Another night of bombings in Ukraine. This time, Putin's troops have attacked the port city of Odesa in the south of the country, leaving at least four dead and ten injured. A ballistic missile hit a two-story building where civilians lived and worked.
Yesterday, Kiev claimed responsibility for an attack on the military airfield in Jánskaya, in the North Caucasus republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, where, according to Kiev, several Russian Su-34 and Su-27 aircraft were based.
Ukraine increasingly targets Russian air bases, depots, and weapons with its own drones, targets that its Western allies do not allow it to attack with the missiles they send for fear of possible Russian retaliation.
Ukraine cites success of its attacks in Russia to demand freedom of action from its allies
In recent weeks, Ukraine has launched the most effective attacks on military targets throughout the war, a milestone that Kiev uses to try to convince its main allies to grant it freedom to use the best Western missiles also against Russian territory, reports Efe.
One of these attacks took place on September 18, when Ukraine hit a Russian ammunition arsenal in the town of Toporets, in the Tver oblast in northwest Russia. The depot stored various types of missiles, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition.
According to British intelligence, which referred to the targeted arsenal as one of the largest in Russia, the attack destroyed 30,000 tons of ammunition, a figure corroborated by Estonian intelligence services, which stated that the amount of projectiles destroyed is equivalent to what the Russian Army uses in a period of two to three months.
Zelensky meets with the Pope in the Vatican
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was received on Friday in the Vatican by Pope Francis as part of his whirlwind tour of several Western European capitals, where he hopes to garner more support against the Russian invasion, reports Afp
This Friday's meeting is the second private audience Zelensky has had in the Vatican with the pope, following the one held in May 2023, which lasted 40 minutes. According to Francis's official agenda, no press statement is expected after the meeting.
Kiev's ballet performs Swan Lake in Bilbao in support of Ukrainian children
Unicef Spain and the show promoter Goldberg have joined forces for the third consecutive year to support children affected by the war in Ukraine by raising funds through a tour of the Kiev Ballet, which will arrive at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao on October 27 to perform 'Swan Lake', reports Efe.
According to Unicef's statement, through this initiative, the show promoter will donate one euro from the value of each ticket sold to the NGO to respond to the emergency in Ukraine.
The funds mobilized through the initiative - tours were held in 2022 and 2023 - over 281,000 euros, "make it possible, for example, for Unicef to support the health of 660,800 children for three months with basic medical equipment and supplies," the organization stated.
US to maintain focus on the Indo-Pacific despite conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday in Laos that his country will continue to prioritize the strategic Indo-Pacific region despite conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and following the election of a new president.
"Even with everything that is happening, our focus has remained on this region (...) so I believe that basic focus will continue regardless of who the president is," Blinken declared, linking the Indo-Pacific with the future of the US.
"We have not spoken directly. But I was in the room when he made his speech, and he stayed during my turn. I think I can say that we have listened to each other (...) The aggression (of Russia towards Ukraine) must end," emphasized the Secretary of State.
Ukrainian forces control about half of Toretsk and try to repel the Russian advance
Ukrainian forces control about half of the strategic city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to fend off attacks by Russian troops, said local authorities in the city on Friday, as reported by Reuters.
"It can be said that approximately 40-50 percent of the city is under the control of Ukrainian armed forces, while the rest of the territory is captured by the enemy," said Vasyl Chynchyk, head of the city's military administration, on national television. "
Russian President Vladimir Putin began his visit to Turkmenistan, a country in Central Asia, and arrived at the venue of an international conference where he will speak later on Friday, as shown in a video posted by the Kremlin, reports Reuters.
Regional leaders are expected to attend the conference in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, and Putin is scheduled to hold separate talks with Serdar Berdymukhamedov, his Turkmen counterpart.
A video released by the Kremlin on Friday morning showed Putin arriving at the conference venue in his limousine and shaking hands with the Turkmen leader.
Kiev announces the death of a Ukrainian journalist detained by the Russians since 2023
Ukrainian authorities announced on Thursday that Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina, who was detained in the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporizhia region in August 2023, has died in Russian captivity, reports Efe.
The news was announced by a spokesperson for the Coordination Center for Prisoner of War Affairs, Petro Yatsenko, in statements to Ukrainian television networks.
Zelensky continues his European tour in Rome and meets with Meloni
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Thursday night with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, where he arrived as part of his European tour to seek support from his allies ahead of the US elections, reports Afp.
Zelensky seeks to bolster Western aid against the Russian invasion on this two-day tour passing through London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin.