Ukraine: Kyiv said it stopped Russian drone strike on Odesa
Published October 23, 2023last updated October 23, 2023
What you need to know
Ukraine said it stopped an overnight drone attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa.
Defense systems destroyed several attack drones launched by Russia, Ukraine's air force said. Debris from one of the downed drones damaged a warehouse in Odesa.
Meanwhile, in its latest intelligence update, the UK's Ministry of Defense said Russia is spending more of its budget on the war in Ukraine — putting a further strain on the Russian economy.
Here's a look at the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, October 23:
Latvia's foreign minister says Europe 'must keep focus' on Ukraine
Latvia's foreign minister, Krisjanis Karins, told DW that Europe must maintain its focus on Ukraine while dealing with the conflict between Israel and the Hamas Islamist militant group.
He said that while "all EU countries are on the same page" when it comes to support for Kyiv, different member states have "somewhat different approaches" to financing Ukraine aid.
The ministers are currently deliberating on "concrete sums" to pledge to Ukraine, according to Karins.
Turkey's Erdogan gives green light to Sweden NATO bill
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a bill to parliament to approve Sweden's application to join NATO.
The move brings a long-running diplomatic saga one step closer to a resolution.
Sweden had applied together with Finland for NATO membership in May 2022 in the aftermath of Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine.
However, Turkey blocked Sweden's accession to NATO for months but ended its opposition at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
It had repeatedly justified its veto with what it saw as Sweden's insufficient efforts against "terrorist organizations" — a reference to mostly Kurdish political groups from Turkey operating in exile.
Russia's Lavrov in Tehran for talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is visiting the Iranian capital, Tehran, for talks with regional counterparts.
Since launching its assault on Ukraine, Russia has turned to Iran for military support and economic partnerships, with both countries hit by Western sanctions.
Lavrov's counterparts from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia have also been invited to meet for the talks.
The talks come amid unresolved disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which last month retook the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in a lightning offensive against Armenian separatists.
Western countries accuse Tehran of supporting Russia's offensive in Ukraine by providing large quantities of drones and other weaponry to Moscow.
EU foreign ministers discuss further Ukraine military aid
European Union foreign ministers discussed a proposal by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to make longer-term financing commitments for military aid for Ukraine.
The crisis in Israel and Gaza overshadowed the talks in Luxembourg ahead of an EU leaders summit on Thursday.
But they also considered how to support Ukraine as the war against Russia enters the second winter.
"We have to make sure that Ukraine also comes through this winter with the best possible protection," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, as she arrived at the meeting.
Borrell proposed adding an annual contribution of up to €5 billion ($5.3 billion) for Ukraine from 2024 to 2027.
He also suggested using EU money to support the delivery of modern fighter jets and missiles.
Far-reaching decisions were not expected at Monday's meeting.
Russian court orders journalist to stay in jail another 6 weeks
A Russian court extended the pre-trial detention of Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to December 5.
Kurmasheva, who works for US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested on October 18 for failing to register as a "foreign agent."
The broadcaster said it was, "deeply disappointed by the outcome," of the hearing,
She faces up to five years in jail if found guilty of the charges.
RFE/RL has been labeled as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities since 2017.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called the charges against Kurmasheva "spurious," saying her detention "is yet more proof that Russia is determined to stifle independent reporting."
Kurmasheva is the second US journalist detained in Russia this year, after Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges in March.
After it launched its war in Ukraine in early 2022, Russia expanded the definition of "foreign agents" to include anyone receiving any kind of support from abroad, including organizational or technical assistance.
Ukraine shoots down drones over Odesa
Ukraine said it had repelled a major Russian drone attack on the Black Sea region of Odesa overnight.
Air defenses brought down nine Iranian-made Shahed drones over the southern region of Odesa, governor Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Falling debris damaged the roof of a building and caused a fire, he added.
According to the Ukrainian military, 14 drones and one missile were repelled throughout the country.
Odesa, home to Ukraine's main Black Sea ports, has repeatedly been the target of Russian attacks.
Russia directing more funds towards war efforts, says UK
The Russian government is directing more funds towards its war with Ukraine, according to a UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) intelligence.
Moscow's proposed 2024 budget shows a 68% increase in defense spending compared to 2023, making it about 6% of the country's GDP.
Meanwhile, the budgets for education and healthcare remain the same as in 2023, effectively decreasing in real terms due to inflation.
The MoD report also notes that the war is placing a growing financial burden on Russia, with over half of wounded soldiers required lifelong medical care.
Persistent high military expenses and increased government borrowing to finance the war could lead to inflation in Russia.
lo,ss/ab (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)