Ukraine war latest: Moscow has 'nothing to add' over claims Russia downed jet; North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine reported dead

Azerbaijan Airlines points to 'external and technical interference' as cause of crash

Azerbaijan Airlines has just said the plane crash that killed 38 people was caused by "external physical and technical interference", according to preliminary findings.

This comes as reports suggest Russian air defence systems downed the flight, which was heading to Grozny from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital.

Just minutes ago, Russia's aviation watchdog said the plane's captain was offered other airports for landing but chose to fly to western Kazakhstan, where it ultimately crashed - see our 11.16 post.

Grain for more than 160,000 people on way to Syria, says Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said 500 tonnes of wheat flour are on their way to Syria.

Ukraine had vowed to supply Syria with grain after the fall of dictator Bashar al Assad and said it was in active talks with the Middle Eastern country's administration.

Russia - the world's largest wheat exporter and chief Assad regime backer - had dominated sales to Syria, but supplies were suspended after two vessels carrying Russian wheat failed to reach the country.

In their place, Ukraine said it is sending stocks through its Grain From Ukraine scheme with the help of the World Food Programme.

"As promised, we are supporting the Syrian people in their time of need," Mr Zelenskyy said this morning on social media. 

"The wheat flour is planned to be distributed to 33,250 families or 167,000 people, in the coming weeks. 

"Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can feed a family of five for one month. 

"We wish Syria and its people safety, stability, and recovery. We know the true value of these things."

Captain of crashed plane 'chose to head to Kazakhstan' - as Russia claims fog disrupted landing

Russia's aviation regulator has just claimed the captain of the crashed Azerbaijan Airlines plane was offered other airports for landing - but chose to go to Aktau in Kazakhstan instead.

Russian media reports Rosaviatsia also claims the pilot tried to land the plane twice at Grozny airport in southern Russia, but dense fog disrupted the attempts.

The passenger jet was meant to land in Grozny, in the Russian region of Chechnya, after departing from Azerbaijan's capital Baku, but crashed hundreds of miles away in western Kazakhstan.

"Terrorist attacks" of Ukrainian drones near the city also complicated the situation, the watchdog added.

RIA news agency said Russia is ready to provide "comprehensive" support to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in their investigation.

For context: As we've been reporting over the past day, several sources familiar with the investigation have indicated Russian air defences downed the flight on Christmas Day.

The plane had diverted from an area of southern Russia, where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes.

The watchdog had initially blamed a possible bird strike, but pictures from the wreckage show what appears to be shrapnel damage littered across the tail section of the plane.

Officials have not explained why the plane had crossed the sea, but one of the sources said its communications were paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Russia.

An Azerbaijani source cited by Reuters news agency said "no one claims that it was done on purpose", but said Baku "expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft".

Baltic Sea cable damage not a matter for Moscow, Kremlin says

A little more now to bring you around the reports of sabotage on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea - see our 9.19 post.

Authorities believe a vessel suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet is behind damage to four cables.

Finnish coast guard staff boarded that ship and brought it ashore as investigations continue - but the Kremlin has appeared to dismiss any link to Moscow.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "I can't say anything precise here, this is a very narrow-profile issue which is hardly the prerogative of the [Russian] presidential administration."

Russia claims two more Ukrainian villages

Russia has taken two more eastern Ukrainian villages, its defence ministry has just claimed.

RIA state news agency reports the ministry has said its forces have seized Ivanivka in the Donetsk region and Zahryzove in the Kharkiv region.

They also cited the ministry as saying it had downed four British-made Storm Shadow missiles in the past week.

None of these claims have been independently verified.

Elsewhere along the front line, the Institute for the Study of War said in an update overnight that Russia has likely advanced to the boundaries of Kurakhove, a city in the Pokrovsk region.

Moscow says it has 'nothing to add' on plane shooting reports

Asked about reports that Russian air defences downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, the Kremlin has just said it has nothing to add.

A spokesman only added an investigation into the crash in Kazakhstan is ongoing.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight forced to turn back from Russia

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight heading to the southern Russian town of Mineralnie Vody has turned back to Baku.

That's according to Russia's TASS news agency, which reports a section of airspace in the south of the country had been closed, forcing the flight back to the Azerbaijani capital.

Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency reports the airline is suspending flights to seven Russian cities, but will continue services to six destinations including Moscow and St Petersburg.

Preliminary investigations suggest another flight from the same airline crashed on Christmas Day after it was hit by Russia in an area where Moscow has been defending against Ukrainian drones - see our 7.42 post for more on that.

Estonia's navy launches patrol to protect undersea cable

Estonia's armed forces have launched a naval operation to protect an undersea power cable after several were damaged in the Baltic Sea on Christmas Day.

As we reported yesterday, Finnish authorities suspect a vessel that's part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet - ageing tankers seeking to evade sanctions on Russian oil - was responsible.

Investigators believe the Cook Islands-registered ship, named as the Eagle S, damaged or broke four internet lines with its anchor.

Estonia's foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said today if there is a "threat to the critical undersea infrastructure" in the region, there will "also be a response" as he confirmed the navy will patrol the area to protect a cable known as Estlink 1.

Two fibre-optic cables linking Finland and Estonia were broken, with a third also believed damaged and a fourth between Finland and Germany possibly severed, according to Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom.

The ship was boarded by a Finnish coast guard crew yesterday, taking the vessel to Finland's waters, a coast guard official said at a press conference.

Robin Lardot, director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, said they are investigating "grave sabotage".

"According to our understanding, an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation has caused the damage," he added.

North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine dies from injuries - report

Reports overnight suggested a North Korean soldier sent to fight for Russia in Ukraine has been captured.

According to Yonhap news agency, South Korean intelligence now says the soldier was captured alive - but died from his injuries.

Just yesterday, Ukraine's military intelligence claimed North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in the fighting, struggling with supply issues and water shortages.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the Kursk region. 

In October, the US said North Korea had sent about 10,000 troops to Russia.

Chinese president to visit Russia next year, claims ambassador

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia in 2025, Moscow's ambassador to the country has claimed.

"As for concrete bilateral events, I can say that the appropriate plans are actively being drawn up," Igor Morgulov told RIA news agency.

"What can be said that is no secret, in terms of priority, is that the chairman of the People's Republic of China is expected in Russia next year."

China's foreign ministry has not confirmed this.

President Xi was in Russia in October for the BRICS summit, an organisation of nine countries including Russia and China.

Mr Putin visited China in February 2022 just days before invading Ukraine, proclaiming a "no limits" partnership.

He was in Beijing against in May this year, when he welcomed a "new era" of relations focusing on opposition to US policy.

Ukraine shoots down drones after another Russian attack

Ukraine shot down 13 out of 24 Russian drones overnight, its air force has said.

The other 11 Russian drones were "lost" without causing damage, according to the military.

Analysts have said Ukraine has increasingly turned to electronic warfare to redirect Russian drones.

Two people were killed and another couple injured in a drone attack yesterday in the front line town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region of Ukraine, regional prosecutors reported.

Regional officials in Dnipropetrovsk region, further west, said eight people were injured in a drone strike on the market in the town of Nikopol.

Still no comment from Moscow to plane shooting claims - what we know

There's still been no response from Russia to reports they downed the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

Four sources familiar Azerbaijan's investigation told Reuters yesterday that Russian air defences caused the jet to crash, killing 38 people.

The flight had diverted from an area of southern Russia - where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes - and crashed hundreds of miles away on the opposite shore of the Caspian.

Before reports of Russia's involvement emerged, the country's aviation watchdog said the cause may have been a bird strike.

But pictures from the wreckage show what appears to be shrapnel damage littered across the tail section of the plane.

Officials have not explained why the plane had crossed the sea, but one of the sources said its communications were paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Russia.

The nearest airport on the plane's flight path in Russia, Makhachkala, was also closed on Wednesday morning.

Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister said he could neither confirm nor deny reports Russian air defences downed the plane.

The Kremlin, asked before the report, said it would be improper to comment until an investigation has finished.

"It is wrong to build hypotheses before the conclusions of the investigation," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

There has been no comment since.

-SKY NEWS