Russia sees no grounds for strategic, arms control talks
· RTE.ieRussia's foreign ministry sees no grounds for talking about resuming dialogue on strategic stability and arms control with the United States at the moment, Interfax news agency has reported, citing Russia's deputy foreign minister.
Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow and Washington "are exchanging signals on Ukraine" through closed channels at the military and political levels, according to Interfax.
He also said that Russia was ready to listen to US President-elect Donald Trump's proposals on resolving the crisisin Ukraine, adding that there could be no simple solution.
"We are extremely thorough, responsible and attentive to anyideas that are proposed by countries in this area," Interfax quoted Mr Ryabkov as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Mr Trump on winning the US election, praised him for showing courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him in July, and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with Mr Trump.
He said comments that Mr Trump had made about trying to end the war were worthy of attention.
Mr Trump told NBC he had not talked to Mr Putin since his election victory but "I think we'll speak".
Mr Ryabkov said the threat of severing diplomatic relations with the United States remained if Russia's frozen assets were seized or Washington escalated tensions over Ukraine.
Mr Ryabkov also commented on Russia's updated nuclear doctrine, saying it would make it possible "to turn to the nuclear option" if there was an acute crisis in relations with the Westand the situation in Ukraine, Interfax reported.
"This process will be finalised. The president of the Russian Federation as supreme commander-in-chief willundoubtedly make decisions that will mean the improvement of the conceptual foundations of our activities in this sphere," Mr Ryabkov told Interfax.
Mr Putin warned the West in September that under proposedchanges to the doctrine Russia could use nuclear arms if it was struck with conventional missiles and would consider any assaulton it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack.
Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Odesa kills one, injures 13, governor says
Meanwhile, Russian drones attacked Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa overnight, killing one person and injuring 13 others, including two boys, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
Several residential apartment buildings, private houses,commercial buildings and dozens of private cars were damaged inwhat was the second day in a row of Russian drone attacks on thecity, Mr Kiper said.
"At night the enemy again attacked Odesa and the nearbyregion with attack drones. One person died and 13 were wounded.Among the injured there were two children," he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Prosecutors said the children were boys aged four and 16.
Russia launched 51 drones, focusing its attack on Odesa andthe nearby region in the south of Ukraine, the Ukrainian airforce said, adding that Ukrainian air defence units and mobile drone hunter groups shot down 32 Russian drones.
It also said that 18 drones were "lost", most likely meaning they had been thwarted electronically.
Russian drones also triggered a large fire in one of Odesa's districts, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, quoting residents.
Other media outlets in the city posted video footage showing cars and buildings ablaze and thick smoke billowing skyward.
As the war against Russia nears its 1,000-day mark, Moscow's forces have intensified air attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns, sending swarms of drones almost every night.
Ukraine's military said that Russia launched more than 2,000 attack drones at civilian and military targets in October.
Moscow says it does not target civilians. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine had verified 11,743 civilian deaths in conflict-related violence from Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 to the end of August this year.
The Ukrainian government says the toll is likely to be much higher due to difficulties accessing parts of the country.