Ukraine-Russia war – live: Ex-Russian officer says Putin’s forces ‘deteriorating’ as Crimea targeted by drones

An ex-Russian officer has said Vladimir Putin’s forces are ‘deteriorating’ in Ukraine as the Crimea was hit by up to 17 drones.

Igor Girkin, an imprisoned Russian nationalist, said Putin’s forces would be “even less capable of offensive operations than they are now” by spring 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

In a letter published by his wife, Girkin claimed that the situation for Russian forces was “gradually deteriorating” and that Russian forces were showcasing “growing weakness compared to Ukraine’s capabilities.”

He added that the Avdiivka offensive, where thousands of troops are said to have died, demonstrated the Russian Army’s inability “to achieve superiority on a very narrow sector of the front”, the ISW said.

It comes as Ukraine launched up to 17 drone attacks on Crimea and the Black Sea, which Russia destroyed and intercepeted, according to the Russian defence ministry.

Nine drones were destroyed by air defence systems and eight were intercepted by electronic warfare, it added. Explosions were heard near the towns of Novofedorivka and Saky, a Russian air base on the peninsula, just after 4am, according to local reports.

Key Points

• Ex-Russian officer says Putin’s forces ‘deteriorating’

• Russia repels 17 drones over Black Sea and Crimea

• Probe as Ukraine commander’s aide ‘killed by birthday present'

• Investigation into deadly Russian missile strike that killed 19

• 19 killed during Ukrainian military awards ceremony

• Vladimir Putin ‘to run for Russian president again next year’

US Senate Democrats block Republican bid to aid Israel, not Ukraine

20:30 , Athena Stavrou

On Tuesday, US Senate Democrats blocked a Republican effort to win quick approval for a bill that provides emergency aid to Israel but no assistance to Ukraine.

The original bill passed through the House of Representatives last week.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall said: “Time is of the essence and it’s imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day,” he said.

Democrats objected, stressing the importance of providing aid to Ukraine as well as Israel, in addition to humanitarian aid, border security funding and money to push back against China in the Indo-Pacific that was in a $106 billion funding request President Joe Biden sent to Congress last month.

Mapped: Tracking Ukraine’s frontline

19:30 , Athena Stavrou

As fierce fighting ensued across much of eastern and southern Ukraine, Maryam Zakir-Hussain maps out where Ukraine’s frontline currently stands:

Mapped: Tracking Ukraine’s frontline

Ukraine deploys new air defences ahead of winter bombardment

18:30 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine has deployed new western air defence systems as it braces for a second winter of Russian attacks on its energy grid.

President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the deployment of additional Nasams mobile surface-to-air missile launchers.

“I received reports on the receipt of ammunition, hardware and equipment over the past day,” he said on social media

“Additional Nasams systems from partners have been put on combat duty. Timely reinforcement of our air defence before winter.”

Six killed Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk, says Russia

17:33 , Athena Stavrou

Shelling by Ukrainian forces killed six people in the city of Donetsk on Tuesday, a Russian-installed official in the eastern region of Ukraine said.

Eleven people were wounded, according to preliminary data, Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed head of the region, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine rebuilds over 400 medical facilities destroyed by Russia

16:30 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has fully repaired 421 medical facilities and partly restored a further 413 damaged by Russia in the war, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health announced today.

Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, the ministry said Russia has damaged 1,468 medical facilities in Ukraine and completely destroyed an additional 193.

The Mykolaiv Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital, which was damaged at the beginning of the war, has been fully repaired, it said.

Zelensky plots extension to Ukrainian gas export ban

15:30 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky has proposed extending Ukraine’s ban on exporting domestically produced natural gas until the end of 2024.

First introduced in February 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the ban has already been extended once to cover 2023.

Ukrainian energy minister Herman Haluschenko has previously stressed the importance of its gas for domestic power generation because of the impact the war with Russia has had on coal production.

Zelensky cancels Israel visit over leaked plans

15:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky cancelled a planned visit to Israel today after news of his apparent trip was leaked to Israeli media over the weekend, according to reports.

Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel cited diplomatic sources as saying the Ukrainian president was still due to visit the country, but no date had been set.

