Ukraine-Russia war - live: Putin turns to new weapon for winter attacks as bombing of Avdiivka continues

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.

It comes as the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, Donetsk, faced heavy shelling overnight as Russia continues with its offensive push into the region.

“The enemy dropped about 40 guided aerial bombs in two nights. But the number of ground assaults has been reduced, half of what it was yesterday and the day before,” Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, said.

Mr Shtupun added that Russia had suffered about 2,400 casualties in the last five days during its campaing in the Donetsk region.

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

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

North Korea on course to be ‘significant supplier’ of arms to Russia, MoD says

09:37 , Alexander Butler

North Korea is on course to become one of Russia’s “most significant foreign arms suppliers” alongside Iran and Belarus, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

The MoD added it was “almost certain” that recent North Korean munitions shipments had now reached depots in western Russia.

“If North Korea sustains the recent scale and pace of military-related shipments (more than 1,000 containers over the last several weeks), it will be on course to become one of Russia’s most significant foreign arms suppliers, alongside Iran and Belarus,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.

Russia to build ties with North Korea in all areas, Kremlin says

10:38 , Alexander Butler

Russia will build ties with North Korea in all areas, the Kremlin said.

It comes after the UK Ministry of Defence said North Korea is on course to become one of Russia’s “most significant foreign arms suppliers” alongside Iran and Belarus.

The MoD added it was “almost certain” that recent North Korean munitions shipments had now reached depots in western Russia.

Hungary says it won’t support EU budget proposal over Ukraine funds

09:00 , Alexander Butler

Hungary cannot support the European Union’s proposed modification of the EU budget, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff has said.

He said that giving funds to Ukraine from the budget for four years was unacceptable. Mr Orban is widely considered one of Vladimir Putin’s only allies in the EU.

On Wednesday, Slovakia’s president on Wednesday appointed a new coalition government led by pro-Russian leader Robert Fico, in a move widely seen to weaken the EU’s unified approach to Russia.

‘Anger’ at supply of North Korean weapons to Putin

07:39 , Alexander Butler

South Korea, Japan and the US have strongly condemned the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia, saying they have confirmed “several” deliveries.

“The Republic of Korea, United States, and Japan strongly condemn the provision of military equipment and munitions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation for use against the government and people of Ukraine,” the statement issued by foreign ministers of the three countries said.

“Such weapons deliveries, several of which we now confirm have been completed, will significantly increase the human toll of Russia’s war of aggression.”

Study finds ‘deepfakes’ from Ukraine undermining trust in conflict footage

07:09 , Maira Butt

Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) have conducted a study which is the first of its kind to find evidence of online conspiracy theories which incorporate deepfakes. ‘Deepfakes’ are artificially manipulated audio-visual material.

The Russia-Ukraine war presented as the first real-life example of deepfakes being used in warfare.

The researchers highlight examples of deepfake videos during this war including the use of video game footage as evidence of the urban myth fighter pilot “The Ghost of Kyiv”, and a deepfake of Russian president Vladimir Putin, showing the Russian president announcing peace with Ukraine.

The study found deepfakes often undermined users’ trust in the footage they were receiving from the conflict to the point where they lost trust in any footage viewed.

As well as the threat coming from the fake content itself, researchers found genuine media contact was being labelled as deepfakes.

(PA)

Russian troop losses at an all-time high according to report

06:09 , Maira Butt

The Kyiv Post has reported that Russian troop losses are at an all-time high according to a new report on Wednesday.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine publishes full information on casualties and deaths following military actions.

The publication reported: “Ragnar Gudmundsson, an Iceland-based analyst tracking losses of personnel and equipment on both sides of the Russo-Ukraine War since the early days of Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, in a Wednesday situation update reported Russian service personnel dead hit a probable wartime record of more than 1,400 killed in combat in a single day on 20th October, and have averaged 900 men a day killed in combat from 10-20 October, a time window coinciding almost exactly with the launch of major Russian army attacks in the Avdiivka sector.”

US elects House Speaker sceptical of Ukraine support

05:09 , Maira Butt

Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana has been unanimously elected House speaker with broad GOP support on Wednesday. The more conservative but lesser known congressman who has backing from Donald Trump, initially supported Ukraine, sharing his support on X, formerly known as Twitter.

