Photo : France24
Photo : France24
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 11 October, Ukraine’s air defences intercepted or jammed 54 out of 78 Russian drones launched against the country overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have shot down 42 Ukrainian drones over its own territory. Efforts to restore power in Kyiv continued following Russian attacks. By that day, power had been restored to over 800,000 residents. The largest private energy company, DTEK, reported that the main restoration work had been completed, although some outages still persisted.
On 11 October, The Guardian reported on the Ukrainian government initiative “I Want to Live,” which encourages enemy combatants to surrender, claiming to have reliable information about 1,028 Cubans who had signed contracts with the Russian armed forces in 2023-2024. In response, the Cuban foreign ministry stated that none of these individuals had the "encouragement, commitment, or consent" of the Cuban state for their actions.
On 11 October, Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least five and caused power outages in parts of the southern Odesa region, Ukrainian officials reported. Two of the victims died when a church in Kostyantynivka was hit. Meanwhile, in Russia’s Belgorod region, a truck driver was killed by a Ukrainian strike, according to local authorities.
On the same day, in a phone call, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged President Donald Trump to help broker peace in Ukraine, drawing a parallel to his role in brokering a ceasefire in the Middle East. He said: “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely others can be ended too, including the Russian war.” He called on the former US president to exert pressure on the Kremlin to enter into negotiations.
On 12 October, Ukraine claimed targetting Russia's Bashneft oil refinery in Ufa, located 1,400 km from Ukraine, causing explosions and a fire, according to Ukraine's security service. This marked the third deep strike by Ukraine in Bashkortostan in the past month. The report emphasized that these attacks show there are no "safe places" even in the far rear of the Russian Federation.
On the same day, Russian drones and missiles struck 12 apartment buildings in Zaporizhzhia, a city in southeastern Ukraine, resulting in the death of a seven-year-old boy and injuring four others, as reported by the regional governor. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also stated that 12 people were injured in the attacks, with eight of them requiring hospitalization.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 12 October, President Vladimir Putin contradicted his deputy foreign minister’s statement, which suggested that the "momentum" from the Alaska talks had been lost and that the "edifice of relations" between the US and Russia was crumbling. The comments, made by Rybakov after Donald Trump toughened his stance on Russia, were softened by Putin on Friday. He acknowledged the complexity of the issues but reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the discussions held in Anchorage.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from Europe and the US
On 11 October, Cuba rejected US claims that it had sent soldiers to fight in the Ukraine war, stating that Cuban authorities had no precise information about Cuban nationals participating "on their own" or in the military forces of either side. The Cuban Ministry also announced that 26 Cubans had been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 14 years for mercenary activity since September 2023, when reports emerged of Cubans being deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine.