Generals injured in strike on Russian navy’s Black Sea HQ

Nine people were killed and 16 injured, among them two generals, in a Ukrainian airstrike on Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters in Crimea, according to the head of Ukrainian military intelligence.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, told the Voice of America that “among the wounded is the commander of the group, Col Gen [Alexander] Romanchuk, in a very serious condition. The chief of staff, Lt Gen [Oleg] Tsekov, is unconscious.”

A Ukrainian missile strike hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol on Friday. Footage posted on social media showed clouds of white smoke billowing from the rooftop of the building.

Soon after the strike Russia’s defence ministry said that one military serviceman was missing as a result of the assault.

Budanov did not confirm reports about the alleged death of the commander of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Adm Viktor Sokolov.

“The number of casual military servicemen who are not employees of the headquarters is still being determined. These are military personnel who are on duty, security, and so on — they are not included in the list that I announced to you,” Budanov was quoted as saying by Voice of America.

Ukraine has struck Black Sea navy HQ with missile – Russian official

At least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, causing a fire, local governor Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram.

Razvozhayev said another strike was possible and urged people to avoid the city centre where the building is located. Firefighters were at the site, he said. These claims are yet to be independently verified.

Some Sevastopol residents said they heard explosions in the skies and saw smoke, Russian news outlets reported. Ukraine did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.

Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks in the course of the 19-month war.

Kyiv-Warsaw talks ‘set for coming days’ after Poland says it will stop sending weapons

Here’s more from AFP on the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Poland over grain exports:

Kyiv said it would hold talks with Warsaw in the coming days over an escalating dispute on Ukrainian grain exports, as the neighbours reiterated their “close” ties.

Poland – which holds parliamentary elections next month – has extended an embargo on Ukrainian grain, going against a European Commission decision to end the restrictions.

The issue has led to a diplomatic spat between the allies during the Russian invasion.

Kyiv’s agriculture ministry said in a statement:

The next negotiations will take place in the coming days, during which the issues prepared by both sides will be discussed.

It said Ukrainian agriculture minister Mykola Solsky held a telephone conversation with his Polish counterpart Robert Telus.

The statement read:

The ministers discussed the situation as well as Ukraine’s proposal for its settlement, and agreed to find a solution that takes into account the interests of both countries.

It added that “the parties confirmed the close and constructive relations”.

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit at the World Trade Organisation against its three EU neighbours – Poland, Slovakia and Hungary – over the bans on Ukrainian grain.

Warsaw holds parliamentary elections next month. Its populist right-wing government has strong support in agricultural regions and has presented the ban as protecting Polish farmers.

Earlier, Poland’s prime minister said his country would no longer send arms to Ukraine in order to focus on its own defence, a few hours after Warsaw summoned Kyiv’s ambassador amid a row over grain exports.

Olena Zelenska calls for return of 19,000 ‘abducted’ children

Ukraine’s first lady urged world leaders on Tuesday to help return Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia, where she said they are being indoctrinated and deprived of their national identity, AFP reports.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Olena Zelenska said that more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been transferred by force or deported to Russia or occupied territories.

So far, only 386 have been brought back.

In Russia, “they were told that their parents don’t need them, that their country doesn’t need them, that nobody is waiting for them,” Zelenska said.

“The abducted children were told that they are no longer Ukrainian children, that they are Russian children.”

One injured and ‘major’ fire sparked after Russian attack on Lviv

A “major” fire has been sparked at a warehouse in Lviv and a man has been seriously injured after a Russian attack on the western Ukrainian city, the regional governor has said.

In a Telegram post, Maxim Kozitsky said a woman was also pulled uninjured from the rubble. The airforce had previously alerted that drones were heading towards the city. No further detail was immediately available.

Lviv, close to the Polish border, is seen as one of Ukraine’s safest cities but it has experienced more attacks recently. Three people were killed by air strikes in August.

Several waves of drones buzzed overheard starting around 0130 GMT and an AFP journalist heard numerous explosions and movements of heavy vehicles through the streets during the nightly curfew, the news agency reported.

The Ukrainian air force said drones were attacking the city and air defences operating.

Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, wrote on Telegram that “as a result of an attack, an industrial warehouse is burning in one of Lviv’s districts”.

Ukraine has retaken key village near Bakhmut, says Zelenskiy

The Ukrainian president says his forces have recaptured the strategically important village of Klishchiivka on the southern flank of the key frontline city of Bakhmut.

