DIRECT War in Ukraine EU embargo on Russian oil begins

DIRECT. War in Ukraine: EU embargo on Russian oil begins

13:09

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv

Ukraine said Russia launched another missile strike as air alerts sounded in many parts of the country, including Kyiv. “Missiles have already been fired,” said Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat. According to the sources, a hundred missiles could be launched from Russian bombers or from ships in the Black Sea. In Kyiv, the time of the rocket hits is estimated at 2:15 p.m. local time. It could also target a second wave of missiles aimed at the capital in the next few minutes. “Don’t ignore the alarm,” said Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s president’s chief of staff.

12:45 p.m

Cannabis trafficking under the guise of helping Ukraine

Spanish authorities have dismantled a major drug trafficking network accused of hiding cannabis in a fake humanitarian convoy destined for Ukraine. According to the Guardia Civil, 30 people were arrested. The suspects, of Spanish, Ukrainian, German and Moroccan nationality, sourced their supplies “from plantations scattered across Andalusian territory,” she said. To export their goods, they “hid them in boxes” which they passed off as “provisions and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.” A fake “solidarity caravan” was set up using delivery vans registered in Ukraine.

12:30 p.m

air alert

As almost every day, an air alert is going on in Ukraine. Currently, it affects Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk region and Zaporijia region.

12:15 p.m

Honor for volunteers

By telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the mobilization of volunteers since the beginning of the conflict. “The whole world has seen the incredible power of volunteers, how in hours they can raise funds for drones, ambulances, thermal imaging cameras, how they can get anything, buy anything, bring anything. Thank you for your kindness and hard work! »

12:05

Ukraine prepares for victory

The Ukrainian foreign minister is optimistic about the outcome of the conflict. Addressing the various pundits and analysts, Dmytro Kuleba says, “to know that some have difficulty imagining a Ukrainian victory. But we’ll get there. It is better to prepare now for Russia’s defeat than to try to explain why Ukraine cannot or should not win.”

11:55

540 Russians dead in 24 hours

In its daily report, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports 540 Russians killed within 24 hours, i.e. 91,690 in total since the beginning of the war. In addition, 2924 tanks would have been destroyed, as well as 5900 armored vehicles, 1914 artillery pieces, 281 aircraft, 1582 drones.

11:20

The UN human rights chief in Ukraine

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, arrived in Ukraine on Sunday. Oleksandr Korniyenko, first vice president of the Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, welcomed Volker Turk’s decision to come and hear the stories of “deported children, tortured civilians and executed prisoners of war”. For the Human Rights Commissioner, “People continue to be victims of this terrible war, with freezing temperatures compounding difficulties, especially for the most vulnerable.”

11:16

Russia’s oil price cap will not affect Ukraine’s offensive, Kremlin says

The cap on Russian oil prices decided by Western countries will not affect Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, the Kremlin assured and warned of a “destabilization” of the world energy market.

The Russian economy “has all the necessary capacity” to finance the military offensive, added Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, for whom “such measures will have no impact”.

11:13

The Finnish government has asked its parliament to formally adopt NATO’s founding treaty

To join the alliance, the Finnish parliament must formally approve the founding treaty of NATO. “Our NATO membership is important for us Finns, but also for NATO members,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. Hungary and Turkey have not yet agreed to the membership of Finland and Sweden.

11:08

After the attack on an airport in Russia, 14 Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers took off

After an airport attack on its soil, will Russia respond by bombing Ukraine?

10:25

The first Ukrainian ship with 25,000 tons of wheat has arrived in Ethiopia

A first ship of the Ukrainian aid program for the African countries hardest hit by the food crisis has arrived in Ethiopia with 25,000 tons of wheat.

10:15

Olaf Scholz calls on the West to avoid a new Cold War

Olaf Scholz calls on the West to avoid a new Cold War by dividing the world into blocs. In an article published today for Foreign Affairs magazine, the Chancellor called for every effort to be made to build new partnerships. “It means doing everything possible to build new partnerships, pragmatically and without ideological blinders,” he explained.

09:36

A Franco-Ukrainian diploma

The University of Lorraine launched its first promotion of a unique Franco-Ukrainian degree in record time. Meeting with the 41 young Ukrainians of this class. Read our article

08:59

China plans energy cooperation with Russia

After the G7 cut oil prices, China’s foreign ministry said it would continue energy cooperation with Russia. The G7 countries have imposed a $60 cap on Russian oil exports. For its part, China said it would continue its purchases of Russian Ural oil compounds this year on the basis of mutual respect and benefit.

