Potential Unauthorized Entry into NATO Airspace by Russian UAV at 11:27
A potential Russian drone might have briefly breached Romanian airspace yesterday night. The Romanian Defense Ministry confirmed this, mentioning that the drone likely transversed Romanian airspace in the border region for a fleeting duration of less than three minutes. This drone is believed to have been involved in an assault on the Ukrainian city of Izmail. As per Ukrainian authorities, Izmail was the target of a drone strike early on Friday morning, resulting in three deaths and around a dozen injuries.
10:57 Fritz: USA delivers precision-guided bombs to Ukraine for the first timeUkrainian President Zelensky travels to the USA to present his "victory plan" and seek additional military aid. Biden secures a weapons package worth around eight billion US dollars for Ukraine. Compared to previous deliveries, "that's a substantial increase," says ntv reporter Gordian Fritz.
10:20 Report: US intelligence agencies anticipate severe retaliation if long-range missile approval is grantedUS intelligence agencies reportedly see significant risks if Ukraine fires western long-range missiles at targets deep inside Russia. Approval for this from the West could lead to severe retaliation, according to an unpublished intelligence assessment seen by the "New York Times." The agencies reportedly consider various Russian reactions, ranging from arson and sabotage against facilities in Europe to potentially deadly attacks on US and European military support points. It's not expected that Russia would carry out such attacks openly, but rather through covert intelligence operations. The "New York Times" reports that US intelligence agencies also believe Ukraine does not have enough long-range missiles to significantly influence the course of the war. According to this assessment, the risk is high and the success uncertain. The newspaper writes that this could partly explain why the decision is so challenging for US President Biden.
09:57 Munz on new Putin threat: Raw material export stop "will not harm the West much"Russia threatens the USA with consequences if the green light is given for the use of long-range weapons against targets in Russia. President Putin mentions potential export restrictions on strategic raw materials, including uranium, as a possible retaliation against the West. ntv reporter Munz explains the background and consequences.
08:40 Ukrainian Navy Puzzled by Russian Construction Near Crimea BridgeAn unknown Russian structure near the Crimea Bridge is keeping the Ukrainian Navy on guard, according to Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk, as reported by "The Kyiv Independent" on Ukrainian TV. Its purpose remains unclear. "It could be a defensive installation, it could be another crossing, but it's still too early to draw conclusions," Pletenchuk said. The Navy spokesman doesn't believe the Russians will complete it given deteriorating weather conditions. "They constantly try to place something new in the Kerch Strait to build various hydrotechnical structures or barriers, but after each storm, they end up on the shore." The bridge connects Russia to the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
08:08 Ukrainian City Near Romanian Border Attacked, Multiple FatalitiesThe city of Ismajil in southern Ukraine has been attacked. Three people were killed in a Russian drone strike this morning, according to the governor of the Odessa Oblast, Oleh Kiper. All the deceased were elderly, including a woman in her 90s. Eleven others, including a child, were injured. Kiper also reported damaged buildings and cars, as well as multiple fires. The city of Ismajil lies on the border with Romania, with the northern mouth of the Danube River forming the border.
07:40 SPD Foreign Policy Expert Roth Calls for 'Significantly More' Military Aid for Ukraine to Reach NegotiationsSPD foreign policy expert Michael Roth is calling for more European military aid for Ukraine. "Especially the major European countries need to do militarily significantly more so that Ukraine remains a free and democratic country," Roth told the "Tagesspiegel". "Now it's time to finally mobilize all forces to put Ukraine in the best possible starting position for potential negotiations." The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag argues: "Whoever wants to end the war as quickly as possible must give Ukraine what it needs." Military capability and diplomacy are two sides of the same coin. "Russia will only be ready for negotiations if Putin is convinced that a victory over Ukraine is impossible."
07:09 Baerbock: Without Our Support, Hospitals and Children Would Be DefenselessFederal Foreign Minister Baerbock defends Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and warns against diminishing support for Kyiv. "The notion that there would be no fighting and no dying in Ukraine if there were no defensive weapons is as simple as it is false," Baerbock said on Thursday in the UN General Debate in New York. "If Russia stops its attack, the war is over. If Ukraine stops defending itself, it's over for Ukraine." Russian President Putin responded to an invitation to a peace conference in June with the bombing of a children's hospital. As long as Putin is not ready to come to the negotiating table, ending our support would mean "that the hospitals of Ukraine and their children are defenseless. It would mean more war crimes, possibly also in other countries." Baerbock stressed that Russia has "repeatedly played with the inviolability of the borders of the Baltic states and Poland."
Slovenia's administration cautions against hasty decisions regarding the utilization of long-range Western weapons on Russian soil, with Germany also expressing skepticism. Prime Minister Robert Golob, during the UN General Debate in New York, put it this way, "Typically, it's not wise to rule something out prior to engaging in conversation." He then added, "It's a difficult matter, but I believe at this juncture, all perspectives should be explored, and the one that best suits the current situation should be chosen." As of now, Germany and the US have primarily halted deliberations on this issue. Recently, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that the provision of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine in the future is not an option.
06:11 Baerbock Urges Iran to Cease Aiding Russia
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock implored Iran to halt any aid for Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and to cease the transfer of ballistic missiles and drones. Germany's Foreign Office reported this on their platform X. During the UN General Assembly in New York, Baerbock held discussions with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araktschi.
06:01 Trump Plans Meeting with Zelenskyy
Former US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday. The scheduled meeting will take place at Trump Tower in Manhattan, as Trump announced. Zelenskyy, who had a meeting with President Joe Biden on Thursday, is reported to have extended his stay in the US to meet Trump. Prior to his journey to the US, Zelenskyy expressed his wish to meet both Trump and Biden, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, to present his "victory plan" for ending the war in Ukraine. More details here.
04:25 Harris Vows Support to Zelenskyy and Subtly Warns of Trump
US presidential candidate Harris pledged her support to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and indirectly warned of Trump's potential victory. "My commitment to the people of Ukraine remains unwavering... I will continue to stand by Ukraine's side and work to ensure that Ukraine wins this war and lives in security and prosperity," Harris said during her visit to Zelenskyy in Washington. She also warned that the end of the war cannot be decided without Ukraine, while there are "some" in the US who desire this, their strategy being to force Ukraine to give up substantial portions of its territory, accept neutrality, and relinquish security guarantees from other nations. Such proposals bear similarities to those proposed by Kremlin chief Putin - they are proposals for surrender.
02:08 Ukraine Reports Attacks West of Kherson
Russian forces repeatedly bombarded the settlement of Tomyna Balka west of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson on Thursday, as reported by the region's governor, Prokrudin, on Telegram. A woman was killed, and another person injured, according to the report.
00:55 UK to Send More Artillery Systems to Ukraine
The UK will supply another round of self-propelled AS90 artillery systems to the Ukrainian defense forces. A total of 10 such systems have already been delivered to Ukraine, with another 6 scheduled for delivery in the coming weeks, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
23:33 UN Lacks Funds to Aid Ukrainians this Winter
The United Nations revealed that it lacks enough funds to help individuals in Ukraine during the winter. "The funding level for organizations such as ours is far too low at this time of year," said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the Ukraine coordinator for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The UNHCR currently has only 47 percent of the required funds to aid the millions of Ukrainians affected or displaced by the war in their country. Last year at this time, the UNHCR was 70 percent funded.
22:13 Biden Vows to Intensify Ukraine Aid
According to President Joe Biden, the US will increase its aid to Ukraine during the remainder of his tenure. He said this prior to a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. Biden's term ends in January. He could be succeeded by Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is expected to significantly reduce the US' involvement with Ukraine.
21:34 Ukraine: Russia Plans to Enhance Attacks in the Zaporizhzhia Region
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian troops are set to escalate their offensive operations in the Zaporizhzhia region. "There is a trend towards escalation in the combat zone sector in the Zaporizhzhia region," a spokesman for troops based in the south of Ukraine said on national television. "Over the past 24 hours, there have been five Russian attacks, and we expect this number to increase, as our information suggests that the enemy is amassing attack forces near the [town] Pryiutne." Additionally, light armored vehicles have been obtained on the Russian side, the spokesman added. "This implies they are preparing for offensive operations."
21:00 Biden Assures Zelensky of US Support
At the commencement of their meeting in Washington, US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of US support. "Russia will not prevail, Ukraine will," Biden said as he welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart to the Oval Office in the White House: "And we will stand by your side every step of the way." Read further here.
Read all prior developments here.
The USA's military aid to Ukraine, including the delivery of precision-guided bombs, is aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense against Russian attacks. Following the Russian drone incident in Romanian airspace and the potential involvement of the same drone in the attack on Izmail, Ukraine's need for military support has become even more apparent.
If approved, the use of Western long-range missiles by Ukraine against Russian targets could provoke severe retaliation from Russia. Given the intelligence agencies' assessment of various potential Russian reactions, including covert attacks on US and European military support points, the international community must carefully consider the implications of such an action.
