-made ballistic missile into Russia for the first time earlier this week.

Meantime, several embassies in Kyiv closed Wednesday after receiving information about a possible major airstrike. The sound of drones and activated air defenses could be heard across the capital overnight, including the city center, according to a CNN team in Kyiv.

Ukraine later said Russia had staged an “information and psychological attack” by spreading a fake warning of a massive attack, purporting to be from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.

Here are the latest updates:

A SCALP EG/STORM SHADOW low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile, an air to surface weapon from the European manufacturer MBDA is seen on display at the company's booth at International Paris Air Show 2023 at the Le Bourget Airport.

Ukraine has launched British-French-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time on Wednesday, according to a Russian military blog and Reuters, a day after Ukraine fired US-made ATACMS missiles into Russia.

Ukraine’s use of the United Kingdom-supplied missiles to hit Russian territory was confirmed to Reuters by an official on condition of anonymity. British media also reported the use of the Storm Shadow missiles on Wednesday, citing sources.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov refused to confirm or deny the use of the missiles during a Wednesday news conference, as did a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defense when asked by CNN.

Umerov said: “We are using all the means to defend our country, so we’ll not go into detail. But we are just sending that we are capable and able to respond.”

A Russian military blogger on Wednesday posted photos on Telegram of a Storm Shadow missile fragment, claiming that up to 12 of the missiles were fired on Russia’s Kursk region. According to the Russian blog, the fragment was photographed in the Russian village of Marino, which is about 35 miles from the Ukrainian border. The fragment has engravings that say “Storm Shadow.”

The fragments in the photo were confirmed to be from a Storm Shadow missile by weapons expert Trevor Ball, a former senior explosive ordnance technician for the US Army, who reviewed the image for CNN. However, CNN was unable to verify that the Telegram image was taken on Wednesday.

A separate video posted on Telegram, which was verified and geolocated by CNN, shows explosions audible from Marino on Wednesday. A weapons expert who reviewed the video for CNN said there are no indications the explosions are from a different type of munition, but it’s not possible to definitively say they are from Storm Shadow missiles.

Remember: The UK and France have previously supplied the long-range Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine to use inside its own borders. The missiles have a range of about 250 kilometers (155 miles), which is slightly shorter than the range of the American ATACMS (186 miles). CNN has reached out to the French Ministry of Defense for comment.

Local residents take shelter in a metro station during an air strike alarm in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 20.

Ukraine said Russia had staged an “information and psychological attack” by spreading a fake warning of a massive air attack on Kyiv, purporting to be from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.

The warning came after the US Embassy in Kyiv said it had received “information of a potential significant air attack” and announced it would close Wednesday. The Greek, Spanish and Italian embassies also closed temporarily.

In a Telegram post Wednesday, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said a message “about the threat of a ‘particularly massive’ missile and bomb attack on Ukrainian cities” had been spread online, appearing to pile on to existing fears based on US intelligence.

“This message is fake and contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations,” the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said.

The US Embassy in Kyiv said it was closing Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution.”

A US official told CNN the standards for the credibility of threat information are lower in a heightened threat environment like Ukraine, particularly if the threat is imminent.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry addressed the embassy closures and appeared to downplay concerns of Wednesday’s strikes being out of the ordinary, warning that Russian misinformation may try to fuel some of the anxieties.

“The threat of shelling by the aggressor state has unfortunately been a daily reality for Ukrainians for over 1,000 days,” it said.

The Foreign Ministry urged residents not to ignore air raid warnings, which sounded in Kyiv several times overnight into Wednesday, as Russia continues to pummel Ukrainian cities with airstrikes.

A former kindergarten teacher has been honored with an award by Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov for her role in shooting down a Russian missile during her first combat launch.

Natalia Grabarchuk, a Ukrainian soldier who completed a five-month training course before the mission, accurately launched the “Igla” anti-missile device to shoot down a Russian cruise missile that was headed towards a critical infrastructure facility in Ukraine’s Rivne region.

