Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin says West is playing ‘dangerous and dirty game’

Vladimir Putin has accused the West of playing a “dangerous and dirty game” and seeks to escalate the war in Ukraine.

In his speech to the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based thinktank, the Russian president also said that the West is blinded by colonialism.

He added that Russia does not consider itself an enemy of the West, as he railed against “arrogant” Western leaders who he said were set on imposing their values on the rest of the world.

In a long ramble, he also said that Russia would never accept Western countries telling it what to do, and said the longer the West took to realise this, the higher the price would be.

His speech is characterised by an appeal to countries outside of the West as he claims the West is now a “minority” and does not respect the rights of other people.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has boosted its forces in the northern region near Belarus to counter any possible renewed Russian attack across the border, Ukraine‘s general staff said today.

Key Points

• Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of using ‘crazy’ tactics as battle for Kherson looms

• Moscow to shake up national security planning – MoD

• Russian shelling escalates as Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson slows

• Moscow says West’s commercial satellites could be targets

• Ukraine boosts its forces near Belarus in case of attack

• Putin accuses the West of playing a ‘dangerous and dirty game'

Putin says Russia tried to ‘be friends’ with the West, Nato

16:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

President Vladimir Putin said the West rejected Russia’s attempts to build good relations with the United States and NATO because it was set on making Russia vulnerable.

Moscow had wanted to “be friends” with the West and Nato but would not accept attempts by the United States, European Union and Britain to hold Russia down, Putin said in a speech to the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow.

Putin claims West seeks global domination by using Ukraine

15:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has sought to cast the conflict in Ukraine as part of efforts by the West to secure its global domination.

Speaking at a conference of international policy experts, Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a “dangerous and bloody” domination game.

Putin, who sent his troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, has cast Western support for Ukraine as part of broad efforts by Washington and its allies to enforce what they call a rules-based world order that only foments chaos. The Russian leader warned that “he who will sow the wind will reap the whirlwind.”

Putin claimed that “humankind now faces a choice: accumulate a load of problems that will inevitably crush us all or try to find solutions that may not be ideal but working and could make the world more stable and secure.”

Putin said Russia isn’t the enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the diktat of Western neo-liberal elites.

Putin says West sanctions anyone it cannot control

15:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has said countries in the West impose sanctions of anyone who does not want to be under their thumb.

He also said that Russia is simply standing up for itself against the West’s attempt to seek global domination.

Putin accuses the West of playing a ‘dangerous and dirty game'

15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has accused the West of playing a “dangerous and dirty game”. He also said that the West is blinded by colonialism.

Putin accused West of taking steps to ‘escalate’ war

15:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian president has accused the West of trying to “escalate” the war.

He said in his speech this afternoon: “The West … has taken several steps towards escalation and they are always trying to escalate. There’s nothing new there.

“They’re fuelling the war in the Ukraine, organising politicians around Taiwan, destabilising the world food and energy markets.

“As far as the last one is concerned, it is not deliberate, [I] don’t doubt that. It was due to a number of systemic errors committed by the Western authorities I’ve just mentioned.”

Putin says West seeks global domination

15:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In his speech attacking the West, Vladimir Putin said the West seeks global domination and wants to control global resources.

He also claimed that the Wesr wants to contain the development of other civilisations.

Putin says West is playing ‘dangerous and dirty game’ in speech

15:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has given his opening remarks of his annual speech at the meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club think tank.

He said the West is playing a “dangerous and dirty game” and has been blinded by colonialism.

'Survival kits' in lifts: Kyiv residents get creative amid power cuts

15:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

When near-daily rolling blackouts began in his Kyiv apartment block, Taras Logginov knew anyone getting stuck in the lifts of the 17-storey building would appreciate some basic supplies to help them through the ordeal.

With Russian strikes on Ukraine‘s power infrastructure now wreaking havoc on the hundreds of high rises in the capital Logginov and other thoughtful residents regularly leave so-called “survival kits” in lifts across the city.

