Ukraine-Russia latest: Six Russian soldiers given France visas after fleeing Vladimir Putin’s war
Russian soldier says ‘worst is behind me’ after fleeing Putin’s war on Ukraine
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
France has reportedly granted visas to six Russian soldiers who fled Vladimir Putin’s invasion in Ukraine.
An organisation assisting deserters said the six had all reached Paris on separate flights over the past few months, with one telling The Guardian “it was the first time I could breathe fully”.
Neither France nor Russia have commented officially on the report. If confirmed, it would be the first case of a European nation granting political asylum to Russian deserters.
On the frontline, Russia’s advance has forced Ukrainian officials to order the evacuation of Kupiansk city and three other locations in the Kharkiv region. Kupiansk was captured by Russia in the early stages of the war but liberated later in 2022.
At least 19 battles have taken place near Kupiansk over the past 24 hours, with seven still raging, Ukrainian military officials said.
Late last night the US said it was “concerned” by reports of North Korean soldiers deployed by Russia in Ukraine.
“Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine,” White House national security council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Witches of Bucha’ – the all-female unit shooting down Russian drones
Ukrainian men dragged away outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Russia illegally using Musk’s Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
What is the mysterious advanced Russian weapon downed by Moscow’s own forces in embarrassment for Putin?
Ukrainian mother’s desperate plea for children to join her in UK after Home Office refusal
Zelensky to present ‘Victory Plan’ to Ukrainian parliament
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will unveil his “Victory Plan” to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday.
The much-anticipated plan aims to force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war in good faith, and includes an invitation for Ukraine to join the NATO western military alliance.
Zelensky has discussed the plan with his western allies during a number of quickfire trips in recent weeks.
Ukrainian officials have suggested the plan includes a request to the West to ramp up weapons supplies and authorise longer-range strikes in Russia, although the exact details are unknown.
Zelensky’s speech may aim to persuade the Ukrainian public, exhausted and demoralised after two-and-a-half years of grinding war, that the conflict can end soon.
Opposition MP Iryna Gerashchenko said according to Reuters: "I’d like to believe (the plan) is realistic, because the situation is indeed very, very difficult.”
In pictures: Heavy shelling in eastern town of Pokrovsk
Large-scale power outages reported in southern Ukraine
Large-scale power outages have been reported in the southern city of Kherson, according to the chief of the city’s military administration.
“According to preliminary information, the entire city was cut off. The reasons are being determined,” Roman Mrochko wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning.
Power outages were also reported in the neighbouring Mykolaiv region
Governor Vitalii Kim said: “Many people have lost electricity. We identified the source. There was no strike. We will fix it in a couple of hours if there are no further surprises.”
US explains reason behind use of THAAD defence system in Israel, not Ukraine
The US will not use the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery in Ukraine, despite using it in Israel, because the situation is “different”.
Washington authorised the use of THAAD - an advanced surface-to-air interceptor - in Israel to boost its defence capabilities after Iran’s attack.
But Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US would not deploy the same system in Romania or Poland to help protect Ukraine’s west, which comes under regular attack from Russian missiles.
"Different capabilities, different wars, different regions. The commitments also to Israel and Ukraine are different," Singh said according to The Kyiv Independent.
It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky said NATO countries could help shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, but that they were “not yet ready” to do this.
Zelensky said on October 3: “What works in the skies of the Middle East and helps Israel’s defence can work just as well in the skies of our part of Europe – in Ukraine – helping to save lives.”
Ukraine asks for NATO invite before Biden steps down
Ukraine is requesting an invitation to join NATO before Joe Biden leaves the White House, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said.
It would be a fitting way to end the 81-year-old’s presidency, Ukraine argues, and would be a strong “political signal”.
Speaking in an interview at the Ukrainian mission to NATO, the western military alliance’s Kyiv ambassador, Nataliia Galibarenko, said: “We sincerely believe that it can be part of the legacy of [the] current American administration.”
