Russian strikes, including using suicide drones, killed at least eight people in Ukraine on Monday and 13 people died in Russia when a Russian military plane crashed near the Ukrainian border.
But also 9,000 Russian soldiers sent, 108 women released by Moscow, and threats of American sanctions against Iran...
Le Figaro
takes stock this Tuesday, October 18 on the latest information related to the war in Ukraine.
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Russian military plane crash
At least thirteen people including three children lost their lives after the crash of a Russian Su-34 military plane on Monday in the city of Yeisk, near Ukraine, according to a report by the Russian authorities, who announced on Tuesday the end researches.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement that rescuers had "
completed the search of the rubble
", discovering "
ten more bodies
", after announcing the death of three people.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: how the Russian air force was silenced despite its superiority
"
The total number of victims is 13, including three children
" and "
19 people were injured
", according to the ministry, quoted by Russian agencies.
The crash on Monday evening caused a fire in the nine-story building where around 600 residents reside.
The city of Yeisk, where the tragedy occurred, is a city bordering the Sea of Azov located in the Krasnodar region, close to Ukraine.
39 strikes on Monday
In total, throughout the day, "
the enemy carried out nine missile strikes, 39 air strikes, (fired) up to 30 shells with multiple rocket launchers
", summarized in the evening the Ukrainian Army General Staff.
In addition to the capital, the surroundings of Kharkiv and Sumy (north-east), Donetsk (east), Dnipropetrovsk (center-east) or Kherson and Mykolaiv (south) were affected, a week after massive bombardments on Ukraine, he continued.
Crucial infrastructure in three regions, including that of Kiev, was affected, leaving "
hundreds of localities
" without electricity, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal, reporting "
five drone strikes
" of alleged Iranian manufacture on the only capital.
According to the Ukrainian emergency services, still in the capital, a suicide drone also hit an administrative building.
An AFP journalist saw one of the suicide drones hit a building, after two police officers tried to shoot it down with their service weapons.
Thousands of Russian soldiers and tanks sent to Belarus
Up to 9,000 Russian soldiers and around 170 tanks will be deployed in Belarus, an ally of Russia, to integrate the new military grouping created between the two countries, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.
The creation of this new force supposed to defend the borders of Belarus against a Ukrainian threat was announced last week, at a time when Russia suffered several setbacks in its offensive in Ukraine.
"
The total number
" of Russian soldiers "
supposed to arrive in Belarus is up to 9,000
," the Belarusian Defense Minister's adviser for international military cooperation, Valery Revenko, said on Telegram.
According to him, Russia will also send to Belarus "
about 170 tanks, up to 200 (other) armored vehicles and up to 100 weapons and mortars of a caliber above 100 mm
".
The Russian units will be deployed on "
four training grounds in eastern and central Belarus
", where they will participate in exercises involving in particular "
combat fire and anti-aircraft missile fire
", said Valéri Revenko .
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last week accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of preparing "
terrorist
" attacks and an "
uprising
" in Belarus and announced the deployment of this regional military grouping.
Zelensky denounces the “terrorists”, 108 women freed by Russia
“
Russian terrorists have managed to strike again.
In kyiv, they killed a young family, targeting an apartment building with an Iranian Shahed (drone).
A man and a six-month-pregnant woman (…) In total, four people were killed by this one Shahed
,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky got carried away in the evening.
“
Russia has no chance (of winning) on the battlefield.
And she tries to conceal her military defeats with terror.
Why does she need terror?
To put pressure on us, on Europe and on the whole world
,” he continued in his daily video message.
“
In order to guarantee the protection of our skies and to reduce the capabilities of Russian terrorists to zero, we need significantly more modern air defense systems and more missiles for them
,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“
We have been here for maybe half an hour and four drones have fallen
,” explained one of them, Yaroslav, still nervous after firing.
However, despite this context, 108 women, mostly soldiers, were freed thanks to a new prisoner exchange with Russia, noted President Zelensky.
Threat of new US sanctions
kyiv has asked the EU to impose more sanctions on Iran, which denies supplying killer drones to Russia for its offensive against Ukraine.
“
Iran is responsible for the murder of Ukrainians.
This country which oppresses its own people is now supplying monstrous weapons for mass murder in the heart of Europe
,” denounced Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency.
Tehran reiterated its denials.
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Washington has threatened to sanction companies or states collaborating in Iran's drone program.
"
Anyone doing business with Iran in connection with the development of drones or ballistic missiles, or (participating in) the flow of weapons from Iran to Russia should be vigilant
," said Vedant Patel, State Department spokesperson.
"
The United States will not hesitate to use sanctions or take action against those most responsible
."
"
The strengthening of the alliance between Russia and Iran should be considered by the whole world (...) as a grave danger
", he added.
In southern Ukraine, the army had previously said it had shot down 26 Iranian Shahed-136 drones overnight from Sunday to Monday.
EU military aid
"
The EU is increasing its military aid to Ukraine to 3.1 billion euros and is launching a military training mission for our soldiers
", welcomed the head of the cabinet of the Ukrainian presidency, Andriï Yermak. .
On Monday, EU foreign ministers discussed in Luxembourg an increase in European military aid and the training of some 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
kyiv's Western allies then promised it more air defense systems and some have already been delivered.
The Russians are on the defensive on most of the front in Ukraine, retreating since September in the north, east and south.
The only section where they are still advancing is the area of the city of Bakhmout (east) which they have been trying to take since the summer.