11:45 OSCE: Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has passed a resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian population. Pavlo Frolov, a member of the Kiev delegation, shared this information. In social media, Frolov writes that the document also defines the "decolonization of the Russian Federation as a necessary condition for the creation of a permanent peace." The OSCE has 57 members, including Ukraine and Russia. With 57 countries from Europe, Central Asia, and North America, the OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world.
11:11 Weichert: People in Odessa "trying to live normal lives"While at least seven people have died in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia due to Russian attacks, the beaches of the coastal town of Odessa are filled with bathing tourists. It is a much-needed break for the Ukrainians affected by the war, as described by ntv-Reporter Jürgen Weichert.
10:44 Russia: Four firefighters injured in the Donetsk regionIn the region of Donetsk, which Russia claims, at least four firefighters have been injured in Ukrainian attacks, according to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. They had extinguished a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack in the Petrovski district and were then hit by renewed shelling, the ministry explained.
10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces driven back from the left bank in KhersonThe fighting in the Kherson region is currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian troops have been driven back from the left bank of the Dnipro River, Kherson Governor Vladymyr Saldo told the Russian news agency TASS. "The fighting has shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he said. The islands and the Dnipro River in the Kherson region form a natural frontier.
09:43 Ukraine: One dead, two injured in Russian attack on KhersonOne person was killed and two were injured in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Kherson, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Telegram. A 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was reportedly killed by a drone attack. A 76-year-old woman in Kozatske was injured in an artillery attack and was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. In Komysany, a 63-year-old woman was reportedly injured by Russian troops who shot up a farm. There were no injuries reported in a drone attack on a residential building in Mykhailivka, but the damage is currently being assessed.
09:08 Former NATO chief: "Putin's Plan A has failed"Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the Russian war against Ukraine will continue for at least the rest of 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to conquer all of Ukraine in a few days, has failed," Rasmussen told ntv.de in an interview. "His Plan B is now a frozen conflict and the Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine, in the hope that the West will weaken and give in." The presidential elections in the United States on November 5 are particularly important for Putin in terms of potential changes that could help him.
08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian drones shot downAccording to Russian statements, in various regions in the south of the country, 36 Ukrainian drones have been shot down. Fifteen drones were intercepted over the Kursk border region, nine over the Lipezk region, several hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the Voronezh and Bryansk regions, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The governors of Lipezk and Bryansk report on Telegram that there were no casualties or major damage.
07:55 Swedish Defense Minister: Russia wants to split EU and NATORussia is interested in politically splitting the EU and NATO. This is what the Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that those in the Kremlin and Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in splitting us politically, both within the EU and in NATO", Jonson said. To maintain peace, it is best to make NATO stronger and focus on deterrence and defense. According to Jonson, this means investing more in European security, especially in military forces. Sweden, under the impression of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, gave up its neutrality. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.
07:24 Zelenskyy: After Russian attack on Velykyi Bunar, the death toll may still riseFollowing a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velykyi Bunar in the Zaporizhzhia region, the death toll may still rise. According to official reports, at least seven people have been killed, including children. Thirty-one people were injured in the missile attack, according to the Civil Defense. "Unfortunately, the number of victims may still increase," wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bombard DerhachyRussian troops have attacked the city of Derhachy in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the head of the Derhachy Military Administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. This is the most massive attack on Derhachy since 2022, during which four air bombs were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75 and a 71-year-old woman were taken to the hospital. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential buildings, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian enterprise, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20: German weapons exports increase again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion EuroFollowing a record-breaking weapons export in the previous year, export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to continuing weapons deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government approved the export of military goods worth at least 7.48 billion Euro abroad. This represents a significant increase of over 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euro) were destined for Ukraine. This information was obtained from a response by the Economy Ministry to a query by Bundestag member Sevim Dağdelen of the Left Party (BSW).
05:41: Dead in Velyka Nova Kahovka: Moscow reportedly targeted a military objectiveFollowing the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Kahovka in the Zaporizhzhia region with at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry claims that a military objective was targeted. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missile systems was attacked, as stated in the ministry's announcement in Moscow. A military train carrying military cargo was reportedly hit, according to the Russian military leadership. Photos and videos show that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.
04:53: Kiev Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been clearedSpecialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine from mines in the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova. The Kyiv Independent reports this with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the department for environmental safety and mine clearance. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine established the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Armed Forces joined in 2024. These units, with 5,000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv.
03:53: IFO Survey: Almost half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo" ineffectivelyAccording to an IFO Institute survey of 627 personnel managers in Germany, 48% find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. However, nearly every fourth company reports positive effects: about one in four firms states that the new regulations have made more skilled labor available. In addition, respondents mention the benefit of mandatory language courses before job placement, which reduces language barriers. Approximately 18% praise the shorter hiring processes and the simpler recognition of diplomas. Nearly half of the respondents find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor remains high, although 17% observe a reduction in bureaucracy.
02:37 Governor: Russian region of Kursk under fire all day
According to the local governor, Ukraine has continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Governor Alexei Smirnov writes on Telegram that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted eight border villages. Two people were reportedly injured in the process. A video posted in Smirnov's Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov had reported the deaths of five people due to a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.
01:29 "Putin loves Farage": Activists mock Farage
The British campaign group Led by Donkeys pranked Nigel Farage, the chief of the right-wing Reform UK party, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had instigated the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was reportedly unamused, according to the activists.
00:32 Emergency services clear debris in Vilniansk
Emergency services are clearing the debris of a Russian attack on the city of Vilniansk in the Saporischschja region. After the search and rescue efforts have been completed, it is determined that seven people were killed, including two children, and 31 people were injured, including eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a 300 square meter area, as well as in two one-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue efforts have been completed," the Ukrainian state emergency service reports.
21:24 Seehofer: No asylum for young Ukrainian men
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently called for Ukrainians to be deported if they did not work. "This proposal can be misunderstood," CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer tells the "Augsburger Allgemeine." Mothers and children from the war-torn country find it difficult to work, either due to language barriers or a lack of childcare. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, according to him.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnyzkyj lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. No injuries were reported. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reports this. The motive of the 23-year-old is unclear.
You can read about earlier developments here.
- Following the OSCE's recognition of Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide, Volodymyr Selenskyy, the Ukrainian President, expressed concern about the rising death toll in Velykyi Bunar, a city in the Zaporizhzhia region, after a Russian attack.
- In the context of the Ukraine conflict, Andrew Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO Secretary-General, stated that Putin's initial plan to rapidly conquer Ukraine had failed, and his current strategy is to create a frozen conflict and Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine, hoping to weaken the West.
- Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Petrovski district in the Donetsk region, injuring at least four firefighters who had been extinguishing a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack.
- The Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson expressed concern about Russia's intent to politically split the EU and NATO, stating that Putin was aware he would lose the war, but was interested in splitting the blocs politically.
- Katja Hall, the CEO of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), urged the UK government to prioritize military aid to Ukraine and called for stronger sanctions against Russia in light of the ongoing conflict.
