Wednesday Briefing: Ukraine hits Russia with U.S. missiles

November 20, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering Ukraine’s attack on Russia using U.S. missiles and jail sentences for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy leaders.

Plus, the Scandinavian band that’s big in Asia.

A missile is launched from the ground with a fiery trail across a blue sky.

The U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS. John Hamilton/White Sands Missile Range, via Associated Press

Ukraine fired U.S.-made missiles into Russia for the first time

Ukraine’s military used American-made ballistic weapons known as ATACMS yesterday to strike into Russia for the first time and hit an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region of southwestern Russia, officials said.

The attack came on the same day President Vladimir Putin lowered Russia’s threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. The timing of the long-planned move was clearly meant to send a message, just days after President Biden authorized the use of the long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia.

The decree shows how Putin is trying to use the threat of his nuclear arsenal to deter the U.S. from further supporting Ukraine. The White House played down Putin’s new doctrine and said it had observed “no changes to Russia’s nuclear posture.”

Analysis: It’s telling that the reaction in Washington to yesterday’s attacks was just short of a yawn, my colleague David Sanger wrote. Over nearly three years, the war in Ukraine has inured Washington and the world to the renewed use of nuclear weapons as the ultimate bargaining chip.

Related: Germany’s defense minister called the severing of two fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea an act of sabotage. Concerns have been rising in Europe that Russia may wage a hybrid war against it in retaliation for helping Ukraine.

Donald Trump’s reflection is seen on the wall of the Manhattan courthouse, while police officers stand by.

Donald Trump outside Manhattan court during his criminal trial in May. Doug Mills/The New York Times

New York prosecutors suggested freezing Trump’s case

Manhattan prosecutors rebuffed President-elect Donald Trump’s request to dismiss his criminal conviction yesterday and instead raised the prospect of a four-year freeze while he holds office.

The prosectors acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the case in a letter to the judge overseeing the trial, but argued that a jury had already convicted Trump of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal before he was elected. Eager to clear his criminal record, Trump is expected to move forcefully for a dismissal. The fight will almost certainly delay Trump’s sentencing, which was scheduled for next week.

More on Trump

Trump chose Howard Lutnick, a billionaire Wall Street executive, to serve as commerce secretary. The role holds vast influence over U.S. manufacturing, trade and technology regulation.
A hacker reportedly gained access to a file with damaging testimony about Matt Gaetz, Trump’s contentious pick for attorney general.
Trump attended a SpaceX launch in Texas, in yet another demonstration of his closeness to Elon Musk.
Defying the #MeToo movement, Trump has selected several people for his cabinet who face accusations of sexual misconduct and, like the president-elect, deny them.
Here’s the latest on the next U.S. administration.

A woman holds up a sign with Chinese characters on it as police officers move toward her to stop her.

The mother of one of the defendants held a banner reading “The righteous shall live; the wicked shall perish.” Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders were jailed up to 10 years

A Hong Kong court yesterday sentenced to prison 45 former politicians, journalists and activists who in 2020 took part in an unofficial poll by the opposition, some for as long as 10 years.

The sentences highlighted the sweeping power of a national security law Beijing imposed to tighten its grip on the Chinese territory.

Benny Tai, 60, a legal scholar and opposition strategist, was sentenced to 10 years while Joshua Wong, 28, a prominent pro-democracy activist, was among 24 defendants whose sentences ranged from just over four to just under five years. Here’s a look at the 45 pro-democracy leaders.

MORE TOP NEWS

The site of an attack targeting an electronics store in Beirut on Monday. Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Middle East: A top U.S. envoy signaled progress in negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah on a cease-fire proposal.
Gaza: We interviewed and photographed badly wounded Gazans who made it out for treatment.
New Zealand: Two small populist parties are responsible for accelerating the country’s rightward shift, which has been felt acutely by the Indigenous Māori.
Climate: China overtook Europe in all-time greenhouse gas emissions.
U.K.: Thousands of farmers gathered in London to protest inheritance taxation changes.
China: A man drove a car into a group of people near an elementary school, injuring multiple students. It appeared to be the third large-scale attack in a little over a week.
India: The government seems powerless to protect its citizens from its annual air pollution crisis, let alone prevent it.
Texas: Education officials backed a new elementary school curriculum that infuses material drawn from the Bible into lessons.
France: In her rape trial, Gisèle Pelicot made a final address to the court, calling the things her husband is accused of doing to her “unforgivable.”
Mali: An Australian mining company said it would pay the military government $160 million after the authorities detained three of its executives in a dispute about taxes.

Sports

Rafael Nadal is shown returning a shot on a tennis court.

Jorge Guerrero/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Rafael Nadal: The retiring tennis star lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup, potentially the final match of his career.
Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur said it “remastered” its brand identity. Here’s what that means.
Formula 1: Tommy Hilfiger has brought a modern touch to motorsports, blending functionality and style.

MORNING READ

Three men on a stage, holding their hands up in unison. In the foreground are fans taking selfies with the band in the background.

Ezra Acayan for The New York Times

Their songs have been downloaded more than a billion times and they have sold 11 million records. But most people outside Asia have never heard of the band Michael Learns to Rock. The Danish group broke through across the continent in the 1990s, and their easy lyrics and melodies have created a soundtrack for a generation of Asian youth.

Lives lived: Arthur Frommer, who helped popularize low-budget travel with his guidebook, “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” died at 95.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

An A.I. choir: Two artists taught an A.I. model to sing using diverse choirs from across Britain. They want you to know that A.I. can be beautiful.
“Les Misérables”: The French musical has never been popular in Paris. A new production hopes to change that.
Dressed-up handbag: Bag charms, or key chains by another name, are becoming a popular form of self-expression.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

A still of the witches from the film “Wicked,” over a still of fighting gladiators from “Gladiator II.”

Universal Pictures

Can ‘Glicked’ recapture the magic of ‘Barbenheimer’?

When “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” opened on the same day in the summer of 2023, crowds swarmed to movie theaters to be part of “Barbenheimer.” Now there’s a buzzy new movie face-off with its own catchy name: “Glicked.”

“Wicked,” the first installment of the adaptation of the Broadway musical, and “Gladiator II,” a swords-and-sandals epic directed by Ridley Scott, will both be widely available to international audiences by the end of this week.

Will Elphaba green replace Barbie pink? Our culture reporter brings you up to speed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A platter of roasted red cabbage topped with feta crumbles, walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Linda Xiao for The New York Times

Cook: Red cabbage with walnuts and feta can be served warm or at room temperature, and as a side dish or a light main course.

Watch: “Interior Chinatown” satirizes Hollywood’s penchant for pigeonholing Asian actors.

Read: These two novels are filled with Christmas miracles.

Repel: Here are eight factors that put you at risk of severe flu.

Travel: Wirecutter has tips for finding fast Wi-Fi while on the road.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

P.S. Jeanna Smialek will be our new Brussels bureau chief, and Jim Tankersley is our new Berlin bureau chief.

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