Russia-Ukraine news – live: Putin ‘may pin blame for losses on new commander’

Vladimir Putin may try to pin the blame for future Russian losses in eastern Ukraine on a recently appointed commander, observers said.

Russian media reported that Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov had been appointed to head a Russian military division operating in Kharkiv Oblast, where Mr Putin’s forces had lost almost all of their territory to a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched at the start of September.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Mr Putin may have made the appointment in order to have a scapegoat for future losses in the region.

He may also be trying to redirect mounting criticism for the Russian loss of land in Kharkiv and the strategically significant Donetsk city of Lyman, the ISW said, adding that the fury has loosened the Kremlin’s hold on information in Russian nationalist circles.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out holding talks with Vladimir Putin and has signed a decree, declaring any talks between Kyiv and the Russian leader “impossible.”

The decree formalised comments made by Mr Zelensky on Friday.

Key Points

• Putin might have just appointed a new scapegoat, observers say

• Ukraine takes back more territory in south and east – officials

• Heavy fighting underway on Ukraine’s frontlines – Zelensky

• Liberated Kharkiv braces for winter of war

• Russia facing challenges in training and deploying mobilised and conscripted troops – MoD

Russian losses evident in liberated Ukrainian city – AP

22:58 , Liam James

An account from recently liberated Lyman here from Associated Press reporters:

The bodies of Russian soldiers were lying in the streets of Lyman on Tuesday following their comrades’ retreat that marked the latest defeat for Moscow even as Russia’s upper house of parliament rubber-stamped the annexation of Ukrainian regions.

Russian troops pulled back from the key eastern city over the weekend to avoid being encircled by Ukrainian forces. The city’s liberation gave Ukraine a key vantage point for pressing its offensive deeper into Russian-held territories.

The Ukrainian military collected the bodies of their comrades after fierce battles for control of Lyman, a key logistics and transport hub, but did not immediately remove those of the Russians.

“We fight for our land, for our children, so that our people can live better, but all this comes at a very high price,” said a Ukrainian soldier who goes by the nom de guerre Rud.

Lyman residents emerged from basements where they had hidden during the battle for control of the city and built bonfires for cooking. The city has had no water, electricity or gas since May.

Ukraine advance on Russia ‘major, rapid’, says Zelensky

22:08 , Liam James

Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s military had made major, rapid advances against Russian forces and freed from occupation dozens of towns in the south and east of the country.

“The Ukrainian army is advancing in quite a rapid and powerful manner in the south of the country within the context of the current defence operation,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address earlier.

“This week alone, since the Russian pseudo-referendum, dozens of population centres have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions all together.”

Zelensky signs decree ruling out negotiations with Putin

21:45 , Liam James

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today signed a decree formally declaring that any talks between Kyiv and President Vladimir Putin were “impossible.”

The decree formalised comments made by Mr Zelensky at the end of last week.

Speaking on Friday, he said: “He [Putin] does not know what dignity and honesty are. Therefore, we are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia.”

Talks between the two leaders were floated in August by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan but were not agreed to by the warring parties.

Russia says it called up more than 200,000 troops for Ukraine war

21:19 , Liam James

Russia has drafted more than 200,000 people to fight in Ukraine less than a fortnight after president Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilisation of recruits (David Harding writes).

Defence minister Sergei Shoigu made the claim while speaking at a consultation with military figures.

“As of today, more than 200,000 people have entered the army,” said Shoigu.

He added that those volunteering to fight should not be turned away without a “serious reason” and that new units were receiving instruction at 80 training ranges and six training centres, according to a defence ministry posting on Telegram.

When Mr Putin announced the partial mobilisation last month – at the same time as advances by Ukraine in the south and east of the country – Shoigu announced that he planned to enlist 300,000 men with previous military experience to bolster Russia’s invasion.

Russia says it called up more than 200,000 troops for Ukraine war

Pentagon ‘can’t corroborate’ reports of Russian nuclear movement

20:50 , Liam James

A senior Pentagon official said she had no information to corroborate reports suggesting Russia might be moving tactical nuclear weapons by rail, and added the US military had not seen anything to change its own nuclear posture.

