Ukraine-Russia war – live: Kyiv troops advance on two fronts as Putin’s air defences ‘struck in Crimea’

Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

“Geolocated footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut),” it said.

Ukrainian forces have also “marginally advanced” west of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to geolocated footage seen by the think tank.

It comes as Kyiv said it had “successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system” in western Crimea. Russian sources said the attack was carried out using “combined” long-range weapons like ATACMS, storm shadow missiles and sea drones.

The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed its air defence systems destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the peninsula.

If confirmed, this would be the first time Ukraine has used the top-tier missile system provided by the US to hit targets on the Crimean coast.

Meanwhile, Russia has bulked up its forces around the devastated city of Bakhmut in the east and has switched its troops from a defensive posture to taking “active actions”, a Ukrainian military commander said.

Key Points

• Ukraine ‘successfully’ hits Russia’s air defence system in Crimea

• Belarus leader Lukashenko says Ukraine and Russia are locked in a ‘stalemate’

• US says executing own soldiers is ‘barbaric'

• Putin pushes more soldiers to frontline despite failing offensive

One-way-attack systems most effective weapon used by Russia, MoD says

08:19 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s small one-way attack weapons have been one of the “most effective” military capabilites Putin has used on the battlefield this year, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

“Russia’s Lancet small one-way-attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAVs) have highly likely been one of the most effective new capabilities Russia has fielded in Ukraine over the last 12 months,” the ministry said.

“Russia deploys Lancets to attack priority targets and they have become increasingly prominent in the key counter-battery fight, striking enemy artillery.”

World expects success ‘too quickly’, Zelensky says

08:04 , Alexander Butler

The world expects success on the battlefield “too quickly”, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In response to growing criticism Kyiv’s counteroffensive has been a failure, Mr Zelensky said: “The modern world is set up in such a way that it becomes accustomed to success too quickly. When the full-scale aggression began, many in the world did not think Ukraine would endure.”

Ukraine’s military said Russian forces were gearing up for fresh attacks in different sections of the front, but there has been little movement along the 1,000km frontline in recent months.

Russia attacks oil refinery, Kyiv says

07:38 , Alexander Butler

Russia struck a Ukrainian oil refinery after launching scores of drones and a missile overnight, according to military officials.

The Kremenchuk oil refinery in Poltava, was set ablaze amid a broader attack which targeted military and critical infrastructure, Filip Pronin, head of the region’s military administration, said.

“The fire has been extinguished. The situation is under control,” he said on Telegram, adding that there were no reports yet of casualties as officials sought to gather more details of the destruction.

The air force said 18 of the 20 Russian-launched kamikaze Shahed drones were destroyed before reaching their targets, as was the missile.

ICYMI - US dismisses Putin’s claim that anti-Israel riot at Dagestan was organised by Ukraine and West

07:00 , Lydia Patrick

The US has rejected Vladimir Putin’s claim that the Ukraine and the West were behind a riot in Russia’s Dagestan where thousands of people stormed an airport to target a flight landing from Israel.

Mr Putin on Monday, without presenting any evidence, accused unnamed Ukrainian agents of Western spy agencies of “trying to inspire” the rampage at the airport late on Sunday which injured more than 20 people.

The Russian president claimed the chaos was part of America’s efforts to weaken Russia.

None of those injured in the attack were Israeli nationals, reported The Associated Press.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller answered a question on Russia publicly blaming outsiders for the attack.

Ukraine received £2.3bn from international partners this month

06:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine has received about £2.3bn from international partners including the US and EU this month, according to its finance ministry.

The total sum included a $1.15bn grant from the US and 1.5bn euro as part of a macro-financial assistance package from the EU.

Overall, Ukraine has received £29bn in external funding so far in 2023. The World Bank estimated in December 2022 that Ukraine’s reconstruction could cost more than £518bn.

ICYMI - Ukraine bombards Russian forces with drones as Putin suffers losses in fight for Avdiivka

05:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukrainian forces fired more than 30 drones in a renewed assault over the weekend as Russian forces lost at least an entire brigade in their push for the eastern town of Avdiivka, officials said.

The Russian air defence systems destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, its defence ministry wrote on Telegram on Sunday, accusing Kyiv of carrying out a “terrorist attack”.

In a separate incident, local officials in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region near the Black Sea said an oil refinery was hit and set ablaze in the early hours of Sunday but did not explain what caused the fire. Several local media outlets said that the fire was caused by a drone strike or a crashed drone’s debris.

Officials in Kyiv have not issued a comment on the Russian defence ministry’s claims. The war-hit nation rarely acknowledges responsibility for attacks on Russia and Russian-occupied territories but has admitted that striking targets there helps its counteroffensive.

Ukraine bombards Russia with drones as Putin suffers losses in fight for Avdiivka

Air raid alerts in Crimea’s port of Sevastopol – officials

04:40 , Arpan Rai

An air raid alert has been declared in the Crimean port of Sevastopol and traffic on the Crimean Bridge as well as sea transport were suspended, Russian-installed officials in the Crimean Peninsula said in the early hours today.

Sevastopol, where Russia parks it major naval fleet, has come under heavy attacks from Ukraine since September this year.

The Sevastopol shipyard attack in September was one of the biggest in recent weeks, even though the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, has been a frequent target in the 18-month old war.

Mapped - The Ukraine - Russia War

04:00 , Lydia Patrick

Watch - Mike Johnson says Congress will pass 'stand-alone Israel funding bill' before supporting Ukraine

03:00 , Lydia Patrick

Zelensky speaks with Bulgarian PM to strengthen Black Sea security

02:00 , Lydia Patrick

Zelensky spoke with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov on ways to further strengthen Black Sea security amid Russian military threats.

He said: “Ukraine strengthens global food security with the alternative Black Sea export corridor. I appreciate the joint naval demining initiative by Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey.”

Ukraine urges EU to cancel European film festival in Russia

01:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine has urged the European Union to cancel an upcoming film festival being held in Russia that was organised by the bloc’s Russian delegation.

“It is important to continue an effective sanctions policy not only in the economic sphere, but also in culture, in particular in cinema,” Ukraine’s Culture Ministry said.

The festival, which features over 20 films from across the continent, is set to be held online between 1 November and 15 November under the slogan of “Cinema Unites”.

US House Republicans' Israel-only aid bill faces opposition in Senate

00:00 , Lydia Patrick

U.S. senators from both parties expressed doubts on Tuesday about House of Representatives Republicans’ plan to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel by cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service, without providing aid to Ukraine.

In the first major legislative action under new Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans unveiled a standalone supplemental spending bill only for Israel on Monday, despite President Joe Biden’s request for a $106 billion package that would include aid for Israel and Ukraine and funding to boost competition with China in the Indo-Pacific as well as security along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, but Biden’s fellow Democrats control the Senate. To become law, the bill would have to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by Biden.

Democrats said the Republican bill would be dead on arrival in the Senate, even if it passed the House.

“The bottom line is it’s not a serious proposal,” Senate Democratic Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, told reporters.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate said he felt the four issues needed to be addressed.

“We need to treat all four of these areas, all four of them, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the border,” McConnell told reporters.

Republicans are expected to pass the legislation in the House as soon as this week.

ICYMI - Putin ally Lukashenko calls for ceasefire in ‘stalemate’ Ukraine war

Tuesday 31 October 2023 23:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russia and Ukraine were locked in a serious stalemate in Moscow’s continuing invasion of the country and needed to sit down for peace talks, Belarusian president and Vladimir Putin’s close ally Alexander Lukashenko said.

“There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position,” Mr Lukashenko said.

“They’re there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying,” he said over the weekend.

This marks the first time the Belarusian president has come forward seeking truce in the conflict and called for a “stop” command.

“We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement,” Mr Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

Putin ally Lukashenko calls for ceasefire in ‘stalemate’ Ukraine war

Irish Prime Minister addresses whether social welfare payments will be cut for Ukrainians

Tuesday 31 October 2023 22:00 , Lydia Patrick

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that if social welfare payments were to be cut for Ukrainians arriving in Ireland, it would be done via a joint memo.

He said: “The procedure for anything would be would be joint memo. So a memo that would be coordinated by my office, the Department of the Taoiseach, but will be brought forward by a number of ministers because we have to look at the whole thing in the round, how it impacts on schools, healthcare, on the housing situation as well.”

Asked when the memo would be brought to Cabinet, Mr Varadkar said: “I actually can’t say that. There have been some draft proposals brought forward by Minister (for Integration Roderic) O’Gorman, but they only related to accommodation and we’ve formed the view that we have to see it all in the round and take into account social protection, education, healthcare, housing, all of those things.

“So certainly not this week. Maybe in the next couple of weeks, but we don’t have a timeline as of yet.”

Ireland to ‘change offering’ to Ukrainian refugees

Tuesday 31 October 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

Leo Varadkar has said that a joint proposal would be brought to Cabinet in the coming weeks to change the offering to Ukrainians arriving into the country.

The Taoiseach said Ireland was not going to refuse Ukrainian refugees or other asylum seekers, but that the Government “can’t be blind to (the) reality” that Ireland is seen as more attractive than other EU countries.

“We’re not going to turn anyone away,” he said on Tuesday as he opened a new road in Athy, Co Kildare.

“No Ukrainian who comes to Ireland is going to be told ‘you’re not welcome here’. Nobody coming from other parts of the world seeking international protection is going to be told to go away. They’ll have their application processed.

“But what we are saying is that we’re seeing increasing numbers of what are called secondary movements, Ukrainians who had been living in other parts of Western Europe for a number of months or even over a year, people seeking international protection, who may have fled a country where they weren’t safe but have actually been living in other parts of Western Europe for a number of months or a number of years, and that is different.

“And we do believe that part of the reason why we’re seeing those secondary movements is because the offering that we have in Ireland is different to that of other countries.”

He said that Ireland had accepted an “unprecedented” number of people from overseas from the war in Ukraine and others seeking international protection, compared to 3,000 or 4,000 in previous years.

“So you can see how much the situation has changed and we can’t be blind to that reality.”

As of October, 96,338 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Ireland since the start of the war in February 2022.

The Government has said that as a further 30,000 to 50,000 were expected to arrive in the next year, it must change the open-ended accommodation it was offering, and potentially reduce entitlements to social welfare supports.

Russian soldiers accused of killing family of nine as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town

Tuesday 31 October 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russian forces allegedly gunned down an entire family of nine, including two young children, as they slept in their beds in the Russia-occupied town of Volnovakha in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk, officials in Kyiv said.

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Russian soldiers killed all members of the Kapkanets family on 27 October after the civilians refused to give them control of their house.

According to the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office in Donetsk, the attackers were in army uniforms and had demanded the family house be vacated, leading to an argument.

“According to preliminary information, the occupiers have killed the whole of the Kapkanets family, who were celebrating a birthday and who had refused to hand their own house over to occupiers from Chechnya,” he said on his official Telegram channel.

The suspects came back later as the family slept and gunned down the members, as per media reports.

Family of nine shot dead as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town

Canadian defendants charged in US with exporting technology to Russia

Tuesday 31 October 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

A Brooklyn man and two Montreal residents have been charged in New York over an alleged scheme to violate U.S. sanctions by exporting millions of dollars of technology to Russia, including equipment supporting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52; Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Kristina Puzyreva, 32, were each charged with smuggling, conspiracy to violate sanctions and wire fraud conspiracy.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn said Nasriddinov, a Russian-Tajikistan national, was arrested in Brooklyn, while Goltsev and Puzyreva, both Russian-Canadian nationals, were arrested at a Manhattan hotel during a trip to visit him.

Prosecutors want the defendants jailed pending trial, saying they pose a “serious flight risk” and have significant foreign ties.

Pentagon Chief - ‘Russia will succeed in Ukraine unless U.S. support continues'

Tuesday 31 October 2023 18:30 , Lydia Patrick

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Russia would be successful in Ukraine unless the United States' support for Kyiv continued.

"I can guarantee that without our support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be successful," Austin said during a Senate hearing on President Joe Biden's request for $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security.

"If we pull the rug out from under them now, Putin will only get stronger and he will be successful in doing what he wants to do," Austin added, sitting next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Jens Stoltenberg certain that Sweden will become Nato member

Tuesday 31 October 2023 18:00 , Alexander Butler

Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said he was certain that Sweden would join the defence alliance but declined to predict an exact time for when this would happen.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, removed one of the final hurdles blocking Sweden from joining Nato by submitting a bill approving membership to parliament for ratification.

The move was in line with a commitment Erdoğan made to Nato at its summit in July when he said he would send the bill to parliament for ratification when parliament restarted in October.

Ukraine urges EU to cancel European film festival in Russia

Tuesday 31 October 2023 17:00 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has urged the European Union to cancel an upcoming film festival being held in Russia that was organised by the bloc’s Russian delegation.

“It is important to continue an effective sanctions policy not only in the economic sphere, but also in culture, in particular in cinema,” Ukraine’s Culture Ministry said.

The festival, which features over 20 films from across the continent, is set to be held online between 1 November and 15 November under the slogan of “Cinema Unites”.

Zelensky awards ‘defenders’ of Black Sea

Tuesday 31 October 2023 16:04 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded soliders who have fought for the Black Sea against Russia, he said on X, formerly Twitter.

“I awarded our defenders who have changed the situation in the Black Sea in Ukraine’s and the world’s favor. The battle for the Black Sea continues.

“But Russia won’t win it. The Black Sea will serve as an example of how Ukraine can restore security for itself and its partners,” he said.

Russia to use sale of Ukrainian first lady’s home to fund invasion

Tuesday 31 October 2023 15:04 , Alexander Butler

Money made on the sale of the Ukrainian first lady’s apartment in occupied-Crimea will be used to fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Russian media.

Olena Zelenska’s home in Yalta, Crimea, was sold by Russian authorities for £394,000 earlier this month, Tass news agency reported.

“This is good money for the Crimean budget, we will provide assistance to both the participants of the north military district and the families of those killed at the front. Perhaps we will purchase something for needs of the front,” chairman of the Russian parliament in Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, said.

Watch live: Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin testify to Senate committee on Biden’s $106bn funding request

Tuesday 31 October 2023 14:13 , Alexander Butler

Live: Blinken and Austin testify to Senate committee on Biden's $106 billion funding request

Ukraine received £2.3bn from international partners this month

Tuesday 31 October 2023 13:30 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has received about £2.3bn from international partners including the US and EU this month, according to its finance ministry.

The total sum included a $1.15bn grant from the US and 1.5bn euro as part of a macro-financial assistance package from the EU.

Overall, Ukraine has received £29bn in external funding so far in 2023. The World Bank estimated in December 2022 that Ukraine’s reconstruction could cost more than £518bn.

Top UN body says Russia likely behind deadly strike on Ukrainian civilians

Tuesday 31 October 2023 13:00 , Alexander Butler

There are “reasonable grounds” to conclude a missile strike that killed 59 people in a cafe in the Ukrainian village of Hroza on 5 October was launched by Russia., the UN human rights office said.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the missile was launched by Russian armed forces. There was no indication of military personnel or any other legitimate military targets at or adjacent to the cafe at the time of the attack,” Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

Ukraine said a Russian missile hit a cafe in the village in the Kharkiv region on 5 October as people gathered to mourn a fallen Ukrainian soldier. Moscow denies targeting civilians in its invasion, a position it repeated in relation to the strike on Hroza.

White House warns Republicans against ‘politicising national security'

Tuesday 31 October 2023 12:32 , Alexander Butler

The White House has warned US House Republicans against “politicising national security” after they introduced a bill separating aid to Israel and Ukraine.

“Demanding offsets for meeting core national security needs of the United States — like supporting Israel and defending Ukraine from atrocities and Russian imperialism — would be a break with the normal, bipartisan process and could have devastating implications for our safety and alliances in the years ahead,” the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, unveiled a $14.3bn spending bill only for Israel. The plan leaves out aid to Ukraine and Taiwan as well as humanitarian assistance to civilians in Israel and Gaza.

Arrest made after ‘attempted assassination’ of pro-Russian lawmaker in Ukraine

Tuesday 31 October 2023 11:50 , Alexander Butler

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained an accomplice in the attempted killing of a former Ukrainian lawmaker and pro-Russian politician, according to Russian state media.

The FSB said evidence had been obtained about the involvement of Ukrainian special services in the attempted assassination of Oleg Tsaryov.

