Live blog: Shelling kills six in Russian-occupied eastern city — official

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

1711 GMT — Ukrainian shelling killed six people and wounded nearly a dozen in the eastern city of Donetsk which is under the control of Russian forces, a senior Moscow-backed official said.

Donetsk has been controlled by Russian forces since 2014 and authorities routinely accuse Ukraine of deadly attacks on the city, claims that cannot be independently verified.

"Six people were killed and 11 wounded. Medical assistance is being provided to all the injured," Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-backed head of the region said on social media.

He said Ukrainian forces had fired long-range missiles provided last year by the United States, striking "civilian infrastructure" and official buildings.

More updates 👇

1702 GMT — Russia sentences four captive Ukrainian soldiers

Russian-supported authorities in eastern Ukraine sentenced four more captive Ukrainian soldiers to long sentences for alleged violence against civilians during the battle for Mariupol last year.

The city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea fell to Russian forces after being virtually razed to the ground in a month-long siege last spring and has since been occupied by the Russian army.

Moscow's Investigative Committee said three soldiers of a Ukrainian tank battalion - Alexei Koval, Andrei Chumak and Valery Federovich - were sentenced to 26 years in prison.

They were found guilty in the occupied Donetsk region of "rough" treatment of the civilian population in Mariupol.

Russia also said a Ukrainian army sniper, Igor Kleshchunov, was handed life in prison, found guilty of "shooting four peaceful civilians" fatally.

1601 GMT — Defence ministers of Russia, Burkina Faso discuss military cooperation

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterpart from Burkina Faso Kassoum Coulibaly met and agreed to strengthen defence ties, Moscow said.

Moscow has also pledged to deliver free grain to the African country, which is one of the world's poorest.

"Russian-Burkinabe relations are based solely on the principles of mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests, and in recent years they have gained positive dynamics," Shoigu said, according to the ministry.

"I consider today's meeting to be another step in developing our friendly relations," Shoigu added.

1451 GMT — Zelenskyy proposes extending Ukraine's gas export ban

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed extending an export ban on Ukrainian natural gas for the whole of 2024, a presidential decree said.

The export ban was introduced soon after Russia's full-scale offensive in Ukraine in February 2022 and was then extended to cover 2023.

"To the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: to decide... on establishing a zero export quota for natural gas of Ukrainian origin in 2024," the decree said.

The decree also urged the government to increase the capacity of Ukraine's gas transmission system "to ensure the import of natural gas and its accumulation in underground gas storage facilities".

1307 GMT — Ukraine says bolstered air defence for winter attacks

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had deployed more Western air defence systems, as it braces for a second full winter of Russian attacks on energy facilities.

Kiev has said it is bolstering defences to protect key infrastructure ahead of winter, fearing a renewed Russian aerial onslaught during the cold months.

"I received reports on the receipt of ammunition, hardware and equipment over the past day," Zelenskyy said on social media.

"Additional NASAMS systems from partners have been put on combat duty. Timely reinforcement of our air defence before winter," he added.

1229 GMT — Ukraine's foreign currency reserves slip to $38.97B on Nov 1

Ukraine's foreign currency reserves slipped to $38.97 billion at the start of November from $39.7 billion a month earlier due to currency interventions and debt payments, the central bank said.

The reserves stood at $40.4 billion at the start of September.

The central bank said in a statement it sold $3.35 billion on the forex market in October as it eased its restrictions and relaxed the official peg for the hryvnia currency to boost the economy and help businesses during the war.

Following the decision, demand for hard currency shot up, forcing the central bank to sell $1.15 billion to support the hryvnia in the week from Oct. 2 to Oct. 6. But then demand stabilised, the bank said.

1142 GMT — Ukraine braced for new Russian assault on Avdiivka

Ukraine is bracing for a renewed Russian assault on the eastern city of Avdiivka, following several recent unsuccessful attempts by Moscow's forces to surround the industrial hub.

"The third wave will definitely happen. The enemy is regrouping after a second wave of unsuccessful attacks," Vitaly Barabash, head of the Avdiivka military administration, said.

Kiev and independent military analysts say Russia has racked up serious losses in manpower and equipment in two failed drives towards the city in recent months.

Barabash said Russia was likely "ready" to launch its next full-scale assault on the city, but weather conditions were currently unfavourable.

0351 GMT — Grenade kills Ukrainian military adviser on birthday

A close adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army was killed when a grenade among his birthday gifts exploded on Monday, officials said.

"Under tragic circumstances, my assistant and close friend, Major Gennadiy Chastiakov, was killed... on his birthday," General Valery Zaluzhny said on Telegram, saying that an "unknown explosive device detonated in one of his gifts".

Chastiakov was showing his son a box with grenades inside that he had received as a gift, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a statement on Telegram.

"At first, the son took the munition in his hands and began to turn the ring. Then the serviceman took the grenade away from the child and pulled the ring, causing a tragic explosion," Klymenko said.

Police have identified a fellow soldier who gave the fatal gift, he said and seized two similar grenades. An investigation is underway.

0300 GMT — Russia destroys 17 Ukraine-launched drones over Black Sea, Crimea

Russia's air defence systems destroyed and intercepted a total of 17 Ukraine-launched drones over the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula, the Russian defence ministry said.

Nine drones were destroyed by air defence systems and eight were intercepted by electronic warfare, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, a move widely viewed as illegal by the international community, including Türkiye.

0208 GMT — G7 plan talks with Ukrainian counterpart, pledges support

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers are preparing to hold an online session with their Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, during their meetings in Tokyo this week, Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa has said.

"Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Kamikawa told a press conference.

The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — as well as the European Union, meet in Tokyo on Nov. 7-8 to discuss issues including Russia's military offensive in Ukraine.

2213 GMT — Zelenskyy: ‘Not the time’ for elections

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he doesn't believe it is the right time for elections as debate intensifies on holding a vote in 2024 while the country fights against Russia's military offensive.

All elections including the presidential vote set to take place next spring are technically cancelled under martial law that has been in effect since the conflict began last year.

"We must decide that now is the time of defence, the time of battle, on which the fate of the state and people depends," Zelenskyy said in his daily address.

He said it was a time for the country to be united, not divided, adding: "I believe that now is not the (right) time for elections."

For our live updates from Monday (November 6), click here.