Putin unleashes his revenge with missiles on Ukraine
A barrage of Russian missiles hit Kyiv and a number of other Ukrainian cities including Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Odesa on Monday morning – striking areas which have so far been largely unaffected by the seven-month war. Targets included thermal power plants in Kyiv, Lviv, and elsewhere in the country, leading to reports of widespread electricity and water outages. The barrage of 100 Russian missiles and 17 kamikaze drone attacks across the country was in retaliation by President Putin in in response to Ukrainian acts of “terrorism”, including that at the Crimean Kerch bridge. The large-scale raid was also directed to Kryvyi Rih, hometown of Zelensky, attacked again in the evening by kamikaze drones. The. At least 14 civilians have died and over 100 were wounded.“They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth,” Zelensky denounced. For his part, the Russian president claimed “massive attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine” and the Russian Defence announced that “the objectives of the precision raids have been achieved”. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has entered the frey, saying he had ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near Ukraine in response to what he said was a clear threat to Belarus from Kyiv. And Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he was absolutely satisfied with the conduct of the so-called Russian ‘special operation’ in Ukraine. “We warned you, Zelensky, that Russia hadn’t started yet. Stop complaining like a scum. You better run away before you get hit. Run. Run, Zelensky, run away without looking at the West,” he wrote.
World-wide condemnation
Russian attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities were condemned by Western countries during the UN General Assembly. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounced the Russian attacks as “an unacceptable escalation of the war”. The Ukrainian ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsy, accused the Kremlin of trying to “take us back to the 1930s, when Hitler destroyed countries with invasions and illegal referendums”. For the deputy ambassador of the EU to the UN, Silvio Gonzato, these were “war crimes”, for which “we will hold the perpetrators responsible”. Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Russia’s “unfortunate and unacceptable” aggression against Ukraine has Europe as its “target”. On the other hand, the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Nato of aiming “to defeat or weaken Russia”.
Biden to meet with G7 leaders, Zelenskyy
US President Joe Biden is set to hold a virtual meeting alongside the G7 leaders today to discuss support for Ukraine. According to a White House statement, the leaders would discuss their commitment to holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, including the recent wave of missile strikes. President Zelenskyy is scheduled to participate in the meeting.
Biden promises Zelensky advanced air defense systems
In a phone call with President Zelensky, US President Joe Biden has pledged “to continue to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems”. This was reported by the White House in a note on the phone call. Biden “also underlined his continued commitment with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities”. Biden condemned Russia’s missile attacks across Ukraine and expressed “his condolences to the families of those killed and wounded in these senseless attacks”. Meanwhile, following Biden’s comments, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced the United States “will send new arms packages to Ukraine in the coming days and will continue to help Kiev defend itself for as long as necessary”.
Australia could send troops to train Ukraine forces
Australian troops could help train Ukraine’s armed forces following Russia’s “appalling” attack on Kyiv, Defence Minister Richard Marles has declared. Marles said he was with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko when the “appalling” missile offensive was launched at the country’s capital. “The sense of heartbreak was really palpable,” he told Sky News on Tuesday. “We need to be making sure we are supporting Ukraine over the long term so that we’re putting them in a position where they can actually resolve this conflict and end it on their own terms.”
EU: Algeria gas exports to the rescue
Algeria could become a strategic partner for the supply of energy to the EU. “We want to consolidate the partnership between the EU and Algeria,” EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on a visit to Algiers, adding, “I have proposed to hold a dialogue between the EU and Algiers on energy every year.” He recalled how Europe is the largest natural gas market for the African country. “We can both benefit from an increase in export volumes. This increase could also be achieved thanks to collaboration with European energy companies and their investments in the gas fields available in Algeria.”
Gas: Berlin opens to EU debt to finance aid
Germany has opened to the issuance of common EU debt to finance measures to support the economy of the eurozone in the face of the energy shock, according to Bloomberg which quotes sources close to the German government. Analysts said Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s turnaround comes after criticism of the German aid plan of €200 billion and is conditional on the funds being disbursed in the form of a loan and not grants. The working scheme would be the temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) with which the EU has provided aid of up to €100 billion in the form of loans.
‘Britain needs more migrants’ – CBI
A prominent business lobby group has stated outright that Britain needs more migrants. The Confederation of British Industry conducted a major survey on the topic and established that three-quarters of respondents cited a lack of labour as a major threat to the UK’s competitiveness. Prime Minister Liz Truss has espoused a liberal migration policy preference, potentially signalling a shift in the country’s current migration policies.
185 killed in Iran protests
185 people have been killed so far as women-led protests against Iran’s theocracy enter their fourth week. On Saturday, the state-run broadcaster was hacked to show a picture of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei burning in flames and with a target on his head.
China reports new Covid cases
China has reported over 1,700 new COVID infections, more than triple the number from October 2. Authorities are scrambling to contain local outbreaks just a week before the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, at which many once hoped Xi Jinping would finally relax the zero-COVID policy.
Hurricane Ian’s Florida, North Carolina death toll rises to 107
The death toll of Hurricane Ian has reached 107 dead, according to local authorities. Of these victims, 104 were recorded in Florida alone and another five in North Carolina. It will take $50 billion to rebuild the devastated areas.
Cinema mourns Sean Penn’s mother Eileen
Sean Penn’s mother, actress Eileen Ryan, died Sunday at her Malibu home, according to a spokesperson for the actor, quoted by the ‘Daily Mail’. Ryan, who would have turned 95 on October 16, had married in 1957 actor and director Leo Penn, who died in 1998. She had acted in the theatre and in films, but also in the famous TV series ‘The Little House on the Prairie’.
Euro2024: Malta’s Group C matches confirmed
UEFA and the Group C teams in Euro2024 prelimaries have confirmed the dates of the group matches, with Malta’s home encounter against Italy to be played on March 26 and that against England on June 16. Malta will play its return match in Italy on October 14 and that against England on November 17.
Italy faces England (home) on March 23 and the return match will be played on October 17.