“If President Zelensky comes, he will be welcomed with open arms,” an Israeli official was reported as saying. A Ukrainian diplomat previously told The Times that Mr Zelenskyy was “very disappointed” by the leak.

US officials urge Congress to approve Ukraine aid

14:30 , Alexander Butler

Major figures in major US departments have urged Congress to approve $11.8bn in extra aid for Ukraine as part of Joe Biden’s emergency funding request.

The heads of the state, treasury and defence departments, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen and Lloyd Austin, have co-signed a letter released today.

The aid “benefits from an unprecedented level of robust oversight and transparency, and is bolstered by significant budget support from the European Union, other G7 partners, and the International Monetary Fund”, they said.

Kyiv bracing for renewed Russian assault on Avdiivka, military says

14:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine is bracing for a renewed Russian assault on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivk following several failed Russian attempts to take it.

“The third wave will definitely happen. The enemy is regrouping after a second wave of unsuccessful attacks,” Vitaly Barabash, head of the Avdiivka military administration, said on Tuesday.

Putin is said to have lost thousands of troops in his army’s “meat assault” attacks on the town which have so far been unsuccessful.

Putin to visit Kazakhstan on Thursday, Kremlin confirms

13:30 , Alexander Butler

Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit Kazakhstan on Thursday, the Kremlin has confirmed.

The two leaders will meet in the Kazakh capital, Astana, to discuss a range of matters including “current regional and international problems,” it said in comments reported by state news agency TASS.

It will be only Putin’s third known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March for war crimes, which the Kremlin strongly rejects.

Kazakhstan is not a signatory to the ICC. Neither are China and Kyrgyzstan, the two other countries Putin has visited recently.

Russian cable under the Baltic sea damaged

13:00 , Alexander Butler

A Russian fibre optic cable under the Baltic Sea was damaged last month, the state company which operates it has confirmed.

Rostelecom said the damage to the cable between Russia and Kaliningrad, its Baltic exclave, was first detected on Saturday 7 October.

It did not respond to questions about the cause of the outage, Reuters reported.

First Dutch F-16s sent to Romania for training Ukrainian pilots

12:30 , Alexander Butler

The Netherlands sent its first five F-16 fighter jets to Romania for use in the training of Ukrainian pilots.

The Netherlands will deliver a total of between 12 and 18 F-16s for use in the new European F-16 training centre in Romania, which will be opened soon, its Defence ministry said.

The Dutch have also promised to deliver F-16s to Ukraine to use in battle, alongside similar pledges from Denmark, Norway and Belgium.

Nato allies condemn Russia’s withdrawal from key post-cold war security treaty

12:00 , Alexander Butler

Nato has condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from a key post cold-war treaty, the organisation said in a statement.

“Allies condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE), and its war of aggression against Ukraine which is contrary to the treaty’s objectives.

“Russia’s withdrawal is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security.

“Therefore, as a consequence, allied states parties intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all Nato allies.”

The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), signed a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, placed verifiable limits on categories of conventional military equipment that Nato and the then-Warsaw Pact could deploy.

The treaty was designed to prevent either side of the Cold War from amassing forces for a swift offensive against the other in Europe, but was unpopular in Moscow as it blunted the Soviet Union’s advantage in conventional weapons.

But Russia’s foreign ministry said it had formally withdrawn from the pact and that the treaty, signed in an era when “cooperation seemed possible”, was now “history”.

Russia puts musician on international wanted list

11:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia has put a member of protest music group Pussy Riot on an international wanted list for spreading “fake” information about the armed forces.

Lyusya Shtein, 27, fled the country in March 2022 after escaping house arrest dressed as a food delivery man.

TASS, the state news agency, cited a source in a Moscow court who said she would be arrested immediately if she ever re-enters the country.

G7 support for Ukraine will not be affected by Middle East conflict, Japan says

11:00 , Alexander Butler

G7 support for Ukraine will not be affected by the intensifying Middle East conflict, Japan said as the group’s foreign ministers prepared to hold virtual talks with Kyiv during a meeting in Tokyo.

The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – as well as the European Union will meet in Tokyo today and tomorrow to discuss issues including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza crisis.

“Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies,” Japan’s foreign minister, Yōko Kamikawa, said.

