Ukraine-Russia latest: Kyiv strikes fuel depot supplying Putin’s army as Zelensky appeals to Pope Francis
Ukrainian forces hit a fuel depot supplying Russia’s army in an overnight strike, with a fire detected at the facility which stores oil and oil products, Kyiv said.
Their air force also shot down 24 out of 28 Russian drones launched overnight.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has carried out a whirlwind tour of European capitals in a bid to continue mustering support for Ukraine and to discuss his proposed “victory plan”.
In a visit to the Vatican, he asked Pope Francis for help in securing the release of Ukrainians held captive by Russia and voiced hope that the war would end next year in a trip to Berlin.
September proved to be the bloodiest month of attrition since the Russian invasion began in 2022, with the latest Western intelligence suggesting Vladimir Putin suffered as many as 36,000 casualties.
Russia suffered more than 1,200 casualties a day on average, according to the US and British military analysts, the New York Times reported. Officials in the West have called September the costliest month for Moscow’s troops but did not give an exact number of Russian casualties.
Russia has not released an official number of casualties of its forces in Ukraine and treats the information as a state secret.
Key Points
Ukraine hit fuel depot in Russia-occupied Luhansk region
Putin faced bloodiest month of war in September, says US
Zelensky promotes ‘victory plan’ to allies in massive Europe visit
Ukrainian journalist dies in Russian detention
Four killed by Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Odesa region
Poland plans to suspend right to asylum as country faces pressure from Russia and Belarus
15:17 , Holly Evans
Poland’s leader said Saturday that he plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of a new migration policy, pointing to its alleged abuse by eastern neighbor Belarus and Russia.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that “the state must regain 100% of the control over who enters and leaves Poland,” and that a territorial suspension of the right to asylum will be part of a strategy that will be presented to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Polish news agency PAP reported.
He didn’t give details, but said at a convention of his Civic Coalition that “we will reduce illegal migration in Poland to a minimum.”
Poland has struggled with migration pressures on its border with Belarus since 2021. Successive Polish governments have accused Belarus and Russia of luring migrants from the Middle East and Africa there to destabilize the West.
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key city
14:30 , Holly Evans
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key eastern city
One person killed by Ukrainian drone in Russian village
14:00 , Holly Evans
One person was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian village of Ustinka in the Belgorod region close to the border with Ukraine, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement on Saturday.
What is the mysterious advanced Russian weapon downed by Moscow’s own forces?
13:10 , Holly Evans
Last week Russia’s air force was forced to shoot down one of its newest and most advanced models of attack drone, in an incident that is being seen as one of the biggest embarrassments ever suffered by the Russian Air Force.
On 5 October, videos showed a drone flying near Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine before it was shot down by another jet briefly flying alongside it. Initial reports suggested it was either a Russian jet taken down by the Ukrainian air force or a Russian jet losing control and being shot down by Moscow.
However, the drone that fell down was no ordinary weapon. It was later identified as a stealth S-70 Okhotnik-B, also known as “Hunter”, one of Russia’s most advanced stealth drones, designed to accompany an Su-57 fighter jet.
Read the full article here:
What is the mysterious Russian weapon downed by Moscow’s own forces in Ukraine?
Ukrainian emergency workers search rubble after Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia
12:24 , Holly Evans
Russia deliberately hitting port infrastructure to disrupt food exports
11:31 , Holly Evans
Ukraine has said Russia is deliberately hitting port infrastructure and commercial vessels in an effort to disrupt Ukrainian food exports, key to millions of people in northern Africa and the Middle East.
The attacks have intensified dramatically over the past week and the former tourist town of Vylkove is often in the path of drones.
Pickup trucks with machine guns, assault rifles, searchlights and thermal imaging cameras help fight off attacks, said a former computer teacher, now a soldier with the call sign IT. “In general, we also have training every day. This also includes training and physical exercises, as well as preparing weapons, preparing vehicles, checking all systems to ensure that everything works as it should, in good condition,” he said.
Anger towards Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, guides the soldiers’ actions, he said.
“Otherwise, there are no emotions at all. So we just have to do our job and that’s it. Emotions come later,” IT said.
Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
10:26 , Holly Evans
Remember when an appearance, virtual or real, by the president of Ukraine was the hottest of hot-ticket events in London?
When MPs and peers jostled for a standing-room-only place in parliament to see and hear him? When the one-time TV actor turned democratically elected president turned war leader drew rapt attention with his gritty determination and allusions to Churchill?
Well, those heady days of Britain reliving its finest hour by association are over.
Read the full analysis here:
Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
Mapped: Russia claims to have captured two Ukrainian villages as it advances in Donetsk
09:34 , Holly Evans
Russia has claimed further advances in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk as fears spread Moscow could capture a key city in the area.
The Russian defence ministry has claimed Moscow’s forces have captured the settlements of Zolota Nyva and Zhelanna Pershe.
The communities have an estimated population of a few hundred residents each but they lie to the north and south of the town of Kurakhove, one of the focal points of military activity on the eastern front.
Read the full article here:
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances in Donetsk?
Ukraine shoots down Russian drones overnight
08:49 , Holly Evans
Ukraine’s Air Force said on Saturday it shot down 24 out of 28 Russian drones launched overnight.
Meanwhile, Russia has said that its forces captured the front-line villages of Zhelanne Druge and Ostrivske in eastern Ukraine, the latest in a string of territorial gains.
Ukraine hit fuel depot in Russia-occupied Luhansk region
07:46 , Holly Evans
Ukrainian forces on Saturday hit a fuel depot in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine’s military said.
“This facility was used to store oil and oil products, which were supplied, among other things, for the needs of the Russian army. A fire was detected on the territory of the facility,” the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram messenger.
EU to impose sanctions over Iranian missile transfers to Russia
07:30 , Stuti Mishra
The European Union is set to impose sanctions on 14 individuals and organisations linked to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, Reuters news agency reported quoting two unnamed EU diplomats and a high ranking official.
The sanctions, expected to be approved by EU foreign ministers on Monday, target companies, including airlines, involved in the weapons transfer.
The EU’s decision follows intelligence reports, first raised by the United States last month, which revealed that Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for use in its war against Ukraine. Washington immediately imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in weapons transfers.
The EU then said it had received "credible information" on the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed "a substantial set of decisive and targeted measures" against Iran in response.
Iran denies the accusations, with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian stating his government has not transferred weapons to Russia since it took office. The high-ranking EU official told Reuters that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi had told Mr Borrell that Iran had supplied "short- range rockets" to Russia that could fly up to 250 kilometres.
The EU also continues to deliberate over whether to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, with a decision expected to follow after internal discussions.
Zelenskyy appeals to allies to keep up aid as Germany pledges new weapons package
07:00 , Tom Watling
Zelenskyy appeals to allies to keep up aid as Germany pledges new weapons package
War with Russia could end next year, says Zelensky
06:30 , Stuti Mishra
Volodymyr Zelensky said he hopes that the war with Russia could end by 2025, during talks with German chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Speaking in Germany as part of his European tour, Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Scholz for Berlin's continued support, emphasising the importance of maintaining that assistance in the coming year.
“It is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that he would present Mr Scholz with his "victory plan" to win the war. Mr Zelensky voiced hope that the conflict would be resolved “no later than next year, 2025.”
Mr Scholz reassured Mr Zelensky of Germany’s unwavering support, pledging further defence equipment and €4bn (£3.4bn) in aid for 2025. “We will not let up in our support for Ukraine,” Mr Scholz said.
Putin hails ‘very close’ relationship with Iran in first meeting with new president
06:00 , Tom Watling
Putin hails ‘very close’ relationship with Iran in first meeting with new president
Zelensky appeals to Pope Francis for help in securing release of captive Ukrainians
05:30 , Stuti Mishra
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, urging the pontiff to help secure the release of Ukrainians held captive by Russia.
Mr Zelensky, who is on a tour of European capitals to promote his "victory plan" for the war with Russia, said the release of prisoners was the central focus of his discussions with the Pope.
“We are counting on the Holy See’s assistance in helping to bring back Ukrainians who have been taken captive by Russia,” Mr Zelensky posted on social media after the meeting.
He also invited the Vatican to participate in a conference on prisoners of war scheduled to be held in Canada later this month.
While the Vatican did not provide specifics on the talks between the Pope and Mr Zelensky, a follow-up meeting with the Vatican’s chief diplomat included discussions on the state of the war and potential ways to bring it to an end.
The Ukrainian fighting to keep Russia out of world chess
05:00 , Tom Watling
He led Ukraine’s drone industry – now he’s fighting to keep Moscow out of world chess
Russia jails tank factory employee for selling blueprints to Ukraine
04:30 , Stuti Mishra
A woman who worked for a Russian tank factory was convicted of treason and sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in a penal colony on Friday for selling military information to Ukraine.
Video published by the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals region showed a judge passing sentence on Viktoria Mukhametova, who displayed no visible emotion. Her husband, Danil Mukhametov, is being tried separately on similar charges.
Russian media said the couple worked at Uralvagonzavod, a major tank producer.
Earlier this year, Russia convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage after accusing him of gathering secret information about the same defence company. The WSJ categorically denied the allegations.
US Treasury to discuss Russia sanctions on trip to London
04:03 , Stuti Mishra
Deputy US Treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo will be in London from Sunday to Tuesday for discussions with senior British officials on further sanctioning Russia and harnessing frozen Russian assets, the department said in a statement on Friday.
Mr Adeyemo will meet with UK national security advisor Tim Barrow, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, and minister of state Stephen Doughty, it said.
It will be the first visit by a senior US Treasury official to Britain following Mr Starmer's rise to power in July, although Janet Yellen met with his new chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves in July on the sidelines of a Group of 20 finance officials meeting in Brazil.
During his trip, Mr Adeyemo will underscore the close US-UK relationship and the two countries' coordination on geopolitical challenges, including strong support for Ukraine as it continues to battle Russia's invasion of February 2022.
Mr Adeyemo will also address joint work to harness the economic value of about $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets frozen by the West after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"In these conversations, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo will discuss further strengthening sanctions against Russia," the treasury said, adding he would also discuss ways to cut off financial flows enabling Iran and its proxies' activities.
Mr Adeyemo also plans to discuss a shared approach by the Biden administration and the new Labour government to boost economic growth and lower costs through strategic investments in key industries like advanced manufacturing and clean energy, Treasury said.
Treasury will share lessons learned during its implementation of huge private sector investment in future technology sectors under president Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act, and other legislative initiatives.
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key city
04:00 , Tom Watling
Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russia out of key eastern city
A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’
03:00 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian author and soldier warns the West: ‘War is coming to you’
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
02:00 , Tom Watling
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Satellite imagery shows destuction of Russian military base
01:00 , Tom Watling
Aftermath of the Ukrainian strike on Khanskaya air base in the Republic of Adygeya, as seen in a @planet satellite image captured today, Oct. 11th. Ukrainian sources claim that one Kh-31, three Kh-35 missiles, and more than 10 UPMB bombs were destroyed. https://t.co/T2eLo4bhDI pic.twitter.com/8moiLoNqw7
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) October 11, 2024
Zelensky visits Germany
Saturday 12 October 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling
Today is our third meeting this fall with Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz @Bundeskanzler, and perhaps one of the most important throughout the entire period of the full-scale war. We are now presenting our key friends with our strategy for bringing peace to Ukraine—a plan of… pic.twitter.com/Klter03FRB
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 11, 2024
Russia jails tank factory employee for selling blueprints to Ukraine
Friday 11 October 2024 23:07 , Reuters
A woman who worked for a Russian tank factory was convicted of treason and sentenced to at least 12 years in a penal colony on Friday for selling military information to Ukraine.
Video published by the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals region showed a judge passing sentence on Viktoria Mukhametova, who displayed no visible emotion. Her husband, Danil Mukhametov, is being tried separately on similar charges.
Russian media said the couple both worked at Uralvagonzavod, a major tank producer.
Local news media said Mukhametova admitted transferring blueprints to Ukrainian officials in return for 100,000 roubles, or just over $1,000. It was not clear what the blueprints showed.
She and her husband were arrested in March 2023 by the FSB security service, which published a video of the arrest. It showed her being asked what they planned to do with the money, to which she replied: “Just to live.”
African woman are being duped into building Russia’s drone army
Friday 11 October 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling
African woman promised a life in Europe and duped into building Russia’s drone army
Zelensky warns allies that aid for Ukraine must not decrease next year
Friday 11 October 2024 22:04 , Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that allies’ aid to Ukraine must not decrease next year, as he received a pledge of a new weapons package from German chancellor Olaf Scholz on a European tour meant to win backing for his “victory plan”.
The Ukrainian president arrived in Berlin after stops in London, Paris and Rome on a tour arranged after a summit initially scheduled for Saturday with US president Joe Biden and other allied leaders was derailed by Hurricane Milton.
“For us, it is very important that aid does not decrease next year,” Mr Zelensky said, thanking Mr Scholz for the planned aid, adding: “It must be sufficient to protect people and lives.”
Mr Scholz told Zelenskyy that “you can rely” on that package, and insisted that Russian president Vladimir Putin should realise that “playing for time won’t work; we won’t let up in our support for Ukraine”.
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
Friday 11 October 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
EU to impose sanctions over Iranian ballistic missile transfer to Russia, sources say
Friday 11 October 2024 21:59 , Reuters
The European Union is expected to impose sanctions on Monday on people and organisations linked to Iranian transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia, two European diplomats and a high-ranking EU official said on Friday.
EU foreign ministers will approve sanctions on 14 individuals and organisations over the transfer, including airlines and other companies, according to one of the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.
EU officials did not identify the firms or individuals. Diplomats had previously said the EU was looking at measures that would curb the operations of national airline Iran Air.
Last month, the United States, citing intelligence it said had been shared with allies, said Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine.
Washington immediately imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in weapons transfers.
The EU then said it had received “credible information” on the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed “a substantial set of decisive and targeted measures” against Iran in response.
Monday’s package will be the first results of that proposal. As the 27-country EU requires unanimity to agree on sanctions, such decisions usually take some time.
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances in Donetsk?
Friday 11 October 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances in Donetsk?
Unilever completes sale of Russian business
Friday 11 October 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling
Unilever completes sale of Russian business
Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
Friday 11 October 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling
Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
Zelensky meets German president
Friday 11 October 2024 18:00 , Tom Watling
Zelenskyy appeals to allies to keep up aid as Germany pledges new weapons package
Friday 11 October 2024 16:55 , Tom Watling
Zelenskyy appeals to allies to keep up aid as Germany pledges new weapons package
Putin hails ‘very close’ relationship with Iran in first meeting with new president
Friday 11 October 2024 16:25 , Tom Watling
Putin hails ‘very close’ relationship with Iran in first meeting with new president
EU expected to issue first sanctions for Iranian ballistic missile transfer to Russia, official says
Friday 11 October 2024 15:57 , Tom Watling
The European Union is expected on Monday to impose sanctions on individuals and organisations over the Iranian transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia, a high-ranking EU official said on Friday.
The official, previewing a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, said there would be “a first package of designations in the context of Iran’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia.”
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the sanctions would target both individuals and organisations but did not provide further details.
In pictures: Zelensky meets Scholz in Berlin
Friday 11 October 2024 15:28 , Tom Watling
Germany’s Scholz to discuss Middle East and Ukraine with Erdogan in Istanbul
Friday 11 October 2024 15:02 , Jabed Ahmed
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on 19 October, where they will discuss the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, a German government spokesperson said.
Migration as well as bilateral and economic policy issues will also be on the agenda, said the spokesperson at a regular government news conference, without giving more details.
Turkey is a very important partner for Germany on the topics of migration and the war in Ukraine, added the spokesperson.
"The federal government is in ongoing talks with Turkey on migration policy issues, including in the area of repatriation cooperation," said the spokesperson.
