Die Ukraine führt seit Monaten Angriffe auf den russischen Energiesektor durch. In der Nacht zum Montag meldete das Militär einen »erfolgreichen Angriff« auf der Krim.
PM Shmyhal meets Slovak counterpart Fico near Ukraine's Uzhhorod
Ukrainian and Slovak prime ministers Denys Shmyhal and Robert Fico began their meeting near the western Ukrainian border city of Uzhhorod on Oct. 7.
The two heads of government will discuss cooperation in energy security and infrastructure projects.
The meeting comes shortly after Fico's comments that as long as he is the prime minister, he will block Kyiv's entry into NATO.
"This is something that I have openly told Prime Minister Shmyhal, the Americans, and everyone else. As long as I am head of the Slovak government, I will direct the lawmakers under my control as chairman of the (ruling Smer) party never to agree to Ukraine joining NATO," Fico told Slovak media.
Ukraine applied for membership in September 2022 in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion but has yet to receive an invitation. The step would require a unanimous agreement of all the 32 members.
"It would only create a basis for World War III. Because ... once Ukraine is a NATO member and a conflict similar to the current one breaks out, it will count as an attack on a NATO member, and some extremely dangerous mechanisms can be triggered," Fico said, reiterating his previously voiced positions.
Since returning to office in October 2023 after winning the Slovak parliamentary elections on a populist platform, Fico has sharply criticized military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. This represented a sharp shift away from the previous government's policy, which supplied Kyiv with extensive arms supplies, including Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets.
In turn, the Slovak prime minister spoke in support of Ukraine's EU membership and largely avoided breaking Western consensus in major decisions on support for Ukraine.
Last week, Fico also said he would visit Moscow next year for the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War II. While the Slovak prime minister claimed the visit would not be connected to Russia's war, the Kremlin uses the annual victory celebrations for propaganda purposes and to showcase its military might.
"Next year will be the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Who will stop me from going to a peace rally in Moscow?” he asked.
"Why shouldn't I go? What does it have to do with the present?"
Fico previously met Shmyhal in Uzhhorod in January, during which both leaders signed a joint statement on bilateral relations.
Investigation to be conducted in 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade following reports of battalion commander’s suicide
The 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade announced that the circumstances surrounding the death of the commander of the 186th Separate Battalion, Ihor Hryb, will be clarified during an official investigation. This is according to the brigade's statement on Facebook, reported by Ukrinform.
"The circumstances of Ihor Hryb's death are currently being investigated, and a internal investigation is underway," the statement reads.
Zelensky on AFU' withdrawal from Vuhledar: Main thing to save lives of soldiers
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Vuhledar the right thing to do, as it made it possible to save the lives of the soldiers. The Head of State said this during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
The Head of State said this during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Without appropriate weapons, we cannot stop the Russian Federation. When they are destroying the positions of our soldiers, we must protect their lives, because they are more important than any buildings. They are our people, they are citizens of Ukraine. Therefore, it is right that they withdraw and can save themselves. For the sake of the state, for the sake of their heroic service. These are absolutely the right steps,” Zelensky said when asked about the reasons for leaving Vuhledar.
The President once again called on international partners to provide Ukraine with “the opportunity to stop Russia with this or that weapon, to give permission, to provide the appropriate systems.”
He also said that there is currently a lag in the supply of weapons.
“Ukraine needs to strengthen its position on the frontline so that we can increase pressure on Russia for the sake of real, fair diplomacy. Therefore, we need a sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, including long-range weapons, which, in my opinion, our partners are already delaying,” the President said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the high command has authorized the withdrawal of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Vuhledar in order to save personnel and military equipment and take up a position for further actions.
Ukraine's intelligence says it manages Spetstechnoexport arms import company to support its own activities
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in response to the Ukrainska Pravda investigation, has said that it operates Spetstechnoexport to provide its own activities with imported military goods and does not conduct any commercial activities [Spetstechnoexport is a Ukrainian state-owned company whose main activity is export-import relations in the global arms market – ed.].
Source: a response by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence to the inquiry
Quote: "Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, within the framework of the functions defined by Ukrainian legislation and the execution of combat orders, is actively engaged in countering the aggressor. For this purpose, we use all available and expedient methods of work and struggle.
Since 24 February 2022, the rapid and unimpeded supply of imported military products has become critically important for our work.
It is for these reasons that the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, as an emergency measure, transferred Spetsstechnoexport to Defence Intelligence of Ukraine."
Details: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stressed that it dids not conduct any commercial activities and "performed the function of managing Spetstechnoexport solely to provide its own activities with the necessary imported military products".
Background: Ukrainska Pravda journalists found out that Spetstechnoexport, which has been under the management of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence since 2022, entered into contracts for the purchase of weapons at inflated prices, did not always fulfil billion-hryvnia contracts, and has accumulated more than 800 million hryvnias (US$19.3 million) in debt to the state – this is the amount officially recognised by the courts alone.
Macron against "double standards" regarding war in Ukraine and Middle East
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the international community to avoid using double standards in analysing global conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.
As reported by AFP, Macron called the French-speaking world a place "where we can have a diplomacy together that defends sovereignty and territorial integrity everywhere across the planet."
"It is a place that is speaking the same language on Ukraine, which is being attacked today, threatened in its borders and in its territorial integrity by the Russian war of aggression. [...] But it also defends a vision where there is no room for double standards, where all lives are equal for all conflicts throughout the world," he added in a speech at the 19th Francophonie Summit near Paris.
The French president went on to speak of Lebanon, a former colony of France which was "shaken in its sovereignty and peace" by the escalating conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group.
"There can be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution," he added, referring to the existence of an independent Palestine and Israel with security guarantees for the latter.
It is worth noting that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda previously stated that the EU and the United States have double standards when it comes to aiding Israel and Ukraine.
This refers to Kyiv's request for NATO’s assistance in shooting down Russian missiles and drones, in the same way that occurred during Iran's attacks on Israel.
Putin kämpft auf allen Fronten, sogar in den USA will er die Wähler beeinflussen, wie hier mit seiner sogenannten 5.Kolonne die sich ja mal wieder letzte Woche zu einer Friedensdemo traf unter der Führung von Sahra Putinowa und ihren Mann Lafontonow. Eigentlich völliger Blödsinn, denn ich kenne niemanden der für Krieg ist, aber bei diesen Demos wird seltsamer Weise ein Angriffskrieg Russland verteidigt und die Ukraine zu Aufgabe aufgerufen. Wer sich dagegen stellt, wie z.B. ein SPDler Stegner, wird niedergebrüllt, da machten die Schergen Putins in der Menge klasse Arbeit.
Was noch? Putins Soldaten werden immer knapper, warum sonst kann man es sich erklären, dass die Kopfprämie auf nun 28 000 Euro für einen Vertragsabschluss gestiegen ist. (ab Minute 8 im Video) Ob diese überhaupt ausbezahlt wird ist eine andere Frage, jedenfalls gibt es schon massenhaft Beschwerden wegen der nicht Einhaltung von Zahlungen. Dem Zar wird doch nicht das Geld ausgehen? Ich denke sehr bald. Es sind ja nicht nur die Menschen die er sinnlos opfert, es sind Milliarden an Dollars die als Schrott in der Ukraine rumstehen und die über Staatsanleihen erstmal finanziert wurden und für die Zinsen bezahlt werden müssen.
Die Ukraine braucht dringend Zehntausende neue Rekruten. Doch weil die fehlen, müssen die Soldaten an der Front oft jahrelang fast pausenlos kämpfen. Manche fürchten den Zusammenbruch - andere verstecken sich oder fliehen. Von Rebecca Barth.
'Fights ongoing at every building entrance' as Russia enters eastern Toretsk, military says
The situation in Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast is very unstable as Ukraine is fighting Russian forces in the eastern outskirts of the front-line town, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk said on Oct. 7.
"The fighting is taking place within Toretsk itself. The situation is unstable; fights are ongoing literally at every entrance," spokesperson Anastasia Bobovnikova said on air on national television.
Moscow has focused its efforts against Toretsk over the past month as part of its grinding offensive in Donbas. The situation grows increasingly difficult in Ukraine's east as Russia captured the town of Vuhledar and closes in on Pokrovsk.
Bobovnikova said it is difficult to assess which parts of the town are under Russian control but confirmed that Moscow's troops had entered the eastern outskirts, advancing along Tsentralna (Central) Street in the direction of the Tsentralna Mine.
"But the situation is constantly changing. Sometimes, we destroy their fire positions; sometimes, they destroy ours. But we are constantly regrouping and trying to regain what Russia captures," the spokesperson added.
Russian forces launched 11 attacks against Toretsk and nearby settlements on Oct. 7, according to Ukraine's General Staff. Twelve more ground assaults were launched overnight on Oct. 8.
The crowdsourced monitoring website DeepState indicates that settlements on the eastern outskirts of Toretsk – Pivnichne, Zalizne, Druzhba, and Pivdenne – are fully or almost completely in Russian hands.
According to the monitoring group, Russian forces have been advancing along Tsentralna Street since late September and have reached the town's center as of Oct. 7.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Toretsk, which was home to over 30,000 people before the full-scale war, has been heavily battered by Russian attacks, forcing its residents to leave with only some 1,600 people remaining in the area as of mid-September.
The situation near Toretsk has been difficult for months, as the military reported clashes on the town's outskirts already back in August.
Harris says she will not meet Putin for truce talks without Ukraine's participation
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said in an interview aired on Oct. 7 that if she is elected, she would refuse to engage in peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin without Ukraine’s involvement.
"Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine," Harris told CBS's "60 Minutes" when asked if she would consider negotiating one-on-one with Putin to end the war.
The Biden administration has similarly ruled out discussions with Putin, and Harris criticized former President Donald Trump’s approach to the Ukraine crisis, calling his policies a surrender to Russia’s invasion.
"Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. He talks about, 'Oh, he can end it on day one.' You know what that is? It's about surrender," she added.
Harris also commented on Ukraine's potential NATO membership, saying she would address the issue "if and when it arrives at that point."
"Right now, we are supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked aggression," she said. "There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like."
SARASOTA
: Es gibt kaum russische Fahnenflüchtige,
dafür sorgen sogenannte Sperrtruppen wie ASOV von Kadyrow, die sorgen dafür das keiner abhaut oder sich zurück zieht, falls doch kann das tödlich enden. Die sind sich zu fein oder zu feige selbst zu kämpfen, stehlen aber Spendengelder die an die Brigade geht.
Na ja, die Expertise dieser Expertin beruhen auf westliche Informationsquellen, demnach fehlt es den Russen weder an Menschen noch an Geld. Widerspricht etwas eurer Ukrainischen Propaganda, dennoch braucht man einen derart inhaltsreichen Beitrag und dazu noch von einer seriösen Quelle nicht gleich löschen lassen, wahrscheinlich wieder mal unter fadenscheinigen Gründen.
kukki
: Russische Regionen locken Rekruten mit Rekord-Sold
In mehreren russischen Regionen haben die Behörden die Bezahlung für den Armeedienst in der Ukraine erhöht. In der rohstoffreichen sibirischen Region Chanty-Mansijsk bekommen Freiwillige die Rekordsumme von jährlich 5,27 Millionen Rubel (rund 50.000 Euro), wenn sie sich bereit erklären, in der Ukraine zu kämpfen, wie die Behörden dort mitteilen. Die Summe entspricht dem fünffachen durchschnittlichen Jahresgehalt in Russland. Zudem werde eine Einstiegsprämie von 2,7 Millionen Rubel gezahlt. Auch die an der Grenze zur Ukraine liegende Region Belgorod gab bekannt, sie erhöhe die Einstiegsprämie um mehr als das Dreifache, von 800.000 auf drei Millionen Rubel. Voraussetzung sei, dass sich Rekruten vor dem 1. Januar melden." https://www.n-tv.de/politik/...-mit-Rekord-Sold--article23143824.html
Offiziell geht es der russischen Wirtschaft hervorragend, doch Fachleute verweisen auf massive Wohlstandsverluste und hohe Risiken für den Staatshaushalt. Personal und Material begrenzten weitere Offensiven, doch die Meinungen sind höchst geteilt.
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