11:27 Potential Intrusion of Romanian Airspace by Russian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
A potential Russian drone may have temporarily breached Romanian airspace during the night. Bucharest's Defense Ministry hypothesizes that the drone might have transversed Romanian airspace in the border region for scarcely over two minutes. This drone was reportedly involved in an assault on the Ukrainian city of Izmail. As per Ukrainian officials, Izmail encountered a drone attack early on a Friday morning, resulting in three fatalities and roughly a dozen injuries.
10:57 Fritz: The United States Delivers Guided Bombs to Ukraine for the First TimePresident Zelensky travels to the United States to present his "victory plan" and request additional military assistance. Biden seals a weapons package valued at almost eight billion US dollars for Ukraine. Compared to previous deliveries, "that's a substantial increase," remarks ntv-reporter Fritz.
10:20 Report: US Intelligence Services Anticipate Severe Retaliation if Long-Range Missiles are ApprovedUS intelligence sources allegedly foresee major risks if Ukraine uses long-range missiles against targets deep within Russian territory. Allowing this from the west may result in severe retaliation, according to an unpublished intelligence assessment cited by the "New York Times". The intelligence agencies consider various potential Russian reactions – from arson and sabotage against European facilities to potentially lethal attacks against American and European military support sites. While open Russian retaliation is not anticipated, covert intelligence operations are. The "New York Times" cites this intelligence assessment, stating that Ukraine likely does not possess sufficient long-range missiles to significantly alter the war's course. According to this assessment, the risk is substantial, yet the likelihood of success uncertain. The newspaper suggests that this difficulty in decision-making may be contributing to Biden's struggle.
09:57 Munz on New Putin Threat: Raw Material Export Stop "will not impact the West significantly"Russia threatens the United States with consequences if it approves the use of long-range weapons against Russian targets. President Putin mentions certain export restrictions on strategic raw materials as a response to the West, including uranium. ntv-reporter Munz investigates the background and implications.
08:40 Ukrainian Navy Ponders Russian ConstructionAn unidentified Russian construction project near the Crimean Bridge perplexes the Ukrainian Navy. Spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk suggested to Ukrainian television that the construction is underway, but its purpose remains unclear. "It might be a defensive installation, it might be another crossing, but it's still premature to make judgments," Pletenchuk said. He doesn't believe the Russians will complete it due to deteriorating weather conditions.
08:08 Ukrainian City Near Romanian Border Suffers Attack, Multiple CasualtiesThe city of Izmail in southern Ukraine has been attacked. According to the governor of the Odessa Oblast, Oleh Kiper, three people were killed in a Russian drone strike this morning, all elderly individuals, including a woman in her 90s. Eleven others, including a child, were injured. Damaged buildings and cars, as well as several fires, were reported. Izmail is situated on the Romanian border, with the northern mouth of the Danube River forming the boundary.
07:40 SPD Foreign Policy Expert Roth Urges More Arms Aid for Ukraine to Facilitate NegotiationsSPD foreign policy expert Michael Roth is advocating for increased European arms support for Ukraine. "Especially the large European countries must substantially contribute militarily so Ukraine remains a free and democratic nation," Roth told the "Tagesspiegel". "Now is the time to mobilize all resources to place Ukraine in an advantageous starting position for potential negotiations." The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag asserts: "Those who wish to end the conflict rapidly must provide Ukraine with what it needs." Military strength and diplomacy are two sides of the same coin. "Russia will not be in a spontaneous mood for negotiations until Putin believes a victory over Ukraine is impossible."
07:09 Baerbock: Without Our Support, Hospitals and Children Would Be VulnerableFederal Foreign Minister Baerbock defends Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and warns against waning support for Kyiv. "The thought that there would be no fighting or dying in Ukraine if defensive weapons were absent is as basic as it is false," Baerbock said on Thursday in the UN General Debate in New York. "If Russia halts its attack, the war ends. If Ukraine stops defending itself, it's over for Ukraine." Russian President Putin responded to an invitation to a peace conference in June with the bombing of a children's hospital. As long as Putin remains reluctant to attend negotiations, discontinuing support would mean "that Ukrainian hospitals and their children would be exposed. It would mean more war crimes, potentially also in other countries." Baerbock emphasized that Russia has "repeatedly played with the inviolability of the Baltic states' and Poland's borders."
