Russia Ukraine war updates: IAEA Chief calls for setting up protection zone around ZNPP

Germany in cooperation with Norway, and Denmark plan to buy 16 Zuzana howitzers from Slovakia for Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reported. Notably, EU nations have been providing military assistance to Ukraine ever since Russia began its offensive. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, 11 October. Grossi highlighted the need to set up a safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The IAEA Chief stressed that the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has become "increasingly dangerous, precarious and challenging." He said that the frequent military attacks pose a threat to nuclear safety and security.

"Now more than ever, during these extremely difficult times, a protection zone must be established around the ZNPP. We can’t afford to lose any more time. The stakes are high. We must do everything in our power to help ensure that a nuclear accident does not happen during this tragic conflict, as it could cause even more hardship and suffering in Ukraine and beyond," Rafael Grossi said in the statement.
 

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has announced that four HIMARS from the US have arrived in Ukraine. He expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Americans for providing military assistance to Ukraine. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Reznikov described the arrival of HIMARS in Ukraine as a "good time for Ukrainians" and a "bad time" for Russia. 

The G7 nations committed to supporting Ukraine "for long as it takes." Reassuring Zelenskyy during the meeting, the G7 nations stated that they remain "undeterred and steadfast" in their commitment to support Ukraine. In the statement, the leaders underscored that they will continue to provide Ukraine with financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal assistance. The G7 nations will also provide support to Ukraine as it prepares for the upcoming winter season. 

"We reassured President Zelenskyy that we are undeterred and steadfast in our commitment to providing the support Ukraine needs to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the G7 leades said in a statement. 

The leaders of G7 nations called on Belarusian authorities to not allow Russian forces to use Belarusian territory amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The G7 leaders in the statement said, "The announcement of a joint military group with Russia constitutes the most recent example of the Belarusian regime’s complicity with Russia. They urged Belarusian government to fully abide by obligations under international law. 

Ukraine’s president has urged the U.N. cultural agency to expel Russia because Russian military strikes have damaged hundreds of cultural sites around Ukraine.

In a speech Tuesday to UNESCO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine has nominated the embattled Black Sea city of Odesa to be inscribed on the agency’s World Heritage list.

Zelenskyy said 540 “objects of cultural heritage, cultural institutions and religious buildings” in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since Russia invaded Feb. 24.

He asked: “Why are representatives of Russia still among you? What are they doing at UNESCO?”

Russia currently holds the rotating presidency of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which Zelenskyy said “devalues the institution itself -- its significance, its reputation.”

(The Associated Press)

Ukrainian official has claimed that seven people have been killed and seven others have been injured due to a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, The Kyiv Independent reported. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Ukraine President’s Office, claimed that Russian forces shelled at the communities of Orikhiv and Stepnohirsk on October 11. 
 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday, October 11, refuted reports of having talks with the Russian President before posting the 'Ukraine Peace Plan'. He quashed the reports while responding to Sven Henrich, founder and the lead market strategist for NorthmanTrader, on his query of whether the buzz around his conversation with Putin was true, Musk replied, "No, it's not." He further revealed, "I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space," said the Tesla Co-Founder, denying that it has anything to do with the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the virtual meeting held by G7. Zelenskyy called on the leaders to create "air shield" for Ukraine. He accused Russian forces of launching more than a hundred cruise missiles and dozens of different drones, including Iranian-made Shaheds since Monday. He further said, "And every ten minutes I receive a message about the enemy's use of Iranian Shaheds."

"Russia wants to provoke chaos in Ukraine and in the entire democratic world, and therefore uses everything - from missile strikes to the seizure of a nuclear plant, threats of a radiation disaster, from sabotage against infrastructure in Europe to a deliberate attempt to destroy Ukraine's energy facilities. Destroy all of them. We must stop all this," Zelenskyy said. 

A barrage of missiles occupied the sky in Ukraine on Tuesday morning, as the war-torn nation was still grappling with Monday’s missile attacks that claimed several lives and destroyed key infrastructure. However, this time around, Ukrainian forces intercepted 18 cruise missiles, according to a statement by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The command said that it “shot down” four missiles around 9 am (local time), as well as 14 others between 9.30 am and 1 pm.

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The G7 leaders have condemned Russia's missile attacks in cities across Ukraine. The leaders stressed that the attacks on the civilians "constitute a war crime." They vowed to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and those "responsible to account." The G7 leaders also condemned Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The leaders underscored that the "illegal annexation" of Ukrainian territories will "never" be recognised by them. They accused Russia of breaching the principles mentioned in the UN Charter. 

"Our meeting took place against the backdrop of the most recent missile attacks against civilian infrastructure and cities across Ukraine, leading to the death of innocent civilians. We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime. We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account," the G7 leaders said in a statement. 

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed in the Constantine Palace. The Russian President thanked his UAE counterpart for mediation efforts to resolve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

"We have no intention of creating problems for anyone, and we are not doing that. Our actions aim to stabilise global energy markets, so that consumers of energy resources and those supplying them to global markets would feel calm, stable and confident, and so that supply and demand would be balanced," stated Putin.

Russia's Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova in a statement accused the United States of trying to destroy OPEC+ to be able to manage the oil market for its own benefit, while it scrapes "together a cartel of buyers through insurance manipulation & freight rate."

A Russian official in the southern region of the Belgorod on the border with Ukraine said that strikes by Ukriane's forces had left 2,000 people without electricity on Tuesday.

"The Ukrainian armed forces fired at a substation in Shebekino. More than 2,000 residents have now been cut off from electricity. There are no victims or injured," the region's governor Viatcheslav Gladkov said in a post on social media.

Ukrainian politician, comedian, and volunteer Serhiy Prytula has stated that he and activist Serhii Sternenko raised nearly $10 million in a single day to buy RAM ІІ kamikaze drones for the Ukrainian military.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that NATO will hold a long-planned exercise next week to test the state of readiness of its nuclear capabilities.

“This is routine training that happens every year to keep our deterrence safe, secure and effective," Stoltenberg remarked to reporters in Brussels. 

Excercise-Steadfast Noon is held annually and usually runs for about one week. It involves fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads but doesn’t involve any live bombs. Conventional jets, and surveillance and refueling aircraft also routinely take part.

Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatam accused Russian forces of abducting another senior official at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Updating about the development on Telegram, Energoatam stated that Valeriy Martyniuk, the plant’s deputy director general for human resources, had been kidnapped on Tuesday.

It wrote that “they keep holding him at an unknown location and (are) probably using methods of torture and intimidation.”

Speaking on state television, Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia was willing to listen to any suggestions regarding peace talks amid war with Ukraine. Moscow may consider a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden at the forthcoming G-20 meeting.

Russia on Tuesday added the US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to a list of "terrorist and extremist" organisations, reveals the database of Russia's Federal Service for Financial Monitoring (Rosfinmonitoring).

Prior to a possible vote on a resolution condemning Moscow's annexation of four Ukrainian areas, Ukraine and Russia engaged in a dispute at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday. At the UNGA, the resolution denouncing Russia's annexation came up for adoption, where 193 members of the UN would vote and no one would wield a veto.

It is pertinent to mention that the resolution on the annexation was prepared after Russia vetoed the resolution in the UN Security Council last week and further slammed the action. According to a CNN report, the vote will now probably take place this week. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Tuesday, held a conversation with his Australian excellency, Anthony Albanese, amid a series of Russian attacks in the already war-embattled nation. In a microblogging post, he said Australia noted the importance of security assistance amid the ongoing aggression.

Ukraine’s General Staff, in its updated war data, claimed Russia also lost at least 2,504 tanks, 5,162 armoured fighting vehicles, 3,916 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,496 artillery systems, 353 multiple launch rocket systems, 181 air defence systems, 268 aeroplanes, 235 helicopters, 1,114 drones, and 15 boats.

A senior Russian diplomat has issued a new warning to the US and its allies that their support for Ukraine could draw them into an open conflict with Russia.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Western military assistance to Kyiv, the training of Ukrainian personnel in NATO countries, and the provision of real-time satellite data allowing the Ukrainian military to designate targets for artillery strikes have “increasingly drawn Western nations into the conflict on the part of the Kyiv regime.”

The United States, on Tuesday, claimed that Russia had already planned to intensify attacks on Ukraine, even before the Crimean Bridge suffered a major blow on Saturday. "It likely was something they had been planning for quite some time. Now that's not to say that the explosion on the Crimean bridge might have accelerated some of their planning," John Kirby, White House national security spokesman, told CNN.

Russian forces killed at least six civilians and wounded eight in Donetsk Oblast, not including Mariupol and Volnovakha, Kyiv Independent reported citing oblast governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko. He informed that the "aggressor" also fired as many as 12 S-300 missiles at Zaporizhzhia in the morning, resulting  In the killing of one person and hitting a car dealership and an educational institution.

The Russian Defence Ministry, on Monday, confirmed that the recent strikes on multiple locations in Ukraine were directed by President Vladimir Putin and said, "it has achieved all the targets". According to a report by Russian news agency TASS, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov informed the President about the "success of the mission" that killed at least 19 people in Ukraine's national capital, Kyiv, on Monday. As per the spokesman, the military used high-precision long-range weapons to target the Ukranian army and its units-- a claim refuted by the war-embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A day after the brutal attack on multiple locations in Ukraine, its state emergency service has reported that the death toll has risen to 19, with the number of injured rising to over 105.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that General Sergei Surovikin had been appointed as overall commander of its Joint Group of Forces conducting the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Twitter. It claimed for much of its operation, Russia has likely lacked a single empowered field commander.

