Yahoo News Ukraine news – live: Russia warns of more land grabs after four regions annexed
The Kremlin hinted that it could have plans to annexe more regions of Ukraine.
It comes after Vladimir Putin signed a law to incorporate four partially-occupied regions of southern Ukraine – the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – into Russia.
It’s the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least 50 years.
Kyiv said the act was of a “collective madhouse” at a time when Russian forces have been fleeing front lines.
But the Kremlin suggested it’s eyeing up more regions to “reclaim”. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russia will “keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia”.
He did not specify which Ukrainian territories Moscow is considering taking next and he would not say if the Kremlin planned to organise more “referendums”, that Western allies of Ukraine have condemned as “illegal”.
Also on Wednesday, Putin ordered Russia to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russia’s nuclear power operator Rosatom said it would transfer all the existing Ukrainian employees to a new Russian-owned organisation.
Kyiv has urged Ukrainian workers there not to sign any documents handed to them by Russian occupiers.
Key Points
Russia warns of more land grabs after four regions annexed
Vladimir Putin signs law annexing four Ukrainian regions
‘You’ve lost,' Zelensky says after ‘Russia deploys Iran-made drones’
Putin orders Russia to take control of Zaporizhzhia NPP
US agents ‘suspect Ukraine involved in killing of Daria Dugina’
Three-year-old among the injured in Zaporizhzhia blast
09:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A three-year-old child is among the casualties of the missile strikes in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia.
Oleksandr Starukh, the region’s governor, said on Telegram: “So far it is known about the death of one woman. The death of another person has not been confirmed. Thanks to the doctors, her life was saved.
“Seven people were injured of varying degrees of severity, they were treated, including one three-year-old child.
“The rescue operation is still ongoing. The number of victims may vary. The number of victims could have been much higher, but thanks to the timely and professional actions of the Zaporizhzhia state emergency service, 21 victims were already saved.”
In pictures: Russian missiles blast residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia
08:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Seven Russian rockets have slammed into residential buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing two people and trapping at least five.
The strikes rained down in the city close to Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant.
Russian rockets slam into Ukrainian city near nuclear plant
08:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Seven Russian rockets slammed into residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia before dawn Thursday, killing two people and trapping at least five in the city close to Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, the governor of the mostly Russian-occupied region said.
The strikes came just hours after Ukraine‘s president announced that the country’s military had retaken three more villages in one of the regions illegally annexed by Russia.
Governor Oleksandr Starukh wrote on his Telegram channel that many people were rescued from the multi-story buildings, including a 3-year-old girl who was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed in violation of international laws on Wednesday, and is home to a nuclear plant that is under Russian occupation.
The city of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.
U.S. believes Ukrainians behind killing of Dugina in Russia - NYT says
08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
United States intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government approved a car bomb attack near Moscow in August that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, the New York Times reported, citing unidentified officials.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
The United States took no part in the attack on Dugina and was not aware of it ahead of time, the Times reported. American officials admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, the Times said.
After the attack, Ukraine denied involvement in the killing while Russia‘s Federal Security Service accused Ukraine‘s secret services of being behind it.
The New York Times quoted a Ukrainian presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, as repeating the denial that Kyiv was behind the attack. Podolyak did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the report.
A string of defeats for Putin in the northeast and the south
08:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month’s gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub.
The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson.
The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians.
Phillips P. O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it’s “hard to stabilise a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.”
Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
Putin says Russia will win back territory lost in Ukraine as Kyiv captures ‘dozens’ of towns
07:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Vladimir Putin has defiantly claimed that Russia will stabilise the situation in four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own territory, despite recent military losses.
Russian forces have suffered significant losses in two of the four regions since Friday, when Putin signed treaties to incorporate them into Russia after what it called referendums - exercises that Ukraine and the West denounced as illegal.
But the Russian president insisted on Wednesday that Moscow’s rule over the territories would prevail.
My colleague Emily Atkinson has more:
Putin insists Russia will win back territory lost in Ukraine
Ukraine takes more territory in region Putin incorporates into Russia
07:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukraine said its forces have retaken more settlements in Kherson, one of four partially Russian-occupied regions that president Vladimir Putin formally incorporated into Russia in Europe’s biggest annexation since World War Two.
With Russian forces retreating from front lines in the south and east, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late Wednesday address that Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka to the northeast of Kherson city had been “liberated”.
At the United Nations, Russia is lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote next week when the 193-member U.N. General Assembly considers whether to condemn its annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south after staging referendums there.
Putin signed a law on Wednesday to incorporate the regions into Russia. Ukraine says it will never accept an illegal seizure of its territory by force. Kyiv and the West said the referendums were rigged votes held at gunpoint.
The new law would incorporate about 18 per cent of Ukraine’s territory into Russia. Putin says he wants to ensure Russia’s security and protect Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of a land grab.
Russia’s move to annex the regions raises the possibility of an escalation in the war, as Putin and other officials have said they could use nuclear weapons to protect Russian territory including the annexed provinces.
Ukraine has said it will not be cowed by any nuclear threats and Zelenskiy said in his address he and his senior military officials met to discuss recovering all lands occupied by Russia.
Two killed in overnight Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia
07:15 , Arpan Rai
At least two people have died after overnight shelling in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia of several residential buildings, sparking widespread fires, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said early on Thursday.
One woman died in the shelling, another one on the way to the hospital as a result of seven Russian strikes, Mr Starukh said on the Telegram messaging app.
“At least five people are under the rubble of buildings,” he said. “Many people were saved. Among them is a three-year-old girl, the child is being taken care of. A rescue operation continues.”
Poland says in talks to host US nuclear weapons
07:06 , Arpan Rai
Poland said it has spoken to the US about having Nato’s nuclear weapons on its territory in the wake of Russia’s explicit threats of using nuclear arms in Ukraine.
There was “a potential opportunity” for the country to take part in “nuclear sharing”, Polish president Andrzej Duda said.
“The problem, first of all, is that we don’t have nuclear weapons,” Mr Duda said in an interview with the Gazeta Polska newspaper on Wednesday.
“We have spoken with American leaders about whether the United States is considering such a possibility. The issue is open,” he added.
Read the full story here:
Poland says it is in talks to host US nuclear weapons
Russian forces withdrawing across Dnipro river bank - MoD
06:54 , Arpan Rai
Britain’s MoD says Russian forces are continuing to retreat across the Dnipro river, though their main defensive positions remain in tact.
“Advancing south, Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to an additional 20km, primarily making gains along the east bank of the Inhulets and west bank of the Dnipro, but not yet threatening the main Russian defensive positions,” the ministry said in its latest war update.
It noted that Ukraine’s armed forces started a new phase of offensive operations in Kherson oblast on 2 October.
“Russian forces have typically broken contact and withdrawn. Russian commanders are likely to see the growing threat to the Nova Kakhovka sector as one of their most,” it said, noting that the damaged river crossing over the Dnipro in this area remains one of the few routes available for them to resupply forces.
“Russia faces a dilemma: withdrawal of combat forces across the Dnipro makes defence of the rest of Kherson oblast more tenable; but the political imperative will be to remain and defend,” the ministry said.
Facing Kyiv’s rapid advance in southern and eastern Ukraine, Russia has committed the majority of its severely undermanned airborne forces, the VDV, to the defence of Kherson.
“Therefore, Russia currently has few additional high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilise the front: it likely aims to deploy mobilised reservists to the sector,” the MoD said.
Abandoned Russian weapons becoming Ukraine’s largest weaponry source - report
06:38 , Arpan Rai
The abandoned Russian weapons falling into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers in the war is making for the besieged country’s largest supply of heavy weaponry, reported The Wall Street Journal.
This has been seen in the latest Ukraine’s rapid breakthrough in Kharkiv in September where hundreds of pieces of the ammunition left by Russia fell into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers.
