Ukraine-Russia war latest: Ukrainian drones wound Russian firefighters as G7 ministers pledge support

Ukrainian troops are engaging in street battles with Russian forces as they defend the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove in the Donbas region, according to pro-Russian bloggers.

Open source data suggests that in September, Russian forces advanced at their fastest rate since March 2022.

“Street by street fighting is going on in the town,” says Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Ukrainian-born and pro-Russian military blogger. “The assault on Selydove has intensified.”

Videos of intensive shelling in Selydrove were published by other pro-Russian bloggers, Reuters reported. These videos have not been independently verified.

Putin says he wants full control over the Donbas region, around 80 per cent of which Russia currently holds.

Russian forces continue their gradual but steady approach towards the strategically important towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, west of Donetsk city.

David Lammy has said “this is just the beginning” after Ukrainian president Volodymy Zelensky thanked him for issuing new sanctions on Russia.

The UK has imposed sanctions on Putin’s shadow tanker fleet, swhich Zelensky says “helps Putin finance war and terror, while also posing a global threat to the security of all countries whose coasts and seas could be polluted due to the exploitation of these tankers”.

It comes after the Department for Business and Trade recently established a new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) to boost compliance with existing sanctions.

Moldovans have cast their ballots in a major presidential election and EU referendum which was mired with allegations of Russian meddling.

The former Soviet republic is attempting to push away from Moscow politically and has begun the arduous process of EU accession talks.

Pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu is the favourite with a comfortable 10-point lead over opposition candidates. If she fails to reach 50 percent in this election, the race will go to a run-off on 3 November.

In a run-off Sandu would likely face Alexandr Stoianoglo of the traditionally pro-Russian Party of Socialists.

Sandu’s government has repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and has accused Russia of plotting her overthrow as leader. Since taking power in December 2020, Moldovan-Russian relations have significantly deteriorated.

Election-meddling allegations have now been made, including against fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor, who is accused by police of attempting to pay a group of at least 130,000 voters to vote ‘No’.

On Thursday, law-enforcement agencies claimed to uncover a programme which would see hundreds taken to Russia to go through training to stage-riots and cause civil unrest.

Moscow’s ambassador to the UK has accused the government of “waging” war against the Russians by supplying Ukraine with weapons.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, ambassador Andrei Kelin said: “My government firmly believes the UK Government is waging an aggressive war against Russia by the hands of the Ukrainians.

“This is a proxy war led by the United Kingdom’s government by providing lethal weapons with which the UK Government is killing Russian soldiers and civilians.”

He added: “I think you are aggressive and waging a proxy war against Russia.”

Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, said the situation “remains under control” in Kursk, the Russian region taken over by Ukrainian troops in early August.

Syrskyi wrote on Telegram, according to Ukrainska Pravda: "The situation remains under our control despite all the enemy’s attempts to seize the initiative. I’ve carried out work directly at the command posts of the brigades.

“I’ve heard reports from the brigade commanders and their proposals for further actions and provided assistance in resolving problematic issues.

“Taking the situation into account, I made several decisions designed to counteract the enemy’s actions and maximise their losses."

Russia has an advantage in manpower and equipment in the region, he explained, but they are not achieving their objectives due to the skill and professionalism of Ukraine’s troops.

Ukraine’s air defence units shot down 31 Russian drones overnight on Sunday.

Russian drones were shot down over 13 regions, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Sunday morning according to Ukrainska Pravda.

A total of 49 drones and two missiles were detected and tracked by Ukrainian forces. Another 13 Russian drones were "locationally lost" and that two had flown into neighbouring Belarus, Reuters reported.

The two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were fired from occupied Crimea.

Russia is testing the readiness of a missile unit that forms part of its strategic nuclear forces, the defence ministry has said – with Russian officials having repeatedly raised the spectre of nuclear war over the West’s support for Ukraine.

The drill involves a unit equipped with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles which are capable of reaching US cities and can be equipped with multiple nuclear warheads, a reminder to the world that Russia possesses the world’s largest atomic arsenal. Troops are practising moving the missiles in the field over distances of up to 60 miles (100 kilometres) under camouflage and protecting them against air attack and enemy sabotage groups, the ministry said.

The test is taking place in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, in the same week that Nato conducted its annual nuclear exercise and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled his “victory plan” for the war.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday he could not confirm reports on North Korea sending troops to Russia to be deployed in the war in Ukraine, but added that it would be concerning if true, reported Reuters.

On Friday, South Korea’s spy agency said that North Korea had sent 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s Far East for training and acclimatisation at local military bases, for likely deployment for combat in the war in Ukraine.

Read more: North Korea’s special forces in Russia ready to join Putin’s war in Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency says