Ukraine-Russia war – live: Moscow fails in bid to return to UN’s top human rights body

Russia failed in its bid to return to the United Nations’ top human rights body on Tuesday, in a sign Moscow will continue to be isolated on the international stage.

In a secret ballot, Russia won 83 votes versus 160 for Bulgaria and 123 for Albania, which both competed against it for two seats on the Human Rights Council.

“UN member states sent a strong signal to Russia’s leadership that a government responsible for countless war crimes and crimes against humanity doesn’t belong there,” said Louis Charbonneau, United Nations director at Human Rights Watch.

Russia was ousted from the council 18 months ago following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched 36 Iranian-made attack drones, targeting the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, the Ukrainian military reported, adding that air defence systems destroyed 27 drones.

Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said unspecified “logistics infrastructure” in his region had been damaged but that no injuries were reported.

Elsewhere, Volodymyr Zelensky today he had “good news” on artillery and air defence supplies after talks with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest.

Key Points

• Russian bid to return to UN rights body fails after vote

• Russia sends dozens of drones into Ukraine in latest air strike

• Ukraine makes advances near Bakhmut

• UN members condemn village wake bombing

• Record number of Russian drone attacks expected this winter

• A community remembers its dead after heavy bombing kills 52 people

• Russian forces carried out 59 attacks on Kherson provence

Russian bid to return to UN rights body fails after vote

Tuesday 10 October 2023 17:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia failed in its bid to return to the United Nations’ top human rights body on Tuesday, which will see Moscow continue to be isolated.

In the secret ballot, Russia won 83 votes versus 160 for Bulgaria and 123 for Albania, which had competed against it in the same eastern Europe grouping for two seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.

“UN member states sent a strong signal to Russia’s leadership that a government responsible for countless war crimes and crimes against humanity doesn’t belong there,” said Louis Charbonneau, United Nations director at Human Rights Watch. There was no immediate reaction from Moscow.

Russia was ousted from the council 18 months ago in a U.S.-led diplomatic push following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Amid creeping signs of Ukraine war “fatigue”, some diplomats had said Russia had a reasonable chance of getting voted back onto the council.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits neighboring Romania to discuss security and boost ties

06:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to neighboring Romania on Tuesday for talks with his counterpart on regional security and strengthening bilateral ties against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of his country.

Zelenskyy met with President Klaus Iohannis in the capital, Bucharest. The two are also expected to discuss security cooperation in the Black Sea region, Zelenskyy said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

After he arrived in Romania, Zelenskyy described the NATO and European Union member country as “a friend who came to our help on our darkest day and whose support gets stronger with time.”

Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits neighboring Romania to discuss security and boost ties

Uefa backtracks on plans to reintegrate Russia to Under-17s competition

05:00 , Joe Middleton

A controversial plan to admit Russian under-17 teams to Uefa competitions amid the invasion of Ukraine has been shelved.

In late September, a motion passed by Uefa’s executive committee had asked the organisation’s administrators to look at a “technical solution” to enable the under-17 boys and girls teams to enter qualification for finals tournaments due to take place in Cyprus and Sweden next year.

A number of associations, including the English Football Association, had announced their opposition to the plan, insisting that England teams would not line up against Russian opponents under any circumstances.

Uefa backtracks on plans to reintegrate Russia to Under-17s competition

Russia claims it will try to help resolve Israel-Palestine conflict

04:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia will try to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Kremlin claimed.

Moscow has long-standing historical ties with the Palestinians but also “a lot in common” with Israel, including the fact that many Israelis are former Russian citizens, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Therefore, we maintain relations with both sides of this conflict,” he said.

“We conduct contacts and take part in all the - unfortunately few - formats that are looking for common ground for a settlement and which do not work very effectively, as recent practice has shown.

“But nevertheless, we intend to keep making efforts and play our role in terms of providing assistance to seek ways to a settlement.”

NATO to support allies affected by alleged pipeline attack

03:00 , Alexander Butler

NATO is ready to support allies affected by an alleged attack on a key gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, NATO general-secretary Jens Stoltenberg said: “Spoke with President Sauli Niinisto on damage to undersea infrastructure between Estonia & Finland. NATO is sharing information & stands ready to support Allies concerned.”

Estonia and Finland taking alleged attack ‘very seriously'

02:00 , Alexander Butler

Estonia and Finland are taking an alleged attack on a key gas pipeline connecting the two countries ‘very seriously’ the Estonian prime minister said.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, prime minister Kaja Kallas said: “I convened ministers and relevant authorities to discuss incidents regarding Baltic Connector and an undersea communication cable.

“While there’s no threat to our security of supply, both Estonia and Finland are taking the incidents very seriously.”

Estonian prime minister to remain in ‘close contact’ with NATO

01:00 , Alexander Butler

The Estonian prime minister has said she will remain in ‘close contact’ with NATO after an alleged attack on a key gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I called Jens Stoltenberg to brief him on the incidents related to Baltic Connector and a submarine communications cable between Estonia and Finland.

“We discussed how to increase the protection of critical infrastructure in light of this. We agreed to remain in close contact.”

Ursula von der Leyen condemns alleged pipeline attack

Wednesday 11 October 2023 00:00 , Alexander Butler

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has condemned the alleged attack on a key gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I held calls with Prime Ministers Kaja Kallas and Petteri Orpo on the on-going investigations into the damage on the gas pipeline and data cable connecting Estonia and Finland. I strongly condemn any act of destruction of critical infrastructure.”

NATO Secretary-General says organisation is ready to support Finland

Tuesday 10 October 2023 23:00 , Alexander Butler

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reacted to Finland’s claim that one of its pipelines to Estonia had been attacked.

He said the alliance was sharing its information over the damage to underwater infrastructure between the two member countries - and that it stood ready to support the allies concerned.

Russia accuses US of nuclear testing

Tuesday 10 October 2023 22:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia accused the United States of carrying out preparations at its nuclear test site in Nevada but said that Moscow would not restart its own nuclear testing programme unless Washington did.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the charge as Russia’s lower house of parliament urgently studies how to revoke Moscow’s ratification of a landmark treaty banning nuclear tests and as tensions with the West are at their highest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson rejected Ryabkov’s allegation, calling it “a disturbing effort by Moscow to heighten nuclear risks and raise tensions in the context of its illegal war in Ukraine.”

UK ready to help Finland in pipeline investigation, says Sunak

Tuesday 10 October 2023 20:49 , Alexander Butler

The UK is “ready to support” Finland with its investigation into damage to a gas pipeline connecting the country with Estonia, prime minister Rishi Sunak said.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Sunak said: “As NATO allies and friends, we are committed to the security of the Baltic Sea. The UK stands ready to support you with your investigation.”

Bulgaria arrests 12 people accused of violating export rules to Russia

Tuesday 10 October 2023 20:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Bulgarian police have arrested 12 people accused of illegally exporting dual-use goods to Russia that can be used by the Russian military in the war in Ukraine.

The Interior Ministry chief secretary Zhivko Kotsev told reporters on Tuesday the suspects included citizens of Bulgaria, Russia and Belarus.

The operation to arrest the suspects was carried out by several agencies after the State Agency for National Security received information about the illegal transfer of goods with possible dual use, the agency head Plamen Tonchev said.

Such exports to Russia are banned under EU sanctions imposed on Russia after it launched its war in Ukraine.

“An international network has been revealed for the illegal supply of dual-use goods with civilian and military applications from European countries to the Russian Federation,” Mr Tonchev said.

He added that the shipments were not intended for the regular Russian army, but for the special forces fighting in Ukraine, such as the Akhmat paramilitary unit.

Mr Tonchev also said that the criminal group has been operating in other EU member states, as well as in Britain, Serbia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Damage to gas pipeline, telecom cable connecting Finland and Estonia caused by 'external activity'

Tuesday 10 October 2023 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Damage to an undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia appears to have been caused by “external activity,” Finnish officials said Tuesday, adding that authorities were investigating.

Finnish and Estonian gas system operators on Sunday said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector pipeline after which they shut down the gas flow.

The Finnish government on Tuesday said there was damage both to the gas pipeline and to a telecommunications cable between the two NATO countries.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stopped short of calling the pipeline leak sabotage but said it could not have been caused by regular operations.

“According to a preliminary assessment, the observed damage could not have occurred as a result of normal use of the pipe or pressure fluctuations. It is likely that the damage is the result of external activity,” Orpo said.

Zelensky thanks Germany for military aid package

Tuesday 10 October 2023 19:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s Volodymr Zelensky said he is “grateful to Germany for today’s large military aid package. Patriot, IRIS-T, Gepard, tanks, armored vehicles, and other items”.

Uefa backtracks on plans to reintegrate Russia to Under-17s competition

Tuesday 10 October 2023 18:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A controversial plan to admit Russian under-17 teams to Uefa competitions amid the invasion of Ukraine has been shelved.

In late September, a motion passed by Uefa’s executive committee had asked the organisation’s administrators to look at a “technical solution” to enable the under-17 boys and girls teams to enter qualification for finals tournaments due to take place in Cyprus and Sweden next year.

A number of associations, including the English Football Association, had announced their opposition to the plan, insisting that England teams would not line up against Russian opponents under any circumstances.

Uefa backtracks on plans to reintegrate Russia to Under-17s competition

Zelensky says Russia trying to incite war in the Middle East

Tuesday 10 October 2023 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Zelensky says Russia trying to incite war in the Middle East

What is the UN Human Rights Council and what does it do? Part two

Tuesday 10 October 2023 18:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

- The U.N. Human Rights Council meets three times a year at the U.N. in Geneva in sessions attended by diplomats, ministers, presidents, civil society and human rights victims and activists.

- It also holds regular peer review sessions where countries scrutinise each other’s human rights records.

- The body does not have legally binding powers but its meetings raise scrutiny and it can mandate investigations to document abuses, which sometimes form the basis for war crimes prosecutions.

- Russia was suspended in April 2022 following a U.S.-led push after its invasion of Ukraine. Council suspensions are rare.

- The United States under former president Donald Trump walked out of the body in 2018 over an alleged chronic bias against Israel. It has since rejoined and is a voting member.

- The council opened an investigation in March 2022 into the Ukraine war and has accused Russian forces of violations that may constitute crimes against humanity. It also appointed an investigator into Russia‘s domestic rights record last year.

- Other ongoing probes include an international investigation into repression in Iran and an inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

What is the UN Human Rights Council and what does it do? Part one

Tuesday 10 October 2023 17:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia missed out on a bid to return to the United Nations’ top human rights body on Tuesday, losing a vote to Albania and Bulgaria at the General Assembly in New York.

Here is what the U.N. Human Rights Council does:

- The United Nations Human Rights Council has 47 voting members from five regional groups. They are elected for three years for a maximum period of two consecutive terms.

- Members are voted on by secret ballot by the General Assembly in New York.

- In this vote, 17 countries competed for 15 seats starting from 2024-2026.

- The body was created in 2006 and is responsible for “promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in a fair and equal manner”.

- It replaced the Human Rights Commission which was dissolved partly due to a controversy over membership.

- New rules were created on eligibility meant to prevent major abusers getting voting rights.

Russians who back Ukraine should be sent to region known for Gulag camps - continued

Tuesday 10 October 2023 16:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

For Russians, Magadan is synonymous with the Gulag - a series of forced labour camps where Russians were used as slave labour under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

About 800,000 people are estimated to have passed through the camps of Magadan between 1932 -- seven years before the city was officially founded -- and the mid-1950s.

Overall, around 18 million people passed through the Soviet Gulag, which was immortalised by Russian novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn - himself a survivor of incarceration there - in “The Gulag Archipelago”. His book was banned in the Soviet Union after its 1973 publication in the West.

The full Volodin remark was published on the Telegram messaging app by the State Duma’s press service.

