Ukraine updates: Russia intensifies assault near Avdiivka

Ukraine has denied as "false" earlier reports by Ukrainian and British firms that its new Black Sea export corridor had been suspended.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said in a social media statement that information regarding the cancellation or unscheduled stoppage of the temporary corridor was "false."

"All available routes established by the Ukrainian Navy are valid and being used by civilian vessels," Kubrakov said. 

He added that the corridor's functioning "takes into account the military situation and weather conditions," which he attributed to the "extremely difficult conditions of Russia's military aggression."

Earlier on Thursday, the Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy and a British security firm said that Kyiv had suspended the use of the corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines.

Ukraine launched a "humanitarian corridor" for ships bound for African and Asian markets in August to try to circumvent a de facto blockade in the Black Sea after Russia quit a deal that had guaranteed Kyiv's seaborne exports during the war.

The White House has said that Russia is executing soldiers who fail to follow orders as its recent offensive in eastern Ukrainegrinds on. 

"We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a briefing. "It's reprehensible."

Kirby did not provide further details about the alleged executions or the source of the US intelligence. 

He said as well that Russia suffered "significant losses" in its offensive near the town of Avdiivka, including at least 125 armored vehicles and "thousands" of casualties.

Various sources told Germany's dpa news agency that Avdiivka is said to be more than halfway surrounded by Russian forces, although information from the front cannot be independently verified.

The situation is intensifying for Ukrainian troops near the contested city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. According to various sources, the Ukrainian-controlled supply corridor has been reduced to 6-8 kilometres.

Avdiivka is more than half surrounded by Russian forces. Of the more than 30,000 residents who once lived in the heavily damaged industrial city, only about 1,000 remain.

According to the Ukrainian army, 15 Russian attacks were repelled near the city in the past day. The Russian army began new offensives north and south of Avdiivka a little over two weeks ago.

The front line with Moscow-backed separatists has been near Avdiivka since 2014. The Russian-controlled regional capital, Donetsk, is just a few kilometers to the south.

The US has announced a fresh tranche of aid to Ukraine in air-defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons and other equipment, worth $150 million (€142 million).

The new package, announced by the Pentagon, is "another visible signal of the United States' continued commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression."

The package is the 49th tranche of equipment that the United States has provided to Ukraine from the Department of Defense inventories since August 2021, the Pentagon said.

It is disbursed from previously authorized assistance for Ukraine during prior fiscal years, which were revalued last June. 

Germany has arrested a businessman for allegedly selling sanctioned components to Russia that are used in military gear, including drones currently deployed by Moscow's troops in Ukraine, prosecutors said.

The suspect from the central city of Kassel, who was not named, has been accused of exporting various electronic components, model aircraft engines and other goods to Russia in 2022 and 2023.

The goods were delivered to Saint Petersburg via an intermediary company in Hong Kong in a bid to dodge EU sanctions, prosecutors in Frankfurt said in a statement.

They are common components of the "Orlan 10" drone, the prosecutors said, noting that such drones "are used by the Russian armed forces... as part of the war of aggression against Ukraine."

The suspect is also accused of illegally exporting two vehicles to Russia via Hong Kong, also in violation of EU sanctions. The total value of the goods was estimated at two million euros ($2.1 billion).

Several suspects have been arrested in Germany this year for selling military components to Russia, amid nagging fears that Russia's arms manufacturers have exploited loopholes to circumvent the sanctions.

Russian lawmakers backed a 68% increase in defense spending to fund Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in a first reading of the bill.

Overall government spending will rise more than 20% next year to 36.66 trillion rubles ($391 billion, €370 billion), according to the budget proposals.

Defense spending will account for almost a third of all outlays in 2024: up 68 percent to 10.8 trillion rubles ($115 billion). At more than 6% of the country's GDP, military spending will hit its highest share of the economy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Before the vote on Thursday, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told lawmakers the proposed budget was "aimed at today's main task — ensuring our victory."

Moscow has already spent tens of billions of dollars on ammunition, missiles, tanks, drones, equipment and soldiers' salaries since it sent hundreds of thousands of troops into Ukraine last February.

Ukraine has suspended the use of its new Black Sea grain export corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines, the Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy and a British security firm said.

Barva Invest, which specializes in Ukraine's agriculture sector, said a de facto suspension had already been in place for two days at the behest of Kyiv's military which had cited a threat from increased Russian air force activity in the area.

"We would like to inform you of a temporary suspension of vessel traffic to and from [the ports]. The current ban is in force on October 26, but it is possible that it will be extended," the consultancy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Meanwhile, British maritime security company Ambrey said in a report that the Ukrainian Seaport Authority issued a communique late on Wednesday, noting "there would be no vessel movement along the corridor for entry and exit on 26th of October, 2023."

