Russian-appointed official anticipates Ukrainian offensive in Zaporizhia

Created: 2022-10-26 05:01

By: Sandra Kathe, Tim Vincent Dicke, Nail Akkoyun, Lucas Maier

Ukraine is confident in the war against Russia.

Steinmeier is meanwhile forced into an air raid shelter.

The news ticker.

• Battle for Cherson:

  Ukraine is apparently planning a major attack on the occupied regional capital.

• Russian attacks on the energy supply:

  Zelenskyj warns of the "hardest winter in history"

• Editor's note:

  You can read all the news and developments in the Ukraine war in our news ticker.

  Some of the information from Russia and Ukraine comes from warring factions in the Ukraine conflict and can therefore not be directly verified independently.

+++ 10:45 p.m .:

The Russian occupying forces in southern Ukraine are setting up a paramilitary guard in the Zaporizhia region, similar to what they have already done in Cherson.

This may be in response to Russian troops' difficulties in confronting the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Two Ukrainian soldiers fire from a US-supplied M777 howitzer.

© Libkos/dpa

The new territorial defense force will be entrusted with guarding roads, bridges, railways, factories and infrastructure objects, said head of administration Yevgeny Balitsky.

If necessary, however, they would also be used "in front-line defense," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

View photo gallery

+++ 9.50 p.m .:

The Russian-occupied part of the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia could soon become the target of a Ukrainian offensive, as a senior Moscow-appointed official of the regional government said on Tuesday (October 25, 2022).

“There is a good chance that the Zaporizhia region will become the main target of the Ukrainian offensive.

What is this based on?

On the fact that the amount of enemy equipment and manpower concentrated here is significant, to say the least,” Vladimir Rogov told Russian state television Channel One.

Rogov added that there could be attacks on the cities of Zaporizhia from the Orekhov and Gulyai-Pole oblasts.

What is meant here are the cities of Enerhodar, Vasilyevka, Tokmak, Pology up to Berdyansk.  

According to the Russia-backed official, such a scenario is "quite possible" as these locations are plain with no natural obstacles such as rivers or forests.

“Of course there will be resistance.

Our people are waiting, our people are preparing.

Our military is well aware of the potential risks,” Rosgov added.

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Israel's President Provides US Information About Iranian Drones in Ukraine

+++ 9:25 p.m .:

Israel’s President has stated that he is sharing information with the US proving that Iran has supplied Russian-operated drones that have wreaked havoc in Ukraine and is calling for a tough response.

President Isaac Herzog, who has a largely ceremonial role, held talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a visit to Washington.

He will also speak with President Joe Biden on Wednesday (10/26/2022).

"Iranian weapons play a key role in destabilizing our world and the international community must learn lessons from this, now and in the future," Herzog said.

"The world must speak to Iran in the same language - a tough, united and uncompromising language."

"Dirty bomb": Russia turns on UN Security Council - Ukraine informs nuclear authority

+++ 9:00 p.m .:

Russia has recently accused Ukraine of wanting to use a “dirty bomb”.

Now Moscow is even bringing the accusation, which the West has called unfounded, to the UN Security Council, as the

writes.

A closed-door meeting for Tuesday (October 25) was announced on Monday (October 24).

Ukraine itself has already responded to Russia's allegations and proactively asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect the facilities in question again, the agency said on Sunday (October 24).

The IAEA inspected one of these sites a month ago and all of our findings were consistent with Ukraine's safeguards statements.

No undeclared nuclear activity or materials were found there,” said IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

Serious allegations against Russia: Video is said to show an attack with phosphorus weapons

+++ 19.15:

Again serious allegations against the armed forces from Russia.

Ukraine's armed forces have accused Russia of using phosphorus shells in the Donetsk region.

A video released by the press service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is said to show the use of phosphorus shells.

So far, the video has not been confirmed, nor have the allegations against Russia.

Weapons containing phosphorus are subject to the Geneva Convention and are banned in war.

Russia is repeatedly suspected of using the banned weapons.

Warning to refugees: Return to Ukraine only after spring

+++ 18:25:

People who fled from the Russian troops from Ukraine should not return to Ukraine for the time being, according to the recommendation of Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Wereschuk.

In a TV speech on Tuesday (October 25), the 42-year-old called on people to stay abroad at least until spring, writes the Ukrainian online newspaper

.

"Russia has turned to terrorizing the civilian population," warns Vereshchuk.

Russia's aggression increased in the winter and spring, she explains her recommendation.

Cryptic post from Zelenskyy's top adviser: "There will be good news soon"

+++ 17:29:

The head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, caused a stir with a post on Twitter.

He wrote in Ukrainian and English on the short message service: "There will be good news soon." Within a short time, thousands of users rated the tweet with "Like".

It was initially not known whether Yermak was referring to the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Kherson region or something else.

News about the Ukraine war: Suspected Russian spy arrested in Norway

+++ 17.03:

Access in Norway: The country's counterintelligence (PST) has arrested a suspected Russian spy who had posed as a Brazilian researcher.

According to the PST, the access took place on Monday morning (October 24) when the suspect went to his workplace at the University of Tromsö in northern Norway.

"We assume that he worked for the Russian authorities," Deputy Counterintelligence Chief Hedvig Moe told TV2.

In this case, Norwegian counterintelligence cooperated with the secret services of friendly countries.

She wants to apply for the alleged spy, who was initially detained for four weeks, to be expelled.

News about the Ukraine war: Air raid alert – Steinmeier has to flee to a bunker

+++ 16:26:

An air alarm during his visit to Koryukivka in northern Ukraine forced Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier into the protective cellar.

"We spent the first hour and a half in the air raid shelter," Steinmeier said on Tuesday.

In the capital Kyiv, he had previously assured the Ukrainian people of Germany's unshakable solidarity.

The air raid alarm and the hour and a half in the shelter "made us particularly impressively aware of the conditions under which people live here," said the Federal President.

Korjukivka had been occupied by Russian troops at the beginning of the war of aggression.

The occupiers have withdrawn, but the city is struggling with destroyed infrastructure and supply shortages before the onset of winter.

Steinmeier praised the courage of the residents "who opposed the tanks with their bare hands and actually made them stop".

In the meantime, the power supply has been repaired to some extent, the Federal President reported.

And a district heating plant is being converted so that it can be heated with wood from the region.

According to Steinmeier, Germany is helping "a little", among other things with technology that is being made available by the German side.

News on the Ukraine war: Russia insists on allegations against Ukraine

+++ 2.45 p.m .:

Despite sharp Western rejection, Moscow insists on the claim that Ukraine is preparing to use a radioactive “dirty” bomb in the war.

The US refusal to take notice is unacceptable in the face of such a threat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies.

"This is an approach that is far from serious, an approach that I would say is inappropriate given the seriousness of the threat we are talking about."

Russia made the allegations public on Sunday (October 23), Ukraine, the United States, France and Great Britain rejected them.

US National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Monday that there was absolutely no truth to the Russian claim.

"It's just not true.

We know it's not true," Kirby said.

"Dirty bomb" in the Ukraine war?

Dire warning of Russia's course of action

+++ 12.58 p.m .:

According to Ukrainian information, seven civilians were killed and three others injured in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

This was announced by the Governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, in the messenger service Telegram.

In addition, three bodies of civilians killed earlier were found in two places in the region.

Meanwhile, Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called on the West to take seriously Russia's "dirty bomb" claim.

Moscow's allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a nuclear-contaminated bomb on its own territory during the war could possibly be the prelude to a military escalation, the chief diplomat of the Baltic EU and NATO country said on Tuesday (October 25) on the radio .

"It's very reminiscent of Russia's statements leading up to February 24," Landsbergis said.

At the time, before the attack on Ukraine, Moscow had also spread false information about chemical plants that allegedly existed in Ukraine.

“Some partners took it seriously, but not necessarily all.

We thought it was just a campaign of lies by Russia, but we'll see how it turned out," he said.

Now there are the same repercussions.

News about the Ukraine war: Bomb explodes in Russian-occupied city

+++ 10.08 a.m .:

A bomb exploded in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine on Tuesday morning (October 25).

This was announced by the city administration according to reports from Russian news agencies.

The explosive device in a car was detonated at a business center where the local radio station is also based.

Five people, including radio employees, were injured.

Melitopol serves as the occupation's administrative headquarters for the Zaporizhia Oblast, which Russia has declared annexed.

The actual regional capital, Zaporizhia, is still in Ukrainian hands.

The occupation administration spoke of a terrorist attack.

That was not proven.

At the same time, it is known that Ukrainian forces are continuing to fight in occupied territories using partisan tactics.

Russian agencies reported that there had already been seven explosions in Melitopol during the night from Ukrainian fire.

News on the Ukraine war: Selenskyj warns of the "hardest winter in history"

+++ 7.35 a.m .:

In his video speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj again emphasized that Ukraine had defended its independence despite the Russian attacks and continued to liberate its occupied territories every day.

At the same time, the head of state warned not to let up in the fight against Russia and to continue fighting until victory.

Among other things, Zelenskyj swore the country to a winter "which will be the hardest in our history" in view of the energy plants destroyed by Russian missiles.

War in Ukraine: Steinmeier surprisingly arrived in Ukraine

Update from Tuesday, October 25, 7 a.m.:

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday morning for a surprise visit.

It is his first trip to the country since Russia's war of aggression began on February 24.

Among other things, Steinmeier wants to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital Kyiv. 

Upon his arrival, Steinmeier emphasized the continued support from Germany for the people of Ukraine: “My message to the Ukrainians is: We are not just on your side.

Instead, we will continue to support the Ukraine - economically, politically and militarily." The Federal President also addressed his words to the German population: "Let's not forget what this war means for the people here in Ukraine, how much suffering, how much destruction there is.

The people of Ukraine need us.”

Last week, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which is responsible for the security of the Federal President, postponed the trip at short notice.