The post elicited a mixture of resigned sarcasm, calls for Russian politicians to actually put their words into action, and also some humour.

One anonymous reply to the post on Telegram suggested that the Magadan region, a vast and sparsely populated area, might not cope with such an influx so the new arrivals should be put to work on building a new city.

Russians who back Ukraine should be sent to region known for Gulag camps - Duma speaker

Tuesday 10 October 2023 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russians who leave the country and support Ukraine should be sent to a far eastern region known for its Stalin-era Gulag prison camps if they ever return home, according to the speaker of Russia‘s State Duma lower house of parliament.

Russia‘s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and its subsequent mobilisation campaign prompted at least several hundred thousand Russians to leave their homeland, though it is unclear exactly how many.

More than a year and a half of war has made Russia a much shriller place: dissidents have been jailed; state television periodically discusses nuclear attacks on the West; and some politicians have suggested rather quixotic policies.

Vyachelav Volodin, the speaker of the Duma, told lawmakers on Tuesday that those who had left Russia and rejoiced at Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on their country should know that they were no longer welcome in their homeland.

“Those who left the country and committed despicable acts, rejoicing at the shots fired on the territory of the Russian Federation, wishing victory to the bloody Nazi Kyiv regime, should realise that no one is waiting for them here - but if they do come back, then Magadan will be provided for them,” Volodin said.

Russia will only resume nuclear tests if the US does it first, a top Russian diplomat says

Tuesday 10 October 2023 15:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will move to revoke the ratification of a global nuclear test ban to put itself on par with the United States but will only resume nuclear tests if Washington does it first, a senior Russian diplomat said Tuesday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters that Moscow will rescind the ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty to “mirror” the action by the U.S. He added that if the U.S. conducts a nuclear test, “we will be forced to mirror that as well.”

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996 and known as the CTBT, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, although it has never fully entered into force. It was signed by both the Russian and U.S. presidents but was never ratified by the U.S.

Russia will only resume nuclear tests if the US does it first, a top Russian diplomat says

UN set to decide on Russia’s Human Rights Council membership as Putin ‘uses Ukrainian grain to buy votes’

Tuesday 10 October 2023 15:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is poised to discover whether its efforts to rejoin the UN’s Human Rights Council – using stolen Ukrainian grain to win votes in the process – have been successful.

A secret ballot of UN member states will be held later on Tuesday to allocate 15 seats for the top human rights body, more than a year after Russia was booted out for invading Ukraine.

Experts previously told The Independent that Russia will try to lure African allies and other friendly nations with stolen Ukrainian grain and arms in exchange for their votes. The vote is seen as a key test of Western efforts to keep Moscow diplomatically isolated.

Putin is using stolen Ukraine grain to buy UN votes. Will it work?

Two top Polish army commanders quit 5 days ahead of election

Tuesday 10 October 2023 15:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two top Polish army commanders quit on Tuesday, spokespeople said, just days ahead of a parliamentary election in which the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has made national security a key issue in its bid for an unprecedented third term in power.

No reason was given for the resignations.

However, they come against a backdrop of heightened tension between the upper echelons of the armed forces and the government, after Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in May the army had failed to inform him of a missile heading towards the country in December.

Polish media reported that a military object found in a forest in northern Poland in April was a Russian KH-55 missile, and that Polish armed forces had seen an object entering the country’s air space in December but then had lost track of it.

On Tuesday, armed forces operational commander Tomasz Piotrowski and chief of staff Rajmund Andrzejczak submitted their resignations, spokespeople for the respective services told Reuters.

“I can confirm that the operational commander (Piotrowski) has terminated his employment relationship. He has resigned from professional military service,” said the press spokesman for the Polish Armed Forces, Jacek Goryszewski.

The resignations were first reported by Rzeczpospolita daily.

Russia faces a tough fight to regain its seat in the UN's top human rights body

Tuesday 10 October 2023 14:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia faces a tough fight to regain a seat in the U.N.’s premiere human rights body in Tuesday’s election in the General Assembly, which voted last year to suspend Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.

The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the U.N.’s five regional groups.

Russia is competing against Albania and Bulgaria for two seats allotted to the East European regional group, and Moscow’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused the United States on Monday of leading a campaign to prevent their return to the council.

Russia faces a tough fight to regain its seat in the UN's top human rights body

Ukraine makes advances near Bakhmut

Tuesday 10 October 2023 14:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine has made advances south of the Bakhmut region in Donetsk as they have seen “partial gains” near Andriivka, officials have reported.

The army repelled four Russian attacks near Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said, and continued their assault operations south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainian soldiers succeeded in “inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy and consolidating their positions,” the report added.

Sixty Russian schools renamed to honor Russian soldiers

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:27 , Alexander Butler

At least sixty Russian schools have been renamed to honor Russian soldiers, reports suggest. Two schools in Vladivostok and Balashikha near Moscow are named after mercenaries of the Wagner PMC, according to Russia news outlet Important Stories.

One of the schools in the Khabarovsk Territory was renamed in honor of all the “heroes of the Northern Military District” at once.

Zelensky says ‘good news’ on air defence after talks in Romania

Tuesday 10 October 2023 13:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he had “good news” on artillery and air defence supplies after talks with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest, but gave no details.

“My main accent today was air defence. And I’m glad that Ukraine was heard by the Romanian side,” Zelensky, who has been seeking more arms to defend Ukraine against Russia‘s invasion, told a joint press conference in the Romanian capital.

Zelensky also said everything possible should be done to prevent Russia turning part of the Black Sea or the Danube region into what he described as a maritime “dead zone”.

Russia has pulled out of a deal that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, and has been attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River.

Zelensky claims Russia ‘helped’ violence in Middle East

Tuesday 10 October 2023 13:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed the conflict in Israel-Palestine on Russia, claiming the country is among those “who helped” and is “behind such moves”.

‘A friend who came to help on our darkest day’: Zelensky visits Romania

Tuesday 10 October 2023 13:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to neighbouring Romania on Tuesday for talks with his counterpart on regional security and strengthening bilateral ties against the backdrop of Russia‘s invasion of his country.

Mr Zelensky met with President Klaus Iohannis in the capital, Bucharest. The two are also expected to discuss security co-operation in the Black Sea region, Mr Zelensky said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

After he arrived in Romania, Mr Zelensky described the Nato and European Union member country as “a friend who came to our help on our darkest day and whose support gets stronger with time”.

“Ukraine is grateful for Romania’s support, which strengthens our state, as well as its constructive solidarity, which enables our nations to be security donors for the world, notably in food security,” Mr Zelensky said.

Putin could restart banned nuclear tests

Tuesday 10 October 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has given Russian lawmakers 10 days to find how best to revoke Moscow’s ratification of a critical nuclear treaty which bans Russia from testing atomic weapons shortly after he suggested the possibility of resuming such testing.

The chair of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) Vyacheslav Volodin and other parliament heads laid out a deadline for Russian lawmakers to study the de-ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) option until 18 October, a statement from the Duma read.

Mr Volodin said revoking the ratification on testing nuclear weapons will be in Russia’s national interest as he discussed the matter with parliamentary leaders on Monday.

If revoked, Russia will signal a warning to the US that Moscow can fundamentally change the assumptions of post-Cold War nuclear planning.

Ukraine investigates 260 cases of alleged military recruitment abuses

Tuesday 10 October 2023 12:00 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian authorities are investigating 260 criminal cases involving alleged "violations" at military recruitment offices, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said on Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the heads of regional recruitment centres in August after widespread allegations of criminal abuse and corruption.

The SBI said 21 indictments against 35 individuals had been sent to court, and that another 58 people had been identified as suspects.

It also said it had documented around $110,000 worth of alleged bribes and that courts had seized around $88,000 worth of property.

"Although the vast majority of...employees conscientiously perform their duties, in many regions there are cases of abusing official positions or exceeding authority," it said in a statement.

Zelenskiy and his government are keen to show that Ukraine is fighting corruption after setting their sights on membership of the European Union.

Russian court dismisses US reporter’s complaint against detention

Tuesday 10 October 2023 11:23 , Tara Cobham

A Russian court on Tuesday dismissed a complaint by US reporter Evan Gershkovich against the extension of his pre-trial detention, more than six months after his arrest on spying charges which he denies

Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison.

"The appeal complaint is left without satisfaction," the presiding judge said after a closed hearing.

UN Human Rights Council set to vote on restoring Russia

Tuesday 10 October 2023 11:21 , Tara Cobham

Russia’s desperate bid to rejoin the UN’s top human rights body will be tested in a General Assembly vote on Tuesday, more than a year after it was booted out for invading Ukraine.

The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the UN’s five regional groups.

Russia will be competing against Albania and Bulgaria to win back two seats reserved for the East European regional group. A total of 47 member states are part of the UNHRC based on geographic distribution, with the UN’s five regional groups sending names to be added to the shortlist.

Experts told The Independent that Russia will try to lure African and other friendly nations with stolen Ukrainian grain and arms in exchange for their votes.

Arpan Rai reports:

UN Human Rights Council to vote on restoring Russia despite ongoing Ukraine invasion

Ukraine advances in east and south with more ‘partial success’ even as rain muddies battlefield

Tuesday 10 October 2023 09:43 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian soldiers fighting off Russian attacks in the eastern battlefield achieved “partial success” in the past 24 hours while troops in southern Ukraine inflicted over a hundred Russian casualties, officials said as the war was close to clocking 600 days.

The troops secured partial success near Andriivka, a small Ukrainian village captured last month along with the nearby locality of Klishhiivka, said Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s eastern group of forces.

"We are repelling constant attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka,” the spokesperson told national television.

"Every day we are making headway in the Bakhmut sector. We are talking about hundreds of metres at a time that we are liberating from our enemies and strengthening our positions. It is, however, too early to talk about achieving concrete goals,” he said.

You can read the full story below from Arpan Rai.

Ukraine sees ‘partial success’ in east and south even as rain muddies battlefield

Death toll from last week’s Russian missile attack rises to 53

Tuesday 10 October 2023 09:32 , Tom Watling

Russia’s missile strike on a small Ukrainian village last week in Kharkiv Oblast killed 53 people, a revised death toll has shown.

The missile attack took place in the small village of Hroza, northeastern Ukraine.

It struck a cafe and a nearby shop. More than 50 people were having a meal in the cafe as part of a wake. They had been attending a funeral for a local soldier prior to the strike.

Zelenskiy visits Romania to discuss Black Sea region security

Tuesday 10 October 2023 08:54 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had arrived in Bucharest, where he will meet Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and discuss security cooperation in the Black Sea region.

"We will discuss further security cooperation, developing aviation and other coalitions, strengthening Ukraine's air defense, the Black Sea security architecture, and our relations with partners," he said on the social media platform X.

Putin to focus on ‘consolidating power’ at upcoming presidential election

Tuesday 10 October 2023 08:08 , Tom Watling

Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely focus on “the theme of Russia as a separate civilisation” in the upcoming elections next year.

While Putin has not announced his intention to run in the election, which will take place next March, it is believed that he will not step down.

The British Ministry of Defence, in its latest intelligence update, said they expect the autocrat to focus his election efforts on further inculcating the “need of defence from external enemies” in Russia’s population.

You can read their full report below.

UN members condemn village wake bombing

Tuesday 10 October 2023 08:01 , Tara Cobham

UN Security Council members from around the world have condemned Russia’s bombing of a village wake that killed 52 people.

Hroza, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, lost over 15 per cent of its 300 population when a cafe holding a memorial service for a Ukrainian soldier was targeted by a Russian Iskander ballistic missile on Thursday.

"This is one of the deadliest strikes by Russia against Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion last year," said US deputy ambassador Robert Wood in Monday’s UN Security Council meeting, as he stressed his country’s support for investigators gathering possible evidence of war crimes.

