12:48 Study: Citizen's income has little influence on employment of Ukrainian refugees
Social benefits such as Citizen's Pension have little influence on the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees. On the other hand, factors such as social networks in the respective countries, the level of English language proficiency of the local population, and childcare are significant. This is evident from a European study by the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research (IAB). In Germany, the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees is 27%, which is in the middle range. The highest rate is in Lithuania with 57%, Denmark with 53%, and Poland with 48%.
11:53 Protection from Rockets: Charkiw Schoolchildren to be Taught Underground
Children in the city of Charkiw in northeastern Ukraine, which has been under almost daily Russian shelling since the start of the war, will reportedly be taught more frequently in underground schools: According to city administration, an underground school project has already been implemented. The construction of three more such facilities has begun. The children will be better protected from Russian air raids in this way.
11:22 Media: Ukraine to Receive 32 Outdated F-16s from Greece
Greece plans to decommission 32 outdated F-16 fighter jets and hand them over to the USA. According to the "New Voice of Ukraine" portal and a report from the Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera, these planes will then be modernized and delivered to Ukraine. Kiev already has 60 F-16 jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, but allegedly needs at least 150 combat jets to launch rockets and missiles against Russia and repel aerial attacks on a broad front. There have been devastating bombing raids, the latest being on a children's hospital in Kiev with at least seven fatalities.
10:35 Ukraine Reports 112 Frontline Fights Since Yesterday
The Ukrainian army general staff recorded 112 fights at the frontline in the past 24 hours. Among them were reportedly four rocket attacks on Ukrainian forces and populated areas, as well as 71 air raids with 119 guided air-to-ground bombs. In addition, Russia conducted over 4,300 artillery attacks, including 121 with multiple rocket launchers.
09:54 Russia and China Begin Joint Naval Exercise
Russia and China have begun a naval exercise in the South China Sea. The exercise is scheduled to last three days, according to Russian and Chinese state media. During the exercise, they are reportedly practicing air and submarine defense. Sharp ammunition is also expected to be used. Only a few days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries announced a strengthening of their partnership and described it as "boundless".
08:43 Ministry Reports 42,000 Missing Ukrainians
Approximately 42,000 people are currently missing in Ukraine, including soldiers and civilians. The Interior Ministry made this announcement. The number was previously higher at around 51,000, but approximately 4,000 missing soldiers have been found and identified, and about 3,000 missing persons have been found alive, many of whom were prisoners of war. Identifying the dead is reportedly difficult because the Defense Ministry does not take DNA samples from the soldiers it sends into the field.
08:15 Hungary calls for a peace summit with Russia
Hungary is calling for Russia's participation in the planned second peace conference on Ukraine. There are efforts to hold another peace summit this year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. "If we want to hope for the success of a future peace conference, we must ensure that both sides are represented," he added. Hungary currently holds the EU presidency. The first peace summit took place in the middle of June at the request of Ukraine, with representatives from over 90 countries attending in Switzerland. Russia expressed its disinterest early on and was therefore not invited.
07:46 Russia and Ukraine to exchange prisoners today
Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 90 prisoners today. This was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, according to the Bloomberg news agency, citing a source. Last week, Ukrainian media reported that the parliament's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinez, had announced that the government was planning a large prisoner exchange with Russia with the help of the United Arab Emirates. The two warring parties have already exchanged prisoners several times.
06:55 Ukrainian startups develop robots for the front
Ukrainian startups are developing affordable robots for mine clearance, evacuation of battlefields, transportation of equipment, and combat support. This was reported by the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform. An "ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops" is using innovations to create a robot army. Ukraine hopes that this army will be able to kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.
06:20 State and government heads of 47 countries to speak about Ukraine
At the invitation of the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, state and government heads of 47 countries will meet tomorrow. The 27 EU member states and 20 third countries will discuss additional aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also registered. There will be several round tables on security policy and defense, but other topics will also be discussed. Ukraine is represented at the conference.
04:37 Japan grants Ukraine a loan from frozen Russian assets
Japan is reportedly granting Ukraine a loan of 3.3 billion dollars from frozen Russian assets. The sum is part of the 50-billion-dollar package from the G7 countries, according to the Kyodo news agency, citing informed sources. The United States and the European Union are each supposed to contribute 20 billion dollars, while Japan, Great Britain, and Canada together contribute 10 billion dollars. The package is expected to be approved at a G7 summit on the sidelines of the G20 finance summit at the end of the month in Brazil.
03:26 German government gives Kiev ten million euros for the reconstruction of a children's clinic
After the rocket attack on the children's clinic in Kiev, the German Development Ministry is offering the Ukrainian government ten million euros for its reconstruction. The funds will be used in conjunction with contributions from other donors and sponsors to quickly make the clinic operational and winter-proof again, according to the "Rheinische Post" newspaper, citing ministry statements. This includes repairs and maintenance work on facades, in treatment rooms, and the power and heating supply.
