Ukraine Latest: Weekly Digest for September 23-29, 2024
US has announced nearly $8 billion in weapons aid, including JSOW air bombs, to Ukraine
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September 23/Russians storm Ukrainian defenses with "expandable fodder" - Kara-Dag Brigade soldier
September 23/Kysilyov: Russians shot through civilians who were fleeing Kherson
September 24/Hetman: Heavy fighting going on along the entire front line from north to south
September 24/Hetman: Russia began deploying glider bombs against Zaporizhzhia city
September 24/Hetman: The Kursk incursion will be included in manuals on military operation tactics
September 26/An apartment building destroyed in Russian air strike in 2022 was restored in Hostomel
September 26/Bezditnyy: Annexed Crimea is like a prison
PHOTO
September 23/The aftermath of Russian air raid on Zaporizhzhia city
September 23/Hearings on Russia’s violation of the UN Maritime Convention began in The Hague, the Netherlands
September 23/Tattoo classes for veterans were launched in Lviv
September 24/A book with the stories of women who survived through tragic events of the war was unveiled in Kharkiv
September 24/An apartment building restored after Russian air attack was opened in Hostomel
September 24/Russian military dropped glider bombs on Kharkiv city
September 24/A shipment of donated equipment for the Armed Forces was handed over at a ceremony in Ivano-Frankivsk
September 24/ The aftermath of Russian bombardment of Borova, Kharkiv oblast
September 25/Mine Action Coordinating Center was launched in Kharkiv
September 25/Kyiv hosted international conference Make Russia Pay
September 25/A display entitled "Liberation? Occupation!" was unveiled in Kyiv
September 26/The aftermath of overnight glide bomb attack on Zaporizhzhia city
September 26/The second Armed Forces recruiting center was launched in Kyiv
September 2/ Final farewell for Armed Forces officer Milan Romanchak, Uzhhorod
September 26/A hydraulic equipment factory has relocated its production facilities from Kharkiv oblast to Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast
September 27/ Final farewell for soldier Eduard Kostraba, Uzhhorod.
HOSTILITIES
The General Staff has reported 1,180 force-to-force engagements for the week from September 23 through 29, 2024. More than half the engagements, and the heaviest ones, took place on Lyman, Vremivsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove axes.
Air raids on on Russia
September 29: Explosions rang out at a military town and nearby airfield located in the surrounding of Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai region, following a drone raid;
September 29: Ukrainian launched explosive drones struck the Russian GRAU arsenal at Kotluban overnight. Fires were burning in the vicinity of the massive Russian ammunition storage facility in Volgograd region, located at over 600 kilometers from Ukraine border. A train loaded with Iranian supplied missiles reportedly arrived at the facility the day before the attack.
September 23: The 95th Polissia Separate Assault Brigade of Ukraine’s Armed Forces breached into the Kursk region, Russia, from a new axis, in what was the second successful operation to breach the Russian border since the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region began on August 6.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War earlier reported that the Ukrainian military had probably launched an offensive on Russia's Kursk Region in a new area, which seems to have had more success than first appeared.
September 23: HUR MoD’s hacker team deployed a cyber attack targeting Russia’s Rosselkhoz Bank and Moscow Credit Bank. The attacks left the banks’ websites disabled, access to internet banking services shut down, and mobile applications deactivated. Technical support services at the banks said they cannot predict, even approximately, when the services would resume.
September 28: Aleksey Kolomeitsev, a Russian colonel who trained operators for attack drones, was murdered in the city of Kolomna in Moscow Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported.
Kolomeitsev, 51, led Russia's 924th State Center for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a military unit specializing in training operators for combat drones. The center he led specialized in the use of Shakhed UAVs, which Russia deployes daily for massive raids on Ukraine.
Kolomeitsev was found dead in Kolomna, outside of Moscow, on September 27, HUR reported.
The Russian colonel was "immediately involved in Russia's full-scale invasion and war crimes against Ukraine," HUR said.
While HUR did not disclose the details of Kolomeitsev's death or claim direct responsibility for the killing, the post said that "every war crime will be punished with justice."
September 23: A drone hit and set ablaze facilities at the Kamensky chemical plant in Kamensk-Shakhtynsky in the southern Russian region of Rostov, where solid fuel for MLRS projectiles is produced.
In the period between September 23 and 26, HUR MoD’s hacker team deployed more than 800 cyber attacks targeting servers in different regions of the Russian Federation.
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September 24: Ukrainian forces regained control over an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, after about 30 buildings at the site had been cleared of Russian soldiers, in a sweeping assault carried out by MoD’s intelligence directorate’s (HUR) special forces.
"The HUR warriors carried out a systematic sweep of the plant's buildings, constantly engaging in close contact battles with the enemy in densely built-up environments. In a number of instances, Ukrainian special forces had to fight hand to hand with enemy soldiers," HUR said in a press statement.
About two dozen Russian soldiers were captured in this operation.
The Russians began equipping their reconnaissance/surveillance drones with rear-view cameras to counter Ukrainian FPV drone attacks – Defense Express.
September 25: the aerial reconnaissance unit at the National Guard’s Kara-Dag 15th Operational Brigade discovered and destroyed a large field ammunition storage facility used by Russian troops on Pokrovsk axis.
The Ukrainian forces had not withdrawn from Vuhledar, Donetsk oblast, as of September 26, despite never-ending heavy assaults by the invaders, as per report by the 72nd Black Zaporozhians Separate Mechanized Brigade. Deep State reported about the critical situation being faced by the Ukrainian forces defending the town.
Russia has begun fitting out the Shahed-136 one-way attack drones it deploys for attacks on Ukraine with SpaceX Starlink terminals. Defense Express reported that Starlink equipment had been spotted installed on a Shakhed drone Ukraine’s defense forces shot down on 25 September. By equipping the Shaheds with satellite communications, Russia can obtain powerful feedback from these drones, along with the ability to transmit data from it and the capability to change flight tasks while in mid-air. With Starlink and an extra camera capability, the Russians can use the Shakhed drone as an extremely long-range loitering munition capable of providing additional reconnaissance and engaging moving targets. Shaheds were likely chosen for this purpose due to their range, around 2,000 km, and significant internal space in the fuselage.
September 27: Russians troops on 50 armored and other vehicles tried to storm Ukrainian defenses in the vicinity of Pishchane village outside of Kupyansk town. The storm was fended off; the Russians had to retreat, having lost 40 of their vehicles destroyed or damaged. This is according to a report released by Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles strike UAV battalion at the Ivan Sirko 92nd Separate Ground Assault Brigade.
September 28: the Russians continued pulling up additional forces and capabilities to reinforce their offensive efforts on Vuhledar axis. Multiple vehicle columns were spotted moving from Russia through Mariupol towards Volnovakha and Vuhledar. Overall, up to 5,000 additional Russian troops are estimated to have been deployed to that axis.
WAR LOSSES AND AFTERMATH
Enemy losses
Over the week from September 23 through 29, 2024, Russia’s war toll in personnel and equipment had totaled:
9,390 personnel
101 tanks
254 armored combat vehicles
462 artillery guns
9 MLRS vehicles
13 air defense vehicles
556 tactical-operational UAVs
6 cruise missiles
472 motor vehicles and fuel tanks
153 pieces of specialist equipment.
UKRAINE
The Russian army had deployed nearly 900 guided bombs, over 300 Shakhed explosive drones and more than 40 missiles against Ukraine over the week under review.
The Air Defense Forces destroyed 256 out of 300 Shahed-131/136 attack drones and 10 Kh-59/69 ground attack missiles the Russian army launched against Ukraine in between September 23 and 29. Of the 300 drones launched, 30 were defeated with EW countermeasures and crashed in several different regions in Ukraine, two were diverted back into Russia, and another one flew across the border into the territory of Romania. The attacks inflicted damage on civilian and energy infrastructure assets in the regions of Poltava, Rivne, Odesa, Khmelnytsky, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv, as well as in Kyiv city, killed four civilians and injured 17 others.
September 22-29: Russian air attacks on the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy, and Kharkiv left 29 people dead and 176 others injured.
September 29: the Russian military dropped 13 glide bombs on Zaporizhzhia city, in what was the worst attack the city has seen since the all-out war began in February 2022. The attacks left 16 civilians injured. Infrastructure damages included a high-rise apartment building, six private properties, and the central station building.
September 28: Russia deployed Shahed drones in two raids on a hospital in Sumy city, having killed 10 people and injured 22 others.
September 24: Russia dropped glider bombs on high-rise apartment buildings in Kharkiv’s Kyivsky and Saltivsky districts, leaving three people dead and 31 others injured. The apartment block that was most severely damage in this attack was home to 82 people. The rescue operation was still ongoing at the time of writing.
September 27: the Russians mounted an airstrike on Kryvyi Rih city, targeting the central police station. The attack killed three people and injured six others.
WAR AFTERMATH
Environment
Toxic heavy metals were discovered in soil in three different areas already cleared of land mines in Pervomaysky district, Mykolaiv oblast.
Firefighters extinguished forest fires caused by Russian bombardment attacks on three different locations in Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions. The fires burnt out 0.5 ha of mixed plantations aged from 81 to 86 years in Cherkasy region, and 1.1 ha of protective forests in the Kyriliv Forestry, Kirovohrad region, as per report released by the Central Forestry Office.
In the liberated part of the Kherson Region, its Beryslav District, sapper clearance diver units clear 15 square meters of water surface every day.
Environmentalists documented contamination of soil on approx. 1,300 square meters in Shevchenkivsky District, Zaporizhzhia city, following a Russian air attack on September 25.
Munition disposal experts conducted mine clearance on nearly 347 hectares in Kharkiv region over the week from September 18 through 25, having discovered and neutralized 1,305 explosive hazards.
Culture
The USA returned to Ukraine four medieval iron sabers stolen by Russian soldiers from Russian-occupied Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reported.
The hand-over ceremony took place as part of a visit to the USA by Ukraine’s Minister for Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytsky.
“The American side handed over four medieval sabers stolen by Russia to Ukraine, which probably come from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”, the Ministry said in a press statement.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of National Security for Strategy, Policy and Planning Robert Silvers handed Mykola Tochytsky four medieval iron swords dated to the IX—XIII centuries. According to Silvers, they were discovered by Customs and Border Protection officers at an international post office in Newark, New Jersey, in a parcel that was declared to contain a barbecue set.
Economy
The State Service for Emergencies, in a coordinated effort with Kharkivoblenerho [Kharkiv regional power distribution company] have cleared of mines land areas underlying 120 kilometers of overhead power lines in the region over the past two months, Kharkivoblenerho reported in a press release. Land areas underlying a total of 2,397 kilometers of lines have been demined since particular areas in the region had been liberated from Russian forces, whereas 6,987 kilometers of power lines in 16 communities still remain contaminated and need to be cleared of land mines.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, 48 health care institutions have been damaged and eight others destroyed to rubble in the aftermath of Russian air strikes over the time of all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In the Donetsk region, approximately 41,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed since full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 22, 2022.
Recovery and reconstruction
In the Kyiv region, 210 schools and other educational institutions have already been fully restored, while 30 others are still undergoing reconstruction efforts.
In Hostomel, a town located in close vicinity to Kyiv city, the fourth apartment building on Rekunova street that was severely damaged in Russian bombardment attacks in 2022 was fully reconstructed and brought back into use. Reconstruction of another 10 buildings is scheduled to be completed by early next year.
In the Kyiv region, restoration and reconstruction works have been completed on students’ dormitory at Makariv Medical College and a health care establishment affiliated with Hostomel Primary Health Care Center, which both suffered damage in the aftermath of Russian bombardment attacks in March 2022.
WAR: POLITICAL DECISIONS, TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS, ARMAMETS, ALLIED AID
Ukrainian home front
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky:
September 29: at a commemorative ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Babyn Yar massacre, said that Babyn Yar is a reminder that the most heinous crimes occur when the world chooses to turn blind eye, to remain silent, remain indifferent and not resolute enough to give a worthy rebuff to evil;
said that he is more optimistic than not about the long-awaited permission for Ukraine to use donated weaponry against targets deep inside the Russian Federation;
September 24: Key takeaways from Zelensky’s interview with the ABC News TV channel:
the war with Russia is "closer to an end than many believe: I think that we are closer to the peace than we think," "We are closer to the end of the war. We just have to be very strong, very strong";
called on allies to strengthen Ukraine's capability to defend itself: "The victory plan is in making Ukraine stronger. That's why we're asking our friends, our allies, to strengthen us. It's very important."
Russia has been using Chinese satellites to photograph nuclear power plants in Ukraine in preparation for potential strikes.
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Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in an interview with Forbes Ukraine, said:
Ukraine was the first in the world to introduce the "swarm of drones" tactics; in one year’s time it will be possible to destroy or damage over 200 targets inside Russia;
The Ministry of Defense has invested more than $4 billion in the domestic arms manufacturing sector in 2024 so far, and half of all the minutions spent on the battlefield are of Ukrainian make;
Eight capability coalitions have been set up and are working within the Ramstein platform, providing Ukraine with new air defense systems, funding production of artillery weapons in Ukraine, and, within the Czech-led initiative, deliveries of ammunition got underway.
The Ministry of Defense, in a joint effort with law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, exposed a dozen businessmen who have been profiteering from military contracts. In 2024 alone, more than UAH 16 billion has been saved on defense procurements.
Cabinet of Ministers:
Endorsed an experimental project that would compensate buyers for part of the cost of locally produced machinery and equipment bought within the "Made in Ukraine" platform;
Endorsed simplified procedures for the provision of one-off cash benefits linked to the death or disability of a military service member;
established the State Reserve Management Agency, with competences focused on managing stockpiles of raw materials, fuel, industrial goods, and medicines for use in peacetime, contingencies and emergencies, with all the procurements to be made via online auctions. The competences of the newly established entity do not apply to management of the mobilization reserve, which will be assigned to other government agencies;
appointed Serhiy Sukhomlin, the former mayor of Zhytomyr city, as the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal:
September 26: ordered that national production programs for weapons systems and military gear, especially those included in the "Weapons of Victory" program, be guaranteed for funding from the state budget;
Watched the process of installing two cogeneration plants with a capacity of 1.5 MW each, which will provide enough heat for more than 200 apartment buildings;
Kateryna Chornohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defense for Digitalization Affairs announced that the mobile recruiting application for conscripts, draft eligible persons, and reservists "Rezerv+" will become operational beginning in October.
There have been and can be no agreements on the exchange of children between Russia and Ukraine. This is how Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, responded to a Le Monde article claiming that Ukraine allegedly reached a Qatar-mediated children exchange deal with the Russian Federation.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers it unacceptable to use images of the aftermath of Russia's war against Ukraine in campaign advertising in Georgia.
As part of its election campaign ahead of the parliamentary election set for October 26, the Georgian Dream party created a series of street posters and a video picturing ruined Ukrainian cities in contrast to peaceful Georgian cities;
Responded to the statement made by the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel suggesting that Ukraine should accept the possibility that part of its territory may be "temporarily" under Russian control after the war is over, saying that this is not going to restore comprehensive peace, but will only postpone the war.
Hasidic pilgrims are arriving in large numbers in Cherkasy region to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, from October 2 to 4 in Uman. In this regard, a special regime of entry and exit from the city has been in place since September 3. As of September 27, about 5,000 pilgrims have already arrived in Uman to attend Rosh Hashanah festivities.
The Law on "The Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organizations", which banns activities of churches affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, became effective on September 23.
Ukraine’s GDP at constant prices grew 3.7 percent over Q2 2024 year-on-year.
100 MW of gas generation has been put into operation in Ukraine in 2024, and 200 MW more is set to be brought online by the end of this year.
Over August 2024, the total amount of personal deposits in Ukrainian banks surged UAH 12.5 billion up to UAH 1,301.0 billion total.
In the first half of 2024, the Naftogaz Group earned UAH 24.4 billion in net consolidated profit, which represents a year-on-year growth of nearly 400 percent.
ALLIES AND PARTNERS
US President Joe Biden announced USD 7.9 billion worth of weapons aid to Ukraine and the introduction of new sanctions against Russia. The new aid package will include Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) glide bombs. Furthermore, the US has committed to provide training for 18 more Ukrainian F-16 pilots next year.
President Biden will chair a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on October 12 "to coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," he announced on Sept. 26.
The announcement came as President Volodymyr Zelensky continued his tour of the U.S., where he hoped to get support for his recently-announced “Victory Plan”.
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Visit by the President of Ukraine to the USA
During his US tour, President Zelensky held around three dozen meetings – on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and in Washington. In Washington, President Zelenskyy met with leaders of both parties in the US Senate and House of Representatives on September 26 to discuss support for Ukraine and its needs in confronting Russia.
