LONDON, – A British assessment of the alleged Ukrainian attack on oil depots near the Russian port of Novorossiysk shows that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was vulnerable to attack from kyiv.

The British Ministry of Defense referred to Russian and Ukrainian media in its daily intelligence update on Tuesday that an “attack” occurred on November 18 at an oil terminal near the Russian naval base.

The ministry however said that “full details of this incident have not yet been released. However, any demonstration of a Ukrainian capability to threaten Novorssiysk would most likely present an additional strategic challenge for the (Black Sea Fleet).

“It would also further undermine Russia’s already diminished maritime influence in the Black Sea,” London added.

Media had reported that a Ukrainian drone had probably attacked a terminal of the oil company Transneft on the night of November 17 to 18. The company denied the reports.

After Ukraine attacked the Russian base at Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the Russian Navy moved several submarines to Novorossiysk.

The fact that this port is now also accessible to Ukrainians also poses a threat to the Russian landing ships stationed there, it was further clarified in London.

These vessels have played a bigger role in supplying Russian forces in Ukraine since the damage to the land bridge over the Kerch Strait between the Russian mainland and Crimea in October.

Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine in late February, the UK Ministry of Defense has been issuing daily intelligence updates on the course of the war to counter the Russian narrative.

Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign. (Afp/NAN)

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The Kremlin says it cannot consider maintaining an open dialogue with kyiv.

On Thursday, the Kremlin claimed that kyiv had changed the parameters of possible peace negotiations and expressed its inability to consider an open dialogue with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in conference call with reporters that if Kyiv wished, the US could push him to come back to the negotiating table and consider Russia’s concerns .

Peskov added that Ukraine could not be trusted because it had changed its mind frequently throughout the nine-month dispute over whether it even wanted to engage in negotiations with Moscow.

Peskov told reporters: “First they negotiate, then they refuse to negotiate, then they enact a law prohibiting any negotiation, then they say they want negotiations, but public ones.”

“Therefore, it is difficult to envisage public negotiations. There is no doubt that the Ukrainians do not want negotiations,” he added.

Peskov said Moscow would continue what he calls a “special military operation” in this context and that the missile strikes at sites across Ukraine were the result of Kyiv’s reluctance to sit down for negotiations.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News/Sputnik – November 15, 2022) French President Emmanuel Macron has asked his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to defuse Ukraine and return to the negotiating table with Kyiv during of their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing a French official.

The G20 summit is taking place on the Indonesian island of Bali from November 15-16.

According to the official, China’s position towards Russia on the conflict in Ukraine is becoming more balanced and constructive.

Macron also intends to visit China when COVID-19 restrictions allow, the source added.

In late September, Putin said Moscow was still open to talks with kyiv and called on Ukraine to end hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, said kyiv was ready to engage with Moscow, but only if another president came to power in Russia, a request he later dropped.

Earlier this month, Zelenskyy set out the terms for peace talks with Russia, demanding the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, respect for the UN Charter, “compensation for all damages caused by the war”, and guarantees that the conflict “will not happen again”, among other things.

US support for Ukraine would increase or at least stay the same regardless of the results of the midterm elections, because helping kyiv is in Washington’s interest, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.

“It is in the direct interest of the United States to support Ukraine until victory, and I believe that, even after the election, American support will either remain at the same high level or it will increase,” said Reznikov. told the American weekly Newsweek Thursday.

“A majority of the American people” supported kyiv and understood that “it is up to them to join Ukraine in this fight” against Moscow, said the Ukrainian minister.

Republican lawmakers, who are expected to win a majority in the House and are known for their skepticism of excessive financial support for Ukraine, could slow aid, says former Virginia state senator Richard Black . Sputnik earlier today.

During a press conference on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his optimism and hope that the new Congress “will continue this bipartisan approach to controlling Russia’s aggression in Ukraine”.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were up for grabs this year, along with various state and local positions.

Republicans are expected to gain control of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, while control of the upper house, the Senate, is largely undetermined. This could hamper White House decision-making in various areas, including military support for Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Biden expressed hope he could reach a deal on supplying Ukraine with more help.

House Minority Leader McCarthy said Republicans would not write a “blank cheque” for Ukraine if his party wins a majority in the House, adding that “people are going to be sitting in a recession and they will not write a blank check to Ukraine”.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Zelenskyy calls for extension of Ankara-brokered grain export deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the visiting US ambassador to the United Nations that the Ankara-brokered grain export deal that unblocked three major Ukrainian ports must be extended.

“We maintain the line that the initiative must continue whether or not the Russian Federation is willing,” Zelenskyy told Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield during talks in Kyiv.

He added on the Telegram messaging application: “Ukraine is ready to remain the guarantor of world food security”.

Ukrainian Zelenskyy tells COP27 that Russia’s war is hurting climate efforts

A rapidly warming world ‘cannot afford a single shot’, Ukrainian President Zelensky told UN climate summit, saying Russia’s offensive threatens international efforts to fight against global warming.

“We must stop those who, with their senseless and illegal war, are destroying the ability of the world to work together for a common goal,” he said.

Zelenskyy added that world leaders must tell those who do not take the climate crisis seriously that “they are making a catastrophic mistake”.

Moscow-backed authorities say electricity has been restored in Kherson

Kremlin-backed authorities in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region said power had been fully restored to its main city, after blaming kyiv for attacks that cut off water supplies and in electricity.

The city of Kherson was the first urban center to be captured by Russia after Moscow announced its “special military operation” in February and it suffered breakdowns after strikes on Sunday for which Moscow and kyiv traded blame.

“There is electricity, despite sabotage and attacks,” Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed Kherson region, said on social media.

Italy ready to supply air defense systems to Ukraine – official

The Italian government is preparing a new arms package for Ukraine, including air defense systems, a ruling coalition official said.

Western countries have delivered more air defense equipment to Ukraine since President Zelenskyy last month asked the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries for help in stopping Russian missiles from raining down on cities Ukrainians.

The Italian coalition official, who declined to be named, said Rome was ready to supply Ukraine with a variety of air defense systems, including the Franco-Italian medium-range SAMP/T and the Italian Aspide, as well as portable Stinger missiles.

Ukrainian Prime Minister: evacuation of cities “would not make sense” at the moment

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he sees no need at this time to evacuate Kyiv or any other city that is not near the front lines in the war with Russia.

He made his comments during a cabinet meeting in the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, and after Kyiv’s mayor told residents to consider everything, including the worst-case scenario of the capital losing outright. electricity and water.

“Right now, the situation is far from (need) to announce an evacuation,” Shmyhal said. “We have to say that announcing the evacuation of any town that is not near the front lines, especially the capital, would not make sense at the present time.”

The restoration of territorial integrity is a key condition for resuming talks: Ukraine

The Ukraine’s Security Council secretary said the “main condition” for resuming negotiations with Russia would be the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also set conditions for talks with Russia, calling on Moscow to abide by the UN Charter and pay compensation for losses caused by the ongoing war.

Addressing the 27th UN Climate Change Conference via video link, Zelenskyy also reiterated his calls for restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, punishing all war criminals and ensuring that this will not happen again.

Russia, US discuss first nuclear talks since Ukraine conflict – report

Russia and the United States plan to hold strategic nuclear weapons talks for the first time since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine, according to a Russian newspaper Kommersant said, citing four sources familiar with the talks.

Talks between the two sides on strategic stability have been frozen since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine, even as the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty remains in force.

The talks could take place in the Middle East, the newspaper said, adding that Moscow no longer considered Switzerland, the traditional venue, as neutral enough after imposing sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.

Putin may seek to join summit virtually: G20 host

Russian President Vladimir Putin will join the G20 leaders’ summit next week “if the situation is possible”, said his Indonesian counterpart and host of the meeting, adding that Putin could attend virtually instead.

Joko Widodo, who this year chairs the major economies bloc, said Putin in a phone conversation last week had not ruled out attending the Bali summit and would join if possible. “But if not… maybe he will ask to do it virtually,” he told reporters during a visit to Bali without giving further details.

The FinancialTimes The newspaper earlier quoted Widodo as saying his conversation with Putin left him with a “strong impression” that he would not attend.

Ukrainian star novelist Kurkov travels the world for his war “duty”

Internationally acclaimed Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov has become something of a traveling cultural spokesperson for Ukraine’s war effort to “explain to Western audiences what they don’t know and don’t understand about Ukraine” .

The 61-year-old, famous for his Russian-language satirical novel “Death and the Penguin”, he travels to European and American literary festivals to discuss his new non-fiction work, “Diary of an Invasion”.

“It’s my contribution, it’s actually my duty,” Kurkov told AFP.

New Zealand is deploying men and resources to help Ukraine: senior diplomat

New Zealand has deployed people and assets to facilitate the flow of supplies to Ukraine against Russia, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Speaking at a conference, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said her country was also providing military assistance to support Ukraine’s right to defend itself.

“In the UK we are training Ukrainian troops and supporting intelligence efforts (and) we have provided humanitarian aid to refugees and those still in Ukraine,” she said.

Ukraine takes control of stakes in five strategic companies under wartime laws

Ukraine invoked wartime laws to take control of stakes in five “strategically important” companies to ensure sufficient supplies for its military.

“A decision concerning certain Ukrainian companies was announced today. This decision was dictated by military necessity and was agreed upon at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s staff.

The companies included Motor Sich, KrAz, Ukrnafta, Ukratatnafta and Zaporizhtransformator, with Zelenskyy saying all will participate in Ukraine’s efforts against Russia.

Russian forces attacked more than 50 settlements in Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Russian forces have hit more than 50 settlements in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in his daily video message, adding that Ukraine is fighting back and advancing gradually.

“We respond everywhere. We have the necessary results – another Russian plane was shot down,” he said, adding that they received new systems that will significantly strengthen Ukrainian air defenses.

“Of course Ukrainian airspace is not completely secure, but we are making progress,” he said.

Donetsk remains ‘epicenter’ of fighting with Russia – Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy said the eastern Donetsk region remained the focal point of fighting in the conflict, with hundreds of Russians being killed every day.

“The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the occupiers’ greatest madness,” Zelenskyy said. “They are being killed by the hundreds every day. The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is littered with the bodies of the occupiers.”

The towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka are the places of the heaviest fighting in the Donetsk region.

North Korea denies arming Russia

North Korea said on Tuesday that US claims that Pyongyang was supplying artillery munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine were baseless, state media KCNA reported.

“Recently, the United States has been persistently spreading a baseless ‘arms smuggling rumor’ between the DPRK and Russia,” North Korea’s deputy director of military foreign affairs at the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. a statement, according to KCNA.

According to the statement, North Korea sees the ‘rumor’ as part of the ‘hostile US attempt to tarnish the image of the DPRK in the international arena’, using an acronym for Korea’s official name. North.

“We make it clear once again that we have never had an ‘arms trade’ with Russia and that we have no plans to do so in the future,” the statement said.

Zelenskyy tells Netanyahu to ‘strengthen our states’

President Zelenskyy has argued for closer security ties with Israel, saying the two countries face similar threats.

“I think everyone knows what Ukraine emphasizes and Israel’s emphasis on security,” Zelenskyy said after a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, the winner of Israel’s election last week.

“I believe that we can significantly strengthen our states, especially since the threats we have are linked.”

Zelenskyy has called on Israel for weeks to supply arms, particularly air defense systems, to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

For live updates from Monday, November 7, click here

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Israeli media reported that “Israel” had received a clear warning from Russia that if it tried to transfer defense systems to Ukraine via a third country, it would be considered crossing a red line and would have consequences.

Earlier in September, Israeli media reported that an Israeli arms manufacturer was supplying anti-UAV systems to Ukraine via Poland, noting that the sales were made via Warsaw to circumvent “Tel Aviv’s refusal to sell advanced weapons to Ukraine.

The arms producer allegedly informed the Israeli Security Ministry that it was selling arms to Poland, although he pretended not to know that the latter was then giving the arms to kyiv for use against the Russia.

Read more: Russian Justice Ministry calls for Jewish Agency to be disbanded

Russian Ambassador to ‘Israel’ Anatoly Viktorov has warned the occupation not to supply arms to Ukraine amid Israeli calls to arm kyiv, just like NATO and the US are doing , referring to a statement by a so-called Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs earlier that the Israeli entity must follow suit with the United States and NATO and send military weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia.

Foreign Affairs Commentator on Israel Channel 13Gili Tamari, said that “the American intelligence services approved [Ukrainian President] Zelensky’s claim he made last week when he called on Israel to help his country against what he called military cooperation between Russia and Iran.”

Zelensky claimed at the time that “in exchange for the military aid that Iran gives to Russia, the Iranians requested nuclear fuel and equipment to accelerate their nuclear program.”

Read more: Zelensky hails ‘positivity’ in Israeli relations after information sharing

Commenting on Zelensky’s statements, Tamari said: “The Russian response is not clear to the Americans. In any case, if the Russians respond, it is a violation of the nuclear agreement, and the Russians are signatories to it and are obliged to.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said earlier today that Iran and Ukraine agreed earlier to hold a meeting on Tehran’s supply of drones to Russia, but Kyiv called off. the meeting at the last moment after “the United States and some European countries, especially Germany,” asked Ukraine not to attend the meeting because the West has used the drone issue in its policy against Iran.

Read more: On Russia vs. Ukraine, ‘I’m on the side of the United States’: Israeli general

Earlier in October, Russian Security Council President Dmitry Medvedev warned “Israel” against supplying arms to Ukraine, stressing that any move to bolster kyiv’s arsenal would be a serious damage to bilateral relations, describing it as a “very reckless move” if implemented.

Ukraine and its Western allies have long accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia in the midst of war. However, Amir-Abdollahian said earlier today that his country had indeed given a small batch of drones to Russia, but that was before the war in Ukraine broke out.

Read more: Israeli media: Russian-Iranian technological cooperation worries “Israel” and the United States