However, in May last year he was one of only 57 members of the House to vote against $40 billion of aid to Ukraine.

He released a statement saying: “‘We should not be sending another $40 billion abroad when our own border is in chaos, American mothers are struggling to find baby formula, gas prices are at record highs, and American families are struggling to make ends meet, without sufficient oversight over where the money will go.”

Since the statement, he has consistently voted against aid to Ukraine.

Russian strike on Kherson Oblast town kills child

04:09 , Maira Butt

Ukrainian Governor Oleksandr Prokudin has reported that a Russian stirke on Kherson Oblast’s town of Beryslav on Wednesday killed a 13 year old boy.

On his Telegram channel he wrote: “In the evening, the occupiers opened fire against a residential building in the city, as a result of the strike, a 13-year-old boy died.”

Governor Prokudin did not provide further details on potential damage caused by the attack or on the weaponry used by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s SSO reports $25 million damage to Russian equipment

03:09 , Maira Butt

The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) report they have inflicted over $25 million damage to Russian equipment in one week. In a message on their Telegram channel, they reported the destruction of heavy equipment including the Zoopark-1 surveillance and fire control radar complex, a prized possession for Russians.

Other equipment included a critical battlefield artillery fire coordination complex that directed Russian artillery and taregetd locations of Ukrainian surface-to-surface and surface-to-air fire.

Kyiv confirms creation of battalion of Russians who want to fight against Putin

02:09 , Maira Butt

A spokesperson from Ukrainian intelligence told Bloomberg that a “Siberian battalion” was being made up of entirely Russian citizens in support of Ukraine.

The group is made up of dozens of Russians and ethnic minorities from Russia who travelled through third countries to join the Ukrainian army.

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said Yusov said it was only the beginning and Ukraine would continue to recruit Russian citizens to similar battalions.

Welsh Parliament recognises Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainian people

01:09 , Maira Butt

On Wednesday the Welsh parliament recognised the 1932-1933 famine as a genocide against the Ukrainian people under Stalin and the Soviet government.

The Embassy of Ukraine said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We are grateful to the Senedd for recognizing the 1932–1933 Holodomor in Ukraine as genocide committed against Ukrainians. It’s a significant milestone in restoring historical justice and raising awareness about the millions of innocent victims”

The University of Minnesota says between 3.5 million and 7 million Ukrainians died during the genocide.

Qatar calls out ‘double standard’ in international community on Ukraine versus Gaza

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:03 , Maira Butt

Speaking in Doha to Sky News, the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Abdulrahman al-Thani, questioned why the cutting off of food and water in Ukraine was seen as a war crime but not in Gaza.

“The children being killed in this war is exceeding the number killed in the other war between Ukraine and Russia, and yet we haven’t seen the same reaction.”

Russia shoots down two Ukraine missiles provided by US

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:14 , Maira Butt

Russian military have reported they shot down two US-made missiles in a “special military operation. The ATACMS long-range missiles were given to Ukraine by the US with Russia stating it was the first downing of its kind.

Reuters were unable to confirm the incident and there has been no response from Kyiv or Washington. Last week, Ukraine reported success using the missiles inflicting heavy damage on two Russian airfields.

President Vladmir Putin said that the US was making a mistake by entering deeper into their conflict with Ukraine and said that the ATACMS missiles would not change the battlefield situation.

Zelensky: Russian drone strike in Khmelnitskyi region was likely targeting nuclear power station

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:00 , Maira Butt

A Russian drone strike that hit near a nuclear power station in Khmelnitskyi on Wednesday was likely targeting the station according to Ukraine’s President Zelensky.

In his nightly address, he said the action was evidence stricter sanctions were needed against Russia.

Zelensky said every Russian strike, "especially those daring enough to target nuclear power stations and other critical facilities, serves as an argument that pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient."

Russian missiles produced using imported components from EU countries

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:05 , Maira Butt

A report by Russian investigative news outlet, The Insider, has revealed that Russian Kh-47M2 Khinzal missiles are being produced using components imported from all across the EU.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion most of Russia’s defence productions has fallen under sanctions. However, company records show that equipment is still being imported via intermediaries in Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and the U.K.