02:10 Medvedev warns NATO of "point of no return"
At the NATO summit's promise to offer Ukraine membership, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the alliance. In a post for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he labeled a potential Ukrainian membership as a potential declaration of war against Russia. "That would essentially be a declaration of war - if only with a delay. The measures that Russia's adversaries have taken against us for years by expanding the alliance ... are bringing NATO to a point of no return." Russia does not threaten NATO but will react to the alliance's attempts to advance its interests. "The harder these attempts are, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether it tears the whole planet apart depends only on the wisdom of the (NATO) side."
01:00 Ukrainian soldiers use expired ammunition
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry, according to its own statements, has returned a "considerable amount" of old ammunition to the military that should have been disposed of before the first Russian attack on Ukrainian territory in 2014. The ammunition is already being used on the battlefield. "We are looking for internal reserves to supply Ukrainian soldiers with ammunition. We know that every shot, every rocket, and every grenade on the battlefield is life-saving," said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Dzhigar. Everything that can be repaired and reused is given a second life.
23:37 Ukrainian troops give up positions in the southeast
Ukrainian troops, according to unofficial reports, have had to give up positions in the southeast of the country in Krynky in the Cherson region and Urozhayne in the Donezk region under Russian pressure. "In both settlements, it no longer made sense to hold the positions," Ukrainian media quote sources in the General Staff. The battles for the settlement of Krynky on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in the Cherson region were criticized from the start due to their futility. It is unclear whether Ukrainian soldiers are still holding positions in the underflow of the Dnipro River on the southern bank. Read more here.
22:07 New aid for Ukraine
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi announced a new aid package of $100 million (around 93 million Euros) during a visit to Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will support the preparation for winter and continue to support the Ukrainian government in helping displaced or otherwise war-affected Ukrainians, Grandi said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The agency also plans to mobilize future funds to support the war-torn country. Zelenskyy thanked for the aid, which is urgently needed due to the damage to the energy infrastructure from Russian attacks. At the same time, the president's office stated that the country still needs further aid to rebuild destroyed houses and install bomb shelters in schools and hospitals. This gives displaced Ukrainians the security to return home.
21:27 Ukraine reports destruction of Russian S-300 air defense system
Ukraine claims to have destroyed a Russian S-300 air defense system in the occupied Oblast Donezk. This was announced by Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on Twitter. A video disseminated by the Ukrainian military shows several hits of alleged ATACMS missiles with cluster munitions. According to Syrskyi, several launch pads and a radar station of the system were destroyed.
20:49 Report: Ukrainian government may be reshuffling
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly on the verge of reshuffling his government and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. This was reported by the "Kyiv Post" citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament has reportedly been instructed to prepare for a discussion and vote on a new cabinet on Tuesday in the coming week. Even Zelenskyy himself spoke about the possibility of government changes on Monday. "Could there be changes in the government? Probably, yes", so the Ukrainian President. "We are in a process."
20:02 Baltic States disconnecting from Russian power grid
The Baltic States have reportedly informed Russia and its ally Belarus of their withdrawal from the power grid of the former Soviet Union. "We will cut the last energy connections with Russia", explains the head of the state Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid, Rokas Masiulis. This step is supposed to take effect in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries will connect to the European power grid. "In half a year, we will not only disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian power grid, but also dismantle the last power lines", explains Masiulis.
19:20 Lindner criticizes Orbán's "solo actions"
Following the controversy over Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU members are increasing pressure on Budapest. At a finance ministers' meeting in Brussels, most EU members called on Hungary to continue prioritizing Ukraine aid. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "solo actions". "Hungary should know that the peace and freedom order of Europe as a whole is being defended in Ukraine", said Lindner in the public debate. The priority of this under Hungary's EU presidency must also remain "top" until the end of the year. Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had previously presented seven priorities from fighting illegal migration to competitiveness, but Ukraine was not mentioned.
- The ongoing 'Attack on Ukraine' has led to frequent Russian air raids, including a devastating bombing on a children's hospital in Kiev with at least seven fatalities.
- Russia and China are conducting a joint naval exercise in the South China Sea, which some see as a potential threat, given Russia's involvement in the 'Ukraine-Conflict'.
- The NATO summit's promise to offer Ukraine membership has renewed threats from former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, who warned of a potential "point of no return" if NATO advances its interests.
- In response to the 'Attack on Ukraine', Germany is offering ten million euros for the reconstruction of a children's clinic in Kiev, which was damaged in a rocket attack.
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for a new aid package of $100 million (around 93 million Euros), urgently needed to repair damaged infrastructure and provide security for displaced Ukrainians.
