On 10 October, a series of massive morning missile strikes across Ukraine killed at least 19 people and left approximately 105 others injured. The strikes destroyed infrastructure in over 20 cities, including Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Konotop, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Dnipro, Nikopol, Sloviansk, and Ivano-Frankivsk. More than 84 missiles were launched, of which Ukrainian forces intercepted 43, along with 13 of the 17 drones deployed.

Vladimir Putin claimed the attack was retaliation for the bombing of the Crimean Bridge. However, the Ukrainian intelligence reported that strikes on Kyiv and other cities had been planned before 3 October. The Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, announced the creation of a “joint regional military grouping” with Russia, alleging that Ukraine was planning to attack Belarus.

On 12 October, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Of the 193 UN member states, 143 voted in favour of the resolution, while Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria opposed it. Thirty-five countries, including China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – abstained. An additional nine countries, including Iran, did not participate in the vote.

The resolution demanded an immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine and called on all countries to refrain from recognizing Russia’s attempted annexation. It reaffirmed that Russia’s actions violated the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine, which was contrary to the UN Charter. The UN General Assembly began a debate on the resolution immediately after Russia vetoed a similar measure in the UN Security Council.

During the debate, representatives of member states condemned Russia’s actions and emphasized the importance of adhering to international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Many countries expressed solidarity with Ukraine, calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. The resolution was a response to the sham referendums orchestrated by Russia in the occupied territories, which were widely deemed illegal by the international community.

On 13 October, the EU Council adopted a set of legislative measures to step up support for EU countries and regions in managing the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine. These measures are aimed, among other things, at helping to host a growing number of Ukrainian refugees.

The new measures complement the funding mobilized in April under Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) to support Ukrainian refugees. They further increase the flexibility of EU cohesion policy funds, enabling Member States to address the refugee crisis more effectively. 

One of the key elements is an additional €3.5 billion in pre-financing, which is intended to boost liquidity for 2021-2027 programmes. The regulations also extend the option of 100% co-financing for projects aimed at promoting the socio-economic integration of third-country nationals.

Furthermore, the measures extend the flexibility to transfer resources between the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, and the Cohesion Fund, making it easier to finance initiatives that support refugees. They also introduce the option to reimburse costs for completed projects that addressed refugee needs.

In addition, 30% of the refugee funding will be allocated to local authorities and civil society organizations working within local communities. These funds are intended to support activities at the local level that are essential for integrating and assisting refugees in host communities.

All these measures are intended to increase the efficiency and flexibility of the response to the refugee crisis, providing support to both refugees and the host communities.

Photo: Bombing of Kiev. CC BY-SA 3.0.