Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 243

Here is the situation as it stands on Monday, October 24.

Fighting

• Russia fired missiles and drones into the Ukrainian-held southern town of Mykolaiv, destroying an apartment block,
• In a flurry of phone calls to Western defence ministers, Russia said the war was trending towards “uncontrolled escalation”.
• Russia told people to flee from the occupied city of Kherson as more residents moved to escape an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Moscow said its forces prevented a bid by Ukraine to break through its line of control.
• Russian defence minister Shoigu, in a call with NATO nations, said Moscow had concerns Ukraine could use a “dirty bomb” but gave no evidence.
• The Russian-installed administration of the Kherson region announced the formation of a local militia, saying all men remaining in the city could join.
• Russia continues to use Iranian drones in Ukraine due to shortages of long-range precision weapons, although Ukrainian countermeasures have been successful, Britain’s defence ministry said.
• Ukraine said seven vessels sailed from its ports, laden with grain for Asia and Europe, but accused Russia of blocking the full implementation of a Black Sea grain deal.
• Ukraine branded Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT an inciter of genocide after a presenter said Ukrainian children who saw Russians as occupiers under the Soviet Union should have been drowned. RT later suspended the presenter.

Diplomacy

• In a joint statement, Britain, France and the United States said they were committed to supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and rejected Russia’s warning about a “dirty bomb”.
• French President Emmanuel Macron said the Russian Orthodox Church was allowing itself to be manipulated by the country’s authorities to justify its war in Ukraine and urged it to resist such pressure.
• US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will attend a forum in Zagreb this week aimed at supporting Ukraine’s independence and the return of the Crimean Peninsula to Kyiv.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies