Ukraine war in the live ticker: +++ 06:38 Kyiv: Russia wants to withdraw heavy artillery from Cherson +++

10/31/2022

Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 06:38 Kyiv: Russia wants to withdraw heavy artillery from Cherson +++

Ukraine’s General Staff of Armed Forces says Russia intends to withdraw its heavy artillery from Kherson, possibly to move units to other frontline areas. The “Guardian” quotes from the military’s most recent situation report: “According to the available information, the enemy is taking preparatory measures for the withdrawal of artillery units from the right-bank part of the Kherson region, which may then be transferred to other directions.” From Moscow there is no confirmation of this operation.

+++ 06:03 Özdemir sees Russia under more pressure from “Ukraine’s courageous struggle for freedom” +++
Food Minister Cem Özdemir calls on Russia to comply with the agreement on grain exports from Ukraine. “Russia’s unilateral suspension of the grain agreement is irresponsible in view of millions of people starving worldwide,” the Green politician told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Russia is urgently called upon to live up to its commitment to the world community and to comply with the agreement.” It is particularly cynical that Russia is now justifying the collapse of the deal with the fact that the attacked Ukraine is defending itself, adds Özdemir. “But it also shows that Russia is coming under increasing pressure from Ukraine’s courageous fight for freedom.”

+++ 05:22 Baerbock is in talks with energy supplier Kazakhstan +++
The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine also characterizes the visit of Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Greens politician will initially hold talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana today. Kazakhstan is a major supplier of energy and raw materials. Baerbock says that Russia’s war is posing the question to all of the successor states of the Soviet Union as to whether their statehood could also be called into question. In order to take advantage of the opportunities for cooperation, “we must finally move forward with better networking Central Asia with Europe.”

+++ 02:43 SPD politician relies on land transport for grain +++
After the Russian suspension of the agreement on Ukrainian grain transports on the Black Sea, the SPD foreign politician Nils Schmid calls for exports to be strengthened overland. “We still have to improve the land routes much more to enable the export of grain,” says the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Funke media group. “Because the sea route is obviously very unsafe and the grain export agreement is unstable, we need to upgrade the railway lines accordingly.” About half of Ukraine’s grain exports are already overland.

+++ 01:05 Selenskyj consults with his military +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again discussed the progress of the defense against Russia with the heads of the armed forces and other security bodies. The head of state says that the enemy’s possible plans for the future were also discussed. He does not give details. Such high command meetings have often been followed by offensives by the Ukrainian armed forces.

+++ 00:42 UN: Grain freighters are to continue sailing across the Black Sea +++
Despite Russia’s suspension of the agreement on grain exports from Ukraine, ships are expected to continue sailing through the Black Sea corridor on Monday. The delegations of the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine have agreed on a corresponding plan, according to a statement from the coordination center in Istanbul.

Read more about this here.

+++ 23:07 Zelenskyj: Russian offensive in Donetsk region repelled +++
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine has repelled a heavy Russian offensive in the Donetsk region. In addition, with the capture of Russian soldiers, Ukraine has increased its reserves for another prisoner exchange, says Zelenskyj in his daily video message.

+++ 22:14 Lavrov compares the Ukraine war with the Cuban Missile Crisis +++
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expresses “hope” that US President Joe Biden will remember the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis in connection with the war in Ukraine. In an interview for a Russian state television documentary, Lavrov says there are “similarities” because Russia is now threatened by Western weapons in Ukraine. “This situation is very worrying.” Back then, however, Khrushchev and Kennedy showed responsibility and wisdom, “whereas today we don’t see such willingness on the part of Washington and its satellites,” he continues. Lavrov adds that the willingness of Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to negotiate is “unchanged”.

+++ 21:35 Özdemir: Russia is acting irresponsibly in the face of millions of starving people worldwide +++
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir calls on Russia to return to the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. “Russia is urgently called upon to live up to the commitment it has made to the world community,” the Green politician told the “Tagesspiegel”. The agreement helped to relax global markets and fed millions of people. Its unilateral suspension by Moscow was “irresponsible in view of millions of starving people worldwide”.

+++ 20:51 tens of thousands protest in Prague for Ukraine +++
After several large-scale demonstrations against the Czech government, tens of thousands of people gathered “against fear” on Prague’s Wenceslas Square today. They advocated further support for the Ukrainian defensive struggle. According to the organizers, they wanted to show that the Czech Republic is strong enough to overcome the current crisis and therefore need not be afraid. The Ukrainian President’s wife Olena Selenska also addressed the rally participants in a video message. The wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the recent Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. “Let’s not let Russia plunge us and the whole world into darkness!” she exclaimed.

+++ 20:15 Kremlin sets conditions for return to grain deal +++
Russia is expecting talks with the United Nations and Turkey in the next few days about the suspended free passage of Ukrainian grain exports in the Black Sea. That’s what Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said in Moscow. But before Russia could return to the agreement, the drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet had to be cleared up. “That was outrageous, all the conditions that had been agreed upon were violated,” says Rudenko, according to Russian agencies.

+++ 19:50 IAEA is silent on inspections in Ukraine because of bomb allegations +++
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initially did not comment on the new inspections actually planned in Ukraine over the weekend. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi confirmed on Thursday that inspectors, at the invitation of the Ukrainian authorities, wanted to check two locations later this week, where Russian allegations are being made that a “dirty bomb” is being worked on. However, an IAEA spokesman today did not respond to questions about the status of the mission. He only referred to the message from Thursday.

You can read earlier developments surrounding the Ukraine war here.