A Russian drone strike killed two women in a civilian car in the southern Kherson region on Monday, the area’s governor Oleksandr Prokudin claimed.
The women, aged 72 and 56, died in the attack near the town of Beryslav, 75 kilometres east of Kherson city on Monday, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
There have been an increase in reports of Russian drones deliberately targeting civilians in Kherson.
It comes as Ukraine’s top prosecutor told Brazil that Russian president Vladimir Putin must be arrested if he goes to Brazil for next month’s G20 summit.
Andrii Kostin reminded the South American country of its obligation to uphold an International Criminal Court warrant. “Due to information that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil I would like to reiterate that it’s an obligation for the Brazilian authorities as a state party of the Rome Statute to arrest him if he dares to visit,” he said.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March last year, accusing him of the war crime of forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Key Points
- Brazil must arrest Putin if he attends G20, says official
- In pictures: Inferno grips Mykolaiv region after Russian strikes kill one and injured 16
- Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia
- Putin plans to involve North Korea in war directly, says Zelensky
Ukraine orders evacuation of previously captured Kupiansk city
04:12
Arpan Rai
Russia’s advance has forced Ukrainian authorities to order the evacuation of key city Kupiansk and three other localities in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Kupiansk fell to Russian forces in the weeks after their February 2022 invasion, but was retaken by Ukrainian troops later that year.Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said the evacuation order was mandatory.
“The most difficult situation is in the Kupiansk sector. On the east bank of the Oskil river, which divides the city, we can no longer guarantee the restoration of electricity, heat and water supply due to constant shelling,” he said. “All repair crews immediately come under Russian fire.”
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported 19 battles had taken place near Kupiansk over the past 24 hours, with seven still raging.
Russian forces have been making increasing headway in their drive to occupy Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, capturing villages as they move westward.
Donald Trump implies Putin told him about vision for Ukraine
04:01
Alex Croft
Donald Trump again claimed he got along “very well with Putin”, suggesting that Putin had spoken to him about his desire to control Ukraine.
Speaking at a town hall event in oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Trump said: “I get along very well with Putin. I got; I fully understand what’s happening.
“[Ukraine] was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, ‘You’re not going in,’ and he wasn’t going in.”
The presidential hopeful repeated his claim that there wouldn’t be a war between Russia and Ukraine were he still in the White House, adding that he also gets along “very well with Zelensky”.
US concerned over North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia
03:53
Arpan Rai
The US is “concerned” by reports of North Korean soldiers deployed by Russia in fighting in Ukraine, a White House official said.
White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett said the involvement of North Korean troops in Ukraine, if true, would mark a significant increase in the North Korea-Russia defence relationship.
“Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine,” Savett said in a statement.
North Korea is supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and ammunition, according to Washington. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied arms transfers but have vowed to boost military ties, possibly including joint drills.
The Kremlin has dismissed the allegation as “fake news.”
Ukrainian film about Russia war receives award nominations
03:03
Alex Croft
A Ukrainian documentary film telling the story of three Ukrainian artists and their life in the war-torn country has received two nominations for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
Porcelain War, a film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontiev, was nominated for Best New Documentary Filmmakers and Best Political Documentary, with the winners to be announced on November 10.
The three artists shown in the film - Slava Leontiev, who helped direct the film, his wife Ania Stasenko, and Andrii Stefanov - all remain in Kharkiv, which has sustained heavy Russian attacks since day one of the invasion. They continue to produce porcelain figurines and decorate houses destroyed in the attacks, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Russia to unleash large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy, official says
02:05
Alex Croft
Ukraine is preparing for large-scale Russian attacks on their energy system due to the start of the “heating season”.
Oleksandr Lytvynenko , the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said according to Interfax-Ukraine: “With the start of the heating season, we can expect large-scale Russian attacks on the energy sector.”
The Ukrainian energy sector has shown its capacity for innovative solutions, Lytvynenko said, adding that the Russians’ intentions to destroyr the Ukrainian economy have not succeeded.
