Ukraine-Russia war - live: Kremlin addresses Putin heart attack rumours as Sevastopol targeted

The Kremlin has dismissed the claim Vladimir Putin is unwell as an “absurd hoax” and said “everything is fine” with the dictator.

“This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

On Sunday, posts emerged on the Telegram messaging app claiming Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest. The channel said the Russian president was “very ill” and unlikely to live until the end of autumn, with all official meetings conducted by a body double.

It comes after Ukraine launched an “underwater sabotage” attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet near Sevastopol, Crimea, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the region.

Soon after, Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed three unmanned Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea off the Crimean peninsula.

“Anti-sabotage missiles and bombs hit the area where the unmanned boats were detected,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

Putin has pushed more troops to the frontline in Avdiivka, Ukraine, despite a failing offensive which has incurred heavy losses.

Key Points

• Kremlin rejects claims about Putin’s ill health

• Putin pushes more soldiers to frontline despite failing offensive

• Putin forced to increase number of soldiers on ground as UK estimates death toll

• Six killed in Russia’s missile attack on Kharkiv postal centre, says Ukraine

Ukraine says Russian drones hit area near nuclear plant

11:41 , Alexander Butler

A Russian drone attack damaged buildings near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in western Ukraine last night, wounding 20 people, officials said.

The Ukrainian air force destroyed all 11 Russian drones, according to the military. Damage was caused by blast waves and falling debris.

“At night, the enemy struck territory near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. As a result of the explosion, windows in administrative and laboratory buildings have been damaged,” Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

Support for Israel must not weaken support for Ukraine, says Italian PM

11:30 , Alexander Butler

Europe must not weaken its support for Ukraine as it offers solidarity to Israel, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said.

“We must not make the mistake of weakening our common support to Ukraine,” Ms Meloni told the Senate ahead of a meeting of European Union leaders.

Russia to use new longer range drones for winter

10:34 , Alexander Butler

The Russian Army has used new, longer-range drones for the first time in an attack against Ukraine near Kyiv, reports suggest.

The Italmas weapon, which is harder to detect than the Iranian-made Shahed drone, may be part of Vladimir Putin’s strategy to expand Russia’s arsenal as harsher winter weather approaches, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Russian milbloggers noted that Italmas drones are cheaper than Shaheds, which means that they can be more widely manufactured and used, but that they deliver lighter payloads, which restricts their usefulness in isolation, according to the ISW.

Russia has maintained ‘significant artillery capability’

09:08 , Alexander Butler

The Russian Army has maintained “significant artillery capability” within range of the Dnipro River, which has seen intensified fighting over the last week, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

“Russia has likely been alert to the possibility of attacks across the river since it withdrew its forces from the western bank 12 months ago.

“Initial indication suggests that Russia has maintained a significant artillery capability within range of the river,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.

Ukrainian control over Crimea ‘question of time’, Zelensky says

08:25 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian control over the Crimean peninsula is “only a matter of time”, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“We have not yet gained full fire control over Crimea and surrounding waters, but we will,” Zelensky told a meeting of the Crimea Platform, a diplomatic initiative he launched in 2021. “This is a question of time”, he added.

He also claimed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had been forced to move “as far as possible” from Ukrainian missiles and drones due to heavy losses.

Ukraine exports almost 700, 000 tons of grain during temporary Black Sea corridor operation

07:03 , Maira Butt

Ukraine exported almost 700,000 tons of grain during a temporary Black Sea corridor operation according to UkrAgroConsult.

Mykola Solsky, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, speaking during a meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries in Luxembourg said:

“In August, we opened a temporary corridor through the Black Sea. It works thanks to the support of our armed forces and the trust of international partners. Every day the number of ships calling at the ports is increasing. During the operation of the new corridor, 38 ships entered the ports and more than 30 left, not all of them with grain, of course. But we managed to export almost 700 thousand tons of grain.

“We need to export about 6 million tons per month to preserve our agriculture as a key sector of the economy. This volume of transportation can only be ensured by restoring the full operation of the deep-water ports of Greater Odesa. We see a tendency to increase the number of ships leaving our ports. We hope it will continue,” added Solsky.