Ex-Russian officer says Putin’s forces ‘deteriorating’

10:26 , Alexander Butler

An ex-Russian officer has said Vladimir Putin’s forces are ‘deteriorating’ in Ukraine as the Crimea was hit by up to 17 drones.

Igor Girkin, an imprisoned Russian nationalist, said Putin’s forces would be “even less capable of offensive operations than they are now” by spring 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

In a letter published by his wife, Girkin claimed that the situation for Russian forces was “gradually deteriorating” and that Russian forces are showcasing “growing weakness compared to Ukraine’s capabilities.”

He added that the Avdiivka offensive, where thousands of troops are said to have died, demonstrated the Russian Army’s inability “to achieve superiority on a very narrow sector of the front”, the ISW said.

Russian ship damaged after being struck in Crimea, MoD says

10:00 , Alexander Butler

A Russian ship was “almost certainly” damaged after being struck in Crimea, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

In a defence intelligence update, the MoD said a newly built Russian naval corvette was damaged on 4 November, earlier reported by Ukrainian and Russian sources.

“Ukraine’s capability to hit Crimean shipbuilding infrastructure will likely cause Russia to consider relocating farther from the front line, delaying the delivery of new vessels,” the update said.

Russia repels 17 drones over Black Sea and Crimea

09:30 , Alexander Butler

Moscow has claimed it destroyed and intercepted drones used in a Ukrainian attack on the Black Sea and Crimea early this morning.

A total of 17 drones were launched by Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry said. Nine drones were destroyed by air defence systems and eight were intercepted by electronic warfare, it added.

Explosions were heard near the towns of Novofedorivka and Saky, a Russian air base, just after 4am, according to local reports.

Moscow says Israeli nuclear remark raises 'huge number of questions'

09:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s foreign ministry said a statement by an Israeli junior minister who appeared to voice openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza had raised many questions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government, from cabinet meetings “until further notice”.

Asked in a radio interview about a hypothetical nuclear option, Eliyahu had replied: “That’s one way”.

His remark drew swift condemnation from around the Arab world, scandalised mainstream Israeli broadcasters and was deemed “objectionable” by a US official.

Russia formally withdraws from post-Cold War security treaty

08:26 , Alexander Butler

Russia has formally withdrawn from a landmark security treaty which limited key categories of conventional armed forces, blaming the United States for undermining post-Cold War security with the enlargement of the Nato military alliance.

The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), signed a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, placed verifiable limits on categories of conventional military equipment that Nato and the then-Warsaw Pact could deploy.

The treaty was designed to prevent either side of the Cold War from amassing forces for a swift offensive against the other in Europe, but was unpopular in Moscow as it blunted the Soviet Union’s advantage in conventional weapons.

But Russia’s foreign ministry said it had formally withdrawn from the pact and that the treaty, signed in an era when “cooperation seemed possible”, was now “history”.

Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

06:59 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the war in Israel and Gaza is “taking away the focus” from Russia’s full-scale invasion as he denied suggestions that the conflict in eastern Europe had reached a stalemate.

Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday alongside European commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Zelensky said Russia wanted the focus on Ukraine to be “weakened” but added that “everything is [still] in our power”.

Mr Zelensky has offered to visit Israel, though he has admitted it is “difficult” because it depends on “what’s happening on the battlefield” in Ukraine, which he said remains “hot”.

My colleague Tom Watling has more here:

Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Ukraine

Full report: Russian drone attack damages 124-year-old art gallery in Odesa

05:57 , Andy Gregory

A 124-year-old art museum was damaged as Russia launched a barrage of drone attacks in Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, injuring at least five people and setting trucks with grain on fire, my colleague Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

“On November 6, the Odesa National Art Museum turns 124 years old,” said Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region. “On the eve of November 6, the Russians ‘congratulated’ our architectural monument with a missile that hit nearby,” he added.

The walls of the building were damaged while some windows and glass were broken, according to the governor.

The drones reportedly damaged port infrastructure, including warehouses and loading equipment, before Ukraine downed 15 Russian drones over the city, the authorities said.

Russian drone attack damages 124-year-old art gallery in Odesa

Watch: Russia tests intercontinental ballistic missiles from new submarine

04:51 , Andy Gregory

Wagner mercenaries training in Chechnya, Kadyrov claims

03:44 , Reuters

A large group of Russia’s former Wagner mercenaries has started training with special forces from the southern Russian region of Chechnya, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday.

Wagner played a prominent role in some of the fiercest fighting of Russia’s war in Ukraine, but its future was thrown into question when its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in August, two months after leading a brief mutiny against the Russian defence establishment.

Kadyrov said in a message on Telegram that a big group of ex-Wagner fighters was undergoing intensive training with his own Akhmat special forces.

“I am glad that today the ranks of the famous (Akhmat) unit have been joined by fighters who have excellent combat experience and have proven themselves as brave and efficient warriors,” he said.

“I am confident that in the upcoming battles they will fully live up to their reputation.”

He published a video, accompanied by stirring music, showing soldiers in combat training, including some wearing Wagner insignia on their uniforms and masks over their faces. Kadyrov said the drills included shooting, field medicine and training for snipers, machine gunners, sappers and artillerymen.

Zelensky says Ukraine has ‘eliminated’ another Russian warship

02:40 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says his troops have “eliminated” a Russian warship housed in a shipyard at the Crimean city of Kerch.

“I thank everyone who ensured the successful targeting of the Russian warship at the Kerch shipyard. This is significant – another source of Russian terror against Ukraine has been eliminated,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address.

It follows an admission by Russia’s defence ministry that Ukraine had targeted the shipyard with 15 cruise missiles on Saturday, 13 of which were shot down in an attack which damaged a ship.

Western officials ‘quietly talking to Kyiv about outline of peace negotiations'

01:33 , Andy Gregory

US and European officials have been quietly talking to Kyiv about what possible peace negotiations to end the war with Russia might look like, NBC reports, citing one current and one former US official familiar with the discussions.

Some of the talks, which the officials described as delicate, took place last month during a meeting of the the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, which brought together representatives from more than 50 nations, NBC reported.

Satellite image ‘shows strike on Russian warship'

00:30 , Andy Gregory

Satellite imagery shared by an analsyst at the American Enterprise Institute think-tank appears to show the damage from a Ukrainian strike on a Russian warship in the Crimean port city of Kerch.

Ukraine expected to ‘take major step towards EU membership talks'

Monday 6 November 2023 23:33 , Andy Gregory

The European Union executive is expected to recommend on Wednesday that the bloc opens membership negotiations with Kyiv once it meets outstanding conditions, two EU officials have told Reuters.

The Commission will assess Ukraine across seven reform areas in a report that will inform a key decision in December at a summit of the EU’s national leaders on whether to start formal membership negotiations with Kyiv.

Both EU officials said the recommendations meant formal negotiations with Kyiv – and fellow EU candidate Moldova – could start next year.

The Commission’s report, which will also cover progress towards membership by other EU hopefuls, was still to be finalised before official publication, the sources added.

In Kyiv, a senior government official also said Ukraine expected the European Commission to deliver a “positive” appraisal of its membership bid.

Footage shows Bucha 18 months on from Russian occupation

Monday 6 November 2023 22:39 , Andy Gregory

A Ukrainian journalist has shared footage showing a view of the streets of Bucha some 18 months on from Russia’s withdrawal from the town of Bucha, in the Kyiv region.

The first clip shows houses destroyed, and debris and wreckage littering the streets.

The more recent clip shows a car driving through unmarked roads and passing by perfectly intact buildings:

Ukraine interior minister says investigation under way into fatal explosion

Monday 6 November 2023 22:04 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s interior minister has urged people not to spread “unofficial information” about the explosion which killed a Ukrainian Major acting as an assistant to the Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny.

The Ukrainska Pravda outlet cited a security source as saying that Major Hennady Chastyakov’s wife said her husband had been killed in a blast caused by a gift bag with a bottle of alcohol and gift glasses in the form of grenades.

But interior minister Ihor Klymenko later said the gifts were “Western grenades” that he was showing to his son. “The son first took the munition in his hand and began to twist the ring,” Mr Klymenko said. “Then, the serviceman took the grenade from the child and pulled the ring, causing a tragic explosion.”

Mr Klymenko said the colleague who presented the gift had been identified and two more grenades of this type were found in his office as an investigation got under way. He said he had issued the explanation so as not to “spread unofficial information.”