“I don’t have anything else but the open source reports,” said Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense focusing on Russia and Ukraine. The Pentagon closely monitors Russia’s nuclear forces, a core part of its mission since the Cold War.

Ms Cooper was responding to a report in The Times on Monday that said Russia had moved a train thought to be linked to a unit of the defence ministry that was responsible for nuclear munitions.

The report also said Nato had warned members that Vladimir Putin was set to demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons by carrying out a nuclear test on Ukraine’s border.

Don’t give in to Russian threats, says Estonian PM after Musk tweets

20:26 , Liam James

Estonia’s prime minister said the West must not give in to Russia’s nuclear threats or premature peace proposals, the day after Elon Musk caused a stir with his suggestion for a route to peace in the seven-month war.

Kaja Kallas, who has led the government of one of Russia’s Nato member neighbours since last year, told the Associated Press in an interview that “very dangerous” calls for negotiations and peace in Ukraine have come from “very prominent people” lately.

She did not specify anyone by name, but her comments came a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk floated on Twitter a proposal for ending the war that elicited fierce opposition from Kyiv.

Mr Musk argued that Russia should be allowed to keep the Crimean Peninsula that it seized in 2014. The four regions Russia annexed following Kremlin-orchestrated "referendums" last month should hold repeat votes organised by the United Nations, he said.

US unveils new £500m Ukraine aid package

20:10 , Liam James

The US has pledged an additional $625 million (£545m) in military aid to Ukraine, a package that includes additional advanced rocket systems credited with helping the country’s military gain momentum in its war with Russia.

President Joe Biden provided details on the latest package, which includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) artillery systems ammunition, and armored vehicles, in a call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Vice President Kamala Harris joined the leaders on Tuesday’s call.

The White House said in a statement: “President Biden also affirmed the continued readiness of the United States to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that provides support to Russia’s purported annexation.”

This round of military aid marks the first time the US has sent Himars to Ukraine since late July. The systems – the latest assistance includes four Himars and will bring the total number sent to Ukraine to 20 – have become a key tool in Ukraine‘s ability to strike bridges that Russia has used to supply its troops, enabling Ukrainian forces to make inroads in Russia-controlled regions.

Nuclear power plant chief won’t return after detention

19:52 , Liam James

The head of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine who was recently detained in what Ukraine called a Russian act of terror and released, will not return to that job, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday.

“The IAEA understands that Mr [Ihor] Murashov is now with his family in territory controlled by Ukraine and will not be continuing with his duties at the ZNPP,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.

“It is not yet clear who will replace him in this role.”

Mr Murashov was detained on Saturday as he was being driven to ZNPP. Energoatom, Ukraine’s energy regulator, blamed Russia and said the director’s detention jeopardised “the safety of operation of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant”.

IAEA experts have been present at the ZNPP for weeks after arriving for an inspection as attacks near the highly sensitive site escalated.

Putin may pin blame for Russian losses on new commander

19:30 , Liam James

Vladimir Putin may try to pin the blame for future Russian losses in eastern Ukraine on a recently appointed commader, observers said.

Russian outlet RBK, citing sources within the Russian regime, reported on Monday that Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov had been installed as commander of the Western Military District, which had been operating in Kharkiv Oblast in recent months.

Russian forces have mostly been driven out of Kharkiv by a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched at the start of September. The loss of the key city of Lyman over the weekend has led to widespread criticism of the Russian commander in charge of the operation there, General Alexander Lapin.

The Institute for the Study of War said this criticism has served as a catalyst for wider breakdown within the Russian nationalist information space, so Mr Putin is likely to wish to divert criticism towards a new target in Mr Berdnikov to detract from this dissatisfaction.

Russian court fines Tik Tok over LGBT+ content

19:08 , Liam James

A court in Russia has fined TikTok for failing to delete online LGBT+ material (Eleanor Sly writes).

Moscow’s Tagansky District Court issued a three million ruble (£44,000) penalty to the video sharing platform after it received a complaint from Russian regulators.

According to the case file, state communications regulator Roskomnadzor had complained about a video published on the platform earlier this year on the grounds that it breached Russian laws against promoting “LGBT, radical feminism and a distorted view on traditional sexual relations”.

The Russian government has been increasing efforts to enforce control over internet and social media in the country.

Tik Tok fined by Russian court for failing to delete LGBT+ content

Kremlin scorns ‘Western nuclear rhetoric’

18:53 , Liam James

The Kremlin said it did not want to take part in Western “nuclear rhetoric” after a report that Russia was preparing to demonstrate its willingness to use nuclear weapons in its conflict with Ukraine.

The Times reported on Monday that Nato had warned members that Vladimir Putin was set to demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons by carrying out a nuclear test on Ukraine’s border.

Russia was also reported to have moved a train thought to be linked to a unit of the defence ministry that was responsible for nuclear munitions.

A Nato official today told Reuters the alliance had not observed changes in Russia’s nuclear posture, while a Western diplomat, commenting on the Times report, said the had not warned allies about a nuclear threat from Russia.

When asked about the Times report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not want to take part in what he cast as Western exercises in “nuclear rhetoric”.

“The Western media, Western politicians and heads of state are engaging in a lot of exercises in nuclear rhetoric right now,” Mr Peskov said. “We do not want to take part in this.”

Western speculation over Russia’s nuclear intentions spiked after a speech a fortnight back by Mr Putin in which he threatened to use atomic weapons to defend Russian territory.

Roger Waters claims he’s on Ukraine’s ‘kill list’

18:30 , Liam James

Roger Waters has claimed he’s on Ukraine’s “kill list” in a recent interview (Megan Graye writes).

The Pink Floyd co-founder was discussing his recent statements regarding the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia when he made the remark.

Recently, Waters wrote an open letter to Vladimir Putin and the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, asking them for their commitment to help bring the war to an end.

Now, Waters claims he himself is under threat from Ukraine. “Don’t forget, I’m on a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government,” Waters said in an interview with Rolling Stone.

“I’m on the f***ing list, and they’ve killed people recently... But when they kill you, they write ‘liquidated’ across your picture. Well, I’m one of those f***ing pictures,” he claimed.

Roger Waters claims he’s on Ukraine’s ‘kill list’

Nato sees no change in Russia’s nuclear posture, says official

18:12 , Liam James

Nato has not observed changes in Russia’s nuclear posture but is vigilant, an alliance official told Reuters today, commenting two weeks after Vladimir Putin escalated the war in Ukraine with a mobilisation and warnings of nuclear weapons use.

“We have not seen any changes in Russia’s nuclear posture, but Nato and allies remain vigilant,” the official said.

The official, who declined to be named, added that – as laid out in Nato’s new strategic concept in June – Russia’s expansion of “novel and disruptive dual-capable delivery systems, while employing coercive nuclear signalling” was a challenge to the defence alliance’s security and interests.

UK foreign secretary’s comments on Putin’s nuclear threat

18:01 , Liam James

We reported earlier that UK foreign secretary James Cleverly had warned Vladimir Putin that there would be consequences for using nuclear weapons, as the Russian leader has threatened [16.10].

Here follow Mr Cleverly’s remarks in full. He was asked at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference how Britain would respond to the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia.

He said: “It would inevitably be the case that the use of nuclear weapons by any country anywhere in the world would not go without a response.”

“I’m not going to discuss the nature or the threshold.”

17:49 , Liam James

Maps presented by the Russian defence ministry on Tuesday appeared to show rapid withdrawals of Russian invasion forces from areas in eastern and southern Ukraine where they have been under severe pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The ministry’s daily video briefing made no mention of any pullbacks, but on maps used to show the location of purported Russian strikes, the shaded area designating Russian military control was much smaller than the day before.

