Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 223

Because the Russia-Ukraine struggle enters its 223rd day, we check out the primary developments.

Ukrainian BM-21 'Grad' a number of rocket launcher fires a rocket in the direction of Russian positions in an undisclosed location within the South of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion in opposition to Ukraine [File: Genya Savilov/AFP]

Right here is the state of affairs because it stands on Tuesday, October 4.

Battlefield advances

• Ukrainian forces have damaged by means of Russian defences within the south of the nation whereas increasing their fast offensive within the east, seizing again extra territory in areas annexed by Russia and threatening provide traces for its troops.
• Ukraine has made important advances in two of the 4 Russian-occupied areas Moscow annexed final week after what it known as referendums – votes that had been denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as unlawful and coercive.

• Kyiv seems on the right track to realize a number of key battlefield targets because it strengthens its army place in opposition to Russia forward of the winter, a senior Pentagon official added.
• Russia has sacked the commander of its Western army district, information outlet RBC reported, after a sequence of painful battlefield reverses in Ukraine.
• The army commissar of Russia’s Khabarovsk area within the far east was additionally faraway from his put up after half the cohort of newly mobilised personnel had been despatched residence as they didn't meet the draft standards, the area’s governor mentioned.

Diplomacy

• Billionaire Elon Musk requested Twitter customers to weigh in on a plan to finish Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, together with proposing UN-supervised elections in 4 occupied areas that Moscow annexed final week and formally recognising Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, as Russia. The plan drew fast condemnation from Ukrainians.
• North Korea voiced help for Russia’s annexation of components of Ukraine its troops occupy and accused the US and its allies of gangster-like behaviour by main a drive on the UN in opposition to Moscow’s strikes.
• The top of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant in Ukraine, Ihor Murashov, has been launched, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi mentioned, after detention that Kyiv blamed on Moscow and known as an act of terror.
• The Kremlin mentioned it favoured a “balanced method” to the problem of nuclear weapons, not one based mostly on emotion, after a key ally of President Putin known as over the weekend for Russia to make use of a “low-yield nuclear weapon” in Ukraine.

Emergency and army assist

• The Worldwide Financial Fund’s (IMF) government board will contemplate Ukraine’s request for $1.3bn in extra emergency funding on Friday as Russia’s struggle in opposition to the nation continues, two sources accustomed to the matter mentioned.
• The US is anticipated to announce the supply of recent weapons for Ukraine, together with 4 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket Programs (HIMARS) as a part of a $625m bundle.