The mission, captured on video, was shared by the Ukrainian Air Forces on Sunday.

In the video, Grabarchuk is seen operating the anti-aircraft missile, resting the device on her shoulder before firing it. A plume of smoke can be seen, followed by the sound of a large explosion. Natalia falls to her knees as she is congratulated by her colleagues.

“Well done!” her colleagues say in the video. “You hit it, Natalia, you hit it!”

Reacting to the successful mission on Sunday, Grabarchuk said she was “very glad” that she had managed to hit the Russian missile, stating that she “threw away all emotions and excitement” during the mission. “After the combat work,” she said, “I let my emotions run wild.”

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Umerov called the former kindergarten teacher and her colleagues Olga Makisimenko and Valentina Steblevts, “incredible defenders” and “a symbol of professionalism and courage,” showing pictures of the soldiers being presented with their awards.

Thanking the soldiers for their service, the post called the mission and corresponding video “an inspiring moment for all of us.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a video address announcing the start of the military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Moscow, in a still image taken from video footage released February 24, 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve “any strategic objective” in more than 1,000 days of war in Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.

“The largest military in Europe invaded its neighbor, who had a much smaller inventory, much less capability, and 1,000 days later, they’ve yet to be successful,” Austin told reporters in Laos.

“This war has gone on for 1,000 days, and Putin has failed in every case to achieve any sort of strategic objective,” he said.

Ukraine has demonstrated to the world that “it is possible for a smaller, less capable country to defend its sovereign territory, if its people are committed and if it has some of the resources that it needs to do so,” he said.

Some context: While Russia certainly failed to achieve Putin’s initial goal of taking Ukraine within a few days, the Russian campaign has reached some of its objectives. Around one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory is currently under Russian control according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Russia has more weapons, ammunition and people and Putin’s strategy appears to be slowly grinding Ukraine down by outgunning and outspending it while wearing down Kyiv’s western allies.

CNN’s Ivana Kottasová contributed reporting.

The United States Embassy to Ukraine stands closed on April 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The US Embassy here in Kyiv has not been fully closed since May 2022, the warning issued citing the risk of an aerial assault.

The closure is a stark reflection of how this war is escalating. For over 1,000 days, it’s been a proxy fight between Washington and Moscow in Ukraine. But since the Biden administration decided to allow Ukraine to use its missiles to strike inside Russia, it increasingly threatens to drag in the United States and NATO, in full.

The Kremlin and its messengers have long framed this war as Moscow against all of NATO — partially as an excuse for the appalling progress Russia has made, compared to the weeks they initially hoped it they would need to take Kyiv. But the rhetoric aside, it is unlikely Russians will hit the US Embassy directly — that would be a severe escalation in the closing months of a White House soon to be replaced by a more sympathetic President-elect Donald Trump.

Instead, it’s important to note that allied NATO embassies have also limited their services. Perhaps they fear also being targeted. Moscow might inflict damage on a target where Westerners are known to congregate — a major hotel or district in the city.

In truth, Kyiv has endured over two months of intense and regular drone and missile attacks, on a larger scale than before. It is possible that today and tonight, residents might take the regular sirens seriously — there have already been sirens for 45-minute and two-and-a-half-hours periods so far today.

Yet American information has so far in this war proven quite reliable, which makes their sudden closure of a diplomatic facility a sign escalation continues.

Correction: This post has been updated to correct when the US Embassy was last fully closed.

The Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2018.

The hotline set up to defuse crises between the Kremlin and the White House is not currently in use, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media TASS.

“We have between the two presidents, Russia and the US, a special secure line for communication,” Peskov said Wednesday, according to TASS.

Asked whether this line was still in use – even for emergencies – Peskov said: “No.”

President Vladimir Putin’s last phone call with his US counterpart Joe Biden was on February 12, 2022, according to the Kremlin – just days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Some background: The hotline between was established in 1963 – a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis underscored the importance of prompt, direct communications between Russian and American presidents.