In northeast Ukraine, where Russia suffered a rout last month, its forces along a frontline running some 40 miles southward from Kupiansk along the River Oskil appeared to have retreated some 12 miles to the east, as far as the border of Luhansk province.

This would mean they had vacated the last remnants of Ukraine’s Kharkiv province – where Russia for several months maintained an occupation administration – but for a small patch between the town of Dvorichna and the Russian border.

In southern Ukraine’s Kherson province, Russia’s line of control on the right bank of the Dnipro river had shifted 15 miles southward on the map, to a line running westward from the riverside town of Dudchany.

Both areas are battlefields where Ukraine has been reporting advances, albeit without giving full details.

Biden and Zelensky call as new military aid for Ukraine expected

17:30 , Liam James

Joe Biden was holding a phone call this afternoon with Volodymyr Zelensky, a White House official said.

The official did not provide details. The US president is expected to announce Washington’s next security assistance package for Ukraine as soon as today.

The Biden administration’s next security assistance package for Ukraine is expected to include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) launchers, munitions, mines and mine-resistant vehicles, two sources briefed on the $625m (£545m) package told Reuters on Monday.

Ukraine to join Spain-Portugal 2030 World Cup bid

17:10 , Eleanor Sly

Ukraine is set to join Spain and Portugal in a combined bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

A person familiar with the project told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ukraine is being added to the Spain-Portugal bid. The bid, which has been in the works for more than three years, is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made public.

Read more here:

Source: Ukraine to join Spain-Portugal 2030 World Cup bid

India's Modi says ready to contribute to peace efforts in Ukraine

16:40 , Eleanor Sly

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that his country is ready to contribute to peace efforts in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

“He expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts,” the Indian prime minister’s office said in a statement which came following a telephone conversation between Mr Modi and Mr Zelenskiy.

India is articulating its position against the Ukraine war more robustly to counter criticism that it has taken a soft stance on Russia. It is still yet to hold Moscow responsible either for the invasion or to change its policy on importing cheap oil and coal from Russia.

The statement read: The “Prime Minister emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine.”

UK warns Russia over use of nuclear weapons

16:10 , Eleanor Sly

Britain’s foreign minister James Cleverly, said on Tuesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sequence of strategic errors must stop.

He added that the use of nuclear weapons would lead to consequences.

15:45 , Eleanor Sly

Finance minister for the European Union have agreed to integrate the EU’s support payments to Ukraine into its 202 budget so that they are more structured and predictable, European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said.Speaking to journalists Mr Dombrovskis admitted this year’s EU payments to Ukraine far from regular – something which has worried Kyiv, which needs to regularly pay the salaries public workers and pensions.

The EU agreed to support Ukraine with €9bn (£7.85bn) in May.

However, it only made the first disbursement of €1bn in July. Reuters reports that Mr Dombrovskis said the next tranche of €5bn would be made by mid-October and the remaining €3bn in two instalments in November and December.

Finnish city removes last publicly displayed statue of Lenin

15:20 , Eleanor Sly

A city in southeastern Finland on Tuesday removed the country’s last publicly displayed statue of Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin following pressure from residents in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A group of construction workers in Kotka, a port city of 52,000 not far from the border with Russia, hoisted the statue into a truck and drove it away to a warehouse of a local museum.

City museum director Kirsi Niku told Finnish public broadcaster YLE that the bronze bust was designed and constructed by Estonian sculptor Matti Varik in the late 1970s on orders from Moscow.

Read more here:

Finnish city removes last publicly displayed statue of Lenin

Kremlin dismisses UK media report on Russian nuclear test

14:52 , Eleanor Sly

The Kremlin has said that it did not want to take part in “nuclear rhetoric” spread by the west after a media report that Russia was preparing to demonstrate its willingness to use nuclear weapons in its conflict with Ukraine.

The Times newspaper wrote on Monday that the NATO military alliance had warned members that President Vladimir Putin was set to demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons by carrying out a nuclear test on Ukraine’s border.

The UK newspaper also said Russia had moved a train thought to be linked to a unit of the defence ministry that was responsible for nuclear munitions.

When asked about the Times report, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said Russia did not want to take part in what he cast as western exercises in “nuclear rhetoric”.

“The western media, western politicians and heads of state are engaging in a lot of exercises in nuclear rhetoric right now,” Mr Peskov said. “We do not want to take part in this.”

UK to extend the deployment of an air defence system in Poland

14:20 , Eleanor Sly

The UK intends to extend the deployment of an air defence system in Poland, British defence minister Ben Wallace has revealed.

During his visit to the southern Polish city of Zamosc, Mr Wallace told reporters:

“I am pleased to announce that we will extend the current posting of our medium air defence... for another period to make sure that as Poland helps continue that logistical support to Ukraine it is safe in doing so.”

Frustration with Ukraine war spills out on Russian state TV

13:50 , Eleanor Sly

Russia’s retreat from a key Ukrainian city over the weekend elicited outcry from an unlikely crowd – state-run media outlets that typically cast Moscow’s war in glowing terms.

A series of embarrassing military losses in recent weeks has presented a growing challenge for prominent hosts of Russian news and political talk shows scrambling to find ways to paint Ukraine‘s gains in a way that is still favorable to the Kremlin.

Frustration with the battlefield setbacks has long been expressed in social media blogs run by nationalist pundits and pro-Kremlin analysts. But it now appears to be spilling out on state TV broadcasts and the pages of government-backed newspapers.

Read more:

Frustration with Ukraine war spills out on Russian state TV

What's Putin thinking? Tough to know for nuclear analysts

13:35 , Eleanor Sly

Will President Vladimir Putin pull the nuclear trigger?

For Kremlin watchers trying to figure out whether the Russian leader’s nuclear threats are just bluffs, there is no more pressing -- or tough -- question.

For now, analysts cautiously suggest that the risk of Putin using the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal still seems low. The CIA says it hasn’t seen signs of an imminent Russian nuclear attack.

Read more here:

What's Putin thinking? Tough to know for nuclear analysts

Russia backs Elon Musk for ‘looking for a peaceful’ solution to Ukraine war

13:00 , Eleanor Sly

The Kremlin has praised Tesla boss Elon Musk for suggesting a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

In a Twitter poll posted on Monday, the Tesla boss suggested Ukraine permanently cede Crimea to Russia, that new referendums be held under UN auspices to determine the fate of Russian-controlled territory, and that Ukraine agree to neutrality.

That drew a furious response from Ukraine, with one diplomat even telling Musk to “f*** off”.

David Harding reports:

Russia backs Elon Musk for ‘looking for a peaceful’ solution to Ukraine war

EU summons Russia's envoy over annexation of Ukrainian territory

12:50 , Eleanor Sly

The European Union summoned Russia’s envoy to the bloc to condemn and reject Moscow’s “illegal annexation” of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, the bloc’s diplomatic service said on Tuesday.

Russia declared the annexations on Friday after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.

The EU said it urged Moscow to reverse its “unlawful act” and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine during Monday’s meeting with Russia’s charge d’affaires, Kirill Logvinov.

“The EU does not, and will never, recognise this illegal annexation by Russia,” the bloc said in a statement. “These decisions by Russia are null and void and cannot produce any legal effect whatsoever.”

Reuters

Video of injured Ukrainian soldier’s heartwarming proposal goes viral

12:18 , Eleanor Sly

A heartwarming video of a disabled Ukranian soldier proposing to his girlfriend has gone viral on social media.

Roman Dobryak proposed to his partner, Julia Matushchak, this summer amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Dobryak sustained an injury to one of his legs from shelling during an attack by Russian troops in May. Sharing an update to Instagram at the time, he said his leg “could not be saved” and was amputated from the knee down.

Read more here:

Video of injured Ukrainian soldier’s heartwarming proposal goes viral

President Zelenskiy signs decree ruling out negotiations with Putin

11:46 , Eleanor Sly

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree formally declaring that any talks between Kyiv and President Vladimir Putin were “impossible.”

