Russia and Ukraine want to exchange prisoners today

Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 90 prisoners today, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, according to Bloomberg, citing a source. Last week, Ukrainian media reported 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 warring parties have already exchanged prisoners multiple times.

06:55 Ukrainian Start-ups Develop Robots for the Front Ukrainian Start-ups are developing cost-effective robots for mine clearing, evacuation of battlefields, transportation of equipment, and combat support. This is reported by the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform. An "ecosystem of labs in hundreds of secret workshops" is using innovations to create a robot army. The Ukraine hopes that this army will be able to kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.

06:20 State and Government Heads of 47 Countries to Speak about Ukraine At the invitation of the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the state and government heads of 47 countries will meet tomorrow. The 27 EU member states plus 20 third states will discuss, among other things, further aid for Ukraine in the defense 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 Credit from Frozen Russian Assets Japan reportedly grants Ukraine a credit of 3.3 billion Dollars from the interest on frozen Russian assets. The sum is part of the 50-billion-Dollar package of the G7 countries, according to the Kyodo news agency, citing informed sources. The United States and the European Union are each supposed to provide 20 billion Dollars. Japan, Great Britain, and Canada are contributing a total of ten 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 Grants Ukraine ten Million Euros for the Reconstruction of a Children's Clinic After the rocket attack on the children's hospital in Kiev, the German Development Ministry grants the Ukrainian government ten million Euros for the reconstruction. The funds will be used together with funds from other donors and donors to make the hospital operational and winterproof again as soon as possible, according to the "Rheinische Post," citing ministry statements. This includes repairs and maintenance work on facades, in treatment rooms, and the power and heating supply.

02:10 Medvedev warns NATO of a "point of no return"

At the NATO summit's promise to offer Ukraine membership, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the alliance. In a post for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he labeled a potential Ukrainian membership as a potential declaration of war against Russia. "That would essentially be a declaration of war - albeit with a delay. The actions, which Russia's adversaries have taken against us for years by expanding the alliance, ... are bringing NATO to a point of no return." Russia does not threaten NATO but will react to the alliance's attempts to advance its interests. "The harder these attempts are, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether it tears the whole planet apart depends solely on the wisdom of the (NATO) side."

01:00 Ukrainian soldiers use "expired" ammunition

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry, according to its own statements, has returned a "considerable 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 vital today," said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Dshyhar. Anything that can be repaired and reused is given a second life.

23:37 Ukrainian troops give up positions in the southeast

Ukrainian troops, according to unofficial reports, have had to give up positions in the southeast 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 start due to its futility. It is unclear whether Ukrainian soldiers are still holding positions on the southern bank 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 Euros) during a visit to Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will support the preparation for winter and continue to support the Ukrainian government in helping displaced or otherwise affected Ukrainians, Grandi said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The aid organization also plans to mobilize future funds to support the war-torn country. Zelenskyy thanked for the aid, which is urgently needed due to the damage to the energy infrastructure from Russian attacks. At the same time, Zelenskyy, according to a statement from the Presidential Administration, emphasized that the country still needs further aid to rebuild destroyed houses and set up 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, according to its own reports. This was announced by Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on Twitter. A video spread by the Ukrainian military shows several hits from alleged ATACMS missiles with cluster munition. According to Syrskyi, several launch pads and a radar station of the system were destroyed.

20:49 Report: Ukrainian government may be reshuffling

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly on the verge of reshuffling his cabinet and demanding 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 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? Probably, yes", so the Ukrainian president. "We are in a process."

20:02 Baltic States disconnecting from 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 CEO of the state Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid, Rokas Masiulis. This step is supposed to take place in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries are to connect to the European power grid. "In six months, we will not only disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian power grid, but also dismantle the last power lines," Masiulis explains.

19:20 Lindner criticizes Orbán's "solo actions"

Following the controversy over Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU members are increasing pressure on Budapest. At a finance ministers' meeting in Brussels, most EU members called on Hungary to keep supporting Ukraine's aid. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "solo actions". "Hungary should know that the peace and freedom order of Europe as a whole is being defended in Ukraine," Lindner said in the public debate. The priority of this under Hungary's EU presidency should also remain "top" until the end of the year. Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had previously presented seven priorities, from the fight against illegal migration to competitiveness, but Ukraine was not mentioned.

You can read about all previous developments here.**

Despite ongoing military deployments and tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the warring parties are set to exchange 90 prisoners today, mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Amidst the Ukraine-Conflict, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, is seeking further aid from NATO and other countries to support Ukraine's defense war against Russia.
Russia, in response to NATO's promise to offer Ukraine membership, has been warned by former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev of reaching a "point of no return," potentially declaring war against Russia.
Cyberwar has also been reported in the Ukraine-Conflict, with Ukrainian sources claiming to have destroyed a Russian S-300 air defense system using ATACMS missiles with cluster munition.
The politics surrounding the Ukraine-Conflict have also led to economic sanctions, with Japan reportedly granting Ukraine a credit of 3.3 billion Dollars from the interest on frozen Russian assets as part of a 50-billion-Dollar package from the G7 countries.