Ukraine war live updates: Russia warns U.S. of 'unpredictable consequences' if it sends Patriot missile systems to Ukraine - CNBC

A Patriot anti-aircraft rocket system.

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Russia has warned the U.S. that if it sends Patriot rocket systems to Ukraine it volition see the determination a provocation that could pb to "unpredictable consequences."

The Biden medication is finalizing plans to nonstop a Patriot rocket strategy to Ukraine, 3 Defense officials told NBC News earlier this week. The surface-to-air defence strategy would assistance Ukraine repel Russian aerial attacks and President Zelenskyy has agelong called for specified weaponry to assistance Ukraine support itself against repeated rocket attacks.

The embassy claimed that, adjacent without transportation of the Patriot systems, "the United States is progressively drawn into the struggle successful the post-Soviet republic, saying that the "weapons flow" to Ukraine was expanding and that the U.S. was helping Ukraine successful presumption of quality and subject training.

The Kremlin said Wednesday that it would see Patriot rocket defence systems arsenic a morganatic people for Russian strikes if they are sent to Ukraine.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are destroying "everything successful beforehand of them."

"There is nary calm connected the beforehand line. There is thing casual and simple. Every time and each metre is fought for highly hard," Zelenskyy said successful a nightly code connected his Telegram channel.

"Russia is destroying metropolis aft metropolis successful Donbas - similar Mariupol, similar Volnovakha, similar Bakhmut," helium added..

Zelenskyy besides thanked Ukrainian forces for "repelling different onslaught by Iranian drones this morning."

— Amanda Macias

Moscow said nary "Christmas ceasefire" was connected the cards aft astir 10 months of warfare successful Ukraine, wherever the archetypal large drone onslaught connected the superior Kyiv successful weeks damaged 2 buildings but was mostly repelled by aerial defenses.

The 2 sides are not presently engaged successful talks to extremity the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions much and turned cities to rubble since Russia invaded its neighbour connected Feb. 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week Russia should commencement withdrawing from his state by Christmas arsenic a measurement to extremity Europe's biggest struggle since World War Two. Moscow rejected the connection outright, saying Ukraine indispensable judge the nonaccomplishment of territory to Russia earlier immoderate advancement tin beryllium made.

— Reuters

The U.N. warned that astir 7 cardinal children successful Ukraine are don't person regular entree to electricity, vigor oregon water, raising their risks arsenic temperatures drop.

"Millions of children are facing a bleak wintertime huddled successful the acold and the dark, with small thought of however oregon erstwhile respite whitethorn arrive," UNICEF enforcement manager Catherine Russell said successful a statement.

In summation to the freezing temperatures, the deficiency of capable energy interrupts their acquisition with schools damaged oregon destroyed and truthful galore children relying connected distant learning, UNICEF said.

"Beyond the contiguous threats the freezing conditions bring, children are besides deprived of the quality to larn oregon enactment connected with friends and family, putting some their carnal and their intelligence wellness astatine hopeless risk," she added.

In October, Russian forces intensified attacks connected vigor infrastructure and were palmy successful destroying astir fractional of Ukraine's powerfulness production.

— Amanda Macias