A typical pack contains water, energy bars and sweets, a torch and a container for going to the toilet. Logginov also includes extra items such as bubble solution to keep children entertained, or a square of foam to sit on.

“I could of course claim that I thought of this myself, but in truth I saw it on the internet,” grinned Logginov, 63, referring to dozens of social media posts offering tips on how to survive blackouts that can last several hours.

Local officials have warned citizens of the danger of using lifts during air raid sirens, but taking the stairs is not a viable option for many Kyivans who need to climb 15 or 20 floors to reach their apartment.

As Logginov hung up a plastic bag emblazoned with a red cross in the building’s second lift, a neighbour walked by and thanked him. Logginov, who also works as a rescuer and has helped sift through rubble after missile attacks, was delighted at the friendly acknowledgment.

His wife, Liudmylla, said the war had helped bring the building’s residents closer together.

“We talk more, we smile more, yes, it brings us together quite a lot,” she said. “When Taras put up these bags, people started coming up to us and asking if they could help with them, give us some money for them,” she said. The couple politely declined the cash.

Residents said the bags helped reduce their anxiety.

“I’m not scared of getting stuck because I know there’s water and energy bars there,” said 27-year-old Vladyslav Derbyshev, entering the apartment block with his dog.

Nuclear strike would be an ‘incredibly serious mistake’, Biden warns Russia

14:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia would make an “incredibly serious mistake” if it used a tactical nuclear weapon in the war against Ukraine, Joe Biden has warned Moscow amid concerns of a false flag operation to escalate attacks.

Washington and western allies have raised renewed and urgent concerns over Russia using a pretext to unleash a nuclear weapon in the war.

Mr Biden, who received an updated Covid booster shot on Tuesday in the White House, was asked by reporters whether he thought the Kremlin could use a “dirty bomb attack” as a false flag operation to escalate war.

“I spent a lot of time today talking about that,” Mr Biden responded.

Shweta Sharma has more:

Nuclear strike would be an ‘incredibly serious mistake’, Biden warns Russia

EU Energy Commissioner discusses gas price cap with Norway

14:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said on Thursday she had informed Norwegian officials about planned “emergency measures” to address high energy prices, including a price cap on natural gas.

EU energy ministers this week discussed proposals to contain and potentially cap gas prices that have soared in the wake of the war in Ukraine and as Russian supplies have dwindled.

Norway has become the most important natural gas supplier to the EU, accounting for 25% of all EU imports, after a drop in Russian gas flows.

“We have to find solutions that help us to calm down the gas market in a way that our consumers and businesses can continue operating and not lose their level playing field against other global market regions,” Simson told a news conference.

However, no decision had yet been made and work continued to address questions on how a price cap will secure supply and over its design, she said, speaking after meeting Norway’s Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland.

EU energy ministers will meet again on Nov. 24, with Simson not ruling out a proposal before that date.

“I think the Norwegian government, we have been very clear that this solution will find place in a commercial framework and that is still our message. But I think dialogue is important in this difficult time,” Aasland said during the same news conference.

Simson also said the Commission planned to establish a platform for joint gas purchases that could cover at least 15% of the EU’s gas storage capacity.

Officials appointed by Moscow flee as Ukrainian forces advance

14:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Moscow-appointed authorities have fled the capital of southern Ukraine‘s Kherson region along with tens of thousands of residents as Ukrainian forces attacked Russia‘s hold on the city on Thursday while fighting also intensified in the country’s east.

Amid the battles, a senior Russian official warned that Western commercial satellites used for military purposes in support of Ukraine were a “legitimate target for a retaliatory strike”.

Ukraine has pushed ahead with an offensive to reclaim the Kherson region and its capital of the same name, which Russian forces captured during the first days of a war now in its ninth month.

More than 70,000 residents from the Kherson city area have evacuated in recent days, the region’s Kremlin-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, said on Thursday.

Members of the Russia-backed regional administration were included in the evacuation, the deputy governor, Kirill Stremousov said.

Russia briefs China and India on ‘dirty bomb’ claim

13:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia used calls with allied nations to repeat its claim that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory to smear Moscow.

Sergei Shoigu, the Kremlin’s defence minister, called his Chinese counterpart and expressed concerns about “possible provocations by Ukraine involving the use of a dirty bomb”, the Russian defence ministry said.

Mr Shoigu held a similar call with Indian officials on Wednesday. It follows conversations in recent days where allegations were raised with Nato defence ministers, Liam James writes.

Moscow first levelled the accusation on Sunday that Ukraine was preparing to detonate a “dirty bomb”, an explosive device laced with radioactive material, on its own territory and blame Russia.

Russia briefs China and India on ‘dirty bomb’ claim

Ukraine conducts 28 prisoner swaps with Russia since February

13:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Nine hundred seventy-eight Ukrainians have been released from Russian captivity since 24 February, including 99 civilians, according to deputy minister of defense Hanna Maliar.

In total, 28 prisoner swaps have been conducted between Kyiv and Moscow, as reported by Kyiv Independent.

German Chancellor says solution can be found on speculative gas price spikes

13:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday that EU energy ministers still have much work to do but a solution could be found to contain speculative spikes in gas prices.

The energy crisis - aggravated by Russia slashing gas supplies to the European Union following Western sanctions over Moscow’s war against Ukraine - is threatening recession in Europe as it recovers from the Covid pandemic.

European Union ministers have been struggling to agree on a way to contain natural gas prices and help their citizens cope with inflation.

“We want to sink the gas prices jointly, it’s our shared view that it is not something abstract,” Scholz said after meeting Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

“There is still more work to do for energy ministers, especially when it comes to avoiding speculative price spikes,” he added.

Around 15 EU states, including Greece, want an EU-wide price cap, citing the inflationary pressure that recent gas price spikes unleashed on their economies. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, leads a small group of states opposed to price ceilings.

EU energy ministers meeting on November 24 will decide whether to ask Brussels to propose the cap.

Mitsotakis said EU energy ministers need to reach a solution during that meeting.

“It would be our failure, and we have discussed this at the (EU) Council, if the issue returns to us,” Mitsotakis said.

“We don’t want the issue to return to the heads of states and governments at an EU Council level. We want it to be solved at the ministers’ level and it can be solved at the ministers’ level.”

Russia says no decision made on extending Black Sea grain deal

12:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia on Thursday said that provisions of the Black Sea grain deal to ease Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports were not being met, and that Moscow was yet to make a decision on whether the agreement should be extended.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that the West had not taken sufficient steps to ease sanctions on Russia‘s logistics, payments and insurance industries to facilitate Russia‘s exports. The deal, struck in July for 120 days is set to expire in the second half of November.

Kyiv region suffers big drop in power generation capacity after Russian strikes

12:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kyiv region, including the capital city itself, faces a 30 per cent deficit in its capacity to generate the power it needs following Russian strikes overnight targeting energy infrastructure, the regional governor said on Thursday.

“Last night the enemy damaged the facilities of the energy infrastructure of our region. A number of critical facilities have been disabled,” Oleksiy Kuleba said in a video clip on the Telegram messaging app.

Separately, the Kyiv region’s military administration said the region must “prepare for emergency power outages for an indefinite period” because of the Russian strikes.

Putin to deliver speech at Kremlin Research Institute today

12:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin will to deliver a wide-ranging address later today in annual remarks at the Kremlin Research Institute.

The speech is expected o address Moscow’s accusations that Ukraine is planning a “dirty bomb”- an allegation that was firmly denied and dismissed by Kyiv and the West.

Chinese, Russia defense chiefs hold telephone conference

11:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held a recent telephone call with his Russia counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, to “exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual concern,” an official said Thursday.

Speaking at a monthly briefing, Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei gave no further details and did not say exactly when the call took place.

China has tacitly backed Russia in its aggression against Ukraine, accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict and refusing to refer to it as an invasion in deference to Moscow. China has stopped short of providing Russia with arms or becoming directly involved in the conflict, something the U.S. has strongly warned against.

Just weeks before Russia‘s February invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying their countries had a “no limits” friendship.

Putin reaffirmed that relationship most recently in a congratulatory message to Xi on Sunday on his receiving an unprecedented third term as head of China’s Communist Party.

Shoigu called his counterparts in India and China on Wednesday to share Moscow’s concern about “possible Ukrainian provocations involving a ‘dirty bomb,”’ according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

China and Russia have increasingly aligned their foreign policies in opposition to the U.S.-led Western world order. However, Russia‘s setbacks in its invasion have seen Beijing take an increasingly dominant role in the relationship, although China is also currently dealing with a faltering economy.

What is happening on the diplomatic front? Key points

11:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

• A senior Russian foreign ministry official said that commercial satellites from the United States and its allies could become legitimate targets for Russia if they were involved in the war in Ukraine.

• The remains of a US citizen killed in fighting in Ukraine have been released to Ukrainian authorities and will soon be returned to the person’s family, a State Department spokesperson said.

• Italy’s prime minister said the only way to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine was helping Kyiv militarily.

• Russian president Vladimir Putin observed exercises by Russia‘s strategic nuclear forces and told intelligence chiefs of several former Soviet countries that the risk of conflict in the region and the world was high.

• UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said he was “relatively optimistic” that a UN.-brokered deal that allowed a resumption of Ukraine Black Sea grain exports would be extended beyond mid-November.

• Putin is likely to use the possible extension of the grain deal as a way to gain leverage and dominate next month’s G20 summit in Indonesia, a European diplomat briefed on grain talks told Reuters.

Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of ‘crazy’ tactics to escalate war in Ukraine

11:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin’s commanders of using “crazy” tactics to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president was referring to Bakhmut, which sits on a main road leading to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize the city, and are now attempting to accelerate the invasion through drastic measures, he said.

Zelensky accuses Russian commanders of ‘crazy’ tactics to escalate war in Ukraine

Uzbeks working in Russia handed mobilisation notices

10:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Uzbek workers of a waste processing plant in the western Russian city of Oryol, who were handed mobilisation notices and ordered to show up at the local conscription point, asked their president for help, a local news outlet reported.

Moscow started the mobilisation campaign, its first since World War Two, last month as its military campaign in Ukraine stalled and Russian forces began to lose ground. Hundreds of thousands of men have since fled Russia to avoid being sent to the front lines.

According to the Istoki video report, Oryol authorities sent out a fresh batch of mobilisation notices this week, including 50 to workers of the EcoCity waste processing facility.

Half of the workers, however, are Uzbek nationals, it said, showing a group of men displaying their Uzbek passports and asking Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to intervene on their behalf.

The mobilisation campaign drew criticism after notices were served to many people not eligible for military service, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to order officials to correct all mistakes.

Uzbekistan has warned its citizens against joining foreign armies, which qualifies as a felony under Uzbek law.

Uzbekistan’s embassy in Moscow could not be immediately reached for comment.

Tens of thousands evacuated from south of Kherson, governor says

10:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Moscow-appointed authorities in the southern region of Kherson say that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in the face of Ukraine‘s offensive.

Kherson governor Vladimir Saldo said Thursday that over 70,000 residents of Kherson and nearby areas have moved to the left bank of the Dnieper river. The regional authorities have urged residents to evacuate as Ukraine has pushed its offensive to reclaim Kherson, which was captured by Russian forces during the first days of the conflict.

Regional authorities have also removed monuments to Russia‘s 18th century military chiefs Alexander Suvorov and Fyodor Ushakov from the city. Saldo said that the remains of Grigory Potemkin, the Russian general who founded Kherson in the 18th century and was his governor, were also removed from the St. Catherine Church in Kherson and moved to safety.

Vice Gov. Kirill Stremousov said Thursday that the regional administration also has been evacuated from Kherson. Despite that, Stremousov said that Ukrainian attempts to advance on Kherson have been thwarted and insisted that Russian troops will keep their hold on the city.

Ukraine has boosted its forces near Belarus in case of attack

10:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine has boosted its forces in the northern region near Belarus to counter any possible renewed Russian attack across the border, Ukraine‘s general staff said on Thursday.

“At the current time the creation of a strike force (in Belarus) is not observable. (But) there are and will be threats. We are reacting, we have already increased our troops in the northern direction,” Oleksii Hromov, deputy head of the general staff’s main operations directorate, told a regular briefing.

Belarus is Russia‘s main ally in the conflict and has allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a springboard to attack Ukraine.

Deal on Ukrainian and Russian grain could be extended, says UN

09:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior UN official said on Wednesday he is “relatively optimistic” the deal for returning Ukrainian grain and Russian grain and fertiliser to world markets will be extended beyond mid-November, but Russia‘s UN ambassador said Moscow needs to see movement on its own exports first.

The deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July has led to more than 8.5 million tonnes of foodstuffs being shipped from three Black Sea ports in Ukraine.

But Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia told reporters that “Russia needs to see the export of its grain and fertilisers in the world market, which has never happened since the beginning of the deal”.

The deal has a 120-day limit. UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who has focused on the Ukraine side of the deal, and senior U.N. trade official Rebeca Grynspan, who has focused on the Russian side, were in Moscow earlier this month for talks with Russian officials including on an extension.

“We are keen to see that renewed promptly, now,” Mr Griffiths said in response to a question. “It’s important for the market. It’s important for just continuity. And I’m still relatively optimistic that we’re going to get that. We’re working hard.”

Russia‘s February 24 invasion of Ukraine cut off shipments of grain and fertiliser from the two key world suppliers, causing food shortages and rising prices, especially in developing countries.

Zelensky thanks power workers as drone attacks strain grid

09:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly thanked the country’s power workers for maintaining the electricity supply as Russia continues to target energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.

“I thank all the workers in the energy sector: our rescuers, repair crews, officials from local government, and private companies who work diligently to maintain our energy system despite all the threats,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Authorities have ordered rolling blackouts in many parts of the country and urged households to limit consumption as electricity infrastructure is targeted by Russian attack drones.

In a likely response to the Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, on Thursday, the head of the port city of Sevastopol in the Russian-annexed region of Crimea said a power plant just outside the city had suffered minor damage in a drone attack.

Mikhail Razvozhayev said a drone hit a transformer and sparked a fire but did not affect its overall operation and did not interrupt the electricity supply.

Russia hits power grid in central regions of Ukraine overnight - grid operator

09:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces struck the power grid in central regions of Ukraine overnight and further electricity supply restrictions are possible, grid operator Ukrenergo said on Thursday.

“Equipment at the major network of the Ukrainian energy system in the central regions was damaged,” it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has stepped up its strikes on crucial Ukrainian infrastructure including the power grid in recent weeks, leaving millions without electricity or heating for lengthy periods of time as winter approaches.

Rosneft's Sechin praises Chinese ruling party's decisions

08:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Igor Sechin, the head of Russia‘s largest oil producer Rosneft, said on Thursday that decisions taken by the Chinese Communist Party’s recent congress will provide a new level of development for the country.

He also praised China’s policy on Taiwan, saying its problem was “exaggerated”.

Russia has moved to forge closer ties with Asia, especially energy-hungry China, to offset Western sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine.

‘Energy genocide’: Ukraine pleads for urgent help as Russia blitz on infrastructure grows

08:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

Russia is committing “energy genocide” by bombing nearly half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure, the government has said as Ukrainian officials warned the damage could spark Europe’s worst humanitarian catastrophe since the Second World War, Bel Trew writes.

