Ukraine war briefing: Military holding off one of Russia’s fiercest offensives since invasion began, says Syrskyi
Top Ukrainian military commander’s comments come after Russia’s quickest monthly gains since start of war. What we know on day 984
Ukrainian forces are restraining one of Russia’s most powerful offensives since the start of Moscow’s 2022 invasion, the top commander of Kyiv’s forces has said. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s military commander, said: “The armed forces of Ukraine are holding back one of the most powerful Russian offensives from launching a full-scale invasion.” Moscow said on Saturday it had taken two more settlements along the Donbas frontline in eastern Ukraine. Syrski added: “The enemy does not stop assault actions in several directions, using air superiority and long-range firepower, and also has a significant advantage in artillery shells.” Syrskyi said he told the chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, Gen Charles Brown, of the Ukrainian military’s “urgent needs” and that Brown assured him of continued US support. Washington said on Friday it would provide an additional $425m in military aid to Ukraine.
A Russian air attack on Kyiv damaged buildings, roads and several power lines, the capital’s military administration said early on Sunday, after the military said air defences were trying to repel a drone attack. The attack came in waves and approached the city from different directions, said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration. It was Russia’s second drone attack on Kyiv in as many nights. According to preliminary information, all of the attack drones were destroyed, Popko said. Falling debris damaged an entrance and windows of at least five buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, including a hostel and windows in an office building.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that strikes were reported in the central Poltava and north-eastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions. “This year, we have faced the threat of ‘Shahed’ drones almost every night – sometimes in the morning, and even during the day,” he said on social media, referring to the Iranian-made attack drones used by Russia. The Ukrainian air force said air defences destroyed 39 of 71 Russian drones launched during Moscow’s air attacks on Ukraine overnight to Saturday, with 21 drones “locationally lost” and five turned back to Russia.
Ukraine has called on Moscow to provide a list of Ukrainian prisoners of war ready for a swap after Russia accused Ukraine of sabotaging the exchange process. In requesting the list of Ukrainians from his Russian counterpart on Sunday, the Ukrainian human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, wrote online: “We are always ready to exchange prisoners of war!” On Saturday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine was essentially sabotaging the process and had refused to take back its own citizens. She said Russia’s defence ministry had offered to hand over 935 Ukrainian PoWs but that Ukraine had taken only 279. Lubinets, in turn, said Ukraine was always ready to accept its citizens and accused Russia of slowing down the exchange process. Kyiv and Moscow’s last PoW exchange took place in mid-October, with each side bringing home 95 prisoners.
A court in Russia’s far east has said it convicted Robert Shonov, a former US consular employee, of illegally and covertly cooperating with the US government to harm Russia’s national security and had jailed him for nearly five years. Russia’s FSB security service detained Shonov, a Russian, in Vladivostok in May last year and accused him of taking money to covertly supply US diplomats with information that was potentially harmful to Russia, including on Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. The US on Saturday condemned the conviction as “an egregious injustice”.
A US citizen who Russia said was spirited out of eastern Ukraine by its special forces after reportedly helping the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops said in Moscow on Saturday that he had asked for Russian citizenship. “My name is Daniel Martindale,” he told a press conference reported by state media. “Here is my passport. It went through the war with me, you can see in what condition it is,” he said in English, holding up what appeared to be a well-used US passport and birth certificate. He said he was under no duress and wanted to receive Russian citizenship. The US embassy in Moscow did not immediately comment.
Continue reading...Topics
-
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says North Korea providing personnel to Russia’s army
World - The Guardian - October 14 -
Ukraine war briefing: Russia plans to send North Korean troops into battle as early as Sunday, Zelenskiyy says
World - The Guardian - October 26 -
Ukraine war briefing: North Korea says it will back Russia until it achieves victory
World - The Guardian - 3 days ago -
Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv incensed as UN’s Guterres ‘to meet Putin’ in Russia
World - The Guardian - October 21 -
Ukraine Says North Korean Role in Russia's War Is Growing
World - The Wall Street Journal - October 16 -
North Korean troops in Russia readying for combat in Ukraine war, South Korea says
Top stories - NBC News - October 18 -
South Korea says North is sending troops to aid Russia's war in Ukraine
World - ABC News - October 18 -
U.S. says North Korea sending troops to Russia as Ukraine war rages
Top stories - CBS News - October 23 -
U.S. Says North Korean Troops Are in Russia, Might Be Used in Ukraine War
World - The Wall Street Journal - October 23
More from The Guardian
-
US election live updates: Harris and Trump hold duelling Pittsburgh rallies in final hours of campaigning
World - The Guardian - 15 minutes ago -
Polls on US House and Senate races paint a worrying picture for Democrats
World - The Guardian - 13 hours ago -
Trump’s lead over Harris in betting market erodes as platforms tighten odds
World - The Guardian - 8 hours ago -
When do polls close on election day, Tuesday, 5 November 2024?
World - The Guardian - 15 hours ago -
Israel braces for another Iranian attack after threats from leaders in Tehran
World - The Guardian - 8 hours ago
Latest in World
-
US election live updates: Harris and Trump hold duelling Pittsburgh rallies in final hours of campaigning
World - The Guardian - 15 minutes ago -
Six cities, one question: is China’s property market turning a corner?
World - Financial Times - 25 minutes ago -
Kiss chaste: number of high school boys in Japan who have had first kiss falls to 1970s levels
World - The Guardian - 31 minutes ago -
North Korea fires a barrage of ballistic missiles toward the sea ahead of US election
World - ABC News - 35 minutes ago -
Taiwan’s soaring energy prices and growing outages hit chipmaker TSMC
World - Financial Times - 48 minutes ago