Albania's UN ambassador Ferit Hoxha, this month's council president who presided at the meeting, said the missile strike and deaths in Hroza underscore again "the terrible price civilians are paying 20 months after the Russians invaded”.

He said Russia may deny responsibility, but it started and is continuing a war and committing "horrible crimes," and "it has also broken the universal ancestral law of absolute respect for those mourning”.

China's deputy UN ambassador Geng Shuang, whose country is a close ally of Russia, said Beijing finds the heavy civilian casualties in the attack on the village "concerning”.

Russia sends dozens of drones into Ukraine in latest air strike

Tuesday 10 October 2023 07:51 , Tara Cobham

Russia launched 36 Iranian-made attack drones against southern Ukraine overnight, damaging infrastructure in the Odesa region, authorities said.

The strikes targeted the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, the Ukrainian military reported, adding that air defence systems destroyed 27 drones.

Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said unspecified "logistics infrastructure" had been struck but that no injuries were reported.

Reuters could not independently verify the information. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Russian forces have carried out regular missile and drone strikes on infrastructure in southern Ukraine in recent weeks and months, targeting port facilities in particular.

Russia missile strike hits northeast Ukraine

Tuesday 10 October 2023 07:44 , Tom Watling

Three civilians have been injured after a Russian missile struck their small village in northeast Ukraine, the local governor has reported.

Two 45-year-old women and a 34-year-old man were injured following a strike on the village of Veliky Burluk in the Kupyan district, Oleh Synyehubov, governor of Kharkiv Oblast, said.

The strike happened roughly 45 miles northeast of Hroza, where more than 50 civilians were killed by a similar Russian strike last week.

Finland and Estonia taking incident ‘very seriously'

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:44 , Alexander Butler

Finland and Estonia are taking the suspected gas pipline attack “very seriously”, the Estonian prime minister said.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, prime minister Kaja Kallas said: “I convened ministers and relevant authorities to discuss incidents regarding Baltic Connector and an undersea communication cable. While there’s no threat to our security of supply, both Estonia and Finland are taking the incidents very seriously.”

Ukrainians weep in front of coffins carrying victims of deadly strike

Tuesday 10 October 2023 07:00 , Holly Evans

Relatives of victims killed in a strike on Groza earlier this month were pictured weeping and hugging during as coffins were made ready for collection.

A Russian strike on October 5, 2023, killed at least 52 people gathered for a wake for the reburial of a slain Ukrainian serviceman in the eastern Ukrainian village of Groza. Ukrainian Interior Minister said the victims had gathered to remember a deceased villager in Groza, some 30 kilometres west of Kupiansk.

Scale of deadly Russian strike in Kharkiv village shown in drone footage

Tuesday 10 October 2023 06:00 , Holly Evans

Scale of deadly Russian strike in Kharkiv village shown in drone footage

Estonian prime minister to remain in ‘close contact’ with Nato

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:42 , Alexander Butler

The Estonian prime minister has said she will remain in “close contact” with NATO after an alleged attack on a key gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Kaja Kallas said: “I called Jens Stoltenberg to brief him on the incidents related to the Baltic Connector and a submarine communications cable between Estonia and Finland.

“We discussed how to increase the protection of critical infrastructure in light of this. We agreed to remain in close contact.”

Russian-born Swede accused of spying for Moscow is released ahead of the verdict in his trial

Tuesday 10 October 2023 05:00 , Holly Evans

A Swedish court on Monday released a Russia-born Swedish citizen charged with collecting information for Russia‘s military intelligence service, the GRU, for almost a decade.

Sergey Skvortsov, 60, is accused of “gross illegal intelligence activities against Sweden and against a foreign power,” namely the United States.

Ahead of a verdict in his trial, which ended Sept. 28, Skvortsov was released with the Stockholm District Court saying that “there is no longer reason to keep the defendant in custody.” The verdict is due Oct. 26.

Read more here

A Russian-born Swede accused of spying for Moscow is released ahead of the verdict in his trial

Ursula von der Leyen condemns Finland pipeline attack

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:38 , Alexander Butler

President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen has condemned the alleged attack on a key gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I held calls with Prime Ministers Kaja Kallas and Petteri Orpo on the on-going investigations into the damage on the gas pipeline and data cable connecting Estonia and Finland.

“I strongly condemn any act of destruction of critical infrastructure.”

Ukraine repels Russian attacks on five fronts as Putin resorts to old weaponry and reserves

Tuesday 10 October 2023 04:00 , Holly Evans

Ukrainian forces beat attacks on five points across the war frontline on Sunday as Russia’s troops resorted to using old weapons and equipment while shelling the frontline, military officials said in the latest update from the battlefield.

At least two people were killed and a dozen more injured in Russia’s shelling of the southern Kherson region.

The attacks were repelled in five areas of the eastern front – Kupiansk, Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka, and Marinka – along the 1,000km-long (600mile) front, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its evening report.

Read more here

Ukraine repels Russian attacks on five fronts as Putin uses old weaponry and reserves

China says Russian attack on Ukrainian village is ‘concerning'

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:32 , Alexander Butler

China said a Russian missile strike that killed 52 residents of Hroza, Ukraine was “concerining”. Geng Shuang, deputy UN ambassador for China, whose country is a close ally of Russia, said Beijing found the heavy civilian casualties in the attack on the village “concerning”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously denied Russia was responsible for the attack.

Satellite images show spike in border activity as North Korea ‘supplies weapons to Russia’

Tuesday 10 October 2023 03:00 , Holly Evans

The North Korea-Russia border is seeing a sharp increase in rail traffic in likely signs of Kim Jong-un helping Russian president Vladimir Putin by supplying munitions, a US think-tank claimed, citing recent satellite photos.

Satellite images from 5 October showed a “dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic” at the Tumangang rail facility, according to Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Approximately 73 railcars were visible in the images from last week, whereas previous satellite pictures over the past five years showed about 20 railcars at this facility at the most.

