Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian people for their strength as he marked the 600 th day of the war versus Russia.

“600. The will that does not give up, gains freedom. Freedom based on unity always prevails. The point is not to waste time. Not to lose unity. Not to let doubts corrode the will,” Zelenskyy stated in a post on Facebook.

“Every day we must add to Ukraine’s strength. Every day we must destroy the occupier. Every day we must do everything possible to ensure that the future of Ukrainians belongs only to Ukrainians,” he included.

Six hundred days after Russia’s intrusion, it’s approximated that both sides have numerous hundred thousand military casualties. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have actually been eliminated too, and millions displaced by the war.

Zelenskyy’s remarks come at a challenging time for Ukraine’s militaries, with couple of weeks left for them to make development in their counteroffensive before the seasons modification, bringing rain and muddy conditions and making complex the battlefield. War tiredness and some discouragement over continued, massive financing for Ukraine is likewise begun to issue a few of Ukraine’s Western allies.

— Holly Ellyatt

It’s now comprehended that 3 Ukrainian kids who were required to Russia will be gone back to Ukraine after Qatar’s intervention, a Qatari main informed on the strategies informed Reuters Monday.

Last Friday, Qatar helped with the return of another Ukrainian kid, aged 7, who was reunited with his grandma and is en path to Ukraine by means of Estonia, the authorities stated. The other 3 kids are a two-year-old young boy, a 9-year-old young boy, and a woman aged 17, Reuters reported.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry launched a declaration previously Monday stating it reunited Ukrainian kids with their households, having actually worked out with Russia and Ukraine for their safe return, however did not state the number of kids are being repatriated.

China’s foreign minister on Monday required a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed in Israel, recommending at a conference with his Russian equivalent that significant world powers must work to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talked about the dispute in between Israel and Hamas with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing ahead of a check out by President Vladimir Putin to China.

“The United Nations Security Council must take action, and the major powers should play an active role,” Wang informed Lavrov, according to a Chinese records of the conference.

“It is imperative that a ceasefire be put in place, that the two sides be brought back to the negotiating table, and that an emergency humanitarian channel be established to prevent a further humanitarian disaster.”

Russia and China, both long-term members of the United Nations Security Council, have stated that the essential problem at the heart of the dispute is the absence of justice for the Palestinians.

The Palestinians desire a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital – all area caught by Israel in the 1967 war.

Russia has actually condemned violence versus both Jews and Palestinians, however Putin has actually consistently criticised the United States for what he stated was its problematic method which had actually overlooked the requirement for an independent Palestinian state.

“A thorough exchange of views took place on a wide range of international and regional issues, including the sharply aggravated situation in the Middle East,” Russia’s foreign ministry stated of the conference with Wang.

During the bilateral talks, Lavrov and Wang Yi likewise talked about the military dispute in Ukraine and efforts to fix it through “political and diplomatic methods”, the ministry stated.

“China appreciates President Putin’s high regard for and support for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and welcomes the Russian side’s continued active participation,” Wang stated.

— Reuters

The Qatari Foreign Ministry thanked the Ukrainian and Russian federal governments “for their cooperation and commitment to ensuring the safety, security and proper care of these children throughout this process.”

“Qatar stands firmly in support of the efforts made by both the Ukrainian and Russian sides to safeguard the rights and well-being of the children affected by the ongoing crisis,” it stated. Like Turkey, Qatar has actually placed itself as something of an arbitrator in between Ukraine and Russia throughout the continuous war.

In its declaration Monday, the foreign ministry stated that the the success of this newest operation “reaffirms Qatar’s unwavering commitment to serving as a reliable partner.”

“This mediation effort further underscores Qatar’s enduring commitment to promoting peace, stability, and security both regionally and internationally,” it stated, including that Qatar “remains fully prepared to play a constructive role in addressing crises and conflicts around the world today.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Vladimir Putin intends to strike a “fragile equilibrium” in Russia’s reaction to the unfolding chaos in the Middle East, wishing to appear helpful of Israel without being important of Iran- backed militant group Hamas.

Russia has actually attempted to tread a great diplomatic line in the Israeli-Hamas dispute, being among the couple of nations to have excellent relations with Israel and Hamas- backer Iran, along with other surrounding Middle Eastern nations. One expert stated that the position that Putin is taking in the war is basically an anti-U.S. one.

“Despite the aggressive stance adopted by state controlled TV in Russia (which boosts anti-American narratives over anti-Israeli ones), Putin is more nuanced,” Russia expert Tatiana Stanovaya, creator of analysis company R.Politik, stated Sunday.

“His own rhetoric suggests that he is willing to condemn Hamas’ attack but not to the extent that it jeopardises bilateral relations, maintaining Moscow’s bilateral diplomatic channels — a prerequisite for Russia to take a mediating role,” she kept in mind.

“However, preserving this equilibrium — in part, to keep open communication with Israel — is becoming increasingly difficult for Moscow,” Stanovaya stated, including that, eventually, the essence of Putin’s position is an anti-Western one, instead of merely being pro-Palestinian or “not pro-Israeli.”

“Ultimately, the essence of Putin’s decision is anti-American … This sentiment shapes his opinions towards Hamas, Israel’s actions and the broader conflict,” she kept in mind.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will check out North Korea later on today, the ministry stated Monday.

Lavrov will check out the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea fromOct 18-19 at the invite of Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, a declaration stated.

The check out comes as Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin remain in China today for talks, and as the Belt and Road Forum occurs in Beijing.

Lavrov’s check out to North Korea after the journey to China comes amidst deepening ties withPyongyang North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gone to Russia in early September in an uncommon journey abroad.

Kim and Putin hailed better military, financial and geopolitical cooperation, while Western authorities feared talks were in fact concentrating on possible North Korean weapons shipments forRussia Both nations rejected the allegations. Following the journey, North Korea welcomed Lavrov and Putin to check out.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the nation can not be dominated after his competing equivalent in Russia declared Kyiv is suffering “huge losses” in its counteroffensive.

“Ukraine cannot be conquered because our people cannot be conquered,” Zelenskyy stated in his nighttime address.

“Every day, our cities and villages in the border regions with Russia and along the front line are subjected to terrorist attacks by the occupier … No matter what happens, Ukrainians take care of each other, and the state remains functional,” he stated.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s militaries stated on Facebook Monday that “the Ukrainian defense forces continue to defend in the east and the south of Ukraine, conduct the offensive on Melitopol axis, and offensive operations on Bakhmut axis. As they destroy the enemy, they liberate the temporarily occupied territories and consolidate new positions.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in an interview released Monday that Ukraine was suffering “huge losses” and making little development in its counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, Russian forces were, he stated, carrying out an “active defense” and enhancing their position along practically the entire cutting edge, he declared, consisting of in the Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Avdiivka locations, the latter being a war location with Russian forces attempting to take the city.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War kept in mind that “Putin might be attempting to temper expectations of considerable Russian advances around Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast [region] … Putin’s characterization of Russian offending operations near Avdiivka as an “active defense,” instead of ” active battle operations” … may be an attempt to temper expectations of significant Russian advances.”

The ISW kept in mind that “Russian forces are unlikely to make significant breakthroughs or cut off Ukrainian forces in the settlement in the near term, and potential advances at scale would likely require a significant and protracted commitment of personnel and material.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Ukraine’s losses are 8 times greater than those of Russia throughout an interview with Chinese media, specifying that Kyiv’s counteroffensive has actually been not successful.

“Since June 4, it [Ukraine’s counteroffensive began] has actually been continuing. So far there are no outcomes, there are just big losses,” for Ukraine, Putin stated in an interview with the China Media Group, according to remarks released by Russian news firm Tass on Monday.

“The losses are simply huge – approximately one to eight as a ratio,” Putin stated.

Putin stated Russian soldiers are carrying out an “active defense” and enhancing their position along practically the entire of the cutting edge, consisting of in the Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Avdiivka locations, the latter being a location in battling in current weeks.

CNBC was not able to confirm the claims and Ukraine has actually not commented. Analysts concur, and Ukraine yields, that its counteroffensive has actually not made as much development as anticipated or hoped, however Ukrainian forces have actually handled to break through deep layers of Russian defenses in locations and have actually retaken some area. The war stays, in lots of locations, an attritional dispute with high losses on both sides, nevertheless.

Putin is going to Beijing today to take part in the Belt and Road Forum that starts Tuesday, and Sino-Russian talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is likewise participating in.

The journey comes simply days after Putin checked out Kyrgyzstan in his very first journey abroad this year, and initially given that the International Criminal Court released an arrest warrant for Putin, declaring obligation for the war criminal activity of illegal deportation and transfer of kids throughout the Russian intrusion of Ukraine.

— Holly Ellyatt