Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for 564 days. G20 leaders on Saturday expressed their opposition to the “use of force to seize territory” and to undermine the sovereignty of states. On the same day, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence stressed that Ukraine would continue the counter-offensive after the onset of cold weather. Here are the most important events of the last few hours.
> State leaders G20 group expressed their opposition to the “use of force to seize territory” and undermining the sovereignty of states. In the point relating to war in Ukraine However, they did not condemn Russia – according to the joint declaration announced on Saturday during the summit in Delhi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that the declaration of the G20 group of countries on the Russian invasion of Ukraine “is not a reason to be proud”, criticizing the text for the lack of mention of Russia.
G20 Summit in New Delhi. From left: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and UAE President Zayed Al NahyanEPA/UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT
> It is more difficult to fight in cold weather, rain and mud, but the counteroffensive will continue, said the head of military intelligence (HUR) of Ukraine, General Kyrylo Budanov, on Saturday. As emphasized by the deputy head of HUR, Wadym Skibicki, there are already 420,000 Russian soldiers in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.
> Ukrainian forces have made confirmed progress on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhia Oblasts and in the Western Zaporizhia Oblast, the American Institute for War Studies (ISW) reported in its latest analysis. According to the experts, on Saturday, Ukrainian soldiers were to make an attack south of Bakhmut.
> On Saturday, NATO maneuvers “Northern Coasts 2023” began in the Baltic Sea. Over three thousand soldiers from 14 countries, including Poland, almost 30 ships and 20 planes take part in them. Kaack stressed that the maneuvers are also intended to send a message to Moscow. – We are clearly showing Russia that all partner countries are vigilant – the commander of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack. He added that naval exercises will deliberately not be carried out in the area of ​​the Russian enclave – the Koenigsberg Oblast – “so as not to provoke Russia.”
NATO exercises “Northern Coasts” in the Baltic Sea. German submarine U36EPA/TOMS KALNINS
> “Russian pseudo-elections in the occupied territories are another attempt to incorporate four regions into Russia and the deliberate genocidal policy of de-Ukrainization. We will not allow this. These elections are illegal and Poland will not recognize them. Together with our allies, we will support Ukraine as long as it takes,” the Polish foreign minister said on Saturday on platform X (formerly Twitter). Zbigniew Rau.
> The Kremlin announced on Saturday that it maintains its conditions for returning to the Black Sea grain agreement, which it abandoned in July, Reuters reports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needs to reconnect its state agricultural bank, not a bank subsidiary as the UN proposes, to the international banking payments system SWIFT.
> On Saturday, new fragments of a drone similar to those used by the Russian army were found in Romania, the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest reported. President Klaus Iohannis said this indicated an unacceptable violation of the country’s airspace.
Main photo source: EPA/UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT