September proved to be the bloodiest month of attrition with 36,000 casualties for Vladimir Putin since the Russian invasion began in 2022, latest US intelligence assessment shows.
Russia suffered more than 1,200 casualties a day at an average – totalling to at least 36,000 casualties, 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.
Away from the frontline, Volodymyr Zelensky is promoting his “victory plan” in a widespread Europe visit that he said “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war” against Russia.
Yesterday, he met with prime minister Keir Starmer, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, French president Emmanuel Macron and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni.
He is now set to meet Pope Francis today for a half-hour audience and then he will meet German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
Key Points
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Putin faced bloodiest month of war in September, says US
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Zelensky promotes ‘victory plan’ to allies in massive Europe visit
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Ukrainian journalist dies in Russian detention
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Four killed by Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s Odesa region
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
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.
World Bank board approves new Ukraine fund
Friday 11 October 2024 05:33 , Arpan Rai
The World Bank’s executive board has approved the creation of a financial intermediary fund (FIF) to support Ukraine, with contributions expected from the United States, Canada and Japan, three sources familiar with the decision said.
The only objection to the vote came from Russia, two of the sources familiar with the vote said.
The fund, to be administered by the World Bank, will help fulfill a pledge by Group of Seven rich democracies to provide Ukraine with up to $50bn in additional funding by the end of the year as it continues to battle Russia’s invasion over two years ago, the sources said.
Exact amounts to be contributed by the US, Japan and Canada are still being worked out, but will be backed by interest from frozen Russian sovereign assets, one of the sources said.
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
Friday 11 October 2024 04:50 , Arpan Rai
Military chiefs are considering sending British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers and boost Kyiv’s recruitment efforts, it has emerged.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources confirmed to The Independent that discussions are ongoing about whether to send troops to the country to support it amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
There is already a small number of British medical personnel in Ukraine, delivering training and mentoring to the country’s armed forces.
UK could send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers
Putin’s troops faced bloodiest month of war in September, says US
Friday 11 October 2024 04:22 , Arpan Rai
Last month was the bloodiest month of attrition for Russian forces since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began in 2022, latest US intelligence assessment shows.
According to the US and British military analysts, Russia suffered more than 1,200 casualties a day at an average – totalling to at least 36,000 casualties, 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.
September’s casualties of Putin’s troops in Ukraine is slightly surpassing the previous record daily rate of the war seen in May this year.
The US officials say the high number of Russian casualties has been caused by the grinding war of attrition.
Russia has not released an official number of casualties of its forces in Ukraine and treats the information as a state secret.
Putin’s fall is inevitable, says freed prisoner Vladimir Kara Murza
Friday 11 October 2024 04:06 , Barney Davis
The fall of Putin is inevitable, says freed dissident Vladimir Kara Murza
Work continues on military supplies for Ukraine, says Macron
Friday 11 October 2024 04:00 , Arpan Rai
Work continues regarding military supplies for Ukraine, French president Emmanuel Macron said, following a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday.
Mr Macron’s meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart came after Mr Zelensky had held talks earlier with Nato chief Mark Rutte and prime minister Keir Starmer, where they discussed his proposed “victory plan” and whether Ukraine could use Western missiles against targets in Russia.
Ukrainian journalist dies in Russian detention, officials say
Friday 11 October 2024 03:51 , Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian journalist who wrote first-hand accounts of life under Russian occupation has died in Russian detention, officials said yesterday.
Viktoria Roshchyna, who turned 28 this month, provided freelance reports for Ukrainian media outlets Ukrainska Pravda and Hromadske Radio and for US-funded Radio Liberty.
Roshchyna wrote vivid accounts of life in Crimea after Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and areas of eastern Ukraine seized by Russian-funded separatists.
She also documented the nearly three-month defence of the port of Mariupol after Moscow launched its February 2022 full-scale invasion.
At least 17 journalists have been killed while reporting on the war, according to international organisations.
Zelensky promotes ‘victory plan’ to allies during Europe visit
Friday 11 October 2024 03:48 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky is promoting his “victory plan” in a widespread Europe visit that he said “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war” against Russia.
The Ukrainian president detailed the proposals to European allies after a weekend summit in Germany with president Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton. Mr Zelensky’s talks in London with prime minister Keir Starmer and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte were quickly followed by another meeting in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron, who just the previous day sent a strong signal of support for Ukraine by visiting Ukrainian troops being trained in France.
Mr Zelensky then embarked on his whistlestop tour of European capitals that have been among Ukraine’s staunchest allies outside of the United States.
Later yesterday, he met in Rome with Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, who assured 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”.
Today, Mr Zelensky is scheduled to meet Pope Francis for a half-hour audience, the Vatican said. Later in the day, he’ll meet German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
Kremlin confirms Trump sent Putin Covid tests
Thursday 10 October 2024 23:47 , Barney Davis
The Kremlin appears to confirm Bob Woodward’s revelation of how Donald Trump covertly sent Covid-19 tests to Vladimir Putin, despite US shortages.
Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday that “all countries tried to somehow exchange between themselves” during the early phase of the pandemic, when there was not enough equipment.
“We sent a supply of ventilator units to the US, they sent these tests to us.”
The exchanges occurred “when the pandemic was starting”, he said, adding the tests were “rare items”.
According to Woodward, the Russian president told Trump: “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you.”
Ireland’s deputy premier ‘never told’ about alleged Russian spy
Thursday 10 October 2024 22:47 , Barney Davis
Ireland’s deputy premier has said he was never told about an alleged spy in the Irish parliament.
It comes after a report on Sunday that Russian intelligence recruited an Irish politician to act as an agent during the Brexit negotiations.
The Sunday Times reported that a “honeytrap” was used to recruit the politician dubbed Cobalt with one of the aims being to undermine relations between Britain, Ireland and the EU.
Ireland’s deputy premier ‘never told’ about alleged Russian spy
Nato nuclear exercise to start on Monday, says new secretary-general
Thursday 10 October 2024 21:47 , Barney Davis
Nato’s annual nuclear exercise will begin on Monday at a time of heightened tension in Europe over the war in Ukraine.
The alliance’s secretary-general Mark Rutte told reporters that the exercise, involving around 60 aircraft, was designed to show adversaries that Nato could respond to any threat.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin has made a series of nuclear threats since launching his invasion of Ukraine, including changing his country’s nuclear doctrine to discourage western allies from backing Kyiv.
Nato nuclear exercise to start on Monday, says new secretary-general
NATO chief says Storm Shadow missiles decision up to allies
Thursday 10 October 2024 20:47 , Barney Davis
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte discussed the state of the war with Volodymyr Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer at No10.
He told reporters no legal obstacles were stopping Ukraine from hitting Russia with Storm Shadow missiles in self-defence.
Mr Rutte said: “First of all, that is up to the allies, the individual allies, to decide how weapons they deliver into Ukraine can be used.
“Legally that is possible because legally Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons, if they can hit targets in Russia, if these targets present a threat to Ukraine.
“But whether individual allies do, that’s in the end, (is) always up to individual allies. Of course we discussed this. I was last week in Kyiv.
“We discussed it today, but in the end, it is up to the individual allies.”
British Army considers sending troops to Ukraine to train – report
Thursday 10 October 2024 19:45 , Barney Davis
The Times has reported that British Army commanders are considering sending troops “secluded” locations in Ukraine to help Kyiv’s recruitment efforts.
President Zelensky and Sir Keir Starmer met at Downing Street amid plans to transportsmall groups of British military trainers would travel to the west of Ukraine to provide intensive basic training to new recruits.
The newly trained soldiers would then head east to join the frontline.
Sources told The Times it was cheaper than flying Ukrainian soldiers back to the UK for training.
Ukraine’s parliament approves first wartime tax hikes
Thursday 10 October 2024 18:45 , Barney Davis
Parliament approved Ukraine’s first major wartime tax increases on Thursday to shore up its finances as war with Russia drags on with no end in sight.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a lawmaker from the Holos party, said 247 of 450 deputies in the Verkhovna Rada had approved the increase.
Ukraine spends the bulk of its revenue on funding its army, and the current level of taxation has been insufficient to cover rising defence spending, which has boomed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the finance ministry said.
Russia says ‘Nuclear Five’ states to meet in New York
Thursday 10 October 2024 17:45 , Barney Davis
A group of five nuclear weapons states will hold a meeting in New York in the near future, Russian state news agency RIA quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.
