- 7:08 p.m.: Seven ships used the Ukrainian corridor through the Black Sea
- 5:23 pm: ➤ Ukrainian drone causes blackout in seven Russian villages
- 4:11 p.m.: Romania is arming itself with billions because of the war in Ukraine
- 3:59 pm: Moscow shows photos of allegedly dead Black Sea Fleet chief – Kiev wants to verify information
- 12:54 pm: Ukraine brings grain ships to safety on the banks of the Danube, in Romania
- 12:36: Barley does not expect Ukraine to join the EU before 2029
- 9:57 am: British: Russian Black Sea Fleet operational despite attacks
- 9:13 am: Ukraine reports shooting down of 26 Russian attack drones in the south
- 8:55 am: Injuries after another Russian drone attack in southern Ukraine
➤ Ukrainian drone causes blackout in seven Russian villages
In the Russian border region of Kursk, at least seven villages were cut off from the power grid following a Ukrainian drone strike on Tuesday. In the morning, a drone dropped an explosive device on a substation in the village of Snagost, about 15 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The governor of the region, Roman Starovoyt, wrote this in Telegram. Therefore, no one was injured.
The Ukrainian secret service SBU confirmed the drone attack to several national media outlets, including the Ukrainska Prava portal. “The Russians should be aware that they will receive a harsh response if they continue to attack Ukrainian energy facilities,” said an SBU official.
According to the Russian governor, power supplies to another village immediately on the border with Ukraine were partially interrupted by mortar fire on Tuesday. Furthermore, two kamikaze drones were reportedly shot down in the border area.
These attacks had not been confirmed by the SBU as of Tuesday night. However, the origin of the drone models could not be identified from the image published by Starowojt. Information coming from the war zone often cannot be independently verified. (dpa/ank)
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The situation at a glance
More news about the war in Ukraine from September 26
Seven ships used the Ukrainian corridor through the Black Sea
Seven ships have left Ukrainian Black Sea ports since mid-August despite an alleged Russian naval blockade. Five of them have been trapped there since the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said on Tuesday in Odessa. Two more freighters arrived in Ukraine, loaded grain and left again.
In July, Russia expired security guarantees for ships transporting grain in three Black Sea ports in Ukraine. Moscow has threatened to consider all ships heading to Ukraine hostile.
For its part, Ukraine has designated a maritime corridor that cargo ships can use. “We are doing everything we can to ensure safety on the stretch while the ships are still in our territorial waters,” Pletentschuk said. There is still a residual risk from Russian missiles and aircraft. However, the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet did not dare to approach the sea route for fear of being shot down.
Of the dozens of ships that had been trapped since the start of the war, the German-Chinese freighter “Joseph Schulte” was the first to dare to make the passage in mid-August. (dpa)
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Romania is arming itself with billions because of the war in Ukraine
Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Romania is equipping its air force with modern multi-role fighters, the latest version of the F-35. On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry in Bucharest asked Parliament to approve the purchase of a total of 48 aircraft from the US.
The 32 jets that will be purchased initially cost 6.5 billion dollars (6.14 billion euros), according to the ministry’s request. Another 16 machines will be acquired in a second phase. According to Romanian media, this is the most expensive weapons purchase in the history of the Romanian army.
The purchase price includes logistical support, special training for pilots and ammunition for ground and air targets. Romania’s Supreme Defense Council had already decided on rearmament in April this year, but without providing any figures.
Romania, a member of the EU and NATO, borders Ukraine to the north and east. In November 2022, Bucharest had already signed a contract with Norway to purchase 32 used F-16 fighters. This would almost triple Romania’s F-16 fleet. The machines from Norway are expected to arrive in Romania in the next three years, with the first one coming this year. NATO wants to train pilots – including from Ukraine – for F-16 aircraft at the air force base in Fetesti, Romania. Romania currently has 17 F-16 jets – purchased used in Portugal. (dpa/ank)
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Updated September 25, 2023, 1:34 pm
The Ukrainian military reported shooting down 19 drones and 11 missiles over the country on Monday.
Moscow shows photos of allegedly dead Black Sea Fleet chief – Kiev wants to verify information
Following reports of the death of the head of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Moscow has presented images purporting to show Viktor Sokolov alive. Several photos and a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday purported to show Sokolov participating in a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. However, he can only be seen as a participant supposedly connected online on a screen mounted diagonally behind Shoigu.
What’s striking is that Sokolow appears completely stiff in the short sequence. It was also not possible to independently verify whether the photos were actually taken on Tuesday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on questions surrounding Sokolov’s death. He simply said he had no information about it; This was the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense.
