Ukraine war latest: Forces liberate village; explosions in Crimea from Kyiv ‘military operation’

By admin On Sep 18, 2023

Key points

Analysis:

07:47:33 Russia and Ukraine to square off before International Court of Justice

Ukraine’s legal battle against Russia over allegations of genocide used by Moscow to justify its invasion is resuming at the United Nations’ highest court today.

Hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the Word Court, will see Ukraine supported by a record 32 other nations in a major show of support.

Kyiv launched the case shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, arguing the attack was based on false allegations of acts of genocide in Luhansk and Donetsk.

It wants the court to order Russia to halt its invasion and pay reparations.

Ukraine brought the case to the Hague-based court based on the 1948 Genocide Convention, which both Moscow and Kyiv have ratified.

In an interim ruling in March 2022, the court ordered Russia to halt hostilities – a binding legal ruling that Moscow has flouted.

Hearings this week are expected to see lawyers for Russia argue the court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case, while Ukraine will call on judges to press ahead.

A total of 32 of Ukraine’s allies including Canada, Australia and every European Union member nation except Hungary will also make statements in support of its legal arguments.

The US asked to participate on Ukraine’s side, but the court’s judges rejected the request on a technicality.

07:43:15 Bulgaria sends special unit to inspect drone landed in Black Sea resort

Bulgaria has sent a special unit to inspect and deactivate a drone carrying explosives which landed in a Black Sea town, its defence ministry has said.

The unmanned aerial vehicle was found in Tyulenovo – a tourist destination near the border of Romania and across the sea from Crimea – late last night.

The NATO-member country’s inspection team will decide how to dispose of it, the ministry added in a statement.

Witnesses reported the drone was between 3 and 3.5 metres long and had a container filled with explosives attached to it, Nova.bg website reported.

07:35:52 Russia reinforces with airborne units – but they are ‘highly likely dramatically under strength’

Russia has reinforced its army with extra airborne units over the last two weeks, but they are “highly likely dramatically under strength”, the UK’s defence ministry has said.

The “hard-pressed” 58th Combined Arms Army was strengthened by at least five airborne regiments on the Orikhiv axis in Zaporizhzhia, near the frontline village of Robotyne, it said.

“At full strength, such a force should constitute around 10,000 elite paratroopers. However, almost all units are highly likely dramatically under strength,” it added.

“Throughout the war Russian commanders have attempted to regenerate the airborne forces as a highly mobile, striking force for offensive operations. Once again, they are being used as line infantry to augment over-stretched ground forces.”

07:15:37 Ukrainian troops ‘take more territory’ along eastern front

Ukrainian troops have retaken more territory along the eastern front and advanced in the south, according to the country’s deputy defence minister.

Forces have recaptured two square km (0.77 square miles) of land in the past week around the shattered eastern city of Bakhmut, Hanna Maliar said.

Her latest update comes after Ukraine took control of Andriivka and Klishchiivka – two villages on the southern flank of the city – at the end of last week.

Since troops launched their long-awaited counteroffensive three months ago, they have liberated 51 square km (19 square miles) near Bakhmut, she added.

Further south in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops continued to hold back a Russian offensive towards the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka, Ms Maliar said.

Ukrainian forces are trying to advance toward the Sea of Azov in a southern drive intended to split Russian forces retook 5.2 square km (two square miles) in the past week, she added.

During its counteroffensive, Ukraine has reported slow, steady progress against entrenched Russian positions, retaking a string of villages and advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut, but taking no major settlements.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials have dismissed Western critics who say the offensive is too slow and hampered by strategic errors.

06:58:23 China’s top diplomat to begin four-day trip to Russia

China’s top diplomat will begin a four-day trip to Russia today during which both nations are expected to pledge deeper mutual political trust.

Wang Yi’s visit comes ahead of a possible landmark trip to Beijing by Vladimir Putin next month.

Throughout the trip, Mr Wang, who heads the country’s foreign ministry, will meet security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev for annual security talks.

The veteran diplomat’s talks with counterpart Sergei Lavrov will cover a “wide range of issues” including “contacts at higher and the highest levels,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

The visit will also see a detailed exchange of views on issues including Ukraine, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week.

Mr Wang is expected to lay the groundwork for the Russian president’s visit to the Chinese capital for the third Belt and Road Forum after an invitation by President Xi Jinping during a high-profile visit to Moscow in March.

Mr Putin attended China’s first two Belt and Road Forums in 2017 and 2019.

But he is not known to have travelled abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him on grounds of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

The warrant, issued just days before Xi visited Russia, obligates the court’s 123 member states to arrest Mr Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.

However, China is not a member.

Mr Wang last visited Russia in February on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, alarming the United States, which accused the two nations at the time of sharing a vision in which “borders could be redrawn by force”.

Ahead of this week’s visit, Mr Wang travelled to Malta for hours of “constructive” talks with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

06:47:08 More than 20 drone attacks launched by Russia overnight

Ukraine came under fire by 24 drone attacks last night, its air force has said.

The unmanned aerial vehicles were launched over the southern cities Mykolaiv and Odessa, it said in a Telegram post, claiming a total of 18 “attack drones” were destroyed.

A number of cruise missiles were also fired by Moscow but all 17 of them were destroyed over Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Khmelnytskyi, it added.

06:21:53 Ukrainian forces have liberated village – and they’ve launched ‘successful operations’ elsewhere

Last night, Ukrainian officials claimed their forces had recaptured Klishchiivka, a village just south of Bakhmut.

Now, leading US think tank The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has confirmed the reports, saying it has geolocated footage of Ukrainian forces holding up flags in the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated the Ukrainian 80th Air Assault Brigade, 5th Assault Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and National Police Assault Brigade for their role in liberating the settlement.

Not only that, but the ISW said Ukraine has also launched “successful operations” elsewhere in the Bakhmut direction.

“Further geolocated footage posted on 16 September shows that Ukrainian forces have captured positions east of Orikhovo-Vasylivka,” it said in its daily update.

“The liberation of Klishchiivka, as well as continued Ukrainian tactical gains northwest of Bakhmut, are tactical gains of strategic significance because they are allowing Ukrainian forces to fix a considerable portion of Russian airborne (VDV) elements in the Bakhmut area,” it said.

The liberation of Klishchiivka came less than 48 hours after Ukrainian forces recaptured another village called Andrivka, which is around 3km away from Bakhmut.

06:06:17 Good morning

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Ukraine war.

Today will see Russia and Ukraine square off in front of the International Court of Justice over claims Moscow invaded in order to prevent genocide.

The case, which was brought by Ukraine just days after last February’s invasion, will be put before the United Nations’ highest court at The Hague in the Netherlands.

If you missed anything over the weekend, here are the key developments to catch up on:

Ukraine claimed it had captured the settlement of Klishchiivka – this would be the second village taken near Bakhmut in just over 48 hours;There was back-and-forth between sources around explosions in the Crimean city of Sevastopol – with Ukrainian media claiming a joint operation between military intelligence and the navy was under way – reports that were quickly rubbished by Russian officials;Moscow looks to be establishing a second line of defence in southern Zaporizhzhia, in Tokmak, betraying “growing concern” within the military over Ukrainian advances;Kim Jong Un ended a six-day trip to Russia with a walrus show at an aquarium – before leaving with gifts including a bulletproof vest and five kamikaze drones;Ukrainian drone attacks set fire to an oil depot in southwestern Russia and disrupted air traffic in Moscow.

This is the latest territorial situation…

22:50:01 Trump repeats claims he would ‘get deal worked out’ in Ukraine, happy with recent Putin comments

Former US President Donald Trump has been speaking with Sky News’ US partner, NBC News, about the war in Ukraine.

During an interview with Kristen Welker, which aired in full this morning, Mr Trump said he could not explain in detail how he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine because “if I tell you exactly, I lose all my bargaining chips.

“I would say certain things to Putin,” he said. “I would say certain things to Zelenskyy, both of whom I get along.”

When asked if he would push for a deal that allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to keep Ukrainian territory, Mr Trump said no.

“I’d make a fair deal for everybody,” he said.

He then expressed appreciation for a remark Putin made recently.

The Russian president previously said: “We surely hear that Mr Trump says he will resolve all burning issues within several days, including the Ukrainian crisis. We cannot help but feel happy about it.”

In response, Trump said: “Well, I like that he said that.

“Because that means what I’m saying is right. I would get him into a room. I’d get Zelenskyy into a room. Then I’d bring them together. And I’d have a deal worked out. I would get a deal worked out. It would’ve been a lot easier before it started.”

Though Mr Trump did not make clear what he would hypothetically do in office regarding the conflict, he frequently argued during the interview that there would not have been a war if he had remained president.

22:28:27 Three drones and shelling hits Ukrainian region

Three drones and a bout of shelling struck the Ukrainian Dnipro region, the governor said.

“The Russian invaders sent three kamikaze drones to the district centre and the Marhanets community,” Serhii Lysak said on Telegram.

“They [also] shelled Myrovska with heavy artillery,” he added.

Mr Lysak said buildings and settlements near the crash sites of the drones and shelling is being looked at for signs of damage, but that no one had died as a result of the attacks.

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