(Bloomberg) -- As Russia's forces lose ground to Kyiv's counteroffensive, the Kremlin said it still hasn't finalized the borders of two of the four regions of Ukraine that President Vladimir Putin laid claim to last week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that liberating settlements from Russian occupation is now “the trend” as his forces press further into the eastern Donetsk region and seek gains in the south.
His comment comes after the strategic eastern town of Lyman was “fully cleared,” the president said in a brief video. The town is part of the regions Putin annexed following referendums termed illegal by Ukraine and its allies.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- Russia Says Annexed Zones' Borders Not Set as Ukraine Army Gains
- Key Wheat Variety Returns Above $10 as US Supply Risks Mount
- Chief Putin Critic Clinches Key Election Victory in Latvia
- EU Aims to Exempt Maritime Pilot Services From Russia Oil Ban
- Another Defeat in Ukraine Undermines Putin's ‘Forever' Goals
On the Ground
Ukrainian forces resumed a counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region and have secured positions in Zolota Balka and Khreshchenivka, the US-based Institute for the Study of War said. Ukrainian forces continued to win back settlements east and northeast of Lyman and have taken Torske in the Donetsk region. Infrastructure in the city of Zaporizhzhia was damaged by missile strikes Monday morning. Over the past day, Russia launched 11 missile and 10 air strikes and over 65 rocket attacks, attacking some 35 Ukrainian settlements, Ukraine's General Staff said.
(All times CET)
EU Aims for Russia Sanctions Deal, Including Oil Price Cap (12:32 p.m.)
The European Union is aiming for a preliminary deal as soon as Monday on a new sanctions package meant to punish Russia for escalating its war in Ukraine and illegally annexing four occupied territories there.
“I am hopeful in a couple of hours we can have a unanimous agreement on the sanctions package,” Polish ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sados, told reporters. “We are very close to it and there is determination to clinch a deal ASAP.”
Member states are eager to reach an agreement before EU leaders meet in Prague on Oct. 7, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
Russia Says Annexed Zones' Borders Not Final Yet (11:51 a.m.)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call that Moscow will continue to consult with people who live in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to determine the boundaries of territories Russia seeks to annex.
He declined to elaborate on how that might take place or whether the new frontiers would be set out in separate laws. “I've said all I can say on that,” he said when pressed by reporters for clarification.
His comments fuel the uncertainty around Russia's hastily organized drive to absorb the four regions that its troops still partially occupy in Ukraine. Putin signed documents Friday to make them part of Russia “forever,” but the Kremlin at the time said it couldn't say precisely what the borders of the annexed zones were.
Ukrainian Refugees Held Up at Russian-Estonian Border (11:46 a.m.)
The flow of Ukrainian refugees over the Russian-Estonian border has surged to an average of 550 crossings in recent days, with migrants arriving hungry after days of waiting in line, Estonian authorities said.
“The wait time for people who crossed the border from Russia has sometimes been as long as two days, and many have waited there without eating or drinking in the cold,” Peter Maran, a border official, said by email. “People are afraid of the consequences of the Russian mobilization.”
Russian Diplomats Summoned Over Annexations (10:22 a.m.)
Russian diplomats are being summoned across Europe to hear of displeasure over sham referendums and the subsequent annexation by Moscow.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz told TVN24 television that together with colleagues at the European level, they agreed to “at the same time, more or less on the same day, to present this position to the Russian ambassadors residing in our respective countries.”
Trend Is to Free More Settlements, Zelenskiy Says (6:58 a.m.)
Last week, the focus of military reports was the list of settlements won back from the Russian army as part of Ukraine's ongoing defense operation, President Zelenskiy said in video posted on Telegram late Sunday.
“This, you know, is the trend,” he said. “Recently, someone somewhere held pseudo-referendums, and when the Ukrainian flag is returned, no one remembers the Russian farce with some pieces of paper and some annexations.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.