An eighth package of European Union sanctions against Russia entered into force on Thursday 6 October. In Ukraine, the army communicated for the first time on the area won by its troops since the start of the counter-offensive in early September. Franceinfo takes stock of the day’s news on the frontline of the war in Ukraine.
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EU imposes new sanctions on Russia
The European Union (EU) has imposed new trade restrictions on Russia and expanded the list of people subject to asset freezes and EU travel bans, as part of an eighth sanctions package against Moscow entered into force on Thursday.
These new measures, published in Official Journal of the EUare a “response to Russia’s escalation in its continued illegal war on Ukraine, including the annexation of Ukrainian territory after sham ‘referendums’, the mobilization of additional troops and the openly brandished threat of nuclear weapons”says the European Commission.
They also prepare for the implementation of the Russian oil price cap agreed by the G7, and provide for a ban on EU nationals holding positions in the management bodies of certain Russian state-owned companies. .
Emmanuel Macron calls on the Turkish president to fight against any “circumvention” of sanctions against Moscow
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday insisted to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the need to fight against any “bypass” sanctions against Russia. “He underlined the importance of European sanctions regimes in stopping the Russian escalation and called for fighting any circumvention strategy”said the Elysée after an exchange between the two leaders, on the sidelines of the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague.
Very dependent on Russian gas and oil, Turkey refused to join the Western sanctions decreed against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, while tirelessly offering its mediation between Moscow and kyiv.
Russia summons French ambassador
Russia summoned the French ambassador to Moscow, Pierre Lévy, to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The delivery of arms to Ukraine was mentioned in particular. “The Russian side has pointed out the dangers of increased deliveries of arms and equipment to the kyiv regime, as well as the intensification of training programs for the training of Ukrainian military personnel”detailed Russian diplomacy in a press release.
“We must punish the aggressor”, asks Volodymyr Zelensky to European leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday asked European leaders for arms for Ukraine and to prevent “Russian tanks to go to Warsaw or Prague”, seven months after the start of the Russian invasion. “The aggressor must be punished”he said by video to the 44 European leaders gathered in Prague. “This war must be won now, so that the Russian fleet cannot block other ports in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean or any other sea”added Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukrainian army claims the recovery of 400 km2 in the Kherson region
Ukraine announced on Thursday that it had recaptured 400 km2 of territory in the south, where its counter-offensive is putting Russian troops under pressure. “Ukrainian armed forces have liberated more than 400 km2 of the Kherson region since the beginning of October”, reported the spokeswoman for the military command in the South, Natalia Goumeniouk. This is the first time that the Ukrainian army has quantified the advances of its troops since the start of the counter-offensive.
Ukrainian troops have been on the offensive on all fronts since early September and have already recaptured most of the Kharkiv region in the northeast and important logistics nodes such as Izium, Kupyansk and Lyman (is).