G-7 leaders to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine; Russian missile strikes draw angry condemnation

The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said it has approved seven vessels to leave the besieged country.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the vessels are carrying 55,750 metric tons of grain and other crops.

Five ships are destined for Turkey and are carrying corn, wheat and soybeans. One ship will depart from Ukraine’s Yuzhny-Pivdennyi port for Egypt and is carrying 7,600 metric tons of soya beans. The seventh vessel will sail from Israel from Chornomorsk and is carrying rapeseed meal.

Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.

— Amanda Macias

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address a virtual emergency G7 leaders meeting on Tuesday after Russian missile strikes rocked Ukrainian cities.

Since Russia’s late-February invasion of Ukraine, the G7 has imposed a slew of coordinated sanctions against Moscow. The group kicked Russia out of the G8 following its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The G7 leaders on Tuesday are also expected to discuss the mounting global energy crisis and ways to implement an international cap on the price of Russian oil.

The emergency meeting of the G7 follows a series of deadly missile strikes across Ukraine, killing at least 14 people and wounding 97.

— Amanda Macias

Silicon Valley billionaire venture capitalist Yuri Milner renounced his Russian citizenship earlier this year, he said in a tweet Monday. Milner received Israeli citizenship in 1999.

For the past decade, Milner has been the most prominent Russian-born investor in the American tech industry, where he has amassed a fortune estimated to be around $7.3 billion. At various points in the 2010s, Milner’s venture capital firm, DST Global, held 5% stakes in Twitter and Facebook.

And while Milner has long dismissed any suggestion that he has ties to the Kremlin, the 2017 Paradise Papers leak of millions of secret financial records, many from a private bank in Bermuda, revealed that Milner had received hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian state-controlled banks early in his Silicon Valley VC career.

— Christina Wilkie

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden following a mass attack on civilian targets in Ukrainian cities overnight by Russian missiles.

“Had a productive conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden. The main topic of discussion was air defense. Currently, this is the number 1 priority in our defense cooperation,” Zelenskyy posted on his Telegram account.

“America’s leadership with the G7’s tough stance and with support for our UN GA resolution is very important for Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy.

In the wake of Russia’s overnight missile strikes on civilians in major Ukrainian cities, both U.S. and European officials are being forced to reconsider the complex issue of how to supply Ukraine with better air defenses.

— Christina Wilkie

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on nations around the world to drop their long-held positions of diplomatic neutrality over Russia’s war in Ukraine, following Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities overnight.

“Now is the time to speak out in support for Ukraine; it is not the time for abstentions, placating words, or equivocations under claims of neutrality,” Blinken said in a statement.

“Russia’s attacks are yet another reminder that its war against Ukraine presents a profound moral issue,” he added.

Blinken’s statement came as the U.N. General Assembly convened in New York to begin debate on a resolution condemning Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Ahead of the meeting, American and European officials have been engaged in a major lobbying effort to shore up votes in the General Assembly for the resolution.

In March of this year, 141 out of the 193 U.N. member states voted in favor of a resolution calling on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. Five members voted against the resolution, while another 35 abstained.

The number of abstentions in March were widely seen as a measure of Russia’s political and financial clout, with countries abstaining in part so as not to risk creating a rift with Moscow.

— Rocio Fabbro

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with British Prime Minister Liz Truss and told her that he is counting on the U.K.’s leadership as Russia’s war shows no apparent signs of stopping.

“We count on the U.K.’s leadership in consolidating international political and defense support for Ukraine, particularly regarding the protection of our skies. And also in the further isolation of Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

The British government confirmed the call in a separate readout saying Truss told Zelenskyy that the U.K. “stands wholeheartedly behind president Zelenskyy and Ukraine.”

“She strongly condemned Putin’s appalling attacks on civilian areas in Kyiv and elsewhere today. The Prime Minister said that these are a sign of Ukrainian success and increasing desperation by Putin in response,” the U.K. readout added.

The two leaders are expected to speak again on Tuesday during a virtual meeting of G7 leaders.

— Amanda Macias

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Brussels this week to participate in the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting at the alliance’s headquarters. The defense ministers of Finland and Sweden will join the NATO summit as invitees as they await their accession into the military alliance.

Following the NATO ministerial, Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will hold an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Oct 12. The meeting of defense ministers and chiefs from 50 nations will be the sixth since the group was formed in April.

— Amanda Macias

Russian missile strikes have killed 11 people and injured at least 89 others, said Ukraine’s State Emergency Service in a telegram post, providing the latest figures on the human toll of the multi-city attacks.

Additionally, the SES said 35 residential buildings were damaged and critical infrastructure – including power and water supply systems – in 12 regions and the city of Kyiv were struck. This resulted in over 30 fires.

Electricity supply remained disrupted late Monday in 15 regions: Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy, Ternopil and in the city of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian SES also said it was offering psychological support to victims at shelters, “paying special attention to children and the elderly.”

— Rocio Fabbro

The Ukrainian energy ministry said it will halt exports of electricity to the European Union following Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure.

“Today’s missile strikes, which hit the thermal generation and electrical substations, forced Ukraine to suspend electricity exports from Oct. 11, 2022 to stabilize its own energy system,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Ukraine’s energy minister Herman Halushchenko said the attacks on the energy system were “the biggest during the entire war.”

In a TV broadcast he said that missile strikes “on the entire chain of supply (were made) in order to make switching supply as difficult as possible.”

In June, the Ukrainian energy ministry said by the end of the year it was hoping to bring in €1.5 billion (approximately $1.45 billion) from electricity exports to the EU, its main export market for energy since the war began.

— Reuters

President Joe Biden responded to the Russian missile attacks, saying they “once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”

“We offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly killed today, as well as our best wishes for the recovery of those who were wounded,” said Biden.

“These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom,” he added.

The statement came as high ranking members of Biden’s administration held calls with their Ukrainian counterparts about the strikes, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin prepared to travel to NATO meetings later this week.

— Christina Wilkie

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink on the heels of Russian missile strikes across Ukrainian cities.

“The United States condemns Russia’s attacks on the infrastructure facilities of Ukraine and is committed to holding Russia accountable for war crimes and atrocities committed in our country,” Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed that “Russia must not get away with its inhumane missile attacks on Ukraine.”

“I raised a number of important issues, including the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, new sanctions on Russia, and holding Moscow accountable for its terrorism,” Kuleba said of his conversation with Blinken.

— Amanda Macias

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply shocked” by Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities Monday, according to a statement from his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric.

“This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price,” said Dujarric.

The statement was notable in part because Guterres has not issued very many public statements about specific military tactics in the war, like missile attacks, preferring to keep the U.N.’s focus on civilian casualties and humanitarian crises.

The latest Russian missile attacks, however, were specifically aimed at civilian targets in densely populated cities.

— Christina Wilkie

The United Nations has confirmed 6,221 civilian deaths and 9,371 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

The international organization said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes.

— Amanda Macias

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba after Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes against major Ukrainian cities including the capital, Kyiv.

“Spoke with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and condemned Russia’s horrific and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

“NATO will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlin’s aggression for as long as it takes,” he added.

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodmymr Zelenskyy submitted an “accelerated” application for his country to join the NATO military alliance.

— Amanda Macias

Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, speaking from the site of one of the missile strikes that hit Ukraine’s capital, described the damage caused by the “major terrorist attack by Russian barbarians on the capital and regional centers of Ukraine,” in a video posted to Telegram.

“In Kyiv, in the morning and throughout the day, several areas were hit,” he said. “In particular, the city center. The mad aggressor also hit several objects of the capital’s critical infrastructure.”

As a result, Klitschko reported in a separate post, there will be emergency power outages throughout Kyiv and surrounding regions as engineers work to restore the power system.

He also warned citizens of the threat of continued strikes, urging them “not to neglect safety and air warning signals,” to “stay in shelters in an emergency,” and to avoid travel to the city unless absolutely necessary.

He concluded his address by thanking Kyivans for their understanding — and with a rallying cry: “The enemy wants to intimidate us, but he will not succeed! Glory to Ukraine!”

