Russia-Ukraine updates: Russia's tactics in Donbas 'crazy,' says Zelenskyy - DW (English)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful an evening video code connected Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had been holding retired against Russian attacks, particularly successful parts of Donbas.

"The concern connected the beforehand enactment hasn't changed significantly," helium said. "The fiercest battles are successful the Donetsk region, towards [the cities of] Bakhmut and Avdiyivka".

He added that Russian forces person continuously attempted to seizure the cardinal metropolis of Bakhmut, but to nary avail.

"This is wherever the craziness of the Russian bid is astir evident. Day aft day, for months, they are driving radical to their deaths there, concentrating the highest level of artillery strikes," the president said.

As for the remainder of the beforehand line, Zelenskyy did not springiness details, but said that "we are strengthening our positions each implicit the frontline, reducing the invaders' capabilities, destroying their logistics, and preparing bully quality for Ukraine."

Here are the different main headlines from the warfare successful Ukraine connected Wednesday, October 26:

Putin oversees atomic deterrence drills

Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the grooming of Moscow's strategical deterrence forces, the Kremlin said connected Wednesday.

"Under the enactment of... Vladimir Putin, a grooming league was held with ground, oversea and aerial strategical deterrence forces, during which applicable launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place," a Kremlin connection said.

The drills included launching trial missiles from the eastbound Kamchatka peninsula and from the Barents Sea successful the Arctic.

The strategical forces are tasked with responding to atomic threats. Moscow and Kyiv person accused each different of preparing to usage a "dirty bomb" containing atomic material, and Russian officials person connected aggregate occasions reminded the West of Moscow's atomic arsenal successful effect to Western enactment for Ukraine.

Early past week, NATO carried retired its ain atomic deterrence drills successful Belgium, the UK and the North Sea. The confederation said the exercises were a "routine, recurring grooming activity" and weren't "linked to immoderate existent satellite events."

UNESCO keeps oculus connected harm to Ukraine's taste heritage 

The United Nation's taste bureau UNESCO has announced that it is keeping way of the harm done to Ukraine's taste heritage sites since the Russian penetration with the usage of outer imagery. 

The agency has already verified harm to much than 200 sites, including 88 spiritual sites, 15 museums, 76 buildings of humanities and/or creator interest, 18 monuments and 10 libraries. 

These were located mostly successful the eastbound regions of Ukraine — namely Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk — arsenic good arsenic the superior Kyiv. 

None of Ukraine's 7 "World Heritage Sites" person been damaged, according to the platform. 

Russian forces struggled successful weeks starring up to retreat from northeastern Ukraine: report

Reuters quality reviewed much than a 1000 pages of documents that were near down by Russian officers erstwhile they retreated chaotically retired of the Ukrainian municipality of Balakliya successful Kharkiv portion past month.

The report, published Wednesday, show the interior workings of the Russian subject arsenic good arsenic the mindset of Russian unit earlier Russian forces hastily retreated from positions successful northeastern Ukraine successful 1 of Putin's astir embarrassing setbacks successful the Ukraine war.

In the weeks earlier the defeat, Russian forces were struggling with surveillance and physics warfare. Their forces were besides depleted by extremity of August, deed by death, desertion and combat stress.

Two units – accounting for astir a sixth of the full unit – were operating astatine 20% of their afloat strength, the study said.

Reuters documented accounts of a breakdown successful morale and subject among forces arsenic well. 

German president says erstwhile snubs unimportant

Speaking to DW from Ukraine, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said previous snubs helium faced regarding a sojourn to Ukraine were unimportant.

"It does not substance anymore. Our work is greater than to get aggravated astir disinvitations weeks and months agone oregon adjacent to marque them an issue. We are present to awesome that we volition proceed to basal by Ukraine's broadside and enactment it economically, politically and militarily," helium told DW.

He said Germany was focusing connected delivering aerial defence systems. "I person conscionable had confirmation from the politician successful Kyiv, Mr. Klitschko, arsenic good arsenic past week from Mr. Zelenskyy connected the telephone that this is the close enactment astatine the moment."

He said Germany already delivered 30 Gepard anti-aircraft-gun tanks and a aggregate rocket strategy and that 2 much deliveries of aerial defence systems were acceptable to transverse the border.

Steinmeier said 1 of the aerial defence systems delivered to Ukraine was truthful modern that it was not adjacent being utilized by the Bundeswehr yet.

He said helium was not amazed by the information helium faced successful Ukraine — where helium was forced to retreat to a weaponry shelter. 

"We did not travel unprepared. We cognize what state we are coming to," helium said.

"We cognize that we are coming to a state that is astatine warfare and this was evident this greeting due to the fact that we had to person our archetypal conversations successful the weaponry structure with radical from Koryukivka, a tiny municipality northwest of Kyiv for whom this is mundane life."

US imposes sanctions implicit 'Russian power campaign' successful Moldova

The United States has imposed sanctions connected individuals and entities progressive successful a Russian "influence campaign" successful Moldova.

Sanctioned individuals see Moldovan and Russian officials that are "widely recognized for capturing and corrupting Moldova's governmental and economical institutions and those acting arsenic instruments of Russia's planetary power campaign," the US Treasury Department said.

Among those sanctioned is Vladimir Plahotniuc, who Washington accuses of manipulating "key sectors of Moldova's government, including instrumentality enforcement, electoral and judicial sectors."

Moldova is engaged successful a territorial quality with Moscow implicit the Trans-Dniester region, a breakaway authorities administered by pro-Russian separatists.

Protesters person been demonstrating successful Chisinau successful caller weeks against pro-European Moldovan President Maia Sandu amid rising ostentation and concerns implicit whether Moldova volition beryllium capable to unafraid vigor supplies. Sandu accused protesters of belonging to "criminal groups."

In June, Moldova was granted EU campaigner status alongside neighboring Ukraine.

Talks connected Brittney Griner captive swap must beryllium kept confidential — Kremlin

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said discussions connected immoderate imaginable swap involving US hoops prima Brittney Griner indispensable beryllium kept confidential.

Asked astir the anticipation of a captive swap with the United States, Peskov said, "We ever accidental that immoderate contacts astir imaginable exchanges tin lone beryllium conducted successful soundlessness nether a choky lid connected immoderate information."

On Tuesday, a Russian tribunal rejected Griner's entreaty against a nine-year situation sentence. The hoops prima had been arrested connected cause smuggling and possession charges implicit cannabis lipid recovered successful her luggage arsenic she landed successful Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport.

US officials person said that they are moving to bring Griner and different jailed US citizens home and person submitted proposals to that effect to Moscow. In response, Russian officials person urged Washington to bounds discussions to confidential talks.

At slightest 70,000 radical successful Kherson near their homes — Russian-backed official

At slightest 70,000 radical person near their homes successful the confederate Ukrainian portion of Kherson implicit the people of a week, the Russian-installed determination person Vladimir Saldo said.

"I'm definite that much than 70,000 radical near successful a week since the crossings were organized," helium said connected determination television.

The Russian-installed medication successful the portion has been working to transport radical from the metropolis of Kherson to the near slope of the Dnieper River up of an expected Ukrainian offensive.

EU urges coordinated arms purchases to replenish stocks

The European Union has urged the bloc's defence ministers to coordinate arms purchases arsenic subordinate states question to replenish supplies.

EU countries person been moving to restock their arms stores pursuing weapons shipments to Kyiv.

"It is urgent to reconstruct the readiness of our European equipped forces and replenish depleted stocks," Stijn Mols, the caput of the EU diplomatic service's information and defence division, said.

"It is present truly the juncture for each of america to acceptable speech these long-standing... nationalist interests," Mols said, urging for coordinated purchases. Defense purchases successful the EU are seldom carried retired jointly.

Mols said European countries request aerial and rocket defense, anti-tank and artillery systems and drones.

European Commission defence authoritative Timo Pesonen urged for accrued defence spending, saying that the bloc had fallen down different satellite powers. EU defence investments had accrued by 22% successful 20 years, compared to 66% successful the United States, astir 300% successful Russia and much than 600% successful China, Pesonen said.

Mercedes-Benz to merchantability Russian assets to section investor

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz plans to merchantability its Russian assets to section capitalist Avtodom, Russia's Trade and Industry Ministry said connected Telegram.

"The caller proprietor of the Russian divisions of Mercedes-Benz, Avtodom, volition beryllium capable to pull different companies arsenic partners for associated productions," the ministry said.

General manager of Mercedes-Benz's Russian subsidiary, Natalya Koroleva, said the determination was made to unafraid "the fulfillment of obligations to customers successful Russia... arsenic good arsenic the preservation of jobs for employees of the Russian divisions of the company."

"The completion of the transaction is taxable to the support of each applicable authorities," Mercedes-Benz said.

Russia recruiting US-trained Afghan commandos

Volunteer commandos who were near down erstwhile the United States withdrew from Afghanistan accidental they are receiving offers to articulation Russian forces successful Ukraine, US mag Foreign Policy reported.

Only a fewer 100 elder officers of Afghanistan's 20,000-30,000-member National Army Commando Corps were evacuated arsenic portion of the US withdrawal, according to Foreign Policy, and galore commandos are presently successful hiding oregon person fled to neighboring countries retired of fearfulness of Taliban reprisals.

In August, US Congressman Michael McCaul released a study warning that Afghan commandos could beryllium "exploited" for accusation connected the US military. Around 3,000 commandos had fled to neighboring Iran, the study said.

More DW contented connected the warfare successful Ukraine

DW spoke to residents astir a lack of entree to weaponry shelters arsenic Russia strikes Ukrainian cities.

Russia and Ukraine are accusing each different of readying to usage "dirty bombs." What are the munitions and however akin are they to atomic bombs?

A Hamburg tribunal fined a antheral €4,000 euros for displaying the "Z" symbol, which is utilized arsenic a motion of enactment for Russia's invasion, on the rear model of his car.

ab, sdi/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)