Ukraine has dismissed a military commander after images of severely undernourished frontline soldiers sparked nationwide outrage. The photos, shared by the wife of a serviceman, showed troops with visible rib cages and extreme weight loss after months on the front in the Kharkiv region with little access to food or water.
Russia Launches Massive Overnight Attack
Russian forces launched more than 600 drones and 47 missiles across Ukraine overnight, the country’s air force said on Saturday. Multiple regions were hit, with the southeastern city of Dnipro as the primary target. At least four people have been killed and more than 30 wounded across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, calling for immediate and decisive action from partners.
In Dnipro, 11 people are in hospital after a strike on a residential building, with rescue operations ongoing amid fears more civilians remain trapped under the rubble. Zelensky reported casualties also in the Chernihiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv regions, noting that most targets were civilian infrastructure including residential buildings, energy facilities, and businesses.
Prisoner Swap and International Developments
Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner of war swap on Friday, exchanging 193 captured personnel each. The exchange was facilitated by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Zelensky confirmed that some returned captives had injuries, while others faced criminal charges in Russia. Returning captives streamed off buses, many draped in their country’s flag and overwhelmed with emotion.
Meanwhile, two Royal Air Force jets on a NATO patrol shot down Russian drones for the first time, according to reports. The Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled from a base in Romania after military radars detected drones near Romanian airspace. Romania also recovered drone fragments in the southeastern city of Galati after the overnight Russian attack, with an electricity pole and a household annex damaged but no casualties.
Diplomatic Efforts and Security Cooperation
President Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia for the second time in a month, seeking to bolster security cooperation and advertise Ukraine’s battle-tested technology in the Middle East. He discussed defence, energy, and food security cooperation during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as both sides seek to develop a security agreement signed earlier. Zelensky said the strategic security arrangement includes exports of Ukrainian military expertise, air defence capabilities, energy cooperation, and food security.
In other developments, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cast doubt on US willingness to help NATO in case of Russian aggression, warning that a potential Russian attack could come in months rather than years. He called for the European Union to become a real alliance in protecting the continent. Additionally, Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Miami in December after the US extended an invitation, though the Kremlin said Putin may or may not go personally.
