Friday marks the 709th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The crash of the Russian Il-76 over Belgorod is still controversial. The Russians claim that 65 Russian prisoners were taken there. Ukrainians argue that there is no evidence for this. They are demanding an international investigation. Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said today that Ukraine has asked Russia to hand over the bodies of the victims of the plane crash. Yusov said that the Russian side did not agree to this. Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinek sees a parallel between the case and the tragedy in Olenivka, where the Russians blew up a camp with Ukrainian prisoners, and Kiev claimed responsibility for their deaths.
long live
Giorgica Vlad, chief of the general staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, believes that the Romanian people, like all Europeans, must “prepare for the spread of Russian aggression beyond the borders of Ukraine.”
Alarms were canceled in some rounds.
An explosion is heard in Grivy Rehill.
The ten largest companies in Ukraine's agricultural sector paid UAH 19 billion in taxes in the 2023 budget, which is roughly PLN 2 billion, according to Forbes Ukrainian. These are the companies that benefit from free access to the EU market, while Polish farmers see the biggest threat to their own business.
A recording of a Ukrainian prisoner calling his father has surfaced online for the first time in months. – I am in Ukraine. Yes, dad, I'm in Ukraine. The voice breaks as I live, this is how I live. In the background, the voice of a father who has not known for months if his son is alive is heard.
Surveillance channels reported that 10 drones were heading towards Krivi Ri.
Drones over Ukraine: Explosions in Kryvyi Rih and Grobyvnytskyi.
“Our goal is to seize the moment – to increase the accumulation of the latest combat capabilities, which will allow us to devote fewer resources to inflicting maximum damage on the enemy, ending the occupation and protecting Ukraine in the future,” he concluded. Commander of the Ukrainian Army.
The CNN article appears as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to impeach Zalushny, according to media reports. The general did not address the issue directly in the speech, but he did refer to the issue of political divisions and demobilization in Ukraine, which is said to be one of the contentious issues between him and Zelensky.
“He didn't say it directly, but the article suggests a growing sense that Ukraine's fate ultimately rests in its own hands,” CNN analyzed the speech.
“The inventory of our allies' missiles, air defense interceptors, and artillery ammunition is declining not only because of the intensity of hostilities in Ukraine, but also because of the lack of global propellants,” Załużny writes. Arming itself with the weakness of sanctions, Russia may try to use the situation to incite conflict in other parts of the world, he adds.
Among other problems plaguing Ukraine, he noted the “inability of government agencies in Ukraine” to increase troop numbers without resorting to “unpopular measures” and regulations that limit Ukraine's productivity and “partial monopolization of the defense sector.”
According to Załużny, one way to avoid these problems is to change the fighting philosophy based on technology. He said Ukraine's goal was to “build a completely new state-technological weapons system” and that this would be possible within five months.
“The top priority is to master the entire arsenal of (relatively) cheap, modern and highly effective unmanned machines and other technological means,” the commander wrote, listing drones' many uses, from gathering intelligence data. – Round the clock fire control, and battlefield situation monitoring.
“In short, it represents a complete change in battlefield operations – and an abandonment of outdated, stereotyped thinking,” he asserts. He added that the goals of such a new operational concept would not be confined to the battlefield but would also attack the enemy's economy and morale.
As support from Ukraine's foreign partners dwindles, Załużny sees unmanned systems and technology as a key way to overcome the adversities Ukraine faces, including the Russians' numerical advantage, their mobilization capabilities and dwindling munitions supplies.
Russia has a significant advantage in terms of its ability to mobilize human resources, and Ukraine will have to deal with reduced foreign aid and dwindling supplies of ammunition, Ukrainian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Valery Zaluzny wrote on CNN. He also said drones are the Russians' best chance of avoiding a standoff war.
As Załuzhny wrote in a speech published on CNN, drones are a key factor shaping the war in Ukraine and Ukraine's best chance to avoid being “drawn into a status quo war where we have no advantage.”
“The top priority is to master the entire arsenal of (relatively) cheap, modern and highly effective unmanned machines and other technological means,” the commander wrote, listing drones' many uses, from gathering intelligence data. – Round the clock fire control, and battlefield situation monitoring.
Russian drones threaten many districts The alarm goes off.
Speech by President Volodymyr Zelensky:
The European Union has today made a long-awaited decision: 50 billion euros for Ukraine. Support program. A long term plan of four years. This means that Ukrainians have a financial guarantee of our social stability. The decision was adopted today in the European Council – at leadership level. The Ukrainian team and our friends from the EU are working on this decision very actively and actively – through different channels and at different levels.
Europe has shown perfect unity. 27 countries – together. EU institutions – in full cooperation. It's a clear signal to Moscow that Europe will not be crushed by any wave of destruction the Kremlin keeps coming, and that Europe will endure. But at the same time, it is a clear signal across the Atlantic that Europe is making commitments. Security Duties. Strong commitments. Awaiting US results.
“Certainly, both the economic and military components of the package of measures requested by the administration are necessary,” he said. As EC Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told PAP in Washington on Tuesday, Washington's funding – in addition to EU support – is necessary to fill Ukraine's $14 billion budget hole.
Despite this, some Republican members of Congress are calling for the elimination of financial aid to Ukraine. The fate of the entire package is still in question, though key negotiators from both parties in the Senate announced Thursday that only the final details of the plan remain to be determined. The text could be published as early as Friday, and the first vote on the plan will take place on Wednesday. Still, even if the Senate passes the bill, it's unclear whether it will pass the House of Representatives. In recent days, House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested several times that the bill is unlikely to pass, and former President Donald Trump has also called for it to be rejected. Some Republicans oppose aid to Ukraine, while others say the immigration reforms included in the package do not provide enough restrictions.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller praised the European Council's decision, saying it vindicates claims that the United States is carrying a disproportionate burden in supporting Ukraine.
“In fact, if we look at the financial contribution to support Ukraine from EU countries and the US, the US provided approximately US$75 billion, while European countries contributed a total of approximately US$110 billion,” Miller calculated. When the PAP asked Congress if the administration still needed to support Kiev's budget, he replied in the affirmative.
According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Biden called the head of the European Commission and thanked him for “an important package that will undoubtedly ease some of the financial tensions” in Ukraine. “It is not a substitute for US leadership when it comes to military assistance,” he added.
“That's why it's so important to continue to press Congress to pass an additional national defense appropriations package. Ukraine has more than $60 billion in military aid, a White House representative noted during a briefing aboard Air Force One.
US President Joe Biden thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday for the EU's adoption of the package for Kiev. However, Washington insists that Congress also approve the US aid. – Both the economic and military components of this package of measures are essential, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in response to a question from the PAP.
Alarm sirens are sounding again in Ukraine. Repeated warnings were issued in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Their cause is drones again.
– We demand an impartial international investigation into this disaster to investigate not only the circumstances of the downing of the Il-76 plane, but also what was actually inside – were there people, were there explosives, who was there besides the crew – said representative HUR.
Yusov explained that the status of these 65 soldiers declared dead by the Russians in Ukraine has not changed – they are still considered prisoners of war.
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of National Defense, revealed that Ukraine has asked the Russian Federation to return the bodies of prisoners – according to Kremlin propagandists – who allegedly died as a result of the Russian IL crash. -76 aircraft.
– Ukraine has applied for and continues to seek to exchange bodies. For now, Yusov said, the Russian side does not agree to this.
. “Hardcore internet junkie. Award-winning bacon ninja. Social media trailblazer. Subtly charming pop culture advocate. Falls down a lot.”