Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin suffers loss of 261 troops in 24 hours as Kyiv offensive gains momentum

Ukraine has made gains in the south, one of the country’s top generals has said. General Oleksander Tarnavskyi said in a Telegram post that Ukraine forces had advanced in the Tavria sector.

Tarnavskyi, head of the southern group of forces, said his troops had conducted 1,198 assignments in the past 24 hours and that Russian forces had sustained losses of 261 men and a further 10 being taken prisoner.

Earlier, a UK defence minister said Russian navy ships have been forced to disperse to ports where they “cannot have an effect on Ukraine” inwhat he described as a “functional defeat” for the Kremlin.

James Heappey, speaking at a security event in Warsaw, said the Russian navy had been forced to disperse to ports from which “it cannot have an effect on Ukraine”.

He added that, despite the disappointment among Ukraine’s Western allies about the pace of Kyiv’s land offensive, the naval success was “every bit as important” as the land breakthrough in Kharkiv Oblast region.

Key Points

• Putin’s navy has suffered ‘functional defeat’ in Black Sea, says UK

• Putin ‘sends drunk soldiers’ to frontline to die in punishment squads

• Ukraine strike Russian village with cluster munitions

• Ukraine downs dozens of Russia-launched drones and one cruise missile

• Inside the dark ‘Storm-Z’ Russian punishment batallions

• Grant Shapps slams Elon Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

Ukraine makes gains in the south - top general

20:01 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has made gains in the south, one of the country’s top generals has said.

General Oleksander Tarnavskyi said in a Telegram post that Ukraine forces had advanced in the Tavria sector.

Tarnavskyi, head of the southern group of forces, said his troops had conducted 1,198 assignments in the past 24 hours and that Russian forces had sustained losses of 261 men and a further 10 being taken prisoner.

Shapps should help end dispute at depot that supplies arms to Ukraine, says SNP

21:17 , Matt Mathers

The Defence Secretary has been urged to intervene in strikes taking place at a Scottish munitions depot after it was suggested missiles held there could help Ukraine win the war.

In a letter to Grant Shapps, the SNP called for him to resolve an ongoing dispute at DM Beith, North Ayrshire, which has led to a series of ongoing strikes.

It comes as another two-week walkout begins in the row over pay.

Ryan McDougall reports:

Shapps should help end dispute at depot that supplies arms to Ukraine, says SNP

ICYMI:Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

19:27 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year.

Full report:

Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

19:00 , Matt Mathers

The European Union (EU) promised Ukraine £4.3bn in military aid as its continuous support in the war against Russia.

The 27-nation bloc remained committed to help defeat a “brutal and inhumane” Moscow, said Josep Borrell, EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. It comes after US Congress left Ukraine war aid out of its spending bill and a pro-Russian candidate won an election in Slovakia.

Full report:

EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

ICYMI: Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits: ‘They’re just meat’

18:30 , Matt Mathers

Drunk recruits. Insubordinate soldiers. Convicts.

They’re among hundreds of military and civilian offenders who’ve been pressed into Russian penal units known as “Storm-Z” squads and sent to the frontlines in Ukraine this year, according to 13 people with knowledge of the matter, including five fighters in the units.

Few live to tell their tale, the people said.

Read the full report below:

Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits

Burger King still open in Russia a year after promising to leave

17:52 , Matt Mathers

Burger King remains open across Russia more than a year after the fast food chain’s owner promised to leave.

Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns 15 per cent of the fast-food’s franchise business in Russia, told the BBC it had "no new updates to share at this time" on its exit.

The company said in March 2022 that it had started the process of leaving Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

McDonald’s, Burger King’s biggest rival, has already left Russia.

Western allies running out of ammunition to give to Ukraine

17:35 , Matt Mathers

Western countries are running out of ammunition to give to Ukraine, Nato and the UK have warned.

Admiral Rob Bauer, Nato’s most senior military official, called on governments and their defence manufacturers to “ramp up” production to help Kyiv’s war effort.

“We need large volumes,” the BBC quoted him as saying. “The just-in-time, just-enough economy we built together in 30 years in our liberal economies is fine for a lot of things – but not the armed forces when there is a war ongoing.”

Polish president says Biden assured partners of continued support for Ukraine

17:20 , Matt Mathers

United States President Joe Biden assured leaders of G7 and European states of Washington’s continued support for Ukraine during a video conference, the Polish president said on Tuesday.

"He assured us that support for aid given to Ukraine continues, especially military aid.

He said he would secure this support in Congress," Andrzej Duda told a news conference.

UK tells G7 and NATO leaders: We will support Ukraine for as long as it takes

17:04 , Matt Mathers

Prime minister Rishi Sunak told G7 and NATO leaders on Tuesday that Britain was prepared to support Ukraine with military, humanitarian and economic assistance "for as long as it take," his office said in a readout of a call.

"He ( Sunak) outlined the UK’s ongoing military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine and stressed that this support will continue for as long as it takes," a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden convened the call amid concerns that support for Kyiv’s war effort against Russia was fading, especially in the United States where Congress excluded aid to Ukraine from an emergency bill to prevent a partial government shutdown.

UK minister hails ‘functional defeat’ of Russia in Black Sea

16:16 , Matt Mathers

A UK government defence minister has hailed Ukraine’s “functional defeat” of Russia in the Black Sea over the past few weeks.

James Heappey, speaking at a security event in Warsaw, said the Russian navy had been forced to disperse to ports from which “it cannot have an effect on Ukraine”.

He added that, despite the disappointment among Ukraine’s Western allies about the pace of Kyiv’s land offensive, the naval success was “every bit as important” as the land breakthrough in Kharkiv Oblast region.

Grant Shapps slams Elon Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

15:33 , Matt Mathers

Defence secretary Grant Shapps has suggested recent tweets by Elon Musk mocking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are “unhelpful”.

The senior Cabinet minister made the comments at a Conservative Party conference fringe event in Manchester, hours after the billionaire entrepreneur used Twitter, now known as X, to take aim at Mr Zelensky’s repeated requests for western support in the battle against Russian troops.

Mr Shapps, an avid social media user himself, expressed reservations about the owner of X’s recent attitudes to the war.

Full report:

Grant Shapps slams Elon Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

Two more vessels head to Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa - lawmaker

14:54 , Matt Mathers

Two vessels sailing under the flags of the Marshall Islands and Cameroon are heading towards the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, a local Ukrainian lawmaker reported on Tuesday.

The lawmaker, Oleksiy Honcharenko, did not provide any details other than names - EQUATOR and MARANTA but posted images of vessels on the Telegram messaging app.

