Ukraine's President Zelensky wants Iran punished for helping Russia

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Iran must be punished for what he called its “complicity in Russian terror” and accused the regime in Tehran of helping to prolong the war and exacerbate its impact on food and energy supplies.
 

“If it was not for the Iranian supply of weapons to the aggressor, we would be closer to peace now,” Zelensky said Sunday evening in his daily address. Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Zelensky on a telephone call that she will this week propose a financial aid package of as much as €18 billion ($17.9 billion) to help cover Ukraine’s needs into next year.

Kyiv and six other regions in northern and central Ukraine are meanwhile facing additional emergency blackouts on Monday due to the growing power shortage following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

On the Ground
 

Ukrainian forces repelled attacks over the past day near eight settlements in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Facebook. The country’s southern operational command said that three Russian munitions depots and a UAV control station were destroyed. Russian troops shelled the Nikopol district in the Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, local authorities said on Telegram. The UK Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update that “Russia’s continued lack of air superiority is likely exacerbated by poor training, loss of experienced crews, and heightened risks of conducting close air support” and that “this is unlikely to change in the next few months.”

(All times CET)

Turkey, Asia buying banned Russian coal (9 a.m.)
 

Europe’s hard ban on Russian coal imports, which came into effect on Aug. 10, has pushed rejected Russian coal cargoes to Turkey, India, China and Africa.

Turkey, Asia Absorb Banned Russian Coal on Sale: BNEF Chart

These coal cargoes are being sold at a significant discount compared to similar grade coal from other countries. In September, Turkey imported Russian thermal coal at $199 per metric ton, 23% lower than similar grade coal from Colombia, its next largest supplier. See the full BNEF research report here.

Impounded Russian superyachts costing millions (8:30 a.m.)
 

Seizing superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs has been a public relations success for Western governments, but the legal and financial implications are complex.

The vessels cost millions of dollars a year to maintain and some US and European taxpayers are footing the bill

US, Russia discussed avoiding escalation: WSJ (10:15 p.m.)
 

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Russian counterparts have held talks in recent months on guarding against the risk of escalation and warn Moscow against using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and allied officials. A settlement of the war in Ukraine wasn’t an aim of the discussions, according to the report.