Black Sea fleet commander seen on video again Russia’s military news outlet Zvezda on Wednesday published an interview with Black Sea fleet commander Viktor Sokolov, despite Ukraine claiming to have killed him in an attack on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol. “The Black Sea Fleet carries out the tasks set by the command confidently and successfully,” Sokolov says in the short video, wearing a military uniform. On Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry released footage showing Sokolov attending a defence board meeting via video call. In response to the Russian video, Ukraine’s special forces appeared to backtrack their earlier claims that Sokolov was killed, writing on Telegram: “Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with Sokolov allegedly alive, our units are clarifying the information.” Closing summary Aid money for Ukraine has become a bargaining chip for US congressional Republicans, as lawmakers negotiate on a bill to extend government funding beyond the end of the month and avoid a government shutdown. The House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, said that he would not support the part of the bill that addresses funding for Ukraine if there also wasn’t something included that would address the immigration crisis at the Mexican border. Some mercenaries of the Russian Wagner Group have left Belarus and returned to the front in Donetsk oblast, a Ukrainian military spokesperson told RBC-Ukraine. “We confirm that the ‘Wagners’ are present on the territory of the Eastern Group of Forces,” Illia Yevlash, spokesperson of the Eastern Group of Forces, said. “These are servicemen of the ‘Wagner’ PMK who were on the territory of Belarus. Now their camps are being disbanded there. There were about 8,000 of them there. Now some of these militants have gone to Africa, and someone have renegotiated contracts with the ministry of defence of the Russian Federation and returned here, to eastern Ukraine, to take part in hostilities - both as instructors and as military personnel.” Russian forces launched 44 air strikes and 27 multiple launch rocket system attacks today, and engaged Ukrainian troops in 17 combat engagements, the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in their evening briefing. “Unfortunately, the Russian terrorist attacks have killed and wounded civilians,” the general staff said in its update. “Residential buildings, a hospital and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged.” Russia’s ministry of defence has issued updated figures for the amount of equipment it claims to have destroyed during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. On its Telegram channel, it claimed: 479 airplanes, 250 helicopters, 7,191 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,170 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,155 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,557 field artillery cannon and mortars, as well as 13,449 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. The claims have not been independently verified. The Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny will be transferred to a single-cell type facility in an EPKT – “the most severe possible punishment” – for 12 months for supposed “incorrigibility”, Navalny said today on Telegram. At least three pro-war Russian journalists were sent severed pigs’ heads over the past week, the Moscow Times is reporting. The journalists who received the pigs’ heads include state media columnist Timofey Sergeitsev – who last year published an article calling for the murder of Ukrainian civilians – military expert Konstantin Sivkov and Tass news agency photojournalist Mikhail Tereshchenko. All three had previously reported receiving death threats. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, said the US and the UK were “one way or another” involved in last year’s attack on the Nord Stream pipeline, Tass news agency is reporting. Responding to a question about a report published by the US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in February that claimed the attack was a US operation, Peskov said: “What’s important here is that de facto such a terrorist act against critical energy infrastructure, one belonging to an international joint venture, was, of course, organised one way or another by the United States of America and Great Britain. And they are one way or another involved in this terrorist act.” Peskov also spoke at length on the incident of the Canadian parliament giving a standing ovation to a Ukrainian man who had fought for the German SS during the second world war. Anthony Rota, the speaker in Canada’s parliament, stepped down yesterday after growing cross-party calls for his resignation. On Friday, after a speech by Zelenskiy, Rota singled out 98-year-old Hunka, whom he had invited to sit in the gallery, describing the man as a “Canadian hero”. Zelenskiy had raised his fist in acknowledgment as Hunka saluted from the gallery. “The addiction to the Nazi ideology of the Kyiv regime is not news, this is something we have been talking about for a long time,” Peskov said. “The fact that Zelenskiy also applauded the fascist standing up confirms this once again.” Russia has accused Ukraine’s western allies of helping to plan and carry out last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Crimea, the Associated Press is reporting. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using western intelligence means, Nato satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Wednesday. Russia’s military news outlet Zvezda on Wednesday published an interview with Black Sea fleet commander Viktor Sokolov – despite Ukraine claiming to have killed him in an attack on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol. This report comes after Russia’s defence ministry released footage showing Sokolov attending a defence board meeting via video call. Air raid alert issued for Sevastopol Less than a week after a Ukrainian missile stuck Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, the port city has issued another air raid alert, Russian-installed regional governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram. Traffic on the Crimea bridge linking the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula has been temporarily suspended. Russian forces launched 44 air strikes and 27 multiple launch rocket system attacks today, and engaged Ukrainian troops in 17 combat engagements, the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in their evening briefing. “Unfortunately, the Russian terrorist attacks have killed and wounded civilians,” the