A Ukrainian intelligence source said on Friday that the attempt in Yalta, Crimea, had been carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine.

Hundreds of strikes carried out on southern front

Tuesday 31 October 2023 11:18 , Alexander Butler

Hundreds of strikes were carried out in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia over the last 24 hours, according to regional officials.

The Russian military carried out 148 strikes on 27 communities, said Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia military administration.

And in Kherson, 98 attacks were carried out, including 447 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, planes and drones, its regional administration said. He added that the strikes killed one person and injured 16.

Mapped: Kurdyumivka and Robotyne

Tuesday 31 October 2023 10:59 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

“Geolocated footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut),” it said.

Ukrainian forces have also “marginally advanced” west of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to geolocated footage seen by the think tank.

Russian oligarch detained in France in sanctions probe

Tuesday 31 October 2023 10:45 , Alexander Butler

A Russian tycoon has been detained for questioning in France in connection with alleged tax evasion, money laundering and violating international sanctions, the French financial prosecutors’ office has said.

Searches took place yesterday at Alexei Kuzmichev’s Paris home and in the Mediterranean Var region as part of the investigation, according to the office.

Russia will be able to defend the rights of Russian businessman Alexey Kuzmichev, who has been detained in France, once Paris provides detailed information about his case, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Tuesday 31 October 2023 10:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia had lost 300,810 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on 24 February last year, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

The number includes 870 casualties suffered over the last day amid a “meat assault” offensive near the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka.

Russia has also lost 5,211 tanks, 321 airplanes, 324 helicopters, 5,440 drones, 844 multiple launch rocket systems and 562 air defense systems, the report said.

Russia has turned the Black Sea into a battleground, Zelensky says

Tuesday 31 October 2023 10:00 , Alexander Butler

Vladimir Putin has turned the Black Sea into a “battleground” used for aggression and the curtailing of freedom of navigation, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“The Black Sea has strategic significance not just for its neighboring nations but for Europe, the Middle East, and global food security.

“Russia has turned it into a battleground, using it for aggression and threatening freedom of navigation. Today, we need to work together to restore the Black Sea as a zone of peace, trade, and development,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Airport riot shows 'growing radicalisation' of Russian society

Tuesday 31 October 2023 09:30 , Alexander Butler

A riot which broke out in a Russian airport which saw a violent mob searching for Israelis reflects the growing radicalisation of Russian society, the Institute for the Study of War said.

“The 29 October riots in Dagestan highlight the growing radicalisation and factionalism of Russian society resulting from the hyper-nationalist ideologies that the war in Ukraine has empowered,” it said.

Russia’s interior ministry said 60 people were arrested and 150 of “the most active protesters” were identified, who had shouted antisemitic chants, video shows.

Commander of occupied-Kherson replaced, MoD confirms

Tuesday 31 October 2023 09:00 , Alexander Butler

The commander of occupied-Kherson and the eastern bank of the Dnipro River has been replaced, the UK’s ministry of defence confirmed.

“The deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, has likely personally taken over Russia’s Dnipro Grouping of Forces,” the MoD said on X, formerly Twitter.

“He replaces Colonel General Oleg Makaevich. The force is responsible for the occupied areas of Kherson oblast, including the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.”

Russian forces accused of killing family-of-nine

Tuesday 31 October 2023 08:45 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces allegedly gunned down an entire family of nine, including two young children, as they slept in their beds in the Russia-occupied town of Volnovakha in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk, officials in Kyiv said.

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Russian soldiers killed all members of the Kapkanets family on 27 October after the civilians refused to give them control of their house.

According to the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office in Donetsk, the attackers were in army uniforms and had demanded the family house be vacated, leading to an argument.

Family of nine shot dead as they slept in Russian-occupied Ukrainian town

Russian forces are preparing to conduct ‘meat assaults’ near Avdiivka

Tuesday 31 October 2023 08:19 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces are preparing to conduct “meat assaults” near the town of Avdiivka where Putin has already lost nearly an “entire brigade”, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Meat assaults are when Russian infantry forces in Storm Z detachments attack without artillery support to suppress Ukrainian firing positions, a Russian milblogger said.

