Russian forces fighting in Pokrovsk are disguising themselves by dressing up as civilians, Ukrainian military officials have said, adding to the challenge of holding on to the strategic city.
Military personnel deliberately passing as civilians to deceive the enemy is classified as a war crime, and even changing into the uniforms of Ukrainian forces or other Ukrainian security services violates the laws and customs of war.
“The most difficult thing is that they disguise themselves as civilians. They have been changing clothes for a long time and receive instructions to do so,” the commander of the 68th Jaeger Brigade, codenamed “Liutyi,” told Suspilne.
“Sometimes we identify the enemy only after the start of the firefight, because civilians will not open fire on our units,” he said.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied reports that Russia is holding secret talks with the Trump administration over ending the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday dismissed a report in Axios which claimed that US officials had drawn up a 28-point peace plan consisting of “security guarantees, security in Europe, and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine”.
Poland detains several people in connection with explosion on railway used to supply aid to Ukraine
Poland has detained several people linked with an explosion on a railway track used to transport weapons to Ukraine, Polish authorities have said.
An explosion damaged a railway track near Mika village in Poland on Sunday, which prime minister Donald Tusk described as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
The damaged section of track is part of a crucial route used for delivering aid and weapons to Ukraine, located approximately 80 miles from the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Watch: Defence secretary’s three-word warning to Putin after lasers directed at RAF pilots
Russian spy ship directed lasers at UK military pilots, Defence Secretary says
The Russian spy ship Yantar is operating on the edge of UK waters and has directed lasers at pilots of surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities, the defence secretary said.
John Healey said Britain “is ready” to respond, with “military options” drawn up if the ship heads south, in a warning to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The vessel, designed for gathering intelligence and mapping crucial undersea cables, is loitering off the northern coast of Scotland, having entered wider UK waters over the last few weeks.
Healey told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: “We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track this vessel’s every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.
“That Russian action is deeply dangerous. This is the second time this year that this ship, the Yantar, has deployed to UK waters,” he said.
Putin’s troops using war crime tactic to fight in Pokrovsk, says Ukraine
Russian forces fighting in Pokrovsk are disguising themselves by dressing up as civilians, military officials said, adding that this complicates Ukraine’s defence efforts.
Military personnel deliberately passing as civilians to deceive the enemy is classified as a war crime, and even changing into the uniforms of Ukrainian forces or other Ukrainian security services violates the laws and customs of war.
“It is more like sabotage and reconnaissance work. They do not follow any standard procedures, but their movements still complicate our logistics routes,” the commander of the 68th Jaeger Brigade, codenamed “Liutyi,” told Suspilne yesterday.
“The most difficult thing is that they disguise themselves as civilians. They have been changing clothes for a long time and receive instructions to do so,” he said.
“Sometimes we identify the enemy only after the start of the firefight, because civilians will not open fire on our units,” he said.
External power line to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant restored, says Russian management
One of the external power lines to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine was restored on Wednesday, the Russian-installed management said in a statement.
The nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022, when Russian forces overran much of southeastern Ukraine. It is not currently producing electricity but relies on external power to keep the nuclear material cool and avoid the risk of a meltdown.
The Dniprovska power line was returned to operation after being disconnected earlier this month by the plant’s protective systems, the statement said.
The plant remains near the frontlines of the war, and Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling it on a number of occasions.
It was without external power supply for 30 days through late September and most of October, relying on diesel generators.
Trump pushing cash-for-land deal on Ukraine in new peace plan – report
The US officials working on a new peace plan could force Ukraine to lease a part of its territory to Russia, people aware of the situation said.
The deal would ask Kyiv to cede control of the eastern Donbas region, while retaining legal ownership of the territory, officials familiar with the deal told The Telegraph.
Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for the region, they said. Russian will be the official state language and the Russian orthodox church would be given official status in the occupied territories.
The deal will also slash the size of Ukraine’s military in half and ban them from possessing long-range missiles, the report added.
The deployment of foreign troops will also be blocked under this deal, US military assistance will also cease and foreign diplomatic aircraft will be prevented from landing in the country.
Poland to withdraw consent for Russian consulate in Poland
Earlier, we reported that Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Wednesday the country will respond to last weekend’s railway sabotage, not only by diplomatic means.
He has since said that he would withdraw consent for the functioning of Russia’s last operating consulate in Poland, in Gdansk, in response to last weekend’s railway sabotage.
An explosion damaged a Polish railway track near Mika village on Monday, a route crucial for delivering aid to Ukraine, with Warsaw saying it was the work of a “foreign state”.
Slovakia wants Nato to boost air defences on country’s eastern flank
Slovakia wants Nato to boost air defences in the country, on its eastern flank, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said after a meeting with the military alliance’s chief.
“During the joint discussion, he also asked the Secretary General to strengthen the air defence of Slovakia,” the Slovak government office said in a statement after the meeting on Tuesday evening, without providing more details.
Slovakia has sought to bolster its air defence capabilities in recent years, including acquiring defence systems from Israel and buying new F-16 fighter jets.
It was among the EU states on the eastern flank that agreed in September on the need for a “drone wall” with advanced detection.
But Slovakia has opposed the European Union’s policy towards helping Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s 2022 invasion, and Mr Fico reiterated in his meeting with Mr Rutte that the government would not directly supply lethal weapons to Kyiv, with the exception of allowing commercial contracts.
Watch: US medic on Ukraine’s frontline says Nato not ready for war with Russia
From blowing up tankers in Europe to drone sightings in Belgium: How Putin is pushing Nato to a cliff edge
European allies have been shaken by provocations on Nato’s eastern frontier in recent months, accusing Russia of making brazen incursions onto foreign soil to test the bloc’s responses and undermine collective resolve.
Russia has long been accused of interfering in European affairs. But the issue was thrust back into focus in September, when nearly two dozen drones crossed over into Poland amid a large-scale Russian drone attack on Ukraine. Days later, jets violated Estonia’s airspace as Russia concluded major drills in Belarus.
Subsequent activity near the border has forced Europeans to close airports and borders, causing major disruption and exposing vulnerability. Businesses have responded with a wave of military and civilian innovations to safeguard the continent against the threats of modern warfare.
Our foreign affairs reporter James Reynolds writes…
