[🇺🇦] Monitoring Russian and Ukraine War.

[Saif]

Russia launches 130 drones over Ukraine: Kyiv

Russia launched one of its largest drone salvos at Ukraine in recent months, targeting Kyiv and other cities and igniting a fire at an industrial facility in the western region of Ternopil, officials said yesterday.

www.thedailystar.net

Russia launches 130 drones over Ukraine: Kyiv
Industrial facility hit

Russia launched one of its largest drone salvos at Ukraine in recent months, targeting Kyiv and other cities and igniting a fire at an industrial facility in the western region of Ternopil, officials said yesterday.

Air defences shot down 51 of 136 drones used in the attack, the air force said in its readout. Twenty drones were still in the air and 60 were unaccounted for, possibly after being intercepted by electronic warfare systems, it added.

Almost 50 firefighters put out a "large-scale fire" in the Ternopil region, the military administration wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "There were no injuries," it said.

The air force said Russia also fired two missiles at the northern Chernihiv and eastern Donetsk regions, but did say what happened to them. There was no immediate comment from Russia on its latest strike. The drone attack caused a fire at a private residence in the region outside the capital and damaged several other buildings, according to governor Ruslan Kravchenko.​

 

[Saif]

Zelensky seeks EU, NATO backing for ‘victory plan’

President Volodymyr Zelensky told allies yesterday Ukraine must be in a position of strength before any peace talks with Russia, as he presented his “victory plan” to EU leaders and NATO defence chiefs in Brussels.

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Zelensky seeks EU, NATO backing for ‘victory plan’

President Volodymyr Zelensky told allies yesterday Ukraine must be in a position of strength before any peace talks with Russia, as he presented his "victory plan" to EU leaders and NATO defence chiefs in Brussels.

More than two and a half years into the war, Kyiv is slowly but steadily losing territory in its eastern Donbas region and under mounting pressure to forge an exit strategy -- which it says must start with ramped-up Western support.

"Ukraine is ready for real diplomacy, but for it, we must be strong," Zelensky said as he met with the EU's 27 leaders.

"Russia will resort to diplomacy only when it sees that it cannot achieve anything by force," Zelensky added. "This is the plan. This is exactly what's needed, and we must create the right conditions to end this war."

The Ukrainian leader has travelled to Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome and London to promote his initiative, but it has yet to gain backing from Western capitals -- and his plea for an immediate invitation to join NATO is widely viewed as unrealistic.

Zelensky said after his EU talks that a large number of member states had voiced their "full support" for Kyiv.

The bloc's leaders in their summit conclusions reiterated their "unwavering commitment" to support Ukraine militarily and economically for "as long as it takes" -- but without referring specifically to his plan.

The EU recently approved loaning Ukraine up to 35 billion euros ($38 billion) backed by frozen Russian assets -- part of a bigger $50 billion initiative agreed by G7 powers in June.

But there were dissenting voices too.

Hungary's Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted on Facebook that Zelensky's roadmap was "beyond terrifying", urging France and Germany "on behalf of the entire European Union, to start negotiations with the Russians as soon as possible".

'ALL THAT WE CAN'

Zelensky later joined defence ministers at the first of two days of talks between NATO's 32 member states, addressing a joint press conference with alliance chief Mark Rutte.

NATO countries have declared Ukraine to be on an "irreversible path" to membership.

But the United States and Germany have led opposition to immediate entry, believing it would effectively put the alliance at war with nuclear-armed Russia.

The secretary-general stuck to the NATO line, saying: "I look forward to the day that Ukraine is here as a member of this alliance, and until then, we will continue to do all that we can to assure Ukraine prevails."

He did not refer directly to Zelensky's proposal, which also rejects any territorial concessions, calls for Western allies to lift restrictions on using donated long-range weapons to target Russian military sites and suggests deploying a "non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" on Ukrainian territory.

The US position on membership is unlikely to shift whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the White House in the US election on November 5 -- though there are fears a second Trump term could upend the support Ukraine receives from NATO's biggest power.

Ukraine's allies are well aware however that time is of the essence, with the outlook on the battlefield bleak.

On the eve of the NATO meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for exploring ways to end the war -- potentially including talks with Putin.

