At 12:31, Ukraine announces triumphant cyber attack on Russian military drills
11:56 ntv-Journalist in Odessa: Ukraine worried about corrupt deal in truce agreementAfter the cancellation of the Ukraine summit in Ramstein, Zelensky visits European leaders in London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin. In Germany, the Ukrainian president meets with Scholz and Steinmeier. ntv-correspondent Stephan Richter knows what topics could be on the agenda:
11:35 Zelensky meets with the Pope in Vatican CityUkrainian President Zelensky met with Pope Francis in Vatican City this morning. It was Zelensky's second private audience. Since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the Pope has frequently issued peace appeals, which have often been criticized in Kyiv. In March, Francis stirred up a diplomatic row between Kyiv and the Vatican after he urged Ukraine to "surrender and negotiate". Zelensky now plans to continue his journey to Berlin.
11:05 Söder and Röttgen push for more aid for UkraineCSU leader Markus Söder calls for the EU to stand firm in supporting Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. The EU must not be swayed by the alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht or the AfD in its foreign policy, said the Bavarian Minister-President to the "Augsburger Allgemeine". "The AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht are Putin's mouthpiece," emphasized Söder. "Our foreign policy should not be influenced by this." Söder disagreed with demands by eastern German CDU politicians for a stronger focus on diplomatic solutions in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "By giving in like this, we would create new threat scenarios," he said. "And in five or six years, a similar scenario could threaten half of Europe," warned the CSU leader. Meanwhile, CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen calls for increased aid for Ukraine and criticizes the government's approach. Röttgen criticizes the cancellation of the Ukraine summit scheduled for tomorrow in Ramstein. "It's a worrying sign of leadership weakness in Europe that we can't even hold this summit without the American president and achieve concrete results," he said to Wirtschaftswoche.
10:51 Prison Sentence for Planned Attack on Russian Recruitment Office in RussiaIn Russia, a man from Siberia has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for allegedly planning an arson attack on a military recruitment office. The 45-year-old was found guilty by a military court of collaborating with a foreign state, membership in a terrorist organization, and attempted arson, according to the FSB security service as reported by Interfax news agency. Investigators claim that the man contacted a representative of a paramilitary organization, which is considered a terrorist group in Russia, via the internet. He then proceeded to make incendiary devices to set fire to a recruitment office in Barnaul in southern Siberia.
10:38 Putin Meets with Iranian PresidentRussian President Putin has traveled to Turkmenistan to participate in an international forum with leading politicians from Central Asia. A meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was also planned to discuss the situation in the Middle East. In his opening speech, Putin reiterated his desire to build a new world order with Russia's friends and partners, as shown in a video released by the Kremlin. Moscow and Tehran signed an agreement worth around 1.5 billion euros after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, allowing Iran to export drones to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. The US believes that Iran has also supplied Russia with ballistic short-range missiles.
10:21 Ukraine Claims Destruction of Russian HelicopterUkrainian forces claim to have destroyed a Mi-8 helicopter in the Kharkiv region, according to the Kyiv Independent. The General Staff did not provide details on how the helicopter was destroyed. The report values the helicopter at 10 to 15 million dollars.
09:50 Kiesewetter: Ukraine Faces Complete DominationCDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter emphasizes the importance of clear support for Ukraine before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Germany. He stated in the ARD "Morgenmagazin" that not enough is being said about what is at stake. "Ukraine faces complete domination, mass flight, and Putin says: Why should I negotiate?" Diplomatic initiatives do not force Russian President Putin to the negotiating table, "because he sees that Ukraine is running out of ammunition."
09:19 Ukraine: Russia Moves 50,000 Soldiers to KurskAccording to Ukrainian reports, Russia has moved around 50,000 soldiers from other front sections to the Russian region of Kursk since the start of the Ukrainian offensive. Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported this in a television documentary, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian leadership had stated that one of the main goals of the offensive since August was to distract Russian forces from the battlefields in Ukraine.
08:13 Russian Cultural Influence: Putin Will Corrupt Future Generations Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky ("Metro", "Outpost"), now living in exile outside of Russia, hopes for resistance against Kremlin leader Putin. "Over the past three decades prior to the conflict, a generation has emerged that aspires to a typical, enjoyable, and free human existence," states the 45-year-old. Tens of millions of Russians in cities do not support the conflict against Ukraine and possess the potential for opposition against the establishment. He anticipates the Kremlin leader to attempt to corrupt "this next generation" within the next five to seven years. Despite this, he remains hopeful towards the future because the conflict is unpopular in Russia and countless individuals in the country desire a different life.
Read more about this here.
07:36 Ukraine Suffers Casualties After Odessa Attack A Russian missile strike in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa has resulted in five fatalities, according to local authorities. A ballistic missile struck a two-story building inhabited by civilians and workers, as regional governor Oleh Kiper stated on the Telegram messaging service. Another ten people were harmed.
