War in Ukraine: what to remember from Monday, October 17

Ukraine has notably called for sanctions from the European Union, after several suicide drone strikes on kyiv on Monday.

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A building is on fire after a Russian military plane crashed on October 17, 2022, in Yeisk (Russia), not far from the border with Ukraine. (HANDOUT/TELEGRAM/PROC_23/AFP)

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Several drone attacks targeted the Ukrainian capital, kyiv, while “missile attacks” hit the Dnipropetrovsk (center-east) and Sumy (north-east) regions on Monday, October 17. A Russian military plane also crashed into a building in Yeisk (Russia), not far from the border with Ukraine, killing several people. Franceinfo takes stock of the day’s news on the frontline of the war in Ukraine.

One hundred and eight women freed after an exchange with Russia

One hundred and eight women have been freed in favor of a new prisoner exchange with Russia, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency announced on Monday. “A new large-scale exchange of prisoners of war took place today. A particularly moving and truly special exchange: we released 108 women from captivity,” said Andriï Yermak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, on Telegram.

According to him, these include 37 evacuees from the Azovstal steelworks in the southeastern city of Mariupol, besieged by Russian forces at the start of the conflict, as well as members of the army, navy and border guards. Twelve civilians were also released.

New EU military support for Ukraine

The European Union stepped up its military support for Ukraine with the launch on Monday of a mission to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its territory and threatened Iran with sanctions if it supplies combat drones to Moscow. is proven.

“Russia is losing this war, morally, politically and even militarily. That is why we must continue our support for Ukraine and continue with sanctions to make it difficult for Vladimir Putin to finance the war effort. “, explained the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, after a meeting in Luxembourg with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU.

kyiv calls for EU sanctions against Iran

Ukraine has demanded sanctions from the European Union, after several suicide drone strikes on kyiv on Monday. It is necessary “to impose sanctions on Iran for having supplied drones to Russia”, declared on Twitter the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba. Several drone attacks have targeted the capital, kyiv, while “missile attacks” have affected the regions of Dnipropetrovsk (center-east) and Sumy (north-east), assured Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal.

A Russian military plane crashed in an inhabited district of Leysk, near Ukraine

A Russian military plane crashed in an inhabited district of the city of Yeisk, on the shores of the Sea of Azov, near Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Defense, quoted by Russian agencies. “At the place of the fall of Sukhoi 34 in the courtyard of a residential area, the fuel of the plane caught fire”, specified the ministry, while images on social networks filmed by witnesses show a gigantic fire in an apartment building.

Dissident journalist Marina Ovsiannikova fled Russia

Russian journalist Marina Ovsiannikova, under house arrest for denouncing the Russian offensive in Ukraine, fled Russia with her daughter, her lawyer, Dmitri Zakhvatov, told franceinfo on Monday.

The 44-year-old journalist was under house arrest pending trial for spreading “false information” about the Russian army, a crime punishable by ten years in prison. At the beginning of October, Marina Ovsiannikova fled. She has since been on the wanted list in Russia. “I spoke with her today,” said her lawyer on Monday. “She had no choice. She would have been sent to prison if she had stayed.”