Ukraine investigates death of journalist in Russian detention
Friday 11 October 2024 14:31 , Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine have said it was investigating the death in Russian captivity of a Ukrainian journalist whose first-hand reports provided a glimpse into life under Russian occupation early in Moscow’s invasion.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 after embarking on a reporting trip to occupied eastern Ukraine, and Russia acknowledged last April that she was being held.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed her death on social media late on Thursday in what he condemned as illegal detention. He did not specify the circumstances.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s military intelligence, told the public broadcaster Suspilne that Roshchyna had been on a list of prisoners to be exchanged, and that “everything necessary had been done” for the swap. She had been due to be transferred to Moscow from the southern city of Taganrog, he said.
The campaign group Reporters Without Borders said Roshchyna had died on Sept. 19, citing a letter that her family received on Thursday from Russia’s Defence Ministry.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office said it had updated its war-crime investigation into Roshchyna’s disappearance to include murder.
Pope Francis meets Ukraine’s Zelensky at Vatican
Friday 11 October 2024 14:00 , Tom Watling
Pope Francis met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican on Friday for their second face-to-face encounter in four months.
The two men, who previously met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) summit in southern Italy in June, held talks for 35 minutes at the Vatican’s apostolic palace.
At the end of the meeting, Francis gifted Zelensky a piece of bronze artwork with a flower growing next to a bird, inscribed with the phrase “Peace is a fragile flower”.
Zelensky gave the pope an oil painting showing a child amid ruins in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which was occupied by Russian forces for 33 days in spring 2022.
A Vatican readout provided no details about the pope’s meeting with Zelensky, but said a subsequent meeting between the Ukrainian leader and the Vatican’s chief diplomat included discussions “dedicated to the state of the war ... as well as the ways in which it could be brought to an end”.
Russia says it is ramping up AI-powered drone deployments in Ukraine
Friday 11 October 2024 13:36 , Jabed Ahmed
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has said AI-enabled drones are playing a key role on the battlefield in Ukraine and urged more training for troops on how to use them.
Mr Belousov's ministry published video of him touring a centre for next-generation drone technologies and speaking with drone operators.
One soldier showed Mr Belousov a simulation of a drone equipped with AI-powered automatic image recognition attacking a small boat on a river.
"It locks onto the target and is already capturing it," the serviceman told the minister. "Even if there is a loss of control, it will steer the drone towards it."
Mr Belousov said two detachments equipped with AI-powered drones are already deployed in eastern Ukraine as well as in Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions, where troops are fighting to eject Ukrainian troops who staged a surprise incursion over the border in August.
"The guys are fighting, and fighting very successfully," he said.
The ministry said it plans to form and staff five more units to carry out such drone missions "around the clock". Mr Belousov said soldiers needed to be trained accordingly.
Comment: Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
Friday 11 October 2024 13:05 , Jabed Ahmed
Can Zelensky’s plan for peace actually work?
Putin won't discuss Ukraine peace with Germany's Scholz, Berlin says
Friday 11 October 2024 12:35 , Jabed Ahmed
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to speak with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the topic of brokering peace in Ukraine, Germany’s foreign minister has said.
“Ukraine is ready for a just peace,” Annalena Baerbock said in Berlin, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold talks with Scholz on Friday.
Speaking alongside the foreign minister of Slovakia, Baerbock criticised Putin for rejecting overtures for peace talks.
“He refuses to accept peace and every day sends another signal in favour of war and destruction. These days, he is no longer even prepared to speak to the German chancellor on the phone,” she said.
16-year-old girl among those killed in strike on Odesa
Friday 11 October 2024 12:01 , Jabed Ahmed
A nighttime Russian missile strike on Odesa killed at least four people including a 16-year-old girl, regional authorities said, in the latest in a series of attacks this week on the southern Ukrainian region that are likely intended to disrupt the country's grain exports.
Four Russian missile and drone attacks on the Odesa region this week have killed 14 people and wounded around 20, according to local officials. The strikes have hit merchant ships and damaged port infrastructure in the region, which is a vital hub for Ukraine's agricultural exports through the Black Sea.
