Ukraine-Russia struggle information: Putin’s forces pushed again within the south as Moscow launches kamikaze drone assault

Ukraine mentioned on Monday its troops had regained extra territory on the japanese entrance and have been advancing additional south of their counteroffensive in opposition to Russian forces.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar mentioned Kyiv’s forces had retaken about 3 sq. km (1.16 sq. miles) of land prior to now week across the japanese metropolis of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian troops in Might after months of heavy preventing.

She additionally reported unspecified “success” within the course of the villages Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka within the southern area of Zaporizhzhia, however gave no particulars.

Ukraine has now taken again about 47 sq. km of territory since beginning its counteroffensive in early June, Maliar wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters was not capable of confirm the experiences. Russia has not confirmed the Ukrainian positive aspects.

Kyiv has retaken quite a few villages and settlements in its three-month-old offensive however its troopers have been hampered by huge Russian minefields and trenches.

Ms Maliar mentioned final week that Ukrainian troops had damaged via the primary line of Russian defences, and Ukraine’s navy expects now to advance extra quickly.

Moscow has continued to hold out air strikes on Ukrainian targets together with port infrastructure, and has reported drone assaults on Russian territory.

A brand new photograph showing to point out Russian Normal Sergei Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since a quick mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in June, was revealed on social media on Monday by a well known Russian media character.

“Normal Sergei Surovikin is out. Alive, wholesome, at dwelling, together with his household, in Moscow. Photograph taken right now,” Ksenia Sobchak wrote in a caption to the image.

Reuters couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the photograph, which confirmed a person in sun shades and a cap strolling alongside a lady resembling Surovikin’s spouse, Anna.

Numerous media retailers reported that Surovikin had fallen out of favour with the Kremlin following the aborted mutiny by Wagner in June, and that he was being investigated for attainable complicity. State information company RIA mentioned final month he had been eliminated as head of the air drive and his deputy Viktor Afzalov had assumed the job on a brief foundation.

Surovikin, who gained the nickname “Normal Armageddon” throughout Russia’s navy intervention in Syria’s civil struggle, was briefly answerable for Moscow’s struggle effort in Ukraine earlier than that function was handed in January to Normal Valery Gerasimov, chief of the overall employees.

Surovikin was broadly seen by Russian struggle commentators as a forceful and succesful determine. The late Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a non-public jet crash final month, was fiercely essential of Russia’s defence institution however spoke extremely of Surovikin, calling him “a person who isn’t afraid of accountability”.

Russia has scrapped its large Zapad navy drills this yr due to the struggle in Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying on Monday.

“No, this yr we’re having workout routines in Ukraine,” state information company RIA quoted Shoigu as saying in reply to a query.

Russia final staged the Zapad (West) drills with its ally Belarus in September 2021, 5 months earlier than its invasion of Ukraine. It mentioned then that 200,000 troops have been participating.

Britain’s defence ministry mentioned in its every day intelligence replace on X, previously Twitter, final week that it believed Russia wouldn’t maintain the workout routines this yr as a result of it didn’t have sufficient troops and gear to stage them whereas preventing the struggle, now in its nineteenth month.

U.S., British and European Union officers are planning to collectively press the United Arab Emirates this week to halt shipments of products to Russia that might assist Moscow in its struggle in opposition to Ukraine, the Wall Road Journal reported on Monday citing U.S. and European officers.

A UAE official, in response to Reuters’ request for remark, mentioned the nation “strictly abides by UN sanctions and has clear and sturdy processes in place to cope with sanctioned entities.”

The UAE “is repeatedly monitoring the export of dual-use merchandise,” which have each civilian and navy functions, underneath its export management authorized framework, the official added.

Officers from Washington and European capitals have been visiting the UAE from Monday as a part of a collective international push to maintain laptop chips, digital parts and different so-called dual-use merchandise out of Russian fingers, the WSJ report mentioned.

The UAE, a member of the OPEC+ oil alliance that features Russia, has maintained good ties with Moscow regardless of Western stress to assist to isolate Russia over the invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022. It has not matched international sanctions imposed on Moscow.

The U.S. State Division declined to remark when requested in regards to the WSJ report.

The UAE official added the UAE remained in shut dialogue with worldwide companions together with the U.S. and European Union in regards to the battle in Ukraine and its implications for the worldwide economic system.

“UAE banks, underneath the supervision of the Central Financial institution and different related authorities, monitor compliance with sanctions imposed on Russia to forestall violations of worldwide regulation,” the UAE official mentioned.

The dismissal of a defence minister who helped to safe billions of kilos in navy support for Ukraine, and solid sturdy relationships with Western officers, displays the challenges President Volodymyr Zelensky faces within the 18th month of Russia’s invasion.

Oleksii Reznikov grew to become well-known in worldwide diplomatic and defence circles, as he lobbied for extra assist for Ukraine and the necessity to type a pathway for his nation’s future membership of Nato.

However it was stress from overseas which finally performed a component in Reznikov’s elimination from his submit. The defence minister grew to become one of many highest-profile casualties in a crackdown demanded by the US and EU, as concern has grown about corruption in Ukraine.

Final week, American officers let or not it’s identified that the US Nationwide Safety Adviser, Jake Sullivan, had met Ukraine’s anti-corruption investigators and urged them to pursue circumstances “regardless of the place they lead”.

Embarrassing headlines in regards to the defence ministry shopping for meals at inflated costs is one factor, writes Kim Sengupta, however tackling allegations of graft is essential to Kyiv’s integration into the EU and placating considerations from Washington:

Russia is discussing holding joint workout routines with North Korea, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying on Monday, at a time when the USA has expressed concern about rising navy ties between the 2 international locations.

“Why not, these are our neighbours. There’s an outdated Russian saying: you don’t select your neighbours and it’s higher to reside together with your neighbours in peace and concord,” Interfax information company quoted Shoigu as saying.

When requested about the potential for joint workout routines between the 2 international locations, he mentioned they have been “after all” being mentioned, it mentioned.

South Korean information company Yonhap earlier cited South Korea’s intelligence company as saying Shoigu had proposed to North Korean chief Kim Jong Un that their international locations maintain a naval train, together with China.

Shoigu met Kim in July when he visited North Korea for the seventieth anniversary of the top of the Korean Warfare, celebrated in North Korea as “Victory Day”.

America mentioned final week it was involved that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea have been advancing actively, and that Shoigu had tried throughout his go to to persuade Pyongyang to promote artillery ammunition to Russia. Washington has warned earlier than that North Korea might present weapons to Moscow to be used in its struggle in Ukraine.

South Korea’s Nationwide Intelligence Service informed the Nationwide Meeting that Shoigu appeared to have held a non-public assembly with Kim throughout his July journey to agree on broad navy enlargement, Yonhap reported.

On Saturday, Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, informed TASS information company that he was not conscious of any plans for North Korea to take part in trilateral navy drills with China and Russia however that in his opinion it will be “acceptable” in mild of U.S.-led workout routines within the area.

Russia and North Korea have just lately known as for nearer navy ties however North Korea has denied having any “arms dealings” with Russia.

America just lately imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms offers between North Korea and Russia.

North Korea has performed six nuclear assessments since 2006 and had been testing varied missiles over latest years nevertheless it hardly ever holds navy workout routines with its neighbours.

America and its ally, South Korea, maintain common navy workout routines, which North Korea denounces as preparations for struggle in opposition to it.

That is the heartwarming second a younger Ukrainian lady, who tragically misplaced each of her legs throughout a Russian shelling, crosses the end line of a half marathon.

The 12-year-old lady, named regionally as Yana Stepanenko from Kramatorsk, took half within the half-marathon in Lviv on Sunday.

Yana and her mom Natalia have been amongst 1000’s trying to flee japanese Ukraine in April 2022, when a Russian missile hit Kramatorsk prepare station,killing almost 60 folks and injuring greater than 100.

Each have been knocked unconscious by the impression of the missile and severely injured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Monday throughout a press convention together with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that Russia’s gasoline pipelines to Turkey are coming underneath fixed assault, and that grain deal corridors shouldn’t be used for navy functions.

President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Monday {that a} Russian proposal to provide African international locations with a million tons of grain through Turkey, with monetary assist from Qatar, was not meant as an alternative choice to the Black Sea grain deal.

The primary a part of talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Erdogan have been “constructive”, the Kremlin’s spokesman mentioned.