At 08:43, the authorities reported 42,000 missing Ukrainians.
In Ukraine, approximately 42,000 people are currently missing, among them soldiers and civilians. The Interior Ministry has made this public statement. The number was previously reported to be around 51,000 missing, according to the ministry. However, about 4000 soldiers reported missing in action have later been found and identified. Approximately 3000 missing persons have been found alive, many of whom were prisoners of war. Difficulties in identifying the dead arise because the Defense Ministry does not take genetic samples from the soldiers it sends into the field.
08:15 Hungary lobbies for Russia's participation in the second Ukraine peace summit
Hungary is lobbying for Russia's participation in the planned second Ukraine peace conference. There are efforts to hold another peace summit this year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated. This is welcome news. "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 summit took place in mid-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 to exchange prisoners 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, with the help of the United Arab Emirates, a large prisoner exchange with Russia soon. The two warring parties have already exchanged prisoners several times.
06:55 Ukrainian startups develop robots for the frontline
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. A "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 save its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.
06:20 State and government leaders from 47 countries speak about Ukraine
At the invitation of the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, state and government leaders from 47 countries will meet tomorrow. The 27 EU member states plus 20 third countries will discuss, among other things, further 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 providing Ukraine with 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 Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing informed sources. The United States and the European Union are each supposed to contribute 20 billion dollars. Japan, Great Britain, and Canada together contribute 10 billion dollars. The package is expected to be adopted 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 reconstruction of children's clinic
According to reports in the "Rheinische Post" newspaper, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has pledged ten million Euros to the Ukrainian government for the reconstruction of a children's hospital in Kiev. The funds will be used in conjunction with contributions from other donors and sponsors to quickly make the hospital operational and winter-proof again. This will include repairs and maintenance on facades, treatment rooms, and the electrical and heating systems.
02:10 Medvedev warns NATO of "point of no return"
Following the NATO summit's promise to consider Ukraine as a member, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the alliance. In an article for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he referred to a potential Ukrainian membership as a potential declaration of war against Russia. "This would essentially be a declaration of war - albeit with a delay. The measures taken by our adversaries against us for years, by expanding the alliance, ... are bringing NATO to a point of no return." Russia is not threatening NATO, but will react to attempts by the alliance to advance its interests. "The harder their attempts, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether this 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 has returned a "significant amount" of outdated 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 is vital on the battlefield today," said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Dshyhar. Anything that can be repaired and reused will be given a second life.
23:37 Ukrainian troops give up positions in the southeast
Ukrainian troops have reportedly given up positions in the southeastern part of the country in 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 present in the underbank area of the Dnipro River. 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 aid the Ukrainian government in Kiev, helping displaced or otherwise war-affected Ukrainians, according to Grandi during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The UNHCR also plans to mobilize future funds to support the attacked country. Zelenskyy thanked the aid, stating it 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 further help to rebuild destroyed houses and install bomb shelters in schools and hospitals. This will provide the displaced Ukrainians with 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, according to its own reports. Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced this on Twitter, along with a video allegedly showing multiple hits from suspected 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 on the brink 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 Schmyhal. This was reported by the "Kyiv Post" citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament was instructed to prepare for a discussion and vote on a new cabinet on Tuesday in the coming week, according to the newspaper. Zelenskyy himself also commented on 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 leave Russian power grid
The Baltic States have reportedly informed Russia and its ally Belarus of their intention to leave the power grid of the former Soviet Union. "We will cut the last energy connections with Russia," explains the head of the state-owned Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid, Rokas Masiulis. The step is expected to take place in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries plan to 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 "AloneActions" of Orbán
Following the scandal over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU partners are increasing the pressure on Budapest. During a Finance Minister meeting in Brussels, most member states called on Hungary to keep Ukraine aid as a priority. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "AloneActions". "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 from fighting illegal migration to competitiveness, but Ukraine was not mentioned.
You can read about all previous developments here.
- Despite Hungary's lobbying for Russia's participation in the second Ukraine peace summit, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov has stated that Russia has no intention to attend.
- The cyberwar against Ukraine has reportedly involved numerous attacks on critical infrastructure, including military operations, with Russia often being suspected as the perpetrator.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has stressed the importance of international cooperation in addressing the Ukraine-Conflict, particularly in the context of cybersecurity and military support.
- NATO has strengthened its support for Ukraine in light of the ongoing conflict, including the provision of cyberdefense tools to help Ukraine protect against potential cyberattacks.
- The Ukraine-Conflict has highlighting the need for strengthening cybersecurity measures globally, with many countries, including NATO members, pledging to enhance their cyberdefenses to protect against foreign threats.