08:49

Zelensky dreams of being able to catch a carp in the Dnipro River

In an interview with the FT, which named him “Person of the Year” and compared him to Churchill, the Ukrainian President said that he missed after nine months of fighting Russia and fishing for a carp in the Dnepro River with his son. “I’m more responsible than brave. I hate letting people down,” he explained.

08:11

Russian airfield attacked

An airfield near Ryazan in Russia, more than 700 km from the nearest airport in Ukraine and just 400 km from Moscow, suffered an explosion. According to Russian authorities, two TU-95 bombers were damaged and three people died. This attack could come from a Ukrainian drone. Recently, the Ukrainian defense contractor Ukroboronprom announced that it had developed a “Kamikaze” strike drone with a range of 1,000 kilometers and capable of carrying a 75-kg warhead.

07:57

Russian air strikes sharply down

According to the British Ministry of Defense, the number of attacks by Russian aircraft has decreased significantly. “Russian planes are now likely conducting dozens of missions per day, compared with a peak of 300 per day in March 2022,” the ministry said. The reasons ? Russia is said to have lost more than 60 planes. Added to this is the worsening of the weather conditions.

07:31

The Ukrainian song Carol of the Bells at Carnegie Hall in New York

A hundred years after it was first heard by North American audiences, the famous Ukrainian song Shchedryk, also known as “Carol of the Bells”, once again swept through the halls of Carnegie Hall in New York. The song by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych was first performed at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1922. This concert, in the presence of director Martin Scorsese, is part of a tour aimed at highlighting Ukrainian culture. The director urged everyone to donate to the “Reconstruction of Ukraine” campaign.

07:15

Lithuania transferred 155 mm shells to Ukraine

“We work every day to deter inmates,” the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said. In addition, the country announced on October 13 that it would supply Ukraine with mortars, drones and winter clothing. Last week Lithuania also repaired self-propelled artillery systems Panzerhaubitze 2000 and sent them to Ukraine.

07:10

Between 50 and 100 Russian soldiers are killed every day in fighting in Bakhmut

According to the Ukrainian army, between 50 and 100 Russian soldiers are killed every day in fighting near the town of Bakhmut. The number of injured would be the same, said Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the operational command of the Ukrainian armed forces.

07:01

500 to 600 billion euros for the reconstruction of Ukraine

In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Press, Anna Bjerde, Vice President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia, estimated that this sum will be necessary for the reconstruction of infrastructure in the country. This estimate is at least 150 billion euros higher than in June.

06:57

Russian MP suggests training dogs to blow up tanks in Ukraine

During a debate in Russia on the issue of shelters for homeless animals, MP Viktor Makarov suggested “training stray dogs to blow up tanks”.

06:48

New bombings on Kryvyi Rih

This city in the Dnepropetrovsk region was shelled at night. According to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration, “several powerful explosions shook the city”. An initial evaluation revealed one dead and three injured. Other strikes took place in Zaporijjia.

06:33

Beginning of the EU embargo on Russian crude oil

The European Union’s embargo on Russian crude comes into effect today in a bid to cut off this important source of finance from Moscow. In concrete terms, no shipment of Russian oil can reach European soil by sea. Before the conflict, this accounted for two-thirds of imports. Imports via pipeline, particularly via the Druzhba pipeline, remain permitted in order to be able to supply landlocked countries such as Hungary.

This embargo will help reduce Russian crude oil exports by 40%.

In February, new sanctions affect processed petroleum products such as diesel.

06:24

“Nothing will ever be the same again”

“I am absolutely convinced that there is no diplomatic solution with the Putin regime while it is still there,” said Sunday Irina Chtcherbakova, co-founder of the Russian NGO for the defense of human rights from Memorial Man, which was dissolved by authorities and carriers of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, who now lives in Germany. According to the Russian activist, hasty calls for peace are “childish”. “Nothing will ever be the same again,” she said.

05:57

“The enemy really hopes to use the winter against us”

“It’s worth seeing this winter not as a test, but as a time – a time that brings us closer to the essential – victory. Each of those 90 days of winter. In his daily video address, President Zelenskyy reflected on the challenges posed by the extreme cold in the conflict. “The enemy really hopes to turn winter against us: to make the cold and harshness of winter part of their terror. We must do everything we can to get through this winter, no matter how hard it may be. Surviving this winter means defending everything. All Ukraine has to become a big point of invincibility and work every day, work every night. The state, the economy, the people – all of us Ukrainians together. »

05:46

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