Europe

PARIS, October 13. /TASS/: Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday adopted a resolution on the conflict in Ukraine where they accused Russia of "terrorism," according to a statement on the council’s website.

Of the 612 members of the council, just 100 were in attendance, and 99 of them voted for the inclusion of an amendment that calls Russia a "terrorist regime." One member abstained.

Statements by PACE, which is an advisory organization, are not binding.

KYIV, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy firm decried as "fake news" on Thursday Moscow's assertions that the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would require Russian fuel.

Energoatom chief Petro Kotin told Reuters in an interview there were two years' worth of fuel supplies stored at the six-reactor plant, which is still operated by Ukrainian staff.

Kotin also said the staff were facing threats of forced conscription into the Russian military.

PARIS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - France's foreign ministry said on Thursday that any transfer of Iranian drones to Russia would be a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers.

Three drones operated by Russian forces attacked the small town of Makariv, west of Ukraine's capital, early on Thursday, with officials saying that critical infrastructure facilities were struck by what they said were Iranian-made suicide drones.

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - If Ukraine is admitted into the U.S.-led NATO military alliance, then the conflict in Ukraine would be guaranteed to escalate into World War Three, a Russian Security Council official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin formally proclaimed the annexation of up to 18% of Ukraine on Sept. 30, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a surprise bid for fast-track membership of NATO.

Full NATO membership for Ukraine is far off because all the alliance's 30 members would have to give their consent.

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - NATO will closely monitor Russia's upcoming nuclear exercise but not be cowed into dropping support for Ukraine by Moscow's veiled nuclear threats, the alliance's chief said on Thursday.

"We will not be intimidated," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after a two-day meeting of the alliance's defence ministers. "Russia's nuclear rhetoric is dangerous, reckless, and they know that if they use (a) nuclear weapon against Ukraine, it will have severe consequences."

GENEVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed, Russia's Geneva U.N. ambassador told Reuters on Thursday.

The agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded. Moscow won guarantees for its own grain and fertiliser exports.

LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Thursday that the goals of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine were unchanged, but that they could be achieved through negotiations.

The comments to the Russian newspaper Izvestia were the latest in a series of statements this week stressing Moscow's openness to talks - a change of tone that follows a run of humiliating defeats for Russian forces as the war in Ukraine nears the end of its eighth month.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s allies committed to supplying the country with advanced air defense systems as Russian forces attacked the Kyiv region with kamikaze drones and fired missiles at civilian targets elsewhere Thursday as payback for the bombing of a strategic bridge linking Russia with annexed Crimea.

13 October 2022; MEMO: Moscow will continue to work with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia and will not give up its leading position in the global energy market despite Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday.

Speaking at the Russia Energy Week, Putin added that Moscow is determined to keep oil production and export rates at their current levels until 2025.

SOFIA, Oct 12 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Ms. Mariam Madiha Aftab Wednesday said that since trade volume between the two countries did not commensurate with actual potential, the Bulgarian businesses should take advantage of still-unexplored Pakistani market and establish useful business linkages with their counterparts.

She assured full support of the Embassy to the concerned business associations and companies in Bulgaria in this regard.