Live blog : Ankara ready to help end Russia-Ukraine war via talks - Erdogan

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Ankara ready to help end Russia-Ukraine war via talks: Turkish president

Türkiye is ready to make any and all contributions needed to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war through talks, the Turkish president has told his Ukrainian counterpart.

In a phone call on Wednesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Erdogan underscored the need to keep the vision of a diplomatic solution alive, expressing that Ankara is ready to offer any and all necessary contributions to end the war through negotiations, the statement said.

Britain's Wallace discussed Ukraine security concerns on Washington trip

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace met his US counterpart in Washington this week to discuss shared security concerns about the situation in Ukraine, a senior defence source said in response to speculation around the sudden trip.

Wallace cancelled a planned committee hearing in parliament on short notice in order to go to Washington, prompting questions around what was behind the apparently urgent nature of the trip.

"There has been a lot of speculation about why the defence secretary travelled to Washington," the source said.

Five million have left Ukraine for Russia: Russian agencies

Around five million people, from the parts of Ukraine that Moscow has claimed to have annexed, have left for Russia, a security official was quoted as saying by Russian state news agencies.

"Around five million residents of Donbass and southeastern regions of Ukraine have found shelter in Russia," said the secretary of Russia's National Security Council on Wednesday, Nikolai Patrushev, referring to the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. 

In a separate military update, Russia's defence ministry said Wednesday that 4.6 million Ukrainians - including 700,000 children - have arrived in Russia since the start of Moscow's offensive on February 24.

India asks citizens to leave Ukraine

India asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Ukraine in view of the "deteriorating security situation" in the country, which is battling Russian forces since February.

“In view of the deteriorating security situation and recent escalation of hostilities across Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised against travelling to Ukraine,” the Indian Embassy in Kiev said in an advisory issued through their Twitter handle.

“The Indian citizens, including students, currently in Ukraine are advised to leave Ukraine at the earliest by available means,” said the advisory.

Putin in 'incredibly difficult position' in Ukraine war: Biden

US President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin is in an "incredibly difficult position" in Ukraine and has run out of options beyond trying to "brutalize" civilians into surrender.

"I think that Vladimir Putin finds himself in an incredibly difficult position," Biden told reporters on Wednesday at the White House. 

"It seems his only tool available is to brutalize individual citizens of Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens, to try to intimidate them into capitulating. They're not going to do that."

Ukraine fighting for 'freedom, democracy' after EU prize: Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed what he said was the Ukrainian people's fight for democratic values against Russia, after the EU awarded the annual Sakharov Prize for human rights to Ukrainians.

"Ukrainians prove dedication to the values of freedom, democracy every day on the battlefield against the terrorist state of the Russian Federation," Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

EU awards top human rights prize to the people of Ukraine

The people of Ukraine and their representatives were awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize for their resistance to Russian offensive and ongoing conflict.

The EU award, named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was created in 1988 to honour individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. Sakharov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died in 1989.

It’s the second straight year EU lawmakers used the Sakharov Prize to send a message to the Kremlin. Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny won it last year.

Putin declares martial law in four annexed regions of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, recently annexed from Ukraine.

Speaking at a meeting of the Russian Security Council in Moscow, Putin said residents of these territories "clearly expressed their will when voted in favour of joining Russia."

Putin said Kiev refuses to accept the results of the referendums in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia and carries out acts of sabotage on Russia's territory, noting that he considers it necessary to declare martial law on these territories.

Kiev mayor says 'several Russian rockets' downed over capital

Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko has said that "several Russian rockets" had been downed over the capital after AFP news agency reporters heard several loud explosions in the centre of the city.

"Air defences have shot down several Russian rockets over Kiev. Stay in shelters!" Klitschko wrote on social media.

Explosions where reported earlier in Kiev and multiple regions, including Vinnytsia.

EU readies new Iran sanctions over drones to Russia

The EU is working towards fresh sanctions on Iran after collecting "sufficient evidence" it is supplying Russia with deadly drones for use in Ukraine, a spokeswoman said.

"Now that we have gathered our own sufficient evidence work is ongoing in the (European) Council in view of a clear, swift and firm EU response," said Nabila Massrali on Wednesday, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

EU diplomats told AFP news agency there was work under way on Wednesday to draw up a list of Iranian individuals and entities linked to the drones who would be added to the bloc's sanctions blacklist.

Ukraine says shot down 223 Iranian-made drones since mid-September

Ukraine has said that its military had shot down more than 220 Iranian-made drones in a little more than one month, following this week's attacks that used "kamikaze drones".

"Since the first downing of an Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drone on the territory of Ukraine on September 13, the ... Air Force and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have destroyed 223 UAVs of this type," the military said in a statement.

US support to Ukraine will only ‘lead to its destruction': Russia

US intentions to "strengthen the position" of Kiev will only lead to “the destruction of Ukraine,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

“The US is supplying weapons to destroy the country that they have taken care of (Ukraine) for many years. This is such a vital contradiction. They seem to want to strengthen and strengthen, but everything leads to the opposite result… Washington’s position, which relies on inflating the conflict, leads to the destruction of Ukraine," Maria Zakharova said on Sputnik Radio.

Zakharova further noted that many in Ukraine already understand this, adding that “the US did not plan any peace, prosperity, or democracy on the territory of Ukraine.” 

More grain ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul deal

Six more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the Istanbul grain export deal, Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said.

A ministry statement, which did not disclose the point of origin of the ships, said shipments from Ukrainian ports have continued as planned.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which paused after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February. 

Israel denies selling weapons to Ukraine

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has denied selling weapons to Ukraine amid the Russian offensive on the European country.

"We are not selling weapons to Ukraine," Gantz said in an interview with the Jewish ultra-Orthodox Kol Chai radio.

The defence minister said that Tel Aviv had not previously sold arms to Ukraine. 

Ukraine accuses Iran, Russia of violating UN sanctions over shipments of prohibited drones

Ukraine accused Iran and Russia of violating UN sanctions over Moscow's receiving shipments of Iranian-made ''kamikaze'' drones after Kiev was hit by a series of deadly strikes.

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN said Iran has transferred prohibited items to Russia since January 16, 2016 in a letter sent to the UN Security Council and seen by Anadolu Agency. 

''Specifically, in late August 2022, Mohajer- and Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were transferred from Iran to Russia,'' said Sergiy Kyslytsya. ''Ukraine assesses that this is likely part of Iran's plans to export hundreds of UAVs to Russia.'' 

'Evacuate' Russian official tells Kherson residents

Civilians should evacuate the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson as fast as possible because Ukrainian forces could begin an offensive at any moment, a Russian official said.

Russian forces in Kherson have been driven back by 20-30 kilometres in the last few weeks and are at risk of being pinned against the right or western bank of the Dnipro River.

Ukrainian forces "will shortly begin an offensive against the city of Kherson," said Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy head of the Kherson region, which Russia partially controls.

Estonia: Moscow's arsenal has drained in ongoing fighting

Russia will likely need two to four years to rebuild its military to the strength before the Ukraine conflict, Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur has said, urging continued pressure to keep Moscow in check.

As Russia allegedly turns to Iranian kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine, Pevkur said he has heard accounts that Moscow's arsenal has been so drained that it is using its S-300 air defence system as ordinary missiles and that Russian shells have exploded in the air because they are too old.

"What more or less the consensus is that it takes two to four years for Russia to restore some capabilities or even the same capabilities they had" before the conflict, he told a roundtable with State Department and Pentagon correspondents in the US.

Moldova may announce mobilisation

Moldova's Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatyi has said that the country could declare mobilisation if fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces moves toward its borders.

Asked to elaborate on whether a mobilisation would be declared in Moldova, Nosatyi said: "For this scenario to play out, there needs to be some serious changes on the front line in Ukraine."

"For example, if the fighting moves closer to our borders, if there are changes regarding migration to our country from Ukraine, or if we notice the mobilisation of military units in the war zone, then it could happen," he added, noting some of the missiles flew over Moldova's territory.

For live updates from Tuesday (October 18), click here