Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Between the strong declarations, the advances on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the main part of this Thursday, the 983rd day of the war.
Fact of the day
kyiv was the target of a Russian drone attack overnight from Friday to Saturday, while new explosions were heard on Saturday afternoon in the Ukrainian capital and other regions were affected.
“Unfortunately, the Russian drone attack caused damage and casualties in several districts of kyiv,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky. The constant terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities prove that the pressure on Russia and its accomplices is not enough. »
In the morning, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 39 of 71 drones launched from Russia overnight. She said debris from downed drones had damaged houses and buildings in four regions, including kyiv, Sumy and the area of the port city of Odessa (southwest).
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Saturday that his troops on the ground were “repelling one of the most powerful Russian offensives since the start of the large-scale invasion”.
Today's statement
« “A Trump victory would create serious risks. The situation will be worrying” »
Oleg Shamshur, a former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, is worried about the outcome of the upcoming American election, which will take place on November 5.
For several months, the West has shown reluctance regarding their aid to Ukraine, blocking in particular the use of their missiles on Russian territory. And Donald Trump has given no sign of wanting to give kyiv the means to defeat Russia.
Washington and, under its leadership, NATO members, have provided crucial military and financial aid worth tens of billions of dollars since the start of the war in 2022, allowing kyiv to continue fighting against a much larger enemy. powerful. But for months, in Europe as in the United States, procrastination has been increasing.
Consequently, Ukraine's great fear is to see the Republican billionaire abandon it, especially since he has already criticized American assistance and claimed to be able to resolve the war “in 24 hours”.
Trump and his team “do not believe in Ukraine’s victory” and want to “end the conflict at all costs” in order to be able to focus on a confrontation with China, believes Oleg Chamshur.
Donald Trump has never given details of his intentions, but he has never publicly wished kyiv “victory”. And he is accused of having admiration for Vladimir Putin.
According to Western media, his plan would be largely favorable to Russia. The aim was to demilitarize the zone currently occupied by Moscow (i.e. 20% of Ukrainian territory) without kyiv regaining control. And Ukraine will have to give up joining NATO, as the Kremlin wants.
The number of the day
10.000. According to an estimate by the American army, this is the number of North Korean soldiers sent to Ukraine to fight alongside the Russians.
“There is no doubt that […] the Russian army and people will achieve a great victory” in Ukraine, declared Choe Son Hui, North Korean Foreign Minister, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The latter praised the “very close contacts established between the military and security services” of the two countries and expressed Moscow’s “gratitude” “for the principled position” of North Korea.
Russia and North Korea, who consider the United States an existential enemy, have grown considerably closer since Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine in February 2022, with the two countries having notably concluded a mutual defense agreement during the Russian president's June visit to Pyongyang.
The trend
The Russian army took 478 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in October, a record since the first weeks of the conflict in March 2022, according to an AFP analysis of data from the American Institute for the Study of War.
Our file on the war in Ukraine
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Saturday the capture of two new villages in eastern Ukraine, where its troops are advancing rapidly, according to a press release.
The forces “liberated” the large village of Kurakhivka, close to the industrial town of Kurakhove, in the eastern Donetsk region, which Russia is seeking to take, the ministry said.
It also claimed the capture of the small village of Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv region, close to the eastern Lugansk region.
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