North Korea ‘sending weapons to Russia by train’, satellite photos suggest

Uefa torn over plans to reinstate Russian youth teams

Tuesday 10 October 2023 02:00 , Holly Evans

The fall-out from Uefa’s plans to reinstate Russian underage teams to European competition is causing a huge split within the governing body, putting president Aleksander Ceferin under immense pressure to “revisit” the issue at this week’s Executive Committee meeting.

The controversy has already caused the confederation vice-president Karl-Erik Nilsson to resign as boss of the Swedish Sports Confederation and led Denmark to become the latest association to say they will not play Russian sides to go with England, Ireland and Ukraine.

The Independent has been told that there is tension within some national associations that didn’t immediately reject the idea out of hand.

Read more here

Uefa torn over plans to reinstate Russian youth teams

Russia claims it will try to help resolve Israel-Palestine conflict

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:23 , Alexander Butler

Russia will try to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the Kremlin claimed.

Moscow has long-standing historical ties with the Palestinians but also “a lot in common” with Israel, including the fact that many Israelis are former Russian citizens, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Therefore, we maintain relations with both sides of this conflict,” he said.

“We conduct contacts and take part in all the - unfortunately few - formats that are looking for common ground for a settlement and which do not work very effectively, as recent practice has shown.

“But nevertheless, we intend to keep making efforts and play our role in terms of providing assistance to seek ways to a settlement.”

Former US general reminds GOP attacking Biden of time Trump leaked Israeli intel to Iran ally

Tuesday 10 October 2023 01:00 , Holly Evans

A former US general took to Twitter on Sunday to remind Republicans laying blame on the Biden administration after Hamas militants launched the deadliest attack on Israel in decades that Donald Trump shared classified intelligence from Israel with Iran-allied Russia when he was president.

Retired army general Mark Hertling shared a story about allegations the former president told top Russian officials that Israel had successfully hacked Isis computers in order to gain intelligence about bomb plots against the West in a meeting at the White House in 2017.

At the time, the former president’s actions reportedly ignited fears by Israel that Russia could have passed the information to its ally Iran, which has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Read more here

Former US general reminds GOP Trump leaked Israeli intel to Russians in White House

UK gas prices surge to highest level since June

Tuesday 10 October 2023 21:19 , Alexander Butler

Gas prices have surged to their highest level since June after Israel shut a key production field and Finland launched an investigation into potential sabotage of a key pipeline.

Wholesale UK gas prices jumped by as much as 14pc on Tuesday to more than 125p per therm, having traded as low as 88p on Friday.

This followed a 15pc gain on Monday. Prices are now at a four-month high and on track to close at the highest level since April.

New Ukraine ambassador wore a kilt for first meeting with Zelensky

Tuesday 10 October 2023 00:00 , Holly Evans

The UK’s new ambassador for Ukraine wore a kilt for his first meeting with President Vlodymyr Zelensky.

Father-of-three Martin Harris, 54, previously served from 2003 to 2008 in Kyiv as deputy head of mission and consul general, and raised his children in Ukraine.

Mr Harris, who grew up in Scotland, wore his family’s Ferguson tartan for his initiation into the role, which was admired by President Zelensky.

Read more here

New Ukraine ambassador wore a kilt for first meeting with Zelensky

David Lammy: We want to make UK the ‘anti-corruption capital of the world’

Monday 9 October 2023 23:00 , Holly Evans

Whistleblowers who expose stolen assets and sanctions breaches would be rewarded under a future Labour government, according to David Lammy.

The shadow foreign secretary said Labour wants to make the UK the “anti-corruption capital of the world” as he criticised the Government’s approach.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Lammy said: “When I visited Kyiv, anti-corruption campaigners told me Britain must stop (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s cronies laundering their dirty money in our capital.

“Dictators’ stolen cash fuels crime on our streets and turns Londoners’ homes into the bitcoins of kleptocrats. Labour will turn up the fight against kleptocracy.

Read more here

Lammy: We want to make UK the ‘anti-corruption capital of the world’

Watch as Zelensky addresses Nato’s Parliamentary Assembly amid new Russian attacks

Monday 9 October 2023 22:00 , Holly Evans

Watch as Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Nato Parliamentary Assembly’s plenary session on Monday 9 October.

Last month, Mr Zelensky said it was only a “matter of time” before Ukraine becomes an official Nato member as he met the defence bloc’s chief in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian president has pushed to join the alliance despite threats from Russia, and Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg reiterated in September that the bloc would stand with Kyiv as long as it takes.

Watch: Zelensky addresses Nato’s Parliamentary Assembly amid new Russian attacks

President Zelenskyy to visit Romania

Monday 9 October 2023 21:30 , Holly Evans

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy will visit neighbouring Romania on Tuesday - his first visit to the country since Russia’s 2022 invasion, the Romanian presidency has said.

The trip to Romania - a NATO member - comes as Ukraine and the West looks to find a solution to safely export Ukrainian grain.

Russia quit a deal to offer a safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain in mid-July.

US army official says more funding needed to support needs of both Israel and Ukraine

Monday 9 October 2023 20:43 , Holly Evans

A US army official says more funding will be needed to support the needs of both Israel and Ukraine simultaneously.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Congress will need to approve additional funding to ensure the Pentagon’s munitions production and acquisition plans can potentially meet the demands of both countries.

“One thing that is really important in terms of the munitions in particular and our ability to support both potentially the Israelis and the Ukrainians simultaneously is additional funding from Congress to be able to increase our capacity, in terms of our capacity to expand production and then to also pay for the munitions themselves,” she told reporters at an army event.

“We need additional support from Congress. So I hope we’ll see that soon.”

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of trying to incite war in the Middle East

Monday 9 October 2023 20:26 , Holly Evans

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of being “interested in inciting war in the Middle East” to assist them in “destroying freedom in Europe”.

In a video posted on social media, Mr Zelensky said: “All of this represents a much greater threat than the world is currently aware of. The world wars of the past were triggered by local aggressions.”

