IMF member countries issue a near-unanimous call for Russia to end its aggression in Ukraine, calling conflict – now in its 234th day – the single biggest factor fuelling inflation and slowing the global economy.
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Turkish, Ukrainian foreign ministers talk as the conflict continues
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba have discussed the latest developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in a phone call.
Ankara has played a crucial role in helping Ukraine resume grain exports while making multiple attempts to resolve the conflict.
After a truck bomb explosion a week ago damaged the bridge that links Russia to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the Kremlin launched what is believed to be its largest coordinated missile attacks since its offensive began.
This week’s wide-ranging retaliatory attacks hit residential buildings, killing dozens of people, as well as civil infrastructure such as power stations near Kiev and other cities far from the front lines of the conflict.
Russia hits power site in Kiev
A missile strike has seriously damaged a key energy facility in Ukraine’s capital region, the country’s power system operator said.
Kiev region Governor Oleksiy Kuleba said the strike did not kill or wound anyone.
Electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said repair crews were working to restore power but warned residents about possible outages.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is in an ‘atmosphere of hopelessness’, as Ukraine starts to rebuild what Russian rockets destroyed.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin says he’ll hold off on more attacks as it investigates new explosions on its side of the border pic.twitter.com/it01utITeG
— TRT World (@trtworld) October 15, 2022
Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv regions hit again
Russian forces carried out missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, according to Ukrainian officials.
Oleksandr Starukh, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, said Russian forces attacked with S-300 missiles and Iranian-made drones at night. Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged as a result of the attacks, Starukh added.
According to local media, explosions also took place in Kharkiv at night, while no casualties have been reported yet.
First Russian soldiers arrive in Belarus
The first Russian soldiers to take part in a new joint force with Belarusian troops have arrived in Belarus, Minsk’s defence ministry has said.
The ministry added that the regional force’s mission was “exclusively to strengthen the protection and defence of the border” after the deployment raised fears that Belarusian troops could join Russian forces in their offensive in Ukraine.
Last Monday, the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko claimed Ukraine was plotting to attack his country and announced a joint force with Moscow. He accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of training Belarusian radicals “to carry out sabotage, terrorist attacks and to organise a military mutiny in the country”.
US unveils new defence package for Ukraine
The United States will send an additional $725 million in military assistance to Ukraine, the State Department and Pentagon have announced.
The aid comes “in the wake of Russia’s brutal missile attacks on civilians across Ukraine,” and “the mounting evidence of atrocities by Russia’s forces,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
This newest package includes more ammunition for the HIMARS rocket system and brings the total US military assistance to Ukraine to $18.3 billion since the start of Joe Biden’s administration, the Department of Defense said in a separate statement.
Riyadh announces humanitarian aid package for Ukraine
Saudi Arabia will provide $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Saudi state news agency SPA said, adding that PM Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The prime minister expressed the kingdom’s readiness to continue efforts of mediation and support everything that contributes to de-escalation, SPA added.
For live updates from Friday (October 14), click here
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Live blog: Top Turkish, Ukrainian diplomats discuss ongoing conflict
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