Ukraine Latest: Canada Wants ‘Arsonist’ Russia Banned From G-20

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(Bloomberg) —

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The Pentagon on Friday announced $725 million in additional security aid for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he has no regrets about the invasion of Ukraine, now well into its eighth month, and that Moscow’s aim isn’t to “destroy” its neighbor. The controversial mobilization of some 300,000 reservists is almost complete, Putin told reporters in Kazakhstan. 

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Ukraine’s president spoke late Friday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including on the “provision of macro-financial aid to Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. 

Canada’s deputy prime minister called for Moscow to be shunned from the international community, including the G-20. “Russia right now is the arsonist,” Chrystia Freeland said at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington on Friday. “Arsonists have no place in meetings of the firefighters.”  

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(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.) 

Key Developments

On the Ground

Russian forces launched missiles at the Kyiv region again overnight, the head of the regional administration said on Telegram. No injuries have been reported so far. Kamikaze drone attacks also took place in the Dnipro regions and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukraine’s military estimates Russian still has about 300 Iranian-made drones with plans “to buy several thousand more.” Over the past 24 hours Russian troops have launched six rocket and 30 at infrastructure and civilian targets across Ukraine’s east and south, according to a General Staff update. A large number of wounded people are being admitted to medical facilities in the regions annexed by Russia last month after a vote called illegal by the UN. Hospital overcrowding and a high mortality rate was reported in Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. Russian casualties in the area include dozens of newly-mobilized forces, Ukraine said.  

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(All times CET)

Russian Reservists Buy Own Body Armor at Inflated Prices, UK Says (8 a.m.) 

Many newly-mobilized Russian reservists have been deployed to Ukraine this month with personal equipment “almost certainly lower than the already poor provision of previously deployed troops,” the UK defence ministry said. 

Many reservists are likely being required to buy their own body armor including 6B45 vests, which are currently selling online in Russia for 40,000 rubles ($640), up from about 12,000 rubles in April, the UK said on Twitter. 

Russian authorities in 2020 announced that 300,000 sets of the armor had been supplied to the Russian military, the UK said, suggesting much of the equipment has since gone astray. 

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Canada Wants ‘Arsonist’ Russia Banned From IMF, G-20 (6 a.m.)

Canada is pushing for Russia to be shunned from the international community entirely over its invasion of Ukraine, now approaching the eight-month mark. 

Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland didn’t hold back on her opposition to Russian officials being at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings this week. 

“The IMF and World Bank meetings are meetings of the firefighters — of ministers and central bank governors, whose jobs is to protect the global economy,” Freeland, who’s of Ukrainian heritage, said Friday. “Russia right now is the arsonist. Russia shouldn’t have been at the IMF meetings. Arsonists have no place in meetings of the firefighters.”  

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Russia Failed to End Reliance on Western Parts, Audit Shows (3:20 a.m.)

Even before sanctions cut off access to vital components and technologies for Putin’s defense industry, an internal Russian government review found years of attempts to reduce reliance on imports had largely failed.

Previously unreported assessments show a program with specific targets was put in place from 2019 to slash Russia’s dependence on Western parts for its arsenal by 2025 — everything from radar to advanced submarines to anti-missile defense systems. But an internal review of the plan 10 months before Putin invaded Ukraine found it was falling short on almost every metric.

Read more: Russia Failed to Swap Out Western Military Parts: 2021 Audit

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US to Give Another $725 Million in Security Aid (2:55 a.m.) 

The Biden administration on Friday announced $725 million in additional security aid for Ukraine. The package includes more ammunition for the HIMARS long-range artillery systems, which Ukraine has credited with helping its military counteroffensive in the east and south of the country by striking deep behind Russian lines.  

“In the wake of Russia’s brutal missile attacks on civilians across Ukraine, the mounting evidence of atrocities by Russia’s forces, and the firm and unequivocal rejection by 143 nations at the United Nations of Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine, the United States is offering additional military assistance to help Ukraine’s proud defenders protect their country,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

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Zelenskiy Speaks to Saudi Crown Prince (1:50 a.m.)