Kyiv’s police forces have reported 10 dead and 60 injured as of Monday afternoon local time.

— Rocio Fabbro

A building housing the German consulate in Kyiv was hit by the Russian missile strikes that rained down on the city Monday morning.

The consulate was empty as no one had worked there since the war began.

“No work has gone on in the building for months,” a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry told press. German government officials were in contact with Kyiv to get details on the damage, the spokesperson added.

Germany has condemned the attacks, which have so far killed at least 10 people and injured 60. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that he ordered the strikes as retaliation for a blast that destroyed part of Russia’s Kerch bridge to Crimea, which Moscow blames on Ukraine and has labeled an act of “terrorism.”

— Natasha Turak

The war in Ukraine is a “fight until collapse,” Christopher Granville, managing director at TS Lombard says.

The EU accused Russia of committing a war crime by indiscriminately attacking civilians in its missile strikes on Kyiv and several other cities.

“Indiscriminately targeting people in a cowardly, heinous hail of missiles on civilian targets is indeed a further escalation,” Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said.

“The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms these heinous attacks on the civilians and civilian infrastructure. This is something which is against international humanitarian law and this indiscriminate targeting of civilians amounts to a war crime,” Stano said.

Numerous leaders of EU countries slammed Russia for its “barbarism” and described the missile strikes, which have killed and injured civilians, as “unacceptable” and a “demonstration of weakness” by Putin.

Poland has called for more sanctions on Russians, and French President Emmanuel Macron held an emergency call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

— Natasha Turak

Following the wave of missile strikes that struck several Ukrainian cities, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev suggested that this was only the beginning.

“The first episode is played,” he said, according to an NBC translation. “There will be others.”

Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chairman of the Security Council, pointed to the existence of a “Nazi political regime” in Ukraine, which he claims “will pose a constant, direct and obvious threat to Russia.”

“Therefore, in addition to protecting our people and protecting the borders of the country, the goal of our future actions, in my opinion, should be a full-fledged dismantling of the political regime of Ukraine,” Medvedev said.

Medvedev’s remarks echo earlier sentiments from President Vladimir Putin, who justified Russian invasion of Ukraine as a mission of “de-Nazification.” This claim has been rejected and ridiculed by Ukrainian and Western officials. Observers point out that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was elected by an overwhelming majority of 73%, is Jewish.

— Rocio Fabbro

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that he ordered long-range missile strikes on a number of locations in Ukraine targeting military, energy and communications facilities.

“If attacks continue against Russia, the response will be harsh. The responses will be of the same scale as the threats to Russia,” Putin said during a meeting of his national security council.

“In the event of further attempts to carry out terrorist acts on our territory, Russia’s response will be harsh.”

Putin did not mention that the missile strikes hit several civilian areas and resulted in numerous casualties. The EU has said Russia’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Ukraine constitute a war crime.

Putin has blamed Ukraine for the explosion on Russia’s Kerch bridge Saturday morning — the only bridge connecting the country to Crimea, which it illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014 — and called it a terrorist attack. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the blast that destroyed part of the bridge.

— Natasha Turak

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov vowed to bring Russia to justice for its missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians, following a wave of explosions all over the country.

“Our enemy believes that missile strikes are effective means of intimidation. They are not,” Reznikov wrote on Twitter. “They are war crimes. Civilians are dying and getting injured. Ukraine, with the support of the civilized world, must bring the missile terrorists to justice. And will do it.”

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also wrote on its Twitter, “So, russkies, you really think you can compensate for your impotence on the battlefield with missile strikes on peaceful cities? You just don’t get it do you – your terrorist strikes only make us stronger. We are coming after you.”

The strikes across Ukraine, which hit numerous civilian areas, came two days after a blast destroyed part of Russia’s Kerch bridge connecting it to Crimea, which it illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow called the blast a terrorist attack and blamed Ukrainian forces. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the explosion, but several state ministries mocked Russia over the event.

— Natasha Turak

Russia targeted critical energy facilities across Ukraine and hit civilian areas at a time of day that would maximize casualties, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following a wave of missile attacks in several Ukrainian cities.