These weapons, combined with the ones taken during Russia’s retreat from Kyiv and other parts of northern Ukraine in April, has turned Russia into by far the largest supplier of heavy weapons to Ukraine, the report added.
But the weapons being provided to Ukraine have an edge over the artillery recovered from Russia as the former is “more advanced and precise,” the report added.
58 Russian soldiers killed, six Russian Kamikaze drones downed - Ukraine
06:14 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian military has said it has killed at least 58 Russian soldiers and damaged half a dozen Russian Kamikaze drones along with other ammunition.
Ukrainian air defence said the six drones were downed in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Additionally, the soldiers destroyed nine Russian tanks, 17 armoured vehicles, four large-calibre howitzers Msta-S and Msta-B, and Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer on the southern front line, Ukraine southern operational command said in a war update this morning.
Bloated bodies of Russian soldiers found in trees in Lyman
05:21 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian soldiers reclaiming their territory in Lyman city are finding a scene of destruction with bombed cars and corpses in the logistics and rail hub of the besieged city.
On Wednesday, the bodies of two Russian soldiers were still lying bloating in trees on opposite sides of the road near Lyman, close to the blasted hulks of cars and a van.
Locals have said that they are having to live with the stench of dead Russian troops.
Nina stood waiting for an aid delivery by a municipal building in Lyman.
At least 15 bodies of Russian soldiers were lying in her street, the 73-year-old said. “Nobody removes them. It’s the fifth day they are lying there. And we have the smell,” she said.
Ukrainian forces have recaptured thousands of square miles of territory since the beginning of September, including dozens of settlements in the past few days.
Zelensky warns winter will be difficult
05:01 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said his administration is preparing for the approaching winter season and that he is aware of Russian soldiers invading Ukraine also preparing for the harsh weather.
“I had a very substantive meeting in the afternoon regarding our preparations for the winter season. We are fully aware of all risks. And we know that the occupiers are also... preparing for winter,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Wednesday.
He said that scenarios are being worked out at all levels of government to protect people.
“We speak honestly: winter will be difficult. But in order to endure it, we accumulate gas, coal and everything else that is necessary. We are working to be ready. And it is important that our partners approach this period with the same preparedness,” he said.
Mr Zelensky sought cooperation from his Ukrainian allies and said: “The more we do together now to bring peace closer, the more we cooperate and put pressure on Russia, the safer this winter can be for all of us in Europe.”
Overnight shelling sets Zaporizhzhia city on fire, casualties likely – official
04:50 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian city housing the country’s largest nuclear facility has been shelled overnight causing multiple fires, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said.
The Russian shelling destroyed and damaged several residential buildings, the governor said early today.
“As a result of the enemy attacks, fires broke out in the city. There are possible casualties. Rescuers are already pulling people out from under the rubble,” the official said on Telegram.
Ukraine retakes more territory annexed by Russia in last 24 hours
04:17 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has said his Ukrainian forces have retaken more settlements in Kherson, one of the partially Russian-occupied southern regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in illegal referendums.
In the last 24 hours, he said, “settlements of Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka were liberated from the sham referendum and stabilised in Kherson”.
The movement continues, he added.
“Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. And more and more citizens of Russia are realizing that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war,” the Ukrainian president said in his late night address.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry calls for sanctions against Rosatom
03:00 , Lamiat Sabin
The Ukrainian foreign ministry is calling on its allies in the West to sanction Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom.
It comes after Vladimir Putin ordered Russia to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, located in one of the four regions in southern Ukraine that he recently annexed.
⚡️Foreign Ministry calls for sanctions against Russian Rosatom.
The ministry urged Western allies to impose sanctions on Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom, companies and institutions affiliated with it and called on IAEA member states to limit cooperation with Russia.— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 5, 2022
Rosatom, also known as Rosenergoatom, said it would transfer all the existing Ukrainian employees to a new Russian-owned organisation.
But Petro Kotin, the boss of Ukraine’s state energy agency, announced he was taking over the plant that was captured by Russian forces in March, following the launch of the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
The European Union has approved a fresh package of sanctions against Russia that includes a price cap on oil sales.
Top Russian energy official and deputy PM Alexander Novak said a price cap on its exports will backfire and could lead to a temporary cut in production.
Russia lobbies for secret UN ballot on its Ukraine annexation
02:00 , Lamiat Sabin
Russia is lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote when the UN General Assembly next week considers whether to condemn Moscow’s move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.
Ukraine and its allies have denounced the so-called referendum votes in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as illegal and coercive.
A resolution drafted for the assembly drafted by Western nations condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and the “attempted illegal annexation”.
Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia wrote in a letter to UN states, seen by Reuters, that the resolution was part of a “clearly politicised and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide in the General Assembly and bring its membership further apart.”
He argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that “it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly.”
Diplomats said the General Assembly would likely have to vote publicly on whether to hold a secret ballot.
Russia ‘appoints official to oversee annexed territories'
01:00 , Lamiat Sabin
Russia has reportedly appointed an official to oversee the recently-annexed regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine following “illegal” referenda.
Kremlin-aligned media outlet RosBiznesConsulting reported that Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin appointed Vadim Vasiliev as the official for overseeing the “development of new territories”.
He has also been appointed the deputy minister of construction, housing and utilities of the Russian Federation.
Irek Faizullin – the minister of construction, housing and utilities – reportedly said that 116 new employees joined the department this week.
Russia warns of more land grabs after four regions annexed
Thursday 6 October 2022 00:30 , Lamiat Sabin
The Kremlin hinted that it could have plans to annexe more regions of Ukraine.
It comes after Vladimir Putin signed a law to incorporate four partially-occupied regions of southern Ukraine – the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – into Russia.
It’s the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least 50 years.
Kyiv said the act was of a “collective madhouse” at a time when Russian forces have been fleeing front lines.
But the Kremlin suggested it’s eyeing up more regions to “reclaim”. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russia will “keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia”.
He did not specify which Ukrainian territories Moscow is considering taking next and he would not say if the Kremlin planned to organise more “referendums”, that Western allies of Ukraine have condemned as “illegal”.
‘You’ve lost,’ Zelensky after ‘Russia deploys Iran-made drones’
Thursday 6 October 2022 00:00 , Lamiat Sabin
Volodymyr Zelensky said that no weapon, even the Iranian-made Shahed drones, will help Russia win the war.
In his nightly address, the Ukrainian spoke in Russian to make his statement to the Russian occupiers.
It comes after drones – known as HESA Shahed 136, or “kamikaze drones” – hit a building overnight in Bila Tserkva, about 45 miles (75km) from Kyiv – according to the Kyiv region’s governor Oleksiy Kuleba.
Mr Zelensky said: “These Iranian Shahed drones with which you are trying to bomb our cities, such as Bila Tserkva ... won’t help you anyway. You have already lost.
“You’ve lost because even now, on the 224th day of the full-scale war, you have to explain to your society why all this is needed: this war, the false mobilisation and self-destruction of all the prospects of your people.”
He went on: “When people feel they are right and when they are on their own land, they themselves know everything. They do not need fanatic lectures on ‘alternative history’ and political information sessions every day.
“ ... Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. And more and more citizens of Russia are realising that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war. It’s obvious who will win”
Ukraine has reported a number of Russian attacks with Iranian-made drones in the last three weeks, but the recent strike on Bila Tserkva has been the closest one to Kyiv.
Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented – Reuters reported.
Russia anti-war TV reporter confirms she has fled house arrest
Wednesday 5 October 2022 22:45 , Lamiat Sabin
A Russian TV journalist who shot to fame after staging an anti-war protest during a live broadcast has confirmed she has escaped house arrest over charges of spreading fake news.