But according to an alliance diplomat, others still fear that anything short of an outright victory for Kyiv would spell disaster, ensuring that an emboldened Russia does not stop there.

'POSITION OF STRENGTH'

Driving home his appeal to Western leaders, Zelensky claimed to have intelligence that North Korea was training 10,000 soldiers to deploy with Russian forces against Ukraine -- calling it "the first step to a world war."

Rutte cautioned however that NATO has "no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight," although Pyongyang was known to be fuelling Moscow's war effort in other ways.

In the meantime, the secretary-general said it was "essential that we continue to provide military aid."

Rutte said NATO was "well on track" to meet its July pledge to provide Kyiv a minimum of 40 billion euros ($43 billion) in military support in 2024, with 20 billion provided in the first half of the year.

But despite Ukraine's plea for stepped-up air defence systems -- as Russian forces pound its cities and infrastructure -- no new announcements were expected from NATO this week.​

 

[Saif]

Russia, Ukraine swap 190 POWs

Russia said yesterday that it had swapped 95 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian troops in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

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Russia, Ukraine swap 190 POWs

Russia said yesterday that it had swapped 95 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian troops in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

"As a result of the negotiation process, 95 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," the Russian defence ministry said.

"In return, 95 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over," it said. Kyiv has not confirmed the exchange.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have swapped hundreds of prisoners since the launch of Moscow's offensive in 2022, often in deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

The last reported swap was last month, when 206 POWs were exchanged, in a deal also mediated by the UAE.

Earlier yesterday, Kyiv said it had received the bodies of 501 soldiers killed fighting Russian forces, mainly in eastern Ukraine, as a result of repatriation measures.

Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliyev told the RBK media outlet that Russia received 89 bodies of its soldiers in return.​

 

[Saif]

Ukraine drones target major Russian explosive plant

Ukraine said on Sunday it had targeted a crucial Russian explosives factory, located about 750 kilometres from the border, in an overnight drone attack.

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Ukraine drones target major Russian explosive plant
Agence France-Presse . Kyiv, Ukraine 21 October, 2024, 01:13

Ukraine said on Sunday it had targeted a crucial Russian explosives factory, located about 750 kilometres from the border, in an overnight drone attack.

Kyiv has repeatedly launched drone attacks deep into Russian territory, seeking to hit energy and military sites that it says key to supplying Moscow’s invading army.

A source in the SBU security services told AFP its drones had struck the Sverdlov explosives factory in Dzerzhinsk, just outside the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Russian officials confirmed drones had targeted the area but said the attack had been foiled.

‘Air defences and electronic warfare means repelled a drone attack on the territory of the Dzerzhinsk industrial zone,’ Nizhny Novgorod regional governor Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram.

‘Four employees of the fire station, located on the territory of the industrial enterprise, received light shrapnel wounds,’ he added.

The United States and European Union have sanctioned the Sverdlov plant, one of Russia’s largest manufacturers of military explosives.

Footage posted on Russian social media showed a large explosion in the area and small drones being downed by air defence systems.

AFP could not immediately verify the footage.

Kyiv did not say what damage, if any, the attack inflicted on the plant’s production capabilities.

Moscow’s defence ministry said earlier it had downed 110 Ukrainian drones that had been fired at its territory overnight, the largest attempted aerial barrage by Ukraine in two weeks.

Russia also launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine.

Kyiv said they targeted residential areas.

At least 17 people were wounded in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, including a first responder, the state emergency services said.

Russia also attacked an energy facility in the northeastern Sumy region, the regional power operator Sumyoblenergo said on Telegram, knocking out electricity for more than 37,000 consumers.

Ukraine is bracing for its toughest winter of the war yet.

Russia has destroyed swathes of its generating capacity and continues to strike energy sites, at a time when temperatures have dropped towards freezing across the country.

Separately, Russian aviation authorities temporarily closed the Kazan airport, around 1,000 kilometres from the Ukraine border, on Sunday morning, citing air safety concerns.

The Rosaviatsia agency did not provide a reason for the suspension of flights, although such restrictions are typically imposed when there are reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in the area.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to meet the leaders of China, Brazil and Turkey in the city later this week for the BRICS summit, the biggest gathering of Moscow’s allies and partners inside the country since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.​

 

[Saif]

Ukraine says Russian forces advanced in key stronghold

Russian forces have advanced over a key waterway in the eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian military official said, marking a setback for Kyiv’s embattled forces.

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Ukraine says Russian forces advanced in key stronghold
Agence France-Prese . Kyiv, Ukraine 22 October, 2024, 22:32

File photo

Russian forces have advanced over a key waterway in the eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian military official said, marking a setback for Kyiv’s embattled forces.

The town of Chasiv Yar, which had an estimated pre-war population of around 12,000 people, sits on a strategic hilltop and its capture would likely speed Russian advances deeper in the war-battered Donetsk region.

‘The enemy managed to break into our line of defence, but there is no critical failure and we are not about to lose Chasiv Yar. Fierce fighting continues now,’ a spokesman for Ukraine’s 24th brigade told state-run media.

The spokesman Ivan Petrychak said that while Russian troops had crossed the canal on the eastern edge of the city Ukrainian troops were containing the advance.

Russian forces have been pushing against outnumbered Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russia.

If Moscow captures the town, it would threaten some of the largest population centres in the industrial region, like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

There have been sporadic reports that Russian forces have previously crossed the canal, which serves as a de facto front line, in Chasiv Yar, and Ukraine has claimed to have fought them back.

Russian drone and artillery attacks meanwhile killed five people, including a child, in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Donetsk, officials said Tuesday.

Sumy lies across the border from Kursk in Russia, where Ukrainian troops launched a major offensive in August and have been holding swathes of territory.

‘Three people, including one child, died as a result of a night-time attack by enemy drones on residential buildings,’ regional authorities said, referring to the city of Sumy.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for fresh support from Kyiv’s Western partners to help his forces protect towns and cities.

‘This Russian terror can be overcome only through unity with the world,’ he said, urging allies to supply more weapons, including air defence systems.

He also called for ‘investments in weapons production in Ukraine’ and ‘long-range strikes on Russian military logistics, military airfields and bases of Russian troops’.

Separately, emergency services in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces are steadily advancing, said two people had been killed and another wounded by Russian shelling on the town of Myrnograd.

Moscow’s defence ministry claimed its latest advances in the region on Tuesday, saying its forces had captured the abandoned frontline settlement of Novosadove in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine’s air force said 60 Russian drones in total had been detected in Ukrainian airspace overnight and into Tuesday morning and that 42 were destroyed.

Sumy has been under persistent bombardment since the beginning of the war in 2022, when Russian forces briefly captured sectors of the industrial territory before being pushed back.

Authorities said more than two dozen Russian drones had been shot down there overnight.

The Ukrainian operation in Kursk is part of a broader roadmap to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine recently outlined by president Volodymyr Zelensky.

In occupied southern Ukraine, Russian-installed officials said a Ukrainian drone attack on the town of Energodar, home to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, killed one person.​

 

[Saif]

Putin warns against ‘illusory’ attempts to defeat Russia

Russian president Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday against ‘illusory’ attempts to defeat Russia on the battlefield ahead of his first meeting with UN chief Antonio Guterres in more than...

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Putin warns against ‘illusory’ attempts to defeat Russia
Agence France-Presse . Kazan, Russia 25 October, 2024, 01:28

Vladimir Putin

Russian president Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday against ‘illusory’ attempts to defeat Russia on the battlefield ahead of his first meeting with UN chief Antonio Guterres in more than two years for talks set to focus on the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin was speaking in the Russian city of Kazan on the final day of the BRICS summit, a forum Moscow hopes will help forge a united front of emerging economies against the West.

Russia’s opponents ‘do not conceal their aim to deal our country a strategic defeat’, Putin said.

‘I will say directly that these are illusory calculations, that can be made only by those who do not know Russia’s history.’

Shortly before he spoke, Russia’s lower house of parliament voted to ratify a defence pact with North Korea amid reports that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia for training and possible deployment in Ukraine.

At the meeting, Chinese president Xi Jinping also warned about ‘serious challenges’ in the world and said he hoped BRICS countries could be a ‘stabilising force for peace’.