On September 26, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met, among others, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
On September 26, Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss his "victory plan", which the Ukrainian president hopes will pressure Russia into agreeing a diplomatic end to the war.
On September 27, in New York, Zelensky set out his “Victory Plan” to Donald Trump, the US Republican presidential candidate.
Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss plans for further contacts at the highest level. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China assured that his country is ready to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine in accordance with its needs.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha discussed with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi ways to prevent potential Russian strikes on nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
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The 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79):
US President Joe Biden called on UN member states to be tireless in supporting Ukraine to help it win the war and preserve its freedom.
“The world has yet another choice to make. Will we maintain our support, or will we abandon it and allow aggression to resume and destroy the nation? I know my answer. We cannot tire, we cannot turn away, and we will not abandon our support for Ukraine,” he said in his speech at UNGA 79.
The US president further noted that Putin’s war did not achieve its main goal. “He planned to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine continues to be free. He intended to weaken NATO, but NATO is becoming bigger, stronger, more united than ever before,” Biden said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his remarks at the opening of the general debate of the UNGA 79, highlighted the need to confront three major drivers of unsustainability.
“A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter. A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge. And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways. These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding”, he said.
China's position on the settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine is to immediately cease fire and sit down at the negotiating table, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's said while speaking to UN Security Council meeting.
Wang Yi presented three proposals from China.
First, he emphasized the need to cease hostilities to prevent the conflict from expanding. He also highlighted the importance of avoiding the use of nuclear weapons and the targeting of nuclear facilities, such as power plants. The more weapons are sent into the conflict zone, the harder it will be to achieve a ceasefire, he said.
The Chinese representative stressed the urgent need for a dialogue and negotiations, calling them the only viable way to resolve what he referred to as the "Ukrainian crisis" – Beijing’s term for Russia’s war against Ukraine. Without this, he warned, the crisis would only escalate.
Thirdly, Wang Yi urged the international community to prevent the crisis from affecting the global economy. He pointed out the need to avoid sanctions and the disruption of global trade. While he did not specify any country, his remarks were likely aimed at sanctions imposed on Russia and its supporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said that the U.S. and other members of the Western alliance “don’t want Ukraine to be a member state.”
“These are not questions to be rushed,” he said. “And when making our minds, when we are taking our decisions, we always take into consideration the stance of other NATO member states, we discuss those possible questions around the table and make the final decision accordingly” – NBC News.
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More than 30 countries and the European Union have adopted a Joint Declaration on Support for the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine. The document was signed during a meeting held in the Group of Seven + Ukraine format.
The event was attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joseph Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Maloni and Justin Trudeau.
Joseph Biden reaffirmed his support for Ukraine and announced a new package of military ssistance. He also stressed the importance of using frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that the joint efforts of the international community would help Ukraine recover this year.
The declaration provides for:
Coordination of assistance through the Ukrainian Donor Platform.
Financial support worth approx. USD 50 billion.
Use of frozen Russian assets.
The document is open for signature by other countries.
The United States is studying the plan for Ukraine's victory, which was presented to Joe Biden by Volodymyr Zelensky. The United States is also weighing “additional actions” if necessary.
At a press conference in New York on September 27, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that the United States is studying a plan for Ukraine's victory. Asked whether Ukraine would be authorized to use Western weapons to strike deep into Russia, Blinken said the administration and partners are now studying the details of the plan and are considering “additional actions” to help the Ukrainians achieve victory, if necessary.
“We're looking at that very carefully, including what we or other partners of Ukraine would have to do - if any - additional actions to help them achieve that success,” Blinken said.
The G7+ ministerial group called on the world community to urgently step up support for Ukraine's energy sector ahead of winter.
The Netherlands has committed EUR 209.5 million to help Ukraine restore its critical infrastructure.
On September 24, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Winston Peters announced new sanctions against Russia and Belarus amid ongoing war in Ukraine.
"Russia’s ongoing aggression is a direct challenge to the rules-based order," he stated, emphasizing the importance of international solidarity.
