Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin planning new ‘assault units’ despite Moscow’s ‘mobilisation issues’
Putin is trying to create new Russian assault units, according to a US-based war monitoring think-tank.
Russian military officials are reportedly “already actively recruiting” in an effort to build out their armed forces and break through layered defences, says the think-tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The ISW noted that Russian outlet Izvestia, citing sources in the Russian military, claimed on September 25 that the new units will be comprised of assault troops intended to break through layered defences and reconnaissance troops that will conduct reconnaissance at “tactical depth.”
Military reconnaissance is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations.
It was noted by the ISW that each brigade will receive tanks, light armored vehicles, artillery, and various drones.
However the ISW say it is “unclear” how Moscow will be able to recruit, train and staff the new recruits, given the “multitude of endemic mobilisation issues the Russian army faces at this time”.
Key Points
Putin allegedly planning new ‘assault units’ despite Moscow’s ‘mobilisation issues’
Overnight Russian airstrike damages Ukrainian port and injures two
Ukrainian forces ‘occupying half of Verbove in counteroffensive breakthrough'
Russia’s Black Sea fleet commander killed in Sevastopol missile strike, Ukraine claims
Black Sea fleet admiral ‘seen in second video’ since claims he was ‘killed'
09:40 , Athena Stavrou
A second video of the Black Sea fleet commander and Russian top general, Viktor Sokolov, was shown on Russian TV on Wednesday, raising doubts over Ukraine’s claim that they ‘killed’ him in Sevastopol attack.
It comes after Russia’s defence ministry released another video on Tuesday, appearing to show Sokolov on a video conference call with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu. It remains unclear when the video was recorded.
A television station run by Russia’s defence ministry showed a video interview with Black Sea Fleet commander Viktor Sokolov on Wednesday, days after Ukraine claimed he had been killed in a missile strike on Russian navy headquarters in Crimea.
In the video, Sokolov says the Black Sea Fleet is performing successfully. It was unclear from his comments whether the clip was filmed after Ukraine’s missile strike on Sept 22, Reuters reports.
new video of #Sokolov published by russian crimean media
the post:
"The Russian Black Sea Fleet carries out the tasks set by the command confidently and successfully
This was stated by the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Viktor Sokolov".
He said:
"Surface forces,… pic.twitter.com/4XTLeFScuz— 🇺🇦 paolo rel (@paolobucci18) September 27, 2023
Russian MoD reportedly recruiting former Wagner troops
10:20 , Athena Stavrou
The Russian ministry of defence (MoD) is reportedly recruiting former Wagner troops, according to US based war monitoring think-tank.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported that former Wagner personnel that left the organisation with founder Andrey Troshev after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed rebellion have joined the MoD-affiliated “Redut” and “Volunteer Corps” private military companies (PMCs).
They cite a Russian military blogger, who also claims the former Wagner troops have already begun to be redeployed to new units in the Bakhmut area of Ukraine.
The milblogger also claimed that Troshev is trying to recruit Wagner personnel who are currently operating in Belarus, Africa, and the Middle East for Russian MoD-affiliated PMCs, according to the ISW.
You can read more about the Wagner rebellion here:
How the Wagner Group’s armed uprising almost toppled Vladimir Putin
Ukrainian forces 'enjoy success' near Bakhmut as Putin deploys reserves
10:00 , Athena Stavrou
Ukrainian troops “enjoyed success” in villages near Bakhmut, a key town seized by Russian forces in May after some of the heaviest fighting in the 19-month-old war.
Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east, told national television that Russia trained fire on Ukrainian soldiers 580 times on this front and used aircraft four times.
You can read more from The Independent on this here:
Ukrainian forces ‘enjoy success’ near Bakhmut as Putin deploys reserves
New video of ‘dead’ Russian Black Sea fleet commander raises doubts over Ukraine’s claim
09:10 , Athena Stavrou
A top Russian naval officer who Ukraine claimed was killed in a missile strike has been seen in a new video released by Russia, sparking confusion among the war-hit country’s officials.
Ukraine’s special forces on Monday had claimed Russian admiral Viktor Sokolov and 33 other officers were killed in a missile strike carried out on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol in Crimea.
The video released by Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday, however, showed Black Sea Fleet commander Sokolov appearing on a video conference call with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu. It remains unclear when the video was recorded.
