Russia is removing nuclear warheads from ageing cruise missiles designed in the 1980s and firing the unarmed munitions at Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence has claimed.
London belives that the weapons are unlikely to cause much damage and that Moscow is using them as decoys to divert Kyiv’s air defences, alleging that its use of the weapons highlights its depleted stocks.
It comes as Vladimir Putin’s forces are bombarding the key city of Kherson – territory they lost to Ukraine two weeks ago – forcing Ukrainian authorities to evacuate hospitals in the area.
The incessant shelling of Kherson by Russia has killed 15 people and injured another 35 in the last six days, possibly signalling Moscow’s intention not to give up on the strategically important city.
An estimated six million remain without electricity, with night-time temperatures now dipping well below freezing, with Volodymyr Zelensky asking Ukrainians to use energy sparingly, saying: “If there is electricity, this doesn’t mean you can turn on several powerful electrical appliances at once.”
