Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about “territorial integrity” with his Azerbaijani counterpart, despite the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Joe Biden, for his part, announced a “major speech” to continue to mobilize public opinion on the Ukrainian fate.
His country has resisted the Russian invasion for more than a year. His interlocutor, on the other end of the phone this Wednesday, October 4, led a lightning offensive in the separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, located on his territory. Volodymyr Zelensky picked up his phone to call his Azerbaijani counterpart on Wednesday, while Joe Biden once again tried to mobilize public opinion on the Ukrainian fate, announced one “major speech” future. Here’s what to remember from this day.
Volodymyr Zelensky discussed aid and “territorial integrity” with his Azerbaijani counterpart
“We reaffirmed our attachment to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States” said Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram, after his call with Ilham Aliev, the Azerbaijani president. This is the first time that the two men have called each other since the Azerbaijani leader led a lightning offensive on September 19 against Armenian separatists in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
Facing a Russian invasion on his territory since February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian president also “thanked” his Azerbaijani counterpart for his “significant humanitarian aid, particularly in the energy sector as winter approaches”. Ukraine also does “All” to obtain new anti-aircraft systems from the West before the start of the winter period, to counter a possible Russian bombing campaign, declared Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was waiting for “certain decisions of [ses] partners”.
Joe Biden promises a “major speech” to continue mobilizing for Ukraine
While the political situation in his country remains murky, the American president revealed his concern over the Ukrainian issue on Wednesday. Joe Biden also admitted that the chaos within the Republican Party, paralyzing the House of Representatives, “worried him” as to the future of the aid provided to kyiv.
“It is extremely important to the United States and our allies that we keep our promises,” also declared Joe Biden before promising a “major speech” to come to demonstrate that he was “Extremely important” to continue military and financial support to Ukraine. Without, however, specifying the date.
Russian journalist sentenced to eight and a half years in prison
Marina Ovsiannikova found refuge in France. This Russian journalist has just been sentenced on Wednesday to a heavy sentence in absentia: eight and a half years in prison for criticizing the army, a Russian court announced.
This journalist, who fled Russia a year ago, was being prosecuted for “spreading false information” on the Russian armed forces and had already been fined for similar acts in August 2022. She became famous aafter having appeared, in the middle of the newspaper, on the set of the pro-Kremlin television channel for which she worked, with a sign mentioning the “propaganda” Russian media in this war in Ukraine.
Her lawyer told AFP that she would appeal this conviction, while believing that participating in the legal proceedings had not “no Sens”.
Moscow prepares to target civilian ships in the Black Sea, London warns
“Intelligence…suggests that Russia is seeking to target civilian ships using the humanitarian corridor in Ukraine in order to disrupt the export of Ukrainian grain”wrote the British Foreign Office in a press release, published Wednesday evening.
Moscow “will certainly want to avoid openly sinking civilian ships and will falsely blame Ukraine for any attacks”, warns James Cleverly, the head of British diplomacy cited by the document. The United Kingdom denounces “total contempt” of the Russian General Staff “with regard to civilian lives and the needs of the most vulnerable in the world”while several African countries await supplies of Ukrainian grain.
Russia claims to have shot down dozens of drones
Moscow reports 31 Ukrainian drones shot down in western Russia. “Air defense systems operating over the territory of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones”the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Telegram, without mentioning any possible injuries or damage.
Of the “partial destruction” also recorded in the Bryansk region. Alexandre Bogomaz, governor of this region bordering Ukraine, declared on Wednesday that a drone had been destroyed there by Russian forces, without consequences there too. According to him, kyiv also used cluster munitions against four districts in its region, provoking “partial destruction”.