Between 40 per cent and 70 per cent of personnel in Storm Z units are killed in highly attritional, infantry-led attacks which lack artillery support in eastern Ukraine, the ISW said.

Five communities attacked in Ukraine, officials says

Tuesday 31 October 2023 08:00 , Alexander Butler

Russian forces attacked five communities near Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast, causing over 100 explosions, the regional military administration said.

The communities of Krasnopillia, Shalyhyne, Seredyna-Buda, Bilopillia, and Puty were targeted on 30 October, with at least 52 explosions recorded.

A range of different weapons were used in the attacks, including mines, mortars, and artillery, according to the Ukrainian military.

Dutch F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine to arrive in Romania, PM says

Tuesday 31 October 2023 07:28 , Alexander Butler

The first US-made F-16 fighter jets the Netherlands will provide to Ukraine will arrive in Romania within two weeks, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.

“I expect the Patriot missiles to be delivered shortly, to aid Ukraine in the upcoming winter. And the same speed applies to the F-16s,” Mr Rutte said during a video conference with Volodomyr Zelensky posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“The first ones will be shipped to the training centre in Romania within the next two weeks so that day we will get ready for further training.”

What would happen if Putin died?

Tuesday 31 October 2023 07:00 , Lydia Patrick

Thyroid cancer, Parkinson’s disease, leprosy or declining in the aftermath of a stroke - just a few of the many unproven ailments rumoured to have afflicted the Russian leader in recent years.

Just this week, the Kremlin were forced to deny rumours that Vladimir Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest in his bedroom, months after they were forced to deny that he had soiled himself.

Since gripping the reins of power in 1999, Putin has established himself as one of the most infamous politicians in modern history, with a vicelike grip over Russia.

His current term is set to expire next year, yet under sweeping changes to the constitution that were introduced in 2020, he could rule Russia until 2036.

Yet since his invasion of Ukraine and the loss of tens of thousands of his troops, the fallout of his military gamble has caused cracks to appear for the first time under his 20-year leadership. Speculation has also dogged the ageing tyrant that his health is failing, with the future of Russia uncertain upon his demise.

Read the full story from Holly Evans here...

If Putin dies, this is what would happen in Russia

Ukraine ‘successfully’ hits Russia’s air defence system in Crimea

Tuesday 31 October 2023 06:04 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s Armed Forces have said they “successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system” in Crimea’s west while Russian military bloggers speculated the US-provided Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) behind the attack.

And, the Russian Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over Crimea in a fresh assault on the territory which Kyiv claims is a strategic target in its counteroffensive push.

Several Russian sources said that the latest attack was carried out using “combined” long-range assault weapons like ATACMS, Storm Shadow missiles and sea drones between Sunday and yesterday.

If confirmed, this would be the first time Ukraine has used the top-tier missile system provided by the US to hit targets on the Crimean coast.

Citing Russian insiders and military bloggers, the Washington-based think-tank the Institute for the Study of War said that the alleged Ukrainian ATACMS strike damaged vehicles and radar systems near Olenivka and killed or wounded more than 20 Russian servicemen.

“The insider source also claimed that Russian officials did not report on the Ukrainian ATACMS strike but chose to instead issue statements about the downing of Storm Shadow missiles and drones,” it said in its assessment but did not verify the claims.

ICYMI - Ukraine bombards Russian forces with drones as Putin suffers losses in fight for Avdiivka

Tuesday 31 October 2023 05:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukrainian forces fired more than 30 drones in a renewed assault over the weekend as Russian forces lost at least an entire brigade in their push for the eastern town of Avdiivka, officials said.

The Russian air defence systems destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, its defence ministry wrote on Telegram on Sunday, accusing Kyiv of carrying out a “terrorist attack”.

In a separate incident, local officials in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region near the Black Sea said an oil refinery was hit and set ablaze in the early hours of Sunday but did not explain what caused the fire. Several local media outlets said that the fire was caused by a drone strike or a crashed drone’s debris.

Officials in Kyiv have not issued a comment on the Russian defence ministry’s claims. The war-hit nation rarely acknowledges responsibility for attacks on Russia and Russian-occupied territories but has admitted that striking targets there helps its counteroffensive.

The recent months have seen drone strikes and shelling on the Russian border regions and illegally annexed Crimea peninsula as a regular part of the continuing military offensive.

Ukraine bombards Russia with drones as Putin suffers losses in fight for Avdiivka

House Speaker vows to bring Israel package to floor this week – without Ukraine funding

Tuesday 31 October 2023 04:00 , Lydia Patrick

Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged on Sunday to put an aid package for Israel on the floor this week without aid for Ukraine.

Mr Johnson, whose Republican colleagues unanimously voted to make him speaker on Wednesday, called the package of support for Israel in the wake of a terrorist attack by Hamas that killed 1,400 people a “pressing and urgent need.”

“There are lots of things going on around the world that we have to address and we will. But right now, what’s happening in Israel takes the immediate attention, and I think we’ve got to separate that and get it through,” he said on Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

GOP vows to bring Israel package to floor this week – without Ukraine funding

ICYMI - Putin ally Lukashenko calls for ceasefire in ‘stalemate’ Ukraine war

Tuesday 31 October 2023 03:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russia and Ukraine were locked in a serious stalemate in Moscow’s continuing invasion of the country and needed to sit down for peace talks, Belarusian president and Vladimir Putin’s close ally Alexander Lukashenko said.

“There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position,” Mr Lukashenko said.

“They’re there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying,” he said over the weekend.

This marks the first time the Belarusian president has come forward seeking truce in the conflict and called for a “stop” command.

“We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement,” Mr Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

Putin ally Lukashenko calls for ceasefire in ‘stalemate’ Ukraine war

Zelensky says airport riot shows Russia cannot score ‘strategic’ victory

Tuesday 31 October 2023 02:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that anti-Jewish unrest in Russia showed that Moscow’s moral foundation had become so contaminated by hate that it was no longer capable of scoring a “strategic” victory.

Zelensky said the storming on Sunday of an airport in southern Russia by protesters looking for Jewish passengers was the second time this year Moscow had lost control over events, after an abortive uprising by Russian mercenaries in June.

The airport riot in mainly Muslim Dagestan, Zelensky said in his nightly video address, showed Russia “had contaminated its own territory with such a level of hatred and degradation that for the second time this year in Russia, control over events is being lost.

“When insurgents head to Moscow and no one stops them and there is a breakdown of the power system in Dagestan, a real pogrom occurs,” he said, a reference to unrest targeting a specific group.

“These are all signals that Russia can, for the time being, sustain military action and increase pressure on the front lines in some places, but is not capable of withstanding this confrontation strategically,” he said, referring to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kamala Harris to visit Rishi Sunak to discuss Israel and Ukraine

Tuesday 31 October 2023 01:00 , Lydia Patrick

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict and “consult on next steps in our support for Ukraine“ with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to London later this week, a White House official said on Monday.

Harris will also attend a summit and deliver a speech on artificial intelligence.

US condemns violent antisemitic events reported in Russia

Tuesday 31 October 2023 00:00 , Lydia Patrick

The United States on Monday condemned violent antisemitic events that have been reported in Russia threatening Israelis and Jews after rioters in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region stormed an airport to “catch” Jewish passengers on board a flight from Tel Aviv.

Videos obtained by Reuters from the airport at Makhachkala, the regional capital of Dagestan, showed the rioters, mostly young men, waving Palestinian flags, breaking down glass doors and running through the airport on Sunday evening.

Police said they had arrested 60 people in connection with the unrest and identified 150 of the most active participants.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington condemned the incident, and said he had seen videos of events he said “looked like a pogrom to me.”

“We call on Russian authorities to publicly condemn these violent protests, to hold anyone involved accountable and to ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews in Russia,” Miller said at a regular press briefing.

Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia blames Ukraine for antisemitic riot at airport in Dagestan

Monday 30 October 2023 23:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russia blame Ukraine after Rioters in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region stormed an airport to “catch” Jewish passengers on board a flight from Tel Aviv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the violence was the result of “outside influence” and that “ill-wishers” had used images of suffering in Gaza to stir people up. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, accused Ukraine of a “direct and key role” in preparing the “provocation”.

At least 60 people have been detained after a huge crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters entered the airport in search of Jewish passengers.