07:11 NATO Believes Germany Needs to Increase Defense Spending NATO considers Chancellor Olaf Scholz's "turning point" policy inadequate and calls for a substantial increase in defense spending from Germany. "Two percent is not enough for Germany. It needs to move towards three percent," said Germany's highest-ranking NATO general, Christian Badia, to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". Germany is currently meeting the NATO target of spending two percent of its GDP on defense. With a GDP of approximately four trillion euros, three percent would presently mean an additional 40 billion euros per year.
06:49 Insurance Costs for Ukrainian Shipping Corridor Surge Insurance costs for ships traversing the Ukrainian shipping corridor in the Black Sea have skyrocketed this week following Russia's increased attacks on key ports, as reported by financial news agency Bloomberg. The costs are now at one percent of the ship's value. While traffic remains stable, further attacks could lead shipowners to exercise greater caution.
06:21 Ukraine Approves New Drone Models Since the start of the year, over 140 unmanned aerial systems and 33 ground robot systems of Ukrainian origin have been authorized for use in the military, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported, according to state news agency Ukrinform. Approximately 40% of these were registered in the third quarter, indicating a rise in Ukrainian weapons production.
05:42 Explosions Reported in Kyiv Explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Air defense forces are active in the capital. "Explosion sounds are being heard in the capital - air defense forces are in operation. Stay in shelters," he wrote on Telegram.
04:17 Zelensky's Meeting with Scholz in Berlin Postponed Ukrainian President Zelensky is expected in Berlin as part of his tour through various European capitals. According to reports from Kyiv, a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled for 2:30 PM. During his meetings with Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Zelensky will discuss further support for Ukraine with weapon deliveries for its defense against Russian invaders, along with efforts towards a peaceful resolution. Originally, Zelensky was to participate in a summit on the situation in Ukraine on Saturday at the US airbase in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, but this meeting was postponed after US President Joe Biden canceled his state visit to Germany due to Hurricane "Milton". On Thursday, Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in London. Later, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris before continuing to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. During his European tour, Zelensky is seeking further support for the fight against Russian invasion troops.
03:21 Biden and Scholz Reaffirm Support for Ukraine After the tentative cancellation of his visit to Germany, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have reaffirmed their close cooperation. This includes, among other things, the joint "support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression," according to a statement released in Washington by Biden. The relationship between the US and Germany is one of "enduring strength." Biden postponed his state visit to Germany, scheduled for this week, due to Hurricane "Milton", which swept across Florida on Wednesday night. A summit of the Ukraine Contact Group planned for Saturday at the US airbase in Ramstein will also not take place.
02:40 Russian Offensive in Eastern Ukraine Continues Russian troops are continuing their offensive in eastern Ukraine with significant force, according to Ukrainian military reports. There were 114 assaults across the entire day on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian General Staff's evening situation report. Alone at the Lyman front section, 30 attacks were recorded. The railway junction is located in the Donetsk region. However, the front section also includes the last villages of the Luhansk region that Russia has not yet occupied. Moscow declared the entire Luhansk region annexed in 2022. Other focal points of the attacks were the Pokrovsk and Kurachiv sections. The military's numbers are currently not verifiable in detail but allow conclusions to be drawn about the intensity of the fighting. The military-affiliated but unofficial Ukrainian blog DeepState reported in the evening that four small villages on the eastern front had been captured by the Russian army.
1:49 Before Scholz Meets with Zelensky: Experts Urge Long-Range Weapons for Ukraine's Defense Before Chancellor Scholz's meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, foreign and defense experts from the Greens, FDP, and Union are advocating for the dispatch of German weapon systems with extended reach to the nation under Russia's attack. "We need to significantly ramp up the supply of air defense, ammo, and long-range weapons to Ukraine," stated Green politician Hofreiter to the "Rheinische Post". "Range limitations on delivered weapons are not conducive to de-escalation, but rather facilitate further Russian attacks," cautions the Green politician. "Ukraine is sinking, and we're still just throwing it lifelines to save it," criticized the chairperson of the Defense Committee in the European Parliament, Strack-Zimmermann of the FDP. CDU defense expert Wadephul reiterated his demand to supply Ukraine with German cruise missiles. "Providing Taurus would be a significant boost. This is evident from the successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian depots deep in enemy territory using cruise missiles with comparable power."
23:53 Italy Plans to Host Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in July 2025 Italy intends to host a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in July 2025. The conference for Ukraine's reconstruction is scheduled for July 10 and 11, 2025, revealed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to journalists in Rome following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Ukraine is not alone, and we will support it as long as necessary."
22:21 Foreigners Soon to Hold Officer Positions in Ukrainian Military Foreign citizens will soon be eligible for officer roles within the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian parliament has approved a bill amendment granting this authorization. So far, foreign volunteers could only serve as soldiers or sergeants. "The primary goal is to recruit foreigners not only as soldiers and sergeants but also as officers," writes MP Oleksii Honcharenko on Telegram.
You can check out all previous developments [here].
The European Union plays a crucial role in supporting Ukraine, as CSU leader Markus Söder calls for the EU to stand firm in backing Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. Following Zelensky's meetings with Scholz and Steinmeier in Germany, the President of Ukraine continues his journey to Berlin to seek further support from European leaders.
