Blinken arrives back in Poland following his trip to Kiev at 10:31.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken Stops in Ally Poland After Kyiv Visit Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes a stop in Poland, a key supporter of Ukraine, following his trip to Kyiv. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda. During his visit, Blinken is expected to discuss strengthened cooperation with Poland, which serves as a crucial logistics hub for Western military aid to Ukraine. Poland has also notably boosted its military expenditure since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and ordered 96 Apache combat helicopters from American defense giant Boeing, worth a whopping $10 billion.
09:59 Ukraine Reports 64 Russian Drones, 5 Missiles in Overnight Attack The Ukrainian air force alleges that Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight using 5 missiles and 64 Iranian-origin combat drones. 44 of these drones were reportedly intercepted. The military reports are not entirely verifiable. Air defense was also active near Kyiv to shoot down approaching drones.
09:11 Russian Expert Urges Stronger Nuclear Deterrent Russian foreign policy expert Sergei Karaganov suggests that Russia should explicitly express its readiness to use nuclear weapons. According to him, the primary objective of Russia's nuclear policy should be to convince all current and future adversaries that Russia is prepared to use nuclear weapons. Karaganov asserts that Russia could carry out a limited nuclear strike on a NATO country without triggering a full-scale nuclear war. He argues that the U.S. would be misleading if it claimed to offer nuclear protection to its allies.
08:46 Ukraine Hopes for U.S. Approval to Use Long-Range Missiles There's a growing expectation in Ukraine that they will be granted permission to launch attacks deeper into Russian territory with Western weapons. During his visit to Kyiv, Secretary of State Blinken stated his intent to ensure that Ukraine has all the necessary resources. In the UK, indications seem to be leaning towards approval.
08:04 Ukrainian Intelligence Reports Downing of Russian Fighter Jet Following reports of a missing Russian Su-30SM fighter jet from the previous day, Ukrainian military intelligence now claims that Ukrainian forces shot down such an aircraft during an operation in the Black Sea. Kyiv Independent reports that the multi-million dollar jet, stationed in Crimea, was destroyed by a portable air defense system.
07:26 Ukraine Reports Over a Dozen Injured in Konotop Massive Attack The number of injured in the substantial Russian drone attack on Konotop's energy infrastructure in the Sumy region has risen to 13. According to Ukrinform, the regional military administration reported the rise in casualties. Among other things, a residential building in the city center was reportedly hit.
06:42 Ukrainians in Germany Retain Protected Status on Home Visits The German parliament is debating the federal government's proposed security package for the first time today, which includes bans on knives and the withdrawal of refugee status for those returning to their home countries. However, exceptions apply, such as for refugees from Ukraine.
06:04 Russian Media Accuses Trump of Being Disadvantaged in Debate Several commentators on Russian state television have accused the U.S. President Trump of being unfairly treated in his debate against Kamala Harris. According to the Kyiv Independent, they claimed "sabotage" against Trump. Trump's comments were critically scrutinized during the debate. Many observers viewed Trump as losing the debate, while the Republican has promised to end the Ukraine conflict if he wins the election.
04:50 Russian Attack in Konotop: Severe Damage to Energy Infrastructure Several civilians were injured in a Russian attack on Konotop in the Sumy region. Mayor Artem Semenikhin reported temporary disruption of the city's water supply. There is also significant damage to the energy infrastructure, and it remains unclear when private households will have electricity again. Following the attack in the city center, several fires occurred, and school and residential buildings were damaged. Two individuals were transported to the hospital, with one reportedly in critical condition.
03:29 Latvia Provides More Military Aid to Ukraine Latvia's Prime Minister, Evika Silina, announced a military aid package for Ukraine during her visit to Kyiv. This package includes armored personnel carriers. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed this following the meeting with Silina. Both countries are also exploring the possibility of increased defense industry cooperation.
01:32 UK Summons Iranian Businessman over Suspected Russian Rocket Deliveries The UK has summoned an Iranian businessman in response to suspected Iranian rocket shipments to Russia, according to a statement from the UK's Foreign Office. "The UK government has made it clear that any transfer of ballistic rockets to Russia would be considered a dangerous escalation and would prompt a firm response," the statement read. On Tuesday, Germany, France, and the UK imposed additional sanctions against Iran due to the suspected rocket shipments, particularly the suspension of bilateral air transport agreements. The European Union previously cited "credible evidence" of Iranian rocket shipments to Russia.
00:14 Ukraine: Russia Deploys Green Soldiers in VovchanskBased on reports from the Ukrainian military, Russia is utilizing untrained soldiers on the Kharkiv front. Vitalii Sarantsev, spokesperson for the operational tactical group of the armed forces in Kharkiv, mentioned that the troops involved in the offensive operations in Vovchansk are inadequately trained. It's speculated that the recent reinforcements are a conscripted reserve assembled by Russia. It remains unclear if they're ex-convicts or soldiers enlisted from other countries, such as Central Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.
22:39 Mayor in Western Ukraine Enlists Russian-Speaking InspectorsThe mayor of the western Ukrainian city of Iwano-Frankiwsk has announced language patrols due to the rising usage of Russian. "This is a community initiative, and anyone can join as a language inspector," said the mayor of the city, Ruslan Marzinkiw, to the TV channel NTA. Numerous internal refugees from the eastern Ukraine have Russian as their mother tongue. Marzinkiw anticipates at least 100 such language monitors, with currently around 50 volunteers having signed up. He also mentioned the number of a hotline where citizens can report Russian speakers in public areas. Due to the conflict, millions of people, especially from the Russian-speaking areas in the east and south, have fled to the relatively safe Ukrainian-speaking west of Ukraine.
21:42 Erdogan Calls for Crimea's Return from MoscowTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia, to be returned to Ukraine. "Our commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence remains unwavering. Crimea's return to Ukraine is a requirement of international law," said the Turkish leader in a video message on the occasion of the summit of the so-called Crimea Platform. With the Crimea Platform, established in 2021, Kyiv aims to garner more international attention to the situation around the annexed peninsula.
21:05 Report: Kyiv to Share Military Strategy with USAUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees the USA's support as crucial in repelling the Russian invasion. "Our plan for victory (...) largely depends on the USA's support. And from other allies," said Zelenskyy at a press conference in Kyiv. The plan, which will be disclosed before the planned second Ukraine Peace Conference, aims to significantly beef up Ukraine and "compel Russia to end the war." According to Bloomberg, the USA is insisting on a clear strategy from Zelenskyy for strikes against Russia before lifting the restrictions on the use of Western weapons. In Kyiv, US Secretary of State Blinken and British Foreign Secretary Lammy reportedly sought a long-term plan from Zelenskyy for the coming year to better understand Ukraine's aims.
20:37 Blinken Reveals Biden's Stance on Weapon Use in RussiaAccording to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the USA is working "vigorously" to meet Ukraine's military demands, which seeks to utilize long-range weapons provided by the West for strikes on Russian targets. US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss the demands on Friday, said Blinken at a joint press conference with his British counterpart David Lammy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiga in Kyiv. "We are working vigorously to ensure that Ukraine has all it needs to defend itself effectively," Blinken continued, adding, "We want Ukraine to win."
The United Nations Security Council should be urged by The Commission to consider imposing stronger sanctions on Russia due to its ongoing aggression towards Ukraine. In response to the escalating tensions, The Commission could propose a resolution that explicitly condemns Russia's use of drones and missiles against civilian areas in Ukraine. Furthermore, The Commission could advocate for increased international aid to Ukraine to strengthen its defenses and sovereignty.
