Ukraine news – live: Russia hits key Kyiv power plant risking outages in capital

A missile strike seriously damaged a key energy facility in Ukraine's capital region, the country's power system operator said Saturday as the Russian military strove to cut water and electricity in populated areas.

Kyiv region Governor Oleksiy Kuleba said the strike did not kill or wound anyone.

Electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said repair crews were working to restore power but warned residents about possible outrages.

It comes as Mr Putin, who has said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia’s “territorial integrity”, warned that a direct clash with Nato troops is a “very dangerous step”.

When asked if he had any regrets in relation to the conflict he said “no” and insisted Russia was doing the right thing.

The Kremlin also said he believed the “partial mobilisation” of army reservists ordered last month would be completed in two weeks, boosting Russia’s fighting force.

Key Points

• Russia hits key Kyiv power plant risking outages in capital

• Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’ if Nato troops clash with Russian forces

• Elon Musk suggests he is pulling internet service from Ukraine after ambassador told him to ‘f*** off’

• Putin says mobilised troops will be ready in two weeks

• Kremlin says ‘no need’ for massive strikes on Ukraine - for now

Russia hits key Kyiv power site damaging electricity supply

12:17 , Thomas Kingsley

A missile strike seriously damaged a key energy facility in Ukraine's capital region, the country's power system operator said Saturday as the Russian military strove to cut water and electricity in populated areas.

Kyiv region Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said the strike did not kill or wound anyone.

Electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said repair crews were working to restore power but warned residents about possible outrages.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, urged Kyiv area residents and people in three neighboring regions to reduce their energy consumption during evening hours of peak demand.

Read more here

Russian evacuation of residents from Kherson is a ‘deportation’, claims Ukraine

12:05 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine has claimed a plea by Moscow-backed separatists for residents of occupied Kherson to evacuate to Russia is, in reality, a call for a mass “deportation”.

Serhiy Khlan, a member of Kherson’s regional council, said it was, in fact, only an evacuation for those who have “collaborated” with Russia.

Residents are being forced to flee to Russia as fighting rages in the regions, say officials, and he urged anyone leaving Kherson, southern Ukraine, to go to territory held by Kyiv’s forces.

In many cases the only evacuation routes residents of the occupied areas can or are allowed to take are into Russian-held areas. Russia has claimed any Ukrainians moving to Russian-held territories are doing so voluntarily.

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Russian evacuation of residents from Kherson is a ‘deportation’, claims Ukraine

IAEA's Grossi hails Ukraine restoration of power to key nuclear plant

11:37 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukrainian engineers have restored "much needed" back-up power to a key Russian-occupied nuclear power plant after shelling robbed it of access to external electricity twice in the past week, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the operating staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, "working in very challenging conditions," were doing everything they could to bolster the plant's off-site power, essential for ensuring nuclear safety.

"Restoring the back-up power connection is a positive step in this regard, even though the overall nuclear safety and security situation remains precarious," Mr Grossi said in a statement released at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

He said an IAEA team at the site had reported back that two back-up power lines connecting the plant to switchyards at a nearby thermal power plant had been repaired in recent days. And on Friday, an external line connecting a thermal power plant switchyard to the electrical grid was also restored.

Putin says mobilised troops will be ready in two weeks

11:10 , Thomas Kingsley

Vladimir Putin said on Friday he believed the “partial mobilisation” of army reservists ordered last month would be completed in two weeks, boosting Russia’s fighting force.

He told reporters after attending a summit in Kazakhstan on Friday that a total of 222,000 reservists would be called up, down from the 300,000 figure initially circulated.

A total of 33,000 of them were said to be already in military units, and 16,000 are involved in the military operation in Ukraine.

Zelensky vows victory against Russia

10:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday promised victory over Russia as his country celebrated its first Defenders Day public holiday since the start of Moscow's invasion almost eight months ago.

“On October 14, we express our gratitude... gratitude to everyone who fought for Ukraine in the past. And to everyone who is fighting for it now. To all who won then. And to everyone who will definitely win now,” Mr Zelensky said in a video address to mark the occasion.

