Update: Death toll rises to 25 in Russia's attack on Zaporizhzhia; 50 injured
Russian shelling of a line of civilian cars in Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed 25 people and wounded 50, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office.
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Liz Truss: UK will never accept annexation of Ukrainian territories
U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss said that Britain "will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia as anything other than Ukrainian territory," Reuters reported on Sept. 30.
NYT: Pentagon to set up new command to arm, train Ukrainian soldiers
The U.S. Defense Department plans to establish a new command based in Germany that will coordinate the equipment and training of Ukraine's military, the New York Times reported, citing U.S. military and administration officials. "The proposal would streamline a training and assistance system that was created on the fly after the Russian invasion in February," wrote the NYT.
Russian media: Moscow-installed proxy dies after explosion in Kherson Oblast
Russian proxy responsible for security in occupied Kherson Oblast Aleksei Katerinichev has died after a missile attack on his house, Russian state-controlled news agency TASS reported on Sept. 30. Russia blames Ukraine's Armed Forces for the strike. Kyiv has not yet commented.
Diia business support center restored in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast
The Diia.Business center has reopened in the city of Bucha, which was liberated on March 31, according to the Digital Transformation Ministry. It will assist Bucha residents in business recovery, relocation, and arrangement of export activities. The center in Bucha was working online after the building had been captured and damaged by the Russian military at the beginning of Russia's full-scale war.
ISW: Ukraine's Armed Forces likely 'enveloped Russian grouping in Lyman'
Ukrainian soldiers have likely completed the encirclement of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, and they will be able to liberate the settlement if Russian troops don't receive immediate reinforcement, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Russia’s attacks kill 8 in Donetsk Oblast, injures 7 in Kharkiv Oblast
In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have killed eight civilians and injured 17 in Donetsk Oblast, not including Mariupol and Volnovakha, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, the oblast governor. Russian troops have also shelled Kharkiv Oblast, wounding seven people, and targeted a residential area in the city of Dnipro.
Russia kills 23 civilians, injures 28 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
On the morning of Sept. 30, Russian troops launched a missile attack on a line of civilian cars on the way out of the regional center, according to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh. “People stood in line to enter the temporarily occupied territory, to pick up their relatives, to bring aid,” said Starukh.
General Staff: Russia has lost 59,080 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24
Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Sept. 30 that Russia had also lost 2,338 tanks, 4,932 armored fighting vehicles, 3,768 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,391 artillery systems, 333 multiple launch rocket systems, 176 air defense systems, 264 airplanes, 225 helicopters, 1003 drones, and 15 boats.
Putin orders officials not to draft those ineligible for conscription.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that only reservists should be conscripted for the war against Ukraine and called for "correcting mistakes" made during the mobilization that he launched on Sept. 21. Putin's statement comes amid a major scandal around numerous people ineligible for conscription being mobilized in Russia, triggering a public uproar.
US Senate approves allocation of $12.4 billion in aid to Ukraine.
The U.S. Senate approved a bill to continue government funding through Dec. 16. The funding includes $12.3 billion in both military and economic aid for Ukraine, Reuters reported. The bill also enables U.S. President Joe Biden to authorize the shipment of up to $3.7 billion worth of excess weapons from U.S. stocks.
Polish minister: NATO may strike Russia with aircraft, missiles if it uses nukes in Ukraine.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said in an interview with Polish radio RMF FM that NATO would have a conventional response to a possible Russian nuclear attack against Ukraine. When asked whether NATO troops would enter Ukraine, Rau said it cannot be ruled out. He added, however, that conventional weapons, such as aviation and missiles, don't necessarily have to be launched from Ukrainian soil.
Energoatom: Russian landmine explodes near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Ukraine’s state nuclear monopoly Energoatom denied reports that a fire broke out at the second reactor of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. However, a Russian landmine exploded at the transmission line that supplies power to a nitrogen generator, and a short circuit occurred at the sixth reactor, Energoatom said. Russia, which has been shelling Ukrainian positions from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Enerhodar, is accused of using it as a shield and a tool of blackmail.
Bulgarian minister says his country won't give Ukraine heavy arms as long as he's in power.
After Ukrainian Ambassador Vitaliy Moskalenko made his second official request on Sept. 29, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said his country would never provide heavy weapons to Ukraine as long as he is in power and until the country's parliament decides otherwise.
Intelligence: Probability of Russia striking Ukraine with tactical nuclear weapons is ‘very high'.
“They will likely target places along the frontlines with lots of personnel and equipment, key command centers, and critical infrastructure,” Vadym Skibitsky, a deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, told The Guardian. “In order to stop them, we need not just more anti-aircraft systems but anti-rocket systems.” Tactical nuclear weapons are approximately 100 times more powerful than the missiles that Russia has used against Ukraine so far, according to Skibitsky.
Zelensky to hold urgent security council meeting on Sept. 30 as Russia annexes more Ukrainian land.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said that the council would make crucial and "fundamental" decisions. The council meeting was announced after Russia said that documents on the annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories would be signed on Sept. 30. Russia is planning to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts after holding sham referendums in the areas.
Official: Russian shelling of Mykolaiv kills 3, injures 12.