The group brings together Russia, the United States, China, France and Britain, all of which are nuclear-armed states and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
Ryabkov did not announce a specific date or say what level of officials would attend.
Nearly 30 buildings destroyed in Russian strike
Thursday 10 October 2024 16:45 , Barney Davis
The press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine has said dozens of houses were partially destroyed in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia.
“One damaged private house caught fire. Firefighters put out the blaze and did everything necessary to prevent re-ignition. Twenty-nine houses were partially destroyed!
“A total of 45 rescuers and nine units of equipment were involved in tackling the aftermath of the attack,” the post reads.
Video: Zelensky thanks UK for support for Ukraine
Thursday 10 October 2024 14:47 , Barney Davis
After meeting Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky said the pair outlined a path to victory against Russia.
He wrote on X: “During my meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom @Keir_Starmer, I outlined the details of our Victory Plan.
“We have agreed to work on it together with our allies.
“The Victory Plan aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war. I thank the United Kingdom for its continued defense support of our country, including with long-range weapons.”
Kremlin regrets being dragged into US Election
Thursday 10 October 2024 13:47 , Barney Davis
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it regretted that Russia was being dragged into the US election campaign, but that relations with Washington were so poor that it was unlikely to have any discernable impact on ties.
“One can only express regret,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“In general, it is unlikely that this can harm our bilateral relations, because it is difficult to imagine what could push them to a level lower than the one that currently exists.” he said.
PM spokesperson says stance on Storm Shadow missiles unchanged despite Zelensky meeting
Thursday 10 October 2024 12:38 , Barney Davis
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed the support Ukraine would need in its war against Russia in the coming months during talks in London on Thursday, 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.
17-year-old girl among seven injured in Russian strikes overnight
Thursday 10 October 2024 12:31 , Barney Davis
Russian overnight and early morning attacks on Ukraine hit civilian and critical infrastructure facilities, injuring at least seven people across the country.
A flurry of Russian guided bomb strikes early in the morning injured six people, including a 17-year-old girl, and damaged 29 buildings in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
Video shows aftermath after Russians shell Kherson post office
Thursday 10 October 2024 12:01 , Barney Davis
The head of the Kherson Regional Postal Administration Oleksandr Prokudin reported that their central Kherson post office was destroyed.
“At night, a post office in the centre of Kherson came under attack by Russian troops,” the statement on Facebook reads.
He said the strike smashed the windows, damaged the roof, walls and fence, as well as service vehicles. There were no casualties.
Six rescued from destroyed house in Kryvyi Rih
Thursday 10 October 2024 11:15 , Barney Davis
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Lysak, reported on a Russian strike on a home in Kryvyi Rih.
“The roof of the house in Kryvyi Rih was damaged. A stairwell was destroyed in one of the entrances. Six people were rescued from the damaged part of the house,” he wrote.
According to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s Defense Council, an enemy UAV hit the roof of the five-story building.
“The rescue operation is underway, rescuers are making door-to-door visits. So far, there are no casualties, but the rescue operation is not over,” he wrote.
Two men accused of hammer attack on Navalny aide may be released on bail
Thursday 10 October 2024 10:30 , Barney Davis
Two men suspected of attacking Leonid Volkov, an exiled aide to late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, may be released on bail from detention in Poland, a court has ruled.
Volkov suffered injuries from hammer blows in the attack on March 12 outside his home in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital. Two men suspected of attacking him were arrested in Poland in April on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania.
“Each must pay 50,000 zlotys ($12,700) bail within a week… If they pay, they will be released, if they don’t pay, they won’t be released,” Piotr Jaszke, the lawyer of one of the suspects told Reuters.
Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, died in February after collapsing at the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a long jail term.
Zelensky seeking greater military support as he visits Downing Street
Thursday 10 October 2024 09:52 , Barney Davis
The Ukrainian president and the Prime Minister embraced outside No 10 before a series of talks which will also involve Nato’s new secretary-general Mark Rutte.
The visit was Mr Zelensky’s second trip to Number 10 since Sir Keir came to power after he addressed an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet in July.
Mr Zelensky has been presenting his “victory plan” to Western leaders as he lobbies for greater military assistance, such as permission to use equipment including UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets within Russia.
Welcoming Mr Zelensky in No 10’s Pillared Room, Sir Keir said it was “very important we’re able to show our continued commitment to support Ukraine” and it was a chance to “go through the plan, to talk in more detail”.
The pair then held private talks in the Small Dining Room before conversations involving their wider teams.
Defence Secretary John Healey, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and National Security Adviser Sir Tim Barrow were among the senior figures involved in the meeting with the Ukrainians.
The UK and US have so far stopped short of explicitly giving Kyiv permission to fire Western-supplied missiles at targets within Vladimir Putin’s country over concerns about further escalating the conflict, but Mr Zelensky has likened his position to having to fight with his hands tied.
New sanctions unit launched as Zelensky arrives in Downing Street
Thursday 10 October 2024 09:36 , Barney Davis
The UK’s sanctions against Russia, worth £20billion, are set to be strengthened as the Government launches a new unit to penalise companies who do not comply.
The new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI), launching today, will work with industry to make complying with sanctions obligations as straightforward as possible by issuing guidance and user-friendly online tools.
For the minority of businesses that don’t comply to sanctions, OTSI will have powers to publish information about sanctions breaches and impose civil monetary penalties.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Sanctions are vital in defunding Putin’s illegal war and only by working hand in hand with business can we make them as effective as possible.
“This new unit will help ensure businesses comply with trade sanctions and take decisive enforcement action where needed so that, together with business, we can continue to exert maximum pressure on Putin’s regime.”
PM welcomes Zelensky to Downing Street
Thursday 10 October 2024 09:28 , Barney Davis
Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street as the pair discuss the UK’s support for Kyiv.
The Prime Minister said it was a chance for the Ukrainian leader to talk through his plans in more detail.
Sir Keir said it was “very important we’re able to show our continued commitment to support Ukraine” and it was a chance to “go through the plan, to talk in more detail”.
Russian strikes injure four people in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia
Thursday 10 October 2024 08:49 , Barney Davis
A flurry of Russian airstrikes injured four people and damaged 29 buildings in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia early on Thursday, its regional governor said.
Ukraine’s national police said Russian forces had used glide bombs in three strikes on the city, according to preliminary information.
Zaporizhzhia, an important logistical and industrial hub, has been pounded by Russian guided bombs in recent weeks.
Russian forces partially occupy the Zaporizhzhia region, one of four in Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed. The region is also home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, also currently controlled by Russian forces.
Ukraine hits Russian ammo depot with nearly 400 Shahed drones
Thursday 10 October 2024 07:30 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s military said its forces have struck a base in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region storing hundreds of Shahed drones, scoring several hits.
A statement by the General Staff said the attack was carried out jointly by naval forces and the SBU intelligence service.
“According to available information, nearly 400 strike drones were stored there,” the statement said. “Based on objective control results, a direct hit was made on the target. Secondary explosions were observed at the site.”
It said the attack was carried out near a village identified as Oktyabrsky.
Mapped: Russia claims to have captured two Ukrainian villages as it advances in Donetsk
Thursday 10 October 2024 07:29 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances in Donetsk?
In pics: Macron inspects Ukraine troops at a French military camp
Thursday 10 October 2024 07:09 , Arpan Rai
French president Emmanuel Macron inspected the training of Ukrainian troops at a military camp in eastern France yesterday, a show of support for Ukraine as its Western allies mull a victory plan championed by Volodymyr Zelensky.The Ukrainian brigade that Macron visited is being battle-readied and armed by France for frontline deployment against the Russian invasion. For security reasons, Macron’s office said the base’s specific location could not be reported.
French military personnel are training 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers at the camp, teaching them how to use and maintain French-supplied weapons, and subjecting them to combat-like conditions, with stress, noise and drones.
Watch: Putin hosts Commonwealth leaders meeting
Thursday 10 October 2024 07:01 , Tom Watling
Putin hosts Commonwealth meeting as Russia launches hypersonic missiles at Kyiv
Macron meets Ukrainian soldiers in France
Thursday 10 October 2024 06:31 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Russia claims to have captured two Ukrainian villages
Thursday 10 October 2024 06:29 , Arpan Rai
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.
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances in Donetsk?
Russia ramps up assault before muddy autumn conditions – ISW
Thursday 10 October 2024 06:21 , Arpan Rai
The Russian military is looking to make significant advances on the battlefield before muddy ground conditions in the autumn set in, a US-based think-tank has said.