Watch the video below:
Russian aircraft strikes Ukraine
08:50 , Athena Stavrou
A russian aircraft has struck Ukraine in the early hours of the morning.
Suspilne, Ukraine’s national broadaster said in a morning news round-up that at 5am, a Russian military aircraft struck near Mykolaivka in the Kherson region.
They reported on the social media platform Telegram that information about the consequences of the attack is being “clarified”.
Russia target Ukraine with ‘heavy artillery’ overnight
08:30 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine say Russian troops shelled the Nikpol district of Dnipropetrovsk overnight.
Suspilne, Ukraine’s national broadcaster, said in a post on Telegram that six houses, a private enterprise,a car, power lines were also damaged.
They added that the ‘heavy artillery’ used has injured at least two people so far.
Kyiv expecting ‘good news’
08:10 , Athena Stavrou
As Russian reportedly sends in new troops to reinforce the ‘overstretched’ frontline, Ukraine say they are expecting ‘good news’.
A spokesman for Ukraine’s troops in the south, Oleksandr Shtupun, told the news site Espreso TV that Ukrainian troops were digging in and poised to move on the village of Verbove as part of their advance to the Sea of Azov.
“I believe we will soon have good news,” Shtupun said.
A VDV-affiliated source reported that Ukrainian forces broke into Verbove on 22 September and continued attacking the settlement with armoured vehicles as of Sunday, as per The Institute for the Study of War think-tank.
It was reported by the think-tank that the source said Ukrainian forces had occupied half of the area by September 24.
Moscow deploys more troops to ‘overstretched’ front line.
07:51 , Athena Stavrou
Moscow has deployed more troops to their ‘overstretched’ front line, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The MoD says that following the creation of Russia’s 25th Combined Arms Army (25 CAA), which was reportedly seen in Ukraine for the first time in August, Moscow has deployed them to reinforce under-defended areas on the frontline.
“[The] 67th Motor Rifle Division and 164th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade are reported to be fighting on the front in a sector west of Severodonetsk and Kreminna, along the border between Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts,” the MoD said.
They suggest that this makes a fresh offensive from Russian forces unlikely, as they were not deployed en masse to one area.
The MoD said: “With 25 CAA apparently being deployed piecemeal to reinforce the over-stretched line, a concerted new Russian offensive is less likely over the coming weeks.”
Putin unrecognisable in shell suit with full head of hair in uncovered 1990s video
06:00 , Martha Mchardy
Previously unseen home video footage shows a younger, untidy and awkward-looking Vladimir Putin socialising and playing table tennis during a visit to Finland around three decades ago.
The rare clip, obtained by Finnish outlet Yle, shows the future Russian president dressed in a shellsuit playing darts and eating with other guests at a hospitality venue near Helsinki.
According to sources spoken to by Yle, the Finnish broadcasting company, the video was shot around a May Day holiday in the early 90s.
Matt Mathers reports:
Putin unrecognisable in shell suit with full head of hair in uncovered 1990s video
Latest pictures from the frontline in Ukraine
05:00 , Martha Mchardy
Why did Russia invade Ukraine?
04:00 , Martha Mchardy
Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.
Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.
Read more:
Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine
ICYMI: Five Bulgarians appear in court charged with spying for Russia
03:00 , Martha Mchardy
Five Bulgarians have appeared in court charged with spying and carrying out surveillance to assist the Russian state.
The three men and two women are accused of conspiring to gather information that would be useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February this year.
Orlin Roussev, 45, of Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, of High Road, Harrow, north-west London; Katrin Ivanova, 31, of the same Harrow address; Ivan Stoyanov, 31, from Bannister Close, Greenford, west London; and Vanya Gaberova, 29, from Churchfield Road, Acton, west London, are charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023.
Read more:
Five Bulgarians appear in court charged with spying for Russia
Watch: Explosions from drone attack in Ukraine seen from ferry on Danube crossing
02:00 , Martha Mchardy
Watch: It was ‘deeply embarrassing’ to stand and applaud Nazi SS soldier, Trudeau says
01:00 , Martha Mchardy
How Ukraine’s forces have surged back against Russia
Wednesday 27 September 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy
Ukraine’s forces have made a number of breakthroughs against Russian positions in recent weeks as intense fighting rages on in southern and northeastern parts of the country.
The counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in June had been making gradual, if slow progress, in pushing back Vladimir Putin’s troops from land seized since the invasion began.
But at the start of the month, there were signs that Kyiv’s troops were starting to make inroads, as they broke Russia’s first defensive line near Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast of the country.
Joe Middleton reports:
How Ukraine’s forces have surged back against Russia
Watch: Ex-Ukraine president derides figure at centre of GOP’s Biden allegations
Tuesday 26 September 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy
Watch: Destruction in Ukraine’s eastern village of Klishchiivka captured in aerial footage
Tuesday 26 September 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy
Makeshift memorial displayed in Ukrainian capital
Tuesday 26 September 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy
A makeshift memorial with Ukrainian flags inscribed with the names of fallen service members has been put up in the country’s capital Kyiv.
Putin gives defence chief one month deadline to stop Ukrainian counteroffensive in its tracks
Tuesday 26 September 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy
Vladimir Putin wants the Ukrainian counteroffensive halted by early October and has instructed Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu to improve the situation, according to a Kremlin insider cited by a US-based think-tank monitoring the war.
“Putin reportedly gave Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu a deadline of one month until early October 2023 to improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative to launch an offensive operation against a larger city,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an intelligence update on Sunday.
It said the Russian military command is likely ordering relentless attacks with the hope of forcing the Ukrainian counteroffensive to culminate, even at a high cost to Russian military capabilities, if the claims are true.
Arpan Rai reports:
Putin wants Ukrainian counteroffensive halted before early October, report says
Russian drone strikes on Odesa hit port area and cut off ferry service to Romania
Tuesday 26 September 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy
Russia struck the Black Sea port city of Odesa for a second night in a row in a drone barrage that damaged a warehouse, charred dozens of trucks and injured two drivers in fiery explosions that led officials to suspend ferry service between Romania and Ukraine, officials said Tuesday.
Video shot from the Romanian side of the Danube River showed rapid-fire bursts of Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire streaking through the night sky followed by two orange fireballs exploding near the port area. Photos showed burned-out frames of trucks.
Romanian Border Police said ferries were anchored on the Romanian shores of the Danube in Isaccea due to the attacks on Ukraine. Traffic was being redirected through Galati, a Romanian town upstream on the Danube.
Read more:
Russian drone strikes on Odesa hit port area and cut off ferry service to Romania
Belarus' top diplomat says he can't imagine his nation entering the war in Ukraine alongside Russia
Tuesday 26 September 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy
The foreign minister of Belarus, which has a strategic partnership with Russia, says he cannot envision a situation where his country would enter the war in Ukraine alongside Russian forces.
Sergei Aleinik said in an interview with The Associated Press that he also can’t imagine a situation where Russia would order his country to use the tactical nuclear weapons it recently deployed in Belarus.
“I don’t see such an option because it is an instrument of defense primarily,” he said of the missiles.
Read more:
Belarus' top diplomat says he can't imagine his nation entering the war in Ukraine alongside Russia
Sanctions on Russia not enough to halt ‘aggression’ of ‘terrorist state’, says Zelensky
Tuesday 26 September 2023 19:22 , Martha Mchardy
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that sanctions on Russia were not sufficient to halt its “aggression” and vowed new Ukrainian action against the “terrorist state.”
“We clearly see which directions of pressure on Russia need to be strengthened to prevent (its) terrorist capabilities from growing,” president Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Sanctions are not enough. There will also be more of our own Ukrainian actions against the terrorist state. As long as Russia’s aggression continues, Russia must feel its losses.”
Canadian Parliament speaker quits after publicly praising Nazi
Tuesday 26 September 2023 19:07 , Martha Mchardy
Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canada’s House of Commons lower chamber, said on Tuesday he was resigning, less than a week after he prompted outrage by publicly praising a former Nazi soldier in Parliament.
Mr Rota made the announcement in remarks to legislators.
Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was invited to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president at the Canadian parliament.
In his apology on Sunday, Mr Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents. The speaker’s office said Monday it was Mr Rota’s son who contacted Mr Hunka’s local office to see if it was possible if he could attend president Zelensky’s speech.
Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Mr Hunka unaware of the details of who he was.
The prime minister’s office said it was unaware that Mr Hunka was invited until after the address. The speaker’s office also confirmed it did not share its invite list with any other party or group. The vetting process for visitors to the gallery is for physical security threats, not reputational threats, the speaker’s office said.
Trudeau calls on House speaker to resign over inviting a man who fought for Nazi unit to meet Zelensky
Tuesday 26 September 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau‘s government has urged the speaker of the House of Commons to resign for inviting a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president.
Just after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an address in the Canadian House of Commons on Friday, lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him.
Mr Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
Two opposition parties called for Mr Rota to step down on Monday, and government House leader Karina Gould said that she believes lawmakers have lost confidence in Mr Rota.
Ms Gould said Mr Rota invited and recognized Mr Hunka without informing the government or the delegation from Ukraine.“It is time for him to do the honorable thing,” Ms Gould said.
Foreign minister Melanie Joly also urged him to resign.“It is completely unacceptable. It was an embarrassment to the House and Canadians, and I think the speaker should listen to members and step down,” Ms Joly said.
Ms Joly said she spoke to the government in Ukraine about it.
Asked if he’ll continue in the job, Mr Rota said Tuesday: “We’ll have to see about that and I’m sure you’ll hear more about that later today.”
The 1st Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
“It’s a good thing that Speaker Rota apologized personally and I am sure that he is reflecting now on the dignity of the House going forward,” prime minister Trudeau said to reporters before he entered a Cabinet meeting.
Canadian health minister Mark Holland called it “incredibly embarrassing.”
In his apology on Sunday, Mr Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents. The speaker’s office said Monday it was Mr Rota’s son who contacted Mr Hunka’s local office to see if it was possible if he could attend president Zelensky’s speech.
Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Mr Hunka unaware of the details of who he was.
The prime minister’s office said it was unaware that Mr Hunka was invited until after the address. The speaker’s office also confirmed it did not share its invite list with any other party or group. The vetting process for visitors to the gallery is for physical security threats, not reputational threats, the speaker’s office said.
Former Russian president visits troops near frontline
Tuesday 26 September 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy
Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev has visited troops in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to reports.
“On the instructions of the president, I visited a firing range near the contact line on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Mr Medvedev said on his visit, according to AFP.
“The servicemen are demonstrating excellent combat qualities of will, firmness and a general attitude to victory.”
Mr Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chair of the Kremlin’s security council, made the remarks in a video posted on social media.
The former Russian president has supported the war in Ukraine and is known for denouncing the West.
Recap: Russia tries to rejoin UN Human Rights Council
Tuesday 26 September 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy
Russia wants to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) more than 15 months after it was expelled for invading Ukraine, according to a renewed pitch it has given to member nations.
Russia was kicked out of the UNHRC in April last year during an emergency special session called by the UN months after the invasion began.
There were 93 votes cast in favour of the move, 24 against it and 58 abstentions. Officials said the kicking out of Russia signalled the international community’s “strong censure of Moscow’s aggressive actions towards a neighbouring State”.
Arpan Rai reports:
Russia tries to rejoin UN Human Rights Council
Watch: Explosions from drone attack in Ukraine seen from ferry on Danube crossing
Tuesday 26 September 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy
Relatives of killed Ukrainian servicemen gather at rally in Kyiv
Tuesday 26 September 2023 17:00 , Athena Stavrou
Relatives of Ukrainian servicemen who were killed in the ongoing war with Russia have gathered at a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Family and friends gathered on Tuesday to call for a dedicated cemetary and war memorial in the Ukrainian capital.
Russian court ‘rejects Kremlin critic’s appeal against 19-year sentence’
Tuesday 26 September 2023 16:30 , Athena Stavrou
A Russian court has rejected Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s appeal against his 19-year jail sentence, Reuters reports.
The proceedings were closed to the media, despite protests from Navalny and his lawyers. He appeared at the Moscow court via video link, according to Reuters.
Last month, the jailed Russian opposition leader was sentenced to 19 years in jail after being found guilty of extremism charges relating to the activities of his Anti-Corruption Foundation.
He was already serving a nine-year term for a number of charges that he claims are politically motivated.
Destruction in Ukraine's eastern village of Klishchiivka captured in aerial footage
Tuesday 26 September 2023 16:10 , Athena Stavrou
Aerial footage has shown destroyed houses in Ukraine’s easter village of Klishchiivka following it’s recent liberation.
Last week, Ukraine’s military claimed it had recaptured the key village in Bakhmut.
The settlement which once housed 400 people had been reduced to a ghost town and destroyed in the months of fighting for Bakhmut, which had fallen into Russian hands in May this year.
The battle to recapture the village inflicted “powerful damage” on many Russian-led units, according to Illia Yevlash, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s troops in the east.