In March, just weeks after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Marina Ovsyannikova staged a walk-out in front of studio cameras during an evening news broadcast on the flagship Channel One.
She held up a homemade placard that read, “Stop the war” and “They’re lying to you”.
Despite receiving a hefty 30,000 rouble (£460) fine for her demonstration, the 44-year-old has continued her opposition to the war.
On the run: Russia anti-war TV reporter confirms she has fled house arrest
US agents ‘suspect Ukraine involved in killing of Daria Dugina’
Wednesday 5 October 2022 22:00 , Lamiat Sabin
American intelligence agencies reportedly suspect that parts of the Ukrainian government authorised a car bomb attack near Moscow that killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, in August.
The US had no involvement in the attack, did not know about it ahead of time and would have opposed the killing if it had been consulted – officials said, according to the report by The New York Times.
The officials reprimanded their Ukrainian counterparts over the assassination, the report adds, that killed the 29-year-old TV commentator.
It’s believed that Ms Dugina’s father Aleksandr Dugin – who has called on Russia to intensify its invasion of Ukraine – was the actual target of the attack and that the operatives who detonated the car bomb had believed he would be in the vehicle with his daughter.
When asked about the US intelligence assessment, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterated Kyiv’s claims that Ukraine’s government was not involved in the killing.
Ukraine liberates three more settlements in Kherson region
Wednesday 5 October 2022 21:30 , Lamiat Sabin
Ukrainian forces liberated three settlements in the southern Kherson region today, Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late-night video address.
The Ukrainian president listed the areas as Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka – which all lie to the northeast of the city of Kherson.
It comes after Mr Zelensky said, on Tuesday night that the military, in the past week, made major, rapid advances against Russian forces in taking back dozens of towns in southern and eastern regions that Russia has declared annexed.
He said: “This week alone, since the Russian pseudo-referendum, dozens of population centres have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions.”
Gold teeth pulled from Ukrainians’ mouths found near Izyum
Wednesday 5 October 2022 21:00 , Lamiat Sabin
A box of gold teeth pulled from the mouths of living and dead Ukrainians has been discovered in territory recaptured from Russia, according to officials.
A plastic container filled with more than 200 caps and dentures was discovered by Ukrainian fighters in the town of Pisky-Rad’kivs’ki in northern Ukraine, east of the city of Izyum.
After finding the box, officials believe that they had discovered a site where torture at the hands of Russian invaders had taken place.
You can read the full story here by Emily Atkinson
Gold teeth pulled from mouths of living and dead Ukrainians, claims Kyiv
EU approves eighth set of sanctions on Russia over annexation
Wednesday 5 October 2022 20:30 , Lamiat Sabin
The European Union has given its final approval to a new round of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
The bloc’s eighth set of sanctions was finalised on the same day that Vladimir Putin signed papers on the annexation of the four regions in southern Ukraine, while Kyiv said the Ukrainian military is in the process of reclaiming the regions.
The sanctions ban imports of Russian steel and steel products, wood pulp and paper, machinery and appliances not yet covered by existing sanctions, and intermediate chemicals, plastics, and cigarettes.
They also ban exports to Russia of EU goods used in aviation, such as tires and brakes, and extends a ban on the export of electric components, including certain semiconductors and other components that have not been already banned.
In addition, the sanctions ban the export of certain chemical substances, nerve agents, and goods that have “no practical use other than for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
The sanctions also target more individuals at the Russian defence ministry, people involved in Moscow’s referendum votes in occupied parts of four regions of Ukraine, and those participating in evading sanctions.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “We will never accept Putin’s sham referenda nor any kind of annexation in Ukraine. We are determined to continue making the Kremlin pay.”
The agreement is to be formalised on 6 October if no EU country raises an objection. Sanctions require the unanimous backing of all 27 EU member states.
Iranian-made drones 'hit Ukraine’s Kyiv region for first time’
Wednesday 5 October 2022 20:00 , Lamiat Sabin
Officials in a town near Kyiv have claimed that multiple strikes launched by Russia using Iranian-made drones resulted in a fire.