An attack on Odesa late Wednesday killed nine people and hit a container ship sailing under the Panamanian flag — the third attack on a merchant vessel in four days, according to regional Gov. Oleh Kiper.
Ukraine's air defence downs 29 out of 66 Russian drones, military says
Friday 11 October 2024 11:31 , Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian air force has aid it shot down 29 out of 66 Russian drones launched overnight.
Moscow also launched two missiles, it added, and 31 drones were “locationally lost”, likely due to electronic warfare.
Two more drones returned toward Russian territory, the air force said.
Zelensky city-hops across Europe to promote ‘victory plan’ to allies
Friday 11 October 2024 11:00 , Jabed Ahmed
After meeting with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
In Paris, Macron and Zelenskyy hugged before talks on the plan at the French presidential Elysee Palace. Afterward, Zelenskyy said "all the details" would come in November and that he's talking with allies about securing more military aid and permission for Ukrainian forces to carry out long-range strikes.
Kyiv wants Western partners to allow strikes deep inside Russia, using long-range weapons they provide. Some, including the UK and France, appear willing, but Biden is reticent about escalating the conflict.
He later met in Rome with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who ensured Italy's full and continued support "at both bilateral and multilateral level in order to put Kyiv in the best position possible to build a just and lasting peace."
Meloni said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the situation on the ground and Ukraine's "most immediate military, financial and humanitarian needs, as well as the forthcoming diplomatic initiatives and the pathway to bring an end to the conflict."
ICYMI: Zelensky outlines ‘victory plan’ in No 10 talks with Starmer and Nato chief
Friday 11 October 2024 10:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky presented his “victory plan” to Sir Keir Starmer as pressure mounted on the UK to give Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia.
In three-way talks in Downing Street, the Prime Minister, the Ukrainian president and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte discussed the state of the war.
Mr Rutte said there was no legal reason preventing the use of Western-supplied weapons against targets within Russia, but decisions had to be made by individual states.
Following the talks in No 10, Mr Zelensky said: “The victory plan aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war.
“I thank the United Kingdom for its continued defence support of our country, including with long-range weapons.”
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
Friday 11 October 2024 10:01 , Jabed Ahmed
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
Russia's Putin begins a visit to Turkmenistan for forum with regional leaders
Friday 11 October 2024 09:31 , Jabed Ahmed
President Vladimir Putin has began a visit to Turkmenistan, speaking at an international forum with Central Asian leaders and the president of Iran.
The Kremlin said Putin will discuss the situation in the Middle East with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the conference in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat.
Moscow and Tehran signed a $1.7 billion deal for Iran to export drones to Russia after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the U.S. also believes it has transferred short-range ballistic missiles.
In his opening remarks at the forum, Putin repeated again that he wants to build “a new world order” with Russia’s friends and partners, according to video shared by the Kremlin.
Ukrainian forces hold around half of Toretsk, trying to beat back Russian advance, local official says
Friday 11 October 2024 09:01 , Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian forces control around half of the strategic city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine as they attempt to stave off assaults by Russian troops, the city’s local authorities said on Friday.
“Approximately 40-50 percent of the city can be said to be under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces, while the rest of the territory is captured by the enemy,” Vasyl Chynchyk, head of Toretsk city military administration, said on national TV.
Military analysts say that capturing the hilltop Toretsk would allow Russian invasion forces to further complicate logistics for Ukrainian forces in much of the east.
Four killed by Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Odesa region
Friday 11 October 2024 08:33 , Jabed Ahmed
Four people were killed by a Russian missile strike in Ukraine‘s southern Odesa region, Governor Oleh Kiper said
Mr Kiper said a ballistic missile struck a two-storey building where civilians lived and worked. Ten more people were wounded.
Starmer, Zelensky discuss Ukraine’s military needs in London
Friday 11 October 2024 07:50 , Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the support Ukraine would need in its war against Russia in the coming months during talks in London, Starmer’s spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also reiterated Britain’s view that Ukraine has the right, in certain circumstances, to strike targets inside Russian territory, but said that Britain’s stance on the use of its long-range Storm Shadow missiles was unchanged.
