Russia said Sunday its forces were advancing in eastern Ukraine. kyiv reported deadly airstrikes and urged the West to allow it to carry out more preemptive strikes on airfields and other military sites inside Russian territory.
Moscow has stepped up its airstrikes in recent weeks as it attempts to repel a major Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Since August 6, kyiv has been pushing into the region, which lies across from Sumy in eastern Ukraine, in the hope of creating a buffer zone to protect its border population from Moscow’s airstrikes. But a new Russian airstrike killed two people in Sumy. “Tonight […]the enemy launched an airstrike on the city of Sumy. Two people died and four were injured, including two children,” the military administration of this region announced on Telegram on Sunday.
Key information to remember
⇒ Iranian missiles delivered to Russia: EU allies have “credible information”
⇒ Beijing announces military exercises with Moscow
⇒ Russian army claims capture of new village
Kremlin does not deny delivery of Iranian missiles to Russia
The Kremlin did not deny on Monday that Iran was delivering missiles to it, as the West claims, noting that Russia was developing its relations with Tehran as it saw fit, particularly in the “most sensitive” areas. “This type of information is not always true,” said Dmitry Peskov, thus not denying these accusations during a briefing with the press. “Iran is an important partner,” he added, noting that the two countries were developing their cooperation “in all possible areas, including the most sensitive.”
The European Union said earlier on Monday that it believed allies had “credible information” about Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia. “We are reviewing the matter with member states, and if confirmed, this delivery would represent a significant material escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Peter Stano, a spokesman for the EU’s diplomatic service.
Russian military claims capture of new village in eastern Ukraine
The Russian military claimed on Monday the capture of a new village in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, near the strategic city of Pokrovsk, towards which its troops have been advancing rapidly in recent weeks. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its soldiers had seized the village of Memryk, about 20 kilometers from Pokrovsk and less than 5 kilometers from the city of Selydove.
On Sunday, the Russian army had already declared that it had taken control of another town in the area, Novogrodivka. Pokrovsk, an important logistical hub for the Ukrainian army, has been the target for several weeks of Russian troops superior in terms of both men and weapons.
Beijing announces military exercises with Moscow
China announced on Monday joint military exercises with Russia this September, a sign of a strengthening of their ties that has earned Beijing a label from NATO as a “facilitator” of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
China’s naval and air forces will take part in the “North-Joint 2024” drills in and around the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk off the coast of Russia, China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The drill aims to deepen the level of strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly cope with security threats,” the ministry said. The two allies will send naval fleets for a joint maritime patrol, and China will also take part in Russia’s “Ocean-2024” strategic drill, the statement added. The ministry did not give a specific date for when the drills will take place.
Russian drone crashes on NATO territory, Latvia says
Latvia’s president said Sunday that a Russian military drone had crashed on his territory and that violations of NATO territory had increased along its eastern border. A “Russian military drone” […] crashed in eastern Latvia yesterday. An investigation is underway,” President Edgars Rinkevics posted on X. “We are in close contact with our allies. The number of such incidents is increasing along NATO’s eastern flank and we must address them collectively,” he added.
Latvia’s Defense Minister said in a statement that the drone entered the country’s airspace from Belarus and crashed in the municipality of Rezekne. “This situation confirms that we must continue the work started to strengthen Latvia’s eastern border, including by developing air defense and electronic warfare capabilities to limit drone activity,” Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.
The Baltic state, which was once under Soviet rule but is now a member of the EU and NATO, had strained relations with Moscow after its independence, and these have deteriorated further since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.