‘We need to continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, relaunch the two-state solution and stop the spread of war in Lebanon. There should be no more suffering and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon,’ Xi said.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian slammed the UN Security Council’s role as Guterres listened, saying international bodies ‘lack the necessary efficiency to extinguish the fire of this crisis’.

Putin said the Middle East was ‘on the verge of full-scale war’.

Putin has faced calls from his BRICS allies to end the Ukraine conflict, which began when Moscow launched a full-scale military campaign in February 2022.

Guterres has repeatedly criticised Moscow’s military offensive against Ukraine, saying it sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ for the world.

The two men last saw each other in the first weeks of the offensive, when Guterres travelled to Moscow during Russia’s siege of Mariupol in south Ukraine.

Guterres has since been involved in peace efforts between the two sides, helping to broker a deal that allowed Kyiv to safely export grain from its ports in 2022.

There has been little direct diplomatic contact between the two countries since.

Ukraine has strongly criticised the UN chief’s decision to meet Putin.

Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender territory in its south and east as a precondition for a ceasefire, a position Kyiv has called ‘absurd’.

The Putin-Guterres talks come as Moscow’s troops advance in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, edging closer to the key supply hub of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine has condemned Guterres’s Russia visit, with Kyiv’s foreign ministry blasting him for planning to meet the ‘criminal Putin’.

The pair will meet a day after the United States said it believed ‘thousands’ of North Korean soldiers were being trained in Russia.

‘We don’t know what their mission will be or if they’ll go on to fight in Ukraine,’ a senior US official said.

Putin has not yet commented on the reports.

Russia on Wednesday said people should ‘ask Pyongyang’ about troop movements, refusing to confirm or deny the allegations.

Russian lawmakers on Thursday voted unanimously to ratify a defence treaty with North Korea that provides for ‘mutual assistance’ if either party faces aggression.

The document has now been sent for approval by the upper Federation Council.

Pyongyang and Moscow have drawn closer since Russia launched its 2022 offensive on Ukraine, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praising Putin as his country’s ‘dearest friend’.

The West believes North Korea is already giving Moscow weapons to use in its Ukraine offensive.

Several world leaders called for an end to the Ukraine conflict at the BRICS summit.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi — who has also tried to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv — said on Tuesday he wanted the conflict to be resolved ‘peacefully’.

‘We totally support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability,’ he said.

New Delhi has walked a delicate tightrope since Moscow launched its offensive, pledging humanitarian support for Kyiv while avoiding explicit condemnation of Moscow’s actions.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has also urged an end to the conflict.

Starting in 2009 with four members — Brazil, Russia, India and China — BRICS has expanded to include other emerging nations, including South Africa, Egypt and Iran.

NATO member Turkey said last month it had asked to join the group and president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told delegates Thursday that ‘we are determined to further our dialogue with the BRICS family, with whom we have developed close relations based on mutual respect’.​

 

[Saif]

G7 to give Ukraine $50b from Russian assets profits

G7 leaders have finalized details surrounding a $50 billion loan to aid Kyiv, backed by profits from Russian sovereign assets frozen after its invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement released Friday...

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G7 to give Ukraine $50b from Russian assets profits
Agence France-Presse . Washington 27 October, 2024, 00:06

G7 leaders have finalized details surrounding a $50 billion loan to aid Kyiv, backed by profits from Russian sovereign assets frozen after its invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement released Friday.

Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies said they ‘have reached a consensus on how to deliver’ the loans of approximately $50 billion, with an aim to start disbursing funds by the end of this year.

Their announcement came as world financial leaders gathered in Washington this week for meetings hosted by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Finance ministers have ‘agreed on a technical solution ensuring consistency, coordination, fair distribution of lending, and solidarity among all G7 partners,’ the statement said.

They called on Moscow to end its war and pay for damage caused to Ukraine.

This week, US president Joe Biden said that as part of the G7 package, the United States would provide $20 billion in loans to Ukraine, to be paid back by the interest earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

US treasury secretary Janet Yellen signed a statement Wednesday with her Ukrainian counterpart Sergii Marchenko marking their intent to enter into the loan.

