Russian President Vladimir Putin might be on the verge of unleashing his fearsome Burevestnik nuclear missile—a weapon with an ominous reputation, often dubbed the “flying Chernobyl” by experts.
The missile, powered by nuclear energy and boasting an allegedly unlimited range, has the capability to remain airborne for weeks, making it a highly unsettling prospect for the international community.
Despite a track record of 13 previous failed tests, recent satellite imagery and aviation data have raised concerns about Putin’s intentions.
The indicators strongly suggest that the Russian leader, who is set to celebrate his 71st birthday this Saturday, might be preparing to launch this doomsday device.
Activities observed near a remote base in Novaya Zemlya, located in Russia’s Arctic region, align with past preparations preceding missile tests, according to reports from The New York Times.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES…
KEY EVENTS
No plans for new mobilisation, says Russia
The Russian Defence Ministry has clarified that there are no plans for additional mobilisations related to the conflict in Ukraine. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, quoted by Ria Novosti, explained this today, stating, “The Defence Ministry has no plans for further mobilisation. The armed forces have a sufficient number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation.”
“Since the beginning of the year, more than 335,000 people have enlisted in military service through contracts and voluntary units. In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens have signed contracts,” Shoigu said during a meeting with military officials.
Poland and Ukraine agree on new exports deal
Warsaw and Kyiv have announced that they have agreed to expedite the transit of Ukrainian cereal exports through Poland to third countries. “Starting tomorrow, cereals transiting to global markets through Lithuania will undergo checks at a Lithuanian port and not at the border between Poland and Ukraine,” said Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus, describing the agreement as a “significant development,” to reporters.
Russia accuses Ukraine of ‘terrorism’
Russian authorities have accused Ukrainian military officials of “terrorism” for the attacks launched against Russian territory since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. Among the accused, according to the Russian investigative committee, are the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kiril Budanov, the commander of the air force Nikolai Oleshchuk, the navy commander Alexei Neizhpapa, and the commander of the drone regiment, Sergei Burdeniuk. On Telegram, the organisation announced that it “continues to investigate cases related to terrorist attacks using unmanned aerial devices against civilian infrastructure in the territory of Russia,” stressing that the investigations have already yielded “sufficient evidence” regarding the role of the accused in “more than a hundred attacks” between April 2022 and September 2023.
Zelensky: ‘EU accession talks could begin in 2023’
In his evening address on Monday, Zelensky stressed that “the key goal for integration is to make a decision this year to initiate negotiations”.
Zelensky thanks Italy for its solidarity
“I thank Italy for its solidarity with Ukraine!”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram after meeting with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday. During the meeting, he reported discussing “the situation on the battlefield, the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula, the global peace summit, our path towards the EU and NATO.” Zelensky also said: “We also talked about support for defence. It is crucial to strengthen air defence to protect Ukrainian civilians and grain infrastructure.” Italy is reportedly working on the eighth package of military aid to Kyiv.
Ukraine regains more Russian-occupied territories
Ukrainian forces have reclaimed the positions previously lost in a trench system to the southwest of Robotyne, in the Zaporizhzhia region. This news comes from the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which also added that Kyiv’s troops “have made marginal advances in the border area between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts during ongoing counteroffensive operations,” as well as near Bakhmut. “Geolocated footage published on October 2 indicates that Ukrainian forces have made slight progress northwest of Novomayorske (18 km southeast of Veylka Novosilka, in Donetsk).” In its latest update, ISW stated that it is “revising its assessment from October 1st, which reported that Ukrainian forces had lost positions in a trench system southwest of Robotyne (13 km south of Orikhiv) due to Russian counterattacks between September 13 and 30. Geolocated footage from October 2 and satellite imagery suggest that Ukrainian forces likely regained these positions between September 12 and 17 and currently maintain control over them.”
MoD update
Latest Ministry of Defence update on Ukraine:
Ukraine shot down 29 Russian drones overnight
Ukrainian air defence systems successfully shot down a Russian cruise missile and 29 out of 31 drones launched by Moscow’s troops overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force and Vitaliy Kim, the head of the military administration in Mykolaiv Oblast, announced on Telegram. Ukrainian media outlets have also confirmed this incident.
Russian raids in the Dnipropetrovsk region
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk overnight. Thirteen drones and a cruise missile were shot down, but the raids hit the city of Pavlograd. This was announced on Telegram by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional council, Nikolai Lukashuk. He added that artillery strikes also caused damage in the Nikopol district. “Our air force shot down an enemy missile and 13 drones. Unfortunately, there have been impacts on the premises in Pavlograd. Two production buildings were damaged. In Dnipro, two fires broke out due to falling debris, one in a private enterprise, the other in a garage,” the official wrote. “During the night, the enemy shelled the community of Myrivsk in the Nikopol district with artillery. As a result, two private houses and an outbuilding were damaged,” he added, stressing that there were no casualties in the attacks.
Moscow reports Ukrainian cluster bomb attack on Briansk region
Russia has reported a Ukrainian attack using cluster bombs in the border region of Briansk. In a post on Telegram, Governor Alexander Bogomaz accused the “Ukrainian Armed Forces of firing cluster munitions at the village of Klimovo. According to preliminary information, there have been no casualties, but several residential buildings have been damaged”. The governor also revealed that Russian air defence shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Trubchevsky district in the same region overnight, with no reported casualties or damages.
UK ‘runs out of arms’ to donate to Kyiv urging others to step up
A high-ranking military source has sounded the alarm, declaring that Britain has completely depleted its arsenal of defence equipment available for donation to Ukraine.
Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace’s impassioned plea for an additional £2.3 billion in aid to Ukraine before his resignation highlighted the critical situation.
The source stressed that the UK, once a significant contributor to Ukraine’s military, has now been overtaken by Germany. They underscored the necessity for a substantial 50 percent increase in the UK’s financial commitments.
They told The Telegraph: “Giving billions more doesn’t mean giving billions of British kit.”
They stressed that the UK should be “encouraging other nations to give more money and weapons”.
They added: “We’ve given away just about as much as we can afford.
“We will continue to source equipment to provide for Ukraine, but what they need now is things like air defence assets and artillery ammunition and we’ve run dry on all that.”
The warning comes after the removal of Ukraine’s support from a crucial US budget bill, coupled with the rise of pro-Russian parties in Slovakia and disputes between Poland and Kyiv over vital supplies.
Good morning
Good morning from Italy. I’m Alessandra Scotto di Santolo, I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: [email protected]
X: @AleScotto
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Source: Read Full Article