News Feed

6:24 AM

US preparing new aid package for Ukraine.

The Biden Administration is planning to deliver a new defense aid package "soon," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated at a press conference on Oct. 2.

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.

MORE NEWS

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

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Pentagon: Ukraine battlefield situation currently 'not ideal' for F-16 deployment

by Martin Fornusek July 14, 2023 9:31 AM 2 min read

An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft extended its landing gear to land at the U.S. military airfield at Spangdahlem. (Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

The battlefield conditions in Ukraine are currently "not ideal" for the employment of F-16 fighter jets, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, the director of operations of the Joint Staff, on July 13.

"The conditions right now for the employment of the F-16s are probably not – they're probably not ideal," the general said at a press briefing.

"I mean, the Russians still possess some air defense capability. They have air capability. And the number of F-16s that would be provided may not be perfect for what's going on right now," he clarified.

Sims however added that the situation is changing over time and this will dictate how will fighter jets be employed in the future.

The Pentagon also said that Denmark and the Netherlands have taken the lead on training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

While the U.S. appreciates these efforts, the Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder did not reveal any information on the American role in the initiative.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced on July 11 that the "fighter jet coalition" has been officially formed during the NATO Vilnius summit.

In particular, he highlighted the role of the Dutch and Danish partners, adding that training will start as early as August and a training hub will be set up in Romania.

In May, allies agreed to build the coalition to help procure the U.S.-built F-16 jets for Ukraine and train Ukrainian fighter pilots.

Ukraine has received Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland and Slovakia but has been pushing for more advanced aircraft. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has previously said it requires at least 48 F-16 fighter jets to liberate territory from Russia.

Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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