general staff said in its update. “Residential buildings, a hospital and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged.” In the Donetsk oblast, Ukrainian forces repelled an attack near Hryhorivka, but Russian forces launched air strikes near Andriivka, Kostyantynivka, Pivnichne and Toretsk. More than 15 settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Mykolaivka, Markove, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Andriivka and Kurdyumivka. In this reason, Russian troops continues to lay down minefields. Still in the Donetsk oblast, Ukrainian forces repelled eight attacks near Mar’inka and and one near Rivnopil. Russian forces launched an air strike near Novomykhailivka, Urozhaine and Staromaiors’ke, and fired artillery at about 20 settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Oleksandropil, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka. Bohoyavlenka, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva and Blahodatne. In the Zaporizhzhia oblast, Russian forces launched an air strike near Novodanylivka and fired upon more than 20 settlements with artillery and mortar fire, including Charivne, Robotyne, Mali Shcherbaky, Levadne, Hulyaipole, Orikhiv, Shcherbaky, Kam’yans’ke and Plavni, as well as on Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. In the Kherson oblast, Russian forces launched air strikes near Mykolaivka, Burhunka and Ol’hivka. More than 10 settlements came under enemy artillery and mortar fire, including Antonivka, Dniprovs’ke, Shyroka Balka and the city of Kherson. Some mercenaries of the Russian Wagner Group have left Belarus and returned to the front in Donetsk oblast. “We confirm that the ‘Wagners’ are present on the territory of the Eastern Group of Forces,” Illia Yevlash, spokesperson of the Eastern Group of Forces, told RBC-Ukraine. “These are servicemen of the ‘Wagner’ PMK who were on the territory of Belarus. Now their camps are being disbanded there. There were about 8,000 of them there. Now some of these militants have gone to Africa, and someone have renegotiated contracts with the ministry of defence of the Russian Federation and returned here, to eastern Ukraine, to take part in hostilities - both as instructors and as military personnel.” Earlier this month, the UK home office determined that the Wagner mercenary group will be declared a terrorist organisation. In the Donetsk oblast, Ukrainian members of the Opfor battalion (Opposing Force) train to fight against Russian forces. Alexei Navalny to be transferred to single cell for allegeed "incorrigibility" Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny will given “the most severe possible punishment” for 12 months, Navalny said today on Telegram. Following an appeal on his case yesterday, Nalvalny learned that he was going to be transferred to a single-cell type facility in an EPKT – the strictest form of isolation – due to his “incorrigibility”. “I feel like a tired rock star on the verge of depression. Reached the top of the charts and there is nothing more to strive for,” he posted on Telegram. “On the other hand, it was I who did not fly to the top, but fell to the bottom. And there, as you know, they can always knock from below.” With a federal government shutdown looming if US lawmakers cannot agree on a budget to extend funding beyond the end of the month, it appears that aid money for Ukraine has become a bargaining chip for congressional Republicans: The House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, said that he would not support the part of the bill that addresses funding for Ukraine if there also wasn’t something included that would address the immigration crisis at the Mexican border. At least three pro-war Russian journalists were sent severed pigs’ heads over the past week, the Moscow Times is reporting. The journalists who received the pigs’ heads include state media columnist Timofey Sergeitsev – who last year published an article calling for the murder of Ukrainian civilians – military expert Konstantin Sivkov and Tass news agency photojournalist Mikhail Tereshchenko. All three had previously reported receiving death threats. Supposedly after Tereshchenko received a pig’s head from a deliveryman on 19 September, authorities searched the deliveryman and uncovered four additional bags with severed pigs’ heads. No suspects have been named. “Too bad Vladimir, you brought it on yourself,” the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton quipped yesterday, needling the Russian leader over Nato enlargement. Her comment, made at the unveiling of her official portrait for the state department, was met with applause and laughter from the crowd. Today, Russia responded to the remark by reminding Clinton of a 2009 gaffe, when a symbolic button designed to mark a “reset” of US-Russia ties was instead labelled “overload” in Russian. “It is clear that this was probably not a deliberate mistake, but very telling,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The head of the Kherson city military administration urged residents to take shelter after explosions were reported in the city. “The Russian army is shelling the city from the temporarily occupied left bank,” Roman Mrochko said on Telegram. “Go to safer places! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!” Russia’s ministry of defence has issued updated figures for the amount of equipment it claims to have destroyed during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. On its Telegram channel, it claimed: In total, 479 airplanes, 250 helicopters, 7,191 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,170 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,155 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,557 field artillery cannon and mortars, as well as 13,449 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. “Special military operation” is the preferred term by Russian authorities for its invasion of Ukraine. The claims have not been independently verified. Here is our video report on the clip released by Russia’s defence ministry showing an interview with the Black Sea fleet commander, Viktor Sokolov. It was released on Wednesday, days after Ukraine claimed he had been killed in a missile strike on Russian navy headquarters in Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russian state-owned news agency Tass has quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov at some length on the incident of the Canadian parliament giving a standing ovation to a Ukrainian man who had fought for the German SS during the second world war. It quotes Peskov saying: The addiction to the Nazi ideology of the