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9:58 PM

Zelensky praises new American aid package as 'historic'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the new American defense package in his evening address on Sept. 24 as "historic."

9:35 PM

Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk wins bronze at World Wrestling Championship, earns spot in 2024 Olympics.

Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler and politician Zhan Beleniuk won bronze at the World Wrestling Championship in Belgrade on Sept. 22 and earned a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The two-time world champion was defeated by Turkish wrestler Ali Cengiz in the 87 kg division.

9:07 PM

Ukrainian forces push forward near Melitopol.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues operations in the Melitopol sector, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces announced on Sept. 24.

8:32 PM

UPDATE: Russia attacks Kherson, injures 7.

Russian forces dropped two aerial bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sept, 24, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

8:00 PM

Armenian, Azerbaijani leaders to meet in Spain in October.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will meet in Granada, Spain, with the leaders of France, Germany, and the European Council on Oct. 5.

6:50 PM

Governor: Russia drops aerial bombs on Kherson, injures 1.

Russian forces dropped two aerial bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sept, 24, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

5:59 PM

Military intelligence: Saboteurs hit Russian military targets in Moscow, Kaluga oblasts.

"Unknown saboteurs" attacked military facilities in Russia's Moscow and Kaluga oblasts overnight on Sept. 24, Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported.

4:45 PM

World

Zelensky, Netanyahu's meeting in New York highlights their differences

4:40 PM

Update: Number of injured in Kremenchuk attack rises to 55, including 6 children.

The number of injured in the Russian attack on Kremenchuk on Sept. 22 has risen to 55 people, including six children, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitalii Maletskyi reported on Sept. 24.

4:25 PM

PM hints that Armenia can't rely on Russia's protection amid Karabakh debacle.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hinted on Sept. 24 that his country can no longer rely on Russia's protection after Azerbaijan's forces quickly defeated ethnic Armenian forces in the restive Nagorno-Karabakh region.

3:38 PM

Second grain freighter arrives in Turkey after grain deal disruption.

A second freighter with Ukrainian grain has reached Turkey since Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, France24 reported on Sept. 24, citing maritime tracking data.

3:30 PM

Duda: Poland prepares transit corridors for Ukrainian grain

Poland has prepared transit corridors for Ukrainian grain to pass through and be "exported to where it is needed," Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with local channel TVP1 on Sept. 24.

3:01 PM

Governor: Russian airstrikes kill 2, injure 3 in Kherson Oblast.

A Russian airstrike killed one person and injured three in the town of Beryslav in Kherson Oblast on Sept. 24, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on his Telegram channel.

1:54 PM

Media: Drone hits FSB building in Russia's Kursk.

A drone struck an administrative building in the Russian city of Kursk on Sept. 24, according to Roman Starovoit, the governor of the eponymous Russian region.

1:15 PM

House speaker drops plan to strip $300 million Ukraine aid package from funding bill.

Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Sept. 23 he would support keeping a $300 million aid package for Ukraine in the defense funding bill, walking back a comment he made the day before.

11:35 AM

DeSantis opposes Ukraine's NATO accession.

Ron DeSantis, a leading Republican candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, said in a Sept. 23 podcast he believes that it's not in NATO's best interests to admit Ukraine as a member.

10:29 AM

Man hospitalized with shrapnel injuries after Russian shelling in Nikopol.

Russian forces shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight on Sept. 24, injuring a 25-year-old man and damaging a supermarket and a kindergarten, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration.

10:17 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 275,850 troops in Ukraine.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 24 that Russia had lost 275,850 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year.

7:32 AM

ISW: Winter will not end the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The coming winter will not necessarily stop the advance of Ukrainian counteroffensive troops, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Sept. 23 report.

6:23 AM

Pope tells countries not to 'play games' with Ukraine on military aid.

The pope spoke to reporters about his "frustrations" with the war and the arms industry aboard the papal plane while returning to the Vatican from a visit to France.

5:39 AM

Azerbaijani minister accuses Armenia of provocations in UN speech.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov accused Armenia of revanchism and military provocations in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23.

4:32 AM

National Resistance Center: Russian strongholds in Kursk Oblast deserted.

Russian military strongholds in Kursk Oblast are largely abandoned and only imitating defensive positions, the National Resistance Center reported on Sept. 23.

3:48 AM

Hungarian official: New sanctions against Russia 'cause more harm to Europe'.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto told the Russian state news agency TASS on Sept. 22 that new sanctions against Russia "are not necessary."

2:38 AM

Polish Defense Minister: Polish army will be strongest land force in Europe.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak believes that Poland will amass a force of 300,000 soldiers, making it the largest land army in Europe, Polskie Radio reported on Sept. 23.

1:22 AM

Budanov responds to CNN reports about Ukrainian drone strikes in Sudan.

In a Sept. 23 conversation with Voice of America, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov addressed CNN's report that Ukraine likely participated in drone strikes against a Wagner-backed Sudanese militia.

MORE NEWS

Ukraine strikes Russian military base of drone operators

Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russia's best air defenses in Crimea

General: Ukraine had only 1,500 soldiers in south when Russia launched full-scale invasion

UK Defense Ministry: Thousands of Russian airborne troops redeployed to Robotyne as infantry

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Lukashenko visits Iran to discuss bilateral relations

by Teah Pelechaty March 13, 2023 1:41 AM 2 min read

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko meets with the media at his residence in Minsk on Feb. 16, 2023. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Tehran, Iran, on March 12 to meet with Iranian leaders, according to Lukashenko’s official press service.

After having landed at Mehrabad International Airport, Lukashenko and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will reportedly discuss the countries’ bilateral relations, with an “emphasis on trade and economic cooperation,” including industry, agriculture, transport, and logistics.

“Special attention will be paid to the situation in the region and the world in general,” the press release said, adding that several agreements on “areas of mutual interest” will be signed.

No further information was provided regarding the nature of their discussions.

Lukashenko will also meet with Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber, parliament speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.

The governments of both Belarus and Iran have provided assistance to Russia amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus is a co-belligerent in Russia’s war, having served as a launching pad for Russian attacks on Ukraine. It has also provided training, medical assistance, and intelligence support to Russian forces.

While Belarus’ army is not directly involved in Russia’s full-scale invasion, the countries’ militaries have held joint drills, and Lukashenko has emphasized his support for Moscow on numerous occasions.

Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed that he does not intend to send Belarusian troops to Ukraine. However, he said on Feb. 16 that he would do so if “at least one (Ukrainian) soldier sets foot in Belarus,” a statement that some experts suggest may be an attempt at predicating further involvement by Minsk in Russia’s war through false flag operations.

In late February, Lukashenko’s state visit to Beijing came amid concerns over China’s potential provision of lethal aid to Russia.

Meanwhile, Iran has been subject to international sanctions for its production and provision of drones to Russia. Russia has been using Iranian-made kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine since September, launching attacks against civilians and destroying energy facilities across the country.

Teah Pelechaty

Opinion Editor

Teah Pelechaty is the opinion editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is also a co-editor of Belarus Weekly, the Kyiv Independent's weekly update on current affairs in Belarus. She received a master’s degree in Global Affairs with a specialization in Global Security and Digital Governance at the University of Toronto and Sciences Po. She was previously a junior policy analyst in national security at the Government of Canada and a research associate with the European Values Center for Security Policy and the Atlantic Council.

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