13:55 Sharma: Ukraine must give up the village with symbolic value
Ukraine is facing a series of setbacks at the front, as reported by NTV reporter Kavita Sharma from Kiev. The military has reported withdrawals in the regions of Dnipro and Donetsk.
13:24 Kremlin casts doubt on offensive success
The Kremlin has dismissed speculation about the failure of the Russian offensive in the northeastern Ukraine. "The operation is continuing and it will continue until it is successfully completed," said Kreml spokesman Dmitri Peskov today. Yesterday, the governor of Belgorod announced access restrictions to 14 villages on the Russian side near the border. This is to protect the population from Ukrainian attacks. In response to a question about whether the access restrictions meant that the offensive in the northeast had failed, Peskov said: "No, that's not the case."
12:48 Study: Social benefits have little effect on employment of Ukrainian refugees
Social benefits such as child benefits have little effect on the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees. However, factors such as social networks in the respective countries, the level of English language skills of the population, and childcare are significant. This is shown in a Europe-wide study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). In Germany, the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees is 27%, which is in the middle. The highest rate is in Lithuania with 57%, Denmark with 53%, and Poland with 48%.
11:53 Protecting against rockets: Charkiw pupils to learn under ground
Children in the city of Charkiw, which has been under almost daily Russian shelling since the start of the war in the northeastern Ukraine, will reportedly be taught more frequently in underground schools in the future, according to local authorities. An underground school project has already been implemented. The construction of three further 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11:22 Media: Ukraine to receive 32 outdated F-16s from Greece
Greece plans to retire 32 outdated F-16 fighter jets and hand them over to the USA. According to a report by the portal "New Voice of Ukraine", these planes will then be modernized and delivered to Ukraine. Kiev already has 60 F-16 jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, but needs at least 150 combat aircraft to launch rockets and missiles against Russia and defend against wide-ranging air raids. There have been devastating bombing raids, the latest on a children's hospital in Kiev with at least seven fatalities.
10:35 Ukraine reports 112 frontline fights since yesterday
The Ukrainian military General Staff reported 112 fights at the front 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 bombs. In addition, Russia conducted more than 4,300 artillery attacks, of which 121 were with multiple rocket launchers.
09:54 Russia and China begin joint exercise
Russia and China have started a naval drill in the South China Sea. The exercise is expected to last three days, Russian and Chinese state media report today. The joint training is intended to practice air- and submarine defense. Sharp ammunition is also to be used. Few days before Russia's invasion in 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, soldiers and civilians. The Interior Ministry has made this announcement. The number was previously higher at around 51,000 missing, according to the Ministry. However, the bodies of about 4000 soldiers missing in action have been found and identified later. About 3000 missing persons were found alive, many of them prisoners of war. Identifying the dead is reportedly difficult because the Defense Ministry does not take DNA samples from soldiers it sends into the field.
08:15 Hungary lobbies for Russia's participation in peace summit
Hungary is lobbying for Russia's participation in the planned second Ukraine peace conference. There are efforts to hold another peace conference this year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. That's a good thing. "I believe that if we want to hope for the success of a future peace conference, we must ensure that both sides are represented." Hungary currently holds the EU presidency. The first peace conference was held in June at the request of Ukraine, with representatives from over 90 countries attending in Switzerland. Russia declared its disinterest in the conference early on and was therefore not invited.
07:46 Russia and Ukraine plan prisoner exchange today
Russia and Ukraine plan to exchange 90 prisoners today. This was reported by the news agency Bloomberg, citing a source. Ukrainian media reported last week 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 ammunition. This was reported by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. An "ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops" is using innovations to create a robot army. The Ukraine hopes that this robot army will be able to kill Russian troops and rescue its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.
06:20 State and government heads of 47 countries discuss 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 plus 20 third countries plan to discuss, among other things, further aid for Ukraine in its defense war against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also registered. There will be several tables for security policy and defense, but other topics will also be discussed. Ukraine is represented at the conference.
04:37 Japan grants Ukraine a loan of 3.3 billion dollars from frozen Russian assets
According to reports from the Kyodo news agency, Japan is supposedly providing Ukraine with a loan of 3.3 billion dollars from the interest on frozen Russian assets. The sum is said to be part of the 50-billion-dollar package from the G7 countries. The USA and the European Union (EU) are each supposed to contribute 20 billion dollars, while Japan, the UK, and Canada are contributing a combined ten 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 grants Kiev ten million euros for reconstruction of children's clinic
Following the rocket attack on the children's hospital in Kiev, the German Development Ministry has pledged ten million euros to the Ukrainian government for the hospital's reconstruction. The funds will be used in conjunction with contributions from other donors and sponsors to quickly make the hospital operational and winter-proof again, according to reports in the "Rheinische Post" citing ministry sources. This includes repairs and maintenance work on facades, treatment rooms, and the electrical and heating systems.
02:10 Medvedev warns NATO of a "point of no return"
Following the NATO summit's announcement that it will offer Ukraine membership, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the alliance. In an article for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he described a potential Ukrainian membership as a declaration of war against Russia. "This would essentially be a declaration of war - if only a delayed one. The measures taken by our adversaries against us for years by expanding the alliance ... are bringing NATO to a point of no return." Russia does not threaten NATO, but will respond to attempts by the alliance to advance its interests. "The harder the attempts, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether this will tear the whole planet apart depends solely on the wisdom of the NATO side."
01:00 Ukrainian soldiers use expired ammunition
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has returned a "significant amount" of old ammunition to the military, which 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 Dshyhar. Everything that can be repaired and reused is given a second life.
23:37 Ukrainian troops abandon positions in the southeast
Ukrainian troops have reportedly withdrawn from positions in the southeast of the country at Krynky in the Cherson region and Uroschajne 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 fighting for the settlement of Krynky on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in the Cherson region was criticized from the outset due to its futility. It is unclear whether Ukrainian soldiers are still holding positions in the lower reaches 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 Euro) during a visit to Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will support the preparation for winter and continue to assist the Ukrainian government in Kiev, helping displaced or otherwise affected Ukrainians, Grandi said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The Agency will also mobilize future funds to support the attacked country. Zelenskyy thanked for the aid, which he said was urgently needed due to the destruction of the energy infrastructure by Russian attacks. According to a statement from the Presidential Administration, the country still needs more help to rebuild destroyed houses and set up bomb shelters in schools and hospitals. This will provide security for the displaced Ukrainians 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 Donetsk oblast, according to its own reports. Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced this on Twitter, accompanied by a video allegedly showing several hits from suspected ATACMS rockets with cluster munitions. According to Syrskyi, several launchers and a radar station of the system were destroyed.
20:49 Report: Ukrainian government may be on the verge of resignation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly on the verge of reshuffling his cabinet and possibly asking for the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. This was reported by the "Kyiv Post" citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament was reportedly instructed to prepare for a discussion and vote on a new cabinet on Tuesday in the coming week. Zelenskyy himself also addressed the rumors of a possible cabinet reshuffle on Monday. "Could there be changes in the government? Yes, probably," the Ukrainian president said. "We are in a process."
20:02 Baltic States to disconnect from Russian power grid
The Baltic States have reportedly informed Russia and its ally Belarus of their intention to disconnect 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. The step is expected to take place in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries will connect to the European power grid. "In six months, we will not only disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian power grids, but also dismantle the last power lines," Masiulis explains.
19:20 Lindner criticizes Orbán's "Alone Actions" towards Orbán
Following the scandal over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU partners are increasing pressure on Budapest. During a Finance Ministers meeting in Brussels, most member states called on Hungary to keep Ukraine aid as a priority. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "Alone Actions." "Hungary should know that the peace and freedom order of Europe as a whole is being defended in Ukraine," Lindner stated in the public debate. This should remain a "Top-Priority" during Hungary's EU Presidency until the end of the year. Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had previously presented seven priorities, ranging from fighting illegal migration to competitiveness, but Ukraine was not mentioned.
You can read about all previous developments here.**
- The Ukrainian government is seeking assistance from NATO, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing concerns about a potential cyberwar from Russia.
- The conflict in Ukraine has led to increasing military deployments, with several countries reportedly considering sending military aid or modernizing their aircraft for delivery to Ukraine.
- In response to the conflict, Russia has been accused of launching attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including a children's hospital in Kiev, which has resulted in a need for international aid and reconstruction efforts.
- The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, has dismissed speculation about the failure of the Russian offensive in the northeastern Ukraine, stating that the operation is continuing.
- The conflict in Ukraine has had political implications, with Hungary lobbying for Russia's participation in a planned peace summit, despite Russia's disinterest in previous conferences.
