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
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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.
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Russia illegally using Musk’s Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
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Ukrainian mother’s desperate plea for children to join her in UK after Home Office refusal
Ukraine downs a dozen drones overnight
Ukraine’s military says its defence forces shot down 12 Russian drones overnight on Tuesday.
Russian forces fired 17 drones, seven S-300/400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from Crimea and two Kh-59 guided air missiles against Chernihiv region and Sumy region from Kursk, the Ukraine Air Force said on Telegram this morning.
“As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 12 enemy UAVs were shot down in the Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions,” it said.
Russia illegally using Musk’s Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
Russian forces are using illicit Starlink terminals to dramatically improve their fighting capability on the battlefield despite US sanctions aimed at curbing this technology, Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have reported.
The terminals, which provide live battlefield views via drones and secure communications, have proliferated on the black market, reaching Russian troops on the front lines and contributing to their recent gains.
The Ukrainian military has heavily relied on tens of thousands of Starlink dishes to support its operations, leveraging the satellite internet for digital warfare.
Russia illegally using Starlink satellites to advance in Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers say Russian forces are using the Starlink terminals to ‘overpower’ them on the frontline
Zelensky says a million drones already procured and supplied to frontline
Ukraine has already procured and supplied one million drones to the front, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.
“And this is only from the state. There are also supplies from volunteers,” he said yesterday.
Ukrainians support ban on ‘Russian-affiliated’ church, poll finds
Four-fifths of Ukrainians have supported a new law banning religious groups with affiliations to Russia in a survey released on Thursday.
It comes as Kyiv attempts to root out a branch of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine which it accuses of cooperating with Moscow as it wages its war on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is accused of being a tool of Moscow’s influence in Ukraine, with some of its clergy allegedly working with Russian intelligence. The church denies these allegations and says it broke off ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022.
Conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, the poll found significant support for the new law with over 80 per cent of respondents supporting the ban.
The poll saw 16 per cent of Ukrainians oppose the ban, while another four per cent were unsure.
UK foreign secretary reiterates ‘steadfast’ support for Ukraine
Foreign secretary David Lammy has reiterated the UK’s “steadfast support” for Ukraine in a meeting with the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Deal with North Korea is ‘unambigous’, Russia says
Russia has said a treaty signed with North Korea provides “strategic cooperation” in all areas.
Russian president Vladimir Putin signed the treaty with North Korea earlier this year but did not respond when asked how it might be put into practice.
Putin said the treaty includes a mutual assistance clause, in which each side committed to help resist external aggression.
When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked whether Russia could be drawn into backing North Korea in a conflict on the back of this treaty, he said the wording of the agreement was “quite unambiguous”.
It implies “truly strategic deep cooperation in all areas, including security” he told reporters, according to Reuters.
Putin may attend G20 summit says top Ukrainian prosecutor
Russian president Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, Ukraine’s top prosecutor has said.
Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin told Reuters he had called on Brazilian authorities to carry out Putin’s arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court if he landed on South American soil.
The arrest warrant was issued for Putin in March 2023, around a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He is accused of the war crime of deporting children.
Russia has dismissed the warrant as “null and void”, denying allegations of war crimes.
Kostin said he had “information that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil” and reminded Brazil “it’s an obligation for the Brazilian authorities as a state party of the Rome Statute to arrest him if he dares to visit”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked on Monday whether a decision had been made on whether Putin would attend the meeting of the world’s leading 20 economies. He said: “No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.”
In pictures: Emergency services put out huge fires in Mykolaiv after Russian strikes
Jared Leto accused of ‘insulting’ Ukraine after likening Russia’s war to ‘problems’
Jared Leto is facing backlash from Ukraine after he praised Russia during a Thirty Seconds to Mars concert on 11 October.
The 52-year-old actor and musician made the comments during a gig in the Serbian capital in Belgrade as part of his band’s Seasons Tour, which he promoted by climbing the Empire State Building in November 2023.
Speaking to the crowd in Serbia, Leto asked them if there were many Russians in attendance, which was met with enthusiastic cheers.
Read the full report by Greg Evans:
Jared Leto accused of ‘insulting’ Ukraine after controversial Russia comments
The actor and musician made the comments during a concert in Serbia
Russian Olympic chief quits citing ‘geopolitical challenges’
Russia’s Olympic chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov said he would make way for a replacement, saying the “geopolitical challenges” facing the country mean a “change of leader” is needed.
Russia was banned from competing as a team at the 2024 Paris Games because of the government’s invasion of Ukraine.
Pozdnyakov, who has been in charge since 2018, said: "The geopolitical challenges faced by our country dictate the need to optimise and centralise the management of key spheres of activity, including high-performance sport.
"To further strengthen the Russian Olympic movement, now there are timely preconditions, including economic ones, for a change of leader and team."
He said he believed the ROC Executive Committee would back his proposal, Reuters reported.
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