“The Russian military command has likely ordered Russian forces to conduct a relatively high tempo of mechanised assaults in Ukraine to pursue significant tactical advances before muddy ground conditions in fall 2024 constrain mechanised manoeuvres,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
“Poor weather conditions in fall 2024 and early winter 2024-2025 will likely complicate and constrain both mechanised and infantry manoeuvres, but Russian forces may seek to maintain their consistent offensive pressure in eastern Ukraine despite these difficulties.
“A Russian milblogger claimed on 9 October that muddy seasonal conditions have already started in Kursk oblast and are constraining manoeuvre for wheeled vehicles,” it said.
Village in Russia’s Adygeya region evacuated after drone attack
Thursday 10 October 2024 06:04 , Arpan Rai
Russian officials evacuated the village of Rodnikovy in southern Adygeya Republic region due to a fire after a drone attack, regional officials said.
Region head Murat Kumpilov said the attack targeted the suburbs of the city of Maykop and there were no casualties. The Khanskaya military air base is located near the city.
Zelenskyy to seek more war support from a dozen countries in southeast Europe
Thursday 10 October 2024 06:01 , Tom Watling
Zelenskyy to seek more war support from a dozen countries in southeast Europe
Ukraine says North Korean arsenal destroyed in drone attack
Thursday 10 October 2024 05:43 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian weapons arsenal, including those Russia got from North Korea, in the Bryansk region.
The Institute for the Study of War cited Ukrainian military officials as saying that the facility stored glide bombs, missile and artillery systems, and North Korean- and Iranian-provided weapons.
How it felt to cross the Russian border on a Ukrainian tank
Thursday 10 October 2024 05:00 , Tom Watling
How it felt to cross the Russian border on a Ukrainian tank
More weapons for Ukraine in 2014 could have avoided full-scale war, ex-Nato chief says
Thursday 10 October 2024 04:56 , Arpan Rai
Nato allies could have averted Russia’s full-scale invasion by arming Ukraine in 2014, former Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.
“I continue to believe that if we had armed Ukraine more after 2014, we might have prevented Russia from invading — at least we would have increased the threshold for a full-scale invasion,” he told Politico.
A staunch ally of Kyiv, Mr Stoltenberg expressed regret at the end of his term over the alliance’s insufficient response to Russian aggression in 2014, which included the illegal occupation of Crimea.
“I worked hard to try to convince Nato allies to do more, to provide more military support, more training,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
“Some allies did, but it was relatively limited, and that was very difficult for many years because the policy in Nato was that Nato should not provide lethal support to Ukraine,” he added.
“If we had delivered a fraction of the weapons we have delivered after 2022, we may have actually prevented the war,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
Britain bolsters sanctions regime on Russia with new trade unit
Thursday 10 October 2024 04:27 , Arpan Rai
Britain launched a trade sanctions unit with new powers to penalise companies that fail to comply with restrictions on exporting services to Russia.
The UK government has announced sanctions on more than £20bn ($26bn) worth of trade with Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, and said the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation would support companies in complying with those sanctions.
“This new unit will help ensure businesses comply with trade sanctions and take decisive enforcement action where needed so that, together with business, we can continue to exert maximum pressure on Putin’s regime,” business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement.
The government said that the OTSI would have powers to fine companies that breached sanctions, and also be empowered to publicise them – essentially “naming and shaming” the firms involved.
Ukrainian Oscar winner Mstyslav Chernov: ‘I am the first director to admit I wish I never won this award’
Thursday 10 October 2024 04:16 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov: ‘This is not for me, this is for Mariupol’
Six killed in Russian ballistic missile attack on Odesa
Thursday 10 October 2024 04:04 , Arpan Rai
At least six people were killed and eight were injured in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the port infrastructure of Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, governor Oleh Kiper said.
The injured were all Ukrainian nationals and four of them are in serious condition, Mr Kiper said.
Deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said a Panamanian-flagged container ship, the Shui Spirit, sustained damage in the attack.
“An insidious enemy is trying to disrupt the work of the Ukrainian grain corridor, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure,” the minister wrote in his post.
This attack on the port of Chornomorsk is the third in the region in the past four days.
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