Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Western Military District training ground in the Ryazan region on Oct 20, 2022. (KREMLIN PRESS RELEASE)

MOSCOW / KIEV – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday inspected the training of the newly drafted personnel who will participate in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.

On Sept 21, Putin signed a decree on a partial mobilization in the country

Military units and the newly mobilized forces were conducting joint combat training in preparation for missions during the special military operation, according to the statement.

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Putin watched practical exercises of the trainees to sharpen their tactical, firing, engineering and medical skills at the Western Military District training ground in the Ryazan region, according to the statement.
On Sept 21, Putin signed a decree on a partial mobilization in the country.

Ukraine's central bank revises down economic contraction in 2022

Ukraine's economy is expected to contract by 32 percent this year, a shallower decline from 37.5 percent expected previously, the country's central bank said on Thursday.
In the second and the third quarters this year, the economic activity in Ukraine slowly recovered, with the "grain corridor" starting to operate under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the bank said in an outlook.

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Among the factors holding back the economic recovery, the bank listed logistical problems, the loss of labor force and production facilities, and the decline in real incomes of the population caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The bank estimated that the Ukrainian economy would return to a 4-5 percent growth in the coming years.