“The morning is difficult. We are dealing with terrorists. Dozens of missiles, Iranian ‘Shahids’,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram official account, referencing the Iranian-made Shahid drones increasingly used by Russian forces.

The Russians “have two targets. Energy facilities – throughout the country,” Zelenskyy added, listing a wide range of cities and regions in the country’s north, west, east and south. “They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system.”

“The second target is people,” he said. “Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible. Stay in shelters today. Always follow the safety rules. And always remember: Ukraine was here before this enemy appeared, Ukraine will be here after him.”

The first strikes hit Kyiv at about 8:15 a.m., as streets were packed with rush hour traffic. Exact casualty figures are not yet known, but the city’s emergency services say at least eight people have been killed and 24 injured.

— Natasha Turak

Several Ukrainian cities have been hit by what officials are describing as a wave of missile attacks — as far west as the city of Lviv, largely considered one of the safest parts of the country.

Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Vinnytsia, among other cities, have all reported explosions.

“Kyiv region and Khmelnytsky region, Lviv and Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Frankiv region, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytormyr region, Kirovohrad region, the south,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “terrorist” targeting civilians.

At least 8 people in Kyiv have been killed and two dozen injured, according to the city’s emergency services.

— Natasha Turak

Three more explosions hit Kyiv within an hour of the initial blasts Monday, which Ukrainian officials say were timed to maximize civilian casualties during the morning rush hour.

At least eight people have been killed and 24 have been wounded, NBC’s Cal Perry reported, citing Kyiv’s emergency services.

Critical infrastructure as well as residential areas including parks, university grounds, a residential building and a pedestrian bridge were hit, according to city officials and NBC reporters on the ground.

Ukrainian parliament member Lesia Vasylenko posted a photo on Twitter of a street, buildings and emergency vehicles shrouded in smoke, with the text: “Just minutes from my home. Just 20 minutes ago. What is Russia trying to hit? The national university? The park? Or the playground?”

Moscow has not yet commented on the blasts.

— Natasha Turak

Ukrainian officials are urging residents of Kyiv and other cities to stay in shelters in the wake of multiple strikes on the capital, which emergency services say have caused deaths and injuries. Reports are emerging of explosions in several other cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on his official Telegram account: “The air alarm does not stop throughout Ukraine. There are missiles hitting. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. I beg you: do not leave shelters. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Let’s hold on and be strong.”

“The air attack continues, I ask everyone to remain calm and stay in shelters,” Kyiv governor Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram.

“Air defense works in the region,” Kuleba continued. “There is information about downed objects. I emphasize that the air alert is still ongoing. Don’t ignore it and stay in cover. Do not photograph or film landing sites or damaged infrastructure. People’s lives depend on it. Let’s hold on.”

The initial strikes on central Kyiv took place around 8:30 a.m. local time during the morning rush hour.

— Natasha Turak

Several large blasts hit the center of Ukrainian capital Kyiv Monday, according to witnesses and city officials, after

State Emergency Services told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne that the explosions had caused causing deaths and injuries, according to Reuters, though the casualty number is unknown.

“Several explosions in the Shevchenkiv district – in the center of the capital. All services follow to place. Details later,” Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitchko said on Telegram, according to a Google translation.

Ukrainians had been bracing themselves for a retaliatory attack after an explosion destroyed part of Russia’s Kerch bridge on Saturday, the only bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed illegally in 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the bridge explosion a “terrorist attack” and accused Ukrainian forces of being behind it.

— Natasha Turak

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to convene his national security council Monday to focus on the explosion that destroyed part of Russia’s Kerch bridge — the only bridge connecting the country to the Crimean Peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014.

Putin has called the blast on the strategically important infrastructure a “terrorist attack” and blamed it on Ukrainian special services. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ukrainian several state agencies mocked Russia over the event.

There are worries among Russia watchers that the meeting will be used to escalate the war with Ukraine, and comes just weeks after Putin threatened to use all means at his disposal — which includes nuclear weapons — to defend Russian territory.

— Natasha Turak