The Slovenian administration advises against hasty decisions regarding the implementation of long-range Western weapons on Russian soil, despite German reservations. Prime Minister Robert Golob explains on the sidelines of the UN General Debate in New York, "Usually, it's not wise to exclude something as an option ahead of time." He continues, "This subject is complex, but I believe we should discuss all possibilities and choose the one that best fits the current situation." The deployment of long-range cruise missiles has been a contentious issue for Germany and the US thus far. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously rejected the delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine in the future.
06:11 Baerbock urges Iran to Stop Aiding Russia's Aggression against Ukraine
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock encourages Iran to cease supporting Russia's war on Ukraine and halt the shipment of ballistic missiles and drones. This was announced by the German Foreign Ministry on the X platform after Baerbock's meeting with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araktschi during the UN General Assembly in New York.
06:01 Trump Plans Meeting with Zelenskyy
Former US President Donald Trump plans to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday. The meeting will take place at Trump Tower in Manhattan, according to Trump. Zelenskyy, who had a meeting with President Joe Biden on Thursday, has extended his stay in the US to meet Trump. Before his trip to the US, Zelenskyy had expressed his desire to meet Trump, Democrat President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris to outline his "plan to end the war in Ukraine." Learn more about this here.
04:25 Harris Vows Support to Zelenskyy and Warns Against Trump
Democratic presidential candidate Harris promises her support to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and issues a warning against her potential Republican opponent Trump (unspoken). "My support for the Ukrainian people is unwavering. (...) I will continue to stand with Ukraine and aid in ensuring it emerges victorious and lives in peace and prosperity," Harris declared during a visit to Zelenskyy in Washington. She warns that a peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine's involvement. However, there are "some" in the US who have such intentions. Their goal is to persuade Ukraine to relinquish substantial parts of its territory, remain neutral, and renounce security guarantees from other nations. These proposals mirror those of Russian President Putin, they represent a call for surrender.
02:08 Ukraine Reports Attacks in the West of Kherson
Russian troops launched repeated shelling attacks on the Tomyna Balka settlement west of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson on Thursday, reported the region's governor, Prokrudin. One woman was killed, and another was injured, according to reports on Telegram.
00:55 UK to Provide Additional Artillery Systems to Ukraine
The UK will supply another batch of AS90 self-propelled artillery systems to the Ukrainian defense forces. A total of 10 of these systems have already been delivered to Ukraine, with an additional 6 set to be delivered in the coming weeks, the British Ministry of Defense announced.
23:33 UN Struggling to Support Ukrainians this Winter
The United Nations has acknowledged that it is suffering from a severe lack of funds to aid people in Ukraine during the winter. "Funding levels of organizations like ours are inadequate for this time of year," says Karolina Lindholm Billing, the coordinator for Ukraine at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The UNHCR currently has only 47% of the funding it requires to support the millions of Ukrainians affected by the war or displaced in their country. Last year at this time, the UNHCR was 70% funded.
22:13 Biden: USA to Strengthen Ukraine Aid
According to President Joe Biden, the USA will increase its support for Ukraine during the remaining length of his term. This will bolster the negotiations position of the Ukrainian government, Biden claimed, before speaking with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. Biden's term ends in January. He could be succeeded by his Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, who is anticipated to reduce US engagement with Ukraine.
21:34 Ukraine: Russia Intensifying Attacks in Zaporizhzhia
According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, Russian troops are preparing to escalate their activities in the Zaporizhzhia region. "There's a trend toward intensifying hostilities in the combat zone sector of Zaporizhzhia," a spokesperson for the troops stationed in southern Ukraine said on national television. "In the last 24 hours, we've seen five attacks, and based on our information, this number could increase, as the enemy is concentrating attack groups near the settlement of Pryiutne." Additionally, light armored vehicles have been received on the Russian side, the spokesperson said. "This means they are preparing for offensive operations."
21:00 Biden Assures Zelensky of Continued US Support
At the start of their meeting in Washington, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine. "Russia will not prevail, Ukraine will," Biden said, greeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House: "And we will stand by your side every step of the way." Read more about this here.
You can review previous eventshere*.
The Commission has expressed concern over potential escalations in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, calling for de-escalation and adherence to international law.
Given the current situation, The Commission is urging all parties involved to engage in diplomatic negotiations and find a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.
