Russia Prepares Legal Action Over North Stream Pipeline Explosion
14:26 NATO Rep: Kursk Operation Places Putin in Tough SpotNATO's Military Committee Chief, Admiral Robert Bauer, opines that the Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk region places Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a tricky situation. For the first time since 1941, an external force has infiltrated Russian soil, Bauer told Interfax Ukraine in an interview. This presents a strategic challenge for Russia, and also operational issues, as supply lines run through Kursk. On a strategic level, Kyiv is causing a strategic predicament for Moscow. "If Putin claims to protect the homeland, he fails if Ukraine now occupies Russian soil."
13:44 Ukraine: Sumy Death Toll Rises to 9, 11 InjuredThe casualty count from a dual drone attack by hostile forces in Sumy has risen to 9, as per Ukrainian reports. The current count of wounded is 11. 113 patients were evacuated from the bombed hospital. This morning, a Russian attack claimed one life and harmed the roof of a clinic. The evacuation of patients and personnel commenced. Emergency services and police arrived at the site to assist. Simultaneously, Russia launched another air attack. Ukrainian President Zelenskyj responded on X when there were still 8 fatalities.
12:56 Blinken: U.S. Investigating Zelenskyy's Victory StrategyUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US administration is examining the Ukrainian "victory strategy" proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to US President Joe Biden during their White House meeting. Among other points, Zelenskyy again requested authorization from Biden to utilize Western weapons for long-range attacks on Russian military targets. Blinken now revealed, according to a Voice of America report, that the authorities and Ukraine's partners are currently scrutinizing the strategy details and will contemplate "additional measures" if necessary to aid the Ukrainians in achieving victory. The Secretary of State advocates for a tougher stance on the Ukraine conflict within the White House, which is not being implemented by the President.
12:25 London: 2000 Health Facility Attacks in Ukraine Since War BeganThe British Ministry of Defense has recorded 2013 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia invaded its neighboring country in February 2022. Staff were targeted 235 times. Only last July, the Russian army shelled a children's hospital in Kyiv. Since the war's inception, Moscow's attacks on the healthcare system have claimed 176 lives, according to the ministry.
11:48 Ukraine: Search for Survivors After Police Station AttackThe death toll from a Russian attack on the police station in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 4. A police officer is believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, and the search for survivors continues, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The rocket attack on Kryvyi Rih is the second attack on Ukrainian police within 2 days.
10:58 Military Expert: Russian Counterattack in Kursk Gains MomentumAustralian military analyst Mick Ryan reports that the Russian counterattack in Kursk has gained traction. In August, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Russian region of Kursk and seized territory. Initially caught off guard, the Russians are now offering resistance and recapturing ground, albeit at a slower pace, according to Ryan. A Ukrainian incursion west of the Russian counterattack may have weakened Russian flank security and separated hundreds of Russian troops. Ryan refers to findings from the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
10:30 Ukrainian Air Force: 69 Drone Attacks RepelledThe Ukrainian air force reports that the Russian army deployed 73 combat drones and 4 missiles against Ukraine last night. Ukraine managed to intercept 69 drones and 2 missiles. The death toll from a Russian drone strike on a hospital in the Sumy Oblast has risen to 7.
09:52 Zelenskyy Cuts Off Trump's SpeechAfter a 5-year hiatus, talks between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy resumed. Trump had recently criticized US aid to Ukraine.
09:39 ISW: Few Frequent Long-Range Attacks Could Alter War's CourseExperts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that even a few successful long-range Ukrainian attacks could significantly alter the war's trajectory. "Russian authorities appear to be making considerable efforts to influence Western discourse over whether Ukraine should use Western weapons for long-range strikes on Russian military facilities," the ISW asserts, expressing deep concern that such attacks could impose substantial operational pressure on the Russian offensive. The US continues to deny Ukraine's request to launch long-range attacks on Russian territory.
09:18 Ukraine's General Staff: Russian Casualties Reach 650,640The Russian military has sustained another 1470 casualties in the past 24 hours, according to Ukraine's general staff, adding to the total of 650,640 since the full-scale invasion began two and a half years ago. In the past 24 hours, the Russians also lost 42 armored combat vehicles, 14 tanks, 62 drones, and 55 artillery systems.
08:21 Goldschmidt alerts of Baltic Sea peril from Russian oil exportAfter Greenpeace's allegations of Russian oil transportation via the Baltic Sea, Schleswig-Holstein's Environmental Minister Tobias Goldschmidt raises concerns about tanker threats to the Baltic coastline. The Russian authorities are flagrantly bypassing the oil embargo enforced due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stated the Green party politician. This conflict poses risks to already vulnerable seas. Several Western nations accuse Russia of using rickety ships to avoid EU sanctions due to the conflict. "The possibility of an oil spill is on the rise," warns Goldschmidt. "This oil primarily would end up on our shores, from Fehmarn to Eckernförde."
07:52 Ukrainians persist against intense attacks in PokrovskUkrainian and Russian soldiers continue to clash intensely in eastern Ukraine. Pokrovsk and its surroundings remain at the heart of the battles yesterday, with Russian forces having besieged the area for months. The General Staff in Kyiv reported in its evening briefing that 19 Russian assaults on Ukrainian defense lines were repelled during the day. "Ukrainian defenders are standing strong," it announced. Russian troops are attempting to close in on the city from all directions and fortify their gains against Ukrainian counterattacks. Severe combat also erupted in the Kurachove region. According to Ukrainian sources, around 17 Russian incursions were repelled during the day. The details of the battles cannot be authenticated independently.
07:41 Zelensky finds visit to US favorableUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not obtain approval for widespread use of Western weapons during his visit to the US. However, he views his trip positively. "Every conversation went as planned," he declared in a video message on the X platform. The Ukrainian peace agreement was presented in the United States. "Now our teams must work on implementing each measure and each decision," he added. In Washington, Zelensky met with US President Joe Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, to lobby for continued support for Ukraine's defense against Russia. He also attended a meeting with the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, in New York. Trump reiterated that if he wins the election, the conflict would end quickly.
06:56 Qatar in negotiations for able-bodied children's returnNine children who were recently rescued from Russia's conflict are part of thousands of Ukrainian children who have been abducted, according to Ukrainian authorities. (See entry from 02:18) Many of them have lost one or both parents due to the conflict and have been placed with their grandparents, reports Dmytro Lubinez, the Human Rights Ombudsman. Authorities in Qatar are negotiating for the return of additional children. They have been given a list of 751 children whose paperwork is already complete, Lubinez explained. According to Ukrainian authorities, approximately 20,000 children have been illegally taken to Russia since the commencement of the war, with only a few hundred having been reunited with their families so far.
06:27 Blinken accuses China of backing Russian arms industryUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken relayed US concerns over China's support for Russia's arms industry to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. "If Beijing claims it wants peace and an end to the conflict, but allows its businesses to aid Putin in continuing his aggression, it's contradictory," Blinken stated at a press conference. Wang contended that China's stance on the Ukraine conflict has always emphasized the importance of peace through dialogue, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
05:31 Ukrainian forces apparently eliminate two Russian soldiers on jet ski with droneUkrainian forces seem to have eliminated two Russian soldiers on a jet ski using a drone, as reported by the pro-Ukrainian portal Defense Express. The Russians were cruising on the Dnipro River. A video uploaded by activist Serhiy Sternenko shows a drone, armed with an explosive device, hitting the jet ski.
04:10 Mediazona: Approximately 71,001 Russian soldiers killed in UkraineIndependent Russian news portal Mediazona reports that approximately 71,001 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine. Since mid-September, around 1,970 more soldiers have died in the conflict. Mediazona states that the actual numbers are probably higher, as their verified information comes from public sources like obituaries, social media posts from relatives, regional media reports, and notifications from local authorities.
