3:05 pm: Putin will travel to Kyrgyzstan in mid-October
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel abroad next week for the first time since an international arrest warrant was issued for him. At the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadir Japarov, Putin will pay a state visit to the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan from October 12, Kabar news agency reported, citing a representative of the presidential administration in Bishkek.
On Friday next week, Putin will participate in a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Bishkek and a gala to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of a Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan. Several former Soviet republics are united in the CIS.
2:40 pm: Zelensky continues to count on US support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes his country’s will to win and continues to count on his international supporters. “There is a certain fatigue, but we will do everything to defeat our enemy,” he told Italian television station SkyTg24. Ukraine wants to get through the winter without losing the initiative on the battlefield. She feels supported by the US and is convinced that this will continue to be the case in the future.
2:25 pm: Russia carries out emergency exercise across the country
Russia played out the scene of an armed conflict between nuclear powers as part of a large-scale emergency exercise. Sirens sounded across the country on Wednesday and television stations interrupted their regular programming to broadcast warning messages on their screens. In the context of the fighting in Ukraine, the preparedness of the country’s emergency services was tested. Russian media reported that the subtext of the exercises was the growing threat of conflict between nuclear powers. The reaction is simulated to a situation in which 70 percent of apartments and all basic infrastructure are destroyed and large areas are radioactively contaminated and a general mobilization is announced. The dramatic scenario reflected Kremlin warnings that Western support for Ukraine had increased the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
1:25 pm: Sunak calls for more help for Ukraine
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on Britain’s international allies to provide Ukraine with the tools that would help it win the war against Russia. “If we give President Zelensky the tools, the Ukrainians will finish the job,” he said at the Conservative Party conference.
12:10 pm: Former Russian television journalist sentenced to prison
A former Russian state television journalist was sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison for her criticism of the war of aggression against Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova was accused of spreading false information about the Russian military. The offense was created shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine. Ovsyannikova became internationally known last year for her criticism of President Putin. The journalist appeared behind a news presenter in March 2022 with a sign that read: “Stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.”
She quit her job at the broadcaster, was accused of defaming the Russian military and fined 30 thousand rubles (290 euros). In July 2022, she protested again in Moscow with a banner. “Putin is a murderer. His soldiers are fascists. 352 children were killed (in Ukraine),” she said. Ovsyannikova was arrested and placed under house arrest, but managed to escape to France with her daughter. Russian authorities placed her on a wanted list, initiated proceedings and tried her in absentia.