Six drones – known as HESA Shahed 136, or “kamikaze drones” – hit a building overnight in Bila Tserkva, about 45 miles (75km) from the Ukrainian capital.
This is according to Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of the Kyiv region.
Ukraine has reported a number of Russian attacks with Iranian-made drones in the last three weeks, but the recent strike on Bila Tserkva has been the closest one to Kyiv.
Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented – Reuters reported.
Residents told the news agency that they heard four explosions in quick succession, followed by another two over an hour later.
“There was a roaring noise, a piercing sound. I heard the first strike, the second I saw and heard. There was a roar and then ‘boom’ followed by an explosion,” said 80-year-old Volodymyr, who lives across the street from the building.
Bodies of Ukrainian men found in pit showing ‘signs of torture’
Wednesday 5 October 2022 19:23 , Lamiat Sabin
Police said they found the bodies of two Ukrainian civilians that show signs of having been tortured.
The bodies were found in a four-metre-deep pit in the village of Novoplatonivka, in the northeastern region of Kharkiv.
The left hand of one of the men was cuffed to the other man’s right hand, the police force wrote on Facebook.
One of their skulls has a fracture in the temporal area, and the other skull has a hole caused by a gunshot, the police said.
The two men are believed to be in their early 30s, and investigations are ongoing to establish their identities.
The pit is located at a recreation centre in the village used by hundreds of Russian soldiers who had occupied the village.
A criminal investigation has been opened, police said.
In brief: Putin’s annexation of Ukraine and nuclear ‘takeover’
Wednesday 5 October 2022 19:04 , Reuters
Today, Vladimir Putin signed a law to incorporate four partially-occupied regions of southern Ukraine into Russia.
Kyiv said the act was of a “collective madhouse” at a time when Russian forces have been fleeing the front lines.
Putin signed laws admitting the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia in the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least 50 years
The Russian president also said Russia would stabilise the situation in the regions, which is being viewed as an indirect acknowledgement of the challenges it faces to assert its control
Putin signed a decree ordering Russia to take control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and make it “federal property”
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog IAEA, is reportedly to visit Moscow to discuss safety at the plant, where Ukrainian workers have been instructed by the Ukrainian government to not sign any papers that could be handed to them by Russian occupiers
Putin orders Russia to take control of Zaporizhzhia NPP
Wednesday 5 October 2022 18:41 , Lamiat Sabin
Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – but Kyiv has urged Ukrainian workers there not to sign any documents handed to them by Russian occupiers.
The Russian president ordered the Kremlin to take control of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located in one of the four regions in southern Ukraine that he recently annexed.
Russia’s nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom said it would transfer all the existing Ukrainian employees to a new Russian-owned organisation.
But Petro Kotin, the boss of Ukraine’s state energy agency, announced he was taking over the plant – which is feared to possibly cause a nuclear disaster as a result of shelling in the area that Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for.
Ukrainian staff have continued to operate the plant after Russian forces captured it in March, following the launch of the invasion on 24 February.
One reactor to be restarted at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Wednesday 5 October 2022 18:15 , Lamiat Sabin
Ukrainian staff running the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) are preparing to restart one of the plant’s six reactors.
This was announced by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
All six of the reactors have been shut down. Preparations to start one reactor would take “some time,” it said.
The IAEA said: “Senior Ukrainian operating staff informed IAEA experts present at the ZNPP that preparations are underway to start unit 5 at reduced power to produce steam and heat for the needs of the plant.”
EU’s von der Leyen pitches temporary gas price caps
Wednesday 5 October 2022 18:01 , Lamiat Sabin
Ursula von der Leyen is suggesting that the EU should consider a temporary limit on gas prices and a cap on the cost of gas used to generate power.
The president of the European Commission made the suggestions in a letter to leaders of member nations, saying that the bloc should make clear that it’s “not ready to pay whatever price for gas” amid the war in Ukraine.