A single Khinzal missile costs the Russian state $10 million according to the publication.

Taioseach of Ireland denies claims of a Cabinet row over Ukrainian refugees

Wednesday 25 October 2023 20:02 , Maira Butt

Leo Varadakar, the Taioseach of Ireland, has downplayed claims of a Cabinet row over the accomodation of refugees.

The Irish Government is looking at moving from the current open-ended arrangements for Ukrainian refugees amid concerns the state will have no accommodation left for new Ukrainian arrivals next year.

When pressed to confirm the tensions, Varadkar said that “the rows in Government are much exaggerated”, but the wider issue was a “serious one”.

Mr Varadkar said he was very “proud” of Ireland’s efforts to house around 100,000 Ukrainians since the war broke out, with 20,000 international protection applicants arriving from elsewhere in the world during the same period.

Powerful explosions near Ukraine nuclear power plants

Wednesday 25 October 2023 19:06 , Maira Butt

Powerful blasts near the area of Ukraine‘s Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant damaged windows at the site overnight, but did not affect the plant’s operations or its connection to the grid, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.

The explosions temporarily cut power to some off-site radiation monitoring stations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) added.

Officials say twenty people were wounded in the attacks.

Russian Defence Minister discusses test strikes with President Putin on state TV

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:18 , Maira Butt

Russia has rehearsed the delivery of a retaliatory nuclear strike according to a Kremlin statement on Wednesday.

State TV showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and President Putin discussing the test strikes.

“Practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place during the training,” the statement said. The statement also said a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile had been fired from a test site in Russia’s far east, that a nuclear-powered submarine had launched a ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, and that Tu-95MS long-range bombers had test-fired air-launched cruise missiles.

The country recently revoked its ratification of a landmark nuclear testing treaty, bringing it in line with the US’s position in what some have called a stand-off with the West during its war with Ukraine.

Russia tests its ability to deliver massive retaliatory nuclear strike

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:30 , Maira Butt

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on state TV on Wednesday that the country had tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike. The Minister confirmed that the country had begun training for the possible event.

President Zelensky thanks Australia for new military aid package

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:33 , Maira Butt

Australia’s Ministry of Defence announced a new military aid package on Wednesday. The shipment is worth approximately $20 million AUD and includes de-mining equipment, portable x-ray machines, a 3D metal printer, and counter-drone systems.

President Zelensky said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I am grateful to @AlboMP for Australia’s new package of military aid. Antidrone weaponry, demining equipment, and other assistance are of utmost importance for our warriors and all of our people. We greatly appreciate Australia’s resolute support in Ukraine’s fight for freedom.”

The Australian Ministry of Defence confirmed this took the country’s overall assistance to Ukraine past $910 million.

Pictured: Avidiivka under siege

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:26 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine to produce tens of thousands of drone by end of year, minister says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:33 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine will produce tens of thousands of drones a month by the end of this year, the country’s minister for strategic industries said.

It comes after Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said more than 200 Ukrainian companies have begun developing drones, fueling a massive increase in production as well as technical innovation.

In July, former deputy prime minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said: “We will end this war with drones”.

Since that statement, Kyiv has announced plans to invest $1bn into the industry, as more than 10,000 drones are said to be lost on the battlefield every month.

Ukraine vows to strike back if Russia hits energy grid

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:50 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to respond to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

“We are preparing for terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure. This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond,” he said on Telegram.

Mr Zelensky also claimed Russia has moved its aircraft further from the border with Ukraine and moved its Black Sea fleet further from Crimea.

Ukraine says Russian drones hit area near nuclear plant

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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’

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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”

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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

Wednesday 25 October 2023 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.

Qatar calls out ‘double standard’ in international community on Ukraine versus Gaza

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:16 , Maira Butt

Speaking in Doha to Sky News, the Foreign Minister of Qatar questioned why the cutting off of food and water in Ukraine was seen as a war crime but not in Gaza.

“The children being killed in this war is exceeding the number killed in the other war between Ukraine and Russia, and yet we haven’t seen the same reaction.”

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.