Ukraine updates: Qatar mediates return of Ukrainian children

Four Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine are to be reunited with relatives following a successful mediation effort by Qatar, officials said on Monday, 16 October.

The children, aged between two and 17, have been staying at the Qatari embassy in Moscow while Doha mediated between Russian and Ukrainian authorities, a diplomat briefed on the process said.

They include one child whose mother has been detained in Russia, and another who lost contact with his mother as he was in a Russian hospital when the war broke out.

Moscow has been accused of bringing thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia from Moscow-occupied territories.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner Maria-Lvova Belova over the alleged illegal deportations.

Qatar strikes deal to return four Ukrainian children taken to Russia

Four Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine are to be reunited with relatives following the mediation of Qatar, officials said.

The children, aged between two and 17, have been staying at the Qatari embassy in Moscow while Doha mediated between Russian and Ukrainian authorities, a Qatari diplomat said.

"Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have been cooperative in ensuring the safety and security of the children and their departure to Ukraine," said the diplomat on condition of anonymity.

They include one child whose mother has been detained in Russia, and another who lost contact with his mother as he was in a Russian hospital when the war broke out.

All four are travelling to Ukraine via third countries including Qatar, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Moscow has been accused of bringing thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia from Moscow-occupied territories.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner Maria-Lvova Belova over the alleged illegal deportations.

Ukraine says OSCE faces 'slow death' if Russia remains member

Ukraine called for Russia to be excluded from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), warning the body faced a "slow death" if Moscow remained a member.

"Everything Russia does in the OSCE nowadays is killing this organization," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a press conference also attended by OSCE chair Bujar Osmani.

"The situation in the OSCE is very complicated, painful, but the choice is very simple — either a slow death with Russia, or a new life without it," Kuleba said.

Ukraine has repeatedly called for Russia to be excluded from international organizations over its full-scale invasion, including the G20, UN Security Council and all major sporting bodies.

The OSCE was founded to ease tensions between East and West during the Cold War, and helps its members coordinate on issues like human rights and arms control.

Russia has itself repeatedly accused the West of trying to undermine and "seize" the OSCE, arguing the group has turned away from its founding principles.

The organization sends observers to conflicts, as well as elections around the world. It also runs programmes that aim to combat human trafficking and ensure media freedom.

Russia's assault on Avdiivka is weakening, Ukraine says

Russian forces' attempt to storm a strategically important city in eastern Ukraine appears to be running out of steam, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine entered its 600th day.

Ukraine's General Staff said its forces had repelled 15 Russian attacks from four directions on Avdiivka in the past 24 hours, compared to 60 attacks a day in the middle of last week, according to Avdiivka's head of city administration Vitalii Barabash. The slowing suggests the Russian effort to capture Avdiivka has "deflated," Barabash said.

Avdiivka lies in the northern suburbs of the city of Donetsk, in a region of the same name that Russian forces partially occupy. Avdiivka's location grants Ukrainian forces artillery advantages over the city and could serve as a springboard for them to liberate Donetsk.