The Ukrainian military wants to examine its own report on Sokolov’s alleged death. The special operations unit of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced this on Facebook on Tuesday. On Monday, the Ukrainian military announced that it had also killed the head of the fleet, Viktor Sokolov, in the attack on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol on Friday. (dpa/ank)
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Ukraine brings grain ships to safety on the banks of the Danube in Romania
For weeks, out of fear of Russian air strikes, Ukrainian grain transporters have been temporarily sheltering their ships at night on the Romanian bank of the Chilia branch of the Danube, which forms the border with Ukraine. EU and US diplomats negotiated this protection option with Romanian and Ukrainian authorities in August, the director of the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, Florian Vizan, told the German Press Agency. He was present in these discussions.
The transfer of grain from one ship to another on the Ukrainian side often has to be stopped due to the threat of attacks. “The Ukrainians will then temporarily transfer their ships to the Romanian side for security reasons,” Vizan said. This is why grain exports are taking so long.
A large portion of Ukraine’s grain exports pass through the Romanian port of Constanta because Ukrainian Black Sea ports are unavailable due to Russian attacks. In June, Russia canceled the UN-initiated 2022 deal to transport grain from Ukraine across the Black Sea. For weeks, Russia has increasingly attacked Ukrainian ports on the Danube, on the border with Romania, in order to prevent the transport of grain. (dpa/ank)
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Barley does not expect Ukraine to join the EU before 2029
From today’s perspective, the SPD’s leading candidate for the European elections, Katarina Barley, does not expect Ukraine to join the EU in the next European Parliament term until 2029. “If we don’t change anything else in the European Union, I don’t see that happening” , said Barley on Tuesday on RTL and NTV channels. However, it doesn’t make sense to provide annual numbers now, she added.
“We not only have to think about Ukraine, but also the European Union, which must also be able to welcome this country”, emphasized Barley. Ukraine is a very big country. SPD policy has highlighted that its agricultural sector alone is so large that, based on current rules, EU agricultural subsidies would only go to it and one other country. “We have to change if we want to accept countries like Ukraine,” he made clear.
Barley said, however, that he was in favor of giving Ukraine an opportunity to join. “As far as I am concerned, negotiations are also taking place, but it will certainly take a little longer until effective accession,” she continued. The EU has clear criteria under which states can join. “It is indisputable that Ukraine currently does not meet any of these many criteria”, emphasized the SPD politician. (AFP)
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British: Russian Black Sea Fleet operational despite attacks
According to British assessments, the Russian Black Sea Fleet remains operational despite recent attacks. Ukraine has attacked the fleet several times in recent weeks, including its headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow.
“These attacks caused more damage and were more coordinated than previously in the war,” the British Ministry of Defense wrote on Tuesday in its daily update on the short message service X. The physical damage was almost certainly extensive but localized.
“The fleet will almost certainly remain capable of carrying out its primary warfare missions of cruise missile strikes and local security patrols,” the ministry writes. However, the British believe it is possible that the fleet will now have less capacity to continue patrols and maintain the blockade of Ukrainian ports, defend its own port facilities and carry out routine maintenance work.
According to Ukrainian information, the commander was killed along with several officers in the attack on the fleet headquarters on Friday. The British did not provide any information about this in their post on X. There is no confirmation from the Russian side of the admiral’s death. (dpa/ank)
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Ukraine reports shooting down of 26 Russian attack drones in south
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia hit southern Ukraine again with a massive wave of attacks overnight. As the Ukrainian Air Force announced on the Telegram online service on Tuesday, 26 of a total of 38 drones fired were destroyed. However, the Danube port of Izmail in the south of the country, important for cereal exports, was hit again.
The Air Force detected the “launch of 38 Shahed-type unmanned missiles” from Iran, the Army statement said.
The attack lasted two hours, writes regional governor Oleg Kiper on Telegram. He goes on to say that “most of the drones” were shot down. However, the “port infrastructure of Izmail district was also hit.” Two truck drivers were injured and one of them is hospitalized. A checkpoint, warehouses and around 30 trucks were also damaged. (AFP/ank)
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Injured after another Russian drone strike in southern Ukraine
Two people were injured in new Russian drone attacks in the Odessa region, not far from the border with EU country Romania. “There were attacks on port infrastructure in Izmail County,” Odessa military governor Oleh Kiper said after the attacks that night.
The injured are truck drivers. One was treated at the scene, the second had to be taken to hospital due to a serious hand injury. According to Kiper, warehouses and almost 30 trucks were damaged. Six carriages were completely burned.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported in the morning that a total of 38 kamikaze drones were launched by Russia towards Ukraine overnight from the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied since 2014. 26 of them were shot down.
After starting its war of aggression, Russia imposed a naval blockade on Ukrainian ports. A grain export agreement was suspended in July. Since then, the Russian military has increasingly attacked port facilities and grain silos in the Odessa region, considered the most important center for grain exports by sea.
Despite Russia’s suspension of the agreement, Ukraine continues to try to bring grain to world markets, partly by land and partly through river ports in the Danube Delta. Kiev has also created its own temporary Black Sea corridor for cargo ships to pass through. Several foreign ships have already used this successfully. (dpa/ank)
With material from dpa and AFP
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