Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The US has seen no signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “Right now, we have seen no reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor do we have any indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons, but we have heard these very troubling statements,” Price told reporters during a daily briefing. newspaper. press release. The US is closely monitoring Russia’s nuclear rhetoric, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in a separate call. — Amanda Macias
‘Absolutely nothing to’ Russian claims Ukraine will use ‘dirty bomb’, White House says
John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, speaks during a news conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2022. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images The US has criticized Russian claims that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb”, adding that there is “absolutely nothing to the Russian claim”. The US is concerned about the allegations, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a conference call. “They [the Russians] they are the ones who publicized this matter and obviously, we know that they are false and that there is no plan by the Ukrainians to do this,” Kirby said. “Obviously we take the matter seriously,” he added. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier Monday that the Kremlin was concerned “about possible provocations from Ukraine using a ‘dirty bomb,’” according to the Russian Defense Ministry. — Amanda Macias
The group that oversees Ukraine’s agricultural exports says it is working to address the backlog of more than 100 ships awaiting inspection
Ships, including those carrying grain from Ukraine awaiting inspections, are seen anchored off the coast of Istanbul on October 14, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Chris McGrath | Getty Images The agency that oversees Ukraine’s grain exports said it was working to address the backlog of 113 ships awaiting inspection. The Joint Coordination Center, or JCC, said in a statement that it is “concerned that delays may cause disruption to supply chain and port operations.” “The JCC is discussing ways to address the backlog noting that the next harvest is approaching and silos at Ukrainian ports covered by the Initiative will soon be full again,” the group wrote. The JCC has allowed the movement of more than 8.5 million metric tons of food products under the Black Sea Grains Initiative, an agreement announced in July between Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey. Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here. — Amanda Macias
NATO Secretary General Rejects Russia’s ‘Dirty Bomb’ Claims.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gestures during a press conference with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde after Finland and Sweden signed their countries’ accession protocols at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 5 July 2022. Yves Herman | Reuters NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned Russia’s “false claim” that Ukraine was planning to use a “dirty bomb” inside its territory. “NATO Allies reject this claim,” he tweeted. “Russia should not use this as a pretext for escalation.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed back against the Russian claims, arguing that the allegation only shows that Russia itself is likely preparing to use the “dirty bomb”. The United States, the United Kingdom and France have also spoken out against Russia’s claims. NATO allies have provided extensive support to Ukraine, implementing enhanced measures in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. After the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, member countries agreed to strengthen the existing Comprehensive Assistance Package to Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion. This led to more support in various security areas, including communications, cyber defense, medical supplies, body armor, security equipment and anti-drone systems. – Rocio Fabbro
Russian court to hear WNBA star Griner’s appeal
NBA women’s basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, awaits the verdict in a dock before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow , in August. 4, 2022. Evgenia Novozhenina AFP | Getty Images WNBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal hearing before a Russian court is set for Tuesday. Earlier this month, a Russian judge decided to hear Griner’s appeal after she was convicted on drug charges and sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner has been held in a Russian detention center for more than eight months since her arrest earlier this year. Griner will appear via video conference at the hearing, which is expected to last about an hour. The judge’s verdict is expected later Tuesday. — Amanda Macias
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley talks with Russian counterpart as war enters ninth month
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley participates in a news briefing at the Pentagon on May 23, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Alex Wong | Getty Images Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley spoke by phone with the Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov. “Military leaders discussed various issues of security-related concern and agreed to keep the lines of communication open. In accordance with past practice, specific details of their conversation will be kept private,” Joint Chiefs spokesman Col. Dave Butler wrote. reading the call. Milley’s call comes as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had two phone calls with his Russian counterpart last week. — Amanda Macias
Russia claims ‘dirty bomb’ threat is ‘obvious’, despite Western denials
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a joint press conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia, February 18, 2022. Sergey Guneev Sputnik | Reuters Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov insisted the threat of a “dirty bomb” was real, although the United States, Britain and France denied the possibility. “Their distrust of the information provided by the Russian side does not mean that the threat of using such a ‘dirty bomb’ ceases to exist. The threat is obvious,” Peskov told a news conference. Peskov’s remarks followed claims by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Ukraine was planning provocations using a “dirty bomb,” which contaminates surrounding areas with radioactivity without using a nuclear explosion. The UK, US and France denounced the claims as “manifestly false”. Peskov also said there are currently no scheduled calls to Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a series of international calls Shoigu has made in recent days, including to the US and other Western allies. – Rocio Fabbro
Ukrainian club urges FIFA to remove Iran from World Cup
Hanging paper airplanes are seen in front of the Iranian embassy during a protest against Iran’s alleged supply of drones to Russia after Kiev was hit by a series of deadly attacks on Monday, in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 18, 2022. Methane Acta | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Ukraine’s top football club urged FIFA on Monday to remove Iran from the World Cup over the country’s alleged military support for the Russian invasion. Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin accused Iran of “direct involvement in terrorist attacks against Ukrainians”, suggesting his country’s team should play in Qatar instead of a replacement. “This will be a fair decision that should draw the attention of the whole world to a regime that is killing its best people and helping to kill Ukrainians,” Palkin said in a statement a day before his side played Celtic in the Champions League League. The White House said on Thursday that the US has evidence that Iranian troops are “directly engaged on the ground” in Crimea supporting Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians. And Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said in a published interview Monday that Russian forces had used about 330 Iranian-made “Shahed” drones since Saturday — and that more had been ordered. — Associated Press
The US Secretary of Defense speaks with his Russian counterpart in a follow-up telephone call
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during the Ukraine Security Advisory Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base on April 26, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Thomas Lohnes | Getty Images US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, the third known phone call since the Kremlin’s wide-ranging invasion of Ukraine in late February. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday after a phone call on Friday morning. Ryder said Shoigu asked for the next call. “Secretary Austin rejected any pretense of Russian escalation and affirmed the value of continued communication amid Russia’s illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine,” the Pentagon said in the call. — Amanda Macias
More than 6,300 people have died in Ukraine, according to the UN
A picture shows a mass grave of civilians at a cemetery near Lyman, Donetsk region, on October 11, 2022. Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images The United Nations has confirmed 6,374 civilian deaths and 9,776 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its former Soviet neighbor on February 24. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher because…