The decree formalised comments made by Mr Zelenskiy at the end of last week.

Speaking on Friday, he said said: “He [Putin] does not know what dignity and honesty are. Therefore, we are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia.”

Mr Zelenskiy did however leave the door open to talks with Russia.

Putin expected to sign laws to annex four Ukrainian territories on Tuesday

11:40 , Eleanor Sly

President Vladimir Putin will “likely” sign laws to incorporate four Ukrainian territories into Russia at some point on Tuesday, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Peskov said that its “special military operation” in Ukraine will not end if Kyiv rules out talks, adding that it “takes two sides to negotiate”.

He said: “We will either wait for the current president to change his position or wait for the next president to change his position in the interests of the Ukrainian people.”

Homes for Ukraine proves how broken our housing market really is

11:12 , Eleanor Sly

This month is the sixth since the first Ukrainians were resettled in Britain through the government’s “Homes for Ukraine” scheme.

Many people across the country were keen to help those fleeing violence and generously opened their homes.

I was proud that in Sheffield alone, 500 Ukrainian refugee households were matched with hosts. The scheme has certainly been successful in highlighting the widespread desire in this country to help those escaping a warzone.

Olivia Blake writes:

Opinion: Homes for Ukraine proves how broken our housing market really is

‘Tomas the tank’: Online crowdfunding raises enough to buy Ukraine a modernised T-72 Avenger

10:20 , Eleanor Sly

A crowdfunding campaign in the Czech Republic successfully raised nearly $1.3m to gift a modernised Soviet-era tank called “Tomas” to Ukraine.

Backed by the country’s defence ministry and Ukraine’s embassy in Prague, the campaign received donations from more than 11,288 individuals.

The T-72 avenger tank, which first entered production in 1969, has been modernised to improve protective systems and has upgraded night-vision and communications equipment.

Namita Singh reports:

‘Tomas the tank’: Crowdfunding raises enough to buy Ukraine modern T-72 Avenger

Chechen leader Kadyrov sends three teenage sons, one aged 14, to fight in Ukraine

10:02 , Eleanor Sly

Chechen leader Kadyrov sends three teenage sons, one aged 14, to fight in Ukraine

Chechen leader and key Vladimir Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov has revealed that he has sent his three young sons to fight in Ukraine.

The warlord has been a vocal champion of the conflict in Ukraine, with Chechen forces forming part of the vanguard of the Russian army, and even advocated using nuclear weapons in the war over the weekend.

And now the Chechen forces will be joined on the frontline by his sons Akhmat, 16, Eli, 15, and Adam, 14, reports Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.

Joe Middleton reports:

Chechen leader Kadyrov sends three teenage sons, one aged 14, to fight in Ukraine

Ukraine foreign minister starts Africa tour in Senegal

09:10 , Eleanor Sly

Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba has visited Dakar in Senegal, as he begins a tour of Africa.

The Ukrainian diplomat met with Senegal’s Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall. The pair signed several bilateral co-operation deals.

Mr Kuleba tour comes following a visit to the African continent by Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov in July.

Mr Lavrov’s tour comes ahead of plans to host the second Russia-Africa summit in Ethiopia in 2023.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on African leaders to condemn Russia over its invasion.

Russia's Federation Council ratifies annexation of four Ukrainian regions

08:45 , Eleanor Sly

On Tuesday, the upper house of Russia’s parliament voted to approve the incorporation of four Ukrainian regions into Russia, as Moscow sets about formally annexing territory it sized from Kyiv during its seven-month conflict.

In a session on Tuesday, the Federation Council unanimously ratified legislation to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, following a similar vote in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, yesterday.

The documents now pass back to the Kremlin for President Vladimir Putin’s final signature to complete the process of formally annexing the four regions, representing around 18% of Ukraine’s internationally-recognised territory.

Russia declared the annexations after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.

Reuters

Lawyers overwhelmed by requests to help Russians avoid fighting in Ukraine

08:25 , Eleanor Sly

Russian lawyers say that they are working hard to offer advice to those at risk of being sent to fight in Ukraine.

Lawyers and civil society groups say that since President Vladimir Putin announced on 21 September that 300,000 people would be mobilised to boost Russia’s flagging war effort, they have been overwhelmed by demands for support.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia and Finland. Many more are still in Russia and are hiding from military recruiters, praying they won’t be summoned or hoping for exemptions from service.

“We are working round the clock,” said Sergei Krivenko, who runs a group of around 10 lawyers called Citizen. Army. Law.

“People are being torn from their normal lives,” he said. “This is a mobilisation without time limit during a war. It could last months or years. People may not return ... Leaving the army is pretty much impossible. The only way is death, injury or prison for disobeying orders.”

Why has Russia invaded Ukraine and what does Putin want?

08:00 , Eleanor Sly

Russia’s long-feared invasion of Ukraine continues to rage on from Vladimir Putin’s announcement of his “special military operation” against the country in the early hours of 24 February, the Russian leader declaring, groundlessly, a need to “demilitarise and de-Nazify” the neighbouring state after eight years of fighting in the Donbas.

As Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky leads by example from Kyiv, tirelessly rallying the international community for support and refusing to surrender so much as one square inch of territory, his people mount an impressive resistence, holding back Russia’s armed forces and preventing the walkover Mr Putin appeared to have assumed was assured.

Most recently, Ukraine staged a successful offensive assault in the east as part of an effort to win back the southern city of Kherson, gateway to Crimea, which sent Russian troops fleeing, instilled its supporters with fresh belief but revealed evidence of further mass graves at Izium, akin to those already found at Bucha.

Read more from Thomas Kingsley and Joe Sommerlad here:

Why has Russia invaded Ukraine and what does Putin want?

See Volodymyr Zelensky’s tweet to Elon Musk

07:40 , Eleanor Sly

Ukraine’s president and the Tesla tycoon sparred on the social media website:

Dead Russian soldiers include those drafted last week, says Zelensky

07:10 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his forces are finding ill-trained Russian soldiers sent to the front line without any war experience among the dead on the battlefield.

“Among the dead occupiers we can already see those who were taken just a week or two ago. People were not trained for combat, they have no experience to fight in such a war,” he said in his nightly address.

The Russian command, Mr Zelensky said, “just needs some people - any kind - to replace the dead”.

“And when these new ones die, more people will be sent. This is how Russia fights. That’s how it will lose as well,” he added.

Russia facing challenges in training and deploying mobilised and conscripted troops - MoD

07:01 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s delayed conscription cycle is a sign of rising pressure on Moscow to train its newly-drafted soldiers, the British defence ministry said today.

“The conscription cycle will begin on 1 November 2022, a month later than usual. The late start to the cycle is an indication of growing pressures on Russia’s ability to train and equip a large number of new conscripted personnel,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

Vladimir Putin signed an order last week for the routine autumn conscription cycle, under which 120,000 conscripts will be trained.

These conscripts are legally not permitted to be deployed outside of Russia, the ministry said, adding that this is separate from those individuals being mobilised as part of the 21 September 2022 partial mobilisation order.

“The challenges of accommodating, training, equipping and deploying mobilised and conscripted personnel are significant.

Deficiencies within the Russian administrative and logistical systems will continue to undermine these efforts,” the ministry said.

How Elon Musk’s changing Ukraine commentary totally backfired on him

06:34 , Arpan Rai

The response from the war-torn country was quick and hostile when Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk took to Twitter to blithely run a poll among his 107 million followers on his own proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Mr Musk’s suggestions for ending the conflict that has been raging for eight months since Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion was condemned by Ukrainian diplomats and politicians alike.

The spectacular backfire even earned Mr Musk a presidential slapdown from Volodymyr Zelensky, who took to Twitter to ask his 6.6 million followers which version of Mr Musk they preferred, the “One who supports Ukraine” or “One who supports Russia.”

