Ukrainian counter-attack effective, not end of war – NATO’s Stoltenberg

LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday Ukraine’s counter-attack against Russian troops had been very effective but warned nations should prepare for the long haul as this did not signal the beginning of the end of the war.

“It is of course extremely encouraging to see that Ukrainian armed forces have been able to take back territory and also strike behind Russian lines,” Stoltenberg told BBC radio.

“At the same time, we need to understand that this is not the beginning of the end of the war, we need to be prepared for the long haul.”

In Other Developments:

* Ukrainian authorities found a mass grave with 440 bodies in the northeastern town of Izium, recently recaptured from Russian forces. Some had been killed by shelling and air strikes, police said.

* Reuters could not immediately verify the Ukrainian claim and there was no immediate public comment from Russia, which denies targeting civilians.

FIGHTING

* Reuters video from the eastern town of Kupiansk, which Ukrainian forces recaptured last week, showed many buildings had been damaged or burned out.

* Authorities in Kryvyi Rih are working to repair the damage to a reservoir dam from Russian missile strikes and as a result water levels are receding, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the presidential administration.

* Ukrainian forces repelled three Russian attacks north of the city of Donetsk, the armed forces’ general staff said in a Facebook post. Sea-based missiles also targeted areas of Odesa region but were destroyed by anti-aircraft units.

* Russian forces had launched attacks on several settlements on the Kharkiv frontline, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.

* Reuters was not able to verify battlefield reports.

* The United States will soon announce a new $600 million arms package for Ukraine, U.S. officials said.

ECONOMY

* The United States imposed new sanctions to punish those supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting people and entities it accused of helping Moscow skirt financial sanctions, steal Ukrainian grain and violate human rights.

DIPLOMACY

* In a rare admission, Russian President Putin said he understood that China’s leader Xi Jinping had questions and concerns about the situation in Ukraine but praised Xi for what he said was a “balanced” position on the conflict.

* European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, visiting Kyiv, said Ukraine was making good progress towards joining the EU.

* Von der Leyen said supporting Ukraine comes at a high cost, but freedom is “priceless.”

* U.S. President Biden will discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine with South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, who has avoided condemning Russia, when the two leaders meet at the White House on Friday.

QUOTES

* Asked during a news conference if it was morally right for countries to send weapons to Ukraine, Pope Francis said: “It can be immoral if the intention is provoking more war, or to sell arms or dump arms that (a country) no longer needs. The motivation is what in large part qualifies the morality of this action.”