She wrote: “We should consider a price limitation in relation to the TTF (the Dutch Title Transfer Facility) in a way that continues to secure the supply of gas to Europe and to all Member States and that would demonstrate that the EU is not ready to pay whatever price for gas.”
Such a cap would be temporary while the EU works on launching a new gas price benchmark, she said.
On Friday, EU leaders will meet in Prague to discuss whether to cap gas prices.
Irishman Rory Mason dies aged 23 while fighting in Ukraine
Wednesday 5 October 2022 17:44 , Lamiat Sabin
A 23-year-old Irishman has been killed while fighting in Ukraine, his family has confirmed.
Rory Mason, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine’s International Legion near the Russian border.
He was enlisted in the legion last March, soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.
Mr Mason is survived by his parents Rob and Elizabeth, a 22-year-old brother, and a 21-year-old sister.
His family learnt of his death from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is providing consular assistance.
Mr Mason’s family said that information on his death is limited and their priority at this point is to repatriate his remains.
His father said: “Rory was a private young man of drive, purpose and conviction.
“Though we are deeply saddened at his death, we are enormously proud of his courage and determination and his selflessness in immediately enlisting to support Ukraine.
“Rory was never political but he had a deep sense of right and wrong and an inability to turn the other way in the face of injustice.
“He had a long-standing interest in eastern Europe, in travel, and in learning new languages, including Russian.
“... Rory was our son and we will miss him enormously. As our family is still trying to come to terms with Rory’s death, we would appeal for privacy at this difficult time.”
Military retreats don’t affect annexation plans, says Kremlin
Wednesday 5 October 2022 17:00 , Emily Atkinson
There is no contradiction between incorporating Ukrainian territories into Russia and military retreats, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
“They will be with Russia forever and they will be returned”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
On the run: Russia anti-war TV reporter confirms she has fled house arrest
Wednesday 5 October 2022 16:30 , Emily Atkinson
A Russian TV journalist who shot to fame after staging an anti-war protest during a live broadcast has confirmed she has escaped house arrest over charges of spreading fake news.
In March, just weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, Marina Ovsyannikova staged a walk out in front of studio cameras during an evening news broadcast on the flagship Channel One, wielding a DIY-placard that read, “Stop the war” and “They’re lying to you”.
Despite receiving a hefty 30,000 rouble (£460) fine for her demonstration, the 44-year-old continued her oppostion to the war.
On the run: Russia anti-war TV reporter confirms she has fled house arrest
Russian oil price cap will give buyers leverage, says US official
Wednesday 5 October 2022 16:00 , Emily Atkinson
A price cap that G7 countries want to impose on Russian oil will provide buyers with leverage to get better prices, a US treasury official has said.
The US has held “positive dialogue” with China and India, two major importers of Russian crude, Ben Harris, assistant secretary for economic policy at the treasury, told the Energy Intelligence Forum.
The price cap, whose details have yet to be hammered out, will be set at a level that will retain an incentive for companies to produce, he added.
“The intention of the price cap is to preserve trade of Russian oil but at lower prices,” Harris said.
Ukraine to bid for World Cup with Spain and Portugal
Wednesday 5 October 2022 15:37 , Emily Atkinson
Spain and Portugal’s football federations have confirmed Ukraine has been added to their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The three nations announced their collaborative bid at a media conference at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon on Wednesday.
Ben Burrows reports:
Ukraine to bid for World Cup with Spain and Portugal
Moscow says it expelled Lithuanian diplomat in retaliatory move
Wednesday 5 October 2022 15:11 , Emily Atkinson
Moscow has expelled a Lithuanian diplomat in a retaliatory move, Russia’s foreign ministry has confirmed.
In a statement posted on its website, the ministry said that it “reserves the right to take additional measures” in response to what it called Lithuania’s “unfriendly steps”.
European and other Western countries have expelled hundreds of Russian diplomats since Moscow first invaded Ukraine on 24 February, many of them for alleged spying.