The latest sanctions specifically target those involved in the occupation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, as well as actors in Russia's military-industrial complex and Belarusian individuals supporting the invasion. Peters highlighted the threats to nuclear security posed by Russia's actions and reiterated calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
By aligning with over 35 countries implementing similar measures, New Zealand aims to increase the costs of Russia’s military actions. Since March 2022, New Zealand has sanctioned more than 1,700 individuals and entities, with the latest round focusing on five individuals and six entities involved in supporting the aggression.
The UK has sanctioned five ships and two companies for their role in shipping Russian LNG, including from the country’s expanding Arctic projects.
The British government said it is the first time it has used new powers to target individual LNG carriers. It has targeted 25 oil tankers since July.
On September 28, Lithuania announced a new military aid package for Ukraine.
On September 25, the Bundestag endorsed an increase in funding for military aid to Ukraine by about €400 million. According to the German federal government's website, the Russians have caused significant damage to Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. In response, Berlin will allocate €170 million for the urgent restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Additionally, the Bundestag has approved an increase of €400 million in military aid for Kyiv. The German government emphasized that this funding will be used to purchase more air defense systems, tanks, ammunition, drones, and spare parts.
EU Spokesman Peter Stano: Vladimir Putin’s new threats to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries are further evidence of his irresponsible behavior and will not change the EU's position regarding continued support for Ukraine.
He noted that Putin has used the nuclear card before.
"This is a continuation of Putin's very irresponsible and unacceptable behavior, revealing his true face to the world during the UN General Assembly. We firmly reject these threats. The European Union's position remains unchanged," Stano said.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in an interview with Voice of America, said that a decision to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range Western weapons against military targets in Russia may be made by early winter.
"We meet here in the U.N. General Assembly. I know that President Zelenskyy is meeting with President Biden a little bit later in the week also in Washington. We will head on to the G20 [summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 18-19, 2024] as well. So, over the coming days and weeks, I expect us to be in a very strong position to ensure that Ukraine is in the best position it can be as we head into that tough winter in 2025," he said.
China and Brazil led a joint call Friday, September 27, 2024, against any use or threat of nuclear weapons over Ukraine, in a thinly veiled criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin's sabre-rattling.
"We call on refraining from the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons," said a joint statement issued at the United Nations that was also signed by South Africa and Turkey.
Western officials believe they have ample evidence that Chinese companies have secretly supplied weapons to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.
That's according to The Times, Ukrinform reports.
The British newspaper says a new report obtained by allies indicates that a Chinese company is sending a number of specially designed military drones to Russia for testing, with the ultimate destination being the Ukraine battlefield.
The National Council, the lower house of the Swiss parliament, recognized the Holodomor, the great Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933, as genocide against the Ukrainian civilian population.
In a statement, the Swiss National Council said it recognizes systematic actions aimed at mass and deliberate killing by starvation with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group as an act of genocide.
Swedish defense manufacturer Saab is exploring the possibility of establishing production facilities in Ukraine, as part of efforts to enhance the country's defense capabilities, according to the company's CEO, Micael Johansson. In an interview with Reuters, Johansson outlined Saab’s intentions to support Ukraine in developing independent defense capacities amidst ongoing military tensions.
“We have to help Ukraine build sovereign capacity and capabilities,” Johansson told Reuters. He emphasized the need for partnerships with Ukrainian industries, both those within Ukraine and those that have relocated abroad. However, while talks are underway with two or three Ukrainian companies, no final agreements have been reached yet.
PUBLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS
September 23/ Hryhoriy Perepelitsa, director of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies: Neither Biden nor Putin expected the war would expand into Russia
September 23/ Andrii Kysilyov, UAV platoon leader: My next aim to be achieved is liberation of the eastern-bank part of Kherson region
September 25/ How recruits are being trained for combat deployments
September 25/ Donbas: tough but not apocalyptic; we are getting prepared for all scenarios possible
September 26/ Volodymyr Bezditny, Territorial Defense Forces soldier: We were fighting with automatic rifles against tanks for four hours
September 26/ Gulnara Abdulaeva, historian, journalist, author: Russians are rewriting the history of Crimea in the same way as they did after the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars
September 27/ Captivity in Yahidne: "Descendants must remember who our enemy is"
September 28/ Russia’s nuclear blackmail? The US elections matter more for Ukraine
September 28/ Oleksiy Melnyk, analyst at the Razumkov Center think tank: Biden has a chance to go down into history as the one who helped defeat Putin
Compiled by Marina Dmytriv