Ukraine-Russia live: Kyiv outraged by UN chief’s ‘trip to meet Putin’ as Russian commander killed with hammer
UN has neither confirmed nor denied Guterres’ attendance at Kazan summit
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Ukraine has slammed UN secretary general Antonio Guterres for what it said was his acceptance of an invitation from “war criminal” Vladimir Putin to the Russia-hosted Brics summit this week.
“The UN secretary general declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland,” the ministry said. “He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation,” the ministry said.
The UN has neither confirmed nor denied Mr Guterres attendance at the Russian summit, and said it would release details of his schedule in due course. The Kazan summit begins later today.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said a senior Russian air force commander had been beaten to death with a hammer inside Russia.
Ukraine said Col Dmitry Golenkov was behind one of the most lethal airstrikes on Ukraine, one which targeted a shopping centre with a rocket.
And earlier South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul, asking the Kremlin for the “immediate withdrawal” of North Korean troops which it says are about to be deployed to fight in Ukraine.
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Attack in Zaporizhzhia, reportedly at a nursery, kills 2
A Russian strike against the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning has killed two people and injured 15, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
“The body of a dead man was taken out of the rubble in Zaporizhzhia. Fourteen injured, three of them in serious condition, and one dead man - these are the consequences of an enemy attack on the regional center,” Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Some reports say a nursery was hit, it is not know whether it was in this attack or another one.
US announces $400 million in new arms for Ukraine
The US Defense Secretary has announced $400 million in new arms for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv today, as the future of US aid to Ukraine hangs in the balance with imminent US elections.
"The United States understands the stakes here, Mr. President," Lloyd Austin told Zelensky during a meeting, as he announced the new cash for additional munitions, armoured vehicles and anti-tank weapons.
He continued: “Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States remains committed to keeping up this support. And so I’m pleased to announce today a commitment of a $400 million presidential drawdown package to provide your forces with additional munitions, armored vehicles and anti tank weapons.”
Donald Trump has signalled he would be more reluctant than Biden to continue to support Ukraine, which could deprive Kyiv of its biggest military and financial backer.
Austin played down such concerns saying he has seen “bipartisan support for Ukraine” over the last two and a half years and he fully “expects that we’ll continue to see the bipartisan support from Congress.”
Today, I welcomed U.S. @SecDef Lloyd Austin in Kyiv. I thanked him for a new defense assistance package for Ukraine worth $400 million that includes ammunition, military equipment, and weaponry.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 21, 2024
During the meeting we discussed critical defense priorities, including Ukraine’s air… pic.twitter.com/j0O1LEO5lZ
South Korea summons Russian envoy over North Korea troop dispatch
South Korea's foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday over what it has called the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia for deployment in Ukraine.
Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea’s first vice foreign minister, summoned Russia’s top envoy in Seoul Georgy Zinoviev and urged the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia, according to a ministry statement.
Kim stated that the involvement of North Korean troops in Ukraine violated United Nations (UN) resolutions and the UN charter, posing significant security threats to South Korea and the wider region.
A statement said: “We strongly condemn North Korea’s illegal military cooperation, including the deployment of troops to Russia.
“We will work with the international community to mobilize all available measures against actions that threaten our key security interests.”
In response, Zinoviev informed Kim that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang complies with international law and does not undermine South Korea’s security interests, according to a post by the Russian embassy on Facebook.
North Korea sending troops to Ukraine would escalate conflict, says NATO
If North Korea were to send troops to Ukraine to fight with Russia, it would significantly escalate the conflict, NATO Chief Mark Rutte said X.
Rutte said he discussed the alliance’s close partnership with South Korea with president Yoon Suk-yeol, focusing on defense, industrial cooperation and the interconnected security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week that North Korea was preparing to send 10,000 soldiers to help Moscow’s war effort and that some North Korean officers were already deployed on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
The West has long accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia. Rutte and the Pentagon both said last week that they have found no evidence yet of a North Korean military presence on the ground in Ukraine.
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