But the Energy Community Secretariat has warned Ukraine it could lose its certification of compliance with European standards, meaning it could lose electricity imports from Europe.
Ukraine has ‘enough’ energy resource for winter, prime minister says
01:00
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s energy resources are “enough to pass the winter”, prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday.
Shmyhal said on Telegram that Ukraine has 12.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 3.1 million metric tons of coal in warehouses.
It comes despite Russian attempts to damage Ukraine’s energy systems ahead of the winter.
No intact buildings or shelter left in Toretsk, Ukrainian spokesperson says
Wednesday 16 October 2024 00:01
Alex Croft
There are no intact buildings or shelters left in Toretsk, a town in the region of Donetsk, leaving Russia free to occupy new areas of the embattled down, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.
“Now the town looks more like a desert planet: there are no shelters for civilians or soldiers, and unfortunately, this allows the enemy to occupy new areas, but on scorched earth,” said Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, on October 14.
Toretsk is around 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of occupied Donetsk and is one of the hottest areas on the eastern front, as Russian troops continue to make slow but steady progress in the region.
DeepState, a crowdsourced monitoring website, reported on October 15 that Russian troops have advanced in Toretsk over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported.
In pictures: Inferno grips Mykolaiv region after Russian strikes
Tuesday 15 October 2024 23:01
Alex Croft
One killed and at least 23 injured in southern Mykolaiv region
Tuesday 15 October 2024 22:00
Alex Croft
A Russian missile attack on the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight on Oct. 15 killed a woman and injured at least 23 others, the local authorities said.
Russian forces hit the city with a S-300 anti-aircraft missiles at around 2:30am, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Residential buildings, cars, an industrial facility, restaurant complex and shops were all damaged, according to governor Vitalii Kim.
The Mykolaiv region, which neighbours the Kherson region, has suffered regular Russian attacks. Three Shahed-type drones were downed in the region overnight on October 15, Kim said.
Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia
Tuesday 15 October 2024 21:04
Alex Croft
Iran has denied providing ballistic missiles for Russia, condemning the sanctions by the EU and Britain on Tehran.
The EU agreed to impose sanctions on seven people and seven organisations on Monday, including Iran Air, Saha Airlines, Mahan Air and Iran’s deputy defence minister Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari.
The UK added nine designations to its Iran sanctions regime.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, said in a post on X on Tuesday: “Some European countries and the UK have unfortunately claimed without evidence that Iran has militarily intervened in this conflict which is totally refuted.”
Last month, the US said it had shared intelligence with allies that Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine.
Ukraine ‘stands firm’ in Russia’s Kursk region, says Zelensky
Tuesday 15 October 2024 20:03
Alex Croft
Kyiv’s forces are holding firm as Russian troops attempt to break through their lines in the Kursk region for a fifth straight day, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“For five days now, the Russians have been trying to break through our defence in the Kursk region. Our guys are standing firm and counterattacking,” the Ukrainian president said on X after holding a meeting with Ukraine’s top commander.
Ukraine pressed past Russia’s western region’s border on 6 August and rapidly secured control of 1,300 sq km (501.93 square miles), with over 100 settlements. The initial advance has stalled, and Moscow said it took back several settlements last week.
Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook the Kursk operation was going on while Moscow’s troops continued hitting Russian territories with guided bombs.
Kremlim not sure if Putin is going to Brazil for G20
Tuesday 15 October 2024 19:01
Alex Croft
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said it is not clear if Russian president Vladimir Putin will be attending the G20 Summit in Brazil next month.
On being asked if a decision had been made on whether Mr Putin would attend the meeting of the world’s 20 leading economies, Mr Peskov said: “No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.”
Ukrainian officials said they have intelligence inputs indicating Mr Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, and called on authorities there to carry out a warrant for his arrest if he showed up.
Brazil sent the Russian president a standard invitation for the 18 to 19 November meetings in Rio de Janeiro of the G20 group but has received no indication he planned to attend, according to two Brazilian government officials.
Russian forces claim Ukrainian settlement captured
Tuesday 15 October 2024 18:20
Alex Croft
Russia has claimed it captured a small village in southern Ukraine as it probes for weaknesses along the war’s roughly 1,000km (600 mile) front line.
Levadne is a tiny settlement in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, southwest of the Donetsk region where Russia has concentrated the bulk of its recent offensive operations.
Eastern areas of Ukraine are currently are the main focus of Moscow’s military effort before winter arrives.
In Moscow, the defence ministry said Russian troops took Levadne in the Zaporizhzhia region. Levadne was seized by the Russians early during the war but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces during a counteroffensive in the summer of 2023.
French citizen sentenced to three years in Russian prison
Tuesday 15 October 2024 17:40
Alex Croft
A French citizen was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted in a Russian court of collecting military information.
Laurent Vinatier was arrested in Moscow in June and previously admitted failing to register as a “foreign agent” before gathering information on the Russian army.
In his remarks, Vinatier stated that he recognised guilt and asked the judge for clemency, saying in Russian: “I’m asking the Russian Federation to forgive me for failing to observe Russian laws.”
His lawyers asked the court to sentence him to a fine in the trial, which was fast-tracked following Vinatier’s guilty plea.
Vinatier’s arrest came as tensions rose between Paris and Moscow, after French president Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.
Ukraine downs a dozen drones overnight
Tuesday 15 October 2024 17:07
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s military says its defence forces shot down 12 Russian drones overnight on Tuesday.
Russian forces fired 17 drones, seven S-300/400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from Crimea and two Kh-59 guided air missiles against Chernihiv region and Sumy region from Kursk, the Ukraine Air Force said on Telegram this morning.
“As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 12 enemy UAVs were shot down in the Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions,” it said.
Russia illegally using Musk’s Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
Tuesday 15 October 2024 16:34
Alex Croft
Russian forces are using illicit Starlink terminals to dramatically improve their fighting capability on the battlefield despite US sanctions aimed at curbing this technology, Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have reported.
The terminals, which provide live battlefield views via drones and secure communications, have proliferated on the black market, reaching Russian troops on the front lines and contributing to their recent gains.
The Ukrainian military has heavily relied on tens of thousands of Starlink dishes to support its operations, leveraging the satellite internet for digital warfare.
Zelensky says a million drones already procured and supplied to frontline
Tuesday 15 October 2024 16:06
Alex Croft
Ukraine has already procured and supplied one million drones to the front, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.
“And this is only from the state. There are also supplies from volunteers,” he said yesterday.
Ukrainians support ban on ‘Russian-affiliated’ church, poll finds
Tuesday 15 October 2024 15:40
Alex Croft
Four-fifths of Ukrainians have supported a new law banning religious groups with affiliations to Russia in a survey released on Thursday.
It comes as Kyiv attempts to root out a branch of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine which it accuses of cooperating with Moscow as it wages its war on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is accused of being a tool of Moscow’s influence in Ukraine, with some of its clergy allegedly working with Russian intelligence. The church denies these allegations and says it broke off ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022.
Conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, the poll found significant support for the new law with over 80 per cent of respondents supporting the ban.
The poll saw 16 per cent of Ukrainians oppose the ban, while another four per cent were unsure.
UK foreign secretary reiterates ‘steadfast’ support for Ukraine
Tuesday 15 October 2024 15:15
Alex Croft
Foreign secretary David Lammy has reiterated the UK’s “steadfast support” for Ukraine in a meeting with the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Our security is indivisible from European security.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) October 14, 2024
I joined the EU Foreign Affairs Council as we continue to reset relationships with our neighbours.
Working side by side, we will tackle shared challenges, maintain steadfast support for Ukraine, and build a safer world. pic.twitter.com/hVcVPxEBYs
Deal with North Korea is ‘unambigous’, Russia says
Tuesday 15 October 2024 14:43
Alex Croft
Russia has said a treaty signed with North Korea provides “strategic cooperation” in all areas.