A senior member of the government said on Sunday that five other ships were on their way to Ukrainian Black Sea ports using a new corridor opened for predominantly agricultural exports following Russia’s decision to quit a U.N.-brokered wartime deal on safe shipments.

Zelensky visits troops fighting in northeastern Ukraine

14:35 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops fighting in northeast Ukraine on Tuesday and met commanders to discuss the battlefield situation on one of the hottest fronts of the war with Russia.

Zelensky did not give the exact location of his visit but said he had met brigades fighting in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector in the northeast, where the Ukrainian military says Russian forces have been staging attacks.

"We met with brigade and battalion commanders to discuss the battlefield situation, pressing issues, and needs," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter, above photos of him meeting soldiers in a poorly lit room.

"Each of our combat brigades, each warrior who destroys the occupiers with every step forward, asserts that the Ukrainian victory will surely come. They are the power. I thank them for their service!"

A deal to expedite grain exports has been reached between Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania

14:15 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have agreed on a plan they hope will help expedite Ukrainian grain exports, officials said Tuesday, with needy countries beyond Europe potentially benefitting from speedier procedures.

The deal means that grain inspections will shift from the Ukraine-Poland border to a Lithuanian port on the Baltic Sea, according to a statement from the Ukrainian farm ministry.

Illia Novikov has the full report:

A deal to expedite grain exports has been reached between Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania

Zelensky thanks Europe for support as he marks EU day in Ukraine

13:47 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked European countries for their support during the war in an address to mark EU day in Ukraine.

In a message posted on his X/Twitter account, Zelensky said international law can “win now in Ukraine”.

“All of the support for Ukraine and every step done to assist us will return to those who support us with global security,” he added.

“When Russian aggression fails on our soil, the very idea of aggression will be defeated.”

Watch a clip from his video message below:

Armenia’s parliament has voted to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

13:40 , Lydia Patrick

The move adds further strain to the country’s ties with its old ally Russia after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over events in Ukraine.

Moscow last month called Armenia’s effort to join the ICC an “unfriendly step” and the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador.

Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC are bound to arrest Mr Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.

Armenian officials have argued the move has nothing to do with Russia and was prompted by Azerbaijan’s aggression towards the country.

Politicians voted to ratify the Rome Statute by a vote of 60-22. Armenia’s president must sign off on the decision, which will come into force 60 days after the vote.

A rundown of recent events

13:20 , Lydia Patrick

• Kyiv inches forward in counteroffensive

The Ukrainian counteroffensive makes advances in the south east as footage shows forces making progress in the northwest of Novomayorse, 18km southeast of Veylka Novosilk.

• Ukraine downs dozens of Russia-launched drones and one cruise missile

Ukraine destroyed 29 of 31 drones launched by Russia and one cruise missile, most of them targeting the regions of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, report the Ukrainian airforce.

• Brussels on the verge of unlocking billions in aid to Budapest

The EU is considering unlocking billions of euros for Hungary that were frozen over rule-of-law concerns as it seeks to win Budapest’s approval for aid to Ukraine including a start to membership talks for Kyiv, according to senior officials.

• Russia say they don’t need more fighters

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said today.

• Armenia’s parliament has voted to join the International Criminal Court

Armenia’s parliament signed the founding statute of the ICC, subjecting itself to the jurisdiction of the court in The Hague, Russian state news agencies said.

Drunk Russian soldiers sent to their deaths on front line as punishment

13:14 , Matt Mathers

Drunk and mutinous Russian soldiers are being sent to their deaths on the front line as punishment for their bad behaviour, it has been reported.

The soldiers are being used in Storm-Z human shield squads in the most dangerous battles on the front line.

They are often sent over the trenches in waves ahead of regular soldiers and heavy armour.

“If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads,” one soldier told a Reuters investigation.

ICYMI - Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son ‘set to be next mercenary boss’

13:00 , Lydia Patrick

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group.

Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will.

He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son ‘set to be next mercenary boss’

ICYMI - Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

12:40 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year.

Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

ICYMI - EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

12:20 , Lydia Patrick

The European Union (EU) promised Ukraine £4.3bn in military aid as part of its ongoing support in the war against Russia.

The 27-nation bloc remained committed to help defeat a “brutal and inhumane” Moscow, said Josep Borrell, EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. It comes after the US Congress left Ukraine war aid out of its spending bill and a pro-Russian candidate won an election in Slovakia.

Monday’s meeting in Kyiv was touted by Mr Borrell as a historic first for the EU but it comes at an awkward time for the Western countries backing Ukraine.

With summer drawing to a close, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to produce the victories that Kyiv’s allies had hoped to see before mud clogs the treads of donated tanks.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by his website, said he was sure “Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning this confrontation. But our victory depends directly on our cooperation with you”.

EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

Brussels on the verge of unlocking billions in aid to Budapest

12:00 , Lydia Patrick

The EU is considering unlocking billions of euros for Hungary that were frozen over rule-of-law concerns as it seeks to win Budapest’s approval for aid to Ukraine including a start to membership talks for Kyiv, according to senior officials.

Hungary cultivates closer ties with Russia than other EU states, and is seen as the key potential opponent to a decision due in December on whether to open accession talks with Kyiv, which would require unanimous backing of the union’s 27 members.

At stake also is a bid by the EU executive Commission to have member states contribute more to the bloc’s joint coffers, to help fund more aid to Ukraine. That decision is also expected later this year and requires unanimity.

A senior EU official told Reuters that to sway Hungary’s vote, the bloc expects to look at the status of billions of euros worth of EU handouts now frozen over concerns that Prime Minister Viktor Orban has restricted the independence of courts.

“I can’t imagine Hungary agreeing without there first being a solution to the blocked funds,” said the official.

A second EU official confirmed there was a link between releasing funds to Hungary and EU plans requiring unanimity, including enlargement and budget talks.

Sources stressed, however, a deal was not a foregone conclusion and much also depended on Orban, who is faced with economic stagnation and a widening budget deficit at home.

“Hungary needs the money urgently, which is an incentive for reform. The Commission needs Hungary to lift its vetoes on a number of issues in return,” said an EU diplomat.

“But I don’t think the Commission will or can move without any movement on reforms from Budapest.”

Russia say they don’t need more fighters

11:40 , Lydia Patrick

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said today.

“There are no plans for an additional mobilisation,” Shoigu was shown telling top generals on state television. “The armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation.”

Shoigu, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, hailed the patriotism of those who had signed up.

“Since the start of the year, more than 335,000 people have entered military service under contract and in volunteer formations,” Shoigu said. “In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens signed contracts.”

Those figures indicate that Russia has made significant progress both in signing recruits and in absorbing many fighters from the Wagner mercenary force into “voluntary formations”.