Ukrainian President Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken to Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and expressed gratitude for his support of “Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”     

“We agreed to interact in the release of prisoners of war. We agreed on the provision of macro-financial aid to Ukraine,” Zelenskiy tweeted on Friday. His praise of crown prince came as the Biden administration has been engaged in an escalating and unusually public feud with the kingdom since OPEC+ announced an oil production cut. In September, the Saudis helped broker an exchange that freed 215 Ukrainian prisoners of war for an ally of Putin and others held by Ukraine.

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IAEA Says Back-Up Power to Nuclear Plant Is Restored (8:04 p.m.)

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a tweet that backup power has been restored to the Russian-seized Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine.

Musk’s Starlink Isn’t Only Option for Ukraine, Pentagon Says (7:52 p.m.)

The Pentagon confirmed it’s talking with Elon Musk, who has threatened to stop funding Ukraine’s access to his Starlink satellite communications system, but pointedly added that the US is also looking into other options.

“We are engaged in talking with SpaceX,” the space exploration company owned by Musk, Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday. At the same time, she said, the US, Ukraine and allies are also “assessing our options” with other communications companies.

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Zelenskiy Aide Praises Musk’s Starlink Contribution (5:40 p.m.)

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top aide to Ukraine’s president, praised Elon Musk in a tweet, saying that “like it or not,” the billionaire has helped the nation “survive the most critical moments of war.” 

His comments came hours after Musk threatened to cut off financial support for the Starlink satellite system that’s played a pivotal role in the war against Russia. Musk said others should step in the cover the costs incurred by SpaceX. 

Ukraine Crop-Deal Talks May Hinge on Fertilizer, Extra Port (4:12 p.m.)

Russia and Ukraine are both seeking changes to their landmark grain-export deal as part of discussions to extend the initiative beyond the current deadline next month, according to the UN. 

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Russia wants to see a pipeline that transports its ammonia to Ukraine’s Odesa port reopened as part of the new terms, said Amir Abdulla, UN coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Ukraine is seeking to extend the deal by more than year, and include Mykolaiv as a fourth exporting port, he said. 

Read more: Ukraine Crop-Deal Talks May Hinge on Fertilizers and Extra Port

Putin Says No Plans to Expand Mobilization (3:10 p.m.)

Putin said he doesn’t expect to expand the mobilization of reservists beyond the 300,000 announced last month, with most of those having now been called up. 

There’s no need for further such efforts in the “foreseeable future,” Putin told reporters in Kazakhstan. The “partial mobilization” will be completed in a few weeks, with 222,000 reservists already mobilized, he said. About 16,000 of those are already fighting in Ukraine, he said.

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Putin’s sudden order in September to call up the reservists — the first such move since World War II — triggered an exodus of more than 300,000 Russians from the country and widespread alarm among those who stayed. 

Read more: Putin Says Has No Regrets About Ukraine Invasion After Reverses

Putin Says Goal Isn’t to ‘Destroy’ Ukraine (3 p.m.)

Putin said he doesn’t have any regrets about the invasion of Ukraine, which is approaching the eight-month mark. Russia’s actions are “right and timely,” Putin said in a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, replying “No” when asked if he had any regrets.

The Russian leader said no further mass strikes on Ukraine are needed “for now” and that its aim isn’t to “destroy” its neighbor. Moscow this week unleashed a barrage of missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, including many far from the front lines, after an explosion that severely damaged the key bridge link with Crimea that it blamed on Ukraine. 

Ukraine Reopens Kyiv-Kramatorsk Rail Connection (2 p.m.)

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said Ukraine’s rail service from Kyiv to Kramatorsk, a major city in the Donetsk region, was being resumed as a result of a “significantly improved” security situation.