UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – The Russian president denounced “Western hegemony” on the sidelines of the Valdai political forum on Thursday. A “new Iron Curtain” will be created, he said.
51 Ukrainian dead in a Russian attack, more than 26,000 Ukrainians missing, the Russian fleet that will set up a base in a separatist region of Georgia… Le Figaro takes stock of the conflict in Ukraine this Thursday, October 5th .
Russia’s mission is to “build a new world,” says Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted on Thursday that his country’s mission is to “build a new world,” castigated the “hegemony” of the West and placed his attack on Ukraine in that perspective rather than that of a “territorial conflict.” “We essentially face the task of building a new world,” Vladimir Putin said at the Valdai political forum in Russia.
The Russian president also accused the West of creating a “new Iron Curtain” with Russia. “We are not the ones closing the door. It is Europe that is closing the door (…) A new Iron Curtain is emerging. “It’s not us who can do it, it’s the Europeans,” he assured.
Also read: Vladimir Putin and the chimeras of “Eurasian Russia”
51 dead in Russian attack in Kharkiv region
At least 51 people, including a child, were killed in a Russian attack in Groza, a village in eastern Ukraine, during a gathering on the sidelines of the funeral of one of its residents, authorities said. The UN coordinator in Ukraine said she was “shocked” by the attack. It completely destroyed a shop and a cafe when about sixty people were there, especially after a funeral, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on national television.
“There were villagers in the store and villagers in the cafe also gathered” to commemorate a deceased person, Igor Klymenko said, adding that Groza has a population of 330. “Rescue and search operations have been completed,” the state rescue service said on Telegram early in the evening, putting the total number of people killed in this tragedy at 51 dead, including a child and six injured.
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Zelensky says he has “clear agreements” with the Europeans to get more anti-aircraft systems
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday after a summit in Granada, Spain, that he had received “clear agreements” from the Europeans on obtaining additional anti-aircraft and artillery systems. “We will have more air defense – the agreements are clear. This is very important before winter. Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain – thank you!” said Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily message broadcast on social networks.
“Germany is working to provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot system for the winter months,” he previously wrote about Granada, Spain.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Kiev receives its first anti-aircraft systems
More than 26,000 Ukrainians have been missing since the Russian invasion began in 2022
More than 26,000 Ukrainians, including 15,000 military personnel, have been missing since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, the Ukrainian government said on Thursday. “Among them are 11,000 civilians and about 15,000 military personnel,” Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko said on national television.
Russian city attacked by cluster munitions
The governor of Russia’s Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, accused the Ukrainian army on Thursday, October 5, of firing cluster munitions, a controversial weapon, into the city of Rylsk, injuring a civilian. “The border town of Rylsk was shelled by Ukraine with cluster munitions,” wrote Roman Starovoit on his Telegram channel. “A woman was injured by shrapnel and was taken to hospital,” the governor said.
Washington announced in July that the Ukrainian army had begun using these weapons supplied by the United States, which are highly controversial because the allegations spread with them can cause numerous civilian casualties. In an interview broadcast by CNN in early July, American President Joe Biden admitted that he had made a “very difficult decision” by supplying these weapons to Ukraine. Russia had denounced these deliveries, although, according to numerous witnesses and independent organizations, its army also uses them in Ukraine.
Russian fleet sets up base in separatist region of Georgia
The Russian fleet will establish a base in Abkhazia, a pro-Russian separatist region of Georgia, that territory’s leader announced Thursday, at a time when Ukraine is intensifying attacks against the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, Crimea. “We have signed an agreement and in the near future the Russian Navy will have a permanent anchorage point in the Ochamchire district on the Black Sea coast,” Aslan Byania told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
The Kremlin spokesman declined to comment. “I have absolutely no comment on this,” said Dmitry Peskov. Moscow and Georgia have complex relations. In 2008, they faced a short but bloody war amid tensions surrounding Georgia’s desire to move closer to the West. At the end of this conflict, Moscow recognized the independence of two separatist regions in the north of the country, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and has maintained a military presence there ever since.
A Chinese company sold Wagner two satellites for intelligence purposes
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner, which has a long-standing presence in Ukraine and is active in Africa, signed a deal with a Chinese company to acquire two observation satellites and command imagery, giving it unprecedented intelligence capabilities, according to this one obtained by AFP viewed document. According to a commercial agreement written in English and Russian and signed on November 15, 2022, Beijing Yunze Technology Co. Ltd sold two very high resolution (75 cm) satellites from Chinese space giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST). .
The document also envisages the provision of on-demand imagery from CGST’s satellite constellation. According to the European security source, these photos allowed Wagner, who has been dismembered since the death of his leader, to obtain intelligence information in Ukraine and Africa (Libya, Sudan, Central Africa, Mali, etc.), where his mercenaries were stationed. Prigozhin’s men also ordered at the end of May 2023 about 80 images of the Russian territory from the Ukrainian border to Moscow, the route taken by Wagner during his mutiny at the end of June, the same source assures.
Also read: The specter of Wagner’s return to the battlefield looms in Ukraine
Bratislava freezes decisions on military aid to Kiev until government is formed
As we learned from the Presidency, Slovakia has decided to freeze its decisions on military support to Kiev until the new government is formed, after parties opposed to aid to its Ukrainian neighbor were successful in the elections. “President (Zuzana) Caputova shares the position of (outgoing Prime Minister Ludovit) Odor that the decision on this issue should reflect the results of the recent parliamentary elections,” presidential spokesman Martin Strizinec told AFP. “A decision to provide military assistance at this time would set a precedent for future transitions of political power. Furthermore, the current outgoing technical government has limited capabilities,” he added.
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