The Kremlin comment comes a day after Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold under which it would consider using nuclear weapons. With the new doctrine, Moscow will consider aggression from any non-nuclear state – but with the participation of a nuclear country – a joint attack on Russia.

The change came after the Biden administration gave Ukraine permission to fire longer-range US-made missiles at targets deep in Russia. Kyiv appeared to waste little time making use of its newly-granted powers, and on Tuesday fired the missiles, known as ATACMS, at the Bryansk region.

The US has called on Russia to stop its “irresponsible rhetoric” after President Vladimir Putin updated his military’s nuclear doctrine.

Putin’s move refined the circumstances in which Moscow may use such weapons. The US said it doesn’t see any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

Moscow’s fresh round of nuclear saber rattling follows the US decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia with American-made weapons.

Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with the ATACMS missiles that it fired across the border for the first time, according to two US officials — a major escalation on the 1,000th day of the war.

Here are the latest developments:

China's President Xi Jinping looks on during the second session of the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18.

China doesn’t want to see a spillover or escalation of the war in Ukraine, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Tuesday, days after Ukraine received a US green light to launch American-made long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.

In a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Xi said China’s position on the Ukraine war is consistent and hopes that the conflict will be eased.

“Neither spillover of the crisis nor escalation of the fighting is what China wants to see. Instead, China will continue to play a constructive role in its own way for the ceasefire and end of the conflict,” Xi told Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.

The comments echoed the Chinese leader’s remarks at the G20 summit on Monday, when he called for the attending leaders to help “cool the Ukraine crisis and seek a political solution.”

When asked about reports that the US, the UK and France had authorised the use of long-range weapons by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated China’s position on the war.

“Realizing an early ceasefire and striving for political settlement serves the interest of all sides, and the biggest imperative is to promote deescalation as soon as possible,” Lin Jian said Monday.

“China always encourages and supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis, and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in its own way for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” Lin said.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in Washington, DC., on October 1.

The United States has not adjusted its nuclear posture in response to Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday.

In the wake of a change in policy to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with US-provided long-range missiles, Moscow updated its doctrine Tuesday and will now consider aggression from any non-nuclear state – but with the participation of a nuclear country – a joint attack on Russia.

“Despite what Russia says, neither the United States nor NATO pose any threat to Russia,” Miller said, adding that the US was unsurprised by Moscow’s nuclear saber rattling.

“So we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, but we will continue to call on Russia to stop bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric,” he added.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh at the Pentagon on January 29.

The US is “not surprised” that Russia updated their nuclear doctrine to consider aggression from any non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear country a joint attack on Moscow, as Russia had been “signaling” that they would do so “over the last several weeks,” a Defense Department spokesperson said.

“It’s something that we’re going to continue to monitor, but we don’t have any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon within Ukraine,” said Singh.

Singh also said the US does not currently “see any changes that need to be made” to the US nuclear posture.

President Joe Biden is seen inside a car during the G20 Summit 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18.

A decision by the United States to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deeper inside Russian territory has complicated a potential Western diplomatic thaw with Russia as dozens of world leaders gather this week.

Sunday’s decision was viewed by many Western leaders as a way to position Ukraine for success ahead of a change in American leadership, with incoming President-elect Donald Trump skeptical of continued US assistance.

But it also complicated the diplomatic dance leaders attending G20 summits must partake in as they navigate the complex geopolitical dynamics of the bloc. Amid the change in strategy — which Joe Biden had deliberated for months — the US president and his team steered clear of Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign affairs minister, on the ground in Rio. Lavrov is at the summit in place of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And Biden and Lavrov’s fluid schedules meant that they were not photographed together with other world leaders.

Further, the pending Trump presidency shadowed nearly every discussion of the Ukraine conflict at the summit. Leaders at the summit are acutely aware of Trump’s views toward the war, but are less certain of how that will manifest in policy once he takes office.

It’s not clear, for example, whether Trump would uphold Biden’s decision on allowing Ukraine the long-range capability, a step that NATO leaders had been encouraging for months. Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, questioned the decision in an interview Monday.

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