New foreign secretary David Cameron meets Zelensky
Ukrainian forces have claimed they have “exhausted the enemy along the entire front line” in the direction of Melitopol, southern Ukraine.
The attack on the village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzia Oblast, towards Melitopol on the Sea of Azov was Ukraine’s main axis of attack during its counteroffensive.
An update from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this morning said recent attacks had “caused the occupation troops losses in live force and equipment”. They did not specify on those losses.
It comes as Russia launched its most significant kamikaze drone attack on Ukraine in months, according to the Ukrainian air force, firing nearly a hundred Iranian-made drones and forcing civilians into bomb shelters for most of the night.
The attack in the early hours of Saturday primarily targeted the capital Kyiv. Dozens of Russian kamikaze drones were heard circling over the city for a period of roughly six hours before many were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences.
It was the most significant attack since May this year, in which residents were targeted at least 15 times in a month. Last winter, Russia launched a brutal campaign targeting critical infrastructure across Ukraine for several months.
Israel and Ukraine could face each other in a playoff final for a spot at soccer’s Euro 2024
Israel and Ukraine, two countries currently fighting wars, could face each other for a spot at next year’s European Championship.
The two national teams were put on the same qualifying path in Thursday’s playoff draw, with a possible deciding match in March.
Israel was paired with Iceland, while Ukraine will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the playoff semifinals. The 12 playoff teams will play the six semifinal matches on March 21. All three finals are scheduled for March 26.
Neither Israel nor Ukraine can currently host games at home because the wars. If they both advance to the playoff final, they could meet in a neutral country.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 14:54
Top Ukraine adviser admits ‘winter will be tough’
A top adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged during a recent visit to Washington that the days ahead “will be tough” as his country battles Russia while US support from Congress hangs in the balance, it has been revealed.
President Joe Biden’s nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other needs sits idle in Congress, neither approved nor rejected, but subjected to new political demands from Republicans who are insisting on U.S.-Mexico border policy changes to halt the flow of migrants.
When Congress returns this coming week from the holiday break, Biden’s request will be a top item on the to-do list, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Failure risks delaying U.S. military aid to Kyiv and Israel, along with humanitarian assistance for Gaza, in the midst of two wars, potentially undermining America’s global standing.
“It’s coming at a crucial time,” said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, which recently hosted Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, at the discussion in Washington.
Yermak, during his talk in Washington, was reportedly thankful for US support but nonetheless blunt about the need for more.
“I tell you the truth, this winter will be tough for us,” he said, urging Americans to back Ukraine at this “historical moment for all of us”.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 14:20
Zelensky hosts Swiss president for international meeting
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has hosted his Swiss counterpart Alain Berset for “fruitful talks on humanitarian mine clearing, the use of profits from frozen Russian assets, and the Peace Formula”.
You can view a brief video of their meeting below.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 13:47
Putin to boost AI work in Russia to fight a Western monopoly he says is ‘unacceptable and dangerous’
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday announced a plan to endorse a national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that it’s essential to prevent a Western monopoly.
Speaking at an AI conference in Moscow, Putin noted that “it’s imperative to use Russian solutions in the field of creating reliable and transparent artificial intelligence systems that are also safe for humans.”
“Monopolistic dominance of such foreign technology in Russia is unacceptable, dangerous and inadmissible,” Putin said.
He noted that “many modern systems, trained on Western data are intended for the Western market” and “reflect that part of Western ethics, norms of behavior, public policy to which we object.”
Tom Watling25 November 2023 13:00
Slovak leader calls the war between Russia and Ukraine a frozen conflict
Slovakia’s new prime minister, Robert Fico, said on Friday he considers the war between Ukraine and Russia a frozen conflict that cannot be solved by sending arms to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Fico ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine after his new government was sworn in on Oct. 25.
After meeting his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala, in Prague on Friday, he said he would prefer the Russian and Ukrainian sides sit at a negotiation table. He didn’t say how to achieve that.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 12:18
Ukrainian civilians enjoy live music during Russian drone attack – video
Ukrainian civilians gathered in the underground bomb shelters beneath Kyiv have been enjoying some live music while Russian drones swirled above the capital.
Russia launched its most significant long range drone attack in months overnight, lasting roughly six hours.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 11:30
Russia pauses attacks across Ukraine frontline amid losses in fierce battle for Avdiivka
Russian forces continued to pound the battered Ukrainian town of Avdiivka but were unable to breach the defence of Ukraine’s troops as heavy fighting engulfed Bakhmut, military officials said.
“Basically, nothing has changed. Everything is very tough. As regards the city, there is an average number of eight to 16 to 18 attacks per day. Sometimes 30. We don’t have the time to count them,” said Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 11:00
Putin pardons two cannibals who joined Russia’s war in Ukraine – report
One of the men, Denis Gorin, was recruited into a private military company after signing a contract with the Russian ministry of defence but is known to have been convicted thrice for murdering at least four people between 2003 and 2022. He was also convicted of eating the remains of his victims along with his brother, reported Sibir Realii, a news outlet aligned with Radio Free Europe.
He is the 17th person convicted for murder to be pardoned by the Russian president between 2022 and 2023. “At the trial, he (Gorin) admitted that they ate the murdered man who was their acquaintance,” said his neighbour Dmitry Vladimirovich.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 10:30
Swiss president arrives in Kyiv during Russian drone attack
The president of Switzerland has arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelensky and attend an international summit on food security as Russian drones were intercepted over the capital.
Alain Berset posted a picture of his arrival at Kyiv’s main train station this morning.
He had written earlier that he had arrived in the capital.
“Arrival in Kyiv where I will be attending the international summit on food security today and meeting President Zelensky,” he wrote.
“The focus is on the impact of Russia’s war of aggression on global food security and Switzerland’s long-term support for Ukraine.”
Tom Watling25 November 2023 10:00
Ukraine aims a major drone attack at Crimea as Russia tries to capture a destroyed eastern city
Ukraine launched one of the biggest drone attacks on the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula since the full-scale war that started with Russia’s invasion 21 months ago, Russian officials said Friday.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials reported that the Kremlin’s forces escalated their weekslong and costly attempt to storm Avdiivka, a strategically important city in eastern Ukraine.
The stepped-up efforts came as both sides are keen to show they are not deadlocked as the fighting approaches 2024. Neither side has gained much ground despite a Ukrainian counteroffensive that began in June, and analysts predict the war will be a long one.
Tom Watling25 November 2023 09:30