Russian president Vladimir Putin signed the treaty with North Korea earlier this year but did not respond when asked how it might be put into practice.
Putin said the treaty includes a mutual assistance clause, in which each side committed to help resist external aggression.
When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked whether Russia could be drawn into backing North Korea in a conflict on the back of this treaty, he said the wording of the agreement was “quite unambiguous”.
It implies “truly strategic deep cooperation in all areas, including security” he told reporters, according to Reuters.
Putin may attend G20 summit says top Ukrainian prosecutor
Tuesday 15 October 2024 14:21
Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, Ukraine’s top prosecutor has said.
Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin told Reuters he had called on Brazilian authorities to carry out Putin’s arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court if he landed on South American soil.
The arrest warrant was issued for Putin in March 2023, around a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He is accused of the war crime of deporting children.
Russia has dismissed the warrant as “null and void”, denying allegations of war crimes.
Kostin said he had “information that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil” and reminded Brazil “it’s an obligation for the Brazilian authorities as a state party of the Rome Statute to arrest him if he dares to visit”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked on Monday whether a decision had been made on whether Putin would attend the meeting of the world’s leading 20 economies. He said: “No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.”
In pictures: Emergency services put out huge fires in Mykolaiv after Russian strikes
Tuesday 15 October 2024 14:00
Alex Croft
Jared Leto accused of ‘insulting’ Ukraine after likening Russia’s war to ‘problems’
Tuesday 15 October 2024 13:39
Greg Evans
Jared Leto is facing backlash from Ukraine after he praised Russia during a Thirty Seconds to Mars concert on 11 October.
The 52-year-old actor and musician made the comments during a gig in the Serbian capital in Belgrade as part of his band’s Seasons Tour, which he promoted by climbing the Empire State Building in November 2023.
Speaking to the crowd in Serbia, Leto asked them if there were many Russians in attendance, which was met with enthusiastic cheers.
Read the full report by Greg Evans:
Russian Olympic chief quits citing ‘geopolitical challenges’
Tuesday 15 October 2024 13:17
Alex Croft
Russia’s Olympic chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov said he would make way for a replacement, saying the “geopolitical challenges” facing the country mean a “change of leader” is needed.
Russia was banned from competing as a team at the 2024 Paris Games because of the government’s invasion of Ukraine.
Pozdnyakov, who has been in charge since 2018, said: "The geopolitical challenges faced by our country dictate the need to optimise and centralise the management of key spheres of activity, including high-performance sport.
"To further strengthen the Russian Olympic movement, now there are timely preconditions, including economic ones, for a change of leader and team."
He said he believed the ROC Executive Committee would back his proposal, Reuters reported.
Report: Ukrainian men dragged outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Tuesday 15 October 2024 12:54
Alex Croft
Footage has emerged showing Ukrainian military recruitment officers raiding restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv in search of men not registered for conscription.
Officers positioned outside the doors of the capital city’s Palace of Sports carried out checks as people left a concert by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.
Some men appeared to struggle and claim their innocence as they forcibly held or dragged away.
Read the full report:
Four killed and at least 34 injured over past day, Ukrainian authorities say
Tuesday 15 October 2024 12:33
Alex Croft
Russian attacks on Ukraine killed five and injured at least 34 others over the past day, according to regional authorities.
One woman was killed and at least 23 people injured in a Russian strike on the city of Mykolaiv, which damaged residential buildings, cars and an industrial facility.
Four people were killed and six injured in attacks on 22 settlements in the Kherson region, according to governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Donald Trump implies Putin told him about vision for Ukraine
Tuesday 15 October 2024 12:13
Alex Croft
Donald Trump again claimed he got along “very well with Putin”, suggesting that Putin had spoken to him about his desire to control Ukraine.
Speaking at a town hall event in oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Trump said: "I get along very well with Putin. I got; I fully understand what’s happening.