The suspension was prompted by Russian Air Force operations in the region, it said. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the matter.

Ukraine launched a "humanitarian corridor" for ships bound for African and Asian markets in August to try to circumvent a de facto blockade in the Black Sea after Russia quit a deal that had guaranteed Kyiv's seaborne exports during the war.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that he was "proud" of his contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in China this month.

"We would like to do everything to have peace. Therefore we keep open all the communication lines to the Russians, otherwise there will be no chance for peace. This is a strategy, we are proud of it," Orban told reporters on arriving to a summit of the EU's 27 national leaders in Brussels.

Orban drew criticism for his talks with Putin, which had been organized with great pomp. This had been Putin's first face-to-face meeting with an EU head of government this year. 

Despite Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Hungary is the only EU country that has not reduced its gas purchases from Russia.

Russia said that it planned to build close ties with North Korea in all areas, a day after South Korea, Japan and the United States condemned what they said were weapons supplies from Pyongyang to Moscow.

Asked about the accusation by the three countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There are many such reports, they are all groundless as a rule, there are no specifics. Such reports have been around for a long time. We see no point in commenting on this."

He added: "North Korea is our neighbour and we continue and will continue to develop close relations in all areas." Pressed on whether weapons deliveries had taken place, Peskov said: "We don't comment on this in any way."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Russia in September at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian help for the secretive state's satellite programme.

Slovakia's new populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his government was stopping military aid to Ukraine.

Fico told MPs that the country would "no longer supply weapons to Ukraine," repeating promises made during his election campaign, but would still supply humanitarian aid to its war-torn neighbor.

 "I will support zero military aid to Ukraine... An immediate halt to military operations is the best solution we have for Ukraine. The EU should change from an arms supplier to a peacemaker," Fico added. He also expressed opposition to sanctions against Russia.

Slovakia's new government led by Fico took office on Wednesday, after his left-wing nationalist SMER-SSD party won the September 30 parliamentary elections.

Fico previously held the post of prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2018.

Ukrainian grain shipments through a new Black Sea export corridor are expected to exceed one million metric tons in October, first deputy agriculture minister Taras Vysotskiy said.

"The situation is getting better and if you look at September and the first half of October, there is already 700,000 tons of (grain exports) and by the month (October) it may be one million and more," he told the national television.

Ukraine launched a "humanitarian corridor" for ships bound for African and Asian markets to try to circumvent an effective blockade after Russia abandoned a deal this summer that had guaranteed Kyiv's exports during the war.

Ukrainian authorities have said a total of 1.5 million tons of agricultural products were exported via the new route since it started operating in late August. Ukrainian shipping sources said more than 40 cargo vessels have entered the corridor so far.

Ukrainian agricultural producers this week said the new route could enable exports of up to 2.5 million tons of food a month, significantly offsetting the impact of Russia's decision to quit the previous deal.

South Korea, Japan and the United States strongly condemned the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia and said they had confirmed "several" deliveries of such weapons.

"The Republic of Korea, United States, and Japan strongly condemn the provision of military equipment and munitions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation for use against the government and people of Ukraine," they said. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name.

"Such weapons deliveries, several of which we now confirm have been completed, will significantly increase the human toll of Russia’s war of aggression," the statement issued jointly by the foreign ministers of the three countries said.

North Korea and Russia pledged closer military cooperation when their leaders met in September in Russia's far east. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month and discussed implementing the agreements made at the summit.

European Union leaders are meeting on Thursday to to discuss the Israel-Hamas war  — while also aiming to highlight the bloc's ongoing support for Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to address the summit by videolink and support for Kyiv will have first place in the summit declaration.

"Our meeting comes at a time of great global instability and insecurity, exacerbated most recently by developments in the Middle East," said Charles Michel, president of the European Council of EU leaders, in an invitation letter to the summit.

"These developments require our immediate attention, without distracting us from our continued support to Ukraine."

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian drone strike in the Khmelnytskyi region was "most likely" targeting a nuclear plant in the area.

"This attack on the nuclear power plant is another reminder to all our partners of the importance of strengthening Ukraine's air defenses," he said in his evening video address on Wednesday.

Zelenskyy added that every Russian strike, "especially those daring enough to target nuclear power stations and other critical facilities, serves as an argument that pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient."

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said the windows of the nuclear power plant were shattered by the shock wave from the explosions near the facility. Some 20 plant workers were also injured.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the damage to the nuclear power plant.

"The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate," IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said.

dh,zc,rc/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)