Ukraine war latest: US embassy in Kyiv closes after 'specific' threat; Biden approves use of US anti-personnel mines

France says it is 'not intimidated' by Russia's nuclear threats

The French foreign minister has dismissed Vladimir Putin's decision to lower the threshold for a nuclear strike as "just rhetoric". 

Jean-Noel Barrot told France 2 that his government is "not intimidated" by the move.

As we've been reporting, the Russian president yesterday changed his country's nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for a strike. 

Russia has frequently raised the spectre of a nuclear response throughout the war, but most analysts believe the warnings will not be acted on and are designed to deter Western nations from their support for Ukraine. 

Ukraine says it hit Russian command post in Belgorod

Ukraine's military intelligence agency has said it "successfully struck" a command post in Russia's Belgorod region. 

The command post is in the town of Gubkin, about 105 miles from the border with Ukraine. 

The statement comes a day after Ukraine used US-made ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory. 

The agency did not specify the type of weapon used in this latest attack. 

'We have been afraid of nuclear escalation since day one' - Ukrainian MP

A Ukrainian MP has revealed she keeps a backpack at her home filled with items in case of a nuclear attack from Russia. 

Kira Rudik told Sky's Kay Burley that many Ukrainians keep similar emergency supplies because "we have been afraid of the nuclear escalation since day one". 

She said her supplies include canned food, water, gloves and socks and a mask. 

Ms Rudik said, however, that Vladimir Putin's latest nuclear warning is more a message to the West than to Ukraine. 

She also spoke of "constant" air attacks on Kyiv, saying she can't remember a night in the last two weeks that she has not needed to head to a bomb shelter. 

The MP said she has told her family to stay in a car park all day today because she is "really worried" about a further attack. 

"It's so scary when you don't know if your military has enough ammunition to take down all the missiles," she said. 

"We are very grateful for all the support we are receiving but we also always know it is not enough." 

Asked whether Ukraine is losing the war, she replied: "No, we are not." 

She said there has been "so many times when the world did not believe in us" but "we believe in ourselves and we believe in our military and we believe in our allies".

UK government monitoring security situation in Kyiv 'incredibly closely'

As we've been reporting this morning, the US has temporarily closed its embassy in Kyiv following intelligence about a "significant air attack". 

The British government has now said it is examining the security situation for its diplomats in Kyiv "incredibly closely". 

Science Secretary Peter Kyle told Times Radio: "I'm not going to share details at the moment of operational matters that are on the ground in Kyiv.

"What you will what you can reassure you is that we are looking at the situation incredibly closely.

"We have very good relationships with the government in Kyiv and with the United States. We will do everything we can to keep British citizens safe." 

He added that the war "could be brought to an end instantly, if Vladimir Putin himself decided to de-escalate, rather than continually escalate the circumstances around this conflict".

Yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to continue support for Ukraine despite "irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric from Russia. 

Belarus hits out at 'irresponsible' US decision

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus has condemned Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to fire US-made missiles into Russia. 

In a statement quoted by Russian news agency RIA, the General Staff said the move was "irresponsible". 

It also hit out at the US president's decision to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel mines, saying this is "yet another violation of the balance of power in the world". 

Belarus is one of Russia's strongest allies, having allowed Moscow to use its territory as a launchpad for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

The US has judged that Russia will not respect the protection of embassies

We've just been hearing from our military analyst Sean Bell, who says it is no great surprise that Vladimir Putin has "hit a peak in anger". 

In a significant development overnight, the US said it was temporarily closing its Kyiv embassy due to a specific threat. 

Bell says Putin likely decided to ramp up attacks on Kyiv after the US announced it would allow Ukraine to fire American-made long-range missiles into Russia. 

The Ukrainian capital has a "fairly effective" air defence system and embassies are meant to be protected - but Bell says he suspects the Americans are "judging the Russians will not respect the sanctuary of embassies". 

This means there is an actual risk the embassy could be targeted in attacks on Kyiv, he says, although he believes the move to close the embassy is "more out of prudence". 

Hotline used to deflate crises between US and Russia is not in use, Kremlin says

A special hotline kept open to deflate crises between the US and Russia is not currently being used, the Kremlin has said. 

Tensions have reached new highs after Russia yesterday lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. 

This was seen as a response to the US giving the go-ahead for its missiles to be used by Ukraine to strike deep into Russia. 

Ukraine began using the weapons on Russian territory yesterday, firing six ATACMS missiles. 

The hotline between the US and Russia was established in 1963 to reduce the misperceptions that stoked the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 by allowing direct communication between Washington and Moscow. 

"We have a special secure line for communication between the two presidents, Russia and the United States. Moreover, even for video communication," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS state news agency. 

But when asked whether this channel is currently in use, he said: "No." 

Russian diplomats have said the crisis is now comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the two Cold War superpowers came closest to intentional nuclear war. 

What you need to know if you're just waking up

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Ukraine war - we've been bringing you some significant updates overnight. 

Days after announcing the US will allow its weapons to be fired into Russia, President Joe Biden has now approved the provision of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine. 

A US official told Reuters news agency that the Biden administration expects Ukraine to use the mines on its own territory - although it has committed not to use them in areas populated with its own civilians. 

The anti-personnel mines will be used to target advancing Russian ground troops. 

Hours after that announcement, the US said it would temporarily close its embassy in Kyiv after receiving "specific information of a potential significant air attack" today. 

Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place, it said. 

US closes Kyiv embassy after warning of 'significant air attack'

The US is temporarily closing its embassy in Kyiv after receiving what it says is "specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20".

"Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," the US Department of State Consular Affairs said in a post on X. 

"The US Embassy recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced."

The news comes just days after the Biden administration announced it would allow US-made weapons to be fired into Russia. 

Moscow said yesterday that Ukraine had hit Russia with six long-range ATACMS missiles supplied by the US. 

Russia downs 44 Ukrainian drones, defence ministry says

Russia's air defence systems destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 20 over the northwestern Novgorod region, Russia's defence ministry said.

The other 24 drones were destroyed over several regions in Russia's central and western part, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

The ministry did not specify whether there was any damage as a result of the attack.

US anti-personnel mines 'non-persistent'

The US has provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines throughout the conflict, but the addition of anti-personnel mines is aimed at blunting Russian troop advances.

The main difference between US and Russian mines is that the American ones are "non-persistent". 

In other words, they become ineffective after a set period of time, whereas the Russian mines can remain deadly for years.

US anti-personnel mines require a battery to detonate and will not explode once the battery has run out.

A US official told Reuters news agency that Washington expects Ukraine to deploy the mines only on its own territory and has committed to not using them in areas occupied by its own civilians.   

Russian airstrikes targeting Kyiv

Ukraine's air defence units are trying to repel a Russian air attack on Kyiv early this morning, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital has said.

Witnesses told Reuters news agency they heard multiple blasts in what sounded like air defence units in operation.

'Thousands of North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine'

Around 10,900 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk as part of Russia's airborne unit and marines, a South Korean official has said.

Citing the country's spy agency, the official added that some had already taken part in battles in the Ukraine war.

He also claimed North Korea has shipped additional arms including howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.

The National Intelligence Service is still trying to determine the exact number of North Korean troop casualties and whether any had surrendered.

Biden approves provision of anti-personnel mines

US President Joe Biden has approved provision of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine, a US official told Reuters news agency.

The move could help slow Russian advances in in the east of the country.

According to reports, the US expects Ukraine to use the mines in its own territory, though it has committed not to use them in areas populated with its own civilians.

The US has provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines throughout its war with Russia, but the addition of anti-personnel mines will target advancing Russian ground troops.

Where do Russia and Ukraine stand militarily after 1,000 days of conflict?

As the war in Ukraine hits 1,000 days, Sky News takes a look at the situation on both sides and what might come next.

Nearly three years since Vladimir Putin's Russia invaded Ukraine, the conflict continues to consume huge amounts of weaponry and cost human lives - for only small but steady territorial gains.

And major missile and drone attacks continue to target key Ukrainian energy infrastructure and claim the lives of civilians.

Speaking to Sky News, defence and military expert Simon Diggins and John Foreman, former UK defence attache to Moscow and Kyiv, discuss where Ukraine and Russia stand militarily, and what the next 1,000 days of conflict could look like.

US 'incredibly' concerned about Russian hybrid warfare

The US is "incredibly" concerned about hybrid warfare conducted by Russia, says state department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Washington remains in close touch with European partners about the issue, he added.

The remarks appear to refer to the severing of two undersea fibre optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea.

Yesterday, Finland and Germany said in a joint statement that Europe's security was threatened by Russia's war against Ukraine and "hybrid warfare by malicious actors".

One of the cut cables linked the two nations, stretching 745 miles between Helsinki and the German port of Rostock.

A 135-mile internet link between Lithuania and Sweden's Gotland Island was also severed on Sunday.

Why Putin's nuclear rhetoric is more 'reckless' than Cold War threats

Vladimir Putin has once again raised the threat of Russia launching nuclear attacks.

This time he has formally lowered the threshold for Russia's use of nuclear weapons to allow for a nuclear response to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

Russia has approximately 5,000 nuclear warheads, with 1,700 deployed on land, submarines and aircraft.

The US also has hundreds of nuclear weapons.

But this hasn't changed for 50 years, explains military analyst Michael Clarke.

"What has changed is that the arms control regime built up in the 1960s that was quite powerful has been whittled away and is almost now non-existent."

Denmark donates more than £100m for Ukraine's arms industry

Denmark is donating £109m for the development of Ukraine's arms industry, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced.

Standing alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said: "Because we know that these investments make a real difference on the battlefield. And make no mistake, our support is long-term."

The NATO member is among the biggest contributors of military aid relative to the size of its economy. 

Much of the aid has been directed specifically at developing Ukraine's defence industry. 

NATO member appears to oppose Ukrainian use of US missiles against Russia

The president of Turkey - a NATO member - has signalled he does not support the US decision to allow Ukraine to fire American ballistic missiles into Russia.

With Russia raising new nuclear threats, Recep Tayyip Erdogan also cautioned against any war involving nuclear weapons.

He was speaking at a news conference at the end of a two-day G20 summit in Brazil.

Asked by Sky News whether he supported the US move or whether he thought it may risk direct confrontation with Moscow, even a nuclear war, the president said: "We can never say that a war where nuclear weapons are used can result in anything positive."

Speaking through a translator, Erdogan continued: "Recently the missiles used by Ukraine are also an indication of the potential or possible consequences. These are not positive developments."

-SKY NEWS