It is day 291 of the war in Ukraine. Follow the latest news about the war and all its aftermath in this live blog.
Nationalist blogger: some Russian officers dissatisfied with military leaders and President Putin
1:31 pm |A number of Russian officers fighting in Ukraine are dissatisfied with the military leadership and President Vladimir Putin over the misconduct of the war, an influential Russian nationalist blogger said after a visit to the conflict zone, Reuters reports.
In Russia, public criticism directed at Putin is rare, although nationalist bloggers have been vocal about the progress of the war, particularly the Russian defeats in the Kharkov region of Ukraine in September.
Igor Girkin, a nationalist and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who helped Russia annex Crimea in 2014 and then organize pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine, said there was some dissatisfaction with the summit. In a 90-minute video analyzing the conduct of the war, Girkin said that the Russian military needs reform and needs competent people who can lead a successful military campaign.
Some at the military’s middle level, Girkin said, were open about their dissatisfaction with Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu and even with Putin. “It’s not just me … people are not blind and deaf at all. The middle-level people there are not even hiding their opinions which are not, how can I say, completely flattering of the president or the secretary of defense,” he said Girkin.
The Russian Defense Ministry declined to comment on comments by Girkin, who has repeatedly criticized Putin’s close ally Shoigu for defeats Russia suffered on the battlefield during the war.
Girkin was convicted of murder in absentia by Dutch judges for his role in the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, which killed 298 passengers and crew. Russia, which has repeatedly denied shooting down the plane, has rejected the verdict.
Erdogan and Putin discuss attempts to export other goods through the grain corridor
12:35 | Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about starting work to export more food and raw materials through the Black Sea corridor, Erdogan’s office said Sunday, Reuters reported.
Bilateral ties between Ankara and Moscow were also discussed, as well as energy and the fight against terrorism, according to a reading by the Turkish presidency.
British Foreign Secretary: Do not use peace talks with Ukraine as a cover for Russian rearmament
10:02 am | Peace talks in Ukraine should not be a cover for Russian rearmament, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Sunday. He added that he saw no signs that Moscow would enter into negotiations in good faith.
He wisely said that while Britain wanted to see peace talks “sooner rather than later,” Ukraine should set the benchmark for any negotiations should they take place. “All negotiations must be real, they must be meaningful, they must not be just a cover for Russian rearmament and further recruitment of soldiers,” Cleverly told Sky News.
“I really don’t see anything coming from the Russian side that gives me confidence that Vladimir Putin is entering these talks in good faith.”
The Russian president hinted at a news conference in Kyrgyzstan on Friday that peace talks might be needed.
Grain exports from Odessa port continue after attacks on Ukraine’s energy system
07:56 | Traders have no plans to suspend grain shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to Odessa due to the latest Russian attack on the region’s energy system, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solky said on Sunday.
“There are problems, but none of the traders talk about suspending shipments. Ports use alternative energy sources,” Solsky told Reuters.
Two killed in Melitopol after Ukrainian bombing
04:27 | Ukrainian artillery attacks on the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine have left at least two dead and ten wounded, Russian media reported. According to a representative of the Russians, one restaurant, among others, was hit, he tells Russia’s state news agency TASS.
Several rockets were fired at the city. The Ukrainian military announced on Saturday that it had attacked the strategically important city, which has been in Russian hands since March.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky says Melitopol is key to the defense of the south. “If Melitopol falls, the entire defense line will collapse up to Kherson. Ukrainian troops will have a direct route to Crimea,” the adviser said.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