"[Ukraine] was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, ‘You’re not going in,’ and he wasn’t going in."
The presidential hopeful repeated his claim that there wouldn’t be a war between Russia and Ukraine were he still in the White House, adding that he also gets along “very well with Zelensky”.
Ukrainian film about Russia war receives award nominations
Tuesday 15 October 2024 11:51
Alex Croft
A Ukrainian documentary film telling the story of three Ukrainian artists and their life in the war-torn country has received two nominations for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
Porcelain War, a film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontiev, was nominated for Best New Documentary Filmmakers and Best Political Documentary, with the winners to be announced on November 10.
The three artists shown in the film - Slava Leontiev, who helped direct the film, his wife Ania Stasenko, and Andrii Stefanov - all remain in Kharkiv, which has sustained heavy Russian attacks since day one of the invasion. They continue to produce porcelain figurines and decorate houses destroyed in the attacks, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Ukrainian military shares footage of UAV strikes on Russian targets
Tuesday 15 October 2024 11:34
Alex Croft
The Ukrainian Defense Mininstry has released footage it says shows it using unmanned aerial vehicles to hit Russian targets.
“The UAV crew is destroying the occupiers,” the ministry said alongside the footage.
The UAV crew is destroying the occupiers.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 15, 2024
: 95th Air Assault Brigade pic.twitter.com/nCfeZ6nOFG
Russia to unleash large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy, official says
Tuesday 15 October 2024 11:14
Alex Croft
Ukraine is preparing for large-scale Russian attacks on their energy system due to the start of the “heating season”.
Oleksandr Lytvynenko , the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said according to Interfax-Ukraine: “With the start of the heating season, we can expect large-scale Russian attacks on the energy sector.”
The Ukrainian energy sector has shown its capacity for innovative solutions, Lytvynenko said, adding that the Russians’ intentions to destroyr the Ukrainian economy have not succeeded.
But the Energy Community Secretariat has warned Ukraine it could lose its certification of compliance with European standards, meaning it could lose electricity imports from Europe.
Ukraine has ‘enough’ energy resource for winter, prime minister says
Tuesday 15 October 2024 10:53
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s energy resources are “enough to pass the winter”, prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday.
Shmyhal said on Telegram that Ukraine has 12.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 3.1 million metric tons of coal in warehouses.
It comes despite Russian attempts to damage Ukraine’s energy systems ahead of the winter.
No intact buildings or shelter left in Toretsk, Ukrainian spokesperson says
Tuesday 15 October 2024 10:31
Alex Croft
There are no intact buildings or shelters left in Toretsk, a town in the region of Donetsk, leaving Russia free to occupy new areas of the embattled down, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.
"Now the town looks more like a desert planet: there are no shelters for civilians or soldiers, and unfortunately, this allows the enemy to occupy new areas, but on scorched earth," said Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, on October 14.
Toretsk is around 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of occupied Donetsk and is one of the hottest areas on the eastern front, as Russian troops continue to make slow but steady progress in the region.
DeepState, a crowdsourced monitoring website, reported on October 15 that Russian troops have advanced in Toretsk over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported.
In pictures: Inferno grips Mykolaiv region after Russian strikes
Tuesday 15 October 2024 10:02
Alex Croft
Kyiv denies supplying weapons to Mali rebels
Tuesday 15 October 2024 09:41
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s Foreign ministry has rejected accusations that it has supplied drones to Malian rebels.
French outlet Le Monde claimed that Tuareg fighters in the anti-government CSP movement had used Ukrainian drones against government forces.
The Malian government has been allied with the Wagner mercenary group, who were involved in fighting for the Russians against Ukraine.
But the Ukrainian ministry dismissed the claims as "accusations spread by some international media".
After the Tuareg rebels inflicted heavy damage on Wagner mercenaries and government soldiers in July, Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said rebels had received “useful information, and not just that, which allowed them to carry out a successful military operation against Russian war criminals”.
The Malian government took it as an admission of Ukrainian support for the Tuareg rebels, and broke off diplomatic ties.
