Zelensky says Ukraine’s Black Sea assault ‘will go down in history’
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s success in the battle for the Black Sea “will go down in history books”, as he rallied troops in his nightly video address. “Ukraine’s success in the battle for the Black Sea will go down in history books, although it’s not being discussed much today,” he added. Mr Zelensky also warned against expecting instant success in Ukraine’s counter-offensive campaign as Russian forces showed signs of amping up fresh attacks on different sections of the frontline. “We live in a world that gets used to success too quickly. When the full-scale invasion began, many people around the world did not believe that Ukraine would survive," the war-time president said in his nightly video address. He added: "Glory to all those who do not retreat, who do not burn out, who believe in Ukraine just as they did on February 24, and who have been fighting unwaveringly." The war frontline along Ukraine’s east and south has seen little along the 1,000 km span this year despite Kyiv’s counter-offensive push which Russia has resisted by mining vast swathes and throwing in battalions of men in the siege. Mr Zelensky lauded his troops for diminishing Russian military strength in the Black Sea, adding that if there’s greater support from Ukraine’s allies, they could inch closer to victory over Russian forces. "When we ensure even more security to the Black Sea, Russia will lose any ability to dominate in this area and expand its malign influence to other countries," Mr Zelensky said. The full extent of the damage that Ukraine has done in recent months to the Russian Black Sea Fleet remains unclear. Even claims made by the Russian defence ministry of success in destroying the weapons comes with little evidence. The losses on both sides, of personnel and equipment, have been guarded as a state secret. On the battlefield front, signs of struggle have persisted. The Ukrainian president said his meeting with senior commanders considered sectors engulfed by the fiercest fighting in the east and northeast, including the key areas of Avdiivka and Kupiansk, where Russia has been on the offensive in recent weeks. Russia has concentrated its military might on Avdiivka, an eastern Ukrainian town in Donetsk, which officials said is bracing for a new wave of attacks after witnessing steady assaults since mid-October. "The enemy is bringing in forces and equipment. Our boys are preparing for a new wave," Vitaliy Barabash, head of the military administration in Avdiivka, told national television. The town with its vast coking plant was briefly captured in 2014 when Russian-backed separatists seized chunks of land in the east, but Ukrainian forces have since put up fortifications. Ukraine’s ground forces said on Tuesday that Russian forces were also focused on Kupiansk - a city in the northeast overrun by Russia in the early days of the invasion, but recaptured by Ukrainian forces last year. Alongside, Russia claimed that its forces had conducted successful attacks near the town of Bakhmut - a largely destroyed town captured by Russian forces in May. Read More If Putin dies, this is what would happen in Russia Ukrainian troops advance as Putin air defences ‘struck in Crimea’ - latest Hungary bans teenagers from visiting World Press Photo exhibition over display of LGBTQ+ images AI Safety Summit: Five key questions More than 40% of Ukrainians need humanitarian help under horrendous war conditions, UN says Watch: Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin testify on Biden’s $106 billion request
2023-11-01 12:56
France vows a ‘merciless fight’ against antisemitism after anti-Jewish graffiti found in Paris
French prime minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday vowed a “merciless fight” against surging antisemitism after residents of the French capital discovered anti-Jewish graffiti on buildings in several districts. The discovery comes weeks into the Israel-Hamas war in which thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed and hundreds of Israelis have been taken hostage by the militants in Gaza. “The situation in the Middle East does not justify antisemitism,” Ms Borne told the National Assembly during a regular questioning session. “Nothing ever excuses antisemitism ... my government is determined to wage a merciless fight against it." Since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, French authorities have registered 857 antisemitic acts, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday. “That's as many acts of antisemitism in three weeks as there have been so far this year,” he said. Mr Darmanin said police and judicial authorities have opened several investigations into the anti-Jewish graffiti around the capital and vowed to Jewish communities around France that “we will protect you, absolutely, completely, day and night.” The graffiti included a blue Star of David stamped on several buildings around the capital. “I am crying because I am going to again feel the hatred that was there when we were children,” a tearful resident of a graffiti-tagged building who gave only her first name, Marie, told BFM-TV. Carine Petit, the mayor of Paris's 14th district, reminded residents that such tags trigger painful memories. "This act of marking (buildings) is reminiscent of the acts in the (19)30s and the Second World War, which led to the extermination of millions of Jews,” Petit said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Read More Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel over ‘disproportionate’ attack in Gaza Orsted scraps 2 offshore wind power projects in New Jersey, citing supply chain issues The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration for the 5 senses
2023-11-01 11:55
China’s Manufacturing Activity Contracts, Private Survey Shows
China’s manufacturing activity contracted in October, according to a private survey, signaling that the economic recovery is losing
2023-11-01 10:51
China’s Central Bank Drains Liquidity After Overnight Rate Surge
China’s central bank withdrew cash from the financial system, suggesting it sees Tuesday’s abrupt surge in short-term borrowing
2023-11-01 10:22
Daiwa Announces Share Buyback as Profit Climbs on Retail Business
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. shares rose the most in more than three years after Japan’s second-largest brokerage posted
2023-11-01 09:49
Japan Ramps Up Yen Intervention Warning After BOJ-Fueled Selloff
Traders are piling into fresh bets against the yen, triggering pushback from Japanese authorities who are threatening once
2023-11-01 09:18
Soccer-Saudi Arabia sole bidder to host 2034 World Cup, FIFA says
(Reuters) -Saudi Arabia was the only football association to present a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup before
2023-11-01 08:50
IMF Urges Australia to Tighten Policy Further to Quell Inflation
Australia needs to tighten monetary policy further as part of stepped up efforts to rein in inflation that
2023-11-01 07:46
Cornell Antisemitic Violence Threats Lead Police to Suspect
New York State Police are questioning a suspect about online threats of mass shooting and antisemitic violence at
2023-11-01 07:25
Sarepta Seeks Broader Approval for Gene Therapy Even After Drug Trial Fizzled
Normally when a drug fails to show a clear effect in a final-stage trial, the company developing it
2023-11-01 07:17
Bankers Willing to Leave Big Cities Are Suddenly Needed in Kyoto
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2023-11-01 06:49
ECB Can’t Let Up on Rates Too Soon, Bundesbank’s Nagel Says
The European Central Bank will need to keep borrowing costs high for some time, according to Bundesbank President
2023-11-01 02:21