Pro-Ukraine candidate drops bid for US House Speaker amid Republican infighting

06:02 , Maira Butt

Congressman Tom Emmer has dropped his bid to lead the US House of Representatives only hours after he was nominated for House Speaker by his fellow party members.

A Republican aide confirmed the news, according to Reuters, citing party infighting which has paralysed Congress for weeks.

Emmer has consistently voted for pro-Ukraine policies and is considered an ally among pro-Ukraine Republicans.

Russian ‘kamikaze’ drones injure man in attacks on Nikopol

05:00 , Maira Butt

Governor Serhii Lysak has reported that Russian forces used “kamikaze” drones and artillery in two separate strikes in Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region on Tuesday. On his Telegram channel, the governor reported that the attacks injured a 36 year old resident.

A hotel, a veterinarian clinic, a car, and a power line were reportedly damaged in the attacks.

The injured victim was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and is in moderate condition, the governor said.

President Zelensky says Ukraine-German ties at an “all-time high”

04:00 , Maira Butt

Ukraine’s President Volodmyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian-German business forum on Tuesday in a day he said was “filled with international work”. The forum included companies from a number of sectors including defense, energy and infrastructure.

President Zelensky shared an update on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “There are good deals and joint projects. I thank Chancellor Scholz, his team, and all Germans. Ukrainian-German trust and ties are at an all-time high.”

The forum is in its fifth year and has an explicit focus on “rebuilding Ukraine”.

The update comes as Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyal met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday.

Pro-Ukraine candidate nominated for US House Speaker

03:03 , Maira Butt

Tom Emmer has been selected by the Republican Party as a nominee for House Speaker according to the Associated Press.

Congressman Emmer served as the Majority Whip in the US House of Representativs since 2023 and has a record of backing pro-Ukraine inititatives in Congress. The House Speaker is traditionally considered the head of the majority party in Congress.

Republicans for Ukraine, a coalition of pro-Kyiv party members, rates Emmer with its highest possible positive score.

Detained reporter’s sister urges Biden to remain focused on his release

02:05 , Maira Butt

The sister of a Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia has urged President Joe Biden to remain focused on his release as she expressed concern that the Middle East crisis could detract from focus on Ukraine.

Danielle, the older sister of Evan Gershkovich who has been detained in a Russian prison for six months, said the family had written letters to Evan to mark his 32nd birthday which he spent in a Moscow prison.

“When we see the news, any news, we’re always thinking of it through the lens of what does this mean for Evan? Our focus is on Evan,” she said. “We just have to continue to ask President Biden to prioritize this and bring Evan home to us.”

Avdiivka enduring unrelenting artillery and air attacks says military official

01:02 , Maira Butt

Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, said the town was enduring unrelenting Russian artillery and air attacks.

He said: “The enemy is persistently trying to surround the city and is throwing in new forces from the north and south.

“For two days, they have been operating mostly in small groups, trying to find cracks in our defence, but without success. The defence line is holding.”

The intensification of military action is “not surprising” as over 2,400 Russians are said to have been killed and wounded in the Donetsk region, according to Oleksandr Shtupun a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces.

US official warns of swapping energy-dependence on Russia with China

Wednesday 25 October 2023 00:02 , Maira Butt

A US official has warned against swapping energy-dependence on Russia with dependence on China at a conference on national gas in Washington.

Geoffrey Pyatt, assistant secretary for energy resources at the State Department said on Tuesday: “We need to make sure we don’t replace European dependence on Russia for gas with a collective dependence on Chinese clean tech and critical minerals. We shouldn’t give in to fatalism. We shouldn’t assume this race is lost.”

As former ambassador to Ukraine, Pyatt said the US needed to ensure China did not dominate wind power, small nuclear power and hydrogen - an emerging fuel that could help mitigate carbon emissions from hard-to-abate industries like cement and aluminum smelting.

Russia launches heavy air strikes as it decreases ground attacks

Tuesday 24 October 2023 23:00 , Maira Butt

Russia has dropped 40 bombs in two nights at or near the town of Avdiivka as it increases air strikes in the region.

The Tavria group of forces spokesperson, Oleksandr Shtupun, said ground attacks had decreased. In a televised report, he said they had even “dropped by half” as air strikes intensified.

Russia has focused on Avdiivka, seeking to encircle the town which it considers important for its military objectives, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Russian shelling of Kharkiv Oblast kills two

Tuesday 24 October 2023 22:00 , Maira Butt

Governor Oleh Syniehubov has reported that Russian shelling of a village in Kharkiv Oblast has killed two people. The victims are reported to be two civilians aged 50 and 57 years old.

Russian forces attacked the village of Podoly in Kharkiv Oblast’s Kupiansk region on 24 October as part of their launch of major attacks along the entire eastern front. Over the course of Russian attacks on 23 October in the same region, the governor reported four people had been injured.

Putin’s many ‘heart attacks’ and why the rumours may be in his favour

Tuesday 24 October 2023 21:00 , Sam Rkaina

For years, the health of Vladimir Putin has been the subject of lurid speculation and rumours. Recent reports have included body doubles, secret chemotherapy, Parkinsons disease and claims that he fell down the stairs, landed on his coccyx and soiled himself.

Yet this week, the most drastic rumour of ill health began to circulate about the 71-year-old. According to shadowy sources, members of his security service were alerted to banging from his private bedroom, only to discover him convulsing on the ground.

Food and drinks were allegedly overturned, with doctors rushing to perform resuscitation while the news of his supposed cardiac arrest caused panic amongst his inner circle.

Responding to the claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was an “absurd hoax”, and that everything was well with the Russian president.

Click here for the full story.

Russian oil boss becomes third to die suddenly at company that criticised Putin’s war

Tuesday 24 October 2023 20:15 , Sam Rkaina

A top executive at Russia‘s second-biggest oil company has become the third person to die suddenly in the past 18 months at the firm, which last year took a public stand over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Chairman of Lukoil Vladimir Nekrasov died after suffering acute heart failure, the company said on Tuesday. It did not respond to a request for further comment.

Mr Nekrasov replaced the previous head of Lukoil’s board Ravil Maganov in September last year, after he died falling from a hospital window, according to state-run news agency TASS.

Russian media said Mr Maganov, 67, had been receiving treatment at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital and died of his injuries. Lukoil said he passed away from a “severe illness” but made no mention of his alleged fall, which raised eyebrows among Russia watchers in the West.

Ukraine’s frontline troops say they’re surrounded by Putin’s forces – and ammo’s running out

Tuesday 24 October 2023 19:51 , Askold Krushelnycky

While the eyes of the world have turned towards the dreadful scenes in Israel and Gaza, the fighting is fierce across multiple points on the hundreds of miles of front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Troops say they are facing Russia’s troops in multiple directions in some areas, while others have said they facing a shortage of ammunition.

The clashes stretch from Ukraine’s northern borders with Russia to southern battlefields in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Kyiv’s forces are trying to punch their way through to the Azov Sea in an effort to break Russia’s land bridge with Moscow-occupied Crimea.

Russia has redeployed significant forces from the south – where the two armies appear to be locked in a bloody, attritional stalemate – further north to threaten towns including Kupyansk, Svatove, Kreminna, Lyman, Siversk and Avdiivka.

These towns straddle three regions: in the east, Donetsk and Luhansk, and Kharkiv in the northeast.

Click here for the full story.

Ukraine launches joint venture with German arms maker to repair western weapons

Tuesday 24 October 2023 18:34 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine has set up a joint defence venture with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG to service and repair western weapons sent to help Kyiv against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, the venture will also help with the local production of some key equipment made by Rheinmetall AG, he said.

It will bring “cooperation between our countries to a qualitatively new level and will allow us to build together the arsenal of the free world,” Shmyhal told the forum.

Ukraine relies heavily on financial and military support from the West which has poured in tens of billions of dollars of weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Oleksander Kamyshyn, minister for strategic industries, said Ukraine was committed to launching the production of Western weapons locally to keep up with growing Ukrainian demand with the war now at the 20-month mark with no end in sight. He said he met 25 major German defence producers in Berlin.

Russia sends fighter jet as two U.S. bombers approach its border

Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:52 , Sam Rkaina

Russia scrambled an Su-27 fighter jet after two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers approached its border over the Baltic Sea, Russian state news agency RIA has reported.

As the fighter jet approached, the U.S. bombers “performed a U-turn” away from the Russian border, the Defence Ministry said.

It is the latest in a series of mid-air incidents involving Russia in recent weeks.

Tanaiste says accommodation limit for new Ukrainian arrivals ‘under discussion’

Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:50 , Sam Rkaina

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said no decision has been made on a measure to restrict the amount of time new arrivals from Ukraine can stay in State-provided accommodation, but added that the matter was still “under discussion”.

The latest data from the Central Statistics Office looking at the allocation of PPS numbers shows there were 96,338 arrivals from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Of these, the CSO could identify that 82% had “activity in administrative data” after July 31.

Women and men, aged 20 and over, made up 46% and 22% respectively of arrivals to date, while 32% were people aged under 20.

Of all arrivals to date aged 18 and over, 63% of males and 50% of females were married or cohabiting.

Speaking to reporters at the Global Ireland Summit, Mr Martin said other countries have commented on “the strength of Ireland’s response in respect of the war in Ukraine”.

He added: “Ours has been predominantly on the political and humanitarian fronts, in terms of supporting Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and accepting refugees.”

However, the foreign affairs minister said the Government is examining evidence of “secondary transfers from across Europe rather than directly from Ukraine”.

Ukraine expects new €1.4bn 'winter aid package' from Germany, says PM

Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:14 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine expects Germany to provide it with an additional €1.4bn to enhance its air defences and help it get through a second winter at war with Russia, Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said.

“Germany is preparing a €1.4bn winter aid package for Ukraine, including air defence equipment,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Moldova blocks over 20 Russian media websites

Tuesday 24 October 2023 13:20 , Alexander Butler

Moldova has blocked more than 20 Russian media websites which it claims have been used as part of an information war against the country.

An Intelligence and Security Service decree published online listed 22 Russian news resources to be blocked, including prominent outlets like Russia Today, NTV, Ren TV, state media holding VGTRK and others.

The decree, which is likely to anger Moscow, said internet providers had been ordered to block the sites immediately.

EU set to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels

Tuesday 24 October 2023 12:30 , Alexander Butler

The European Union is on track to end its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, the EU commission said.

In a report published on Tuesday, Brussels said the EU expected imports of Russian gas to drop to 40-45 billion cubic metres this year, compared with 155 bcm in 2021, the year before the Ukraine war.

The 27-country EU has sanctioned Russian coal and seaborne oil imports.

“The worst effects of the crisis may now be behind us, but there is no room for complacency,” the Commission said.

Ukraine's EU membership bid to be assessed in November report

Tuesday 24 October 2023 11:45 , Alexander Butler

In November, the European Union will present an assessment of Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc and whether to start accession talks with Kyiv.

Ukraine will be judged on whether it has met the necessary economic, legal and other criteria.

If everything is in order, a decision will then be expected during a summit of EU leaders on whether to launch formal membership negotiations with Ukraine in mid-December.

Ukraine’s GDP could grow by 4 per cent next year, prime minister claims

Tuesday 24 October 2023 11:28 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine’s gross domestic product could grow over 4 per cent in 2023 and reach 5 per cent next year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a business forum in Berlin.

Ukraine’s economy shrank by about one third last year due to the war with Russia.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he wanted the EU to have the means to guarantee sustained support for Ukraine by the end of 2023.

Kremlin rejects claims about Putin’s ill health

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:55 , Alexander Butler

The Kremlin has dismissed the claim Vladimir Putin is unwell as an “absurd hoax” and said “everything is fine” with the dictator.

“This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

On Sunday, posts emerged on the Telegram messaging app claiming Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest. The channel said Putin was “very ill” and unlikely to live until the end of autumn, with all official meetings conducted by a body double.

In a 2020 interview, Putin denied longstanding rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons.

Ukraine ‘empowered’ to go after oligarchs

Tuesday 24 October 2023 09:37 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine feels empowered to go after some of the country’s most corrupt and powerful oligarchs, its justice minister has said.

Ukrainian justice minister Denys Maliuska said: “Everyone was afraid of the consequences of indicting oligarchs but this is no longer the case.”

The country saw a growth in oligarchs after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when state assets were transferred to private owners, concentrating wealth into the hands of a few owners.

Russia has lost almost 300,000 personnel during war, Ukraine claims

Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:01 , Alexander Butler

Russia has lost almost 300,000 personnel since the start of the war, Ukraine has claimed.

The Defence Ministry of Ukraine this morning said that Russia has lost 295,510 personnel, an increase of 810 since Monday.

It claimed the losses included 5,105 tanks, 7,081 artillery, 320 aircraft and 9,447 vehicles and fuel tanks.

Two die in Russian shelling of Ukraine, governor says

Tuesday 24 October 2023 08:49 , Alexander Butler

Two people have died and a further 14 were injured, including one child, in Russian shelling of Kherson, the local governor claimed.

“The Russian military targeted the residential quarters of the populated areas of the region; a critical infrastructure facility and plant in Beryslav; the territory of the park in Kherson.“As a result of the Russian aggression, 2 people died, another 14 were injured, including 1 child,” regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin posted on Telegram.

He said Russia has launched 101 attacks, firing 597 shells over the past day.

Ukraine orders evacuation of 802 children

Tuesday 24 October 2023 08:28 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of 802 children from 23 settlements in Kherson, according to the Reintegration Ministry.

The children with their parents or legal guardians will leave the Beryslav, Kakhovka, and Kherson districts for safer regions, the ministry said on Telegram.

Over 500 Ukrainian children have been killed and 1,138 wounded since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, according to the Children of War database.

Russia dependent on ‘penal battalions’

Tuesday 24 October 2023 08:02 , Alexander Butler

The Russian Army is dependent on “penal battalions” manned with convicts and regular troops for offensive operations in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

“Russia largely continues to rely on specially designated ‘Shtorm-Z’ units for local offensive operations in Ukraine,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.

“There is a realistic possibility that Russia originally envisioned them as relatively elite organisations which could seize the tactical initiative.

“However, since at least spring 2023, Shtorm-Z have effectively become penal battalions, manned with convicts and regular troops.”

Russia destroys three Ukrainian uncrewed boats off Crimea

Tuesday 24 October 2023 07:35 , Alexander Butler

Russian naval forces have destroyed three unmanned Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea, Russia’s defence ministry claimed.

“Anti-sabotage missiles and bombs hit the area where the unmanned boats were detected,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

It added that an anti-mining and an “anti-sabotage” operation was being carried out off Sevastopol port, which is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

The Ukrainian ministry of defence has been contacted for comment.

Russian-American journalist has pre-trial detention extended

Tuesday 24 October 2023 07:03 , Maira Butt

A Russian-American journalist who is accused of breaking Russia’s law on foreign agents has had her pre-trial detention extended until Monday 5 December according to Reuters.

Alsu Kurmasheva is a Prague-based journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) funded by the US Congress and designated as a foregn agent due to foreign funding for activity deemed to be political.

A Russian-American journalist who stands accused of breaking Russia’s law on foreign agents had her pre-trial detention extended on Monday until Dec. 5.

RFE/RL said Kurmasheva entered Russia on May 20 for a family emergency when she was detained and her passports confiscated. She was charged last week with failure to register as a foreign agent, an offence that carries up to five years in prison.

A 61-year-old volunteer who helped hundreds of Ukrainians flee has been arrested by Russia

Tuesday 24 October 2023 06:09 , Maira Butt

A 61 year old Russian man, Alexander Demidenko, has been arrested in Russia’s Belgorod region according to local media reported by Meduza. Demidenko is said to have been abducted on the Russia-Ukraine border on 17 October.

He is reported to be a volunteer who has helped hudnreds of Ukrainian citizens in Russia return to Ukraine. His wife Natalia says he was brought to their home briefly on 20 October and that she noticed bruises all over his body. He had reportedly been helping an elderly woman with cancer cross the border when he was arrested.

According to Meduza, a Telegram channel Astra, suggests he has been arrested for drinking alcohol in public and has been charged with a felony for arms trafficking.

Ukrainian priest among those arrested for theft of £52million jewels

Tuesday 24 October 2023 05:05 , Maira Butt

A Ukrainian priest is among five arrested for the trafficking of ancient archaeological finds from Ukraine according to Sky News. Spanish police arrested three Spaniards and two Ukrainians in their operation which they say they had been working on for months.

The elevel artefacts made of Scythian gold were said to date from between the eighth and fourth centuries BC and are estimated to be worth £52 million.

Zelensky prepares for Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform

Tuesday 24 October 2023 04:09 , Maira Butt

President Volodmyr Zelensky has said in a recorded message to the nation: “It is important to keep Ukraine and the defense of freedom and international law in the global spotlight.”

He praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the said he was “especially grateful” to those fighting at the front in Avdiyivka. He cited a number of international events of importance to Ukraine in the future including the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform.

“This time, almost 70 parliaments and parliamentary assemblies representing five continents are taking part in the Summit,” said Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk on the air of the national telethon United News. He said: “Everyone who comes, comes for the sake of Ukraine.”

Almost 70 parliaments and parliamentary assemblies representing five continents are taking part in the Summit.

Russia handing out more jail sentences under war censorship laws

Tuesday 24 October 2023 03:09 , Maira Butt

The Moscow Times has reported that Russia is now handing out more jail sentences under war censorship laws. The Kommersant business daily reported the increase citing official Supreme Court figures.

Russia outlawed the spreading of “deliberately false information” about its military action following its invasion of Ukraine last year. Eight out of 21 convictions for “war fakes” resulted in real jail time according to the report.

Kommersant also reported that 15 people were jailed for treason in 2023, compared to three jail terms from the first half of 2022.

Private Russian military company hires female snipers

Tuesday 24 October 2023 02:09 , Maira Butt

An investigation by the IStories outlet has revealed that the Borz Batallion of the Russian Defense Ministry-controlled “Private Military Company Redut” has been active in recruiting women into its sniper division.

“Initially, we did not have women, only men. Now, we have decided to try out a female sniper squad and a female drone operator squad because women can do it too,” the battalion’s recruiter with the call sign “Vesta” told an IStories journalist, who was posing as a potential recruit.

“My task as a detachment commander is to prove that women are created not only for soups and children.”

An advertisement for the job offered $2,300 as salary. According to the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shogu, there are 59,000 women in the Russian military.

President Zelensky speaks with Saudi prince to “further develop ties" in the region

Tuesday 24 October 2023 01:04 , Maira Butt

Ukraine’s President Volodmyr Zelensky tweeted about a call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on Monday. He reported that the two discussed developing ties between the two nations as well as the rest of the Gulf region.

President Zelensky reported that he has invited a Saudi representative to the next round of peace talks in Malta and vowed to “make the Peace Formula meeting in Jeddah a success”.

Regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Zelensky said: “I highlighted the need of preventing further escalation of the conflict and civilian casualties.”

Energy giants invest in fossil fuels after hike in oil prices

Tuesday 24 October 2023 00:09 , Maira Butt

Chevron has bought Hess for $53 billion in the second oil merger this month which The Washington Post attributes to a hike in oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Major energy players are now “flush” with cash following the run-up in oil prices following the onset of the conflict which has caused fuel and oil prices to skyrocket worldwide. Fuel prices spiked more than 40 percent following the February attack before steadying through the following months.

However they have been rising more recently due to fears of a broader Middle East war following the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hungary blocks $500 million aid to Ukraine - again

Monday 23 October 2023 23:00 , Maira Butt

Hungary has been refusing to allow $500 million in aid to Ukraine due to its listing of OTP bank in its international sponsors of war list. While negotiations have lasted for months, it appears that the discussions have led nowhere. The European bloc’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, confirmed, that the ministerial negotiations in Luxembourg did not bring an agreement.

Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention provisionally removed OTP and five Greek shipping companies from the list in the hope that this would “lead to Hungary’s unblocking of 500 million euros of vital EU military aid for the Ukrainian people, and will also eliminate the possibility of Greece blocking the future EU sanctions package” against Russia.

While Hungary’s foreign minister said this was a “step in the right direction”, Hungary are seeking reassurances that the institutions will not be returned to the list once aid is secured.

Ukraine orders evacuation of 250 children from settlements for safety

Monday 23 October 2023 22:00 , Maira Butt

Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of over 250 children from across eight settlement in Donestk Oblask over a “critical security situation” the Reintegration Ministry has announced.

Authorities say 41 children have been evacuated and all evacuees will be taken to a humanitarian hub before the onset of cold weather. All persons affected, including parents and legal guardians, will be offered shelter and aid. Settlements affected include: Toretsk, Shcherbynivka, Petrivka, Nelipivka, and Pivnichne in the Bakhmut district and Ocheretyne, Katerynivka, and Yelizavetivka in the Pokrovsk district.

According to the Children of War database, over 500 Ukrainian children have been killed and over 1,200 have been wounded since hostilities broke out.

Investigators suspect ‘deliberate sabotage’ of undersea cables

Monday 23 October 2023 21:15 , Maira Butt

Estonia believes damage to a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia is related to damage to a cable and pipeline between Estonia and Finland, according to a statement by Sweden’s government on Monday.

Finnish investigators believe there may have been deliberate sabotage to subsea gas pipelines and telecommunications cables connecting Finland and Estonia which were damaged on 8 October. Helsinki and Tallinn are looking into the pipeline and cable incident.

Last week, Sweden said a third link had been damaged at roughly the same time as the other two.

Putin critic refuses to leave cell and misses court hearing in protest

Monday 23 October 2023 20:32 , Maira Butt

Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, refused to leave his cell on Monday and missed a court hearing in protest as officials took away all of his writing supplies.

An ally, Ivan Zhadnov, said security in helmets rushed in at his refusal to cooperate. He was arrested in Moscow in 2021, after returning from Germany where he had recuperated from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. He is due to be moved to a “special security” penal colony, a facility with the highest security level in the Russian prison system.

Navalny is considered Putin’s fiercest foe campaigning against corruption and organising major anti-Kremlin protests. He has been handed three prison sentences and is currently awaiting trial for charges relating to extremism.

Russian forces are heavily shelling a vital road connection to Avdiivka

Monday 23 October 2023 20:00 , Maira Butt

Russian forces are focusing their attacks on the eastern front including towns such as Avdiivka and Kupiansk. There has been an escalation in skirmishes between the Ukrainian and Russian forces with up to 90 confronations over the course of the day on 22 October according to Kyiv officials.

According to Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka military administration, Russian forces are heavily shelling a vital road connection to the town. This complicates both the evacuation of civilians and the import of humanitarian aid, he told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

A spokesperson of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, Volodymyr Fitio, said Russia had failed to achieve any strategic success on the eastern front as Ukrainian forces are holding their defenses.

Switzerland shifts right as populists demanding neutral stance in Ukraine win election

Monday 23 October 2023 19:16 , Maira Butt

The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) won 28.6% of the vote in the country’s parliamentary elections on Oct 22. It gives them 62 seats out of 200 in the Swiss National Council, an increase of nine seats from the last election.

Members of the SVP have previously boycotted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech to the Swiss parliament back in June, claiming it violated the country’s tradition of neutrality.

The Swiss parliament has repeatedly voted against proposals to amend rules regarding the export of Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine.

$63 million of stolen Ukrainian artefacts discovered in Spain

Monday 23 October 2023 19:00 , Maira Butt

Approximately $63 million of stolen archaeological treasure from Ukraine has been discovered in Spain. Spanish police have been investigating the illicit trafficking of stolen artefacts since the conflict broke out between Russia and Ukraine and authorities announced the find today.

In a joint operation with the the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Spanish police seized 11 pieces of Scythian gold that had been “stolen and illicitly exported from Ukraine” in the first few months of 2016.

Spanish police have arrested three Spaniards and two Ukrainians in connection with the case.