Amid the brutal attack on Ukraine on Monday, the "aggressor" again targeted the Zaporizhzhia region earlier today. As of now, no reports of casualties have been reported. “Russian forces targeted an infrastructure site in the city of Zaporizhzhia," Kyiv Independent reported citing Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh.   Earlier on Saturday, the region witnessed several rocket attacks, resulting in the killing of at least 17 people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, 10 October. The talks between the two leaders took place hours after Russia launched missile strikes in Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy briefed Guterres about the scale & consequences of another Russia's 'bloody crime."

Amid the ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, United States President Joe Biden on Monday held a conversation with embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and promised Kyiv to provide cutting-edge air defence systems. While he was speaking with Zelenskyy, Biden even denounced Russia's recent massive bombings on Ukrainian cities. According to a readout from the White House, “President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defence systems.” 

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Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak emphasizes that Ukraine will continue to liberate its territories and approach victory in the war with Russia. He said this while taking part in The Cipher Brief, an event dedicated to security issues, in a video conference format. Andriy Yermak noted that the Russian Federation cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, so it resorts to terror unseen since World War II.

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said some regions where blackouts due to shelling were reported, the electricity supply has already been restored and added the rest regions will get it within a few hours.
"As of now: Kharkiv region - 50% of energy supply has been restored. Energy crews need several hours to restore the electricity supply to the majority of districts.
Poltava region - restored almost everywhere. Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa region - are connected. Cherkasy - connected. Khmelnytskyi - there is light in most parts of the city," he said.

Ukraine has claimed that it has shot down 13 Iranian-made kamikaze drones Shahed-136, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Ukrainian Air Force, the missile strikes were carried out from Russia and Belarus between 3 pm to 6:30 pm (local time) on October 10, the report further added. The statement of Ukrainian Air Forces came after Russian missiles struck several cities of Ukraine, including Kyiv on October 10. 

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his nightly address, said that the restoration work is currently underway across the country and added the authority will restore all objects that were damaged by "Russian terrorists".
"It's only a matter of time. I tasked all structures of our state to ensure recovery as fast as possible. In some cities and regions, where there were blackouts due to shelling, the electricity supply has already been restored," he said.

As Russia unleashed its biggest attacks in Ukraine in recent months, railway infrastructure got damaged severely in the national capital and other neighbouring regions.

The UN General Assembly started debating Monday whether to demand that Russia reverse course on annexing four regions of Ukraine. The discussion came as Moscow’s most extensive missile strikes in months alarmed much of the international community anew.

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergey Kyslytsya told the assembly that some of his own close relatives were imperilled and unable to take cover in a bomb shelter.

Russia has said it was retaliating for what it called a Ukrainian “terrorist” attack Saturday on an important bridge, and Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the assembly that Moscow had warned that there wouldn’t be impunity for such an attack.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. During the talks, Blinken reiterated the support of the US for Ukraine after Russia's strikes. Antony Blinken stated that the US will continue to provide economic, humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine. 

People took to the streets in Tbilisi to protest against Russian missile strikes in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reported. People carried banners and Ukrainian flags as they protested against Russia around the Georgia parliament's building. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine "cannot be intimidated." In his nightly video address on 10 October, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine "cannot be stopped" and they have been more united. He called Russian missile strikes in Ukraine a "typical terrorist tactic" in a bid to incite more fear. He stressed that restoration work has been started in Ukraine and committed to restoring all the objects damaged by Russian forces. Zelenskyy said that of the 84 Russian missiles launched against Ukraine, 43 were shot down by Ukraine. In addition, out of 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down by Ukrainian forces. 

"Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped. We are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralized," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. 
 

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Czech capital to condemn the Russian strikes against multiple cities across Ukraine and demand additional international support for Ukraine’s air defenses.

The demonstrators at central Wenceslas Square held up crosses with the names of places hit by the Russian missiles as well as umbrellas symbolizing air defenses.

Czech political leaders condemned the strikes that hit both civilian and infrastructure targets.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said they were “not meant to damage military targets. It’s about murdering the civilian population and spreading fear.”

More protests are planned Tuesday and Saturday.

(The Associated Press)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on 10 October. In the telephonic conversation, Truss "strongly condemned" Russia's "appalling attacks" on civilian areas in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine. Liz Truss said that Russia’s missile strikes in Ukraine are a sign of Ukrainian success and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “increasing desperation.” She emphasised that the UK will continue to stand behind Zelenskyy and Ukraine. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, 10 October. During the telephonic conversation, Zelenskyy briefed Guterres about the scale & consequences of another Russia's 'bloody crime." Taking to his Twitter handle, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Antonio Guterres for strongly condemning Russia's missile strike against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored that the world must react as soon as possible.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that he is "appalled" by Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians. He called Russia's behaviour "reprehensible" and stressed that these actions strengthen Canada's resolve. He underscored that Canada will remain committed to holding Russia regime accountable and supporting Ukraine. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the telephonic conversation, Trudeau condemned Russia’s "indiscriminate strikes" on Ukrainian cities and offered condolences to the families of victims Trudeau emphasised that these attacks strengthen Canada's resolve to support Ukraine. He reiterated Canada’s "strong support" for Ukraine, including providing military, economic, and humanitarian assistance.

Ukraine has claimed that it has shot down 13 Iranian-made kamikaze drones Shahed-136, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Ukrainian Air Force, the missile strikes were carried out from Russia and Belarus at 3 pm to 6:30 pm (local time) on 10 October. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with US counterpart Joe Biden. During the telephonic conversation, Biden condemned Russia's missile strikes in Ukraine and conveyed condolences for the families of the victims. US President assured Zelenskyy that the US will continue to provide Ukraine with the support required to defend itself, including advanced air defence system. Furthermore, Biden emphasised that the US along with its partners will continue to impose costs on Russia and hold Moscow "accountable for its war crimes and atrocities."
 

The UN General Assembly has started debate on whether to demand that Russia take back their decision on annexing four regions of Ukraine, according to AP. The assembly meeting was planned to respond to Russia's decision of annexing four Ukrainian territories that were under the control of Russia. The UNGA session came hours after Russian missiles strikes in Ukraine on Monday, 10 October. 

The U.N. General Assembly was set to debate Monday on whether to demand that Russia reverse course on annexing four regions of Ukraine, but the discussion came as Moscow's most extensive missile strikes in months alarmed much of the international community anew.

"The entire world has once again seen the true face of the terrorist state that kills our people. Suffering defeats on the battlefield, Russia takes it out on the peaceful residents of Ukrainian cities," Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN said.

The assembly meeting, planned before Monday's barrage, was intended to respond to Russia's purported absorption last month of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The move followed Kremlin-orchestrated "referendums" that the Ukrainian government and the West have dismissed as illegitimate.

Kyslytsya blasted the hypocracy in Russia's statement on the attack. "You claim the seizure of an area of a neighboring sovereign state under the pretext of protection of local population,  and then you kill this population with dozens of missiles.

Russia said it was retaliating for a Ukrainian "terrorist" attack Saturday on an important bridge.

The U.N. is condemning Russia's retaliation against Ukraine Monday, following a lethal barrage against multiple cities resulting in numerous civilian casualties.

(The Associated Press)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia has targeted non-military targets and killed civilians. He asserted that the action of Russia demonstrates "who is in the right and who is in the wrong." Reiterating support for war-torn nation, Blinken said that the US will continue to "stand" with Ukraine. 
 

Ukraine has claimed that it has repelled Russian attacks near five settlements, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russian troops have been making efforts to "hold the temporarily captured territories." In addition, Ukraine's General Staff announced that Russian forces are trying to advance towards Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Donetsk. 
 

Ukraine has claimed that Russian forces were planning missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and infrastructure since the beginning of October. The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has said that Russian armed forces received instructions from Kremlin to prepare for conducting missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure on October 2 and 3. 

"According to the military intelligence of Ukraine, the Russian occupying forces received instructions from the Kremlin to prepare massive missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine on October 2 and 3," The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said in a statement. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Russia's missile strike has damaged 71 buildings in the capital city of Kyiv, including 45 residential ones. The attack damaged 5 critical infrastructure facilities, 6 educational institutions, 6 cultural institutions, and 5 healthcare facilities, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Ukraine will stop exporting electricity to the European Union from October 11 due to rocket attacks, Ukraine's Ministry of Energy amid Russia's latest offensive.

International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that they have momentarily paused "movements, sheltered and continued to work in place."

"Our full schedule of humanitarian assistance will resume immediately as the security situation allows. The ICRC team is not suspending any operations on the ground. Our teams remain in the country and will continue their activities while adapting to the deteriorating security situation as required," ICRC added.

Fresh missile attacks have hit Ukraine’s southern city of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration in the Dnipropetrovsk region informed on Telegram. "Preliminary - kamikaze drones Shahid that are Iranian-made have hit city" Vilkul wrote on Telegram.

Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko condemned the attacks on the city on Monday morning, calling the Russian attackers "barbarians." In a video recorded in Kyiv's city centre, with damaged roads behind him, Klitschko said the city's critical infrastructure has also been damaged. 

"All city services work in emergency mode responding promptly and overcoming the consequences of the attack," Klitschko added. 
 

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he has spoken with the UK PM, Liz Truss, on Monday following a wave of Russian strikes across the country.

UN’s secretary general, António Guterres, expressed concerns about the recent war escalation in Ukraine. Guterres said that he was “deeply shocked” by Russia’s air strikes, adding that he had been worried about such tensions since the start of the Ukraine war, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. 

"This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price," UN Chief said. 

Russia launched mass rocket and aviation strikes on Ukrainian territory, using advanced combat drones, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said on Telegram. Russia already launched 75 rockets, of those 41 of them were intercepted by Ukraine's air defence systems. "Ukrainian Armed Forces are doing all they can to protect Ukrainians," said Gerashchenko. At least 10 Ukrainians died, and 60 were wounded from Russian rocket strikes on, Ukraine's National Police said in an update. 

Credit: telegram/Anton Gerashchenko

Indian Embassy in Ukraine has issued an advisory to Indian nationals against any movement to Ukraine. MEA, India urged the Indians to avoid any non-essential travel to Ukraine as the conflict escalated after Russia launched a barrage of missile across several Ukrainian cities. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, at the Security Council meeting, said that he ordered retaliatory strikes in cities of Ukraine as Ukraine's SBU planted explosions at the Kerch Bridge. 

“In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities," said India's MEA. 

Credit: ANI/Twitter

United States Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A. Brink, on Monday informed that the US embassy team in Kyiv "is safe" after another wave of Russian strikes on civilian sites. "Grateful to those responding and working to keep us safe, and heartbroken for those hurt, here and across Ukraine," she tweeted. It is to be noted that Russian missile strike in Kyiv targeted the German consulate, and landed in close vicinity to the Romanian embassy. At least three missiles crossed over to the airspace of the neighbouring Moldova as Russian forces intensified retaliatory offensive on Ukraine this morning. 

Russia's defence ministry was quoted saying by the state-affiliated agencies that its armed forces have hit “all designated targets” in Ukraine. The assaults were conducted using precision-guided weapons to destroy Ukrainian military, communications and energy facilities, Russian MoD stated. 

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke with UK’s foreign secretary, James Cleverly as Russian missiles targeted the Ukrainian cities. UK invoked the “Blitz” that was downed on it during the second world war [WWII], Kuleba said in a tweet. 

UK Foreign Secretary "cleverly assured me the UK will strengthen its unwavering support. I stressed we need air defence systems; Russia must be recognised as a terrorist state. Just like the UK withstood the Nazi Blitz, Ukraine will withstand Russia’s missile blitz. Nothing will break us down," Kuleba wrote. 

Ukraine FM also spoke with Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, who unequivocally labelled Russia's actions "war crimes." Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Russian strikes and assured to redouble efforts to work with allies on providing Ukraine with air defence systems.

"Russia’s horrendous attacks against Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine show the desperation of the Kremlin. These indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes. [We are] committed to supporting Ukraine and holding [the] Russian regime accountable. We’ll address this with our G7 partners," Michel iterated. 

Germany's foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that the building housing the German consulate's visa office in Kyiv has not been in use by Germany since the war broke out. "Those who work in the German embassy in the Ukrainian capital city are unhurt," the ministry says. A Russian missile struck the high-rise office building of the German consulate in Kyiv among many other buildings severely damaged by the recent attacks. 

Targeting civilian populations is a "war crime", French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna asserted after Russia's recent strikes on the Ukrainian cities. "I condemn in the strongest terms today's indiscriminate Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities," she said in a tweet. "Intentionally targeting civilian populations is a war crime."

Member of Ukraine's parliament, Inna Sovsun, tweeted footage of civilians sheltering from Russian bombs in a metro station in Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte after the series of strikes on Ukrainian cities. The two counterparts pledged to strengthen Ukraine's defence support, and to coordinate the world's response to the actions of Russia, which Zelensyy labelled as the "aggressor country."  The Netherlands has vowed to restore the destroyed infrastructure of Kyiv, the Ukrainian leader informed on Facebook and Twitter.

Credit: Facebook/Volodymyr Zelenskyy

India on Monday said it is deeply concerned over the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and called for immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of "diplomacy and dialogue". Reiterating India's position on the conflict, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest and noted that India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation of the situation.

"India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians," he said.

The spokesperson was responding to media queries on escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. "We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation," he said.  "India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states," Bagchi said.

PTI report

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on Monday released footage of an aerial strike on what appears to be Russian troops, saying that Moscow must "learn how to fight Ukraine [military]" instead of launching missile strikes on civilians. "To ensure that training is effective, they need to surrender," Ukraine MoD said, referring to the footage. 

"The Russian army only knows how to attack the civilian population," asserted Ukraine's MoD. 

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba alleged that Russia's President Vladimir Putin was "desperate because of battlefield defeats" after recent counteroffensive and territorial gains made by Ukraine's forces. "No, Putin was not 'provoked' to unleash missile terror by (a blast on the) Crimea Bridge... Putin is desperate because of battlefield defeats and uses missile terror to try to change the pace of war in his favour," Kuleba said on Twitter. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin's steadfast ally, authoritarian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Monday said that Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine were training Belarusian "radicals" for terror attacks on Russian and Belarusian territories, according to the local reports. His remark came shortly after he announced that Moscow and Minsk will delploy joint troops on the border. He slammed Washington and Brussels of trying to "aggravate" the ongoing conflict. 

"The training in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of Belarusian radical militants for them to carry out sabotage, terrorist attacks and to organise a military mutiny in the country is becoming a direct threat," Lukashenko said at a meeting with military officials, according to reports. 

In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister, Emine Dzhaparova on Monday slammed Russia for launching missiles at the civilian infrastructure that resulted in deaths and injuries. Moscow's dream "is to destroy us as a country, as a people, as a Nation," Dzhaparova told Republic in a televised interview. 

In an interview with Republic, Ukrainian MP Vadym Halaichuk on Monday demanded that Russia be declared as a terrorist state. "We're calling on the world again to realise Russia is a terrorist state," Halaichuk stressed, referring to the several missile strikes that hit Ukrainian cities Monday morning, damaging civilian infrastructure. 

Russia has long been planning the missile strikes that it executed Monday morning "since the start of October," claims Ukrainian military intelligence in an update. Russian troops “received instructions from the Kremlin to prepare massive missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine on October 2 and 3”, the statement read.

"The military units of the strategic and long-range aviation received orders to prepare for the task of massive missile attacks. The objects of critical civil infrastructure and the central areas of densely populated Ukrainian cities were identified as targets," it further added. 

NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, on Monday derided what he called the “horrific and indiscriminate” missile attacks by Russia that hit the civilian infrastructure. In a Twitter post, Stoltenberg said that he held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart foreign secretary, Dmytro Kuleba, and pledged support for Ukraine against the ongoing Russian aggression “for as long as it takes”.

Reports have come in that the air raid alerts sound has gone off again in Kyiv, more details are awaited. 

In a recorded video outside the presidential office on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately choosing "such a time, such goals, in order to cause as much harm as possible." He asserted that Ukraine is “dealing with terrorists” after several missiles were targeted at the Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv. 

"Today, the whole world once again saw the true face of the terrorist state that kills our people. Not only on the battlefield, but also in peaceful cities," Zelenskyy stressed. He added that Russia's proposals of real peace "are answered by rocket strikes."

"This all just proves that the liberation of all our land is the only foundation of peace and security for all Ukrainians," he asserted. 

Images Credit: Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Facebook

At least 10 are dead, and 60 others were critically injured in the Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, the Ukrainian police said on Monday. The overall toll has risen after Ukrainian interior affairs adviser, Rostyslav Smirnov, informed earlier that eight people were killed and 24 injured in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district.15 cars were damaged as the missile hit the civilian infrastructure, and six cars were set ablaze. 

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s on Monday snubbed the prospects of peace negotiations with Ukraine, saying that the US has been exacerbating conflict with its weapons and its "satellites," referring to Elon Musk's Starlink used by Ukrainian forces. She was asked about the Kremlin's response to the US Secretary of State's statement on the record that Biden administration is “ready for diplomacy with Russia on Ukraine.” 

United States actions are "totally at odds with their ostensibly peace-loving, affected rhetoric," Maria Zakharova said at the press conference. "They are building up arms supplies to the Zelensky regime, there are scores of Western mercenaries and military instructors on the ground," she claimed. 

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused US of being involved in a multifaceted support effort for Ukraine. "This is taking place against the backdrop of Zelenskyy’s lunatic claims that his masters [US-led NATO] should deliver a pre-emptive nuclear strike at Russia," she asserted. 

Romania’s foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, informed on Twitter that a Russian missile landed just 850 metres from the Romanian embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. This comes as Germany reported that a Russian missile hit its consulate as Moscow launched a barrage of strikes on Ukraine this morning. 

United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, is slated to visit Russia tomorrow to meet President Vladimir Putin, UAE’s state-owned news agency WAM reported. His visit comes just days after the OPEC+ announced oil production cuts, sparking condemnation from the US.  Mohamed “will discuss with President Putin the friendly relations between the UAE and Russia along with a number of regional and international issues and developments of common interest" WAM reported, citing the statement from ministry. 

Air raid alerts in the Ukrainian capital ended after nearly six hours and essential services were resumed. Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said in a Telegram post that the capital Kyiv has ordered the train services and metro lines to resume operations after they were abruptly halted due to the Russian strikes. 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed to create a joint “regional grouping of troops,” but offered no details as to where or when such a grouping might be deployed. Lukashenko’s statement follows his repeated claims that Ukraine is plotting an attack on Belarus. At a meeting with military and security officials on Monday, the Belarusian leader reiterated that “carrying out strikes on the territory of Belarus is not just being discussed, it is being planned in Ukraine.”

Associated Press report

Germany said on Monday that it is ready to supply Ukraine with the first of the four IRIS-T air defence systems to Ukraine that it pledged in June. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a statement that the systems will be readied “in the coming days," noting the importance of air-defence systems delivery. 

A top Russian official said Monday that Moscow will oust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, Associated Press reported. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said that Russia, along with protecting its people and borders, should “aim for the complete dismantling of Ukraine’s political regime.”

He alleged that “the Ukrainian state in its current configuration with the Nazi political regime will continue to pose a permanent, direct and clear threat to Russia.” Russia has repeatedly sought to cast the government of the Ukrainian president, who is Jewish, of Nazi inclinations, claims which have been mocked by Ukraine and its allies.

Associated Press report 

German foreign ministry spokesperson has said that the building housing the German consulate in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile strike, Guardian reported. More to follow. 

EU Commission on Monday slammed Moscow for what it described as "heinous attacks" and missile strikes across Ukrainian cities, including in the capital Kyiv. Russian attack is reported to have killed civilians and has caused intensive damage to the civilian infrastructure.

"They are barbaric and cowardly attacks" Peter Stano, a spokesman for the EU's executive arm said at a briefing.

"The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms these heinous attacks on the civilians and civilian infrastructure [...] This is something which is against international humanitarian law and this indiscriminate targeting of civilians amounts to a war crime," Stano continued. EU also condemned the Russian missile crossing the Moldova airspace. It noted that three cruise missiles were fired by Russia that breached neighbouring Moldova's airspace. EU labelled the act as "unacceptable."

Head of Germany's national cybersecurity agency has come under scrutiny on Monday over his alleged ties with Russian intelligence, Germany's local media reported, citing the ministry's statement. “The Interior Ministry takes the matters reported over the weekend seriously and is investigating them comprehensively,” the statement read.  Arne Schoenbohm heads Berlin's BSI agency and co-founded a cybersecurity group a decade ago. But one of its members was found to be a company that is owned by a former Russian intelligence agent.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has sent dire warnings to Ukraine, for allegedly attacking Russian infrastructure.  "If attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory continue, Russia’s responses will be tough and in scale will correspond to the level of threats posed to us. No one should have any doubts about this,” Putin said, according to Kremin's statement. 

Credit: Kremlin

Russia on Monday said that it has already established the route of the truck that caused the explosion on the Crimean or Kerch bridge. The truck took the road via Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, and Krasnodar Territory. In addition to that, Kremlin said that the carriers have been identified as well as the persons who participated in organizing the movement of this truck.

"With the help of FSB operatives, it was possible to identify suspects from among those who could prepare a terrorist attack, and people who operate on the territory of the Russian Federation," said Kremlin. 

Kerch Bridge. Credit: Telegram/Kremlin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Monday held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council on the Kerch Bridge explosions, which he accused Ukraine of plotting. He said that Ukraine's recent acts of attacking Russian infrastructure makes "simply impossible to leave crimes of this kind unanswered."

"This morning, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense and according to the plan of the Russian General Staff, a massive air, sea and land-based high-precision long-range weapon was launched against Ukrainian energy, military command and communications facilities," Putin admitted, referring to several missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. 

He told the council that he was updated about the blast at the Crimean bridge by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin, who also led an investigation into the sabotage."The data of forensic and other examinations, as well as operational information, indicate that the explosion, arranged on October 8, is a terrorist act, a terrorist attack aimed at destroying Russia's civilian, critical infrastructure," Putin said, according to Kremlin. 

The perpetrators of the terrorist attack are the Ukrainian special services, he declared. Putin stated that Ukraine has long used terrorist acts, and murders of public figures, journalists, and scientists, both in Ukraine and in Russia. He accused Ukraine's Security Service of attacks on the cities of Donbass for more than eight years, and recently the artillery strikes on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

Putin said at the meeting that the special services of Ukraine carried out three attacks on the Kursk nuclear power plant located in western Russia by comprising the high-voltage lines of the power plant. They also undermined one of the sections of the Turkish Stream gas transportation system, Putin noted. He indicated Ukraine's involvement in Nord Stream pipelines sabotage, saying, "Russia is not allowed to investigate the causes of explosions and destruction of international gas transmission systems passing under Baltic Sea. But we all know well the ultimate beneficiary of this crime." 

As Ukrainian cities were bombarded with Russian missile strikes, French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced more military aid for Kyiv amid "extreme concern" about Russian strikes. During a phone call with Ukraine's President Zelensky, Macron pledged to send in more weapons.

"The president spoke of his extreme concern about strikes that have caused civilian victims," Macron's office said in a statement. "He reaffirmed his full and complete support for President Zelensky and the commitment of France to increase its support for Ukraine, in line with the needs expressed by Kyiv, including in terms of military equipment."

A Russian missile has crossed over the airspace of Moldova, Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter as Moscow launched a barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities. Moldova summoned Russia’s ambassador to explain why missiles launched from the Black Sea into Ukraine entered their airspace. 

Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, on Monday demanded that the G7 nations, including US democratic party House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, must designate Russia as a 'terrorist state.' As many as  11 infrastructure facilities across eight regions were destroyed in the Russian strikes, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated. 

Amid multiple explosions in Ukraine's national capital, a video emerged on social media platforms wherein people can be singing en masse while sheltering from the air raids in a Kyiv metro station.

Denmark’s Baltic Sea island of Bornholm which is located near the Nord Stream’s gas pipelines has suffered an unexplained power outage, Guardian reported citing the electricity operator Energinet. There occurred an issue with the underwater electricity cable, the operator said, adding that the exact cause of the outage was not known. 

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who spoke to Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany earlier today, said he will address an emergency meeting of the G7 on Monday. Notably, G7 is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. "My speech is scheduled, in which I'll tell about the terrorist attacks by Russia," Zelenskyy said. "We also discussed the issue of increasing pressure on Russia and aid in restoring damaged infrastructure."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday accused Russia of causing "panic and chaos" with the missile attacks that targeted critical infrastructure. Missiles rained on Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and other regions he informed in a Telegram post.

"They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system. They are hopeless. The second target is people. Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible," Zelenskyy said, asking people to go to bomb shelters. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed his nation amid intensified Russian missile strikes against cities on Monday. 

He recorded his statement in front of the Presidential Office in Kyiv which is several kilometres away from the location where strikes took place in the capital, just hours before.

"They seek panic and chaos," Zelenskyy said "But we are Ukrainians. Helping each other. We believe in ourselves. We restore everything that was destroyed. Now there may be temporary interruptions in electricity, but there will never be interruptions with certainty - the certainty of victory."

Hours after the brutal attacks on multiple locations in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, in a staunch message to Moscow, said, "We are coming after you". In a Twitter post, the ministry asserted that the country is becoming stronger with every strike that hit the already war-embattled nation.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba cut short his tour of Africa in order to return to Kyiv after missile attacks. He spoke with his Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly, who assured him that “the response to Russia’s barbaric attacks will be an even more resolute practical support for Ukraine”.

Latvia’s prime minister, Krišjānis Kariņš on Monday called for Europe to halt all tourist visas for Russians after several missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Latvian PM rejected the notion that a ban on Russians seeking to evade Putin's military draft in the EU would up Russian armed forces. Many Russian men "do not wish to go and fight and likely die in Ukraine” and this could trigger a “potential huge immigration wave coming from Russia,” said Kariņš in an interview with the Guardian newspaper. This, he reiterated also poses a security risk to the EU.

“I think the political dissenters have mostly already left. Then there will be economic opportunists, many, many other reasons and people with unknown loyalties," Latvian leader was quoted as saying.

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink on Monday said Russia has accelerated multiple strikes across the Ukrainian cities, after the Kerch bridge incident. "Moscow has escalated its barrage of attacks," Brink tweeted. 

According to Ukraine's commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny, at least 75 missiles have been fired during the wave of attacks. Further, he said that 43 of them were neutralised by air defences. 

Dnipro city missile strike has multiple casualties as an Associated Press reports its journalists have witnessed the bodies of multiple people killed at an industrial site on the city’s outskirts. The agency describes that the residential buildings were hit, windows were shattered and debris littered the roads. Explosions were also reported in western city of Lviv as well as Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

Explosions on Monday rocked multiple cities across Ukraine, including missile strikes on the capital Kyiv for the first time in months, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin called a Saturday explosion on the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea a “terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services. According to reports, at least eight people have been killed and more than 24 injured.  

The first strikes on Kyiv in four months targeted the centre of the city and left dead and wounded, an Emergency Service spokesperson told the AP. Blasts were reported in the city’s Shevchenko district, a large area in the centre of Kyiv that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

AP