Skip next section Report: EU plans new Russia sanctions over attacks in Europe
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
Report: EU plans new Russia sanctions over attacks in Europe
Ambassadors from the 27-nation have agreed on setting up a new legal framework to impose on Russians linked to hybrid and sabotage attacks in European countries, diplomats told the AFP news agency.
The restrictions will include visa bans and asset freezes, according to the AFP report.
The text on new restrictions is expected to be formally signed off on next week.
Several EU and countries, including Germany and Poland, recently reported uncovering plots for such attacks, which they say Moscow had planned. They claim that such assaults are intended to slow down support for Ukraine.
Since February 2022, the EU has implemented 14 rounds of sanctions against Russia.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKmK
Skip next section Ukraine’s military says it is pulling troops from Vuhledar
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
Ukraine’s military says it is pulling troops from Vuhledar
The Ukrainian eastern military command said in a statement that it ordered troops to pull back from the strategic town of Vuhledar, in the eastern region.
“In an attempt to take control of the city at any cost, reserves were directed to carry out flanking attacks, which exhausted the defense of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the statement said. “As a result of the enemy’s actions, there arose a threat of encircling the city.”
The announcement came a day after Russian forces reached the center of Vuhledar after two years of fighting over the hill town.
Control of Vuhledar holds significance due to its dominant heights and proximity to railway lines, which gives Russia greater protection for their own logistics routes and a better vantage point for attacks against Ukrainian forces. Its capture also brings Russia closer to the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKWa
Skip next section Russia jails 13 over bid to thwart Ukraine offensive
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
Russia jails 13 over bid to thwart Ukraine offensive
A military court in the Siberian city of Chita said it handed jail terms to 13 people over sabotage attacks on “strategically important transportation infrastructure facilities” and critical energy sites.
The terms ranged between four and 23 years.
Prosecutors had argued that the 13 people, aged between 17 and 20, were trying to sabotage .
The court said the group was planning on burning Russian fighter jets at a military base in the Far East when they were arrested.
There have been several sabotage attempts against Russia’s railway network, which is used to transport troops and equipment for the war in Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKOj
Skip next section Ukraine ramps up drone production
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
Ukraine ramps up drone production
said his country is capable of producing 4 million drones a year — an industry that was almost nonexistent in Ukraine before .
“In extremely difficult conditions of the full-scale war under constant Russian strikes, Ukrainians were able to build a virtually new defense industry,” Zelenskyy told executives of arms manufacturers in Kyiv, in remarks that were authorized for publication Wednesday.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the same meeting that Ukraine had tripled its overall domestic arms production in 2023, adding that the volume had already doubled in just the first eight months of this year.
However, Ukraine has not provided detailed figures to back the claim.
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKH9
Skip next section China’s Xi ready to ‘expand’ ties with Putin
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
China’s Xi ready to ‘expand’ ties with Putin
Chinese state media reported that told his Russian counterpart and ally he was ready to “expand” cooperation.
Xi also hailed his and Putin’s efforts to strengthen ties in recent years “in the face of major changes unseen in a century.”
“Political mutual trust between the two sides has continued to deepen, practical cooperation has achieved remarkable results,” he said, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
The remarks came as China marks 75 years of and the subsequent establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.
Putin, who congratulated Xi on the anniversary, said Russia was the first country to recognize the People’s Republic of China.
Xi is one of Putin’s closest allies. In 2022, Beijing and Moscow described their relationship as having “no limits,” just before Russia launched its .
China has since come under pressure from Western leaders who have urged Xi .
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKEV
Skip next section Russian forces reach Vuhledar center, media claim capture
10/02/2024October 2, 2024
Russian forces reach Vuhledar center, media claim capture
Vadym Filashkin, the governor of , said that Russian troops had reached the center of the town of Vuhledar.
The small mining town has been under intense pressure in recent days as Russian forces renewed their efforts, reportedly for the fifth time since the start of the war, to capture it.
Filashkin described the situation as “extremely difficult.”
The town, which had more than 14,000 residents before the war, now has a population of only 107 civilians, according to Filashkin.
On Wednesday, Russian media and bloggers claimed that Vuhledar was captured, citing unverified footage.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed the reports. DW could not immediately verify the claims.
Control of Vuhledar is significant to both sides as it sits on elevated ground, making it a natural platform to shell targets in the area.
The town also lies at the intersection of the eastern and southern front lines.
fb/nm (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4lKC9
The post Ukraine pulls troops from Vuhledar as Russia advances appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
