Ukraine-Russia war latest: Biden deals blow to Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ as Russia claims two more villages
Biden forced to pull out of Germany trip due to Florida hurricanes
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Joe Biden has been forced to pull out of what would have been the highest-level meeting yet of Ukrainian donors in Germany, as the US president cancelled his upcoming trip to focus on the hurricane approaching Florida.
The gathering, seen as critical to the “victory plan” Volodymyr Zelensky presented to allies last month, was supposed to underscore unwavering support for Kyiv and secure more pledges of assistance ahead of winter.
On the battlefield, Russia says its forces have taken control of two more settlements in eastern Ukraine. If confirmed it would represent the latest gains for Moscow in its offensive in the Donbas region.
Ukraine officials made no reference to control of either village being lost in their latest statements, but the Ukrainian military acknowledged that the Kurakhove sector was the scene of the heaviest battles on the eastern front.
Earlier, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte warned that Ukraine faces its toughest winter since Russia’s full scale invasion began in February 2022.
“Nato must and will do more to help Ukraine. The more military support we give, the faster this war will end,” Mr Rutte told a joint news conference in Brussels.
MI5 ‘alive’ to risk Middle East tensions pose to terror threat in UK, boss says
North Korea is ‘highly likely’ sending troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine, South Korea says
Putin said to have demolished holiday home out of fear for his life as Ukraine strikes region
Trump spoke with Putin at least seven times since leaving White House, Bob Woodward reports
Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Odesa region injures five people
A Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa injured five people and damaged an apartment building, its regional governor said on Wednesday.
Governor Oleh Kiper said the attack caused a fire in an unfinished building, which has since been extinguished, and damaged the windows and facade of the nine-storey apartment building and windows at a medical facility.
The Ukrainian military said it shot down 21 of 22 drones launched by Russia overnight.
It said Russia also launched three ballistic missiles at Ukraine‘s central region of Poltava.
Regional governor Filip Pronin said the attack damaged an industrial facility, but there were no hits to civilian infrastructure and no casualties were reported.
In pictures: Life in the frontline town of Kurakhove
Russia’s Bryansk declares state of emergency after explosions
A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday in a district of Russia’s western Bryansk region following the detonation of explosive materials, the TASS state news agency reported.
Local authorities have not said what caused the explosions, but the region has been a target for Ukrainian drone attacks for more than two years.
The Bryansk region borders Belarus, Ukraine and Russia’s Kursk region, where Moscow has been fighting to eject Ukrainian troops since August.
Russia on mission to cause ‘sustained mayhem’ on UK streets, MI5 warns
British intelligence is facing a “hell of a job” over rising threats from Iran and Russia, as well as the resurgence of Isis and Al-Qaeda, the head of MI5 has warned.
A day after Sir Keir Starmer called on the international community to focus on the “malign” regime in Iran, which supports proxies across the Middle East including Hamas and Hezbollah, Ken McCallum said British intelligence has thwarted 20 Tehran-backed plots that “presented potentially lethal threats to British citizens” since the start of 2022.
The Independent’s Tom Watling reports:
MI5: UK facing threat of ‘plot after plot’ from Iran, Russia and Isis
Ken McCallum says Russian intelligence agencies are also on a ‘sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets’ with ‘arson, sabotage and more’
In pictures: Locals take in damage following Russian strike on city of Chornomorsk
In pics: Ukraine enters third autumn in war
The leaves have started turning brown and yellow in Kyiv, marking the war-hit country’s third autumn under the shadow of Russian invasion.
Fierce scenes of fighting have engulfed eastern Ukraine as Russia looks to make gains before the winter snow freezes the battlefield. Residents in Kyiv continue to show resilience despite concerns that Russia’s focused attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could plunge them into darkness and cold in the coming months.
Ukraine faces toughest winter yet, NATO’s secretary general says
Mark Rutte, NATO’s new secretary general, says Ukraine faces its toughest winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Rutte was speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, alongside president of Finland Alexander Stubb.
Moscow’s targeting of Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure may leave the country facing its toughest winter yet, he said.
“NATO must and will do more to help Ukraine. The more military support we give, the faster this war will end.”
Ukraine shoots down 21 Russian drones overnight
Russia launched three ballistic missiles and 22 drones in an overnight attack, Ukraine’s air force said in a morning update.
The air force shot down 21 drones and the last returned towards Russian territory, it said.
“As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 21 enemy UAVs were shot down in Odesa, Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions. Another attack drone turned in the direction of Russia!,” the air force said on its Telegram channel.
Russian drones violate no-fly zone near power plant
Russian Shahed drones violated the no-fly zone near a Ukrainian nuclear powerplant - prompting suggestions Russia may be preparing to strike nuclear infrastructure.
Energoatom, a state-owned nuclear power company and Ukraine’s largest power producer, said in a statement: “On the night of 6-7 October, two Russian UAVs were spotted near the industrial site of the Pivdennoukrainsk NPP. The distance between the UAVs and the nuclear facilities was less than 10 km.”
The number of sightings of Russian UAVs near the site has recently increased drastically, the energy company notes according to Ukrainska Pravda.
It comes after a Russian drone was spotted flying at a dangerously low height near the Rivne nuclear power plant in late September.
Russia has continued striking Ukraine’s energy systems, prompting the Nato secretary general to warn that Ukraine faces its toughest winter yet.
Trump secretly sent Putin his Covid-19 test machines, says Bob Woodward
Donald Trump had secretly sent Vladimir Putin several Covid-19 test machines for his personal use at the height of the pandemic, a new book from journalist Bob Woodward claims.
Russia and the US did exchange medical equipment at the time, but Mr Putin reportedly told Mr Trump to keep the deployment of testing machines quiet.
“Please don’t tell anybody you sent these to me,” Mr Putin told Mr Trump, according to the journalist. “I don’t care,” Mr Trump replied, Mr Woodward writes. “Fine.”
“No, no,” Mr Putin reportedly said. “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me.”
War, a new book from Mr Woodward which includes extensive reporting about the presidential terms of Mr Trump and Joe Biden, is scheduled for publication on 15 October.
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