Skip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to knowThe United Kingdom, citing intelligence, has said that Russia could target civilian shipping in the Black Sea by laying sea mines on the approaches to Ukraine’s ports.
Moscow has been targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure since July, when it withdrew from a deal that had allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian food exports through the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the US has sent Ukraine more than 1 million rounds of ammunition that was seized from Iran in 2022.
Here are the main headlines about Russia’s war in Ukraine on Thursday, October 5:
Skip next section Ukraine’s Zelenskyy taking part in European summit in SpainOctober 5, 2023
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy taking part in European summit in SpainUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he was taking part in talks with European leaders in Spain.
The Ukrainian president is joining leaders from dozens of other countries for the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain.
“Our joint goal is to ensure the security and stability of our common European home,” he wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Security, with a particular focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are among the top items on Thursday’s agenda.
“We will pay special attention to the Black Sea region as well as our joint efforts to strengthen global food security and freedom of navigation,” he wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were not invited to the talks.
https://p.dw.com/p/4X8bSSkip next section Russia holding annual exercises to prep for ‘armed conflict’October 5, 2023
Russia holding annual exercises to prep for ‘armed conflict’In recent days, civil defense exercises have been taking place across Russia that are aimed at preparing for a potential armed conflict, the British Defense Ministry said.
The exercises are based on a scenario of “large-scale international armed conflict,” the ministry said in its daily intelligence update posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The exercises have taken place every year since 2012 and are “unlikely to have been dramatically changed or expanded,” according to the update.
During nationwide drills on Wednesday, which Russia marked as Civil Defense Day, sirens sounded across the country and TV stations aired emergency warnings.
Officials said the exercise is meant to simulate a nuclear attack on Russian soil. The drills specifically envision a scenario where all vital infrastructure has been destroyed and large areas are contaminated by radioactive fallout.
The annual drills come amid heightened tensions amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/4X87nSkip next section Ukraine says it thwarted dozens of drone attacksOctober 5, 2023
Ukraine says it thwarted dozens of drone attacksUkrainian forces took out several Russian drones that were launched overnight, military officials said on Thursday morning.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it downed 24 Russian drones out of a total of 29 that were launched.
The drones were launched over the central Kirohovrad region, as well as the southern Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.
While a majority of the drones were reportedly destroyed, one infrastructure facility was hit in the Kirohovrad region.
“The enemy continues its attempts to destroy the port and other infrastructure of the south, is terrorizing the central regions as well,” Ukraine’s southern command said.
DW could not independently verify the statements.
https://p.dw.com/p/4X7w9Skip next section Iranian ammo seized by US heads to Ukraine October 5, 2023
Iranian ammo seized by US heads to Ukraine The US government says it has sent Ukraine over 1 million rounds of ammunition that had been seized from Iran last year.
The ammunition was originally seized by the US military in December 2022 on a ship in the Gulf of Oman, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the US Department of Justice said.
Iran was trying to send the nearly 1.1 million rounds to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Department of Justice said.
“The US is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including US and UN sanctions and through interdictions,” the statement from the Central Command said.
With this weapons transfer, actions against one authoritarian regime are now directly supporting the Ukrainian people’s fight against another authoritarian regime, the Justice Department said.
“We will continue to use every legal authority at our disposal to support Ukraine in their fight for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law,” it added.
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https://p.dw.com/p/4X7ktSkip next section Kyiv says troops making headway in south October 5, 2023
Kyiv says troops making headway in south Ukraine’s troops have made some progress in their campaign southward amid a counteroffensive to retake areas captured by Russia, military officials said on Wednesday.
“We have had partial success to the west of Robotyne,” Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, said on national television, noting that Kyiv’s soldiers are “continuing to reinforce the positions they hold.”
“In certain areas, we are advancing from 100 to 600 meters.”
Ukraine’s southward drive has been slower compared to its lightning gains in the northeast a year earlier. However, the country’s forces have captured a string of villages, and officials say they are readying themselves around Robotyne and other villages for more advances.
In its evening report, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that its soldiers had repelled Russian attacks near Robotyne and Verbove.
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https://p.dw.com/p/4X7ksSkip next section UK says Russia may target civilian ships with mines in Black SeaOctober 5, 2023
UK says Russia may target civilian ships with mines in Black SeaRussia could target civilian shipping in the Black Sea by using sea mines — including by laying them on approaches to Ukrainian ports, the UK government has warned.
Citing declassified intelligence, it said there was a risk of attack to cargo ships with Ukrainian exports passing through a “humanitarian corridor” recently set up by Kyiv.
“Russia almost certainly wants to avoid openly sinking civilian ships, instead falsely laying blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea,” Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement.
“By releasing our assessment of this intelligence, the UK seeks to expose Russia’s tactics to deter any such incident from occurring.”
Last month, Britain said that Moscow’s forces had targeted a civilian cargo ship in the region with “multiple missiles,” adding that they were successfully thwarted by air defenses.
“Russia’s pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world’s most vulnerable,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
“The world is watching — and we see right through Russia’s cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for their attacks,” he added.
In July, Moscow withdrew from a deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely ship food products out through what was traditionally its main export route in the Black Sea.
Kyiv, in response, set up a temporary “humanitarian corridor” for cargo vessels.
dvv/nm (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
https://p.dw.com/p/4X7kr
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