Putin ordered a “partial mobilisation” of 300,000 reservists in September last year, prompting hundreds of thousands of young men to flee Russia to avoid being sent to fight.

‘It’s a survival issue’ - Ukraine taking weaponary into their own hands

11:20 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine worries their weapon supplies are running out- meaning they might have to take matters into their own hands, report Politico.

At the International Industries Defence Forum in Kyiv last week, the country found supporters are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine whilst others are sceptical of sending more as their own supplies dwindle, say Politico.

The managing partner at COSA Inteligence Solutions in Kyiv said: “It’s a survival issue.”

Kyiv are now working on securing deals for countries across the globe to back them to produce weapons on their own soil and become self-sufficient.

Armenia ratifies statute to accept International Criminal Court jurisdiction

11:00 , Lydia Patrick

Armenia’s parliament signed the founding statute of the International Criminal Court, subjecting itself to the jurisdiction of the court in The Hague, Russian state news agencies said.

A spokeswoman for parliament said 60 deputies had voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the ICC, and to adopt a statement on retroactive recognition of ICC jurisdiction, and 22 had voted against.

The plan had been strongly opposed by Russia, Armenia’s formal ally, with which ties have become badly strained over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s recapture of a region controlled for three decades by ethnic Armenians.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds or more children from Ukraine, a claim dismissed by the Kremlin as meaningless. Joining the ICC means Armenia will be obliged to arrest Putin if he sets foot there.

Armenia says it has been discussing its plans with Russia, after Moscow warned it in March of “serious consequences” if it submitted to ICC jurisdiction.

Yerevan has said the move was always intended to address what it says are war crimes committed by Azerbaijan in a long-running conflict with Armenia, and is not aimed at Russia.

Moscow has nevertheless voiced increasing frustration with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has publicly said Armenia’s policy of solely relying on Russia to guarantee its security was a mistake, and pointedly hosted joint manoeuvres with U.S. forces.

Russia facing ‘functional defeat’ in the Black Sea – but Kyiv allies warn they are running out of ammunition

21:48 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has achieved the “functional defeat” of Vladimir Putin’s prized Black Sea fleet with intensified attacks in recent weeks, a UK defence minister has suggested – but warned that Western allies are running out of ammunition to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum from the Polish capital on Tuesday, James Heappey said the kneecapping of the major Russian naval force – including the recent strike on its Crimean headquarters – was “every bit as important” as Ukraine’s gains in Kharkiv last year.

Andy Gregory reports:

Putin’s prized Black Sea fleet ‘functionally defeated’ by Ukraine

What did Elon Musk say about President Zelensky on X?

10:40 , Lydia Patrick

Early on Monday, Musk posted a meme on his platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Zelensky and the caption: “When it’s been 5 minutes and you haven’t asked for a billion dollars in aid.”

The Ukrainian leader and his top lieutenants have appealed to their allies throughout the war to secure billions of pounds of military aid to weather and push back Russia’s invasion.

The speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, hit out at Musk’s jibe with his own post on X.

“The case when [Elon Musk] tried to conquer space, but something went wrong and in 5 minutes he was up to his eyeballs in s***,” an apparent reference to SpaceX’s failed rocket launch in April.

Read the full story here

Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

Ukraine to transfer controls of agricultural cargo to Lithuania's Klaipeda-minister

10:20 , Lydia Patrick

Veterinary and sanitary controls of Ukrainian agricultural cargo bound for the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda will in the next two days be transferred from the Polish-Ukrainian border directly to Klaipeda under a deal reached by Kyiv, Warsaw and Vilnius, the Ukrainian farm ministry said on Tuesday.

A ministry statement quoted Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky as saying the move was aimed at speeding up transit.

Inside the dark ‘Storm-Z’ Russian punishment batallions

10:00 , Lydia Patrick

Hundreds of military and civilian offenders are forced to the frontlines as part of Russian penal units called ‘Storm-Z’ squads.

"Storm fighters, they’re just meat," said one regular soldier from army unit no. 40318 who was deployed near the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine in May and June.

He said he’d given medical treatment to a group of six or seven wounded Storm-Z fighters on the battlefield, disobeying an order from a commander - whose name he didn’t know - to leave the men. He said he didn’t know why the commander gave the order, but claimed that it typified how Storm-Z fighters were considered of lesser value than ordinary troops by officers.

The soldier, who requested anonymity because he feared prosecution in Russia for publicly discussing the war, said he had sympathy for the men’s plight: "If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads."

The squads also combine convicts who volunteer to fight in exchange for the promise of a pardon with regular soldiers being punished for disciplinary breaches, the people interviewed said.

The Storm-Z squads are useful to the Russian defence ministry because they can be deployed as expendable infantry, according to Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent organisation that’s tracking the war. "The Storm fighters are just sent to the most dangerous parts of the front, in defence and in attack," the group, which was founded in Russia, told Reuters.

Storm-Z is an unofficial term used by Russian troops, combining a term for assault troops with the letter Z, adopted by the military as a symbol of their invasion of Ukraine.

Grant Shapps slams Elon Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

09:40 , Lydia Patrick

Defence SecretaryGrant Shapps has suggested recent tweets by Elon Musk mocking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are “unhelpful”.

The senior Cabinet minister made the comments at a Conservative Party conference fringe event in Manchester, hours after the billionaire entrepreneur used Twitter, now known as X, to take aim at Mr Zelensky’s repeated requests for western support in the battle against Russian troops.

Mr Shapps, an avid social media user himself, expressed reservations about the owner of X’s recent attitudes to the war.

Grant Shapps slams Elon Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

ICYMI - EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

09:20 , Lydia Patrick

The European Union (EU) promised Ukraine £4.3bn in military aid as its continuous support in the war against Russia.

The 27-nation bloc remained committed to help defeat a “brutal and inhumane” Moscow, said Josep Borrell, EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. It comes after US Congress left Ukraine war aid out of its spending bill and a pro-Russian candidate won an election in Slovakia.

Monday’s meeting in Kyiv was touted by Mr Borrell as an historic first for the EU but it comes at an awkward time for the Western countries backing Kyiv.

With summer drawing to a close, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to produce the victories that Kyiv’s allies had hoped to see before mud clogs the treads of donated tanks.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by his website, said he was sure “Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning this confrontation. But our victory depends directly on our cooperation with you”.

Read the full story here

EU promises £4.3bn in military aid to Ukraine during unprecedented Kyiv meeting

Ukraine to build underground school in Kharkiv

09:00 , Lydia Patrick

Children in eastern Kharkiv will attend classes underground in a bid to protect them from Russian attacks.

Mayor Ihor Terekov said on the Telegram messaging app: “Such a shelter will enable thousands of Kharkiv children to continue their safe face-to-face education even during missile threats.”

According to Unicef, only a third of Ukraine’s schoolchildren currently study in-person, amid deadly Russian missile and drone attacks as well as shelling.

Ukraine to build its first underground school in Kharkiv, official says

More than 360 educational facilities have been destroyed while 3,417 suffered bombing and shelling in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February last year, the latest release from the country said.

Persistent attacks meant that only about a third of school-age children were fully attending classes in person and many were forgetting what they have already learnt, the Unicef said in its release last month, whose official figure of school destruction from the attack were four times higher.

It found that more than 1,300 schools have been totally destroyed in the 19 month-long-war.

It is not yet clear when the school will be built.

Ukraine strike Russian village with cluster munitions

08:40 , Lydia Patrick

Kyiv hit the Russian village of Kilmovo with cluster munitions - damaging several houses.

The governor Alexander Bogomaz says there were no casualties, however the statement has not yet been verified and Ukraine have not commented.

Ukraine’s use of cluster munitions has stirred controversy as the powerful bombs are banned in over 100 countries, they release smaller bomblets that can kill over a wide spread area, with the explosive potential of unexploded weapons lingering for decades.

Kyiv inches forward in counteroffensive

08:25 , Lydia Patrick

The Ukrainian counteroffensive makes advances in the south east as footage shows forces making progress in the northwest of Novomayorse, 18km southeast of Veylka Novosilk.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) and Bakhmut direction to Russian counterattacks between September 13 and 30, says the Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraine downs 29 Russia-launched drones and one cruise missile

08:09 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine destroyed 29 of 31 drones launched by Russia and one cruise missile, most of them targeting the regions of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, report the Ukrainian airforce.

The waves of overnight attacks lasted more than three hours, the southern command of Ukraine‘s forces had said earlier.

Falling debris in the southeastern city of Dnipro caused a fire at a private firm that was quickly doused, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Damage to manufacturing facilities at an industrial enterprise in the city of Pavlohrad led to a fire that was also put out, he added on the Telegram messaging app.

Sixteen drones were destroyed over the southern region of Mykolaiv, its governor, Vitaliy Kim, said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

‘Everything for the front’: Russia allots a third of 2024 spending to defence

07:01 , Reuters

Defence spending will account for almost one third of Russia’s total budget expenditure in 2024, the government’s draft plans show, as Moscow diverts ever more resources towards prosecuting its war in Ukraine.

Russia also plans to ramp up state borrowing to help fund what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine in the coming years and is counting on a recovery in oil and gas revenues to pre-invasion levels to do so.

Spending under the “national defence” section of Russia’s budget will total 10.78 trillion roubles (£90bn) next year, or 29.4 per cent of total planned expenditure, according to the finance ministry’s budget documents that outline the government’s fiscal plans for 2024-2026.

In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4 per cent of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7 per cent, data on Russia’s electronic budget page showed earlier this year.

“The budget’s structure shows that the main emphasis is on ensuring our victory - the army, defence capability, armed forces, fighters - everything needed for the front, everything needed for victory is in the budget,” finance minister Anton Siluanov said last week.

Lindsey Graham warns Trump that ‘pulling the plug’ on Ukraine aid would be ‘10 times worse than Afghanistan’

06:02 , Andy Gregory

US senator Lindsey Graham cautioned that if Donald Trump were to stop sending aid to the embattled country of Ukraine if elected president, the end result would be “10 times worse than Afghanistan.”

When asked about how he would advise Mr Trump and other Republicans in Congress who have threatened to stop sending aid to the country, Mr Graham said on Face the Nation on Sunday: “To President Trump and anybody else: if we pull the plug on Ukraine, that’s 10 times worse than Afghanistan.”

“To stop funding Ukraine is a death sentence for Taiwan,” the South Carolina Republican predicted. “Putin will keep going. You missed all of World War II if you missed how this movie ends.”

He then fired shots at members of his own party: “To the Republicans who say Ukraine doesn’t matter to us: you’re wrong. Respectfully, you’re wrong. The war gets bigger, not smaller.”

“If Ukraine can beat Russia,” Mr Graham added, “China is less likely to invade Taiwan and Putin gets stopped.”

Kelly Rissman has the full story:

Lindsey Graham warns Trump of the dangers of ‘pulling the plug’ on Ukraine

Watch: Houses left destroyed in Ukrainian city after Russian bombardment of residential area

05:03 , Andy Gregory

Shapps plays down Western splits over Ukraine amid push for extra funding

04:01 , David Hughes

Vladimir Putin would be “foolish” to believe internal political rows in the West were a sign that support for Ukraine is beginning to crack, Grant Shapps said.

The Defence Secretary suggested the possibility of Donald Trump winning the next US election would not necessarily result in the “worst case scenario” of America cutting its support.

The Western alliance has suffered a series of blows in recent days, with support for Ukraine dropped from a US stop-gap budget bill, election success for a pro-Russian party in Slovakia and rows between Poland and Kyiv over grain supplies.

But speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Shapps said the Kremlin should not over-interpret domestic political wrangles.

He said: “It’s very easy to sit here, think about the single issue of Ukraine and frame everything in that context and forget about domestic politics. It’s always a mistake to think in that way.”

Shapps plays down Western splits over Ukraine amid push for extra funding

Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son ‘set to be next mercenary boss’

03:05 , Andy Gregory

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group, Telegram channels associated with the group have claimed.

Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will.

He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

My colleague Tara Cobam reports:

Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son ‘set to be next mercenary boss’

Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits: ‘They’re just meat’

21:54 , Matt Mathers

Drunk recruits. Insubordinate soldiers. Convicts.

They’re among hundreds of military and civilian offenders who’ve been pressed into Russian penal units known as “Storm-Z” squads and sent to the frontlines in Ukraine this year, according to 13 people with knowledge of the matter, including five fighters in the units.

Few live to tell their tale, the people said.

Full report:

Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits

Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

02:04 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year.

The speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, hit out at Musk’s jibe with his own post on Twitter/X: “The case when [Elon Musk] tried to conquer space, but something went wrong and in 5 minutes he was up to his eyeballs in s***,” an apparent reference to SpaceX’s failed rocket launch in April.

Ukraine’s parliament, on its official page on X, accused Musk of spreading Russian propaganda, posting its own version of the meme with a picture of Musk and the caption: “When it’s been 5 minutes and you haven’t spread Russian propaganda”.

Max Hunder has the story here:

Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

ICYMI: Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits: ‘They’re just meat’

21:51 , Matt Mathers

Drunk recruits. Insubordinate soldiers. Convicts.

They’re among hundreds of military and civilian offenders who’ve been pressed into Russian penal units known as “Storm-Z” squads and sent to the frontlines in Ukraine this year, according to 13 people with knowledge of the matter, including five fighters in the units.

Few live to tell their tale, the people said.

Full report:

Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits

Shapps slams Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

01:06 , Dominic McGrath

UK defence secretary Grant Shapps has suggested recent tweets by Elon Musk mocking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are “unhelpful”.

The senior Cabinet minister made the comments at a Conservative Party conference fringe event in Manchester, hours after the billionaire entrepreneur used Twitter/X to take aim at Mr Zelensky’s repeated requests for western support in the battle against Russian troops.

Mr Shapps, an avid social media user himself, expressed reservations about the owner of X’s recent attitudes to the war. “I think it’s unhelpful, to be blunt,” he said. “I can’t speak for him or his motivations. He’s a free individual, we live in a free world. He can tweet or X what he likes.”

“What Ukraine really needs is strong and steady friends who won’t waver,” he added.

Shapps slams Musk’s ‘unhelpful’ Ukraine commentary

Watch: Explosions from drone attack in Ukraine seen from ferry on Danube crossing

Tuesday 3 October 2023 00:11 , Andy Gregory

Row over Ukraine aid continues in US Congress

Monday 2 October 2023 23:20 , Reuters

A last-ditch weekend spending agreement avoided a US government shutdown but left pro-Ukraine officials in Washington scrambling on Monday to determine the best path forward for securing approval for billions more assistance for Kyiv.

Leaders in the Senate, narrowly controlled by president Joe Biden’s Democrats, promised to take up legislation in the coming weeks to ensure continued US security and economic support for Ukraine.

But in the Republican-led House of Representatives, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he wanted more information from the Biden administration, and a Republican pushing for his removal as speaker accused McCarthy of cutting “a secret deal” with Biden to allow the House to vote on a bill.

Opponents of Ukraine aid, many of whom are close allies of former president Donald Trump as he seeks re-election to the White House next year, kept up their drumbeat against assistance for Kyiv on Monday.

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who said he would try this week to remove McCarthy as speaker, accused McCarthy on Monday of reaching a “secret deal” with Biden for Ukraine aide, amid reports that McCarthy had agreed to allow a House vote on assistance for Kyiv after the spending bill passed.

McCarthy later denied it. He called on the administration to arrange a briefing for House members about the path it sees to reach an end to the conflict.

“Our members have a lot of questions, especially on the accountability provisions of what we want to see with the money that gets sent,” he told reporters.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre urged Congress to move quickly. “They don’t have to wait 45 days to get this done,” she told a daily press briefing, where she also expressed confidence the assistance would continue.

Analysis | Ukraine is increasing the pressure on Putin – it cannot afford support from the West to slip now

Monday 2 October 2023 22:33 , Andy Gregory

A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv that the bloc hailed as “historic” came at a difficult time for the Western alliance that has poured weapons, money and support into Ukraine’s fight against Vladimir Putin’s forces, writes journalist and author Askold Krushelnycky.

Kyiv was facing two bruising political blows as, America, her most important supporter in the war against Russia, excluded aid to Ukraine from an emergency congressional bill to prevent a government shutdown – while a pro-Kremlin candidate won the biggest share of votes in a parliamentary election in neighbouring Slovakia. It comes as a row simmers between Ukraine and another of its neighbours and closest allies, Poland, over grain exports.

These unwelcome political jolts have dampened Kyiv’s attempts to maintain an upbeat appearance. But it’s one thing to bravely shrug off horrors inflicted by an enemy and much trickier to remain sanguine in the face of attacks by friends.

The Kremlin will always look to exploit any potential cracks it sees in support for Ukraine, with Putin seemingly willing to hang on in there because of a confidence that Western support, predominantly in America, would falter and fade leaving Ukraine vulnerable. Kyiv needs its allies to stand strong.

You can read more of Askold’s thinking on the matter here:

Ukraine is upping the pressure on Putin – it cannot afford Western support to slip

US Congress didn’t include funds for Ukraine in its spending bill. How will that affect the war?

Monday 2 October 2023 21:47 , Tara Copp, Lolita C Baldor

Ukraine had little reason to celebrate when U.S. politicians approved a spending bill on Saturday that averted a widely expected government shutdown. The measure didn’t include the $6bn in military assistance that Ukraine said it urgently needed.

Now the Pentagon, White House and European allies are urging Congress to quickly reconsider. They warn that if the US stops sending ammunition, spare parts and air defences, Ukraine will be at risk of losing ground in its counteroffensive. They argue that if Russia’s invasion is not stopped in Ukraine, other nations – including Nato allies – could be endangered.

The gridlock comes as top Pentagon leaders prepare to meet next week with allies in Brussels where Ukraine is likely to be a hot topic. Here is a look at what’s been provided to date and what’s at stake:

Congress didn't include funds for Ukraine in its spending bill. How will that affect the war?

EU membership is strongest security guarantee bloc can give Kyiv, says top official

Monday 2 October 2023 21:01 , Andy Gregory

The strongest security commitment the EU can grant Kyiv is membership of the bloc, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters today in Kyiv.

Speaking at a news conference while leading a delegation of top diplomats on an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Mr Borrell insisted the EU was devoted to “sustained engagement” with Ukraine. “Our resolve — is firm and will continue,” he said.

He ticked off a list of ongoing commitments the EU has made and hopes to make, including proposed military aid of €5bn (£4.3bn) next year, a target to train some 40,000 Ukrainian troops and possible joint arms industry ventures between EU and Ukrainian defence companies.

Other signs of the EU's commitment include help with cyber defense, a demining program to enable Ukraine's postwar recovery and the reform of Ukrainian law enforcement to crack down on corruption, Mr Borrell said.

But the EU’s “strongest security commitment” for Ukraine is to grant it membership of the bloc, he added.

Zelensky aide says cheaper weapons could be more effective in countering Russian drones

Monday 2 October 2023 20:13 , Andy Gregory

An adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a reassessment of Western anti-aircraft systems being supplied to Ukraine, saying simpler and cheaper weapons could be more cost-efficient in countering Russia’s Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Mykhailo Podolyak said the issue was not just one of securing more anti-aircraft systems “but primarily solving a mathematical problem lying in the economics of war”.

While Western systems, like NASAMS and Iris-T, were used to down missiles, he said, using them to intercept Shaheds may not be cost-effective, Podolyak wrote in English on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “Thus, it leads to depletion of allied stockpiles and long-term weakening,” Mr Podolyak wrote.

“The solution is obvious: in addition to mobile large-caliber machine guns, there are plenty of simpler and cheaper anti-aircraft systems available today that have proven themselves to be effective against Shaheds. These include Gepard and Vampire.”

The Gepard is an anti-aircraft-gun tank made in Germany. The US-made Vampire counter-drone system consists of a laser-guided missile launcher than can be installed on a truck bed.

Such scaling-down, Mr Podolyak wrote, “will minimise the effect of Russian ‘raids’ and ensure long-term stability of Ukrainian skies and our neighbouring Nato countries”.

EU ‘remains united’ in support for Ukraine, foreign policy chief says in Kyiv

Monday 2 October 2023 19:14 , AP

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has led a delegation of senior diplomats on an unannounced visit to Kyiv and dismissed concerns about political tension in the bloc over its long-term support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Though largely symbolic, the informal meeting with Ukrainian diplomats demonstrated the EU’s “clear commitment” to Ukraine in its 19-month-long war, Josep Borrell said. “The EU remains united in its support to Ukraine... I don’t see any member state folding on their engagement,” he told a news conference in Kyiv.

The gathering was the first time EU foreign ministers have met outside the bloc – and in a war zone, according to Mr Borrell.

Mr Borrell insisted the EU is committed to “sustained engagement” with Ukraine. “Our resolve... is firm and will continue,” he said.

White House has been in touch with allies over potential delays in new Ukraine funding

Monday 2 October 2023 18:32 , Andy Gregory

The White House has been in touch with allies and partners about continued funding for Ukraine and those conversations will continue, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre has said.

The US Congress passed a stopgap bill on Saturday which extended government funding for more than a month and avoided a government shutdown – but did not contain any new aid for Ukraine.

Watch: Destruction in Ukraine's eastern village of Klishchiivka captured in aerial footage

Monday 2 October 2023 18:05 , Andy Gregory

Mexico’s president criticises ‘irrational’ US spending on Ukraine

Monday 2 October 2023 17:38 , Andy Gregory

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has claimed US military spending on Ukraine is “irrational,” as he urged Washington to devote more resources to helping Latin American countries, as he has long done.

During his daily press conference, Mr Lopez Obrador criticised the US Congress for not freeing up money for the region, before making reference to wrangling last week on a stopgap funding bill that stripped out further aid for Ukraine.

“I was just looking at how now they’re not authorising aid for the war in Ukraine,” he said. “But how much have they destined for the Ukraine war? $30-50 billion for the war. Which is the most irrational thing you can have. And damaging.”

Mr Lopez Obrador has sought to keep Mexico neutral in the war, and criticised western military aid for Kyiv. He has also proposed peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A fortnight ago, he defended the presence of a Russian military unit in a weekend parade marking Mexico’s independence day.

Slovakia summons Russian diplomat over ‘pre-election interference’

Monday 2 October 2023 17:05 , Andy Gregory

Slovakia’s foreign ministry has summoned a Russian embassy representative in protest over statements made ahead of Saturday’s election by the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin.

The ministry said the comments, which it said were false, came during a pre-election moratorium on information that may benefit or harm candidates. It accused Russia of spreading disinformation, which Russia has denied.

The SVR said in a statment on Thursday that the United States had instructed allies to work with local business and political circles to “ensure the voting results demanded by the Americans” and that the pro-Western liberal Progresivne Slovensko – which the statement characterised as US proxies – should win.

The Slovak ministry said: “The department of diplomacy strongly protests against the false statement of Russian intelligence which cast doubt on the integrity of the free and democratic election in Slovakia.

“We consider such deliberately spread disinformation to be unacceptable interference by the Russian Federation in the election process.”

The SMER-SSD party of leftist former prime minister Robert Fico, who has pledged to end Slovak military support for Ukraine and opposes sanctions on Russia, won the most votes in Saturday’s election. Progressive Slovakia came second.

On Monday, Mr Fico received a mandate from president Zuzana Caputova to begin negotiations on forming a coalition government. His most likely partners are the moderate-left HLAS party, which analysts say would tame any policy change, and a small party of pro-Russian nationalists.

Two killed and 10 wounded by Russian shelling in Kherson, say officials

Monday 2 October 2023 16:32 , Andy Gregory

Two people have been killed and 10 wounded in the latest Russian shelling of Kherson, according to officials in the southern Ukrainian region.

Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces bombarded residential areas, shops, medical infrastructure and other infrastructure overight.

One of the dead was a policeman killed in shelling on Monday morning, he said, and children were among those wounded in overnight attacks on the regional capital, which was recaptured by Kyiv last November after months of Russian occuption.

Roman Mrochko, head of Kherson city’s military administration, said 22 people had been killed in shelling of the city and settlements around it in September alone.

EU foreign chief proposes new multibillion fund

Monday 2 October 2023 16:03 , Andy Gregory

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has proposed to Ukraine a new bilateral multi-annual envelope of the European peace facility of up to €5bn (£4.3bn) for the next year – equating to around a 12th of the UK’s projected annual defence budget in 2024/5.

“I hope we can reach an agreement before the end of the year”, he also said at a joint press briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kaluba.

Ukraine calls for transfer of frozen Russian assets to Kyiv to be expedited

Monday 2 October 2023 15:43 , Andy Gregory

Legal work should be accelerated on the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Kyiv, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

After a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Kyiv, Mr Kuleba said more clarity on the judicial aspects of how to transfer Russian assets would benefit both the EU and Ukraine.

These assets, he said, could help fund Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts following Russia’s invasion.

Britain’s defence secretary says Musk remarks on Zelensky were ‘unhelpful'

Monday 2 October 2023 15:05 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s defence secretary Grant Shapps has suggested recent social media posts by Elon Musk mocking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky were “unhelpful”.

Speaking at a ConservativeHome fringe event in Manchester about posts by the Twitter/X owner, Mr Shapps said: “I think it’s unhelpful, to be blunt.”

He declined to criticise Mr Musk directly, saying it’s a “free world”, and adding: “He can tweet or X what he likes. What Ukraine really needs is strong and steady friends who won’t waver.”

Irish minister says rifle training for Ukrainians is effectively ‘humanitarian’

Monday 2 October 2023 14:39 , Andy Gregory

Ireland’s foreign minister Micheal Martin has defended the decision to allow Irish soldiers to provide rifle training to Ukrainian soldiers as being a type of non-lethal aid, arguing it is “humanitarian to defend your people”.

“Overall, by the way, can I say that our contribution relative to others is modest, to be frank, in terms of the training side. And up to now, it’s been primarily in casualty or combat casualty,” he said on RTE’s News at One.

When asked whether rifle training extended beyond non-lethal aid, Mr Martin said there was “a degree of overstatement” in some of the descriptions of Ireland’s assistance to Ukraine, adding: “It’s humanitarian to defend your people.

“I think there is a basic self-defence issue there that we have to be conscious of in terms of civilians and so forth, the people who have joined the Ukraine defence forces, and I wouldn’t overstate it at all, as some have endeavoured to do.

“In the context of the European [assistance], we do not provide lethal aid, that’s just a reality, that’s the factual position, we don’t.”

Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

Monday 2 October 2023 13:25 , Barney Davis

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year.

Max Hunder reports:

Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky

German arms donations to Ukraine quadruple in last year

Monday 2 October 2023 13:15 , Barney Davis

German exports of military equipment to Ukraine grew more than fourfold so far this year, making Kyiv the main recipient of German arms, the economy ministry said on Monday.

Ukraine accounted for 3.3 billion euros ($3.48 billion) out of Germany’s total value of authorised military exports of 8.76 billion euros in the first nine months of the year.

By contrast, for the same period last year, 775 million euros’ worth of equipment had been approved for Ukraine.

Germany has repeatedly promised to support Ukraine for as long as necessary following the Russian invasion in February 2022, which prompted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to speak of a turning point in Germany’s attitude towards defence.

US omission of Ukraine funding ‘a setback for Kyiv’ claims Kremlin

Monday 2 October 2023 12:30 , Barney Davis

The Kremlin said on Monday it believed a decision by U.S. Congress to pass a stopgap funding bill that omitted aid for Ukraine was a temporary setback for Kyiv.

Congress passed legislation on Saturday which extended funding for more than a month to avoid a government shutdown but did not include any aid for Kyiv, despite Washington’s status as Ukraine’s biggest financial and military backer.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Obviously, this (the U.S. setback) is a temporary phenomenon. America will continue its involvement in this conflict, in fact direct involvement,” said Peskov.

“But we have repeatedly said before that according to our forecasts fatigue from this conflict, fatigue from the completely absurd sponsorship of the Kyiv regime, will grow in various countries, including the United States.

“And this fatigue will lead to the fragmentation of the political establishment and the growth of contradictions.”

US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a visit to Washington last month that Washington would maintain strong support for Ukraine in the war despite opposition from some Republican lawmakers.

Wagner succession: Prigozhin’s son set to be next mercenary boss

Monday 2 October 2023 11:57 , Barney Davis

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group.

Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will.

He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son set to be next mercenary boss

Two police officers among injured in Kherson blast

Monday 2 October 2023 11:24 , Barney Davis

A Russian air strike on a transport office in Kherson has injured two police officers, it has emerged.

The strike which came early on Monday morning injured 4, Kherson Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

At least one of the victims is in serious condition, local officials reported.

According to the prosecutors, Russia carried out the attack at 10am most likely using artillery.

Russian forces targeted Kherson and the surrounding oblast 71 times over the past day, killing one person and injuring six others, including two children, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

UK believes US and Poland will keep up their support for Ukraine despite election pressures

Monday 2 October 2023 11:18 , Barney Davis

Grant Shapps said he believed that the United States and Poland would maintain their strong support for Ukraine despite domestic pressures related to their upcoming elections.

Britain would continue to back Kyiv regardless of what happened elsewhere as it had since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, he said.

A weekend U.S. budget deal to avert imminent government shutdown did not include aid for Ukraine, while Poland, which elects a new parliament on October 15 has said it would no longer agree to new arms deliveries to Kyiv but rebuild its own stocks.

Shapps, who on Sunday announced Britain was sending 4 Typhoon jets to Poland, said it was understandable that any tensions over backing for Ukraine would surface during an election but Poland’s support had been “magnificent” so far.

“I very much hope and believe that when the elections happen there and things are more settled, a sensible, common sense approach will be taken,” he said at an event at the Conservative party conference.

‘Ukraine respects Slovakia election’ minister says as new leader Robert Fico promises ‘not a single round’ for war-torn nation

Monday 2 October 2023 10:53 , Barney Davis

Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Monday it was too early to assess the impact on Ukraine from the victory of a pro-Russian candidate in Slovakia’s parliamentary election.

Robert Fico, whose SMER-SSD party won Saturday’s vote, was set to begin coalition talks on forming a government widely considered likely to join Hungary in opposing the European Union’s military aid for Ukraine.

“Ukraine respects the choice that the people of Slovakia made,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv.

“I think it’s too early to judge how these elections will impact the support of Ukraine. We have to wait until the coalition is formed,” he told reporters before greeting EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Slovakia is a member of the NATO military alliance, which is backing Ukraine against Russia’s 19-month-old invasion, but many of its people are sympathetic to Moscow’s line that the West wants to annihilate it.

Fico, whose election campaign included a call of “Not a single round” for Ukraine, told a press conference on Sunday: “We are prepared to help with the reconstruction of the state, but you know our opinion on arming Ukraine.”

Russia’s Black Fleet struggling to deal with ‘concurrent threats’ in south of Ukraine

Monday 2 October 2023 10:03 , Barney Davis

The Ministry of Defence has warned Russians are struggling to deal with threats coming from Ukraine’s southern flank.

“The Naval Aviation component of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has assumed a particularly important role in the Fleet’s operations as it struggles to deal with concurrent threats on the southern flank of the Ukraine war,” the ministry posted on X.

“Russia is attempting to use naval air power to project force over the northwestern Black Sea.”

They added: “Su-24 FENCER and FLANKER variant combat jets conduct maritime strike operations, including at least one recent air strike on the strategically located Snake Island.”

Ukraine says US support not waning as Rishi Sunak denies plans to send military instructors

Monday 2 October 2023 09:28 , Barney Davis

Ukraine’s top diplomat said the United States’ support for Kyiv was not weakening after a stopgap funding bill passed by U.S. Congress failed to include aid to Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: “We don’t feel that the U.S support has been shattered... because the United States understands that what is at stake in Ukraine is much bigger than just Ukraine,” he told reporters as he greeted European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv.

“It’s about the stability and predictability of the world and therefore I believe we will be able to find necessary solutions.”

There are no immediate plans to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday, rowing back from comments by his defence minister who had suggested troops could carry out training in the country.

To date, Britain and its allies have avoided a formal military presence in Ukraine to reduce the risk of a direct conflict with Russia.

British defence minister Grant Shapps, who was appointed to the role last month, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that he wanted to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, in addition to training Ukrainian armed forces in Britain or other Western countries.

Russians launches wave of Robotyne counterattacks, US thinktank says

Monday 2 October 2023 08:29 , Barney Davis

Russian forces are making headway with tactical counterattacks in the Robotyne area.

Intense fighting has seen significant field fortifications have changed hands several times, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Geolocated footage posted on September 30 shows Ukrainian forces striking Russian troops trying to enter a trench system near the T0408 Robotyne—Tokmak road.

