Live blog: Russia does not need a nuclear strike on Ukraine - Putin

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Russia has no intention to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country has no intentions to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“We see no need for that,” Putin said at a conference of international foreign policy experts, adding: “There is no point in that, neither political, nor military.”

He repeated Moscow’s claim that Ukraine was plotting to detonate a radioactive “dirty bomb” in a false flag attack blaming Russia.

Kremlin: Russia 'ready to ensure its interests at negotiating table'

Russia is ready to ensure its interests at the negotiating table with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Media reports suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy through Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, inviting him to a dialogue as the war in Ukraine enters its ninth month.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Peskov said: "Our colleague from the African state was willing, said that he would have contacts (with Zelenskyy), and that he would convey Putin's position to the Ukrainian side."

No indication Russian nuclear drills are "cover activity"- Pentagon

The United States has not seen anything to indicate that Russia's ongoing annual "Grom" exercises of its nuclear forces may be a cover for a real deployment, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

"We haven't seen anything to cause us to believe, at this point, that is some kind of cover activity," Austin told reporters. 

Kiev raises budget spending on security, defence by $10.5B

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy increased his country’s budget spending on security and defence by $10.5 billion after signing a law on the amendment of Ukraine’s state budget for 2022.

The increase involves major government institutions, namely the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the Administration of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, the State Security Office, and the Foreign Intelligence Service, according to a statement on the official website of the Ukrainian parliament.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry was allocated the vast majority of the budgetary amendment with $9.9 billion of the $10.5 billion.

Ukraine attacks Russia's hold on southern city of Kherson

Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's hold on the southern city of Kherson while fighting intensified in the country's east. 

The battles came amid reports that Moscow-supported authorities have abandoned the city, joining tens of thousands of residents who fled to other Russia-held areas.

Ukrainian forces were surrounding Kherson from the west and attacking Russia’s foothold on the west bank of the Dnieper River, which divides the region and the country.

Putin: Russia is not enemy of West

Russia has not considered and does not consider itself an enemy of the West, Putin said.

Speaking at a meeting of the International Discussion Club Valdai in Moscow, Putin said the recent global events led to the cardinal shifts in the international arena and the West will have to start an equal conversation about a common future in world affairs, adding: "The sooner, the better."

To preserve its dominance, the West is pursuing a "bloody and dirty" policy, denying the sovereignty of countries and peoples, he continued.

Putin: Ukraine facing heavy losses in conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that hardline Ukrainian nationalists were willing to "fight until the last Ukrainian" in the conflict with Russia. 

Putin said Ukraine had suffered heavy losses in the eight-month conflict and criticised Ukrainian "hardline patriots" and "banderites," a tag Russian officials and commentators often use to describe Ukrainian fighters. 

Putin: Western claims Russia behind Nord Stream explosions are 'crazy'

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western claims that Russia was behind explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines "crazy" in a speech.

Danish police have said powerful explosions caused ruptures to the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 undersea pipelines, potentially putting them permanently out of use.

UK PM Sunak, Germany's Scholz agree to maintain sanctions pressure on Russia

Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have agreed on the need to continue to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Sunak's office said.

"The Prime Minister and the Chancellor agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and maintaining pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin through robust sanctions," Sunak's Downing Street office said after a call between the two leaders. 

Russia hits power grid in central regions of Ukraine overnight

Russian forces struck the power grid in central regions of Ukraine overnight and further electricity supply restrictions are possible, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

"Equipment at the major network of the Ukrainian energy system in the central regions was damaged," it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has stepped up its strikes on crucial Ukrainian infrastructure including the power grid in recent weeks, leaving millions without electricity or heating for lengthy periods of time as winter approaches. 

Ukraine thanks power workers as drone attacks strain grid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly thanked the country’s power workers for maintaining the electricity supply as Russia continues to target energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.

“I thank all the workers in the energy sector: our rescuers, repair crews, officials from local government, and private companies who work diligently to maintain our energy system despite all the threats,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

Authorities have ordered rolling blackouts in many parts of the country and urged households to limit consumption as electricity infrastructure is targeted by Russian attack drones.

Large-scale air raid alerts sound across most regions of Ukraine

Air raid alerts have been activated across eastern, northern and southern Ukraine, including the country’s capital Kiev, due to possible Russian airstrikes, local media reports said.

On Telegram, officials from various regions of the country said there is a strong possibility of airstrikes, urging civilians to take shelter.

No warnings were reportedly made in the Crimea region, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Russia says West's commercial satellites could be targets

A senior Russian foreign ministry official said that commercial satellites from the United States and its allies could become legitimate targets for Russia if they were involved in the Ukraine conflict.

"Quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike," Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy director of the foreign ministry's department for non-proliferation and arms control, was quoted as saying by TASS.

"We are talking about the involvement of components of civilian space infrastructure, including commercial, by the United States and its allies in armed conflicts," Vorontsov was quoted as saying at the United Nations.

Ukraine boosts forces near Belarus in case of attack - General Staff

Ukraine has boosted its forces in the northern region near Belarus to counter any possible renewed Russian attack across the border, Ukraine's General Staff said.

"At the current time the creation of a strike force (in Belarus) is not observable. (But) there are and will be threats. We are reacting, we have already increased our troops in the northern direction," Oleksii Hromov, deputy head of the General Staff's Main Operations Directorate, told a regular briefing.

Belarus is Russia's main ally in the conflict and has allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a springboard to attack Ukraine. 

Australia expects 'a protracted conflict' in Ukraine

Australia has said it will deploy 70 soldiers to Britain to help train Ukrainian troops there and ship 30 more armoured vehicles to bolster Kiev's fight against Russia.

"We expect this now to be a protracted conflict," Defence Minister Richard Marles told ABC television. The latest package takes Australia's support for Ukraine to about $425 million since the conflict began in February.

"We're mindful that Ukraine needs to now be supported over the longer term if we're going to put Ukraine in a position where it can resolve this conflict on its own terms," he said.

Biden, Herzog discuss Iran's alleged involvement in Ukraine 

US President Joe Biden and Israel's President Isaac Herzog discussed the growing threat to Ukraine from Russia's alleged Iranian-supplied armed drones, as Israel comes under pressure to help Kiev.

Herzog's trip to Washington underlined Israeli concern at the growing role of Iran in the conflict, with Tehran accused of supplying fleets of deadly drones used by Russia against Ukrainian civilian targets.

Israel has been reluctant to get involved in a US-led alliance helping pro-Western Ukraine to repel Russian aggression. The weapons are "killing innocent Ukrainian citizens," Herzog said.

Zelenskyy reports 'fiercest' fighting near Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his army was fighting ferocious battles with Russian forces in the eastern region of Donetsk.

"The situation on the front line hasn't changed significantly," Zelenskyy said in his address to the nation. 

"The fiercest battles are in the Donetsk region, towards (the cities of) Bakhmut and Avdiyivka."

For live updates from Wednesday (October 26), click here