Read the full story here:

How Elon Musk’s changing Ukraine commentary totally backfired on him

Elon Musk, Volodymyr Zelensky spar it out on Twitter over Ukraine war

06:22 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky condemned billionaire Elon Musk’s remarks on the ongoing war in Ukraine on Monday after the Tesla chief called for UN monitored elections in the recently annexed territories of Ukraine by Russia, infuriating Ukrainians.

Mr Zelensky responded with his own Twitter poll and asked social media users to vote on which “Elon Musk did they like more: one who supports Ukraine or one who supports Russia”?

To which Mr Musk said: “I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.”

He had waded into the war which has killed thousands and displaced millions on Monday night by tweeting suggestions asking for Crimea being formally given to Russia and restoring water supply to the annexed territory while Ukraine remains neutral.

The tweets sparked anger among Ukrainians who denounced the billionaire in the comments.

“If someone invaded your house, attacked your family, would you surrender half of it for “peace”? Any “peace” that gives aggressors gains, is no peace. It’s an interlude before more aggression,” wrote one user.

Zelensky fires back at Elon Musk’s ‘Insane’ Twitter poll on Russia Ukraine peace

Anti-war Russian reporter who protested live on TV flees house arrest

05:59 , Arpan Rai

A Russian TV journalist who staged a live on-air protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been put on a wanted list by Moscow after apparently escaping house arrest.

Marina Ovsyannikova made international headlines in March, just weeks after the Ukraine war started by walking out in front of studio cameras during an evening news broadcast on the flagship Channel One with a placard that read, “Stop the war” and “They’re lying to you”.

Read the full story here:

Anti-war Russian reporter who protested live on TV flees house arrest

Liberated Kharkiv braces for winter of war: ‘It is going to be very, very difficult’

05:48 , Arpan Rai

Conventional weaponry has been enough to cause devastating damage to Kharkiv with artillery rounds and missiles since the start of the war.

Ukrainian forces heading out of the city drive past row after row of damaged and destroyed buildings, and smashed Russian tanks that are kept on the roads as a reminder of just how close the enemy came to capturing Ukraine’s second city.

Among the deserted families dreading the upcoming harsh Europe winter is 39-year-old Anastasia Bondarenka who spoke of what had happened to her in Saltivka, the most heavily shelled suburb of Kharkiv,

“We have winter coming, with power cuts. We’ll probably have no heating. It is going to be very, very difficult. I don’t know how we’ll cope. I think a lot of people will die.”

Read Kim Sengupta’s dispatch:

‘It is going to be very, very difficult’: Kharkiv braces for winter war

Heavy fighting underway on Ukraine’s frontlines - Zelensky

05:29 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian soldiers are engaged in heavy fighting with Russian troops on several sectors of the front, Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Monday.

“Fierce fighting continues in many areas of the front. But the perspective of these hostilities remains obvious - more and more occupiers are trying to escape, more and more losses are being inflicted on the enemy army, and there is a growing understanding that Russia made a mistake by starting a war against Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added: “Of course, there are many fanatics out there. Those who will never admit the obvious, that this is a pointless war for Russia that Russia cannot win. Because it is impossible to defeat a nation that preserves unity and knows what they are fighting for.”

Ukraine has destroyed at least 31 Russian tanks and one multiple rocket launcher in the besieged country’s south, the military’s southern operational command said late last night but did not specify the location.

Ukraine takes back more territory in south and east - officials

05:21 , Arpan Rai

Soldiers in Ukraine have broken through Russia’s defences in the country’s south and east, officials said.

In the south, Ukrainian troops recaptured the town of Dudchany along the west bank of the Dnipro River, which bisects the country, Vladimir Saldo, a Russian-installed leader in occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson province, told Russian state television.

The Ukrainian defence ministry also shared a video showing soldiers from Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade raising the country’s blue and yellow flag in Myrolyubivka, a village between the former front and the Dnipro.

In the east, columns of Ukrainian military vehicles were seen heading to recently recaptured logistics hub Lyman city for reinforcement.

04:41 , Arpan Rai

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Tuesday, 4 October.