Russia-Ukraine updates: G7 vows to hold Putin ‘to account’
Ukraine news from October 11: Attacks reported in Lviv and Zaporizhzhia a day after at least 19 people were killed across the war-torn nation.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to G7 leaders, who say they will hold Russian President Vladimir Putin “to account” following missile strikes across Ukraine.
- Russian missile raids continued on Tuesday, including in Zaporizhzhia, where at least one person was killed, according to Ukrainian officials. An attack was also reported in Lviv.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to G7 leaders, who say they will hold Russian President Vladimir Putin “to account” following missile strikes across Ukraine.
- Russian missile raids continued on Tuesday, including in Zaporizhzhia, where at least one person was killed, according to Ukrainian officials. An attack was also reported in Lviv.
- Ukraine’s state nuclear operator, Energoatom, accuses Russia of kidnapping the deputy director of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
- Russia is “losing on the battlefield” and attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure to compensate, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says.
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. Here were the updates for Tuesday, October 11:
Biden says Putin ‘miscalculated significantly’: CNN
Putin is a “rational actor who has miscalculated significantly”, US President Joe Biden has said in a clip of a CNN interview broadcast.
Zelenskyy: G7 promised ‘justice’ for Ukraine
Zelenskyy has said leaders of the G7 powers have promised Ukraine its attackers will be “brought to justice”.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy referred to “new sanctions, new forms of political pressure and new forms of support for Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy said G7 leaders had stated those responsible would be held accountable, starting with “the current political leadership of Russia and ending with everyone who serves these terrorist interests”.
Yellen calls for allies to quickly disburse committed funds to Ukraine
US Treasury Secretary has said it is critical international partners join the United States in supporting Ukraine, and called on partners and allies to swiftly disburse their existing commitments and step up and do more.
“Two weeks ago, Congress passed $4.5bn in direct budget support for Ukraine, which I’m pleased to announce the United States intends to disburse to the Ukrainian government in the coming weeks,” Janet Yellen said at the start of a meeting with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and a delegation of senior Ukrainian officials.
“We’re committed to getting these funds to you as soon as possible.”
Russian comments on talks with West not ‘constructive, legitimate’ offer: US
Washington does not see Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comment that Moscow is open to talks with the West over the war in Ukraine as a “constructive, legitimate offer” to engage in dialogue, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price has said.
Lavrov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow was open to talks but had yet to receive any serious proposal to negotiate.
Price said during a regular press briefing that if Russia was serious about talks, a first step would be to stop its “brutal assault” on Ukraine.
“We do not see this as a constructive, legitimate offer to engage in the dialogue and diplomacy that is absolutely necessary to see an end to this brutal war of aggression,” Price said.
Ukrainians in Prague rally against Russian missile strikes
Ukrainians have rallied in the Czech capital for the second straight evening to condemn this week’s barrage of Russian missile strikes on cities across Ukraine and to demand more weapons from the West to protect their nation.
“Ukraine needs air defences to be able to prevent the massacres of the civilian population and destruction of our cities,” Anastasiia Sihnaievska told the crowd in Prague.
“We are protecting our right to live,” said Sihnaievska, who fled the town of Zhytomyr because of the Russian invasion.
G7 backs Ukraine’s right to regain territory
The Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialised nations have reiterated their support for Ukraine’s right to regain all the territory taken by Russia and have pledged more support, including weapons, after meeting with the Ukrainian president.
“In line with international law, in particular the UN Charter, Ukraine has the legitimate right to defend itself against Russian aggression and to regain full control of its territory within its internationally recognised borders,” a G7 statement said after the meeting.
“We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the statement read. “We are committed to supporting Ukraine in meeting its winter preparedness needs.”
UK businessman charged with conspiring to violate sanctions on Russian oligarch
United Kingdom businessman Graham Bonham-Carter has been arrested on US charges of conspiring to violate sanctions placed on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, prosecutors have said.
Bonham-Carter was arrested in the UK and federal prosecutors in Manhattan will be seeking his extradition. He was also charged with wire fraud for funding US properties bought by Deripaska and efforts to expatriate Deripaska’s artwork in the US.
