Violation of Lithuanian airspace by a drone, Russian attacks on Kiev and new sanctions from Japan

A drone violated Lithuanian airspace. This was reported by the Vilnius Government Crisis Service. After inviting the population to identify the nearest air-raid shelters where they could take refuge in case of need, the Crisis Service then raised the alarm.

Russian attacks during the night hit another important bridge in Kiev, the North Bridge, two days after the attacks on the South Bridge. Also during the night, Russian drones were launched against the city of Hostomel, in the Kiev oblast. Some warehouses were hit and, according to what local authorities reported, four people were injured, including a little girl.

According to the New York Times, Moscow is preparing a major offensive against the Ukrainian energy sector with the launch of 'a thousand missiles' against the power plants. Zelensky: "Putin now without rules, wants Ukrainians to leave Kiev."

The Japanese government announced that it has imposed further economic sanctions on Russia, again targeting the so-called shadow fleet of 35 ships that transport Russian oil and help Moscow evade sanctions. Japan also added 33 organizations and nine individuals linked to Russia to its asset freeze list, Jiji Press reports.

The Lithuanian government's crisis service has raised the alarm due to the violation of the country's airspace by a drone arriving from Belarus. As a result of the entry of the drone, around 9.40am Lithuania (8.40am in Italy) the Vilnius authorities invited the citizens of eastern Lithuania to identify the nearest air shelters to which they could go in case of need. Vilnius airport had also temporarily suspended its operations, while NATO planes took off to patrol the country's skies.

"Russia is pushing for escalation to create fear in our societies. We must prepare for possible attacks." This was stated by Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who was in Rome yesterday for a series of institutional meetings, including with the Foreign Ministers Antonio Tajani and Defense Ministers Guido Crosetto. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Kallas underlined that "we are proposing other measures against Moscow. The threats and hybrid attacks that Russia is conducting against our countries - he specified - have the aim of intimidating European states so that they stop supporting Ukraine". Speaking about the Aspides mission, to escort commercial ships out of the Red Sea, Kallas said he and Crosetto had asked "the other member states to make a contribution and now the good news is that Belgium will make a ship available and two other countries are considering participating". With Tajani, he added, "we talked a lot about Africa. About what is happening between Eritrea and Ethiopia: tensions are growing". At the center of the conversation, he says, is also "Russia and Ukraine, what can be done to exert greater pressure on Moscow". In conclusion, Kallas commented on the meeting between the German Foreign Minister Wadephul and the Russian Minister Lavrov: "Russia tried to humiliate the German minister and somehow mock the meeting. I don't think there is any other possibility than to put more pressure on Russia to actually be willing to sit down and negotiate. At the moment it is not."

NATO's expansion towards the East is "one of the main causes" of the war in Ukraine and Europe is wrong to prepare for the possibility of a future conflict with Moscow. This is the position of Zhang Weiwei, professor of International Relations and director of the China Institute of Fudan University, interviewed by Adnkronos at the Center for American Studies in Rome on the occasion of a meeting organized by the Berggruen Institute. "From the Chinese point of view, both Russia and Ukraine are good friends of China. We are deeply saddened by this war and hope that the two sides can resume some form of negotiation and arrive at a political solution," he says. But Zhang is clear on the origins of the conflict: "NATO's five rounds of expansion towards the East are one of the main causes of the war. If NATO had stopped after four expansions, the war could have been avoided." The professor cites Henry Kissinger and George Kennan among those who had warned of the consequences of further enlargement of the Alliance. “But NATO didn't listen.” The judgment on the European analyzes which invite us to prepare for a possible conflict with Moscow is even harsher. "I don't believe at all that Russia will wage war against Europe. This is a narrative pushed by some politicians and some interests in the European military complex."

We are heading towards a winter of fire in Ukraine, with the Kremlin reportedly ordering its military leaders to "abandon the rules of war" to mercilessly strike civilian infrastructure. And, according to the New York Times, Moscow would be ready to unleash a forest of over a thousand missiles to definitively bend the country's energy network, while it has already begun to hit a key bridge for Kiev in an attempt to unleash chaos in the capital, perhaps isolate it, causing a real humanitarian crisis. The drums of war therefore still sound, with any prospect of peace appearing distant and elusive. In the last few hours, the Russians have surprisingly attacked the Pivdennyi, the southern bridge in Kiev, with drones repeatedly, and in broad daylight.

The Japanese government announced that it has imposed further economic sanctions on Russia, again targeting the so-called shadow fleet of 35 ships that transport Russian oil and help Moscow evade sanctions. Japan also added 33 organizations and nine individuals linked to Russia to its asset freeze list, Jiji Press reports.

"I really appreciate the Japanese government's decision to introduce further sanctions against Russia, aimed in particular at the shadow fleet and the expansion of export restrictions," comments Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on 'X'. "In fact, the sanctioned people and companies - he underlines - represent a common threat to our countries, as well as to Europe and the Pacific in general, as they contribute to supporting the Russian war machine. The adoption of this sanctions package represents a timely and necessary step, as Russia brutally intensifies terrorism with drones and missiles against the Ukrainians in view of the winter. We thank Japan for its leadership and support".