News Feed

1:23 PM

A Russian attack on the village of Antonivka, a suburb of the city of Kherson, injured two women and a man, Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration, reported on Telegram on Sept. 28.

12:04 PM

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities dissolve self-declared government.

The president of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shakhramanyan, signed a decree on Sept. 28 dissolving all official institutions of the breakaway state from Jan. 1, 2024, Karabakh authorities announced. The government of the self-declared republic will "cease to exist" as an entity from that day, the decree said.

10:35 AM

Media: German-Japanese manufacturer continues to provide Russian military industry with components.

DMG Mori, a German-Japanese company and one of the world’s largest producers of machine cutting tools, has continued to do business with Russian firms that manufacture military hardware, according to an investigation by the independent Russian news agency Agentsvo.

9:42 AM

Media: Poll ahead of upcoming Slovak election shows divide on support for Ukraine.

A poll released ahead of parliamentary elections in Slovakia scheduled for Sept. 30 illustrate the split between the Slovak electorate on support for Ukraine and a slight lead for opposition leader Robert Fico, Slovak newspaper Dennik N reported.

8:40 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 277,320 troops in Ukraine.

The figure includes an additional 330 casualties reported over the past day.

7:55 AM

Military: Over 30 drones downed overnight on Sept 28.

Ukraine's air defense shot down over 30 drones that Russian forces launched overnight on Sept. 28, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command, said on air.

6:29 AM

ISW: Ukraine appears to marginally advance near Bakhmut.

Geolocated footage published on Sept. 26 and analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced near the village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, located 11 kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

4:54 AM

North Korea advancing weapons deal with Russia.

North Korea is continuing arms negotiations with Russia and intends to strike a deal soon, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Sept. 27.

3:41 AM

Ukrainian players shine at League Cup matches.

Three Ukrainian footballers had strong performances at the League Cup quarterfinals on Sept. 27 in the U.K., bringing further attention to the country’s sports potential, Channel 24 reports.

2:57 AM

Trudeau apologizes for honoring Nazi veteran.

"This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

2:22 AM

CNN: House Republicans to reject Senate deal as US shutdown nears.

The bill includes an additional $6.1 billion in funding for Ukraine, comprising $4.5 billion for defense equipment and $1.6 billion in fiscal budget support.

1:57 AM

WSJ: Scholz blocks transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to fear of Russia.

Other members of Germany’s ruling coalition have approved sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. On Sept. 4, German MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote on Twitter that "he (Scholtz) alone blocks this decision within the coalition".

1:48 AM

Zelensky teases new national security measures.

“Ukraine will be stronger. Ukraine will have more capabilities to defend itself,” the president said.

1:21 AM

Polish opposition leader calls for unwavering military aid to Ukraine.

"The Polish state should not budge from its position, military support of Ukraine should not be questioned," said Donald Tusk, Poland's former prime minister.

12:56 AM

Swiss parliament again votes down re-export of arms to Ukraine.

The proposed amendment was rejected by 135 lawmakers and only approved by 48.

12:55 AM

US announces new sanctions on firms involved in production of Shahed drones.

Despite the existence of these sanctions, international companies have still found ways to bypass them and continue to do business, including supplying drone components, with Iran and Russia.

12:19 AM

UPDATE: 1 killed, 1 injured in Russian attacks on Kherson.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson Oblast, said that there was "massive shelling" in the region and that a 41-year-old Kherson resident was killed in his own home.

12:15 AM

Russian shelling kills 1, injures 4 in Donetsk Oblast.

Russian forces used tanks, high explosive aerial bombs, and guided munitions in attacks in civilian areas of Donetsk Oblast that killed one and injured four others on Sept. 27, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on Facebook.

12:07 AM

Elections

Why Ukraine likely won't hold elections next year

11:24 PM

Business

Ukraine Business Roundup — Issue 3

11:22 PM

Russian attacks reported in Mykolaiv, Kherson oblasts.

In the city of Kherson, Russian strikes hit the same buildings several times as firefighters battled fires caused by the first round of shelling, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service reported on Telegram. They then had to return to extinguish the subsequent fires.

11:12 PM

War

A power grab or a weapon against Russia? Ukraine's ‘TV marathon’ explained.

11:03 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine sends letter to G7 on use of Western parts in Shahed drones

10:44 PM

Several European countries to boycott UEFA matches involving Russia.

Official announcements from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, England, Northern Ireland, Denmark, and Sweden stated that their football teams would not take part in any competitions involving Russian teams, The Times reported.

9:32 PM

Cabinet appoints three deputy defense ministers.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Sept. 27 appointed three new deputy ministers of defense, Taras Melnychuk, the Cabinet's representative in parliament, announced.

MORE NEWS

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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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PM Shmyhal: Ukraine to abandon draft 'as it existed before the war' when war ends

by Martin Fornusek July 6, 2023 2:16 PM 2 min read

PM Denys Shmyhal meets defense and security heads to discuss military reforms. — Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal meets the defense and security heads to discuss Ukraine's military reforms, July 6, 2023. (Source: Prime Minister Denys Smhyhal/Telegram)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine's military will end conscription in its current state after the war and transition to NATO standards, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on July 6.

"After the end of the war, Ukraine will abandon the draft as it existed before the war," Smyhal wrote on Telegram.

"The basis of our defense will be a professional army. Two reserve components will be created simultaneously."

The prime minister announced this in connection with Ukraine's plans for security and defense reforms "Ukrainian Shield," which should usher in the New Ukrainian Army.

The primary task of the reforms is to transition the Ukrainian military to NATO standards, from equipment and weapons to planning and analysis, Shmyhal said.

The White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre cited U.S. President Joe Biden on July 5 that Ukraine has to meet NATO standards before it can fully join the Alliance.

The other stated goal is to build up a strong domestic military industry. On June 28, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin announced that Ukraine's state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom has been restructured into a joint-stock company called Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI).

The UDI's new chief Herman Smetanin has been tasked with increasing military production and tackling corruption within the company.

According to Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine aims to build up and maintain a 500,000-strong military in the future.

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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