Canadian Minister says House of Commons speaker ‘should resign’ after accidentally honouring Nazi
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:42 , Athena Stavrou
The Canadian Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that the speaker of the House of Commons lower chamber should resign after he publicly praised a former Nazi soldier in Parliament, Reuters reports.
Canada’s House of Commons gave a rousing standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who fought in the Second World War – unaware he had served in a Nazi SS unit.
But it soon emerged that ex-soldier Yaroslav Hunka, 98, who received two standing ovations from lawmakers, had served in one of Adolf Hitler’s Waffen SS units during World War Two. Russia called the incident outrageous.
Speaker Anthony Rota has since apologised for calling Nazi SS soldier a ‘Ukrainian hero’ but is facing growing calls for his resignation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said: “It was an embarrassment to the House and to Canadians and I think the speaker should listen to members of the House and step down.”
According to Reuters, she is the first member of the Liberal cabinet to demand Rota quit.
Senior officials from the four major political parties in the House are due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the matter. If Rota refuses to quit, legislators can propose a formal motion of no confidence.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters ahead of the meeting: “It is a good thing that speaker Rota apologised personally and I am sure he is reflecting now on how to ensure the dignity of the House going forward.”
You can read more about this from The Independent below:
Canadian parliament accidentally honours Nazi - with Zelensky and Trudeau applauding
Ukraine respond to video of ‘killed’ Russian commander in meeting
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:20 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine have responded to a video appearing to show the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet attending a meeting today via video call.
Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia’s most senior navy officers, was shown on Tuesday attending a video conference, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had ‘killed’ him.
Suspline, Ukraine’s public news broadcaster said in a social media post on Telegram: “The Special Operations Forces are currently clarifying information about the possible death of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation Sokolov. Available SOF sources claim that this commander is among the 34 dead, but many have not yet been identified.
“Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation showed a meeting of the department's board. Allegedly, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation Sokolov took part in it.”
Ukraine’s special forces said on Monday they had ‘killed’ Sokolov, Moscow’s top admiral in Crimea, along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring reporters to the defence ministry.
Russia say only one serviceman had gone missing in Friday’s attack on Sevastopol.
Tuesday 26 September 2023 15:00 , Athena Stavrou
A video has emerged showing huge explosions on the Ukrainian border with Romania during Russian drone attacks.
Video shot from the Romanian side of the Danube River showed rapid-fire bursts of Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire streaking through the night sky followed by two orange fireballs exploding near the port area.
The video was filmed during Russian drone attacks on the area carried out on Monday night.
Romanian Border Police said ferries were anchored on the Romanian shores of the Danube in Isaccea due to the attacks on Ukraine. Traffic was being redirected through Galati, a Romanian town upstream on the Danube.
Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk told Radio Svoboda that the drones only struck the Ukrainian side of the border.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine wrote on social media: “The operation of the Orlivka ferry checkpoint has been temporarily suspended. Measures are being taken to stabilise its operation after the enemy’s night attack.”
Estonian PM says we "have to believe in Ukraine’s victory”
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:35 , Athena Stavrou
The Prime Minister of Estonia has said that we “have to believe in Ukraine’s victory” in a new interview.
The Estonian PM, Kaja Kallas, told the BBC: “When we we don’t believe anymore, then we don’t support Ukraine.”
She added in a post on social media platform X: “Russia’s war against Ukraine is black and white, there’s one aggressor and one victim. Europe’s defence starts from Ukraine.”
Spoke with @BBCHARDtalk about why we must continue supporting Ukraine.
Russia's war against Ukraine is black and white, there's one aggressor and one victim. Europe's defence starts from Ukraine.https://t.co/tFkDXud8K2— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 26, 2023
Putin unrecognisable in shell suit with full head of hair in uncovered 1990s video
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:15 , Athena Stavrou
Previously unseen home video footage shows a younger, untidy and awkward-looking Vladimir Putin socialising and playing table tennis during a visit to Finland around three decades ago.
The rare clip, obtained by Finnish outlet Yle, shows the future Russian president dressed in a shellsuit playing darts and eating with other guests at a hospitality venue near Helsinki.
According to sources spoken to by Yle, the Finnish broadcasting company, the video was shot around a May Day holiday in the early 90s.
Read more from The Independent:
Putin unrecognisable in shell suit with full head of hair in uncovered 1990s video
5 Bulgarians charged with spying for Russia appear by video in UK court
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:42 , Martha Mchardy
Five Bulgarians living in the UK who were charged with spying for Russia appeared on Tuesday in court for a brief hearing.
The three men and two women were accused of “conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy,” namely Russia, between August 2020 and February this year.
The five are alleged to be part of a network conducting surveillance on behalf of Russia. Much of the activity took place abroad, but coordination took place in the U.K., prosecutors said.
The five — Orlin Roussev, 45; Bizer Dzhambazov, 41; Katrin Ivanova, 31; Ivan Stoyanov, 31; and Vanya Gaberova, 29 — appeared Tuesday by video at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. They spoke only to confirm basic details.
The suspects were arrested by the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism officers in February under the Official Secrets Act.
Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova were charged in February with having false identity documents, but news about them did not emerge until August.
The three are accused of possessing 34 ID documents, some of which were suspected to be false, from the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and the Czech Republic.
All five were remanded into custody until their next appearance at the Central Criminal Court on 13 October.
Putin refuses to comment after Russian prisoner beaten by teenage son of Chechen leader
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:36 , Martha Mchardy
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman refused to comment on Tuesday on the beating of a prisoner by the teenage son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an incident that drew condemnation even from some pro-Kremlin hardliners.
Nikita Zhuravel, a Russian man accused of burning the Koran, was beaten by the 15-year-old son of Mr Kadyrov in a video posted online.
Mr Kadyrov said on Monday he was proud of his son Adam for the attack on the prisoner after a video showed the 15-year-old punching and kicking Mr Zhuravel cowering in a chair, before wrestling him to the ground and slapping him on the head.
“Without exaggeration, yes, I am proud of Adam’s action,” wrote Mr Kadyrov, who styles himself as a ruthless Putin ally. He said he respected the boy for acquiring “adult ideals of honour, dignity and defence of his religion”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at the start of his daily briefing that he would not be commenting on the incident. When asked why, he said: “I don’t want to.”
Russia’s investigative committee said in May that Mr Zhuravel had been arrested for setting fire to a Koran in the city of Volgograd and had confessed he did it in return for payment from Ukrainian intelligence. It was not clear under what circumstances the alleged confession was made.
Although the alleged crime was not committed in Chechnya, the investigative committee said it transferred Zhuravel to authorities there because numerous Chechens had requested, as Muslims, to be recognised as victims of his action.
Abbas Gallyamov, a former Kremlin speechwriter who is now a harsh critic of Putin and has been designated a “foreign agent”, said Mr Kadyrov’s behaviour was problematic for the Russian president.
“No matter how idiotic the Volgograd resident who burned the Koran may be, he is still an ethnic Russian, and now it turns out that Putin is ready to hand over a Russian to be devoured by the Chechens. Naturally, the majority of Russians really won’t like this,” he wrote on messaging app Telegram.
How Ukraine’s forces have surged back against Russia
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:30 , Athena Stavrou
Ukraine’s forces have made a number of breakthroughs against Russian positions in recent weeks as intense fighting rages on in southern and northeastern parts of the country.
The counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in June had been making gradual, if slow progress, in pushing back Vladimir Putin’s troops from land seized since the invasion began.
But at the start of the month, there were signs that Kyiv’s troops were starting to make inroads, as they broke Russia’s first defensive line near Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast of the country.
Read more about how Ukraine has made progress on their counteroffensive, Joe Middleton reports:
How Ukraine’s forces have surged back against Russia
Russian villages lose power after Ukraine drone strike
Tuesday 26 September 2023 13:00 , Athena Stavrou
The governor of Russia’s Kursk region said power had been cut off to about seven settlements in his region during Monday night’s drone strikes.
In a post on the Telegram messaging service on Tuesday, governor of Kursk Oblast Roman Vladimirovich Starovoyt wrote: “In the morning, in the village of Snagost, Korenevsky district, a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive device on an electrical substation, de-energizing 7 settlements.
“None of the residents were injured. Emergency crews will begin to restore power supply as soon as the situation allows.”
Russia’s defence ministry said a drone had been destroyed over Kursk region at around 5:30 a.m.
Kremlin says US tanks supplied to Ukraine will ‘burn'
Tuesday 26 September 2023 12:40 , Athena Stavrou
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that US supplies of long-range ATACMS missiles and Abrams tanks to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield, Reuters reports.
