Ukraine News Highlights: Ukraine says exhumed dozens of civilian bodies in recaptured Donetsk towns

Ukraine said Tuesday that at least 19 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as a result of Russian strikes across the country a day earlier. It vowed to strengthen its armed forces after Russia launched its biggest aerial assaults on cities since the beginning of the war, forcing thousands to flee to bomb shelters and prompting Kyiv to halt electricity exports to Europe. Follow live updates.

Russian, Turkish defence ministers discuss Ukraine, grain deal - Russian statement

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar on Tuesday, two days before President Vladimir Putin is set to meet Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

The TASS news agency reported the pair discussed the situation in Ukraine and the state of a landmark deal, brokered in July by the United Nations and Turkey, to unblock Ukraine's agricultural exports from its southern ports. - Reuters.

Ukraine says exhumed dozens of civilian bodies in recaptured Donetsk towns

Ukraine said Tuesday that it had recovered the remains of dozens of civilians killed during Russia's invasion in two towns in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine recently recaptured from Moscow's forces.

"In the liberated towns of Sviatogirsk and Lyman, law enforcement officers discovered the sites of mass burials of civilians," the prosecutor general said in a statement, adding that 34 remains were exhumed in Sviatogirsk and another 44 in Lyman. - AFP.

Ukraine says 32 soldiers freed in prisoner swap with Russia

Putin tells IAEA's Grossi that situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant "of concern"

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi that the situation around Ukraine's Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is "of concern".

At a meeting in Moscow, shown on Russian state television, Putin told Grossi that Russia was open for dialogue and would discuss all issues concerning the facility's operations. - Reuters.

Hard to predict Russia's possible nuclear arms use, says Japan PM

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons is highly unpredictable and the situation must be closely watched.

Kishida's comment to reporters came after he attended a virtual meeting of G7 leaders on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The situation does not at all allow any prediction. It requires serious, close attention," said Kishida, who comes from Hiroshima.

"For the past 77 years, the world has continued to put a stop to using nuclear weapons. This history of not using nuclear weapons must continue further." - Reuters.

Ukraine strike leaves 2,000 without power in south Russia: official

A Russian official in the southern region of the Belgorod on the border with Ukraine said Tuesday that strikes by Kyiv's forces had left 2,000 people with electricity.

"The Ukrainian armed forces fired at a substation in Shebekino. More than 2,000 residents have now been cut off from electricity. There are no victims or injured," the region's governor Viatcheslav Gladkov said in a post on social media. - AFP.

Russia has not yet received Turkey's peace talks proposal, foreign ministry says

Russia has not yet formally received a Turkish proposal to host peace talks between Moscow and Western countries, the Russian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday to discuss Ukraine and bilateral issues.

The Kremlin has not ruled out that the two leaders could discuss a Turkish proposal to host peace talks between Russia and the West, although the foreign ministry said it is yet to hear about this through diplomatic channels. - Reuters.

NATO chief calls Russia's Ukraine missile strikes 'sign of weakness'

G7 leaders to pledge support for Ukraine for as long as it takes

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries will say following a meeting on Tuesday that they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, Bloomberg News reported, citing a draft G7 statement.

"We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes," Bloomberg cited the draft statement as saying.

Kyiv asks Ukrainians to limit electricity use after strikes on infrastructure

Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined Biden at G7 virtual meeting in Ukraine, White House says

New Russian strikes inflict 'serious' damage in central Ukraine

Russian strikes Tuesday on the central Ukraine region of Dnipropetrovsk did "serious" damage to energy facilities, the region's head said, on the second day of massive missile salvos across Ukraine.

"The Russians fired missiles at energy infrastructure in the Pavlograd and Kamian districts. There is serious destruction. Many settlements still do not have electricity," the regional governor Valentin Reznichenko said on social media. - AFP.

Russia kidnapped deputy head of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine says

A deputy head of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been kidnapped by Russian forces and is being detained in an unknown location, Ukraine's state nuclear energy company Energoatom said on Tuesday.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Energoatom said the official, Valeriy Martynyuk, had been seized on Monday. - Reuters.

Russia adds Meta to list of 'terrorist and extremist' organisations

Canada to send 40 combat engineers to Poland to train Ukraine soldiers

Canada said on Tuesday it will send 40 more combat engineers to help support Polish efforts to train Ukrainian forces, as part of its commitment to increasing military aid for Ukraine.

The Canadian Armed Forces have trained more than 33,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel since 2015, but have paused aspects of the training effort since February.

"Today, I am announcing that in the coming weeks, Canada will deploy approximately 40 combat engineers to Poland to help Polish Forces train Ukrainian sappers on engineer reconnaissance, explosives, mining and de-mining," Canada's defence minister Anita Anand told a news conference in Warsaw. - Reuters.

NATO considering virtual summit over Ukraine annexations, Russian nuclear threat; no date scheduled yet: European diplomat

US air defence supplies will extend conflict, inflict pain for Ukraine, Russia says

A Kremlin spokesman said on Tuesday that US promises to supply advanced air defence systems to Ukraine will only extend the conflict and inflict more pain for Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden pledged to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with advanced air systems after a devastating missile barrage from Russia.

The spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also said that the deliveries would not change Moscow's goals in its military operation in Ukraine. - Reuters.

Kremlin says Putin to discuss Ukraine with Erdogan on Thursday

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday to discuss Ukraine and bilateral relations, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

The meeting will take place in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov has previously told reporters it was "possible" the two leaders would discuss a Turkish proposal to host talks between Russia and the West on peace in Ukraine. - Reuters.

Putin says Russia not 'working against anyone' in energy markets

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was not working against anyone on energy markets, a week after Washington criticised a decision by OPEC+ to steeply cut oil production.

Speaking with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Putin said Russia aimed to create stability on energy markets and ensure that supply and consumption were balanced.

The Kremlin on Sunday praised OPEC+ for agreeing production cuts that it said had successfully countered the "mayhem" sown by the United States in global energy markets. - Reuters.

Russia's war ally Belarus to hold armed forces inspection

Russian ally Belarus, which has let Moscow's army launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory, said on Tuesday it was beginning a military inspection to ensure "combat readiness".

President Alexander Lukashenko has in recent months repeatedly claimed that Ukraine is preparing to attack Belarus, though he has offered no evidence.

"During the inspection, military units and sub-units will work out the issues of putting on combat readiness," the Defence Ministry said of the exercise beginning on Tuesday.

Though Belarusian units have not directly taken part in Russia's invasion, Minsk has enabled missile strikes and Russian troop incursions from its territory, resulting in deepened Western sanctions. - Reuters.

Russia returns bodies of 62 Ukraine soldiers

Ukraine said Tuesday that it had negotiated the return of dozens of Ukrainian soldiers' remains from Russia, including servicemen killed at the Olenivka prison, which Kyiv said Russian forces shelled.

"Another transfer took place: 62 fallen heroes were returned home," the Ukrainian ministry responsible for separatist-held territory said on social media.

"The negotiations were difficult but... it was possible to return our soldiers, in particular, soldiers from ... Olenivka," the ministry added. - AFP.

Lavrov says Russia open to talks with West, awaiting serious proposal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was open to talks with the West on the Ukraine war but had yet to receive any serious proposal to negotiate.

In an interview on state TV, Lavrov said officials including White House national security spokesman John Kirby had said the United States was open to talks but that Russia had refused.

"This is a lie," Lavrov said. "We have not received any serious offers to make contact." - Reuters.

Canada foreign minister calls Russian attacks on Ukraine 'abhorrent'

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday called Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine "abhorrent" and said she condemned them "in the strongest possible terms".

Joly made the comment at a joint news conference in Tokyo following a meeting with her Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States called "horrific strikes", killing civilians and knocking out power and heat with its most widespread air attacks since the start of the war. - Reuters.

Russian attacks on energy facilities are war crimes, says Ukraine FM

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia on Tuesday of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting energy facilities to create "unbearable conditions for civilians".

"Primary targets of Russian strikes are energy facilities. They’ve hit many yesterday and they hit the same and new ones today. These are war crimes planned well in advance and aimed at creating unbearable conditions for civilians — Russia’s deliberate strategy since months," he wrote on Twitter.

Russia has denied its forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. - Reuters.

Eastern NATO allies call Russia's Ukraine strikes 'war crimes'

Eleven members of NATO's eastern flank on Tuesday called Russia's recent bombing blitz across Ukraine a "war crime", adding that any nuclear threats were "unacceptable".

"We... condemn the mass bombardments of Ukrainian cities recently carried out by Russia, which constitute war crimes under international law," said the joint statement released by the Polish president's office.

It was adopted by the presidents of the so-called Bucharest Nine countries, as well as Montenegro and North Macedonia -- all members of the Western defence alliance. - AFP.

Russia says it continues to strike Ukraine's energy system

Russia said on Tuesday that it continued to launch long-range air strikes on Ukraine's energy and military infrastructure.

"The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All designated facilities have been hit," the defence ministry said.

Parts of the country were left without power following the strikes, which began on Monday and are the biggest since the start of the war. - Reuters.

US has 'long been' de facto involved in Ukraine war, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Belarus says joint force with Russian troops is 'purely defensive'

Minsk said Tuesday that a contingent of Belarusian troops deploying alongside Russian forces was a "purely defensive" grouping whose aim was to defend the borders of the ex-Soviet republic closely aligned with Russia.

"We emphasise once again that the tasks of the Regional Grouping of Forces are purely defensive. And all activities carried out at the moment are aimed at providing a sufficient response to actions near our borders," Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin was cited as saying in a statement. - AFP.

Russian strikes on Ukraine could amount to war crimes: UN

Russia's blitz on Ukrainian cities would amount to war crimes if civilians were deliberately targeted, the United Nations said Tuesday, branding the location and timing of the strikes "shocking".

The strikes "may have violated the principles of the conduct of hostilities under international humanitarian law," Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

"Intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, that is objects which are not military objectives, amounts to a war crime," she added. - AFP.

Russian strike on Ukraine's Lviv hits power supply, mayor says

A Russian missile strike on critical infrastructure in Lviv on Tuesday left part of the west Ukrainian city without power, city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said.

A Reuters witness reported three explosions in the city shortly after noon local time (0900 GMT).

"As a result of the missile strike, 30% of Lviv is temporarily without electricity," Sadovyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that the water supply had also been interrupted in two districts of the city.

Russian missile strikes had also hit the electricity supply in the Lviv region on Monday.

City authorities said late on Monday that power had been largely restored in the region, but Ukrainian Deputy Interior Minister Yevheniy Yenin said some settlements in the region were still without electricity on Tuesday morning.

Turkey calls for Russia, Ukraine ceasefire 'as soon as possible'

Turkey on Tuesday called for a viable ceasefire betweenRussiaand Ukraine as soon as possible, saying that both sides were moving away from diplommacy as the war drags on. (AFP)

Bucharest Nine presidents say Russian bombardments in Ukraine are war crimes

Mass bombardments of Ukrainian cities by Russia constitute war crimes under international law, the presidents of the Bucharest Nine group of countries, accompanied by the presidents of North Macedonia and Montenegro, said on Tuesday.(Reuters)

Erdogan to meet Putin tomorrow in Astana: Turkish official

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the margins of a regional summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Wednesday, a Turkish official told AFP. Turkey, which has stayed neutral throughout the conflict in Ukraine, has good relations with its two Black Sea neighbours -- Russia and Ukraine.

Silicon Valley billionaire Milner renounces Russian citizenship

Billionaire Silicon Valley investor Yuri Milner said Monday he had renounced his Russian citizenship.

"My family and I left Russia for good in 2014, after the Russian annexation of Crimea. And this summer, we officially completed the process of renouncing our Russian citizenship," the Moscow-born Milner tweeted.

The Russian rouble slumped to a more than three-month low near 64 against the dollar on Tuesday, hurt by escalating geopolitical risks linked to the conflict in Ukraine and reduced supply of foreign currency among exporting companies. By 0747 GMT the rouble was down 1.8% against the dollar at 63.80, its weakest since July 7.(Reuters)

Cars on fire after Russia's missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. Credit: Reuters Photo

Death toll rises to 19 in Russian strikes on Ukraine: Emergency services

Ukraine said Tuesday that at least 19 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as a result of Russian strikes across the country a day earlier.

"According to preliminary data, 19 people were killed and 105 more were injured," Ukraine's emergency services said on Facebook.

The emergency services previously reported a figure of 14 dead and 97 injured.

Mass retaliatory strikes hit Ukraine nationwide on Monday, after Moscow blamed Kyiv for a blast on a bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, a peninsula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. (AFP)

Hong Kong nixes US sanctions on Russian-owned superyacht

Hong Kong's leader John Lee said Tuesday he will only implement United Nations sanctions, after the U.S. warned the territory's status as a financial center could be affected if it acts as a safe haven for sanctioned individuals.

Lee's statement Tuesday came days after a luxury yacht connected to Russian tycoon Alexey Mordashov docked in the city.(AP)

Russia to respond to growing Western involvement in Ukraine: Report

Direct conflict with the United States and NATO is not in Moscow's interests, but it will respond to the West's growing involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, RIA quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday. "We warn and hope that they realise the danger of uncontrolled escalation in Washington and other Western capitals," Ryabkov said.(Reuters)

Protesters hold national Ukrainian flags, banners and placards during a demonstration to condemn the recent Russian strikes on multiple cities across Ukraine and demand support for efficient Ukraine's air defense, on October 10, 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic. Credit: AFP Photo

G7 to hold crisis talks on Russia's bombing blitz in Ukraine

The United States and other G7 powers will hold crisis talks Tuesday on Russia's recent bombing blitz across Ukraine, with Britain's Liz Truss expected to insist they "must not waver one iota" in their support for Kyiv.

The meeting comes a day after Russian missiles rocked the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months, with President Volodymyr Zelensky warning Moscow that his country "cannot be intimidated".(AFP)

Russia had demanded that the resolution be voted upon by secret ballot. Moscow’s demand for a secret ballot was rejected after 107 UN member states, including India, voted in favour of a recorded vote. Only 13 nations voted in favour of Russia’s call for a secret ballot while 39 abstained. Russia and China were among the countries that did not vote.

The 193-member UN General Assembly on Monday voted on a motion by Albania that action on the draft resolution that would condemn Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums” and “attempted illegal annexation” of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine be taken by a recorded vote.

India will weigh what Russia has to offer on Sakhalin-1 ownership revamp

India maintains a "healthy dialogue" with Russia and will look at what is offered following an announced ownership revamp to the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Reuters.

Russia last week issued a decree allowing it to seize Exxon Mobil's 30 per cent stake and gave a Russian state-run company the authority to decide whether foreign shareholders including India's ONGC Videsh can retain their participation in the project.

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Missile strikes show utter brutality of Putin's illegal war, says Biden

US President Joe Biden said that that Washington "strongly condemns" Russias missile strikes across Ukraine, including at the centre of Kyiv, adding that they once again demonstrated the "utter brutality of Putin's illegal war on the Ukrainian people".

In a statement issued by the White House on Monday, Biden said: "These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose... These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes."

UN bracing for more displacements after Russian strikes in Ukraine

The United Nations refugee chief on Monday warned more people will be forced to flee their homes in Ukraine after Russian missiles rained down on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Moscow earlier on Monday unleashed the biggest wave of strikes across Ukraine in months in retaliation for an explosion this weekend that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula.(AFP)

As winter looms, Russia is seeking to sow panic, military analysts say

Russian missiles on Monday targeted electrical power plants, transmission lines and waterworks across Ukraine in a strategy now being openly discussed in Russia — retaliating for battlefield loses by attempting to cripple Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

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In UNGA, India votes to reject Russia’s demand for secret ballot on draft resolution on Ukraine

India voted to reject Russia’s demand for a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution to condemn Moscow’s “illegal” annexation of four regions of Ukraine, with New Delhi favouring a public vote on the text along with over 100 other nations.

The 193-member UN General Assembly on Monday voted on a motion by Albania that action on the draft resolution that would condemn Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums” and “attempted illegal annexation” of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine be taken by a recorded vote.(PTI)

Biden, G7 to hold virtual meeting Tuesday on Ukraine support - White House

USPresident Joe Biden and Group of Seven (G7) leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss their commitment to support Ukraine and hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for Russia's aggression, including its recent missile strikes across Ukraine, the White House said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will participate at the top of the meeting, the White House said on Monday.

Worried UN meets on Ukraine hours after Russian strikes

The UN General Assembly started debating on Monday whether to demand that Russia reverse course on annexing four regions of Ukraine — a discussion that came as Moscow's most extensive missile strikes in months alarmed much of the international community anew.

The assembly's special session was planned before Monday's barrage, but countries spoke out on the widespread, Monday morning rush-hour attacks that killed at least 14 people and wounded scores.

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergey Kyslytsya said some of his own close relatives were imperiled in a residential building, unable to take cover in a bomb shelter.