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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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.
Report: Ukrainian men dragged outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Footage has emerged 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 carried out checks as people left a concert by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.
Some men appeared to struggle and claim their innocence as they forcibly held or dragged away.
Read the full report:
Ukrainian men dragged outside Kyiv nightclubs and restaurants by army recruiters
Chaos descended outside some nightlife spots as military recruitment officers checked documents
Four killed and at least 34 injured over past day, Ukrainian authorities say
Russian attacks on Ukraine killed five and injured at least 34 others over the past day, according to regional authorities.
One woman was killed and at least 23 people injured in a Russian strike on the city of Mykolaiv, which damaged residential buildings, cars and an industrial facility.
Four people were killed and six injured in attacks on 22 settlements in the Kherson region, according to governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Donald Trump implies Putin told him about vision for Ukraine
Donald Trump again claimed he got along “very well with Putin”, suggesting that Putin had spoken to him about his desire to control Ukraine.
Speaking at a town hall event in oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Trump said: "I get along very well with Putin. I got; I fully understand what’s happening.
"[Ukraine] was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, ‘You’re not going in,’ and he wasn’t going in."
The presidential hopeful repeated his claim that there wouldn’t be a war between Russia and Ukraine were he still in the White House, adding that he also gets along “very well with Zelensky”.
Ukrainian film about Russia war receives award nominations
A Ukrainian documentary film telling the story of three Ukrainian artists and their life in the war-torn country has received two nominations for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
Porcelain War, a film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontiev, was nominated for Best New Documentary Filmmakers and Best Political Documentary, with the winners to be announced on November 10.
The three artists shown in the film - Slava Leontiev, who helped direct the film, his wife Ania Stasenko, and Andrii Stefanov - all remain in Kharkiv, which has sustained heavy Russian attacks since day one of the invasion. They continue to produce porcelain figurines and decorate houses destroyed in the attacks, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Ukrainian military shares footage of UAV strikes on Russian targets
The Ukrainian Defense Mininstry has released footage it says shows it using unmanned aerial vehicles to hit Russian targets.
“The UAV crew is destroying the occupiers,” the ministry said alongside the footage.
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