Mr Zelensky laid a wreath with the yellow and blue colours of the Ukrainian flag in front of a memorial in the capital Kyiv, dedicated to soldiers killed on the frontlines since 2014, when fighting broke out with Russia-backed separatists in the east.

Mr Zelensky said that by “defeating” Russia “we will respond to all enemies who encroached on Ukraine”.

“This will be a victory for all our people,” he said.

“The world stands with us. More than ever in our history” he added.

Russian reservists called up to fight in Ukraine ‘having to buy their own body armour’

10:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Many Russian reservists called up to fight in Ukraine are having to buy their own body armour, British intelligence chiefs have said.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its daily update that “endemic corruption and poor logistics” remained a cause of Russia’s “poor performance” in Ukraine.

Adding that the average amount of personal equipment Russia was providing to its mobilised reservists, was “almost certainly lower than the already poor provision of previously deployed troops”.

The MoD wrote: “Many reservists are likely required to purchase their own body armour, especially the modern 6B45 vest, which is meant to be on general issue to combat units as part of the Ratnik personal equipment programme.

Newly mobilised Russian soldiers already returning in coffins

10:15 , Thomas Kingsley

Coffins containing the bodies of men conscripted by the Kremlin just last month are already being flown back to Russia from Ukraine.

Pro-war Russian bloggers said that the death of conscripts barely three weeks after Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilisation showed just how shambolic the process had been.

“Some commanders on the ground should be shot," Anastasia Kashevarova told her 180,000 subscribers on the Telegram social media channel. “The result of mobilisation is that untrained guys are thrown into the frontline. Zinc coffins are already being sent back to Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Moscow.”

Watch: 11-year-old boy rescued from rubble after shelling in Mykolaiv

10:00 , Thomas Kingsley

IMF countries strengthen calls to end Ukraine war

09:38 , Thomas Kingsley

International Monetary Fund member countries on Friday issued a near-unanimous call for Russia to end its war in Ukraine, the IMF's steering committee chair said, calling the conflict the single biggest factor fueling inflation and slowing the global economy.

But Nadia Calvino, Spain's economy minister, told a news conference that Russia again blocked consensus on issuing a joint communique during a meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee.

Calvino said the call for an end to the war was stronger than at IMF and World Bank meetings in April as the conflict causes food and energy insecurity, rising prices and financial stability risks.

What are NASAMS? Ukraine hails ‘new era’ of air defence as allies rush systems in response to Russian missiles

09:12 , Thomas Kingsley

On the ground, Ukraine’s military has been clawing back swathes of territory from Russia in a series of blistering counteroffensives in recent months. It has demonstrated an ability to strike far behind enemy lines, most notably when it hit the Kerch Strait Bridge linking Crimea to the mainland, Richard Hall writes.

But despite those successes, it has remained vulnerable to attacks from the air. Russia’s response to the strike on the strategically important bridge was fierce and swift: it rained a flurry of more than 75 missiles on Ukrainian cities across the country, hitting both civilian and military targets. Although not all the missiles hit their mark, it was a painful reminder of that vulnerability.

Speaking after the strikes, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asked allies to step up their deliveries of advanced air defence systems.

Read the full story below:

What are NASAMS? Ukraine’s allies send advanced air defence after missile strikes

Saudi Arabia announces $400 million humanitarian aid to Ukraine

08:21 , Thomas Kingsley

Saudi Arabia will provide $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Saudi state news agency SPA said, adding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

The crown prince expressed the kingdom's readiness to continue efforts of mediation and support everything that contributes to de-escalation, SPA added.

Idaho man dies while fighting as volunteer in Ukraine

08:00 , Thomas Kingsley

In the days since Dane Partridge was fatally wounded while serving as a volunteer soldier in Ukraine, his sister has found moments of comfort in surprising places: First, a misplaced baseball cap discovered in her laundry room, then in a photo of a battered pickup truck with only one tire intact.

The 34-year-old Idaho man died Tuesday from injuries sustained during a Russian attack in Luhansk.

A former U.S. Army infantryman, Partridge felt “spiritually called” to volunteer with the Ukranian military as they defend the country from invading Russian forces, his sister Jenny Corry said. He flew to Poland on a one-way ticket in April, his rucksack packed with body armor, a helmet and other tactical gear.

Read the full report below:

Idaho man dies while fighting as volunteer in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has 'no regrets' over war in Ukraine

07:40 , Thomas Kingsley

Vladimir Putin has said he has "no" regrets over the war in Ukraine and warned that any direct clash of Nato troops with Russia could lead to a "global catastrophe".

Mr Putin, who has said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia's "territorial integrity", warned that a direct clash with Nato troops is a "very dangerous step".

When asked if he had any regrets in relation to the conflict he said "no" and insisted Russia was doing the right thing.

He also said: "The introduction of troops into a direct confrontation with the Russian army is a very dangerous step that could lead to a global catastrophe. I hope that those who speak of this have enough sense not to take such steps."

Putin says no more massive strikes - for now

07:23 , Thomas Kingsley

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said there is no need for more massive strikes on Ukraine, days after the heaviest bombardment of the country since the war began.

He said most designated targets of the strikes had been hit, adding that it was not his aim to destroy Ukraine.

Moscow's goal of mobilising 300,000 men would be met within two weeks, he said.

It comes as Russian forces are mostly in retreat and Ukraine advances, almost eight months since the invasion.

Speaking to journalists after a summit with regional leaders in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, the Russian leader said that the recent strikes had destroyed 22 out of the 29 targets in Ukraine set by the military and that "they are getting" the remaining seven.

Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’ if Nato troops clash with Russian forces

07:21 , Thomas Kingsley

Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned that any direct clash of Nato troops with Russia could lead to a "global catastrophe".

Speaking at a news conference in the Kazakh capital Astana on Friday, Putin also claimed he had no regrets about invading Ukraine and that Russia’s partial mobilisation of troops should be completed within two weeks.

He said a total of 222,000 reservists would be called-up, down from the 300,000 figure initially quoted by the defence ministry when the order was announced last month.

Read the full story below:

Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’ if Nato troops clash with Russian forces

Elon Musk suggests he is pulling internet service from Ukraine after ambassador told him to ‘f*** off’

07:20 , Thomas Kingsley

Elon Musk has asked the US defence department to take over funding for his Starlink satellite network, a US official has told AP.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the issue has been discussed in meetings and senior leaders are considering the issue, with no decisions yet made.

The network of more than 2,200 low-orbiting satellites has provided broadband internet to more than 150,000 Ukrainian ground stations. This morning, Musk tweeted that it was costing SpaceX $20m a month to support Ukraine’s communications needs.

US to send munitions, military vehicles to Ukraine in latest aid package

07:14 , Thomas Kingsley

The United States will send munitions and military vehicles to Ukraine as part of a new $725 million security assistance package aimed at bolstering the country's defense against the Russian invasion, the Defense Department said on Friday.

The package is the first since Russia's barrage of missiles fired on civilian population centers in Ukraine this week. It will bring the total of U.S. security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February to more than $17.5 billion.

The contents of the latest package, first reported by Reuters, includes high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMs) and precision-guided artillery as well as medical supplies, the Defense Department said in a statement.

President Joe Biden issued a statement delegating the secretary of state "to direct the drawdown of up to $725 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training" to aid Ukraine.

Air raid alerts go off over whole of Ukraine

06:58 , Vishwam Sankaran

Air raid sirens reportedly went off over the whole of Ukraine on Saturday.

The Kyiv Independent tweeted that air raid alerts were activated in every administrative division of Ukraine, with the exception of Russian-occupied Crimea.

These alerts signal the threat of missile strikes.

The report comes even as Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there was “no need” for more massive strikes on Ukraine.

He said after a summit in Kazakhstan that designated targets had already been hit and that he did not aim to destroy Ukraine.