Ukraine live update: Russia practices 'massive nuclear strike' - USA TODAY

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Russia's Strategic Deterrence Forces conducted a palmy grooming workout Wednesday aimed astatine delivering a "massive nuclear strike" successful the lawsuit of a nuclear attack, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

The exercise, overseen by President Vladimir Putin, involved mobile ground-based rocket systems and the strategical rocket submarine Tula of Russia's Northern Fleet. The Kremlin said successful a connection that each the test-fired missiles reached their targets.

Russian statesmanlike spokesperson Dmitry Peskov connected Wednesday pressed his country's communicative – vehemently denied by Ukraine and the West – that Kyiv is preparing to onslaught with a "dirty bomb" and past blasted Russia. 

U.S. experts person theorized that Russia is either considering its ain "false flag" soiled weaponry detonation oregon is utilizing the communicative to drum up much enactment for the warfare astatine home. 

BIDEN WARNS MOSCOW: Using nukes would beryllium 'serious mistake'

Other developments:

►Ukraine's largest backstage vigor company, DTEK, says it has mislaid astir $40 cardinal since Oct. 10, erstwhile Russia started its "catastrophic" targeting of the country's vigor infrastructure sites.

►The Russian and Belarusian ambassadors person been excluded from this year’s Nobel Prize ceremonial acceptable successful Stockholm connected Dec. 10, the Nobel Foundation announced.

Remains of American Joshua Jones, killed successful Ukraine, returned

The assemblage of U.S. Army seasoned Joshua Alan Jones, killed portion warring in Ukraine, was returned to Ukrainian authorities Wednesday successful a swap with the Russian military.

Andrii Yermak, caput of the Ukraine president’s office, said on Telegram that 10 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including one serviceman and 9 enlisted soldiers, were released from Russian captivity astatine the aforesaid time. Yermak did not uncover however galore Russians were released.

"We volition proceed to enactment until we bring each our radical home," Yermak said.

The U.S. State Department notified the household astir the body’s return, Jones’ father, Jeff Jones, told CNN. Neither the Pentagon nor the U.S. State Department instantly responded to a USA TODAY petition for comment. Joshua Jones' family had posted a little connection on Facebook successful August acknowledging his decease and saying "our main extremity is to get his assemblage home."

“I cannot archer you what a load is lifted disconnected this family,” Jeff Jones told CNN.

Putin challenger flees state amid transgression investigation

Popular Russian TV big Ksenia Sobchak, a erstwhile challenger to Putin successful the statesmanlike election, has go a fishy successful an extortion lawsuit involving state-owned defence contractor Rostec, state-run TASS reported. The media outlet said Sobchak, who could look a situation condemnation of up to 15 years if convicted, has fled the country. Almost everyone who is charged with a transgression successful Russia is convicted. Sobchak’s commercialized director, Kirill Sukhanov, and erstwhile editor-in-chief Arian Romanovsky were detained pending charges.

Sobchak has often been captious of Putin, and the lawsuit alleges payments were demanded successful instrumentality for guarantees that authorities officials would not person captious sum from Sobchak's quality channels. Sobchack, 40, was a wide challenger successful Russia's 2018 statesmanlike election, finishing a distant 4th with astir 1.7% of the vote.

FROM AUGUST: A Memphis antheral died astatine warfare successful Ukraine. His household is present trying to retrieve his remains.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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