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By Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Shashwat Chauhan (Reuters) -European shares fell on Monday as French bank Societe Generale's shares slumped

Russian warships patrol the surface of the Black Sea, launvhing missiles at Ukrainian cities and towns as part of a near-daily assault. While also enforcing a de-facto blockade, leaving ships in little doubt of he consequences if they try to break it. Such is the importance of this shipping route for both sides. For along time Russian ships moved with relative impunity. And a grain deal that alllowed Ukraine to export from its ports on the Black Sea allowed for an uneasy status quo to hold. But after Moscow withdrew from that deal in the summer and stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s ports, and Kyiv began a counteroffensive to retake land occupied by Russia in sourthern and eastern Ukraine – the Black Sea has become one of the most active fronts in the war. For weeks, Kyiv has been sending a new class of sea drone – essentially unmanned speed boats packed with explosives that can travel many miles – seeking to create havoc and disrupt as much of Moscow’s war machine as it can to help the forces on land. The boats can reach speeds of up to 50mph and can carry a payload of explosives of up to 300 kilograms, according to reports. It is the type of innovative warfare that Kyiv has repeatedly used to push back against a far larger military force. These sea drones have been backed up by missile strikes, including using long-range Storm Shadow missiles from the UK. The most recent scalp? What is believed to be the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Kyiv said that the attack on the base in the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea struck a submarine – which analysts suggested was likely a Kilo-class attack submarine that can launch cruise missiles of its own – and a landing vessel. It is thought that this is the first documented successful attack against a Russian submarine during Moscow’s 18-month war. Before that, Ukrainian special forces regained control of a number of oil and gas drilling platforms that Russia has used to help control the Black Sea in a “unique operation”, the country’s military intelligence (GUR) said. The UK’s Ministry of Defence has previously said the platforms could be used to launch helicopters, position long-range missile systems and as a base for forward deployment. ”Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this makes Ukraine many steps closer to regaining Crimea,” the GUR said. Meanwhile, two commercial ships have docked at a Ukrainian port in recent days as Kyiv steps up efforts to unilaterally break Russia’s blockade, using a corridor hugging the Black Sea coast of its southern neighbours and Nato members Romania and Bulgaria. Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Chatham House think tank, said the focus on the Black Sea by Ukrainian forces was a “relative change” and they aren’t “abandoning things they are doing on the front line in the east.” He said: “There are more noticeable things happening now that operations against Crimea are picking up pace. But that’s after a long period of preparation. “We saw earlier the attacks by missiles and special forces landing to reduce Russia’s air defence capability in Crimea and now as a result of that they [Ukrainian forces] can carry out those other operations that rely on those air defences being ineffective. “And that’s why we’re seeing this uptick in the pace... It’s also part of the process of eroding Russia’s sustainability of its hold on Crimea... making it so it will eventually be untenable.” As well as the strategic importance of the Black Sea, there is a symbolic element that can prove a powerful tool. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 is soemthign that Kyiv has been seeking to avenge for a long time. Hence the talk from Ukrainian officials about the retaking of Crimea being a long term goal (as well as the rest of the territory Russia has occupied during its current invasion). For Russia – and Putin in particular – there is also deep sumbolism in Crimea and the Black Sea. “It is a means by which they can throttle Ukraine, throttle its economy. As soon as they seized Crimea in 2014 it immediately compromised Ukraine’s ability to be able to trade and access the Black Sea from all of its eastern ports,” Giles says. “So from Crimea, Russia can project power over enormous distances, its a kind of outpost of Russian military power,” he added. Giles adds: “Ukraine doesn’t need control of the Black Sea to survive, it needs access to the Black Sea to survive. It’s needs the resumption of peaceful shipping without constantly being under threat from Russia. “That unfortunately is not a problem that will go away with the active phase of fighting in Ukraine. That’s one of the reasons why the idea of bringing the actual fighting to an end in a negogiated settlement with Russia is so fraught, because it means Russia can hold the Ukrainian economy hostage, by keeping that strangehold on its ports, particularly if it remains in control of Crimea.” Kyiv has repeatedly said that any peace settlement would need to include the return of all Ukrainian territory. We can expect Ukrainian attacks on the Black Sea and the Russian fleet in the area to continue. It is a way of keeping the pressure on Moscow while ground troops battle for every bloody inch on the fronlines in southern and eastern Ukraine. Any big hits, such as the recent one on the kilo-class submarine provide a propaganda boost as well as harming Russian capacity. Neither Kyiv or Moscow will want to cede anything in the Black Sea, so this will become an increasingly important part of the war. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: ‘Significant losses’ for Putin’s troops as Kyiv’s offensive retakes another village Putin meets the leader of Belarus, who suggests joining Russia's move to boost ties with North Korea Kim Jong-un unexpectedly extends visit to Russia as he gleefully tours more weapons facilities The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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China’s foreign minister will be in Russia this week for security talks, arriving in Moscow just a day after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un wrapped up his own visit to the country. Wang Yi’s visit comes as an increasingly isolated Russia seeks support from its international allies for its war against Ukraine. Running from Monday to Thursday, the visit will involve a “strategic security consultation” between China and Russia, the Chinese foreign ministry said. It comes after Mr Kim spent six days in Russia, touring a variety of military and technology sites including the country’s most state-of-the-art cosmodrome, where he met with Vladimir Putin. Their talks sparked global concerns that North Korea will supply weapons to Russia to use in Ukraine. Mr Wang, the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s top foreign policy official, arrives in Russia just two days after talks in Malta with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Washington and Beijing described those talks as candid, substantive and constructive. Both nations are looking to stabilise their rocky relationship, having seen bilateral tensions soar due to their conflicting views on multiple issues in Europe and East Asia. China and the US disagree on their stance over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the former has shifted closer to Russia. Beijing maintains the West has to consider Russia’s security concerns about Nato’s expansion in Europe. China has also accused the US of prolonging fighting in Ukraine as it has aided the nation with arms and weaponry which the Joe Biden administration has repeatedly said are necessary in the face of Russian aggression. Russia may be looking to brief Mr Wang on the details of Mr Putin and Mr Kim’s discussions, with experts saying Moscow would want China’s support before going ahead with any major shift in the Russia-North Korea relationship. Also on the agenda could be plans for Vladimir Putin to visit Xi Jinping in Beijing. Mr Putin hasn’t left Russia since the International Criminal Court put out a warrant for his arrest – China is not a signatory to the court – but has previously said he plans to pay Mr Xi a visit, without specifying a date. Mr Kim left Russia on Sunday after a grand farewell ceremony at the train station in Artyom, about 200km from the North Korea border. During his visit, Mr Kim secured an offer of Russian support with North Korea’s floundering and UN-sanctioned satellite launch programme. In return, experts suggest, Russia may be eyeing up a North Korean stockpile of tens of millions of ageing artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could significantly aid Russian forces in Ukraine. Mr Kim said North Korea would offer its “full and unconditional support” for Russia’s fight to defend its security interests, an indirect reference to the continuing war in Ukraine, despite the West’s warnings against doing so. Read More Biden's national security adviser holds two days of talks in Malta with China's foreign minister Why support for Ukraine is in danger of splitting the EU With Russia isolated on the world stage, Putin turns to old friend North Korea for help Chinese Premier Li Qian takes a test ride on Indonesia's new high-speed railway China's 'full-time children' move back in with parents, take on chores as good jobs grow scarce

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Ukraine’s military claims its latest recapture of a key village in Bakhmut will act as a “springboard” for further offensive actions against Russia’s continuing invasion. Ukraine scored another victory recently when it recently recaptured village Klishchiivka that lies in the southern flank of Bakhmut, as its forces fought off Russian attempts to get back into the area. The war-torn country’s forces had last week also recaptured Andriivka, another village a few kilometres to the south of Klishchiivka, after earlier criticism alleged Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces had slowed. Both settlements have been reduced to ghost towns and destroyed in the months of fighting for Bakhmut that had fallen into Russian hands in May this year. “Now we have gained a springboard for ourselves, which in the future will allow us to continue to develop offensive operations and liberate our land from the invaders,” Illia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine’s troops in the east, said in a national telecast after they retook Klishchiivka. The battle inflicted “powerful damage” on many Russian-led units, he said. These included airborne units, the “Akhmat” battalion of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Storm-Z military units comprising Russian criminals, the Russian General Staff’s military intelligence and motorised rifle units. Mr Yevlash said the recapture of Klishchiivka will help Ukraine fire deeper and precise strikes on Russian targets in the Donetsk region, several kilometres south of Bakhmut. “In addition, this exposure of the flanks, in particular the southern flank, will allow us to further move more conveniently into the depths of the enemy’s positions and deliver more accurate and deeper strikes using various artillery systems, FPV drones and other available weapons,” the official said. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday lauded his troops. “Today I would like to particularly commend the soldiers who, step by step, are returning to Ukraine what belongs to it, namely in the area of Bakhmut,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address. He thanked the successful units – the 80th airborne assault brigade, the 5th assault brigade, the “glorious 95th” and a national police assault brigade – in the address. Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said, “Ukraine always gets its own back”. Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar confirmed the recapture on Sunday and posted a video of Ukrainian forces displaying the national flag on ruined buildings even as the fighting could be heard in the background. She said Russian forces were still trying to regain lost positions in the region despite losing out on the territorial fight over the control of the village. “Today we had to fight off enemy’s attacks all day,” she said. Klishchiivka had a pre-war population of around 400 and falls 9km south of Bakhmut. The country’s military analysts said liberation of settlements near Bakhmut will propel Ukraine’s forces to advance from the southern flank in the Bakhmut, and give them control of the heights in the region. The Institute for the Study of War cited geolocated footage shared by Ukrainian officials and said the recapture was of “strategic significance”. “The liberation of Klishchiivka, as well as continued Ukrainian tactical gains northwest of Bakhmut, are tactical gains of strategic significance because they are allowing Ukrainian forces to fix a considerable portion of Russian airborne (VDV) elements in the Bakhmut area,” the US based think-tank said. Meanwhile, explosions were heard in Sevastopol and smoke was seen rising from a prominent landmark just kilometres away from the Crimean city as Ukrainian forces announced they were carrying out a joint intelligence operation in the region illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Read More New explosions at Sevastopol as Ukraine launches fresh drone strikes on Crimea Ukraine liberates village near Bakhmut amid Russian losses in east and south China's foreign minister Wang Yi heads to Moscow after meeting US national security adviser