But in a statement on October 15, the foreign ministry said: "We also categorically deny all the regular accusations made by the high-ranking officials of the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger that Ukraine is allegedly involved in ‘cooperation with terrorists,’ ‘arms supplies and providing them with information,’ ‘support to the terrorist coalition,’ etc.”
One killed and 16 injured in southern Mykolaiv region
Tuesday 15 October 2024 09:18
Alex Croft
A Russian missile attack on the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight on Oct. 15 killed a woman and injured 16 others, the region’s governor said.
Russian forces hit the city with a S-300 anti-aircraft missiles at around 2:30am, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Residential buildings, cars, an industrial facility, restaurant complex and shops were all damaged, according to governor Vitalii Kim.
The Mykolaiv region, which neighbours the Kherson region, has suffered regular Russian attacks. Three Shahed-type drones were downed in the region overnight on October 15, Kim said.
Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia
Tuesday 15 October 2024 08:56
Alex Croft
Iran has denied providing ballistic missiles for Russia, condemning the sanctions by the EU and Britain on Tehran.
The EU agreed to impose sanctions on seven people and seven organisations on Monday, including Iran Air, Saha Airlines, Mahan Air and Iran’s deputy defence minister Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari.
The UK added nine designations to its Iran sanctions regime.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, said in a post on X on Tuesday: "Some European countries and the UK have unfortunately claimed without evidence that Iran has militarily intervened in this conflict which is totally refuted.”
Last month, the US said it had shared intelligence with allies that Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine.
Report: Jared Leto accused of ‘insulting’ Ukraine after likening Russia’s war to ‘problems’
Tuesday 15 October 2024 08:24
Greg Evans
Jared Leto is facing backlash from Ukraine after he praised Russia during a Thirty Seconds to Mars concert on 11 October.
The 52-year-old actor and musician made the comments during a gig in the Serbian capital in Belgrade as part of his band’s Seasons Tour, which he promoted by climbing the Empire State Building in November 2023.
Speaking to the crowd in Serbia, Leto asked them if there were many Russians in attendance, which was met with enthusiastic cheers.
Read the full report from Greg Evans:
Ukraine ‘stands firm’ in Russia’s Kursk region, says Zelensky
Tuesday 15 October 2024 07:57
Arpan Rai
Kyiv’s forces are holding firm as Russian troops attempt to break through their lines in the Kursk region for a fifth straight day, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“For five days now, the Russians have been trying to break through our defence in the Kursk region. Our guys are standing firm and counterattacking,” the Ukrainian president said on X after holding a meeting with Ukraine’s top commander.
Ukraine pressed past Russia’s western region’s border on 6 August and rapidly secured control of 1,300 sq km (501.93 square miles), with over 100 settlements. The initial advance has stalled, and Moscow said it took back several settlements last week.
Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook the Kursk operation was going on while Moscow’s troops continued hitting Russian territories with guided bombs.
Kremlim not sure if Putin is going to Brazil for G20
Tuesday 15 October 2024 07:29
Arpan Rai
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said it is not clear if Russian president Vladimir Putin will be attending the G20 Summit in Brazil next month.
On being asked if a decision had been made on whether Mr Putin would attend the meeting of the world’s 20 leading economies, Mr Peskov said: “No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.”
Ukrainian officials said they have intelligence inputs indicating Mr Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, and called on authorities there to carry out a warrant for his arrest if he showed up.
Brazil sent the Russian president a standard invitation for the 18 to 19 November meetings in Rio de Janeiro of the G20 group but has received no indication he planned to attend, according to two Brazilian government officials.
Russian forces claim Ukrainian settlement captured
Tuesday 15 October 2024 07:14
Arpan Rai
Russia has claimed it captured a small village in southern Ukraine as it probes for weaknesses along the war’s roughly 1,000km (600 mile) front line.
Levadne is a tiny settlement in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, southwest of the Donetsk region where Russia has concentrated the bulk of its recent offensive operations.
