LIVE UPDATES: West Inventing Fake Pretext With Claims of Iran Arming Moscow With Drones - Polyanskiy

The Russian Armed Forces have already used several hundred domestic-made loitering munitions, also called kamikaze drones, in Moscow's special operation in Ukraine, a source told Sputnik.

“Since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine, the Russian military has already used several hundred domestic-made loitering munitions. We are talking about Cube drones and two types of Lancets,” the source said.

"I think Vladimir Putin finds himself in an incredibly difficult position, and what it reflects to me is it seems his only tool available to him is to brutalize individual citizens in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens, and try to intimidate them into capitulating," Biden said when asked about Putin's decision to invoke martial law in former parts of Ukraine.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has canceled his trip to Kiev, scheduled for Thursday, over security issues, Bild reported on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, the trip was canceled by the office of the president as recommended by the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry and security officials.

Warsaw and Berlin have failed to agree on the supply of German tanks to replace those that Poland has sent to Ukraine, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Ociepa said on Wednesday.

After the start of Russia's special operation, Poland handed over several hundred T-72 tanks to Ukraine, while Germany, in turn, promised to supply Leopard tanks to Poland.

Negotiations on the supply of German tanks to Poland "have been suspended," Ociepa told Polish newspaper Gazeta.pl, adding that Germany's proposal, which was recently received by Warsaw, was unsatisfactory because it concerned only a small number of tanks, and it would be stretched over a considerable length of time.

The deputy minister clarified that Poland expected to receive at least 40 tanks from Germany.

"If we could not get tanks at the level of 40 units from the German side as compensation [for the supply of tanks to Ukraine], something is wrong," he said.

Earlier in the day, Polish media reported that under the so-called arms cooperation, South Korea will supply Poland with 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems, 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers, and three squadrons of FA-50 fighters.

The Biden administration is working with state and local partners to ensure that systems and equipment are secure for upcoming elections, Langevin also said. The US is currently monitoring for malign actors seeking to interfere in elections, Langevin said.

The upper house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved President Vladimir Putin’s decree on the introduction of martial law in Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Earlier in the day, Putin said that the martial law will be introduced in four regions starting from Thursday.

"We asked Ukrainians to share information about their air defense needs. As soon as we have the details we will be able to help them develop a civilian system of early warning that will save lives," he told EU envoys at a meeting.

Territorial defense headquarters will be created in the Russian regions, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"To coordinate the work of the heads of the regions, they will receive the authority to create the appropriate headquarters. I instruct the government, the defense ministry, and other departments to provide them with all necessary assistance," Putin said at a meeting with members of the Russian Security Council.

According to a presidential decree published on the Kremlin website, territorial defense headquarters are being created in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.