Moscow announces having shot down 113 drones

Moscow claimed Thursday, October 3, to have shot down 113 Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod regions and is trying an American accused of being a mercenary in the service of Ukraine. Follow the latest events related to the conflict.

Russia says it shot down 113 Ukrainian drones

Russia claimed to have intercepted and shot down 113 Ukrainian drones during the night from Wednesday to Thursday in the regions of Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh and Bryansk, bordering Ukraine. Russian air defense forces shot down 73 drones in the Belgorod region, 25 drones in the Voronezh region, 14 drones in the Kursk region and one in the Bryansk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. a press release published on Telegram.

A woman was injured in the town of Staryi Oskol in the Belgorod region, where one of these drones was shot down, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram. According to Gladkov, a total of four Russian civilians were killed and 24 injured as a result of Ukrainian attacks over the past 24 hours in the Belgorod region.

Russia announces almost daily that it has destroyed Ukrainian drones launched against its territory. kyiv says it is carrying out these strikes in response to the Russian bombings which have beset Ukraine for more than two years.

Trial of an American accused of being a mercenary

A Moscow court ordered Thursday to continue behind closed doors the trial of a 72-year-old American national accused of being a mercenary in the service of Ukraine, whose hearings will therefore be held in secret. This American, identified as Stefan Hubbard, originally from the state of Michigan, appeared in the courtroom visibly aged, wearing a black hat and a beige jacket, walking slowly and dragging his feet, noted a journalist from the AFP.

He was taken prisoner on April 2, 2022, according to Russia, but it was not until September 27 that Russian authorities made public that this United States national was detained, during the very first court hearing. his trial. At the start of the hearing on Thursday in Moscow, the prosecution requested a closed session, which the defense also approved, before the press and representatives of the American embassy were asked to leave the room. Accused of «mercenariat» on behalf of Ukraine, Mr. Hubbard faces up to ten years in prison.

According to the prosecution, Stefan Hubbard joined a Ukrainian territorial defense battalion, and, as such, was paid “at least $1,000 per month”underwent training, received a uniform and weapons and « took part in the armed conflict » in Ukraine. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Mr. Hubbard had lived since 2014 in Izium, a city in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.

New NATO chief in kyiv to ensure support for Ukraine

The new Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte arrived in kyiv this Thursday, October 3, barely two days after taking office, to once again assure Ukraine of Western support, while its forces are in difficulty on the forehead. The former Dutch prime minister met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky there. The NATO chief has been one of Ukraine’s most active supporters in Europe since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and described as “Russophobic” through Moscow. He notably spearheaded efforts to equip kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, a decision described as“historical” by Zelensky during a trip to the Netherlands.

It was also under Mark Rutte that the Netherlands signed an agreement for two billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine over 10 years. As he began his first day at the head of NATO on Tuesday, the Dutchman made support for Ukraine one of the three priorities of his mandate. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must achieve” that NATO does not “will not give in” in his support for kyiv, underlined Mark Rutte during his first press conference in Brussels.

This strong statement of support contrasts with growing calls in the West to open negotiations with Russia. The question of the scale and sustainability of Western aid arises all the more as Ukraine is in its third year of war, particularly given the cost of this support and the risk of escalation of the conflict. And the American position, the main donor of kyiv and driving force of NATO, risks changing radically if Donald Trump returns to the White House after the November presidential election.

“It is up to the Ukrainian government to decide when the time has come to discuss peace”recalled Mark Rutte when he took office, calling for “focus on the war effort”. “The more we help Ukraine, the sooner” war “will end”he insisted. The Ukrainian president welcomed his arrival at the head of NATO, reminding him of his country’s objective: to join the Atlantic Alliance as a full member, which Moscow considers a threat.