“Today I would like to particularly commend the soldiers who, step by step, are returning to Ukraine what belongs to it, namely in the area of Bakhmut,” Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Sunday.

The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, shared a video of Ukrainian forces displaying flags including the blue and yellow national flag, with ruined buildings and the sound of ongoing fighting in the background. Russia was still trying to regain lost positions despite Klishchiivka’s liberation, she said on Telegram.

A Ukrainian soldier firing artillery at Russian positions near Klishchiivka last month. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, also confirmed the recapture of the village, which Russia claimed control of in January and is about 9km (six miles) south of Bakhmut, the city taken by Russia in May after months of heavy fighting.

Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, said the battle inflicted “powerful damage” on Russian forces.

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Nato chief: prepare for ‘a long war in Ukraine’

Jens Stoltenberg has warned there will be no swift end to the Ukraine war, in an interview published on Sunday, as Kyiv pushes on with its counteroffensive against Russia, Agence France-Presse reports.

“Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germany’s Funke media group.

“Therefore we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.”

Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, pushing back against entrenched Russian positions in the south and east, but it has made limited gains.

“We are all wishing for a quick peace,” said Stoltenberg.

“But at the same time we must recognise: if president [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.

“If president Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace.”

On Ukraine’s ambitions to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said: “There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in Nato.”

Kyiv had “moved closer to Nato” at a summit of the alliance in July, he said, according to AFP.

“When this war ends, we need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, history could repeat itself,” he added.

At the July summit in Vilnius, Nato leaders agreed that Ukraine could join the alliance once certain conditions are met, and US and German officials made it clear that these would include Kyiv carrying out reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law.

Russia likely boosting capacity to attack Ukrainian energy facilities, says UK MoD

Russia will probably be able to build a significant stockpile of air-launched cruise missiles and use them to target Ukrainian infrastructure over the coming winter, the UK Ministry of Defence says.

In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) – particularly the modern AS-23a Kodiak – were at the heart of most of Russia’s long-range strikes against Ukraine’s national energy infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023.

Firefighters at work after a Russian attack targeting energy infrastructure in Kyiv in October 2022. Photograph: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/UPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Russia used strategic bomber aircraft to release those munitions from deep within Russian territory, the ministry said in its update, posted on X.

Open source reports suggest that since April 2023, ALCM expenditure rates have reduced, while Russian leaders have highlighted efforts to increase the rate of cruise missile production.

Russia is therefore likely able to generate a significant stockpile of ALCMs. There is a realistic possibility Russia will again focus these weapons against Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the winter.

Ukraine seizes village of Andriivka in Donetsk region

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has reported that it has seized the village of Andriivka in the partially-occupied Donetsk region, and that it shot down 17 drones launched at Ukraine by Russia.

In a statement on Facebook, the general staff said of the battle around Bakhmut:

In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy does not abandon the attempt to break through the defence of the armed forces of Ukraine in the Bohdanivka area.

In their turn, the defence forces of Ukraine during the offensive actions had partial success in the area of Klishchiivka.

During the assault operations they had success and mastered Andriivka, causing the enemy significant losses in manpower and equipment.

Andriivka lies to the south of Bakhmut.

The report also claims:

There were 25 combat clashes in the last 24 hours. The enemy fired 2 missiles and 59 air strikes, carried out 56 shellings both on the positions of our troops and on civilian objects of our country. Also, yesterday the invaders attacked Ukraine and used 22 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones, 17 of which were destroyed by Ukrainian anti-air defence.

Ukraine claims to have destroyed a Russian air defence system in Crimea

Ukraine claims to have destroyed a Russian air defence system near the town of Yevpatoriya in occupied Crimea in an overnight drone and missile attack which was conducted by the security service of Ukraine and the navy on Thursday morning.

Reuters reports the claim was made to it by a Ukrainian intelligence source.

Russia earlier said its air defences had shot down 11 attack drones overnight over Crimea, which Russia unilaterally declared it had annexed in 2014.

Ukrainian sources on social media had been sharing an unverified clip of a large explosion purporting to be in the area.

On its Telegram channel for the occupied region of Crimea, Suspilne had reported that “Yevpatoria residents do not understand what is happening. The occupation authorities do not explain and ambulances and the police are driving around the city.”

The claims have not been independently verified.