Mr Zaluzhny had earlier expressed condolences to Chastyakov’s family, saying “an unknown explosive device went off in one of his presents”.

Ukraine commander’s aide ‘killed by explosive hidden in grenade-shaped birthday present'

Monday 6 November 2023 21:43 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief has revealed that his assistant, a major in rank, was killed when a booby-trapped birthday present he had been given exploded.

“My assistant and close friend, Major Hennady Chastyakov, was killed in tragic circumstances on his birthday in a family setting,” General Valery Zaluzhnyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “An unknown explosive device went off in one of his presents.”

The Ukrainska Pravda outlet said a security source was told by Chastyakov’s wife that the gift was a bottle of liquor in the form of a grenade that he had brought home. It exploded when he opened it, and Chastyakov’s 13-year-old son suffered serious injuries.

The source told Ukrainska Pravda that Chastyakov, 39, was a graduate of a military academy and fully trained in handling grenades.

Last week, Zaluzhni wrote an essay in the Economist magazine saying the war had entered a new phase of attrition that was to Russia’s advantage and calling for more sophisticated technology for Ukraine’s military. President Volodymyr Zelensky had denied any suggestion that the war has entered a stalemate.

Putin going to have to choose between Israel and Iran, analyst says

Monday 6 November 2023 21:02 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin is soon going to have to choose between maintaining Russia’s relationships with either Israel or Iran, with the Russian president needing Tehran’s support “in order to sustain his war in Ukraine”, an analyst has suggested.

Kimberly Kagan, president for the US-based Institute for the Study of War think-tank, told PBS: “The Israeli government has always hoped that Russia would provide some check on Iranian behaviour in Syria. We at ISW have assessed that that check has not been effective.

“Be that as it may, it has been Israeli policy to tolerate Russia’s presence inside of Syria. I don’t think that this myth is going to last very long. I think Putin is going to have to make a choice soon between whether he will maintain his relationship with Iran or whether he will maintain his relationship with Israel.

“Putin needs Iran in order to sustain his war in Ukraine, so Putin is going to end up facing a tough choice.

“I think he’s going to try to delay that choice for as long as he can, but since his war in Ukraine is so important to him and the survival of his regime, he is going to have to optimise his alliance relationship to be able to continue to sustain that war.

“I think the Israelis are going to find that Putin is not a helpful or a friendly actor.”

Ukraine elections ‘not appropriate’ during wartime, says Zelensky

Monday 6 November 2023 20:19 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed it is irresponsible to engage in talk of holding an election in Ukraine in wartime.

Mr Zelensky said it was critical to concentrate on the military challenges facing Ukraine as it tries to expel Russian forces occupying nearly a fifth of its territory.

“We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are many challenges, it is utterly irresponsible to engage in topics related to an election in such a frivolous manner,” he said in his nightly video address.

“We need to recognise that this is a time for defence, a time for battle, upon which the fate of the state and its people depend ... I believe that elections are not appropriate at this time.”

While Ukraine’s martial law enacted after Russia’s invasion prohibits elections, Kyiv has faced calls from some allies to hold a vote – with parliamentary elections having been due for October and a presidential vote in March 2024.

Mr Zelensky was said last week to be mulling the pros and cons of holding elections while war rages, with concerns over how it would be possible to ensure a fair and accurate vote extended safely to all eligible citizens.

ICYMI: Denmark’s PM on why it’s vital the West keeps supporting Ukraine

Monday 6 November 2023 19:43 , Andy Gregory

“I don’t see us returning to the world we knew before the war in Ukraine ends, if at all. This is not a parenthesis in history; it is very much the new reality we all live in now,” says Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen.

We are on board her Challenger plane, returning to Copenhagen from a recent summit in Sweden.

The situation in Israel and Gaza and the threat a regional war would pose to European security was the centre of discussion – but the primary purpose of the summit was how to deal with the fragility of European infrastructure and Russia‘s continuing aggression towards its European neighbours.

Jakob Illeborg has the full exclusive report here:

‘Time to stand up’: Denmark’s PM on why it is vital the West keeps supporting Ukraine

Watch: Russia tests intercontinental ballistic missiles from new submarine

Monday 6 November 2023 19:01 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine ready for ‘constructive dialogue’ on Polish lorry protests

Monday 6 November 2023 18:19 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is ready for “constructive dialogue” with Poland to resolve the situation of Polish lorry drivers blocking crossings at the Ukraine-Poland border over their loss of business, Kyiv’s deputy prime minister has said.