02:18 Nine children compelled to sojourn in Russia rejoin UkraineNine children who were compelled to leave Ukraine during the conflict have returned to their homeland. They made their way back to Ukraine on Friday with Qatar's assistance as a mediator, stated Dmitro Lubinez, the country's ombudsman. He posted on Telegram that the children range in age from 13 to 17 years old, and a 20-year-old man was involved in the operation. The return was a component of a strategy and was arranged through the Gulf state of Qatar. The information was not initially independently verifiable. They were taken away from their parents or guardians by the occupiers and hailed from regions like Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, or Luhansk, Lubinez wrote further.
00:31 Lukashenko: "An assault on Belarus symbolizes the Third World War"
In Belarus, acknowledged as a prior Soviet republic, President Alexander Lukashenko claims NATO has intentions to attack his nation and fumes about nuclear retaliation. Lukashenko, conversing with students in Minsk, spoke through Belarus' state news agency Belta, stating, "Any assault on Belarus initiates the Third World War." If such an attack transpires, both Belarus and its ally Russia would employ nuclear weapons. Gratifying Russia's Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for recent changes in Russia's nuclear policy, Lukashenko emphasizes NATO's schematics to attack Belarus. Lukashenko alleges NATO members, specifically Americans and Poles, are placing themselves along the border, particularly on the Polish side, while asserting the Polish leader is eagerly anticipating the invasion. Belarus does not possess nuclear capabilities as a sovereign nation; however, Russian tactical nukes have been stationed on Belarusian territory since the end of 2023.
Former Commanders and Experts Urge Biden to Take Bold Moves Against Russia
A collection of ex-military officials and experts have sent an open letter to US President Joe Biden, advocating forforceful actions to halt the conflict in favor of Ukraine and counter potential threats from China. Notable signatories include retired US forces Europe commander Ben Hodges and NATO former deputy commander German Major General Gert-Johannes Hagemann. They implore Biden to take action against Russia, keeping a close watch on China, which involves erasing restrictions on employing Western weapons against Russia to strike "military and logistical targets" on Russian soil. They also advocate for 300 Abrams tanks and 1000 Stryker armored vehicles to be shipped to Ukraine, in addition to imposing a comprehensive arms and technology embargo on Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. Expanding NATO's reach beyond the transatlantic border is also proposed, inviting nations like Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, and Argentina to join.
Russian Intelligence Examines Foreign Journalists Regarding Kursk
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia is probing three international journalists: Kathryn Diss from Australia's ABC News, Fletcher Yeung from Rome-based RAI, and Romanian reporter Mircea Barbu from ABC News, for reporting on territories under Ukrainian control in the Russian region of Kursk. Allegedly, they have been accused of crossing the Russian border illegally. Consequently, they could face up to five years imprisonment, though none of the journalists is presently in Russia. International media outlets like Deutsche Welle, CNN, and Rai have reported from Ukrainian-controlled territories in Kursk.
White House Denounces Republican Allegations Against Zelenskyy's Visit
The White House dismisses Republican claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy breached US election regulations by paying a visit to a munitions factory. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre deems the accusations a "political stunt," urging Republicans to abandon this line of inquiry. Zelenskyy had made a stop at the Pennsylvania facility, catering to the urgent demand for 155mm artillery shells by Ukraine, during his US tour. Present during the tour were several Democrats, such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Afterward, Republicans initiated an investigation, and Speaker of the House sent a letter to Zelenskyy demanding the dismissal of the Ukrainian ambassador in the US.
Countries Express Concern over Russian Nuclear Threat
China, Brazil, and other international entities have expressed their concern over intentions to employ or threaten nuclear weapons against Ukraine. The declaration emphasizes "the withdrawal of the use or threat of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons." Twelve countries expressed apprehension over the potential for "escalation" in Ukraine, highlighting that "civilian infrastructure, including peaceful nuclear facilities and energy facilities, should not be the target of military operations."
10:58 Sentence 1: The Russian military may be facing operational difficulties in their counterattack in Kursk due to the Ukrainian incursion, as reported by military expert Mick Ryan.
10:58 Sentence 2: The Military Expert's analysis suggests that the Ukrainian incursion west of the Russian counterattack in Kursk could have weakened Russian flank security and potentially led to the separation of hundreds of Russian troops.