Eastern areas of Ukraine are currently are the main focus of Moscow’s military effort before winter arrives.
In Moscow, the defence ministry said Russian troops took Levadne in the Zaporizhzhia region. Levadne was seized by the Russians early during the war but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces during a counteroffensive in the summer of 2023.
French citizen sentenced to three years in Russian prison
Tuesday 15 October 2024 07:00
Alex Croft
A French citizen was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted in a Russian court of collecting military information.
Laurent Vinatier was arrested in Moscow in June and previously admitted failing to register as a “foreign agent” before gathering information on the Russian army.
In his remarks, Vinatier stated that he recognised guilt and asked the judge for clemency, saying in Russian: “I’m asking the Russian Federation to forgive me for failing to observe Russian laws.”
His lawyers asked the court to sentence him to a fine in the trial, which was fast-tracked following Vinatier’s guilty plea.
Vinatier’s arrest came as tensions rose between Paris and Moscow, after French president Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.
Ukraine downs a dozen drones overnight
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:42
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s military says its defence forces shot down 12 Russian drones overnight.
Russian forces fired 17 drones, seven S-300/400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from Crimea and two Kh-59 guided air missiles against Chernihiv region and Sumy region from Kursk, the Ukraine Air Force said on Telegram this morning.
“As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 12 enemy UAVs were shot down in the Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions,” it said.
Army recruiters drag Ukrainian men out of nightclubs for conscription
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:29
Arpan Rai
Military recruiters in Ukraine hunted down men for conscription in targeted raids at restaurants, shopping centres and a rock concert over the weekend, videos show. Kyiv has stepped up efforts to conscript men into the military ahead of a winter battle with the Russian forces.
The recruiters were seeing forcibly pulling a young man towards a recruitment desk who kept shouting “get away from me!” outside the Palace of Sports in Kyiv. He had gone to attend rock band Okean Elzy’s performance.
People present on the spot captured the incident on their phones and shouted “Shame! Shame on you!” at the recruiters.
According to the eyewitnesses, police checked all the men’s documents and those who refused to show or whose documents were not eligible, were dragged away.
Local reports said raids were also conducted in clubs and restaurants across other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Dnipro in eastern and central Ukraine.
Ukraine has intensified its conscription drive this year. A new law came into effect this spring stipulating that those eligible for military service must input their information into an online system or face penalties.
Putin may attend G20 summit says top Ukrainian prosecutor
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:29
Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, Ukraine’s top prosecutor has said.
Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin told Reuters he had called on Brazilian authorities to carry out Putin’s arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court if he landed on South American soil.
The arrest warrant was issued for Putin in March 2023, around a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He is accused of the war crime of deporting children.
Russia has dismissed the warrant as “null and void”, denying allegations of war crimes.
Kostin said he had “information that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil” and reminded Brazil “it’s an obligation for the Brazilian authorities as a state party of the Rome Statute to arrest him if he dares to visit”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked on Monday whether a decision had been made on whether Putin would attend the meeting of the world’s leading 20 economies. He said: “No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.”
Russia illegally using Musk’s Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:15
Arpan Rai
Russian forces are using illicit Starlink terminals to dramatically improve their fighting capability on the battlefield despite US sanctions aimed at curbing this technology, Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have reported.
The terminals, which provide live battlefield views via drones and secure communications, have proliferated on the black market, reaching Russian troops on the front lines and contributing to their recent gains.
The Ukrainian military has heavily relied on tens of thousands of Starlink dishes to support its operations, leveraging the satellite internet for digital warfare.
Zelensky says a million drones already procured, supplied to frontline
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:11
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has already procured and supplied one million drones to the front, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.
“And this is only from the state. There are also supplies from volunteers,” he said yesterday.
Two women killed in Russian strike on Kherson region
Tuesday 15 October 2024 06:01
Alex Croft
A Russian first-person view (FPV) drone attack in the Kherson region has killed two women in their car, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said.
The strike h
