Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, and its director, Kyrylo Budanov, was behind Saturday's explosion on the Kerch Bridge.

The FSB said on Wednesday it had detained five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia over the blast that caused massive damage to the Kerch Bridge that links Russia to Crimea.

Ukraine's interior minister spokesman Andriy Yusov dismissed the allegations as "nonsense."

Dramatic footage of the explosion showed a truck moving across the bridge at the time of the detonation. The bridge was a strategic supply and logistics artery for Russian forces in Ukraine's occupied Kherson region.

Ukraine has not officially confirmed its involvement in the blast, but some Ukrainian officials have celebrated the damage.

Here's more news concerning Russia's war on Ukraine from Wednesday, October 12

Russia expects Turkish offer to mediate Ukraine conflict

Russia believes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will formally offer to mediate negotiations with Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet Erdogan for talks in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

"Now many say that the Turks are ready to come up with other initiatives in the context of the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict," Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.

Turkey has good relations with Russia and Ukraine and has refrained from joining Western sanctions on Moscow.

"There are reports in the press that the Turkish side is putting forward specific considerations," Ushakov said.

Turkey has twice hosted talks between Moscow and Kyiv and brokered a landmark deal allowing Ukraine to export grain through its Black Sea ports.

Peace talks between the sides have stalled and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will not hold any talks with Putin after Moscow annexed four territories of Ukraine.

Ukraine says at least seven dead in Russian strike on market

At least seven people were killed and eight injured in a Russian strike on a crowded market in Avdiivka, the governor of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region said.

"The Russians struck the central market, where many people were at that time," Pavlo Kyrylenko said on social media.

He added there was "no military logic" for such an attack.

Kyrylenko urged residents of the region to evacuate as soon as possible.

There was no immediate comment from the Russian military.

The Ukrainian military on Sunday reported fierce clashes near Avdiivka.

Germany delivers air defense system to Ukraine

Germany delivered the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, who announced the arrival on Twitter.

Reznikov added more US-made NASAMS are also being delivered, saying the weapons systems will usher in a "new era of air defense."

The IRIS-T SLM can defend from approaching missiles at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers and a distance up to 40 kilometers.

US President Biden says Putin 'miscalculated'

US President Joe Biden said in an interview for the CNN broadcaster that Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made a mistake when assessing Moscow's ability to occupy Ukraine.

"I think he is a rational actor who has miscalculated significantly," Biden said during the interview.

"I think… he thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was the home of Mother Russia in Kyiv, and that where he was going to be welcomed, and I think he just totally miscalculated," he said.

Last week, Biden said the world risks "nuclear Armageddon" amid threats from Kremlin officials.

However, when asked on Tuesday on the likelihood that Putin could use a nuclear weapon, Biden said "I don't think he will."

Zelensky calls for 'air shield' following Russian strikes

President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the G7 countries to help Kyiv establish an "air shield" following Russian strikes on a number of major Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky said that "millions of people would be grateful" for the shield. He added that Russia "still has room for further escalation" beyond Monday's missile strikes.

Ukraine's president said that Russia had fired an additional 28 missiles on Ukraine on Tuesday. He said that 15 drones, which were "mainly Iranian drones," were involved in the attacks, and that most of the drones had been shot down.

Ukraine's general staff said that there had been attacks on more than two dozen cities and villages across the country.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials said that seven people were killed after an attack on the southern region of Zaporizhzhia.

Germany's Lambrecht says Putin's 'contempt for people' increases

Separately, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Russia was "terrorizing" civilians in Ukraine.

"Our support for Kyiv must continue unabated," Lambrecht said at a meeting of NATO ministers.

"With the missile bombardment on Ukrainian cities, Putin is shamelessly terrorizing the civilian population," said the German defense minister. "His contempt for people clearly increases alongside the failure of his plans. "

Former US Army commander calls for condemnation of Russian strikes

Former commander of the US army in Europe Ben Hodges told DW that the international community label Russia's latest attacks on Ukrainian cities as war crimes.

Hodges said that the name of each individual officer responsible for launching the missiles should be released. "The whole world should know who they are," he said.

He also urged Western countries to provide Ukraine with more air defenses.

"All of us have got to continue to find ways to protect these European civilians who are being murdered by Russian missiles. That means more air defense systems," Hodges said.

Hodges said that Russia's military was losing in Ukraine and that it needed to keep the conflict to undermine Western support.

"The Russians know this. So, their only hope is to try to prolong the conflict and to cause us to lose will to support Ukraine. They surely are not going to break the will of the Ukrainian people," he said.

More DW content on the war in Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jans Stoltenberg acknowledged that some members of the alliances are sending arms to Ukraine they'd planned to keep for themselves. He said that the longer the war drags on the more important it will be to replenish stocks.

Stoltenberg said that Russia's missile strikes on Ukrainian cities are a sign of weakness.

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell criticized the bloc for not anticipating the war in Ukraine despite intelligence from Washington.

A video showing protesters in Leipzig in eastern Germany berating Ukrainian refugees sparked outrage.

A German court ruled that activists are allowed to place a destroyed Russian tank in front of Moscow's embassy in Berlin.