Ukraine-Russia war live: Drone attack ‘wipes Russian arms depot off face of the Earth’, says Kyiv
Attack triggered an earthquake-sized blast at a major Russian ammo warehouse
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Ukraine’s drone attack succeeded in “wip[ing] off the face of the Earth” a major Russian weapons depot in the Tver region, Ukrainian intelligence sources said.
Sources in Ukraine’s SBU security service told The Kyiv Independent that “an extremely powerful detonation began” at the Russian defence ministry’s warehouse in Toropets following a drone strike.
The depot is believed to have housed Iskander and Tochka-U tactical missile systems, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition. The attack “literally wiped off the face of the Earth a large warehouse of the main missile and artillery department of the Russian defence ministry,” the source was quoted as saying.
In Kyiv last night, president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the outcome of the attack without directly referring to the incident. “A very important result was achieved last night on Russian territory and such actions weaken the enemy,” he said. “I thank everyone involved. Such precision is truly inspiring.”
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky is expected to meet with US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris when he visits Washington next week, according to reports. Republican nominee Donald Trump has also said he will “probably” meet the Ukrainian president.
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EU to send 160 million euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine
The sum of €160 million from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets will be allocated to meet Ukraine‘s urgent humanitarian needs for this winter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.
She added that a fuel power plant is being dismantled in Lithuania and will be rebuilt in Ukraine, where 80 per cent of the country’s thermal plants have been destroyed.
“We aim to restore 2.5 gw of capacity, which is 15 per cent of Ukraine‘s needs,” Von der Leyen said.
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Russia and Pakistan to strengthen economic ties
The two countries hope to boost their bilateral trade, it was announced in a joint press conference in Islamabad.
With Russia facing economic isolation following Western sanctions, trade between Russia and Pakistan hit $1 billion dollars last year.
"Even today, we looked at how to expand our relationship, and overcome this constraint of the banking system, which you know are facing sanctions, which obviously constrains our relationship, the volume of our relationship could have been much bigger," Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
Moscow will also support Pakistan’s bid to join the BRICS alliance, currently consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan applied in 2023.
Ukraine boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk released after brief detention in Poland
Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has been released after being briefly detained at Krakow airport in Poland, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“I was disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion,” Mr Zelensky said, following a phone call with Usyk. “Our champion has been released, and he is no longer being detained.”
He posted a photo of Usyk with Ukraine’s Consul General in Krakow after the athlete was released.
It was not immediately clear why the 37-year-old was detained. He is one of Ukraine’s most prominent athletes known abroad, and has organised and participated in different projects aiding his country’s efforts to resist Russia’s invasion.
Alexander Butler reports:
Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk detained by police at Polish airport
The heavyweight champion was released after what he called a ‘misunderstanding’ in Krakow
Mapped: Russia launches counterattack in Kursk after sending ‘significant’ forces to the region
Mapped: Russia launches counterattack in Kursk after sending ‘significant’ forces to the region
Russia has brought in “significant” reinforcements to carry out a sweeping counterattack on the western flank of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region, maps and analysis have revealed.
Russia’s initial response appeared muted as Vladimir Putin’s interest remained trained on an offensive towards the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region despite Kyiv’s hopes that their Kursk incursion would force Moscow to relocate troops away from that fight in the east.
But footage last week of a column of Russian tanks, believed to belong to a specialist Russian airborne forces (VDV) unit known to be among some of Moscow’s more elite troops, towards the western flank of Ukraine’s attack has presaged a rapid counteroffensive in that direction.
Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Operational Command “Siversk”, told Ukrainian TV late last week that Moscow had bolstered its Kursk forces from 11,000 at the time of the Ukrainian incursion to up to 45,000.
Fronteligence Insight, a Ukrainian group that tracks the war and is known to have close ties to the military, added that those forces have been bolstered by numerous anti-aircraft and air defence systems.
While territorial defence units are being used to “contain Ukrainian forces”, the group wrote in an update, more mobile units such as tank battalions and air-assault regiments, supported by motor rifle units, are likely being tasked with “breaking through ad-hoc Ukrainian defences”.
Our foreign affairs reporter Tom Watling has more details:
Mapped: Russia launches Kursk counterattack after sending ‘significant’ forces
Ukraine says Russia has ‘quadrupled’ it’s force personnel in the Kursk region in time for a counterattack
Nearly 190 clashes in the past day, Ukraine says
Intense battles continued on the eastern Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts as Ukraine’s General Staff recorded 187 combat clashes over the past day.
Residential areas in Kharkiv - near the northeastern border - were also struck by Russian guided missiles, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
But Pokrovsk and Kurakove, both towns near the eastern city of Donetsk, faced the brunt of Russian assaults in the past day.
Ukrainian forces repelled 46 assaults towards the various settlements around the town of Pokrovsk, a key strategic city for the movement of Ukrainian supplies.
On the Kurakhove front, around 50 kilometres south of Pokrovsk and 50 kilometres west of Donetsk, 40 attacks were repelled.
Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region is ongoing, with Russian forces striking their own territory 19 times with 39 guided bombs.
Ukrainian energy systems face a difficult winter, EU says
The European Union believes that Ukraine is expected to face some blackouts after its energy system has been battered by Russian strikes.
But Katarína Mathernová, ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, does not believe the situation will be catastrophic.
"I would certainly expect that there are going to be some blackouts,” Ms Mathernová told European Pravda.
“But from all the discussions that I’ve been having and the scenarios that we have had, the situation is not going to be catastrophic. It’s going to be difficult, it’s not going to be a pleasant winter."
Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa face the most difficult months ahead due to their centralised heating systems.
Ms Mathernová added that the EU will be prepared in case a catastrophic scenario causes many to flee Ukraine - but said she does not expect this to be the case.
Two killed in Russian attacks on Sumy region
Overnight Russian attacks on the Sumy region have left two dead, the area’s military administration said.
Writing on Telegram, it said Russia fired 10 times at border areas with 38 explosions recorded.
Two civilians were killed and two more were wounded, it added according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Russia bombarded around eight settlements in northeastern Ukraine, including Sumy city.
Aerial bombs, mortars and first-person viewed (FPV) drones were used in the strikes.
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