Russian forces attacked Mykolaiv with cluster munitions, Hanna Zamazeyeva, head of Mykolaiv Oblast's legislature, said on Sept. 29. A cluster shell exploded near a public transport stop in a crowded place, according to Zamazeyeva.
Ukraine's General Staff: Russia has conscripted 100,000 people since Sept. 21.
The figure was provided by Oleksiy Hromov, a deputy chief of the General Staff’s main operations department. Russia has announced plans to mobilize 300,000 conscripts. “We understand that the announced figure of 300,000 is not final. The number of mobilized conscripts will most likely be far larger,” Hromov said.
Cypriot court allegedly freezes $79 million of tycoon Bakhmatyuk's assets
According to a document obtained by the Kyiv Independent, the District Court of Nicosia in Cyprus has granted a worldwide freezing order against Ukrainian agricultural tycoon Oleh Bakhmatyuk for $79.4 million. The majority shareholder of UkrLandFarming, Ukraine's largest egg producer, Bakhmatyuk is accused of hiding assets from his company's major lender – U.S. investment fund Gramercy.
Poll: Putin's approval rating fell after mobilization began.
The share of those who approve of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s performance dropped from 83% in August to 77% in September, according to a survey conducted by polling agency Levada Center on Sept. 22-28. The percentage of Russians who believe their country is going in the right direction declined from 67% to 60%. On Sept. 25, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that over 260,000 Russian men had fled the country after Putin announced the mobilization of conscripts for the war against Ukraine on Sept. 21.
NGO: Russia sends conscripts from annexed Crimea to fight in Kherson Oblast
Russia is sending newly mobilized Crimean men to the front lines in Kherson Oblast, according to Ukrainian non-governmental organization CrimeaSOS. "They are (already) being transferred from Sevastopol, where they had spent only two days since they received their draft summonses," said Oleksii Tilnenko, the head of the organization's board, on Sept. 29. The conscription of residents of occupied territories to the ranks of the occupying army is a war crime.
NATO calls Nord Stream leaks 'deliberate acts of sabotage'
Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom said it had suspended gas flows through Austria to Italy over an issue with the Austrian operator, but the cutoff only targets Italy, as Austria keeps receiving gas, according to Bloomberg.
CEO of Ukrainian book retailer Yakaboo suspended after sexist remark
Ivan Bohdan, the CEO of Ukrainian book retailer Yakaboo, has been suspended, following his sexist remark at a public meeting, Yakaboo wrote on Facebook on Sept. 29. Talking about his company's clients, Bohdan said that “overall, women buy more (books), as they always spend the money that's been earned by men.”
Politico: US asks China, India to convince Putin not to use nuclear weapons
The. U.S. officials are urging countries of the Pacific region to put pressure on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and communicate to him that the use of nuclear weapons will have a harsh economic and diplomatic response, Politico reports, citing unnamed sources in President Joe Biden's administration.
Ukraine returns 6 more POWs from Russian captivity
Russia released six more Ukrainian prisoners of war – four service personnel and two civilians – in a prisoner swap on Sept. 29, according to President's Office Head Andriy Yermak. "Our goal is to get all our people back. We are working on it non-stop," said Yermak.
Russian media: Kremlin to announce annexation of Ukrainian territories on Sept. 30
Russian leaders will hold a ceremony to sign "the agreements" on the accession of the occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, said on Sept. 29. At the ceremony, the Russian dictator will also deliver a speech and meet with Moscow-installed proxies, according to Russian-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.
Russia's attack injures 11 in Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast
Russian forces launched four missile strikes on Kramatorsk on the morning of Sept. 29, wounding 11 civilians and damaging a residential building, a hospital, and other civilian infrastructure, according to Oleksandr Honcharenko, the city mayor.
Belarus prepares to accommodate 20,000 Russian conscripts
Belarus is preparing to take in 20,000 newly mobilized Russian men who will replenish the units already stationed in the county, Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported on Sept. 29. Belarusian authorities are using civilian premises, buildings, and cars for accommodating and transporting Russian soldiers.
UK intelligence: Putin's mobilization to significantly affect Russian economy
"The better off and educated" Russians represent most of those trying to leave the country to flee mobilization, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry. The availability of labor is expected to shrink with the mass departure of educated people, it reported on Sept. 29. "The acceleration of brain drain is likely to become increasingly significant," the report reads.
Fourth gas leak discovered on Nord Stream pipelines
Spokesperson of Sweden's coast guard Jenny Larsson on Sept. 28 told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper that a fourth gas leak on the Nord Stream pipelines had been discovered. Larsson told the newspaper that two gas leaks were in Swedish waters, while the other two were in Danish waters.
General Staff: Russia has lost 58,580 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24
Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Sept. 29 that Russia had also lost 2,325 tanks, 4,909 armored fighting vehicles, 1,385 artillery systems, 331 multiple launch rocket systems, 175 air defense systems, 224 helicopters, 262 airplanes, 995 drones, and 15 boats.
Der Tagesspiegel: Damage to Nord Stream gas pipelines likely irreparable after leaks
If the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines are not attended to immediately, salt water will quickly corrode the insides, wrote Tagesspiegel, citing unnamed high-ranking German officials. The crisis team of the German Federal Foreign Office is investigating the leaks, most likely caused by explosions along the pipeline.
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