In response to the “war” waged by the West against Russia, Moscow has decided to increase its armed forces: by 2026, it is to increase to a million and a half soldiers. The words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirm that the era of tension and hostilities in Europe will continue for a long time, even beyond the conflict in Ukraine, which according to the UN has so far claimed more than 7,000 civilian lives. After months of denials, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that “2022 was a very difficult year for us”. While 20 are still missing in Dnipro after the missile attack on a condominium on Saturday, training has already begun in Oklahoma for Ukrainian soldiers who want to teach the US how to use Patriot anti-aircraft batteries. Training to protect their country from Russian missile attacks.
When it comes to military aid, Germany has pledged to “stay firmly with” the Kiev government, as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promised in a video call with Zelensky. Holland has also announced it will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a visit to the White House. Instead, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyi announced that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would travel to Kyiv “soon”, and the Supreme Defense Council reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to defending Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. A support that EU Commission President von der Leyen has promised “for as long as necessary”.
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Important points
08:55
Five dead, including children, in helicopter crash
08:54
Helicopter crashes near kindergarten, there are victims
09:05
Mail from the Russian Embassy in Sweden, on the map of which Crimea is Ukrainian. And Twitter isn’t removing it
A map showing Ukraine with its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, areas of the country that the Russian Federation supports, was published on the official Twitter page of the Russian Embassy in Sweden to to be annexed. The post has been on Twitter for 14 hours and has not been removed. This was reported by Ukrainian and international media through the release of the map, which according to the intentions of the Russian embassy was used to compare average fuel prices in Europe (without specifying the data source).
08:55
Five dead, including children, in helicopter crash
A helicopter crashed near a kindergarten and residential building in the town of Brovary, Kyiv region, killing five people. This was announced by a police spokesman quoted by UNIAN, adding that children were also among the victims.
08:54
Helicopter crashes near kindergarten, there are victims
A helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv, for reasons that are still unclear. This was reported by the local governor Oleksiy Kuleba, specifying that there are casualties and that several children were in kindergarten at the time of the crash. According to the Ukrainian Presidency, emergency teams are on site and checks on victims are underway.
08:03
Blinking: “The war will increase aid to Kyiv”
The war in Ukraine is expected to “continue for some time” and now is the time to step up military aid to Kyiv. This was stated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stressing that “fierce” fighting along Ukraine’s eastern front is ongoing. Western partners are determined to “ensure that Ukrainians get what they need, to regain what they lost and to deal with Russian aggression,” Blinken said during a press conference in Washington with his British colleague James Cleverly. The foreign minister then warned that Russia would continue “to use energy to try to punish countries that support Ukraine”.
06:59
US ‘praises’ London for sending tanks to Kyiv
The United States “lauded” London’s decision to send “Challenger 2” main battle tanks, supplied by the British Army, and other artillery systems to Ukraine “in addition” to those already supplied by Washington. That’s what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the end of the bilateral meeting with his British counterpart James Cleverly.
06:58
Biden to Rutte: «Russian brutality motivates us to act»
President Joe Biden said that “Russia’s brutality has strengthened US conviction” to help Ukraine. The White House chief told Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a visit to the Oval Office, citing the latest news about the Dnipro massacre in which more than 45 civilians, including six children, were killed by Russian missiles that took place on Sept Destroyed a home on Saturday.
06:56
NYT, Pentagon sends stockpiled weapons to Ukraine Israel: Tel Aviv skeptical amid fears of severing ties with Russia
The Pentagon sends US weapons stored in Israel to Ukraine. The New York Times reports, citing some sources. With US inventories dwindling and arms makers unable to keep up with Ukrainian operations, the Pentagon is turning to two alternatives to meet demand, namely its South Korean stockpile and its Israel stockpile. According to the New York Times, Israeli authorities were initially skeptical about the initiative, fearing it would damage their relations with Russia.
11:36 p.m
Blinken: “More announcements soon on aid to Kyiv”
“Further announcements” about Western arms sales to Ukraine will be made in the coming days when NATO allies’ defense ministers meet at Ramstein Air Force Base, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a joint press conference with his British counterpart James Cleverly in Washington, the head of US diplomacy added that Russian demands on Ukraine to recognize new territorial realities are unacceptable and do not allow for a negotiation process. “Russians are trying to spread the narrative that they are interested in diplomacy and Ukraine is not. Of course that’s not true.” “The bottom line is that we are committed to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to thrive on the battlefield.”