The move also committed that new United States or Ukrainian tax dollars would not be the source of repayment.

Economic concerns remain top-of-mind for US voters, with just over a week to go before the country’s presidential election on November 5.

Washington aims to provide at least $10 billion of the loans for economic support, with the other half expected to take the form of military aid.

But this will require additional authorization from Congress.

The remaining $30 billion in loans is set to come from a combination of G7 partners, including the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, US officials said.

The EU, which has frozen roughly $235 billion of Russian central bank funds -- the vast bulk of immobilised Russian assets worldwide -- said it would contribute approximately $18 billion ($19.4 billion).

Russian missile strikes killed five people including a child in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last night, while a teenager and another person died in attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region, officials said Saturday.

The strikes came less than 48 hours after Russia finished hosting a three-day summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies in the city of Kazan, where President Vladimir Putin faced calls from world leaders to end the conflict.

The strikes on Dnipro late Friday killed five people and damaged multiple buildings including a hospital, authorities said.

More than a dozen other people were wounded in the city, including children, Dnipropetrovsk region governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.

Separate night attacks on the capital Kyiv and surrounding region left two people dead, including a teenage girl who was killed in a drone strike on an apartment building, according to regional authorities.

The Russian military said on Saturday it had captured the frontline village of Oleksandropol in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where it has made a string of advances in recent months.​

 

[Saif]

Moscow will respond

President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia’s defence ministry was working on different ways to respond if the United States and its Nato allies help Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range Western missiles.

www.thedailystar.net

Moscow will respond

Putin warns of retaliation if West helps Ukraine to strike deep into Russia

President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia's defence ministry was working on different ways to respond if the United States and its Nato allies help Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range Western missiles.

The 2-1/2-year-old Ukraine war has triggered the biggest confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War, and Russian officials say the war is now entering its most dangerous phase.

Russia has been signalling to the United States and its allies for weeks that if they give permission to Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied missiles, then Moscow will consider it a major escalation.

Putin said on September 12 that Western approval for such a step would mean "the direct involvement of Nato countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine" because Nato military infrastructure and personnel would have to be involved in the targeting and firing of the missiles.

Putin said that it was too early to say exactly how Russia would react to such a move but that Moscow would have to respond accordingly and different options were being examined.

"(The Russian defence ministry) is thinking about how to respond to the possible long-range strikes on Russian territory, it will offer a range of responses," Putin told Russian state TV's top Kremlin reporter, Pavel Zarubin.

With Russia advancing at the fastest rate in eastern Ukraine since the first months of the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pleading with the West to allow Kyiv to fire deep into Russia with Western missiles.

The US has not said publicly if it will allow Ukraine to strike Russia, but some US officials are deeply sceptical that doing so would make a significant difference in the war.​

 

[Saif]

Russian army claims new advance in east Ukraine

Russia said Sunday its military had advanced further in east Ukraine, capturing a frontline village just a few kilometres north of a key Ukrainian-held industrial hub...

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Russian army claims new advance in east Ukraine
Agence France-Presse . Moscow 28 October, 2024, 00:20

Russia said Sunday its military had advanced further in east Ukraine, capturing a frontline village just a few kilometres north of a key Ukrainian-held industrial hub.

Moscow has made steady gains on the battlefield for months, pressing their advantage against overstretched and outmanned Ukrainian forces.

Russian army units ‘liberated the settlement of Izmailovka,’ the Russian defence ministry said in a daily briefing, using the Russian spelling for the village.

Izmailivka had a population of just under 200 people before the conflict.

It lies eight kilometres north of the key industrial hub of Kurakhove and just a few kilometres north of Kurakhivka, a small town on a stretch of frontline Moscow is trying to surround.

The announcement came a few hours after Russia claimed it shot down 51 Ukrainian drones above several of its regions, including near the border.

Russian president Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that Moscow would ‘respond’ if the West allowed Ukraine to use longer-range weapons against his territory.

‘It’s too early to say yet, but of course our military department is thinking about it and will offer various responses,’ Putin told a state TV reporter in remarks aired Sunday.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has for months been asking his Western allies for permission to use long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory, arguing the move would ‘motivate’ Moscow to seek peace.

