Dhe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj sees his country’s troops advancing in the areas occupied by Moscow, despite massive Russian rocket attacks. The Ukrainian armed forces are advancing on the front line every day, and Russian strikes on the infrastructure cannot stop them, Zelensky said in a video message distributed in Kyiv on Saturday evening. “Ukrainians are united and know very well that Russia has no chance of winning this war.”
Zelenskyj had previously criticized the large number of Russian rocket attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Saturday. No strike by the “Russian terrorists” could stop the country. “Russian propagandists lie when they say that this terror against our infrastructure and people could somehow slow down the active actions of our military.” Zelenskyy announced that sanctions against Kremlin propagandists are being coordinated with the US.
The current situation in Ukraine
Source: Infographic WORLD
Russia is already retreating on the battlefield and realizes that it is losing; The aggressor is therefore trying to feign military victories by attacking civilians and infrastructure, Zelenky said. The Ukrainian Armed Forces received everything they needed to defend the country every day. It is not yet possible to fend off all Russian attacks. Selenskyj emphasized that this will succeed with the help of the West.
According to Ukrainian information, there were a total of 40 rocket attacks on Saturday, and the Russian side also sent 16 Iranian drones. 20 rockets and 11 combat drones had been shot down, according to Kyiv.
In view of the severe damage to the energy infrastructure, Selenskyj once again called on the population to save electricity. According to him, the regions of Khmelnytskyi, Odessa, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk, among others, were affected by the attacks. “The main target of the terrorists is energy,” Zelenskyy said. The stability of supply in the country depends on each city. In some cases, the supply has already been restored.
All developments in the live ticker:
12:02 a.m. – Kretschmer: Use gas from Russia again after the war
The Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) spoke out in favor of resuming Russian gas supplies after the war. “We need long-term contracts for LNG supplies from the US, Qatar and other Arab countries. In addition, we must finally develop our own natural gas in the North Sea. And when the war is over, we should use gas from Russia again,” he told the “Bild am Sonntag.” When asked if he assumed that the damaged Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline would be repaired, he said : “We will need pipeline gas, and that is only possible with functioning pipelines.”
Referring to the war in Ukraine, Kretschmer said: “A joint diplomatic effort by the EU, the USA, China, India and Japan is now needed. This war must be stopped.” According to Kretschmer, such negotiations would not automatically result in Ukraine having to relinquish parts of its national territory. “There is not a single reason why Ukraine should give up even one square meter of its territory. War damage must be compensated by Russia, war criminals must be held accountable. You have to go into peace talks with this attitude,” said Kretschmer.
22:20 – Zelenskyy: Will fend off more Russian drone attacks in the future
According to Ukrainian information, Russia has attacked large parts of the country’s infrastructure, but will be able to prevent it more and more in the future. Russia has recently attacked primarily in western, central and southern Ukraine, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Of course, we don’t have the technical capabilities to eliminate 100 percent of Russian missiles and combat drones,” he adds. However, he is certain “that we will gradually achieve this with the help of our partners. We are already shooting down most of the cruise missiles and drones.”
21:11 – Russia and Belarus further banned from skiing competitions
Athletes from Russia and Belarus are still not allowed to take part in competitions of the International Ski Federation Fis. That was decided by the Fis Council during a meeting on Saturday in Sölden. Fis is responsible for Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, freestyle and snowboarding competitions. The association had excluded Russia and Belarus from the World Cup season on March 1 because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The sanction was extended “taking into account the integrity of the FIS competitions and the safety of all participants”, as the FIS announced.
7:42 p.m. – Ukrainian author Serhij Schadan receives the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
At the end of the book fair in Frankfurt am Main on Sunday (10.45 a.m.) the Ukrainian writer, poet and musician Serhij Schadan will be awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in the Paulskirche. The 47-year-old is honored for “his outstanding artistic work and for his humanitarian attitude, with which he turns to people in war and helps them at the risk of his life,” said the Foundation Board of the Peace Prize, justifying the award.
In his works, Schadan explores how, despite all the violence, people in Ukraine tried to lead an independent life determined by peace and freedom. The author, who was born in the Luhansk region, is one of the most important voices in contemporary Ukrainian literature. The Peace Prize has been awarded since 1950 and is endowed with 25,000 euros. In 2021 it went to author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe.
19:01 – Olena Selenska: “We are fighting for our lives”
Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stressed at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Saturday that there were no “overtones” in the war in her home country. “We are fighting for our lives,” she said in the evening at an event organized by the magazine “Brigitte”. “You have to tell the truth about what happens to us every day.” This is what she sees as her task when she appears as First Lady.
There were air raids again in Kyiv on Saturday and her thoughts are with her children, she said. “Our planning horizon is maybe one or two days – we don’t know what tomorrow or the day after tomorrow will bring.” We’re going to the air-raid shelter.”
The Ukrainian First Lady described the search for normality despite the effects of the war – for example her daughter had started studying. “We are constantly in different places, the children have rarely seen their father, but they call every day.”
Olena Selenska, wife of the Ukrainian President, speaks during an event organized by Brigitte magazine as part of the Frankfurt Book Fair
Source: dpa/Sebastian Gollnow
Selenska spoke out in favor of better inclusion of people with disabilities when launching a book on accessibility. With every month of war, this becomes more important, she said, referring to people who are injured in fighting and attacks. “We have to start thinking about reconstruction now,” she demanded. And she hopes schools will be rebuilt with ramps for wheelchairs.
18:35 – A look at the military and political importance of Kherson
Ukrainian troops apparently increased the pressure on the Russian occupation in Cherson to such an extent that on Saturday they ordered the complete evacuation of the civilian population from the regional capital of the same name.
A statement by one of the pro-Moscow governors in Kherson, published on Telegram, gave a glimpse of the fact that a decisive battle could be imminent: Kirill Stremousov emphasized that the residents left voluntarily – because they feared for their lives. “People walk actively because life is the priority today. We’re not dragging anyone anywhere.”
The loss of the regional capital, occupied at the start of Russia’s war of aggression, would be another humiliation for Moscow after a string of military defeats from the failed push on Kyiv to setbacks from Ukraine’s counter-offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Why is the city so important? A major industrial hub, Kherson sits near the Dnipro estuary in the Black Sea, at a point where Ukraine could cut off drinking water supplies to the Crimea peninsula, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv did the same after the annexation. Russian President Vladimir Putin cited this as one reason for his decision to order the invasion of Ukraine.
Over the summer months, Ukrainian troops have systematically shelled supply routes across the Dnipro River to the regional capital on the western bank – particularly a bridge and a large dam further upstream. Russian troops were forced to resort to pontoon bridges and ferries, which also came under fire.
The Russian troops on the west side had supply problems and became more vulnerable to being surrounded. Their supply situation was further aggravated on October 8 by the explosion on the Kerch Bridge from Russia to Crimea.