Kyiv regime is not news, this is something we have been talking about for a long time. The fact that Zelenskiy also applauded the fascist standing up confirms this once again. Of course, one can only sympathize with the memory of Ukrainian veterans who fought against fascism, including Zelenskiy’s grandfather. Peskov went on to say that Yaroslav Hunka should face justice for having fought for the German side in the second world war. We believe that the Canadian authorities are obliged to bring this criminal to justice or to extradite to those who are going to bring this criminal to justice. There is hardly even any place for a trial here. It’s clear that we are talking about a Nazi Anthony Rota, the speaker in Canada’s parliament, stepped down yesterday amid growing cross-party calls for his resignation. On Friday, after a speech by Zelenskiy, Rota singled out 98-year-old Hunka, whom he had invited to sit in the gallery, describing the man as a “Canadian hero”. Zelenskiy raised his fist in acknowledgment as Hunka saluted from the gallery. Hunka fought against the Soviet Union – Canada’s allies in the war – as a member of the Waffen-SS “Galicia” Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a volunteer unit that was under the command of the Nazis and which is accused of war crimes. Summary of the day so far Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, said the US and the UK were “one way or another” involved in last year’s attack on the Nord Stream pipeline, Tass news agency is reporting. Responding to a question about a report published by the US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in February that claimed the attack was a US operation, Peskov said: “What’s important here is that de facto such a terrorist act against critical energy infrastructure, one belonging to an international joint venture, was, of course, organised one way or another by the United States of America and Great Britain. And they are one way or another involved in this terrorist act.” Russia has accused Ukraine’s western allies of helping to plan and carry out last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Crimea, the Associated Press is reporting. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using western intelligence means, Nato satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Wednesday. Russia’s military news outlet Zvezda on Wednesday published an interview with Black Sea fleet commander Viktor Sokolov – despite Ukraine claiming to have killed him in an attack on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol. This report comes after Russia’s defence ministry released footage showing Sokolov attending a defence board meeting via video call. Twelve people were injured in the Russian shelling of the Kherson oblast yesterday, the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Telegram. Russian forces mainly targeted “the residential quarters of the populated areas of the region”, as well as buildings of educational institutions, factories, a penitentiary in Kherson and a medical institution in Beryslav, Prokudin said. Russian forces launched 36 strikes on Ukraine with Iranian kamikaze drones yesterday, the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in its morning briefing. It was a Shahed drone that struck the key Ukrainian grain exporting port of Izmail, injuring two people and damaging infrastructure. The Guardian recently learned that these Shahed drones are filled with European components, with five European companies including a Polish subsidiary of a British multinational, named as the original manufacturers of the identified components. Nearly 50 Russian companies involved in the extraction, processing and sale of diamonds could be put under western sanctions under a proposal from the Ukrainian authorities. A large number of the companies in line to be hit with economic restrictions have links to Alrosa, which controls more than 90% of diamond production in Russia, a third of the world’s total. Alrosa is already under sanction regimes operated by the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, among others. Russia has begun building direct railway links to the occupied Ukrainian cities Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Donetsk, said Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to Melitopol’s exiled mayor – a move that could decrease Moscow’s logistical dependence on the Crimean bridge. “In practice, this is not only a global solution to the issue of military and civilian logistics, but also a drastic reduction in dependence on railway communication via the Crimean bridge,” Andriushchenko said on Telegram. Here are some of the latest images from Ukraine coming in over news agency wires: Russia accuses US, UK of aiding in attack on Black Sea fleet headquarters Russia has accused Ukraine’s western allies of helping to plan and carry out last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Crimea, the Associated Press is reporting. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using western intelligence means, Nato satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Wednesday. Kyiv claimed the strike put a large hole in the main building of the headquarters in Sevastopol and wounded 105 people, but those claims could not independently be verified. Meanwhile, Russia initially said one serviceman was killed but quickly retracted that statement and said the person was missing. Moscow has provided no updates on any casualties. The accusation comes after Russia’s military news outlet, Zvezda, published an interview with the Black Sea fleet commander, Viktor Sokolov, despite Kyiv’s claims to have killed him in the attack. Yesterday, Russia’s defence ministry released footage showing Sokolov attending a defence board meeting via video call. Sokolov did not speak in the clip. When asked about Sokolov on Wednesday, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, pointed to the Tuesday video call, but made no further comment. Peskov did, however, say that the US and the UK were “one way or another” involved in last year’s attack on the Nord Stream pipeline. Moscow has repeatedly claimed that the US and its Nato allies have effectively become involved in the war in Ukraine by supplying weapons to Kyiv, providing intelligence information and helping to plan attacks on Russian facilities. Zakharova’s statements follow comments made yesterday by Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, who said the arrival of Abrams tanks in Ukraine and the US’s promise to supply an unspecified number of long-range missiles would push Nato closer to a direct conflict with Russia.