Satellite images show spike in border activity as North Korea ‘supplies weapons to Russia’ for Ukraine war

Monday 9 October 2023 20:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The North Korea-Russia border is seeing a sharp increase in rail traffic in likely signs of Kim Jong-un helping Russian president Vladimir Putin by supplying munitions, a US think-tank claimed, citing recent satellite photos.

Satellite images from 5 October showed a “dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic” at the Tumangang rail facility, according to Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Approximately 73 railcars were visible in the images from last week, whereas previous satellite pictures over the past five years showed about 20 railcars at this facility at the most.

North Korea ‘sending weapons to Russia by train’, satellite photos suggest

Biggest planes coming to Israel from US, Netanyahu says

Monday 9 October 2023 19:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

“Every place where Hamas is active will be completely destroyed. We will continue to intensify the operation. I would like to thank the US for their support to Israel,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.

“We have the biggest planes coming from the US to our land. I would also like to thank many international leaders for expressing their support to Israel.”

‘It’s in Russia’s interests to inflame Middle East war’- Zelensky

Monday 9 October 2023 19:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it was in Russia‘s interests to stoke war in the Middle East to weaken global unity.

“Based on available information -- very clear information -- it is in Russia‘s interests to inflame war in the Middle East to create a new source of pain and suffering that would weaken global unity, create divisions and help Russia in undermining freedom in Europe,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Zelensky said Russians propagandists were “gloating” at developments and that Iran, which he described as Moscow’s ally, was openly supporting those attacking Israel.

“All of this poses a much greater threat than the world currently perceives,” the president said.

“And we know how to counter this threat. We are preparing the necessary measures. Most importantly, we are advocating for the necessity of maximum global unity.”

In a call on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zelensky said Ukraine was in “solidarity with Israel, which is enduring a brazen, large-scale attack”.

Monday 9 October 2023 18:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Danil, a software engineer from the Russian city of Perm, said he left after President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 men last year to fight in the war in Ukraine.

“I simply didn’t agree with the political agenda in the country and thought that it was dangerous to stay in Russia given my views,” he said.

Abastan was established as a charity with funds from an American-Armenian philanthropist who has chosen to remain anonymous. When Reuters journalists visited last month, there were a couple of dozen people in residence - three Iranians, two Ukrainians, an Armenian, a Georgian and the rest from Russia.

Some live on savings or money from relatives, others sell their art or work online - though one Russian said that source of income had dried up.

“At first I worked remotely. And then my company was told that it was undesirable for staff to work from abroad, so they rehired me as a freelancer. Since then I haven’t received any salary yet,” Danil said.

Russian and Iranian emigres find haven in old Armenian factory - continued

Monday 9 October 2023 18:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Arghavan Majd, a painter from Iran, said she found the atmosphere “more free” in Abastan and it was easier to make personal connections.

Since Majd left Iran, the country has been convulsed by protests over the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody, and she said she had no intention of going back.

Torfeh Ekhlasi, a puppet maker also from Iran, said she had felt “completely paralysed by bad news” there, “but here all the people are so alive”.

Abastan was established as a charity with funds from an American-Armenian philanthropist who has chosen to remain anonymous. When Reuters journalists visited last month, there were a couple of dozen people in residence - three Iranians, two Ukrainians, an Armenian, a Georgian and the rest from Russia.

Russian and Iranian emigres find haven in old Armenian factory

Monday 9 October 2023 18:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A disused Armenian textile factory has become a sanctuary for artists and other emigres from Russia, Iran and Ukraine whose lives have been turned upside down by war or political turmoil.

Abandoned workshops that once produced Soviet knitwear have been turned into a creative space for painters, puppet-makers and photographers in a venture that is helping to revitalise a town in decline.

Launched in 2022, the project is called Abastan - “shelter” in Armenian - and is open to participants and guests from around the world.

Polina Ivanova, a co-founder of Abastan, said locals in the northern Armenian town of Tumanyan were at first bemused by the strangers in their midst.

“I think that for many people this was really incomprehensible: who are those people? Why are they here?...

“And slowly, sometimes through public events like theatre performances, sometimes through personal relationships, we get to know the people and people get to know us.”

Nuclear testing ratification explained

Monday 9 October 2023 18:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Ukraine war has raised tension between Moscow and Washington to its highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, just as China seeks to bolster its nuclear arsenal to match its status as an emerging superpower.

By revoking Moscow’s ratification of a landmark treaty banning nuclear tests, Russia is sending the United States a warning that Moscow can fundamentally change the assumptions of post-Cold War nuclear planning.

Signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178, the CTBT cannot enter into force until eight specific holdouts have signed and ratified it.

The United States, China, Egypt, Iran, and Israel have signed but not ratified it. India, North Korea and Pakistan have not signed.

The Soviet Union last tested in 1990 and the United States in 1992. Russia, which inherited most of the Soviet nuclear arsenal, has never done so. But signs have emerged that testing could resume.

Last month CNN said satellite images showed growing activity at nuclear test sites in Russia, China and the United States. In 2020, the Washington Post said the then-Trump administration had discussed whether to hold a nuclear test.

Ten nuclear tests have taken place since the CTBT. India and Pakistan conducted two each in 1998, while North Korea held tests in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 (twice) and 2017, according to the United Nations.

Nuclear-test-ban body chief concerned at move by Russian lawmakers

Monday 9 October 2023 17:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty Organization on Monday expressed concern at Russian lawmakers having been given 10 days to consider revoking Moscow’s ratification of the treaty to prohibit testing nuclear bombs.

“I am concerned that the Russian Federation is taking steps towards revoking its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT),” Robert Floyd said in a statement.

Ukraine's parliament registers bill that could lead to ban on Moscow-linked church

Monday 9 October 2023 17:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s parliament registered a draft law on Monday that would allow a ban on activities of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

The church has been accused by Kyiv of undermining Ukraine‘s unity and collaborating with Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, charges that it denies.

The bill proposes amendments envisaging a court ban on religious organisations that include members convicted of war propaganda, violate an article that forbids what is dscribed as justification of Russian aggression against Ukraine, or violate citizens’ equal rights based on religious beliefs.

