A US man who leaked highly classified military documents relating to the war in Ukraine has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. 

Jack Teixeira, of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, pleaded guilty earlier this year to six counts of wilful retention and transmission of national defence information under the Espionage Act following his arrest in the most consequential national security case in years.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry for all the harm that I brought and caused,” Teixeira said.

“I understand all the responsibility and consequences fall upon my shoulders alone and accept whatever that will bring,” he added. 

The 22-year-old admitted that he illegally collected secrets,  including information about troop movements in Ukraine, and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops, and shared them with other users on the social media platform Discord.

Before we go, here’s a summary of what happened today:

• North Korean soldiers joined Russian troops on the frontlines and actively engaged in fighting with Ukrainians, the US State Department said;
• Donald Trump revealed his pick for national security adviser – Mike Waltz;
• Both he and the touted secretary of state, Marco Rubio, were judged by our US correspondent Mark Stone to be “MAGA loyalists, but also Atlanticists, traditional interventionists, Russia-hawks and hardliners on China”, in what could prove welcome news in Ukraine;
• It was revealed that the British government in 2022 held emergency meetings over how a Russian nuclear blast in Ukraine could affect the UK, because intelligence strongly suggested such an attack was so close.

‘Explosions’ in Kyiv after Russia launches missile attack

Blasts were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early this morning after the air force put the whole country under an air raid alert as Russia launched missile attacks.

“Explosions in the city. Air defence forces are working. Stay in shelters!” said Kyiv major Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

Moscow’s forces used cruise and ballistic missiles in what marked its first such attack in more than two months, the Ukrainian military said.

No casualties or damage have been reported.