The United States and Britain signalled a decision on the matter was imminent last month, but later delayed the move after Putin warned they risked putting NATO ‘at war’ with Moscow.

Putin said on Sunday he hoped the West had listened to that warning.

‘They didn’t tell me anything about it, but I hope they heard,’ the Russian leader said.​

 

[Saif]

Russia says took another east Ukrainian village

Russia said on Monday it took another village in eastern Ukraine, south of the city of Pokrovsk where its forces have been advancing for months...

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Russia says took another east Ukrainian village
Agence France-Presse . Moscow 29 October, 2024, 00:33

Russia said on Monday it took another village in eastern Ukraine, south of the city of Pokrovsk where its forces have been advancing for months.

Moscow’s forces, outnumbering and outgunning the Ukrainian army, have advanced fast towards Pokrovsk since the summer.

Moscow’s defence ministry said troops had taken the village of Tsukuryne, some 25 kilometres south of Pokrovsk. It is one of the larger villages Moscow has claimed in recent weeks in its advance in the Donetsk region.

Moscow has spent months advancing westwards in the embattled Donetsk region.

Ukraine has evacuated much of Pokrovsk, a former mining city that was home to some 60,000 people before Moscow launched its full-scale offensive in February 2022.

Thousands have fled the city as Russia advances. Tsukuryne lies south of the town of Selydove.

Kyiv said it had detained a Ukrainian man volunteering with the UN’s World Food Programme for allegedly aiding Russian forces in the east of the country.

Ukraine has opened thousands of investigations into collaboration and treason since Russian forces invaded in 2022, allegations that carry long prison terms.​

 

[Saif]

Russian air attacks kill four in Kharkiv, injure six in Kyiv, Ukraine says

At least four people were killed and another six injured in Russia’s waves of overnight attacks on Ukraine’s two largest cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. Another two were killed and seven injured in Russian shelling on Kherson city in southern Ukraine in

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Russian air attacks kill four in Kharkiv, injure six in Kyiv, Ukraine says
REUTERS
Published :
Oct 29, 2024 19:49
Updated :
Oct 29, 2024 19:49

A woman removes debris from an apartment building that was damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine Oct 29, 2024 Photo : REUTERS/Thomas Peter

At least four people were killed and another six injured in Russia’s waves of overnight attacks on Ukraine’s two largest cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

Another two were killed and seven injured in Russian shelling on Kherson city in southern Ukraine in the morning, a local governor said.

Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian regions almost every night with drones, and the Ukrainian military reported that overnight they had shot down 26 out of 48 drones launched.

Four people were killed in Kharkiv in the early hours of Tuesday in Russia’s bombardment of the city’s Osnovianskyi district, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on his Telegram messaging channel.

A local emergency service published a video showing rescuers removing the rubble of the completely destroyed building under floodlights and carrying a black bag in which the bodies of the dead are usually placed.

That attack followed a Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv late on Monday that shattered much of the Derzhprom building, one of the most celebrated landmarks in the city, dating from the 1920s.

In Kyiv, falling debris from a destroyed Russian drone injured six people and set a residential building on fire, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said.

One of the people injured by debris in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district was taken to hospital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on his Telegram channel. He said several cars were also on fire.

A Reuters witness saw smoke rising over the district’s residential area, which is located in Kyiv’s west. Photos posted by Kyiv’s military administration on its Telegram channel showed a residential building and nearby cars burning in the dark.

The administration said Ukraine’s air defence units were trying to repel a Russian drone attack on the city and that drone debris also fell onto the Sviatoshynskyi district in Kyiv’s west, but there was no immediate reports of damage.

In the morning attacks on Kherson, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on the Telegram messenger that the victims of the Russian shelling were a 62-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman.

Kherson region is split by the front line and regularly hit by Russian artillery, drones and missiles.

There was no immediate comment from Russia about the attacks.

Moscow denies targeting civilians in the war sparked by its invasion of its neighbour Ukraine in February 2022.