“We obviously want to put Ukraine in the strongest position. But no war has ever been won by a single weapon. And on Storm Shadow specifically, there has been no change to the UK government’s position on the use of long-range missiles,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Zelensky also met Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in London. When asked about long-range weapons, Mr Rutte told reporters: “We discussed it today, but in the end it is up to the individual allies.”
Nato to start annual nuclear exercise as Russia threatens Kyiv’s allies
Friday 11 October 2024 07:42 , Arpan Rai
Nato will hold a long-planned major nuclear exercise next week, the alliance’s chief said, a few weeks after Vladimir Putin announced changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine to discourage Ukraine’s Western allies from supporting attacks on his country.
The “Steadfast Noon” exercise starts on Monday and will run for about two weeks. It will be led by Belgium and the Netherlands, use eight military bases and involve 2,000 personnel and 60 aircraft from 13 nations. The exercise has been held at roughly the same time each year for over a decade.
Bomber aircraft and fighter jets that can carry nuclear warheads are taking part. No live munitions are used. The bulk of the exercise is being held around 900km (560 miles) from Russia in the North Sea. Moscow has been informed about the drills, Nato officials say.
NATO will start an annual nuclear exercise as Russia threatens Ukraine's Western backers
Zelensky’s Europe marathon tour as Biden postpones Ramstein visit
Friday 11 October 2024 07:01 , Arpan Rai
Putin redeploys about 50,000 troops to Kursk, Ukraine military chief says
Friday 11 October 2024 06:18 , Arpan Rai
Russian militaty command has redeployed around 50,000 troops to its counteroffensive in Kursk oblast against Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s military chief said.
“We know that about 50,000 troops from other areas have been redeployed to the Kursk front,” Ukraine commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told public broadcaster Suspilne last night.
This redeployment by Russia has weakened its position as they are pulling in troops from other parts of the war frontline, he noted. “This, of course, made it easier for us to conduct defensive operations,” General Syrskyi said.
North Koreans deployed with Russia in Ukraine war, officials say
Friday 11 October 2024 06:12 , Arpan Rai
Russia is using North Korean military engineers in the Ukraine war to target Kyiv’s forces with ballistic missiles, senior officials in Kyiv and Seoul said.
They added that the Korean fighters operating in occupied areas of the country have already been killed, reported the Guardian.
Around dozens of North Koreans are behind Russian lines as part of teams firing “support launcher systems for KN 23 missiles”, the report added, citing a source.
North Korean soldiers could fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine, South Korea’s defence minister told the country’s parliament earlier this month after media reports claimed Pyongyang had lost troops in the war.
Kim Yong-hyun claimed that North Korean troops could be sent to Ukraine under the mutual defence treaty signed during Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June.
Russia attacked port infrastructure almost 60 times in recent months, says Ukraine
Friday 11 October 2024 06:01 , Arpan Rai
Russia attacked Ukraine’s port infrastructure almost 60 times in the last three months and is intensifying such strikes, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
“The purpose of these attacks is to reduce our export potential. We are talking about deliberately provoking a food crisis in those parts of the world that directly depend on Ukrainian grain supplies,” he said.
Mr Kuleba added that strikes damaged or destroyed almost 300 port infrastructure facilities and 22 civilian vessels.
Ukraine can hold Kursk territory for months, US officials say
Friday 11 October 2024 06:00 , Barney Davis
Ukrainian troops can hold their captured territory in Russia’s Kursk for several months, senior US officials said, citing their latest intelligence assessment.
Kyiv’s hold on the territory hinges on the reliable flow of supplies into the region and Russia’s focus on advances in eastern Ukraine, the officials told Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity.
Ukrainian troops are now receiving a steady supply of shells after facing months of dire ammunition shortages, the officials said.
In the past three days, Ukrainian and Russian forces continued assaults in Glushkovsky Raion west of the main Ukrainian salient in Kursk but did not make any confirmed advances, the Institute for the Study of War said.
