A destroyed Russian tank on the roadside near Sudzha in the Kursk region in western Russia, August 8, 2024

EA on TVP World: Can Europe Rescue Ukraine From Trump?

Saturday’s Coverage: Zelenskiy — “A Just and Fair End to This War”

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1208 GMT:

Nine Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered have reportedly been shot and killed in Russia’s latest battlefield execution of prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian monitoring site DeepState, citing sources in Ukraine’s First Tank Brigade, said the prisoners were slain in Russia’s Kursk region on Thursday.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets circulated ther report on Telegram, “Such actions are a gross violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office said on October 4 that it has confirmed the summary execution of 93 Ukrainian POWs during Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

UPDATE 1148 GMT:

Pjotr Sauer writes about Russia’s political warfare in Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova, intervening in the October 20 Presidential election and referendum on European Union membership.

The Moldovan Government estimates that Russia has put at least €100 million into Moldova to spur protests and manipulate votes.

Last spring, customs officers intercepted more than 100 passengers arriving from Russia via Armenia. Each was carrying almost €10,000 in bundles of cash, just short of the threshold for mandatory declaration. In a single night, authorities at Chișinău airport seized more than €900,000.

“Russia is pouring millions in dirty money to hijack our democratic processes. This isn’t just meddling – it’s full-blown interference aimed at destabilizing our future. And it is alarming,” says Olga Roşca, a foreign policy advisor to President Maia Sandu.

Russia has occupied the Transnistria region of Moldova since 1992. It is supporting the effort of Moldovan politician Ilan Shor, who lives in Moscow and who is under international sanctions, to remove the Sandu Government.

Shor was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year in absentia over his role in the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldova’s banking system. He fled to Israel and then Moscow where he set up his Kremlin-backed political movement.

At a press conference last Thursday, national police chief Viorel Cernăuțanu accused Shor and Moscow of establishing a complex “mafia-style” voter-buying scheme and bribing 130,000 Moldovans to vote against the referendum and in favour of Russia-friendly candidates.

Despite the security and economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sandu is the favorite to win the first-round Presidential vote against 10 challengers, but she could face a close second-round runoff.

Like Ukraine, Moldova officially began EU accession negotiations in June. Polls show the “Yes” campaign in the referendum with 55-65% support.

UPDATE 0710 GMT:

Ukraine’s military says 67 of 68 Iran-type attack drones launched by Russia overnight failed to reach their targets.

Air defenses downed 31 UAVs, while 36 were lost, probably because of electronic counter-measures.

The Russians also fired four missiles.

UPDATE 0629 GMT:

Two civilians were killed and 11 injured by Russian attacks on the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

The fatalities were in the settlements of Kurakhivka and Ulakly.

UPDATE 0610 GMT:

BBC Russian and the independent Russian media outlet Mediazona have confirmed the identities of 72,899 Russian soldiers killed during Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since the last update in late-September, the names of 1,842 Russian soldiers have been added to the list.

Among the fatalities are more than 4,100 officers and at least 13,438 released inmates.

The outlets note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher. The verified list is compiled from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities.

The Russian soldiers killed in action in 2024 are increasingly older in age. The largest share of volunteer recruits slain are between 48 and 50 years old.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Moscow’s forces are trying to regain territory in western Russia, more than two months after Ukraine captured around 100 settlements and 1,300 square km (500 square miles) in the Kursk region.

Geolocated footage indicates that Russian troops have made some advances near the village of Korenovo. Russian military observers claimed further progress and a breakthrough near the settlement of Lyubimovka in a battalion-sized mechanized assault, encircling Ukrainian forces.

Friday’s map of the Ukrainian outlet DeepState shows Ukraine’s loss of 38 square km (14.7 square miles) in the region, the largest gain for the Russians since September 14.

The Russian military declared on Saturday that it has recaptured nearly two dozen settlements, while Ukrainian officials said their troops have partially regained lost positions.

Map: Institute for the Study of War

In his nightly address to the nation, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, “Russia tried to push back our positions, but we are holding the designated lines.”

Ukraine launched the surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk on August 6, quickly controlling the area in the first invasion of the Soviet Union or Russia since World War II.

The operation has offset Russia’s gradual advance in eastern Ukraine, as Moscow tries to break international support for Kyiv and to force negotiations confirming its seizure of 27% of Ukrainian territory.