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4:56 AM

Russian forces shell 5 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Russia shelled five communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Oct. 2, firing 13 times throughout the day, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Telegram. 50 explosions were recorded.

2:56 AM

Drone shot down over Bryansk Oblast, Russian official claims.

Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed the drone was shot down over the region's Trubchevsky district. No casualties or damage were reported.

2:33 AM

AP: Pentagon running out of money for Ukraine.

Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord warned the U.S. Congress that diminishing funds for Ukraine could cause delays in critical weapons and supply shipments, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 2.

1:37 AM

US State Department: Congress must 'take action' on Ukraine funding.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap measure on Sept. 30 to avert a government shutdown. The bill funds the government for 45 days, but does not include provisions for further Ukraine aid.

1:19 AM

War analysis

Our readers' questions about the war, answered. Vol. 4

12:45 AM

PM Shmyhal: EU-Ukraine Association Council to meet in December.

The meeting was planned during a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv led by EU High Representative Josep Borrell.

12:32 AM

Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly — Issue 104

12:13 AM

Germany delivers ammunition, other equipment to Ukraine.

Germany has transferred over 32,000 rounds of 40-mm ammunition, dozens of all-terrain and border protection vehicles, and other military equipment to Ukraine as part of its latest aid package, the German government reported on Oct. 2.

12:09 AM

Energy

With winter approaching, is Ukraine's energy system ready for renewed Russian attacks?

11:35 PM

Denmark allocates $14 million to purchase ammunition for Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians are still in a situation where they are acutely short of artillery ammunition… Denmark will contribute to more joint purchases of ammunition and remains prepared to support Ukraine in the long run," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.

11:13 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Oct. 1 strikes on Russian plant disrupted missile manufacturing, military intelligence says

10:46 PM

SBU: Sumy officials arrested for taking $58,000 bribe.

The mayor of Sumy and chief of the city council’s infrastructure department were arrested when receiving the last tranche of a Hr 2.13 million ($58,000) bribe, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on Oct. 2.

10:14 PM

Kuleba: EU reaches consensus on Ukraine's membership bid.

The European Union has reached a consensus regarding Ukraine's membership in the bloc, which is "only a matter of time," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Oct. 2, as reported by European Pravda.

10:02 PM

High Anti-Corruption Court provides first monetary award to whistleblower.

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) announced on Oct. 2 that it had ruled to pay Hr 13.3 million (about $360,000) to a whistleblower in the case of a $6 million bribe attempted by a former first deputy head of the Kyiv tax service back in 2020.

8:46 PM

Politico: White House more worried about corruption in Ukraine than it publicly admits.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration prepared a confidential strategy document that sees corruption in Ukraine as the real threat, allegedly warning that Western support may depend on Kyiv's anti-graft efforts, Politico reported on Oct. 2.

8:37 PM

DTEK: Russian strikes damage warehouses in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Russian forces attacked warehouses of Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Oct. 2, causing damage to cables, transformers, and other electrical equipment, the company said on the Telegram messaging app.

7:49 PM

Podolyak: Elon Musk's irony encourages Russian propaganda.

Elon Musk shared an insulting doctored meme of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Twitter on Oct. 2, insinuating that Zelensky asks for too much aid for Ukraine.

7:38 PM

Ukraine receives first set of refurbished Leopard tanks from Poland.

The first package of Leopard 2 tanks has been to Ukraine after being repaired in Poland from battlefield damage, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) announced on Twitter on Oct. 2.

6:51 PM

Prosecutor General's Office: 504 Ukrainian children killed during Russia's full-scale invasion, more than 1,100 injured.

The Prosecutor General's office reported on Oct. 2 that 504 Ukrainian children have been officially documented as killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion last year.

6:21 PM

Zelensky calls for cooperation, new sanctions against Russia at EU foreign ministers meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the need for a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia during a historic joint meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv on Oct. 2.

6:07 PM

Prosecutor General’s Office: Russian air strike on Kupiansk injures 2.

Russian forces used a guided aerial bomb to carry out the attack, according to preliminary data cited by prosecutors. Several residential buildings and civilian cars were damaged, adds the report.

5:15 PM

Media: Poland claims state defense corporation not invited to forum in Kyiv, Ukraine denies.

In contradictory comments on Oct. 2, the Polish Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin said that the largest Polish state-run defense corporation was not invited to the recent Defense Industry Forum in Kyiv, while Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Svarych, said that Poland was among the first to receive an invitation.

5:07 PM

Minister: Units supported by 'Army of Drones' hit record number of Russian artillery over last week.

Ukrainian drone units supported by the "Army of Drones" initiative destroyed or damaged 69 towed artillery pieces and 17 self-propelled howitzers from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported.

4:39 PM

Romania vows support for Ukraine's EU aspirations, grain transit.

"Romania and some of the other (EU) members with the longest borders with Ukraine understand well the consequences of the war in Ukraine," Romania's top diplomat, Luminita Odobescu, said in Kyiv ahead of the meeting of the EU's foreign ministers.

3:43 PM

Denmark backs creation of $21 billion Ukraine military support fund.

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, suggested in July to create a fund to reimburse member states' expenses on arms donations to Ukraine. The money is meant to cover both lethal and non-lethal equipment, allowing countries who adhere to the neutrality principle also to contribute.

MORE NEWS

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

Military intelligence: Sudan strike on Wagner signals Russia's decreasing influence in Africa

CNN: Military source says Ukraine 'likely' behind strike on Wagner forces in Sudan

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Pentagon announces Biden has cleared F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots

by Olena Goncharova August 9, 2023 3:12 AM 2 min read

Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission in Lithuanian airspace near Siauliai on May 23, 2023. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed on Aug. 8 that U.S. President Joe Biden "has given the green light" to allow and support the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

"Denmark and the Netherlands are taking the lead on training," Singh said, adding that she "doesn't have any further updates at this time when it comes to specific pilots being trained."

Politico reported on Aug. 4 that the first group of Ukrainian pilots that will participate in F-16 training have been identified, citing unnamed U.S. sources. Eight Ukrainian pilots fluent in English are ready to begin training on the fighter jets as soon as formal training plans are drawn up by European allies and approved by the United States.

Additionally, 20 more pilots with minimal English skills are available to start language instruction in the U.K. within the month. A total of 32 Ukrainian pilots have been named to possibly take part in the training program, yet English language competency remains a significant obstacle.

Last month, the U.S. said it will allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets in a potential boon for Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russia’s air superiority.

In May, Biden had informed G7 leaders that the U.S would support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation aircraft, including F-16s, though it was unclear at the time when that training would start.

Olena Goncharova

Development Manager, Canadian Correspondent

Olena Goncharova is a development manager and Canadian correspondent for the Kyiv Independent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.

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