WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine expects 'record' number of drone attacks this winter, air force says

Ukraine's air force expects a record number of Russian drone attacks on its soil this winter, its spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Sunday, as Kyiv girds for a second winter of mass bombardment of its energy facilities.

Ihnat said that data for September showed the use by Russia of Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones would smash last year's figure.

"This autumn and winter ... is already a record in terms of the number of Shahed drones. Over 500 (were used) in September," Ihnat said in an interview on national television.

He contrasted this number with Russia's air strike campaign on Ukraine last winter, when he said about 1,000 Shahed drones were used in six months.

Attacks on energy facilites last winter damaged a significant chunk of Ukraine's power system and forced most cities to ration electricity and hot water.

Despite Ukraine bolstering its air defences, officials have warned of the risk of a repeat this winter, with the power grid still far from rebuilt after the last campaign of bombardment.

** Russian shelling kills at least two in Ukraine, say Ukraine officials

Russian forces shelled southern Kherson region and other parts of Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring a dozen more, Ukrainian officials said.

The general in charge of Ukraine's ground forces said troops were advancing on the eastern front in Kyiv's counteroffensive to evict Russian invaders.

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said troops had beaten back attacks on five sectors of the 1,000-km long (600-mile) front.

Russian accounts said its forces had repelled attacks near the eastern front's focal point, Bakhmut, and farther north.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson region, said a man had died in Russian shelling in the northern part of the region. Prokudin had earlier reported that a dozen people were wounded in attacks on different localities.

Russian troops abandoned the city of Kherson and the western bank of the Dnipro River in the region late last year but now regularly shell those areas from positions on the eastern bank.

In northeastern Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Synehubov said a man had died in shelling near the Russian border.

Reuters could not verify reports from either side.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of Ukraine's ground forces, said he had met troops and commanders engaged in offensive operations near Bakhmut, taken by Russian forces in May after months of battles.

"The enemy is continuing to mass its reserves," Syrskyi wrote on Telegram. "Our troops are performing their assignments with the aim of proceeding with our advance."

The General Staff, in its evening report, said Ukrainian troops had repulsed Russian attacks in five areas of the eastern front, including Bakhmut.

In the south, Ukrainian troops have been capturing clusters of villages as they drive toward the Sea of Azov to sever a land bridge created by Russian forces occupying areas of southern and eastern Ukraine.

Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for troops in the south, told national television that Russian troops had started using older weaponry, howitzers and cannons, evidence that Ukrainian forces had been successful in knocking out enemy equipment.

"Sadly, the Russians have plenty of equipment," he said.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Military solution to Ukraine conflict unlikely – Italian defense minister

It is unlikely that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will be resolved on the battlefield, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has predicted. He also revealed that Rome is considering ways to bring the two sides to the negotiating table, while continuing to arm Kiev.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Sunday, Crosetto acknowledged that no matter how much Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government wants to support Ukraine indefinitely, the policy is simply not realistic. He pointed out that the hostilities there have dragged on for over a year and a half, adding that the “more time passes, the more the possibility of helping Ukraine with resources that are not unlimited decreases.” The official emphasized that this does not indicate a change in Italy’s policies but rather the finite nature of the country’s stocks.

According to the official, the “situation in Ukraine is getting worse,” with Kiev having “great difficulty in regaining lost ground,” and Moscow being unable to “conquer” the nation.

“We are witnessing the impossibility of resolving the conflict on the field,”Crosetto argued, adding that Italy was busy looking for ways to “build dialogue tables, achieve peace.” 

He concluded by claiming that if Russia prevails in Ukraine, its tanks will be rolling toward European borders, making the prospect of World War III more likely.

Late last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Moscow is ready for peace talks with Kiev in principle, adding, however, that it has yet to see any “serious proposal.” The diplomat dismissed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s peace formula as a “pure ultimatum,” which Russia would never accept.

Russian officials have previously pointed out that President Zelensky effectively ruled out negotiations when he signed a decree last October prohibiting dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this month, Politico reported, citing a European official, that EU member states have reached their limit in terms of weaponry they can provide to Ukraine, without compromising their own defenses.

“We cannot keep on giving from our own stockpiles,” the anonymous official told reporters.

In a separate story around the same time, the media outlet claimed that support for funding the Ukrainian government was “showing more cracks than ever,” citing the recent failure of the US Congress to allocate more aid money in its stopgap budget, as well as the election victory of former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who vowed when he was campaigning that he’d stop assistance to Kiev.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Politico alleged that the Biden administration is looking for “creative” ways to secure further military aid for Ukraine, amid mounting opposition at home. The supposed workarounds under consideration include using the State Department’s foreign military financing program as well as a three-way swap of air-defense systems involving Poland, the media outlet claimed.

Reuters/RT