Ukraine Russia struggle latest: Putin’s Black Sea fleet ‘struggling’ with threats as Biden pledges extra US support

The Ministry of Defence has warned Russians are struggling to cope with threats coming from Ukraine’s southern flank.

“The Naval Aviation component of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has assumed a particularly important role in the Fleet’s operations as it struggles to deal with concurrent threats on the southern flank of the Ukraine war,” the ministry posted on X.

“Russia is attempting to use naval air power to project force over the northwestern Black Sea.”

They added: “Su-24 FENCER and FLANKER variant combat jets conduct maritime strike operations, including at least one recent air strike on the strategically located Snake Island.”

Legal work must be accelerated on the switch of frozen Russian property to Kyiv, Ukrainian overseas minister Dmytro Kuleba has mentioned.

After a gathering of European Union overseas ministers in Kyiv, Mr Kuleba mentioned extra readability on the judicial elements of methods to switch Russian property would profit each the EU and Ukraine.

These property, he mentioned, may assist fund Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts following Russia’s invasion.

The UK’s defence secretary Grant Shapps has steered recent social media posts by Elon Musk mocking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky have been “unhelpful”.

Speaking at a ConservativeHouse fringe occasion in Manchester about posts by the Twitter/X proprietor, Mr Shapps mentioned: “I think it’s unhelpful, to be blunt.”

He declined to criticise Mr Musk immediately, saying it’s a “free world”, and including: “He can tweet or X what he likes. What Ukraine really needs is strong and steady friends who won’t waver.”

Ireland’s overseas minister Micheal Martin has defended the choice to permit Irish troopers to supply rifle coaching to Ukrainian troopers as being a sort of non-lethal support, arguing it’s “humanitarian to defend your people”.

“Overall, by the way, can I say that our contribution relative to others is modest, to be frank, in terms of the training side. And up to now, it’s been primarily in casualty or combat casualty,” he mentioned on RTE’s News at One.

When requested whether or not rifle coaching prolonged past non-lethal support, Mr Martin mentioned there was “a degree of overstatement” in a number of the descriptions of Ireland’s help to Ukraine, including: “It’s humanitarian to defend your people.

“I think there is a basic self-defence issue there that we have to be conscious of in terms of civilians and so forth, the people who have joined the Ukraine defence forces, and I wouldn’t overstate it at all, as some have endeavoured to do.

“In the context of the European [assistance], we do not provide lethal aid, that’s just a reality, that’s the factual position, we don’t.”

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which gives Starlink satellite tv for pc communication companies which can be very important for Ukraine’s defence effort, however his statements have generally angered Kyiv for the reason that full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February final yr.

German exports of army tools to Ukraine grew greater than fourfold up to now this yr, making Kyiv the primary recipient of German arms, the economic system ministry mentioned on Monday.

Ukraine accounted for 3.3 billion euros ($3.48 billion) out of Germany’s whole worth of authorised army exports of 8.76 billion euros within the first 9 months of the yr.

By distinction, for a similar interval final yr, 775 million euros’ price of kit had been authorized for Ukraine.

Germany has repeatedly promised to assist Ukraine for so long as mandatory following the Russian invasion in February 2022, which prompted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to talk of a turning level in Germany’s perspective in direction of defence.

The Kremlin mentioned on Monday it believed a call by U.S. Congress to move a stopgap funding invoice that omitted support for Ukraine was a short lived setback for Kyiv.

Congress handed laws on Saturday which prolonged funding for greater than a month to keep away from a authorities shutdown however didn’t embody any support for Kyiv, regardless of Washington’s standing as Ukraine’s greatest monetary and army backer.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned: “Obviously, this (the U.S. setback) is a temporary phenomenon. America will continue its involvement in this conflict, in fact direct involvement,” mentioned Peskov.

“But we have repeatedly said before that according to our forecasts fatigue from this conflict, fatigue from the completely absurd sponsorship of the Kyiv regime, will grow in various countries, including the United States.

“And this fatigue will lead to the fragmentation of the political establishment and the growth of contradictions.”

US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy throughout a go to to Washington final month that Washington would keep robust assist for Ukraine within the struggle regardless of opposition from some Republican lawmakers.

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is about to take over from his father and change into the subsequent boss of the Wagner group.

Pavel Prigozhin seems to be inheriting the overwhelming majority of his father’s riches – together with the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – in line with {a photograph} posted on social media of what appears to be Prigozhin’s will.

He is now negotiating with the Russian nationwide guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin fight in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War mentioned.

A Russian air strike on a transport workplace in Kherson has injured two cops, it has emerged.

The strike which got here early on Monday morning injured 4, Kherson Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

At least one of many victims is in severe situation, native officers reported.

According to the prosecutors, Russia carried out the attack at 10am most certainly utilizing artillery.

Russian forces focused Kherson and the encompassing oblast 71 occasions over the previous day, killing one particular person and injuring six others, together with two youngsters, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin mentioned.

Grant Shapps mentioned he believed that the United States and Poland would keep their robust assist for Ukraine regardless of home pressures associated to their upcoming elections.

Britain would proceed to again Kyiv no matter what occurred elsewhere because it had since Russia invaded Ukraine final yr, he mentioned.

A weekend U.S. price range deal to avert imminent authorities shutdown didn’t embody support for Ukraine, whereas Poland, which elects a brand new parliament on October 15 has mentioned it could now not comply with new arms deliveries to Kyiv however rebuild its personal shares.

Shapps, who on Sunday introduced Britain was sending 4 Typhoon jets to Poland, mentioned it was comprehensible that any tensions over backing for Ukraine would floor throughout an election however Poland’s assist had been “magnificent” up to now.

“I very much hope and believe that when the elections happen there and things are more settled, a sensible, common sense approach will be taken,” he mentioned at an occasion on the Conservative celebration convention.