The US presidential election next month could have a significant impact on its approach towards support for Ukraine’s war against Russia, with Donald Trump so far unclear on how he would handle the conflict.
Russia says Ukraine’s possible ascension to NATO is a justification for the brutal war they have waged since Putin’s forces invaded in February 2022.
But Galibarenko says an invitation would provide a “final verdict” for Russia, and that they would no longer be able to “raise the stakes using this topic”.
Russia launches 136 drones at Kyiv and other regions overnight
Russia launched 136 drones and three missiles in an overnight attack targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, officials said.
The strikes ignited a fire at an industrial facility in the western Ukrainian region of Ternopil. Ukraine’s air defences destroyed 51 of the drones, Ukraine’s air force said.
Of the others, 20 drones were still in Ukrainian skies while 60 were unaccounted for, possibly intercepted by other means such as electronic jamming.
Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts this morning, with the Kyiv region remaining under alert since 5.30pm GMT yesterday, according to military data. The air force said Russia was launching drones in several waves and in different directions.
The 51 drones were destroyed over 14 Ukrainian regions, including the Kyiv region. It was not clear what happened to the three missiles.
Watch: Ukrainian men dragged away outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Footage has emerged purportedly showing Ukrainian military recruitment officers raiding restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv in search of men not registered for conscription.
Officers positioned outside the doors of the capital city’s Palace of Sports were seen carrying out checks as people left a concert by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy on Friday night, local media and witnesses reported.
Some men appeared to struggle and claim their innocence as they were forcibly held or dragged away.
Restaurants, shops and bars were also raided including Goodwine, a shopping centre, and Avalon, a popular restaurant, as officers pursued those whose military registration documents were not in order.
Ukrainian men dragged away outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Chaos descended outside some nightlife spots as military recruitment officers checked documents
Britain working on 'own proposals' as part of Ukraine’s victory plan, says general
The UK is working towards the implementation of a Ukrainian plan for victory in the war against Russia, Ukraine’s military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said following a phone conversation with Britain’s chief of the defence staff Sir Tony Radakin.
“We separately discussed the possibility of striking enemy military targets in operational and strategic depth,” Syrskyi said in a statement.
“The British side is currently working on its own proposals as part of the practical implementation of the Victory Plan,” he said.
Meet Ukraine’s ‘Witches of Bucha’
When nightfall descends on a suburban area northwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the Witches of Bucha come alive.
By day, the women work as doctors and teachers, but by night, they safeguard Ukraine from the Russian drones that surge above them.
The women - who go by the moniker of the Witches of Bucha - are volunteers in air defence units.
As increasing numbers of men are deployed to the frontlines, the volunteers have undergone training to wield machine guns and assault rifles to shoot down drones filled with explosives sent from Russia.
“My role is to listen for them,” Valentyna, a veterinarian, tells the BBC. “It’s nervous work. But we have to stay focused, to [listen out] for the slightest sound.”
Meet Ukraine’s all-female unit shooting down Russian drones
‘I remember the occupation. I remember the horror. I remember the screams of my own child. I remember the dead bodies when we were fleeing,’ Valentyna says
Russia downing own drone an ‘expensive and embarrassing failure’, says UK
Russia being forced to shoot down its most advanced Hunter drone earlier this month was yet another expensive and embarrassing failure for Moscow, the British ministry of defence said in its intelligence assessment.
The drone, an S-70 Okhotnik ‘Hunter’ uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), was shot down on 5 October when it flew west over the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict. “It is likely that Russia lost control of the UCAV and took the decision to destroy the aircraft to avoid it falling into adversary hands,” the MoD said in its assessment yesterday.
“It is likely Russia waited to the last moment before choosing to engage the UCAV having exhausted attempts to bring it back under control. This demonstrates yet another expensive and embarrassing failure of Russian weapons development and will almost certainly delay the S-70 programme,” it said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments