Ukrainian armed forces also need armoured vehicles and tanks “to get our victory as soon as possible”, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told Bloomberg TV. US support is crucial, the country’s president told CNN. 

Russia has probably ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the occupied Kharkiv Oblast west of the Oskil River, according to the UK ministry of defence. Ukraine’s top commander said his forces had taken back 3,000 square kilometres of lost territory since the beginning of September. 

Key developments 

• Russian defences crumble as Ukraine retakes key territory 
• Macron urges Putin to remove weapons from around nuclear plant
• Ukraine’s premier criticises IMF for slow progress in giving aid
• Russia confirms flight of troops from Ukraine’s Kharkiv area 
• Why Ukraine’s Donbas region matters to Putin: QuickTake

On the ground

Russian forces are trying to undermine gains achieved by Ukraine’s counteroffensive and restore lost positions, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its regular update. More than 30 settlements, including Kramatorsk and Dnipro, were affected by Russian missile and air strikes in the past 24 hours, according to the statement. Ukrainian troops continued to liberate settlements in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, and inflicted significant losses on Russian forces on the Kherson axis, according to the report. 

Zelensky says continued US support is key 

“I want to believe that bipartisan support for Ukraine will remain,” Zelensky said in the CNN interview. “It is important to us. We are fighting, we cannot allow the world to weaken the support for Ukraine.” 

The Ukrainian army will continue moving ahead, Zelensky said. Negotiations are only possible after Russian troops leave Ukraine.

Ukraine aide says more weapons needed to expand on latest successes 

“We need more weaponry. We need more artillery. Artillery matters when starting those kinds of campaigns,” Ihor Zhovkva, the deputy chief of staff to Zelensky, said in the Bloomberg TV interview. “We need ammunition, necessary ammunition for the Western artillery and for the old Soviet artillery.”

IAEA says nuclear plant ‘stabilised’ after Unit 6 shutdown 

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant completed the process of shutting down its sixth and remaining active reactor early on Monday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The so-called cold shutdown came as the agency begins talks with Russia and Ukraine about creating a security zone around the plant, which has been targeted by increased shelling since July.

“I have seen signs they are interested in the agreement,” Grossi said at a press briefing in Vienna. A security zone would stop short of establishing a fully demilitarised area, but would seek to curtail the attacks.

Kremlin vows to continue offensive 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman brushed off the Russian retreat in the northeast of Ukraine and said that Russia would pursue its assault in the neighbouring country.

The military campaign in Ukraine “will continue until the goals that were originally set are achieved”, Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

Germany mulls over sending more weapons to Ukraine  

In view of Ukraine’s latest military push, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has promised to check whether the army will be able to send more weapons to Ukraine. Over the weekend she talked with Bundeswehr General Eberhard Zorn about expanding the support for Ukraine, Lambrecht said in Berlin on Monday. At the same time, she made clear, however, that this shouldn’t happen at the cost of the country’s Nato obligations. 

Finance Minister Christian Lindner also said that Germany should consider an enlargement of its military support. “Ukraine must win this war,” Lindner said on Twitter.

Ukrainian stocks gain amid counteroffensive 

Ukrainian companies listed in Warsaw surged amid the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.

Grains and sunflower oil maker Kernel Holding rose as much as 20% and sugar producer Astarta Holding as much as 14% in early trading. While military gains may improve sentiment toward stocks hit by war, Ukrainian companies still face lower autumn sowing, according to Erste brokerage. 

Russian forces being put on defensive, says UK 

Russia has probably ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the entirety of the occupied Kharkiv Oblast west of the Oskil River, the UK ministry of defence said in its latest intelligence update. Ukraine’s long-range artillery strikes on bridges across the Dnipro River were probably affecting Russia’s ability to bring sufficient reserves forward. 

The majority of Russia’s forces within Ukraine are now likely being forced to prioritise emergency defensive actions with morale and trust in senior leadership further waning, according to the statement. DM