The US Department of Justice is seeking to pressure Russian oligarchs through sanctions, asset seizures and criminal investigations to stop backing Putin after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
IAEA chief urges Ukraine nuclear safe zone at meeting with Putin
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has renewed calls for a protection zone around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during a meeting with Putin.
“There is no time to lose,” Rafael Grossi said after the talks in St Petersburg. He said the situation around the Russian-occupied nuclear plant was “increasingly dangerous, unstable and challenging” because of frequent military attacks in the area.
Grossi has proposed establishing a ceasefire zone to avoid a nuclear accident. Demilitarisation with troop withdrawals is not part of the plan.
Putin said Russia was ready to discuss the situation. “In any case, we are open to this dialogue and glad to see you,” he said.
Russian, Turkish defence ministers discuss Ukraine, grain deal: Moscow
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, two days before Putin is set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Russian defence ministry has said in a statement.
Russia’s state 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 restart Ukraine’s agricultural exports from its southern ports.
Putin tells IAEA chief Moscow ‘open to dialogue’ on nuclear plant
Putin has told UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi he is “open to dialogue” on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is in territory controlled by Moscow’s forces in southern Ukraine.
In televised comments with Grossi ahead of their meeting in St Petersburg, Putin told the head of the IAEA he was “ready to discuss all issues of mutual interest or cause for concern, for example, regarding the situation around the Zaporizhzhia power plant” and said he was “open to this dialogue”.
A statement by the IAEA released after the meeting said Grossi was due to meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv “later this week” for further talks regarding Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant.
US says working to expedite shipment of air defence systems to Ukraine
The United States is working to expedite the shipment of sophisticated NASAMS air defence systems to Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has said.
US President Joe Biden pledged to Zelenskyy on Monday that Washington would provide the advanced air systems after a deadly missile barrage from Russia.
Zelenskyy urges UNESCO protection for Odesa
Zelenskyy has requested UNESCO add the historic port city of Odesa to its World Heritage List in a bid to protect it from Russian air strikes.
“We must provide a clear signal that the world will not turn a blind eye to the destruction of our common history, our common culture, our common heritage,” Zelenskyy told the 58 member states of the UN’s cultural watchdog in a recorded video.
“One of the steps for this should be the preservation of the historical centre of Odesa, a beautiful city, an important port of the Black Sea and a source of culture for millions of people in different countries,” he said.
Ukraine urges civilians to save energy after Russian strikes
Ukraine is urging civilians not to use domestic appliances like ovens and washing machines to save electricity as millions faced blackouts after the biggest Russian attack on its energy network since the war broke out in February.
The government said residents of 300 settlements in the Kyiv region and a similar number in the Lviv region woke up on Tuesday to find they had no electricity. A further 200 settlements in the northeastern region of Sumy and more than 100 in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine were also without power.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukrainians had voluntarily cut their electricity consumption by an average of 10 percent on Monday after Russia’s attacks. He urged them to limit use between 5pm and 11pm (14:00 and 20:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Turkey sees ‘common understanding’ with Russia on ceasefire need
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has reported a “common understanding” regarding the need for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire after a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, Akar’s ministry has said in a statement.
Akar emphasised the importance of an immediate ceasefire to stop loss of life and establish peace and stability in the region, according to a readout of the call.
“The importance of declaring a ceasefire urgently in order to prevent further loss of lives and to re-establish peace and stability in the region was emphasized, and it was gladly observed that there was a common understanding regarding the ceasefire,” the Turkish defence ministry said.
Ukraine says dozens of civilian bodies exhumed in recaptured Donetsk towns
Ukraine says it has recovered the remains of dozens of civilians killed during Russia’s occupation of two towns in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
“In the liberated towns of Sviatohirsk and Lyman, law enforcement officers discovered the sites of mass burials of civilians,” the prosecutor general said in a statement, adding that 34 bodies were exhumed in Sviatohirsk and another 44 in Lyman.
Ukraine receives first of four German air defence systems: Source
Ukraine has received the first of four IRIS-T air defence systems Germany promised to supply, a German defence ministry source has said, confirming a report by Der Spiegel magazine.
The delivery had taken place earlier than planned, the source said. The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
France to step up military presence in Eastern Europe: Defence minister’s office
France will step up its military presence in Eastern Europe with plans to deploy additional Rafale fighter jets in Lithuania and additional armoured vehicles and tanks in Romania, the office of the defence minister has said.
Paris also plans to deploy additional infantry troops to Estonia, it said in a statement as Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu presented the army’s draft budget to lawmakers.
Ukraine says 32 soldiers freed in prisoner swap
Thirty-two Ukrainian soldiers have been freed in the latest prisoner swap with Russia, the office of Ukraine’s president has said.
“Another exchange of prisoners took place today. We managed to free 32 of our soldiers and get back the body of Israeli citizen Dmytro Fialka,” Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, wrote on Telegram.
G7 promises to hold Putin ‘to account’ for missile attacks
Leaders of the G7 countries condemned Russia’s most recent missile attacks on cities across Ukraine and said, “We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account.”
“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime,” they said in a statement after talks with Zelenskyy.
The G7 also warned Belarus against any further involvement in the conflict.
Zelenskyy tells G7 Putin has ‘room for escalation’
Zelenskyy has told G7 leaders Putin still had “room for escalation” after two days of widespread aerial strikes on cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv.
“The Russian leader, who is now in the final stage of his reign, still has room for further escalation,” Zelenskyy said.
This is “a threat to all of us”.
Zelenskyy also mentioned the involvement of Belarus in the conflict and said, “Russia is trying to directly draw Belarus into this war, playing a provocation that we are allegedly preparing an attack on this country”.
“A mission of international observers may be stationed on the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation,” he added, calling on diplomats to work out the details of a deployment with G7 backing.
Zelenskyy calls on G7 for support to build ‘air shield’
Zelenskyy has called on G7 leaders to give Ukraine enough air defence capabilities to stop Russia.
“I am asking you to strengthen the overall effort to help financially with the creation of an air shield for Ukraine. Millions of people will be grateful to the Group of Seven for such assistance,” Zelenskyy said in a video address.
A day after missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, Zelenskyy called for tough new sanctions on Moscow and ruled out talks with Putin.
Zelenskyy, who joined the G7 leaders’ virtual meeting, also asked the group to support an international mission on the Ukraine-Belarus border.
Italian PM calls Zelenskyy, condemns Russia’s ‘brutal’ attacks
Russia’s missile strikes on Ukraine were “brutal”, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Zelenskyy in a call.
Draghi said Monday’s wave of raids across the country, in which at least 19 people reportedly died, “further aggravate Russian responsibilities”, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
Zelenskyy tweeted about the phone call, saying: “Had a call with Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Informed [him] about the consequences of Russia’s missile terror, [and] thanked him for consistent, strong support [and] coordinated positions on the eve of important international events, including the G7 Summit.”
Had a call with 🇮🇹 Prime Minister #MarioDraghi. Informed about the consequences of Russia’s missile terror. Thanked him for consistent, strong support. Coordinated positions on the eve of important international events, including the #G7 Summit.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 11, 2022
‘Russia is actually losing on the battlefield’: NATO chief
NATO’s chief has said Russia was striking Ukraine’s infrastructure to compensate for battlefield losses by its troops and vowed allies would “step up and sustain” support for Kyiv.
“I think what we saw yesterday is actually a sign of weakness, because the reality is that they are not able to make progress on the battlefield. Russia is actually losing on the battlefield,” Jens Stoltenberg told journalists.
The NATO chief added that any attack on infrastructure critical to the NATO military alliance would trigger a “united and determined response”.
Nissan to sell Russian assets
Japanese carmaker Nissan will sell its assets, including a factory in Saint Petersburg, to Russia — thus becoming another big brand to leave the country after the invasion began in Ukraine.
Under the deal, Nissan will still be able to buy back its factory within the next six years.
More on Nissan’s departure is here.
Ukraine says Russia abducted Zaporizhzhia plant official
Ukraine’s state nuclear operator has accused Russian forces of abducting a senior official at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant.
Energoatom wrote on its Telegram channel that Valeriy Martyniuk, the plant’s deputy director general for human resources, had been kidnapped.
“They keep holding him at an unknown location and [are] probably using methods of torture and intimidation,” it said.
Energoatom called on IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to take “all possible measures” to help free Martynyuk.
The plant has been held by Russian forces for months but operated by its Ukrainian staff.