Putin vows to ‘stabilise situation’ in four annexed regions
Wednesday 5 October 2022 14:48 , Emily Atkinson
Vladimir Putin has vowed to stablilise the situation in the four regions Moscow formally annexed earlier today, hinting at the challenges Russia has faced in asserting its control.
“We proceed from the fact that the situation will be stabilised, we will be able to calmly develop these territories,” Putin said in televised remarks.
Putin, speaking at an award ceremony for teachers, also said he had great respect for the Ukrainian people.
“We always, and even today despite the current tragedy, hold great respect for the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language, literature and so on,” he said.
Moscow says it is holding positions in Kherson region amid Ukrainian advance
Wednesday 5 October 2022 14:15 , Emily Atkinson
Russia’s forces are holding positions in Ukraine‘s Kherson region and “repelling attacks by superior enemy forces”, Moscow’s defence ministry has said – a day after confirming major territorial losses in the southern province.
In its daily briefing, the ministry said its forces had launched airstrikes on the settlements of Dudchany and Davydiv Brid, confirming the loss this week of the two key villages, which its forces had controlled since March.
Any Russian objects found on occupied territory ‘legitimate targets’, says Kyiv
Wednesday 5 October 2022 13:55 , Emily Atkinson
Any “Russian objects” on occupied Ukrainian territory are legitimate military targets, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide has said.
“Any Russian objects on occupied territories are legitimate military targets for attack by (Ukraine‘s) Armed Forces,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
“Any counteroffensive and de-occupation of territories falls under the concept of defensive war. This is an absolute axiom for both the leadership of Ukraine and our allies, he added.
Gold teeth pulled from mouths of living and dead Ukrainians discovered in recaptured territory
Wednesday 5 October 2022 13:35 , Emily Atkinson
Gold teeth pulled from the mouths of living and dead Ukrainian victims have been discovered in territory recaptured from Russia by Kyiv’s troops, according to officials.
A plastic box filled with more than 200 tooth caps and dentures was discovered by Ukrainian fighters in the town of Pisky-Rad’kivs’ki in the north of Ukraine, east of the city of Izyum – leading officials to believe they had discovered the site of a Russian torture chamber.
Ukraine’s successful counter-offensive in the country’s southern and northeastern regions has seen them retake swathes of territory that had previously been under the control of the Russian military.
Gold teeth pulled from mouths of Ukrainians found in recaptured territory
Moscow and Kyiv wrestle for control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power
Wednesday 5 October 2022 13:13 , Emily Atkinson
The head of Ukraine‘s state nuclear energy company has announced he will take charge of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, in opposition to claims made by Moscow.
Energoatom chief Petro Kotin has also urged workers at the plant not to sign any documents with its Russian occupiers.
“All further decisions regarding the operation of the station will be made directly at the central office of Energoatom,” Kotin said in a video address posted on the Telegram messaging app.
“We will continue to work under Ukrainian law, within the Ukrainian energy system, within Energoatom.”
It follows the brief detention by Russian forces of the Ukrainian who had been in charge of the plant.
Russia to take over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant operations
Wednesday 5 October 2022 12:43 , Emily Atkinson
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will operate under the supervision of Russian agencies after president Vladimir Putin formally annexed the wider region this week, Russia’s foreign ministry has announced.
Russia moved to annex Zaporizhzhia and three other regions after holding what it called referenda – votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive.
Irishman ‘killed in action’ fighting in Ukraine
Wednesday 5 October 2022 12:15 , Emily Atkinson
An Irishman has been killed while for Ukrainian forces near the Russian border.
The man was named as Rory Mason, from Dunboyne, County Meath. He died while fighting in Kharkiv for Ukraine’s International Legion. That region is the scene of intense fighting as Ukraine tries to build on recent military successes in pushing back Russian forces.
The 23-year-old enlisted to fight in the war last March, not long after Russia’s invasion.
Mr Mason’s family said they learnt of his death from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, which is providing consular assistance.
David Harding reports:
