September 30, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

The European Commission presented proposals for EU member states to further tighten visa restrictions for Russian citizens on Friday.

It recommended that an EU tourist visa should not be issued to Russian citizens applying from outside of Russia, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced at a news conference.

She called Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory, “an escalation of the security threat towards European Union."

“When it comes to Russian citizens that just want to come to the EU because they don't want to stay in Russia anymore, this stricter approach has to be applied,” she added. 

The EU is also asking for stricter security checks at its borders for Russians trying to enter with a valid Schengen visa.

“Just having a valid visa is not enough, is not sufficient to be let into the EU,” Johansson said. 

It is up to the member states to decide on their visa policies. The proposal will now be submitted to the European Council for approval. 

More on the proposals: Johansson recommended restrictions should not apply to certain exceptions: including applicants for humanitarian reasons, family reasons, independent journalists and dissidents. 

She also emphasized this new guideline won’t impact Russians who want to apply for a long-term EU visa, such as asylum. It’s only targeting tourist visas. 

Finland, one of the few EU countries that shares a border with Russia, announced on Thursday that it would close its borders to Russians with a tourist visa.

So far the EU has yet to see a wave of Russian asylum seekers, with around 20 to 30 asylum applications per day this last week, according to Johansson. 

Johansson also vowed further actions from the EU following the “illegal annexation of the four Ukrainian regions” by Russia.

The European Union's top diplomat has condemned Russian shelling on a civilian convoy in Zaporizhzhia early Friday, calling the bombardment a "heinous attack."

"Another heinous attack by Russia on civilians: this time a humanitarian convoy bringing vital help to people living in the non-government controlled areas of Zaporizhzhia," Josep Borrell tweeted Friday.

The EU "condemns this appalling attack in the strongest possible terms. Those responsible will be held accountable," Borrell added.

The missile attack in the southeastern Ukrainian city killed at least 25 people and left 50 more injured, including children, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on Friday condemned Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory, calling it a “blatant violation of the fundamental rules of international law, OSCE principles, and the UN Charter.”

Russia is one of 57 participating states in the OSCE, which until earlier this year ran a monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “unacceptable” action on Friday “eviscerates the principle of territorial integrity, which is at the core of the OSCE’s founding principles and the international order,” the statement read.

Friday’s OSCE statement was signed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella.

Kyiv and its Western allies have vociferously condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's annexation of four Ukrainian occupied regions, following a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday.

Putin said the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will become part of Russia "forever" during his speech in Moscow, after so-called referendums held by Russian-backed officials in eastern and southern Ukraine. The votes are illegal under international law and have been dismissed by Ukraine and Western nations as "a sham."

The European Union said it "will never" recognize the Kremlin's "illegal annexation," describing the move as a "further violation of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity." The bloc said it will also step up sanctions against Moscow and provide Ukraine with support "for as long as it takes."

EU Council President Charles Michel dismissed Moscow's annexation, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Putin's illegal annexation "won't change anything."

Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said the country "strongly rejects the illegal annexation by Russia," calling the move "a shameless violation of Ukrainian sovereignty."

Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda said in a post on Twitter that "Russia is undermining rules-based international order," describing Moscow's annexation of occupied Ukrainian regions as "null" and "void."

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted Russia is "putting global security at risk."

The Finnish government said it "strongly condemns" the Kremlin's actions, according to a statement on its official website.

Prior to the Kremlin ceremony, other top government officials leveled stinging criticism at Moscow's plans.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday that the move was a "violation of international law" and must not be allowed, according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

Kishida told Zelensky that Japan would work closely with the G7 to consider further sanctions in light of Russia's move toward annexation, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, Spain's foreign ministry said the country "categorically rejects any action or decision that may be taken by the Russian authorities aimed at the illegal annexation of those territories."

The Ukrainian military said that its troops are trying to complete the encirclement of Russian forces in the Lyman area of Donetsk.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson of the eastern grouping of Ukrainian forces, told CNN: 

"Our troops are trying to complete the encirclement of a group of Russian troops in the Lyman direction. The Russians want to get out of there. We hit them with all kinds of weapons."

Lyman is a town east of Sloviansk that has been occupied by Russian forces for several months. In the last two weeks, Ukrainian forces have advanced from the north, south and west, gradually tightening their grip on the area. 

"There are many videos where the Ukrainian flag is installed. Only after stabilization measures — verification of the presence of enemy forces, mines, etc. — only then can we officially confirm" their liberation, he said. 

Cherevatyi said Russian units in the area — totaling some 5,000 men, according to various estimates — included what he called "more professional, motivated servicemen," but added that "Ukrainian generals, hardened by eight years of war, Ukrainian staff officers, are much more skilled in planning such kind of operations."

Russia will have to ask Ukraine to allow a Russian retreat from the town, a top Ukrainian official said on Friday.

“RF [Russian Forces] will have to ask for an exit from Lyman,” Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, said on Twitter. “Only if, of course, those in Kremlin are concerned with their soldiers.”

“8 years ago, ru-military surrounded our [forces] near Ilovaisk,” he said, referring to a deadly 2014 battle between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region. “Our guys agreed to surrender without weapons. But Russia broke its word. The column was shot.”

The European Union has strongly rejected and condemned Russia’s annexations in Ukraine, and said it "will never recognise" the Kremlin’s "illegal annexation." 

The bloc's comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday formally signed a decree to annex nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory, in blatant violation of international law.

The ceremony at the Kremlin's St. George's Hall came following so-called referendums held by Russian-backed officials in eastern and southern Ukraine on joining Russia. The votes are illegal under international law and have been dismissed by Ukraine and Western nations as "a sham."

"By wilfully undermining the rules-based international order and blatantly violating the fundamental rights of Ukraine to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, core principles as enshrined in the UN Charter and international law, Russia is putting global security at risk.

"We do not and will never recognise the illegal 'referenda' that Russia has engineered as a pretext for this further violation of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor their falsified and illegal results."

The statement added: "These decisions are null and void and cannot produce any legal effect whatsoever. Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk are Ukraine. We call on all States and international organisations to unequivocally reject this illegal annexation," the statement added.

The statement said the EU will strengthen sanctions on Russia and reiterated the bloc’s support for Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said four occupied Ukrainian regions will become part of Russia "forever," during his Kremlin speech that announced the annexations.

The ceremony to assimilate four occupied regions, which make up almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory, came after so-called referendums held by Russian-backed officials in eastern and southern Ukraine The votes are illegal under international law and have been dismissed by Ukraine and Western nations as "a sham."

Putin said those taking part in what the Kremlin calls its "special operation" in Ukraine are "heroes."

"There is nothing stronger than the determination of these people to return to their true historical fatherland," he said.

He also called on Ukraine to "cease fire" immediately and "sit down at the negotiating table."

"But we will not negotiate the choice of the people. It has been made. Russia will not betray it."

Analysts have speculated that part of the reason Putin announced the annexations was to put pressure on the West to scale back its support for Kyiv.

In his speech, Putin also accused Western leaders of trying to "weaken and destroy" Russia, while giving his version of a Russian history lesson.

He added that "the collapse of Western hegemony that has begun is irreversible."

"It will no longer be like before," Putin said. "The battlefield to which fate and history have called us is the battlefield for our people, for great historical Russia."

President Volodymyr Zelensky has reassured Ukrainians that “everything will be Ukraine,” in a statement posted before Russian President Vladimir Putin began speaking in Moscow during a ceremony where he announced the Kremlin’s intention to annex nearly a fifth of Ukraine in blatant violation of international law.

Zelensky said that the officials heard reports from the frontline, “considered further plan for the liberation of our territories,” analyzed “the possible actions of the enemy in the near future,” and discussed the logistics of providing troops with weapons and ammunition.

While Putin was speaking, Andriy Yermak, the head of President Zelensky's office, posted a brief comment on Telegram, saying: 

Yermak's message came as Ukrainian forces closed in on Russian positions around Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the areas Putin said Russia would annex.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to annex four areas of occupied Ukraine, which make up almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory.

The documents were signed by Putin on behalf of the Russian Federation, plus the heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the leaders of the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

After the signing at the ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday, Putin shook hands with the Russian-backed leaders of the four regions. Later, the five men stood and listened to the Russian Federation's national anthem.

Putin then reached for the hands of the four leaders and put them in a pile as is customary before a sporting event. There were chants of "Russia" in the room.

It comes following so-called referendums held by Russian-backed officials in eastern and southern Ukraine on joining Russia. The votes are illegal under international law and have been dismissed by Ukraine and Western nations as "a sham." The EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell dismissed the ballots as "illegal referenda" earlier this week, while the White House has pledged not to recognize the results. 

Russia's annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories comes swiftly after Putin announced the "partial mobilization" of Russian citizens amid Moscow's faltering invasion. The strategy has been met with heated protests at home and tens of thousands of people have left the country.