Registration of the draft bill is a first step in the process of becoming law. The bill now requires the approval of a parliamentary committee before it can be submitted for consideration by parliament.

UOC Metropolitan Pavel has been notified that he is suspected of inciting inter-religious hatred and distributing materials justifying Russian aggression. He has denied the accusations.

An explanatory note to the bill states that the UOC is seen as a structural part of the Russian Orthodox Church whose activities, it said, were “aimed at supporting armed aggression of the Russian Federation.”

The UOC accepted the authority of the patriarch of Moscow until after Russia‘s invasion last year but says it has now severed ties with Russia and is the victim of a political witch hunt. The Kremlin says that actions under way against the UOC are illegal.

Ukrainian villagers weep as they bury victims of Hroza missile strike- continued

Monday 9 October 2023 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Andrii Bilous said his brother Vitalii, 44, had not required the DNA testing because his body was not mutilated in the attack. He said he would have been there with his brother on Thursday if he had not had to go to work.

“Our friend, who was also our former neighbour, was being re-buried. He used to live in Hroza, for many years,” he said as he waited for his brother’s body in a morgue in Kharkiv, the nearest big city to Hroza.

“I was also going to go there but I had to go to work. Then a missile struck. I started calling Vitalii, but he didn’t pick up the phone.”

Before the war, Hroza had a population of about 500 people. The village was seized by Moscow in the early days of the February, 2022 invasion and recaptured by Kyiv the following September along with areas nearby.

A Kremlin spokesperson reiterated on Friday that Moscow does not attack civilian targets. A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said “the indications are that it was a Russian missile”.

Ukrainian villagers weep as they bury victims of Hroza missile strike

Monday 9 October 2023 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Residents of the Ukrainian village of Hroza wept beside coffins on Monday as they buried relatives and neighbours killed in one of the deadliest attacks in nearly 20 months of war.

The small community has been devastated by Thursday’s attack, in which Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile slammed into a cafe in Hroza as people gathered to mourn a fallen Ukrainian soldier.

A woman dressed in black cried over the closed coffin of villager Tetiana Kharbaka, 52, before several men lowered it into a freshly dug grave.

A blue and yellow Ukrainian flag flew over one grave. Mounds of earth stood beside other graves dug for victims who have taken longer to identify.

“As of this morning, 49 people had been identified with the help of external features and express DNA tests,” a spokesperson for Kharkiv regional prosecutors was quoted as saying by Interfax Ukraine news agency.

After the DNA tests, 11 bodies were handed out to family members on Monday, a Reuters reporter on the scene said.

Ukraine repels Russian attacks on five fronts as Putin resorts to old weaponry and reserves

Monday 9 October 2023 16:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces beat attacks on five points across the war frontline on Sunday as Russia’s troops resorted to using old weapons and equipment while shelling the frontline, military officials said in the latest update from the battlefield.

At least two people were killed and a dozen more injured in Russia’s shelling of the southern Kherson region.

The attacks were repelled in five areas of the eastern front – Kupiansk, Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka, and Marinka – along the 1,000km-long (600mile) front, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its evening report.

Ukraine repels Russian attacks on five fronts as Putin uses old weaponry and reserves

Russian hackers involved in cyber attack on Israel, Ukraine claims

Monday 9 October 2023 16:00 , Tom Watling

Russian hackers assisted the terrorist organisation Hamas in conducting cyber attacks against Israel in the run-up to the Gaza conflict, Ukraine has claimed.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, claimed on X, formerly Twitter, that there was “some evidence” to suggest Russian hackers, including Killnet and Anonymous Sudan, had been involved with Hamas.

He claimed there had been a “three-fold decrease” in cyberattacks against Ukraine on 6 October compared to the previous three months as evidence suggesting the Russian hackers’ involvement.

“The participation of Russian hacker groups in supporting Hamas is indirectly confirmed by the fact that the number of cyber incidents in Ukrainian information resources and systems has sharply decreased on the eve of Saturday until now,” he wrote.

“On October 6, a three-fold decrease in the number of incidents was recorded compared to the average values ​​for the last three months. October 7 recorded the lowest number of cyber incidents in the last two years.

“This may indicate a temporary change in the vector of Russian cyberattacks in support of cyber operations within the framework of the Israeli conflict and the insufficiency of Russian resources for large-scale cyberattacks in several directions.

“Ukraine, in turn, is ready to provide assistance to the state of Israel and share its own experience in combating Russian cyber aggression.”

At least 2 women, including 83-year-old, injured in Russian attack in Kherson

Monday 9 October 2023 15:39 , Tom Watling

At least two women have been injured following another Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, according to local officials.

Roman Mrochko, Head of the Kherson MBA, said in an update on Telegram: “An 83-year-old woman was injured as a result of the recent enemy shelling of the Kherson city territorial community. She is receiving medical assistance. The preliminary diagnosis is a back injury.

“Another woman has a leg injury. At this hour, according to preliminary information, the Russian army has already injured four civilians in the Kherson community!”

The incident follows a report on Sunday that two Ukrainians were killed in another Kherson attack.

Russia considering revoking ratification of nuclear treaty, paving way for potential new tests

Monday 9 October 2023 15:30 , Tom Watling

Russian lawmakers were on Monday given 10 days to study the possibility of revoking Moscow's ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests, the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, said in a statement.

The chamber's International Affairs Committee will need to conclude its work by Oct. 18, the statement said.

Zelensky criticises Iranian involvement in Ukraine and Israel

Monday 9 October 2023 11:00 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised Iran for its involvement in both Ukraine and Israel.

In a speech to the Nato parliamentary assembly in Copenhagen, he said: “Iran can’t say it has nothing to do with what is going on in Ukraine if it sells ‘Shaheds’ to Russia.

“Iran can’t say it has nothing to do with what is going on in Israel if its officials claim the support of it.”

You can read his full speech in the tweet below.