Ukraine had previously held the interconnected system of trenches, firing systems, and dugouts that lie between Robotyne and Novoprokopivka.

Pavel Prigozhin’s son topped to take over Wagner Group

Monday 2 October 2023 08:02 , Barney Davis

A US thinktank believes that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son, Pavel Prigozhin, stands to inherit his deceased father’s millions and control of his mercenary fighters - the Wagner Group.

As he lay flowers at his dead father’s mural Pavel is already believed to be negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over bringing the fighters back to combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Pavel emerges as an alternative Wagner commander to Andrey Troshev, who has already signed up with the defence ministry and was publicly embraced by Vladimir Putin.

It indicates “some Wagner personnel are interested in rallying around a Prigozhin-linked alternative to the Kremlin and MoD-aligned Troshev”, the ISW said.

“It is unclear what the Kremlin thinks the relationship[s] between Wagner elements and the Russian government are,” the thinktank said.

Governer warns Kherson to stay in shelters after one killed and two injured in Russian shelling

Monday 2 October 2023 07:49 , Barney Davis

Kherson’s regional governor warned people to stay in their shelters after overnight Russian strikes killed at least one person and injured six, including two children.

On the Telegram messaging app the governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said Russian forces had launched 71 attacks in the past 24 hours, “aimed at the residential districts”, as well as shops and medical infrastructure, among other establishments.

He posted: “Kherson region, missile danger! Also, strike drones are moving towards the region! Stay in shelters!”

Twenty of the air and land attacks targeted the city of Kherson, the region’s administrative district, the governor added, while authorities promptly doused a fire sparked by shelling early on Monday.

There was no immediate comment from Russia.

No plans to send British troops to Ukraine, says UK PM

Monday 2 October 2023 06:00 , Joe Middleton

British prime minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday there were no immediate plans to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, rowing back from reported comments by his defence minister that he wanted to begin training Ukrainian troops in the country.

British defence minister Grant Shapps, who was appointed to the role last month, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that he wanted to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, in addition to training Ukrainian armed forces in Britain or other Western countries.

Hours after that interview was published, Sunak said there were no immediate plans to send British troops to Ukraine.

“What the defence secretary was saying was that it might well be possible one day in the future for us to do some of that training in Ukraine,” Sunak told reporters at the start of the governing Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester.

“But that’s something for the long term, not the here and now. There are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict.”

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday said any British soldiers training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Russian forces.

Ukraine aid left out of US government funding package, raising questions about future support

Monday 2 October 2023 05:00 , Joe Middleton

Congressional supporters of Ukraine say they won’t give up after a bill to keep the federal government open excluded Joe Biden’s request to provide more security assistance to the war-torn nation.

Still, many lawmakers acknowledge that winning approval for Ukraine assistance in Congress is growing more difficult as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on. Republican resistance to the aid has been gaining momentum in the halls of Congress.

Voting in the House this past week pointed to the potential trouble ahead. Nearly half of House Republicans voted to strip $300m from a defence spending bill to train Ukrainian soldiers and purchase weapons. The money later was approved separately, but opponents of Ukraine support celebrated their growing numbers.

Ukraine aid left out of US government funding package that averted shutdown

Zelensky urges Ukrainian victory over Russia at national event honouring country’s military

Monday 2 October 2023 04:00 , Joe Middleton

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ukrainian soldiers for their efforts in the war against Russia and said “ahead is our victory” in an event celebrating the country’s military.

The Ukrainian president made the comments on Sunday while marking the Day of the Defenders, a national event honouring the country’s veterans and those killed in battle.

In an address published by the Kyiv Post, he said: “Today we thank everyone who stood, stands and will stand strong. All those who were the first to take on a difficult battle.

Zelensky urges Ukrainian victory over Russia at event honouring country’s military

Russia ‘shoots down five Ukrainian drones’ in Smolensk and Krasnodar regions

Monday 2 October 2023 03:00 , Joe Middleton

Russia said on Sunday that air defences had shot down five Ukrainian drones over the western Smolensk region and one over the southern Krasnodar region.

Air defences shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Krasnodar region at around 0500 GMT, Russia’s defence ministry said.

At around 0600 GMT, Russia shot down three drones over the Smolensk region and at 0700 GMT shot down two more over the region, Russia’s defence ministry said.

Ukraine needs more military aid, says top EU diplomat

Monday 2 October 2023 02:00 , Joe Middleton

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday that Ukraine needed more military aid and he promised ongoing EU support.

“Ukraine needs more capabilities & needs them faster,” he said in a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He said he had discussed “continuous EU military assistance” during his first in-person meeting with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

“We are preparing long-term security commitments for Ukraine,” Borrell added.

This week the European Defence Agency said in response to questions from Reuters that seven EU countries had ordered ammunition under a procurement scheme to get urgently needed artillery shells to Ukraine and replenish depleted Western stocks.

Nothing will weaken Ukraine’s resolve in war against Russia, says Zelensky

Monday 2 October 2023 01:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech released on Sunday that nothing would weaken his country’s fight against Russia, a day after the US Congress passed a stopgap funding bill that omitted aid to Ukraine.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said separately he had received reassurances about further military assistance in a telephone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“Secretary Austin assured me,” he wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, using flags in place of country names, that U.S. support to Ukraine “will continue” and that Ukrainian “warriors will continue to have a strong back-up on the battlefield.”

Zelensky, in a recorded speech marking the Defenders Day holiday, did not address the vote in Congress directly, but reiterated his determination to fight to victory.

No one could “shut down” Ukraine‘s stability, endurance, strength and courage, he said, echoing a Ukrainian verb often used to refer to power outages caused by Russian attacks.

He added that Ukraine would only stop resisting and fighting on the day of victory. “As we draw closer to it every day, we say, ‘We will fight for as long as it takes.’”

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that Republicans had pledged to provide Ukraine aid through a separate vote and US support could not be interrupted “under any circumstances.”

Ukraine aid left out of US government funding package, raising questions about future support

Sunday 1 October 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

Congressional supporters of Ukraine say they won’t give up after a bill to keep the federal government open excluded Joe Biden’s request to provide more security assistance to the war-torn nation.

Still, many lawmakers acknowledge that winning approval for Ukraine assistance in Congress is growing more difficult as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on. Republican resistance to the aid has been gaining momentum in the halls of Congress.

Voting in the House this past week pointed to the potential trouble ahead. Nearly half of House Republicans voted to strip $300m from a defence spending bill to train Ukrainian soldiers and purchase weapons.

Ukraine aid left out of US government funding package that averted shutdown