Ukraine’s attorney general finds more than 42,000 crimes committed by Russia during the invasion
Ukraine’s attorney general released an updated assessment of crimes committed by Russia during the eight months of its war in Ukraine.
The Attorney General registered 42,616 crimes of aggression and war crimes committed by Russia. These include violating the laws and customs of war, propaganda, and waging aggressive war. The report found that Russia had 430 children killed and more than 800 injured.
The office also reported nearly 18,600 crimes against national security. It identified 627 suspects as Russian military and political leaders.
These crimes, according to the attorney general’s office, violate several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which came into force in 2001. The first report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, formed in March at the request of states members of the United Nations Human Rights Council. , confirmed evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine late last month.
– Rocío Fabbro
Two Ukrainian soldiers, injured by Russian mines, receive prosthetic limbs in Brooklyn, New York
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi (2nd R) and Victor Nesterenkoi (2nd L), brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York.
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi (R) and Victor Nesterenkoi (L), brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York, United States on October 27, 2022.
They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi (not seen) and Victor Nesterenkoi (L), brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. United on October 27, 2022.
They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi (R) and Victor Nesterenkoi (L), brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York, United States on October 27, 2022.
They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi and Victor Nesterenkoi, brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York, the United States, on October 27 2022.
They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers Anton Domaratskyi (2nd R) and Victor Nesterenkoi (2nd L), brought to New York through the non-profit organization Kind Deeds, receive prosthetic limbs at an orthopedic clinic in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. United on October 27, 2022.
They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
— They were Abdullahogullari | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russia keeps interest rate unchanged, ending months of cuts
Moscow, Russia: Russia’s central bank has cut its key interest rate by 300 basis points for the third time since its emergency hike in late February, citing cooling inflation and a recovering ruble.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images
Russia’s central bank kept its interest rate unchanged at 7.5%, citing inflationary expectations and geopolitical uncertainty following the “partial mobilization” of Russian troops in Ukraine and the prospect of conflict prolonged
The move to hold the interest rate ended a multi-month cycle of rate cuts that began in April. The central bank had more than doubled rates to 20% shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to counter the falling ruble.
The central bank has cut rates six times since then, reaching a pre-war interest rate of 9.5% in June, citing improvements in fiscal conditions and lower inflation. While inflation is still well above the bank’s 4% target, at 13.7% in September, it has fallen significantly from the 20-year high of 20.37% it hit in April as Western sanctions and currency freezes were put in place.
The decision to keep rates at 7.5% was expected by most analysts interviewed by Reuters, the news agency reported.
– Natasha Turak
The US rejects Russia’s claim that it is helping Ukraine develop a biological weapon
The United States has rejected Russian accusations that the Pentagon is helping Ukraine build banned biological weapons, dismissing them as lies.
The claims are “pure fabrications presented without a shred of evidence,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, arguing that Russia was trying to “distract from the atrocities” being committed in Ukraine.
“Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program. The United States does not have a biological weapons program. There are no U.S.-supported Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN said Moscow would launch an investigation into what he described as arms convention violations by the United States and Ukraine.
– Natasha Turak
Biden doubts Putin’s claim that he has “no intention” of using nuclear weapons
US President Joe Biden expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims in a recent speech that he had no need or intention to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Sarah Silbiger | Reuters
US President Joe Biden expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims in a recent speech that he had no need or intention to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“If he has no intention, why is he still talking about it? Why is he talking about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?” Biden said during an interview with NewsNation. “It’s been very dangerous in how this has been approached.”
Putin, in a speech on Thursday, downplayed the possibility of a nuclear conflict and denied that Russia had threatened to use nuclear weapons. He said Moscow was only responding to “nuclear blackmail” from the West.
In previous weeks, however, Putin and other senior Kremlin officials had expressed Russia’s willingness to use all means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, to protect Russia’s territorial integrity, which is understood to include the illegally annexed territories of Ukraine.
– Natasha Turak
Putin says there is “no need” and “no sense” to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously vowed to use “all available means to protect Russia,” which observers saw as nuclear weapons, but the president said in his latest remarks that this was only a response to what called “nuclear blackmail” from the West. leaders
Sergey Karpukhin Sputnik | Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin poured cold water on claims that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons on Ukraine, despite repeatedly citing its ability to use such weapons if Russia’s “territorial integrity” was threatened.
“We don’t see any need for this,” Putin told a conference of foreign policy experts on Thursday. “This makes no sense, neither politically nor militarily.”
Putin had previously promised to use “all available means to protect Russia,” which observers saw as nuclear weapons, but the president said in his latest remarks that this was only a response to what he called “nuclear blackmail.” of Western leaders.
He made particular reference to former British Prime Minister Liz Truss’ comments in August that she would be prepared to use nuclear weapons as leader.
– Natasha Turak
Russia likely to use ‘mobilised reservists’ to boost troops west of Dnipro river, UK says
Russia is likely to use mobilized reservists to augment its units west of Ukraine’s Dnipro River, but troop numbers are already very low there, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in its latest intel update intelligence on Twitter.
“In September 2022, Russian officials described companies in the Kherson sector as consisting of six to eight men each. The companies should deploy with about 100 personnel,” the ministry tweeted.
“Over the past six weeks there has been a clear move by Russian ground forces to transition to a long-term defensive posture in most front-line areas in Ukraine,” the ministry said.
“This is likely due to a more realistic assessment that Ukraine’s heavily undermanned and poorly trained force is currently only capable of defensive operations.”
He continued: “Even if Russia succeeds in consolidating long-term defensive lines in Ukraine, its operational design will remain vulnerable.”
– Natasha Turak
IAEA inspectors to arrive soon to inspect facilities in Ukraine after Russian ‘dirty bomb’ allegations
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during his briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 13, 2022 (Photo by Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nurfoto | Nurfoto | Getty Images
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said his inspectors will arrive in Ukraine this week following Russian accusations that Kyiv is preparing to use a “dirty bomb”.
“I am very grateful for the openness that the Ukrainian government and I had a very thorough discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kuleba about this. He came to the conclusion and I agree that the best way to dispel any doubt is to allow the inspectors to enter and that is what we will do,” Grossi told reporters at the United Nations.
Grossi added that it will likely only take a few days to conduct the inspections.
The US and its allies have rejected Russian accusations that Ukraine is building a “dirty bomb”.
— Amanda Macias
“This meeting is a waste of everyone’s time,” US ambassador to UN criticizes Russian disinformation attempts
The new US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, speaks after meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations on February 25, 2021 in New York City.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told her colleagues…