When asked about the issue at a regular news briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian armed forces were constantly adapting to the use of new types of weapons in what Moscow calls its special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine.
He said: “All this can in no way affect the essence of the SVO and its outcome. There is no panacea and no one type of weapon that can change the balance of power on the battlefield.”
Referring to other Western tanks supplied to Kyiv, which include German-made Leopards and British Challengers, Peskov said: “Abrams tanks are serious weapons, but remember what the president said about other tanks made in another country.”
He added: “Well, these (Abrams) too will burn.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that US-made Abrams tanks had arrived in his country. The jet-powered tanks were a top demand of Kyiv until Washington finally offered more than 30 of them in January.
Russian Black Sea commander shown working after Ukraine said it ‘killed' him
Tuesday 26 September 2023 12:17 , Martha Mchardy
Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia’s most senior navy officers, was shown on Tuesday attending a video conference, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had ‘killed’ him.
In video and photographs released by the Russian defence ministry, Sokolov was shown apparently taking part in a video conference on Tuesday with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top admirals and army chiefs.
The video was shown on Russian state television.
But defence and security analyst professor Mike Clarke told Sky News: “There is no proof the video is current. Russia will have to produce more convincing evidence”.
Ukraine’s special forces said on Monday they had ‘killed’ Sokolov, Moscow’s top admiral in Crimea, along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring reporters to the defence ministry.
Russia say only one serviceman had gone missing in Friday’s attack on Sevastopol.
Admiral Sokolov appears to be seen in the bottom left of the screen.
Putin allegedly trying to create new Russian ‘assault units’
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:49 , Athena Stavrou
Putin is allegedly trying to create new Russian ‘assault units’ according to US based war monitoring think-tank.
Russian military officials are reportedly ‘already actively recruiting’ in an effort to build out their armed forces and break through layered defences, says the think-tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The ISW notes that Russian outlet Izvestia, citing sources in the Russian military, claimed on September 25 that the new units will be comprised of assault troops intended to break through layered defenses and troops that will conduct reconnaissance, or scouting, at “tactical depth.”
It was reported by the ISW that each brigade will receive tanks, light armored vehicles, artillery, and various drones.
The new brigades are designed to overcome prepared Ukrainian defensive positions, particularly in areas of Donbas - which Kyiv has been equipping for defence since 2014.
Colonel Valery Yuryev, who is chairman of the Russian Union of Paratroopers, told Izvestia that the war had stressed the “need to have specialised units for storming fortified areas” and that “separate assault units and formations are necessary.”
However the ISW say it is ‘unclear’ how Moscow will be able to recruit, train and staff the new recruits, given the “multitude of endemic mobilisation issues the Russian army faces at this time”.
Pictures: Houses destroyed following fighting in recently liberated Klishchiivka
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:40 , Athena Stavrou
New pictures have shown destroyed houses in the village of Klishchiivka in eastern Ukraine following it’s recent liberation.
Last week, Ukraine’s military claimed it had recaptured the key village in Bakhmut.
The settlement had been reduced to a ghost town and destroyed in the months of fighting for Bakhmut, which had fallen into Russian hands in May this year.
The battle to recapture the village inflicted “powerful damage” on many Russian-led units, according to Illia Yevlash, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s troops in the east.
Ukrainian position in Verbove remains ‘unclear’
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:20 , Athena Stavrou
The tactical situation in the Russian village of Verbove remains ‘unclear’, according to a US based war monitoring think-tank.
Yesterday it was reported by think-tank The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) that Ukrainian forces broke into Verbove on September 22 and had occupied half of the area by September 24, according to a VDV-affiliated source.
As of September 25, the ISW report that the tactical situation in Verbove remains ‘unclear’ amid continued Ukrainian offensive operations.
The ISW say that Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations and inflicted losses on Russian manpower towards Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine .
They also reported offensive assaults in the direction of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine inflicting losses on Russian manpower and equipment.
Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces reached northern Verbove but that Russian forces pushed them back to their original positions.
Russian sources have yet to directly address a claim from a source reportedly affiliated with the Russian Airborne (VDV) Forces that Ukrainian forces control half of Verbove as of September 24.
Cargo ship leaves Ukrainian Black Sea Port
Tuesday 26 September 2023 11:00 , Athena Stavrou
A cargo vessel has left a Ukrainian Black Sea port after loading, an industry source told Reuters, without giving any further details.
The vessel was the latest to set off from a Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk on Tuesday since Kyiv established a temporary “humanitarian corridor” hugging the coastline.
Two bulk carriers left the port of Chornomorsk last week via the humanitarian corridor following Russia’s decision to quit a deal that had allowed safe Ukrainian exports.
After it invaded Ukraine last year, Moscow closed off the Black Sea ports from one of the world’s biggest suppliers of grain, in what Kyiv and its Western backers called an attempt to use global food supplies as blackmail. Moscow said the ports could bring in weapons.
From July 2022, the ports were been reopened under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that allowed Russia to inspect ships for arms but Moscow quit the deal a year later and reimposed the blockade, saying its demands for better terms for its own food and fertiliser exports were being ignored.
The blockage of deep sea ports has already affected Ukrainian grain exports, which have decreased by 51% so far in September to 1.57 million tons from 3.21 million tons in the corresponding period last year, Reuters reports.
Border crossing point between Ukraine and Romania closed due to overnight Russian attack
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:40 , Athena Stavrou
A border crossing point between Ukraine and Romania was damaged during overnight Russian drone attacks.
As the Odesa area was struck by a second night of air strikes, the governor of region said that at least two people are injured more than 30 trucks and cars were damaged in last night’s two-hour onslaught.
The Ukrainian military said operations at an international checkpoint had been suspended and vehicles were temporarily being rerouted.
Ukraine’s border service later identified the crossing point as Orlivka on the border with Romania, Reuters reports.
Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk told Radio Svoboda that the drones only struck the Ukrainian side of the border.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine wrote on social media: “The operation of the Orlivka ferry checkpoint has been temporarily suspended. Measures are being taken to stabilise its operation after the enemy’s night attack.
“We will report on the resumption of border crossing operations, and in the meantime, we recommend choosing other directions to cross the border, in particular, the Reni vehicle checkpoint.”
New photos of damage in Odesa following drone strikes
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:20 , Athena Stavrou
More photos of the aftermath of Russian attacks in the Odesa region have been released by Ukrainian authorities.
A port building, storage facilities and more than 30 trucks and cars were damaged in last night’s attack, which lasted more than two hours, Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
It follows previous attacks on the region early on Monday morning, which destroyed a high-rise hotel and killed at least two people.
Russia tries to rejoin UN Human Rights Council
Tuesday 26 September 2023 10:00 , Athena Stavrou
Russia wants to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) more than 15 months after it was expelled for invading Ukraine, according to a renewed pitch it has given to member nations.
Russia was kicked out of the UNHRC in April last year during an emergency special session called by the UN months after the invasion began.
There were 93 votes cast in favour of the move, 24 against it and 58 abstentions. Officials said the kicking out of Russia signalled the international community’s “strong censure of Moscow’s aggressive actions towards a neighbouring State”.
The country that has been isolated from the world stage after Vladimir Putin’s invasion is now circulating a position paper to UN members as an effort to court them for their support, reported the BBC.
Russia tries to rejoin UN Human Rights Council
Polish experts confirm missile that hit grain facility, killing two, was Ukrainian
Tuesday 26 September 2023 09:35 , Athena Stavrou
Polish experts have confirmed that the missile that killed two people at a grain facility in southern Poland in November was fired by Ukraine, Rzeczpospolita daily reported, citing sources.
On November 15 2022, a missile struck the the village of Przewodów near the Polish border with Ukraine, killing two people.
The explosion of the missile in NATO-member Poland fuelled fears that the war in Ukraine could spiral into a wider conflict by triggering the alliance’s mutual defence clause, but at the time Warsaw and NATO said that they believed that it was a Ukrainian stray, easing worries about escalation.
Reuters reported that sources with knowledge of the investigation told Rzeczpospolita that Poland had established that the missile that landed in the village of Przewodow was an S 300 5-W-55 air-defence missile fired from Ukrainian territory.
“This rocket has a range of 75 km to 90 km,” the newspaper cited a source as saying. “At that time, the Russian positions were in a place from which no Russian missile could reach Przewodow.”
Rzeczpospolita reported that the Ukrainian side has not made any material available to Polish investigators.
It quoted Lukasz Lapczynski, spokesman for the Polish prosecutor’s office, as saying the prosecutor had received the experts’ opinion but was not disclosing its content as it was confidential.
Ukraine has denied that one of its missiles had landed in Poland. Lapczynski could not immediately be reached for comment and the prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request.
