Double blow for Putin as Black Sea navy attacked and Ukrainian forces ‘punch through Russian front line’
Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters were in flames after a fiery missile attack on Friday, bringing yet more woe to Vladimir Putin after Ukraine’s tanks reportedly broke through his final line of defence in western Zaporizhzhia. Photographs show firefighters battling the blaze in the port city of Sevastopol while the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed one serviceman was missing in action as a result of the assault. The attack comes less than 24 hours after Ukrainian armoured vehicles reportedly advanced over the front line – known as the Surovikin line – in western Zaporizhzhia for the first time, signalling a major breakthrough for Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the region. The two events come as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky looked to Canadian’s prime minister Justin Trudeau for further military support, after securing a $325m defence package from US President Joe Biden on Thursday. Russian Defense Ministry said five missiles were shot down by air defence systems responding to the attack on Sevastopol. However, Sevastopol residents said they heard explosions in the skies and saw smoke, followed by pictures emerging of buildings on fire. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but Ukraine’s air force commander posted a video of air sirens blazing and smoke rising from the building along with a message thanking the pilots. “We promised that ‘there will be more,’” Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk said. The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, was pictured on a mobile phone while buildings burned behind him. He said no one was injured, but did not provide information on other casualties. Meanwhile, in western Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian tanks have reportedly punched through the Surovikin line for the first time, according to a report published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). For months, Ukraine’s progress in the region has struggled against the 81-mile line heavily fortified with defensive weapons, including tank traps, minefields and huge concrete blocks designed to stop armoured vehicles. The advance, although not yet confirmed, could open the way for Ukraine’s Western tanks and reserve troops to reach the Sea of Azov and effectively cut Russian forces in half. However, Russian-appointed officials in Zaporizhzhia claim Ukrainian soldiers were forced to retreat after a failed assault on the line. Some 577 days into the conflict, experts see the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive to liberate Zaporizhzhia as the key to breaking Russia’s backbone, and potentially winning the war. The battle to win back territory in the south has been costly for Ukraine over the past few months. There has, however, been progress. Earlier this month, forces captured the village of Robotyne. Since then, Kyiv has focused on breaching and opening a gap in the Surovikin line by moving toward the village of Verbove. This latest events will be a boost for Mr Zelensky, who on Wednesday accused Russia of weaponising everything from food to energy during an address to the UN General Assembly. Mr Zelensky told world leaders: “While Russia is pushing the world to the final war, Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after the Russian aggression, no one in the world will dare to attack any nation.” Visiting President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, Zelensky secured a fresh $325m aid package that will include air defence systems and other weaponry to help Kyiv face a tough winter. And on Friday, he was meeting Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as he rallied for further support to Ukrainian war efforts. Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Kyiv tanks break through gap in Putin’s final line of defence near Verbove Zelensky heads to Canada after Washington in a first since invasion Zelenskyy to speak before Canadian Parliament in his campaign to shore up support for Ukraine
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White House warns Israel crisis is stretching its ability to support Ukraine: ‘Running out of runway’
The White House said it was “running out of runway” on supporting both Ukraine and Israel as US Republican lawmakers warned they would protest any funding request for military aid from the Biden administration for the two crisis-hit nations. “I think in the immediate term, right now, we can continue to support – with the authorities in the appropriations we have – Israel and Ukraine. But, you know, we’re ... certainly running out of runway,” said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council. Mr Kirby was answering a question at a daily briefing on the administration meeting the immediate needs of Ukraine and Israel along with the continuing fight to elect a House Speaker. Mr Kirby said the US administration had the means to support both Israel and Ukraine in the near term. “But you don’t want to be trying to bake in long-term support when you’re at the end of the rope,” he said on Wednesday. “And on the Ukraine funding, we’re coming near to the end of the rope. I mean, today we announced $200mn, and we’ll keep that aid going as long as we can, but it’s not going to be indefinite,” he said, adding that the US is moving with “a sense of alacrity”. He added a certain date could not be put on “near term” because it hinged on Ukraine’s expenditure rate and replenishment ability. The National Security Council coordinator also said the House Speaker position was critical in terms of bringing legislation to the floor and moving things forward. “So the sooner that there’s a Speaker of the House, obviously, the more comfortable we’ll all be in terms of being able to support Israel and Ukraine,” he said. The White House has been considering a budget request tying money for these two conflicts together to increase the chances that the heavily-debated assistance for Ukraine will be approved. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the attack in Israel “an act of sheer evil” and said that the US military assistance was being sent to help Israel in its fight. Saturday’s Hamas attack was “the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust”, he said. He told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will send more military assistance to help Israel fight Hamas. On Tuesday, he warned other countries and armed groups against entering the war. The US is already rushing munitions and military equipment to Israel and has deployed a carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as deterrence. Read More Israel-Hamas war – live: IDF tanks and troops mass at Gaza border as soldiers prepare for attack order What is Hamas, and why did it attack Israel? All you need to know about militant group in Gaza A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict - explained How big is the Israeli military and what is the Iron Dome? White House walks back Biden comments that he had seen pictures of beheaded Israeli children
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