(Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to hold a meeting of his Security Council to discuss migration issues as Russian occupation officials called on residents of Kherson to evacuate, warning of an impending Ukrainian offensive.
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Thirteen Iranian-made drones were shot down in the southern Mykolayiv region during the night, Ukraine’s military said. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on television that more than 150,000 people in Ukraine’s second-biggest city had been left homeless due to Russian shelling since the start of the war.
President Joe Biden’s administration is pressing Congress for new authorities to speed up production and transfer of weapons for Ukraine and allies as part of the annual defense policy bill.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
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On the Ground
An energy infrastructure facility was targeted near Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region by a Russian strike, leaving part of the city and many settlements in the area without electricity, Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram. Over the past day Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks near 11 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Ukraine’s General Staff said. As of October 19, Ukrainian forces have shot down 223 Iranian Shahed-136 drones, the Air Force said on its Telegram channel.
(All times CET)
Estonia Says US to Boost Troops, Weapons (9:10 a.m.)
The US will send additional military personnel and weapons to Estonia as tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine persist, the Baltic nation’s defense minister said.
“We reached an agreement in principle that the US will contribute to Estonia’s security with additional rotating units and capabilities,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in an emailed statement during a three-day trip to the US during.
UK Defense Chief Flies to Washington (8:59 a.m.)
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace flew to Washington DC Tuesday for talks with his US counterpart as the British government noted a shift in tactics from Russia in Ukraine.
“They’re moving towards more attacks on civilian infrastructure rather than on military targets,” UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News on Wednesday. “I’m not going to guess or speculate on what was discussed” in Washington.
Russia Occupation Officials Call on Civilians to Leave Kherson (8:30 a.m.)
Russian occupation officials sent out text messages alerting residents of the southern city early Wednesday and plan to relocate as many as 60,000 people from areas on the western side of the Dnipro River farther east, the state-run Tass news service reported. The orders came just hours after Russia’s top commander in Ukraine warned that “difficult decisions” may need to be made about Kherson, where continuing pressure from Ukraine’s counter-offensive has made the situation for Russian forces “not easy.”
Kherson was the first regional capital to fall when Russian invaded in February and losing it would be a major setback for the Kremlin. Ukrainian troops have advanced in the areas around the city, cutting off Russian supply routes across the Dnipro and retaking territory in recent weeks.
Naftogaz Restructuring Blocked by Hedge Fund (7:25 a.m.)
London-based VR Capital is one of the investors involved in a stand-off between NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy and its bondholders, the Financial Times reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
VR, which declined to comment to the newspaper, is a big holder of the energy company’s bonds and has taken a lead role in blocking the restructuring plan.
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