Russia had repeatedly launched massive attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

The power and heat supply suffered considerable damage.

The capital Kyiv was also increasingly attacked.

The timing of Steinmeier's trip is a signal, as the Federal President emphasized: "It was important to me to send a sign of solidarity to the Ukrainians, especially in this phase of the air attacks with drones, cruise missiles and rockets."

Ukraine war: According to Zelenskyj, Ukraine breaks “the so-called second strongest army in the world”

+++ 10:50 p.m .:

In a video speech, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj called on his compatriots to persevere and emphasized the Russian failure.

"Ukraine is breaking the so-called second strongest army in the world," said Zelenskyj, emphasizing that Russia was not only suffering heavy military losses, but was also becoming more and more isolated politically.

Russia has thrown away any previous potential for the "lunacy" of war against Ukraine and the entire free world.

He published the video exactly eight months to the day after the first Russian soldiers marched into Ukraine.

shows that giving up is not an option for ruler Vladimir Putin

.

Based on several Russian wedding statistics, the calculated that Russia's military could have already significantly exceeded the declared goal of conscripting up to 300,000 soldiers in the event of a partial mobilization.

According to one estimate, up to 492,000 marriages have been concluded in the past few weeks that have fallen short of the usual waiting period of four weeks.

However, this is only possible if the men can prove that they have been drafted into the military.

Ukraine War: Military in Belarus announce exercise near Ukraine and Poland

+++ 9:00 p.m .:

Extensive military exercises have been announced for the coming week in the Belarusian city of Brest, near the borders with Ukraine and Poland.

The Belarusian news

quoted a city official as saying on Monday that gunfire and "movement of various types of military equipment" are expected during the week.

According to the city representative, the training units correspond to the plans that are defined in the training plan of the respective units.

Last week, however, more Russian soldiers arrived in Ukraine's northern neighbor, whose ruler Alexander Lukashenko is considered an important Russian ally.

Russian attacks from Belarusian soil were reported several times during the war.

Neither the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) nor the British Ministry of Defense are currently warning of the risk of Belarus entering the war.

Ukraine War News: Russia “Warns” About Dirty Bomb – West “Concerned”

+++ 6.45 p.m .:

Also on Monday, Russian politicians warned of a new level of escalation in the Ukraine war and claimed that Ukraine was preparing to drop a so-called “dirty bomb” on its own country.

According to the Ukrainian news portal

, the Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that special forces and equipment for a possible mission under "radioactive contamination" are "on standby".

In an interview with the US newspaper

, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the statements as "absurd" and emphasized that the allegation corresponded to a pattern that Russia had already used during its deployment in Syria or before the start of the war in Ukraine: while accuse Russia "of doing what they themselves plan to do," Stoltenberg said.

The West votes "concerned".

News about the Ukraine war: Renewed mobilization?

Kyiv lacks soldiers

Update from Monday, October 24, 4:30 p.m .:

While Russia is increasingly struggling with losses, the Ukrainian military is also getting into trouble.

According to Yuriy Maksymow, Kyiv's top military commissar, the country's own army urgently needs to be strengthened.

In an interview with the Ukrainian TV channel

, Maksymov said that Ukraine still needs to increase its potential.

"We all see that our army is confidently conducting offensive actions in certain directions," the military commissar praised the army.

But further mobilization of the armed forces is necessary.

On Saturday (October 22) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on voluntary registration of women for military service.

Men are still required to do military service.

According to the military commissioner, all conscripts under the age of 60 would soon have to reckon with a summons.

Refusals face a prison sentence of up to five years.

News about the Ukraine war: Ukrainian military targets Cherson

First report from Monday, October 24, 3:55 p.m.:

Kiev/Kherson/Moscow – Before an expected major offensive by the Ukrainian army in the southern area of ​​Cherson, there were only isolated battles along the front.

This came out on Monday (October 24) from the situation reports of the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces.

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow reported that Ukrainian attacks in the eastern area of ​​Kupjansk and Lyman and north of the occupied Black Sea port of Cherson had been repelled.

From the capital Kyiv, on the other hand, the report came that Russian attacks on the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar had been successfully repelled.

The spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, spoke of battles at battalion and company level.

He also reported on allegedly unsuccessful attacks by Ukrainian troops on several villages in the Kherson region.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian general staff reported fighting in the Donbass around the cities of Soledar and Bakhmut and further south around Avdiivka and Marjinka.

The information provided by the warring parties could not be verified independently.

News from the Ukraine: Bridgehead near Cherson probably the target of the next offensive

However, it is suspected that a major Ukrainian offensive is imminent.

The Russian bridgehead north-west of the Dnipro River in the Cherson region – including the city itself – is considered the most likely area of ​​attack. Here, the supply routes of the Russian troops are largely blocked.

However, Ukrainian advances in the Zaporizhia region towards the Sea of ​​Azov are not ruled out either.

Reports of troop concentrations on both sides have increased in recent days.

(red/dpa/afp)