“Our official position is that blocking the border harms the interests and economies of both countries. It also affects the functioning of the Solidarity Lines which are intended to export Ukrainian agricultural products,” Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Twitter/X.

US official ‘convinced’ of progress on Sweden’s Nato bid after Turkey visit

Monday 6 November 2023 17:49 , Andy Gregory

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said he is convinced there will be progress on Sweden’s Nato membership bid, after talks with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara.

After delaying for months, president Tayyip Erdogan submitted the bill ratifying Sweden’s Nato membership to Turkey’s parliament on Monday. But it must be approved by the parliament’s foreign affairs committee before a vote by the full general assembly, and then signed into law by Mr Erdogan.

“I’m convinced that we’ll see forward movement on that,” Mr Blinken told reporters while leaving Ankara, after being asked whether Turkey had given any assurances that it will back Sweden’s Nato membership.

Mr Blinken said that the US was very encouraged by the fact that mr Erdogan submitted the ratification protocol to parliament, adding that there was “a shared commitment” by Ankara and Washington to make sure that Sweden joins the alliance, adding: “I would expect that we’ll see that come to fruition.”

The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee chair said last week that they would not expedite ratifying Sweden’s Nato membership, but Mr Erdogan said at the weekend that he would try to facilitate it.

US-backed broadcaster says Russia has taken journalist ‘hostage'

Monday 6 November 2023 17:21 , Andy Gregory

The Washington-funded Radio Free Europe broadcaster fears Russia has taken one of its journalists “hostage” for a potential prisoner swap with the United States, the broadcaster’s acting president has said.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, has been in custody since 18 October, having earlier been briefly detained in June while trying to leave Russia following a visit to her mother. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge of failing to register as a “foreign agent” – which Moscow has designated Radio Free Europe.

Kurmasheva, 47, is the second US journalist to be held in Russia since the start of the Ukraine war.

“My view is when she entered the country last May they saw her as a potential hostage and they wanted to watch and wait and listen and learn,” RFE’s acting president Jeffrey Gedmin told Reuters on Friday.

“And then suddenly, they escalated, they arrested, and they published a very vivid video of her in handcuffs being carted off. They published the photo page of her passport, and they published the address of her mother. It was a quick acceleration, very brazen, very aggressive,” he said.

Polish truckers block roads to Ukraine border in row over loss of businesses

Monday 6 November 2023 16:55 , Andy Gregory

Polish lorry drivers have blocked roads to three border crossings with Ukraine, to protest perceived government inaction over a loss of business to foreign competitors since Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Truckers from Ukraine have been exempt from seeking permits to cross the Polish border since Russia’s invasion, and firms from Russia and Belarus have been setting up Polish entities, hauliers say.

Their demands include reimposing restrictions on the number of Ukraine-registered trucks entering Poland, and a ban on transport companies with capital from outside the European Union, among others.

The truckers have compared their situation to Polish farmers, who won concessions from the government after complaining about a flood of cheap Ukrainian grain imports.

The protesters said they were letting through one truck per hour but exempting some shipments from their blockade, including equipment for Ukraine’s army, humanitarian aide, volatile substances and livestock transports.

“The blocking of the roads to the border crossings between Poland and Ukraine ... is a painful stab in the back of Ukraine, which is suffering Russian aggression,” Ukraine’s ambassador in Warsaw, Vasyl Zvarych, wrote on Twitter/X.

Ukraine expects ‘positive’ EU report on membership bid this week - minister

Monday 6 November 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

A senior Ukrainian government minister said on Monday that Kyiv expected the European Union to provide a "positive" appraisal of its progress on the path towards membership in a report this week and that it had carried out all the necessary reforms.

Deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna made the comments in an interview with Reuters before the EU commission publishes a report on Wednesday that Kyiv hopes will recommend bloc members decide in December to open formal accession talks with Ukraine.

Ukraine military chiefs criticised for holding awards ceremony

Monday 6 November 2023 15:35 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine military chiefs are coming under fire for their handling of an awards ceremony where a Russian strike killed 19 soldiers.

