20:02: Russia says it will not participate in a possible second Ukraine peace summit as requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “The summit will pursue the same goals: to promote the illusory ‘Zelensky formula’ as the basis for a settlement of the conflict, to gain the support of the majority of the world and to use this to give Russia an ultimatum to surrender,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Moscow on Saturday.
“We will not participate in such ‘summits’,” the spokeswoman stressed. Moscow says it is ready to discuss “serious proposals” that take into account the “geopolitical reality on the ground” described by President Vladimir Putin in June. Putin said at the time that Russia would agree to peace talks if Ukraine gave up four of its regions that Moscow claims for itself.
16:37: Russian soldiers apparently tortured and killed the so-called “Donbass cowboy” Russell Bentley. The American Bentley had previously fought for the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and then disappeared. A Russian investigative committee responsible for investigating serious crimes has now announced that the murder was committed by three Russian soldiers in April. Read more about it here.
4.15 p.m.: According to Ukraine, Russia is planning an attack on the country’s nuclear facilities. “According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kremlin is preparing attacks on objects important for Ukrainian nuclear energy before winter,” writes Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on X.
Distribution facilities in particular are being targeted, as they are crucial for the safe operation of nuclear energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is calling on Sybiha to deploy permanent teams of observers at the facilities. There is currently no comment from Russia on the Foreign Minister’s statements.
15:09: According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has not yet received the approval of its Western allies, the USA and Great Britain, to deploy long-range weapons in Russia. “Neither America nor the UK has given us permission to use these weapons on Russian territory, at any target at any distance,” Zelensky said.
In a conversation with journalists in Kiev, Zelenskyj explained the reticence of his Western partners with the fear of an “escalation” with Russia. He assured that the Ukrainian army had not used “long-range weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation”.
