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. This was announced by Pavlo Frolov, a member of the Kiev delegation. In social media, Frolov writes that the document also defines "the de-colonialization of the Russian Federation as a necessary prerequisite 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 Saporischja 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 Donezk regionIn the region of Donezk, which Russia claims, four firefighters were injured in Ukrainian attacks, according to Russian emergency services. They had extinguished a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack in the Petrowski district and were then hit by renewed shelling, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations explained.
10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces driven back from the left bank of ChersonThe fighting in the Cherson region is currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian troops have been driven back from the left bank of the Dnipro, according to Cherson Governor Wolodymyr Saldo, speaking to the Russian news agency TASS. "The fighting has shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he says. The islands and the Dnipro river in the Cherson region form a natural border at the front.
09:43 Ukraine: One dead, two injured in Russian attack on ChersonOne person was reportedly killed and two were injured in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson. This was announced by Cherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Telegram. A 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was allegedly 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 fired on a farm. No injuries were reported in a drone attack on a house 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 border region of Kursk, nine over the region of Lipetsk several hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the regions of Voronezh and Bryansk, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reports. The governors of Lipetsk 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 also NATO. This is what the Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson says in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that the Kremlin and Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in politically splitting us, both within the EU as well as in NATO", Jonson says. To maintain peace, it is best to make NATO strong and focus on deterrence and defense. According to Jonson, it means more responsibility for European security, especially by investing more in military forces. Sweden, under the impression of the Russian attack on Ukraine, gave up its neutrality. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.
07:24 Zelenskyy: After Russian attack on Velyka Nova Basanova, the death toll may still riseFollowing a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Basanova in the Zaporizhzhia region, the death toll may still rise. According to official figures, at least seven people have been killed, among them children. Thirty-one people were injured in the rocket attack, the Civil Defense reports. "Unfortunately, the number of victims may still increase," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy writes on the platform X.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bombard Derhachy with fighter bombsRussian troops have attacked the city of Derhachy in the Kharkiv region. This is reported by the head of the military administration of Derhachy, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. Zadorenko reports that three people were injured in the attack. This is the most massive attack on Derhachy since 2022, during which four fighter bombs were dropped. According to Zadorenko, two men aged 68 and 75 and a 71-year-old woman were taken to the hospital. 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 have increased again: Germany exports weapons worth 7.5 billion EuroAfter setting a record for weapons exports in the previous year, export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to rising weapons deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government authorized the export of military goods worth at least 7.48 billion Euro abroad. This represents an increase of approximately 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Nearly 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 deputy Sevim Dağdelen from The Left (Die Linke).
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 reportedly targeted a military objective. According to Interfax, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missile systems was attacked, as stated in a message from the Russian Defense Ministry. 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 of mines in the past two years - an area comparable in size to 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 soil 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. These units, with 5000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv.
03:53: IFO Survey: Nearly half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo" ineffectivelyAccording to a survey by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel managers in Germany, 48% find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. This information was obtained from an IFO Institute survey of personnel managers. 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 companies states that the new regulations have made more skilled labor available. In addition, respondents mention the benefit of mandatory language courses before job placement with fewer language barriers. Every 18% of personnel managers praise the shorter hiring processes and the simpler recognition of diplomas. Nearly half of the respondents find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor is still too high, although 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
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 leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was not pleased, the activists report laconically.
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 completing search and rescue operations, it was determined that seven people had been killed, including two children, and 31 people had been injured, eight of whom were 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 operations are complete," the Ukrainian state emergency services report.
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 called for the expulsion of Ukrainians who do not work. "The proposal can be misunderstood," says CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer to the "Augsburger Allgemeine." Mothers and children from the war-torn country find it difficult to work; be it due to a lack of language skills or a lack of daycare. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, he thinks.
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. There were no injuries reported. The Ukrainian Security Service SBU reports this. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about earlier developments here.
- The Parliamentary Assembly of NATO member states, including Ukraine and Russia, has yet to formally recognize Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide.
- Volodymyr Selensky, the Ukrainian president, has called for stronger military support from NATO in the face of Russian cyberwar attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
- Russia has denied allegations of cyberwar attacks on Ukraine, but NATO has expressed concern about increased Russian aggression in the digital domain.
- The OSCE has condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and called for an immediate ceasefire, but Russia has accused the West of fueling the conflict and supporting Ukrainian extremists.
- The Ukraine conflict has intensified political tensions between Russia and the West, with NATO members accusing Russia of violating international law and human rights in Ukraine.