Serhiy Sternenko, a well known army volunteer, warned there was likely to be more fatalities without “systemic changes”.

“There have already been many similar incidents, unfortunately,” he told the BBC. “Without systemic changes, there will be more such incidents”.

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister ‘outraged’ at museum strike

Monday 6 November 2023 14:37 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister has said he is “outraged” at a Russian strike on Odesa’s National Art Museum.

At least five people were injured and the walls of the museum - a UNESCO world heritage site - damaged when it was attacked by done.

“The deliberate destruction of cultural sites is a crime against heritage,” Emine Dzheppar wrote on X. “We demand a strong international response and immediate @UNESCO action.”

Russian economy at risk of ‘overheating'

Monday 6 November 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

Russia’s economy is at risk of “overheating” partly due to Vladimir Putin’s splurging on the invasion of Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

Inflation rose to 6 per cent in Russia in September 2023, up from 5.3 per cent in August 2023.

The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) responded by increasing interest rates by another 2 percentage points to 15 per cent.

“It is highly likely the CBR will maintain high interest rates through 2024,” the MoD said in its latest war updates.

“This is highly likely to increase borrowing costs for Russian consumers and is likely to also impact the Russian government’s debt servicing costs.”

“Due to increasing demand, partially due to large increases in defence spending, along with continued pressures of a tightening labour market, the Russian economy is likely at risk of overheating.”

Slovak PM Fico: no obstacles to private weapons exports

Monday 6 November 2023 13:31 , Matt Mathers

Slovakia’s new prime minister Robert Fico, who has pledged to halt the country’s military aid for neighbouring Ukraine, said on Monday he had no intention of preventing private defence companies’ exports.

NATO member Slovakia is home to makers of artillery ammunition as well as heavy military vehicles such as howitzers, some of which have been shipped to Ukraine.

Fico ran a campaign ahead of a Sept 30 election, which his party won, criticising western support for Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and US foreign policies.

Fico reiterated on Monday the country would halt any shipments from army storage to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression, but made clear private business was not to be affected.

"We have communicated very clearly and I want to communicate - we are talking about weapons, about ammunition from Slovak army storage, about state material," Fico said after an inaugural meeting with defence minister Robert Kalinak.

"When some company wants to make weapons and send them somewhere, nobody is going to obstruct that."

ICYMI: Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Monday 6 November 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the war in Israel and Gaza is “taking away the focus” from Russia’s full-scale invasion as he denied suggestions that the conflict in eastern Europe had reached a stalemate.

Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday alongside European commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Zelensky said Russia wanted the focus on Ukraine to be “weakened” but added that “everything is [still] in our power”.

Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Ukraine

Ukraine opens criminal investigation into deadly Russian missile strike on award ceremony

Monday 6 November 2023 12:19 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation into a deadly Russian missile strike that killed multiple Ukrainian soldiers at an award ceremony last week.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said the strike took place on the soldiers of the 128th Separate Mountain Infantry Brigade in the Zaporizhzhia region, without providing much details about what had happened.

Full report:

Ukraine opens criminal investigation into deadly Russian missile strike

19 killed at 128th Separate Mountain-Assault Brigade of Zakarpattia

Monday 6 November 2023 11:32 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine confirmed that 19 service members were killed by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia during a military awards ceremony in what president Volodymyr Zelensky lamented was a "tragedy that could have been avoided".

Defence minister Rustem Umerov has ordered an investigation into why the 128th Separate Mountain-Assault Brigade of Zakarpattia participated in the crowded event on Friday honouring troops for Rocket Forces and Artillery Day so close to front lines.

IMF mission starts second review of Ukraine programme

Monday 6 November 2023 11:28 , Matt Mathers

An International Monetary Fund monitoring mission started work on Monday to review an ongoing multibillion dollar programme for Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks over $41 billion in international aid to cover its budget gap next year.

The IMF mission started policy talks with the Ukrainian officials on the $15.6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan, the Fund said in a statement. The programme is part of a $115 billion global package to support the economy as Ukraine battles Russia’s invasion.

"We are committed to a constructive analysis of the completed work and fruitful discussion on the next steps. The review will not be easy, but Ukraine’s team has been working smoothly and effectively for over 20 months of the large-scale war," said Ukraine’s central bank governor Andriy Pyshnyi.

