France's first batch of Mirage 2000 jets for Ukraine to include 3 planes, media reports
The planes will reportedly be equipment with ground strike capabilities, namely SCALP/Storm Shadow long-range missiles and French guided bombs AASM.
Martin Fornusek
Articles
Georgia denies journalist entry to cover elections amid rising Russian influence
Czech journalist Ray Baseley was denied entry to Georgia without an explanation after arriving at Tbilisi airport on Oct. 22 to cover the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Russia helping North Korea with sanctions evasion, nuclear technology in return for soldiers, arms, Budanov says
Russia's support in nuclear capabilities includes providing technologies for smaller tactical nuclear weapons and submarine missile-launch systems, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 14 over past day
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 57 of the 81 Shahed-type drones launched overnight, the Air Force reported. Fifteen drones were lost, and nine are still present in the Ukrainian airspace at the time of the publication.
Is NATO ready for war with Russia?
The launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 confronted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with a new geopolitical reality. Described as "braindead" by French President Emmanuel Macron only a few years prior, the alliance woke up to a threat previously thought consigned to the past: a
Russian attack against Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 16
Some 30 buildings were damaged after Russia struck the residential area of the city on the morning of Oct. 21.
US announces $400 million defense aid package for Ukraine
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said it would include ammunition, military equipment, and weapons.
Ukraine destroys Russian Buk air defense system, military says
Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system overnight on Oct. 21, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Kremlin calls North Korean troops reports 'contradictory' but stops short of denial
"We see a lot of contradictory information," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Russian media, the state-controlled news agency Interfax reported.
Seoul summons Russian envoy, calls for 'immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops'
South Korea on Oct. 21 summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul, Georgy Zinoviev, to protest the dispatch of North Korean troops to assist Moscow's war against Ukraine, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Russia detains 18 North Korean soldiers who left positions in Kursk Oblast, source says
Russian authorities detained 18 North Korean soldiers who abandoned their positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 21.
Update: Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 38 over past day
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 59 of the 116 Shahed-type attack drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force said. Forty-five drones were reportedly "lost" on Ukrainian territory, and 10 more are still present in the Ukrainain airspace at the time of the publication.
US Defense Secretary Austin arrives in Kyiv in surprise visit
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 21 as Ukraine hopes to secure continued support ahead of the uncertain U.S. election, CNN reported.
Zelensky signs bill on customs reform into law
The legislation, approved by the parliament last month, was pushed through after prolonged pressure from Western partners and Ukrainian business associations. The reform is also a necessary step toward Kyiv's accession to the EU.
Ukraine's draft system burdened with Soviet heritage, fixing it will take time, Zaluzhnyi says
Ukraine had to change its approach to mobilization as it carries Soviet influences, but much more time is needed for a proper reform, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluzhyni said at an event on Oct. 17 in response to a Kyiv Independent reporter.
Victory plan includes Western-supplied missile package to force Russia toward talks, Zelensky says in Brussels
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that the victory plan includes placing conventional missile capabilities in Ukraine that would either force Russia to accept negotiations or destroy its military targets.
Zelensky arrives in Brussels to pitch Ukraine's victory plan to European Council
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels on Oct. 17 to present his five-point victory plan to the European Council and meet its president, Charles Michel.
Ukraine’s southern forces release footage of strike on Russian training facility
Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces uncovered and struck a military training facility of Russian troops, the unit said on social media on Oct. 15, publishing footage of the attack.
German fighter jets scrambled due to Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea
Germany's Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were scrambled due to a flight of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane in over the international waters of the Baltic Sea, the German Air Force said on Oct. 16.
Russian attacks injure 9 in Donetsk, Kherson oblasts over past day
Ukrainian air defenses downed 22 of the 65 attack drones launched overnight, the Air Force reported. Two drones flew in the direction of Belarus, and 27 were lost to electronic warfare means.
Zelensky's victory plan has 'great agenda' but practical steps unclear, MPs say
Ukrainian lawmakers voiced their first reactions to President Volodymyr Zelensky's presentation of Ukraine's victory plan to parliament on Oct. 16, praising the overall agenda but calling out the supposed lack of practical steps. Some opposition lawmakers criticized it for being too vague and relying too much on international partners while
Kazakhstan won't seek BRICS membership 'in the foreseeable future'
Kazakhstan's president has "carefully considered" proposals to join BRICS but Astana will not seek to join the group "in the foreseeable future," a government spokesperson told Tengrinews.kz in an interview published on Oct. 16.
Zelensky unveils Ukraine's victory plan, says it's doable but 'depends on our partners'
President Volodymyr Zelensky presented Ukraine's much-debated victory plan at parliament on Oct. 16, though some parts remained classified. The proposal is comprised of five points: an invitation to join NATO, a defense aspect, deterrence of Russian aggression, economic growth and cooperation, and post-war security architecture. The plan involves three secret
France's first 'kamikaze' drones to arrive in Ukraine 'in the coming weeks'
France successfully tested its first 'kamikaze' drones and will deliver them to Ukraine "in the coming weeks," French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Oct. 16, BFMTV reported.
Ukraine's EU entry 'not an existential matter,' Warsaw can name conditions, Polish minister says on Volyn massacre
Poland can make Ukraine's accession to the EU contingent on the resolution of the Volyn massacre as joining the bloc is not a matter of the country's survival, a Polish minister said in a media interview published on Oct. 15.
Updated: Technical malfunction leads to large-scale power outages in Ukraine's south
Ukraine's state-owned energy company Ukrenergo said later during the day that the outages were caused by unspecified "technical reasons" and that the repairs are underway. The energy supply should resume "within hours."
'New level of desperation' — US 'concerned' by reports of North Korean soldiers joining Russia in Ukraine
"Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine," White House National Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Ukraine's victory plan — what to expect as Zelensky unveils Kyiv's strategy
"I think part will be declassified, and the other part will be present to the leaders of (parliamentary groups)," David Arakhamia, the leader of Zelensky's Servant of the People parliamentary group, said in comments for the Kyiv Independent.
Finnish FM warns about growing Ukraine fatigue among Western allies
The Western countries are growing tired of their support of Ukraine, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen warned, calling for stronger resolve in backing Kyiv, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Oct. 15.
NATO will do what's necessary for Ukraine to prevail, Secretary General Rutte says
"The message (to Russian President Vladimir Putin) is that we will continue, that we will do what's necessary to make sure that he will not get his way, that Ukraine will prevail," Mark Rutte said during a joint interview with Reuters and German radio Hessischer Rundfunk on Oct. 13.
Hungary wants to increase gas purchases from Russia's Gazprom in 2025
Budapest and Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom are in talks on additional purchases of gas next year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in an interview with Kremlin-run RIA Novosti published on Oct. 15.
Kyiv denies media reports about supplying drones to Mali rebels
The statement comes after an article by the French outlet Le Monde claimed that Tuareg fighters from the anti-government CSP movement are using Ukrainian drones against the military and Wagner mercenaries.
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