The 2-1/2-year war has killed thousands of people, the vast majority of them Ukrainians, and it has turned cities and villages into piles of rubble.​

 

[Saif]

US cracks down on Russia sanctions evasion

The United States yesterday imposed curbs on hundreds of targets in fresh action against Russia, taking aim at sanctions circumvention in a signal that the US is committed to countering evasion.

www.thedailystar.net

US cracks down on Russia sanctions evasion

The United States yesterday imposed curbs on hundreds of targets in fresh action against Russia, taking aim at sanctions circumvention in a signal that the US is committed to countering evasion.

The action, taken by the US Treasury and State departments, imposed sanctions on nearly 400 entities and individuals from over a dozen different countries, according to statements from the Treasury and State departments.

The action was the most concerted push so far against third country evasion, a State Department official told Reuters. It included sanctions on dozens of Chinese, Hong Kong and Indian companies, the most from those countries to be hit in one package so far, according to the official.

Also hit with sanctions were targets in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Switzerland and elsewhere.

The action comes as Washington has sought to curb Russia's evasion of the sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has killed or wounded thousands and reduced cities to rubble.​

 

[Saif]

Putin supervises Russian army’s fresh nuclear drills

The TASS news industry published footage of a missile being launched in the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Russian Far-North.

en.prothomalo.com

Putin supervises Russian army’s fresh nuclear drills
AFP
Moscow
Published: 29 Oct 2024, 22: 48

This grab from a handout footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry press service on 29 October 2024, shows the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile during drills of the strategic deterrence forces. AFP

Russia said Tuesday its army held fresh nuclear drills under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently called for changes to rules on the use of Moscow's nuclear deterrent.

Putin has raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons during Moscow's offensive in Ukraine several times and last month suggested Russia broaden its rules on using nuclear weaponry.

Russia's defence ministry said a "training exercise was conducted with the forces and means of the land, maritime and aviation components of the strategic deterrent force" and that an "intercontinental ballistic missile was launched."

The ministry said the missile was launched at a test site in the far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula.

Other missiles were launched from a submarine in the Barents Sea in the Arctic and from the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East.

The ministry said the drills were conducted successful and that the missiles had "reached their targets."

The TASS news industry published footage of a missile being launched in the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Russian Far-North.

In September, Putin suggested that Moscow change its nuclear doctrine to allow it to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a "massive" air attack.

Under the proposed rules, Russia would also consider any attack by a non-nuclear country supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack by both, in a seeming reference to Ukraine.

The plans came as Ukraine is seeking authorisation to use long-range missiles against Russia, which has so far been met by US reluctance.​

 

[Saif]

Russia says captured Ukraine village near logistics hub

Russia on Sunday claimed to have captured another Ukrainian village, just a dozen kilometres from the key eastern logistics hub Pokrovsk, as its troops advance rapidly.

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Russia says captured Ukraine village near logistics hub
Agence France-Presse . Moscow 04 November, 2024, 01:22

Russia on Sunday claimed to have captured another Ukrainian village, just a dozen kilometres from the key eastern logistics hub Pokrovsk, as its troops advance rapidly.

The Russian defence ministry said it had ‘liberated the settlement of Vichneve following offensive operations’.

Russia has been making swift advances in the eastern Donetsk region for weeks, taking dozens of towns and villages.

On Saturday, Moscow said its forces had captured the large village of Kurakhivka close to the industrial town of Kurakhove, which Russia is also aiming to capture, and the small village of Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv region close to the eastern Lugansk region.

Capturing Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub for Ukraine that connects several fortresses in the Donbas, is one of Russia’s main objectives in the region.

It is also home to a major coke coal mine that is crucial to Ukraine’s steel production for its military.

Russian troops have advanced to just a few kilometres outside the town.

The Russian army took 478 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in October, according to an AFP analysis of data from the American Institute for the Study of War.

That marks a record since the first weeks of the conflict in March 2022.

