Prepared by Sofia Oliynyk, Maryana Zaviyska, Anna Dovha
Photo: Oleksiy Biloshitskyi
Annexation.
On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the ‘accession to the Russian Federation’ of the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Putin’s speech aimed to underline the threat from the West that wants to colonize Russia, ‘exterminate ethnic groups’ and start ‘manhunting’ and the current crises are the results of the destroying policies of ‘Anglo-Saxons’. The Russian President called ‘the Kyiv regime to immediately end hostilities, end the war that they unleashed back in 2014 and return to the negotiating table’.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a statement in response to Russia’s announcement of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. The Ministry offered the options for partnering states to respond to illegal actions of the Russian Federation for the purpose of protection of international law and order, including the to speed up provision of the necessary military, economic, and financial assistance to Ukraine along with introduction of additional harsh sanctions against Russia; to isolate the Russian Federation and its government from the rest of the world; to recognize Russia as a terrorist state etc. The Ministry also calls for every state to support the initiative on creation of the Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine for the purpose of bringing the military and political leadership of Russia to justice. The EU strongly rejects and condemns Russia’s illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine, members of the EU Council said in a statement.
NATO accession.
On Friday, President Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is submitting the application to join NATO in an accelerated procedure, following the results of the National Security and Defense Council meeting. ‘De facto, we have already completed our path to NATO. De facto, we have already proven interoperability with the Alliance’s standards, they are real for Ukraine – real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction.’ NATO Chief underlined that the Alliance is not a party in the war, but will support Ukraine so that it can defend the right to self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter. However, a decision on membership, of course, has to be taken by all 30 Allies and we take these decisions by consensus, as stated at the press briefing. Meanwhile, over the weekend, already nine NATO states expressed their support for Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance. Presidents of Central and Eastern European NATO Member States reiterated their support to Ukraine in the joint statement, as well as underlined that they will not recognize Russian attempts to annex any Ukrainian territory. Canada’s Minister of Foreighn Affairs also supported Ukraine’s entry into the alliance. As of October 3, Ukraine’s membership in NATO was officially supported by 10 countries.
Foreign policy.
On September 30, Russia vetoed a UN resolution that would have condemned its sharm referendums in four Ukrainian regions as illegal, declared them invalid and urged all countries not to recognize any annexation of the territory claimed by Moscow.
Russia wasn’t reelected to the United Nations aviation agency’s governing council, in a rebuke of Moscow for aviation-related actions taken after its invasion of Ukraine. The country failed to win enough votes, Reuters reported.
Sanctions.
In response to the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, Australia introduced new sanctions against Russia. The same actions were taken by Canada that imposed sanctions on 43 Russian oligarchs, the financial elite and their family members, and 35 collaborators from the temporarily occupied territories. The US also imposed sanctions on individuals and entities – inside and outside of Russia – that provide political or economic support to illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory. Also, Great Britain has added the head of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvir Nabiullin, to its sanctions list.
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine decided to impose sanctions on significant number of individuals and legal entities of the Russian Federation who did not have the courage to speak out in defense of humanity and international law, or who are somehow involved in aggressive steps against Ukraine and the community of democratic peoples, said President Volodymyr Zelensky. The sanctions will impact around 1300 individuals and will mirror the imposed sanctions of Western partners.
Liberation.
Ukrainian forces proceed with the liberation of its territories and its further advancement. Biggest achievement of the last days was liberation of Lyman, Donetsk region.The city is a crucial logistical connection on the way to proceed further with regaining control over Ukrainian territories. Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said that control over Lyman could prove a ‘key factor’ in helping Ukraine reclaim lost territory in the Luhansk region. NATO Chief underlined that Ukraine’ advance in Lyman shows it can ‘push back Russian forces because of their courage, because of their bravery, their skills, but of course also because of the advanced weapons’. In addition to the liberation of Lyman, two villages of Yampil and Torkse, Donetsk region, were returned under Ukraine’s control. In the Kherson region, Ukraine forces had liberated the small Arkhanhelske and Myrolyubivka settlements over the weekend.
Cities under attack.
Kharkiv region. The Russian occupiers constantly shell the settlements adjacent to the border with the Russian Federation and the contact line. During September 30, the settlements of Strilecha, Ridkodub, Kuchkivka, Okhrymivka, Vilkhuvatka, Dvorichna, and others were shelled by Russian invaders. Due to the shelling, fires broke out at an agro-industrial facility and in an apartment building. Over the day, 2 people were injured. In liberated Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region, regional authorities informed about identification of the shelled convoy of cars with civilians inside. The shooting occurred in late September between the temporarily occupied town of Svatove in the Luhansk region and the liberated Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. As a result of the shelling, 24 people were killed, 13 of them children. A sabotage and reconnaissance group of Russians carried out the attack: they shot six cars and one Gazelle truck almost at close range with small arms.
Mykolaiv region. At night on September 30, Mykolaiv was subjected to massive missile fire. Two of the missiles hit a ten-story building. Eight people were injured as a result. A medical facility in the city was also damaged. During the day, the Russian occupiers shelled Bashtansky and Mykolaiv districts. As a result of the shellings, private houses and agricultural buildings were damaged. No casualties were reported. At night on October 1, Mykolaiv was shelled by the Russian invaders. As a result, private houses, high-rise buildings, and buildings on the territory of the motor vehicle enterprise were damaged and 5 people were injured. On the same day, in Bashansky district, 5 private houses were damaged by Russian shelling. At night on October 2, the Russian invaders launched a missile attack on Mykolaiv. In the city, seven people were injured, two four-story buildings were damaged. At the same time, the settlement of Shevchenko was under attack. As a result, 2 people were killed.
Dnipropetrovsk region. At night on September 30, the Russian invaders shelled the city of Dnipro and the region. In Dnipro three people were killed and five were injured.The missiles destroyed the transport enterprise. During the fire caused by the shelling, 52 buses were burnt, another 98 were damaged. Several high-rise buildings, a gymnasium, a store and administrative buildings were mutilated in the city. Also, tIndustrial facilities, a dozen private houses, a water pipe and a power line were damaged in Chervonogrigorivsk community. Private houses were damaged in Nikopol. The next night on October 1, the Russian military attacked Nikopol and Synelnykove districts. As a result of the attack, private houses, farm buildings, a cafe and a hotel were damaged. In the morning on October 2, Nikopol district was shelled. In Nikopol, private houses, farm buildings and power lines were damaged.
Zaporizhzhia region. On September 30, the Russian military launched a missile attack on a civilian humanitarian convoy on its way out of Zaporizhzhia. As a result of the attack, 31 people were killed and 28 people were injured.
Crimea. More than 1000 citizens of Ukraine who lived in the temporarily occupied Crimea fled to Kazakhstan after the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia.
Deportation.
76 orphans from the temporarily occupied territories were illegally taken to Russia. Another 104 children who are under supervision in social institutions of the so-called ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ are being prepared to be illegally transferred to Russian families.
Energy security.
The Russian occupiers ‘detained’ Ihor Murashov, the Director General of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and took him to an unknown destination. The Director General bears the main and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety of Zaporizhzhya NPP. His detention poses a danger to the operation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Ukraine says Russian authorities are forcing Ukrainian employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP to sign labor contracts with Rosatom.
50 countries participating in the IAEA General Conference issued a joint statement calling on Russia to stop nuclear blackmail. The countries condemned Russia’s actions against nuclear facilities in Ukraine and called on the Russian Federation to immediately stop any interference at Ukrainian nuclear sites.
This Friday, at the upcoming European Council meeting, EU country leaders will discuss how to step up support for Ukraine and their joint next steps to tame soaring energy prices and to ensure affordable energy to the citizens. At the same, it will serve as a platform to discuss how to continue providing strong economic, military, political and financial support to Ukraine, underlined European Council President.
Culture.
During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 358 libraries were destroyed. Most of them are situated in Donetsk (31%), Mykolaiv (13%) and Kharkiv (11%) regions.
Reading corner.
- Zelenskyy is pushing for fast-track NATO membership. Does Ukraine have a fighting chance to join the club? | Atlantic Council
- Russia holds captured Ukrainian medics, a possible war crime | The Washington Post
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., October 03, 2022: personnel – around 60430, tanks ‒ 2380, APV ‒ 4991, artillery systems – 1405, MLRS – 338, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 176, fixed-wing aircraft – 265, helicopters – 265, operational-tactical level UAV – 1026, cruise missiles –246, boats and light speed boats – 15, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 3811, special equipment – 131.
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