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Ukraine has claimed the recapture of the eastern village of Klishchiivka on the southern flank of Bakhmut after a period of reported heavy fighting. It follows the recapture of Andriivka, another village in the region, earlier in the week and Kyiv forces are said to be gaining ground. On Sunday they sent drones to disrupt air traffic in Moscow and causing a fire at an oil depot, according to Russian reports. "Klishchiivka was cleared of the Russians and liberated," Alexander Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Meanwhile, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said Russia is likely building new defences in southern Ukraine amid “growing concern” among Vladimir Putin’s forces about Kyiv’s success in breaching its first defensive line. Moscow’s troops are believed to be “deploying additional checkpoints, ‘hedgehog’ anti-tank defences and digging new trenches” near the Zaporizhzhia village of Tokmak, which is situated just 16km from Ukraine’s forces, and is set to become a “lynchpin” of Russia’s second defensive line, the ministry said. Read More Nato chief warns Putin eyes ‘long war’ as Ukraine claims eastern village Ukraine is the spotlight at UN leaders' gathering, but is there room for other global priorities? First cargo grain ships arrive in Ukraine through Black Sea using new route North Korea’s Kim Jong-un heads home after six-day Russian state visit

Fresh explosions struck Sevastopol and smoke was seen rising from a prominent landmark just kilometres away from the Crimean city as Ukrainian forces announced they were carrying out a joint intelligence operation in the region illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Pro-Russian Telegram channel ChP Sevastopol reported explosions in the area of Cape Fiolent late on Sunday night, while another Telegram channel reporting on Crimea shared visuals of an explosion and smoke arising from the same area. The location, on the Crimean peninsula’s southern coast about 16km away from Sevastopol, has a marine radio engineering unit and a radio engineering station with a dozen radar antennas, an unnamed intelligence source told Ukraine’s Suspilne public broadcaster. The war-hit nation’s intelligence agency said it carried out a joint operation of its Defence Intelligence (DIU) and the Ukrainian navy. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, however, claimed everything was calm in the city which houses Russia’s Black Sea fleet. He said three Ukrainian drones were seen in the area, but were brought down by Russia’s air defences. The official said no damage was done. He said that if people saw smoke in the South Bay area, it was due to a standard harmless aerosol camouflage being used by the Black Sea fleet. “Yes, the smell is unpleasant, but it is absolutely safe. Everything is calm in the city,” the Russia-installed official said. “Our enemies today will try with all their might to pass it off as a ‘victory’,” he said on his Telegram channel. At least three Ukrainian drones were downed over southwestern Crimea on Sunday evening, according to the Russian defence ministry. It claimed Russian air defence systems destroyed one drone at about 9.30pm Moscow time, an hour after it said its forces downed another two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the same area. Debris from the downed third drone fell over farmland and no damage was done, their governor Razvozhayev said. This comes just five days after Ukraine carried out what was said to be its largest attack yet on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion. The attack on the Sevastopol shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea wounded 24 people and set ablaze two ships that were under repair, according to Russian authorities. The Sevastopol shipyard attack is one of the biggest in recent weeks, even though the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, has been a frequent target in the 18-month old war. Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine launched 10 cruise missiles at the shipyard and three sea drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea. Seven missiles were shot down and all the sea drones have been destroyed, the military said, but some of the missiles damaged two ships that were being repaired in the shipyard. While Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the means of the strike, military sources said the attack used Storm Shadow missiles, which were delivered to Kyiv by the UK earlier this year. Read More Nato chief warns Putin eyes ‘long war’ as Ukraine claims eastern village Ukraine-Russia war – live: Kyiv says its retaken Klishchiivka as drones target Crimea and Moscow Ukraine is the spotlight at UN leaders' gathering, but is there room for other global priorities? Ukrainian troops move through destroyed Donetsk settlement as Kyiv announces recapture UK’s top agenda at UN General Assembly: Ukraine, AI and sustainable development

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