 

[Saif]

US election outcome’s likely impact on the Russia-Ukraine war

The endgame of the Ukraine war remains uncertain with US policy likely to be influenced by the outcome of the US election.

www.thedailystar.net

US election outcome’s likely impact on the Russia-Ukraine war
The US support for Ukraine is part of a strategy to counter Russian influence and maintain a balance of power in the region

VISUAL: ALIZA RAHMAN

"Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire. Russia without Ukraine can still strive for imperial status, but it would then become a predominantly Asian imperial state, more likely to be drawn into debilitating conflicts with aroused Central Asians, who would then be resentful of the loss of their recent independence and would be supported by their fellow Islamic states to the south."― Zbigniew Brzeziński

Zbigniew Brzeziński, a Polish-born American diplomat and political scientist, counsellor to Lyndon B Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and Jimmy Carter's national security adviser from 1977 to 1981 studied the complex geopolitical landscape of Eurasia and its significance in shaping global power dynamics. Brzezinski argued that control over this region is crucial for maintaining American dominance in his book, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. Following this argument, the US support for Ukraine is part of a strategy to counter Russian influence and maintain a balance of power in the region.

The Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2014, following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, which ousted the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. This revolution was triggered by Yanukovych's sudden decision to suspend the signing of an association agreement with the European Union (EU), favouring closer ties with Russia instead. This decision sparked widespread protests in Kyiv's Independence Square, known as Euromaidan, driven by a desire for closer integration with Europe, rejection of corruption, and a demand for democratic reforms. The situation escalated, leading to violence and the eventual ousting of Yanukovych in February 2014.

Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region. The conflict escalated dramatically in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.

The US has played a pivotal role in supporting the protests in Ukraine, with reports indicating that it has invested billions of dollars to promote democracy (read undermine Russia) in the country.

Crimea holds immense strategic value for Russia. It gives Moscow control over the Black Sea Fleet's base in Sevastopol, a warm-water port crucial for its naval operations. The port allows power projection in the Black Sea and beyond, enhancing Russian geopolitical influence. Crimea also has historical and cultural significance for Russia, with a majority ethnic Russian population.

From the start, Washington has supported Ukraine with billions in military, financial, and humanitarian aid. The Biden administration has maintained a firm stance against Russian aggression, emphasising the importance of defending democracy and the international order.

Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine have been controversial. He was impeached during his presidency for allegedly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for military aid. Trump has also claimed that he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine, though these assertions are disputed. His relationship with Ukraine has been marked by scepticism and transactional diplomacy.

Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine have been a focal point of political controversy. While serving on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, Hunter Biden's role raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Critics argue that his position may have influenced US policy, though investigations have found no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden. Nonetheless, the issue remains a point of contention in US politics.

Kamala Harris has also consistently supported Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. She has emphasised the importance of standing by Ukraine and maintaining strong alliances with NATO. Harris has condemned Russia's actions as "barbaric and inhumane" and has pledged to continue providing military and humanitarian aid. However, she has been cautious about committing to Ukraine's NATO membership, focusing instead on immediate support.

If Donald Trump secures the election, his approach to the Ukraine war could significantly shift. Trump has been critical of the scale of US support for Ukraine and has hinted at the possibility of negotiating a swift end to the conflict. His suggestions of reducing military aid and advocating for a settlement that might involve territorial concessions to Russia have raised concerns among Ukraine's allies about the potential weakening of Western support, adding a layer of uncertainty to the situation.

The endgame of the Ukraine war remains uncertain. Some analysts argue that a negotiated settlement is the most realistic outcome, given the current stalemate on the battlefield. However, any agreement would likely require significant compromises from both sides, including potential territorial concessions by Ukraine. A Trump victory could potentially lead to a more isolationist approach, significantly altering US foreign policy in the region.

The other issue is the possibility of a Russian nuclear attack, that significantly impacts White House policy. The Biden administration has made it clear that any use of nuclear weapons by Russia would have devastating consequences. This stance is rooted in the principle of nuclear deterrence, aiming to prevent escalation by making the costs of nuclear use prohibitively high. If elected, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump must navigate this delicate balance.

I will end this piece with another Brzeziński quote, "However, if Moscow regains control over Ukraine, with its 52 million people and major resources as well as its access to the Black Sea, Russia automatically again regains the wherewithal to become a powerful imperial state, spanning Europe and Asia."

Dr Sayeed Ahmed is a consulting engineer and the CEO of Bayside Analytix, a technology-focused strategy and management consulting organisation.​