"We clearly understand the critical need to maintain IMF’s support not only for further budget needs financing, but for the country’s development and its European future."

Independent launches new WhatsApp channel

Monday 6 November 2023 11:25 , Matt Mathers

The Independent has launched a brand new WhatsApp Channel, bringing you the latest breaking news, Premium news analysis from our award-winning journalists and an evening news briefing with the day’s top headlines.

Sign up and get the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war and more by pressing this invite link.

Zelensky invites Trump to Ukraine

Monday 6 November 2023 10:31 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US to provide more funding to help his forces counter Russia, and invited former U.S. President Donald Trump to fly in to see the scale of the conflict for himself.

Zelenskiy said American soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support.

"If Russia will kill all of us, they will attack NATO countries and you will send your sons and daughters [to fight]," Zelenskiy said according to a transcript of an interview with NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ airing on Sunday.

Inviting Trump to Ukraine, he said: “[He] an come here, I will need ... 24 minutes to explain to president Trump that he can’t manage this war," Zelensky said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.  "He can’t bring peace because of Putin."

Full report: Russian drone attack damages 124-year-old art gallery in Odesa

Monday 6 November 2023 10:30 , Matt Mathers

As we reported earlier, a Russian drone attack on a 124-year-old art gallery in Odessa has injured at least five people.

The drones strikes reportedly also damaged port infrastructure, including warehouses and loading equipment, before Ukraine downed 15 Russian drones over the city, authorities said.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the full report:

Russian drone attack damages 124-year-old art gallery in Odesa

Breaking: Putin to run for president again in 2024

Monday 6 November 2023 10:04 , Matt Mathers

Russian president Vladimir Putin will run for president again in 2024, Reuters reports, citing six sources.

But the Kremlin denied the report, saying Putin had not made any decisions about his future.

“The president has not made any statements”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “And the campaign has not been officially announced yet”.

Russia test launches intercontinental ballistic missile from new nuclear submarine

Monday 6 November 2023 09:40 , Matt Mathers

Russia on Sunday claimed it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads from its nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III.

The test comes amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over Vladimir Putin’s 20-month-long invasion of Ukraine.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:

Russia test launches intercontinental ballistic missile from new nuclear submarine

Ukraine grain exports fall by a third

Monday 6 November 2023 09:17 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine’s grain exports have fallen by a third compared to last year, new data published today shows.

Figures published by the country’s agriculture ministry said grain exports have fallen to 9.8 million metric tons so far in the 2023/24 July-June.

This was down from 14.3 million in the same period last year.

Zelensky sends condolences to ‘fallen heroes’ killed in 128th Mountain Assault Brigade

Monday 6 November 2023 08:19 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelensky has sent condolences to the loved ones of the “fallen heroes” killed in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade.

He described the attack as a “tragedy that could have been avoided” and an investigation has been launched to understand the full circumstances of the event.

“Defense Minister Umerov informed me on all actions taken to determine full details of what happened and who issued which orders,” he wrote on X.

“A criminal investigation into the tragedy has also begun.   Our main goal is to reveal the complete truth about what happened and to avoid such tragedies from happening again.

“Every serviceman in the combat zone, in the area reachable by enemy air reconnaissance and fire, understands how to act in the open air and how to maintain security.”

ICYMI: Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Monday 6 November 2023 07:30 , Matt Mathers

President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, with the pair discussing the war and Ukraine’s accession to the bloc.

At a press conference after the meeting, Zelenksy said the war between Hamas and Israel is “taking away the focus” from his country’s battle with Russia.

He denied the war had reached a stalemate heading into the winter and insisted “everything is [still] in our power”.

Tom Watling has more:

Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Ukraine

Ukraine opens criminal investigation into deadly Russian missile strike

Monday 6 November 2023 07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation into a deadly Russian missile strike that killed multiple Ukrainian soldiers at an award ceremony last week.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said the strike took place on the soldiers of the 128th Separate Mountain Infantry Brigade in the Zaporizhzhia region, without providing much details about what had happened.

“It is a tragedy that could have been avoided,” Mr Zelensky said in his televised speech.

More here.

Ukraine opens criminal investigation into deadly Russian missile strike