Speaking to The Independent, energy minister German Galushchenko said Russia wanted to “sow darkness and despair” with daily “en masse” strikes on the electricity supply chain, which together with the occupation of facilities, has left many without power.

He said at least 40 per cent of its total energy infrastructure has been damaged, including massive destruction to green generation facilities.

Secretary-general has the right to investigate Iranian drone use, UN tells Russia

08:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States and its Western allies on the Security Council have insisted that secretary-general Antonio Guterres has the right to investigate if Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine.

They dismissed Moscow’s argument that the UN chief would be violating the UN Charter.

Russia‘s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, who called the council meeting, argued that only the Security Council can mandate an investigation.

He cited Article 100 of the charter, which says the secretary-general “shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the organisation”.

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood called Russia‘s contention “simply dumbfounding” and an attempt “to deflect attention from its own egregious wrongdoing in Ukraine“.

French Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere accused Russia of constantly violating the UN Charter “and trampling on its principles by invading its neighbour and claiming to annex its territories”.

Britain’s deputy ambassador, James Kariuki, called it “another attempt by Russia to distract from its crimes in Ukraine, and Iran and Russia‘s failure to abide by their international obligations”.

The Western envoys said the Security Council’s time is being wasted by Russia, which is engaged in a blitz of activity at the council.

Russia called closed-door consultations on Tuesday about its unfounded allegations that Ukraine is preparing a dirty bomb.

It called Wednesday’s meeting to try to prevent the investigation of its purported use of Iranian drones.

And it called a meeting Thursday on its claims that secret American labs in Ukraine were engaged in biological warfare - a charge denied by the U.S. and Ukraine.

Russia says West's commercial satellites could be targets

08:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A senior Russian foreign ministry official said that commercial satellites from the United States and its allies could become legitimate targets for Russia if they were involved in the war in Ukraine.

“Quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike,” Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy director of the foreign ministry’s department for non-proliferation and arms control, was quoted as saying by TASS.

“We are talking about the involvement of components of civilian space infrastructure, including commercial, by the United States and its allies in armed conflicts,” Vorontsov was quoted as saying at the United Nations.

The war in Ukraine has killed tens of thousands, undermined the post-COVID global economic recovery and triggered the gravest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russian shelling escalates as Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson slows

07:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian soldiers said Russian shelling was stepping up again after having tailed off in recent weeks.

At one section north of the Russian-occupied pocket on the west bank of the Dnipro, forces said that radio intercepts indicated freshly mobilised recruits had been sent to the front and Russian forces were firmly dug in.

“They have good defensive lines with deep trenches, and they are sitting deep underground,” said Vitalii, a Ukrainian soldier squatting in a weed-choked irrigation canal, concealed from any prowling enemy drones by overhanging trees.

Ukrainian forces advanced along the Dnipro in a dramatic push in the south at the start of this month, but progress appears to have slowed. Russia has been evacuating civilians on the west bank but says it has no plans to pull out its troops.

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine‘s defence minister, said wet weather and rough terrain were making Kyiv’s counter-offensive in Kherson harder than it was in the northeast, where it pushed Russia back in September.

At least 1,103 civilians killed in Donetsk Oblast since start of war- Governor

07:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

At least 1,103 civilians have been killed and 2474 wounded in Donetsk Oblast since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, according to the governor of the region, Pavlo Kyrylenko.

Ukrainians hold out in east, prepare battle for Kherson

07:09 , Stuti Mishra

Ukrainian troops are holding out against repeated attacks by Russian forces in two eastern towns while those on the southern front are poised to battle for the strategic Kherson region, which Russia appears to be reinforcing.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in yesterday’s evening address that there would be good news from the front but he gave no details.

He did not mention what was happening in Kherson in the south, which officials and military analysts have predicted will be one of the most consequential battles of the war since Russia invaded Ukraine eight months ago.

The most severe fighting in eastern Ukraine was taking place near Avdiivka, outside Donetsk, and Bakhmut, Zelenskiy said.“This is where the craziness of the Russian command is most evident. Day after day, for months, they are driving people to their deaths there, concentrating the highest level of artillery strikes,” he said.

Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize Bakhmut, which sits on a main road leading to the Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

The looming battle for Kherson city at the mouth of the Dnipro River will determine whether Ukraine can loosen Russia’s grip on the south.

The Russian-appointed Kherson regional government said it had rebased to the left bank of the Dnipro, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, as forces braced for an increase in fighting.

Moscow to shake up national security planning – MoD

06:55 , Stuti Mishra

Moscow’s announcement earlier this week that its city mayor would coordinate the “development of security measures” in Russia’s regions will likely lead to greater involvement of regional officials and a closer interlinking of regional governors into Russia’s national security system, according to the latest British intelligence report.

It is a further measure to organise society and the greater involvement of regional officials is likely designed to deflect public criticism away from the national leadership as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to be under pressure, the UK Ministry of Defence report reads.

However, it will “likely make it more difficult for the Kremlin to insulate Russian society from the effects of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine,” according to the ministry.

West and Russia clash over UN probe of drone use in Ukraine

06:40 , Stuti Mishra

UN Security Council members led by the US and its western allies insisted secretary-general Antonio Guterres has the right to investigate whether Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine.

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, who called the council meeting, argued that only the Security Council can mandate an investigation.

Read more from yesterday’s UN faceoff:

West and Russia clash over UN probe of drone use in Ukraine

Russia may again block Antarctic marine protections

06:14 , Stuti Mishra

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are among those meeting in Australia this week to decide the future of Antarctica’s pristine waters.

Conservationists say new marine protected areas and rules to prevent overfishing are desperately needed, but that Russia could use its veto-like powers to once again block progress.

Achieving the required consensus for action among this diverse group of 27, which also includes China, the United States and the European Union, has always been an immense challenge.

And when two of the members are at war — and relations between China and many Western nations have deteriorated — consensus looms as an even bigger obstacle.

“Right now, Russia is blocking consensus on adoption of three MPA (marine protected area) proposals, but China is as well,” Monica Medina, an assistant secretary in the State Department and head of the delegation said.

“So we are here trying to work through the issues with both countries. Not one-on-one necessarily, although we will be trying with the People’s Republic of China to work through the issues informally.”

She said Russia had been using what amounts to its veto power to block progress not only in Hobart but at a number of international forums.

“It can block consensus. That is a huge impediment to our ability to move forward on some things here, but other things do go ahead in a sort of ordinary course of business,” Ms Medina said.

Russia relases photos of nuclear drills

05:57 , Stuti Mishra

Russia’s defence ministry released photographs yesterday of its nuclear missile drills.

The tests aimed to simulate a “massive nuclear strike” by Russia and came at a time of heightened tension as western powers fear Russia is planning to escalate the war in Ukraine.

The US said it was notified of the drill in advance, as per an agreement with Russia.

Nuclear drills place on an annual basis to train Russia’s relevant personnel and demonstrate their readiness.

Fresh airstrikes in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia

05:47 , Stuti Mishra

Several airstrikes have hit Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia overnight, according to the latest updates from local officials.

Kyiv regional governor, Oleksiy Kuleba said in a Telegram update the local air defence forces in the Ukrainian capital region successfully intercepted some “enemy objects” from the sky.

“The Russians terrorise the Kyiv region at night. We have several arrivals in one of the communities of the region.

Rescuers and all emergency services are on the scene. The elimination of the fire and the consequences of the impact is ongoing.”

Russian forces also struck the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.

Acting mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatoly Kurtev said that Russian forces struck the city as well as its surrounding area, causing a fire.

05:20 , Stuti Mishra

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war on 27 October 2022. Stay tuned for the latest!