Parliament passes bill allowing first-time deserters to return to military service
The contracts of these soldiers will continue to be valid if they decide to return to their units.
Military
Zelensky presents resilience plan: 'Ukraine may need to outlive someone in Moscow to achieve all the goals'
The individual points were focused on the country's unity, front-line situation, arms, finances, energy, security, communities, human capital, cultural sovereignty, and veterans, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on his Telegram channel.
Ukraine war latest: Russia launches one of the largest aerial strikes on Ukraine, energy grid damage
Key developments on Nov. 16-17: * Russia launches one of the largest aerial strikes on Ukraine, targets energy grid * EU has 'convincing' evidence of reported Chinese attack drone production for Russia, media reports * Russia producing thermobaric drones, capable of causing 'terrifying' civilian harm, AP reports * Ukrainian partisans say they sabotaged railway
Trump team plans to fire Pentagon officers, Reuters reports
The list of those to dismiss may include the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sources said, but the plans for the firings are still in the early stages of development.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine launches largest drone attack on Moscow; Russian casualties reached record high in October
Key developments on Nov. 9-10: * Ukrainian forces launch largest drone attack on Moscow * Russian casualties reached record high in October, UK defense minister says * Russia set to launch 50,000-strong offensive in Kursk Oblast, including North Koreans, NYT reports * Trump urges Putin to avoid escalation in Ukraine, WP reports Russian
Slovak president denies all requests from citizens wanting to fight in Ukraine
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini recently rejected all four requests from Slovak citizens wishing to join Ukraine's armed forces, Slovak media source TASR reported on Nov. 3.
General Staff: Russia has lost 697,680 troops since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,270 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukraine’s 2025 budget clears first reading, allocates $53 billion for defense
“The priority of next year's budget will also be security and defense. All taxes paid by people and businesses will go toward strengthening our defenders and military capabilities,” Prime Minister Denys Smyhal said on his Telegram channel.
Russia transporting North Korean troops to front lines in civilian trucks, military intelligence says
Russian police officers on Oct. 27 stopped a Kamaz truck with civilian license plates on the Kursk-Voronezh highway, HUR said. The vehicle was reportedly loaded with North Korean military personnel.
Government says 'strategically important' employees will be able to extend military exemption status
Meanwhile, an audit of the exemption process is ongoing until Nov. 15 to assess which businesses qualify for critical enterprise status, reflecting the government's effort to balance the country's defense needs with economic stability.
North Korea denies sending troops to join Russia's war in Ukraine, dismisses 'groundless rumors'
The statement is Pyongyang's first public reaction to multiple reports of such a deployment from Kyiv and Seoul.
Ex-military logistics chief named new head of Ukroboronprom state defense company
General Major Oleh Huliak replaced Herman Smetanin, who became the head of the Strategic Industries Ministry as part of the biggest wartime government reshuffle in September.
The Counteroffensive: An inside look at the virtual reality therapy reshaping veterans' rehabilitation
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Oct. 17, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. Last year, Mykola Horishnyi was declared clinically dead – twice. The Ukrainian soldier suffered
Germany, Netherlands detail new military equipment being sent to Ukraine, including Leopard tanks, air defense systems
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Germany and the Netherlands have allocated 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) and 6.4 billion euros ($6.9 billion), respectively.
US announces $425 million in security aid for Ukraine, Zelensky says package includes long-range weapons
The new package will consist of "additional air defense capability, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and critical munitions to meet Ukraine's urgent needs," the White House said in a statement.
Australia to give Ukraine almost 50 US-made Abrams tanks
The tanks will be delivered as part of a larger package of military aid worth 245 million Australian dollars ($163 million).
NATO holding annual nuclear drills involving 2,000 troops, 60 aircraft
The two-week drills will involve over 2,000 military personnel and 60 aircraft from eight airbases. They will take place in Belgium, the Netherlands, and in the airspace over Denmark, the U.K., and the North Sea, with 13 NATO countries sending aircraft to participate.
Officers detained men outside Okean Elzy concert in Kyiv, official confirms
Video footage taken at the scene shows officers stationed outside the doors to the venue, intercepting male attendees as they exited the concert. Officers are shown forcibly arresting some men.
General Staff: Russia has lost 666,340 troops since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,140 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukraine's 72nd Brigade that defended Vuhledar has new commander
Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko was appointed the new commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade after the transfer of his predecessor, Ivan Vinnik, the unit said.
NATO 'inadequately' prepared for large-scale war with Russia, Gen. Ben Hodges says
NATO lacks adequate air defenses, military mobility, ammunition, and the mindset to be fully ready for a large-scale conventional war, retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said on Oct. 2.
Belarusian military starts checking combat capability of Air Force, Air Defense
The combat training tasks will involve all training areas of the Belarusian Armed Forces. During the inspection, military conscripts from the country's reserves will be called up, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said.
Ukraine approves new domestic-made all-terrain amphibious vehicle Takha
The vehicle developed by Ukrainian engineers is already being used at the front line for evacuation, as well as for transportation of ammunition and food, according to Ukraine's Defense Ministry.
Russia to participate in Chinese military drills in September
The North-Joint 2024 will take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, with the aim of "enhancing strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries and their ability to jointly respond to security threats," the Chinese Defense Ministry said.
General Staff: Russia has lost 620,350 troops since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukraine war latest: Russian missile attack on Poltava kills at least 51, injures 271
Key developments on Sept. 3: * Russia strikes Poltava with ballistic missiles, killing at least 51, injuring 271 * Ukraine plans to 'indefinitely' hold Kursk Oblast's seized territories, Zelensky says * Russian strikes damage overhead power line at occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Energoatom says * Norway pledges $53 million for drones, air defense
General Staff: Russia has lost 617,600 troops since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,300 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Updated: Russia controls part of Chasiv Yar, military says
If Chasiv Yar is fully captured, Russian forces could utilize its elevation to gain an increased advantage for attacks on the neighboring towns of Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka, as well as the larger nearby city of Kramatorsk, said Andrii Polukhin, a spokesperson for Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade.
EU considers Kyiv's request to train soldiers inside Ukraine, media reports
Some EU member nations fear that trainings on Ukrainian soil will lead to escalated conflict with Russia, according to a document obtained by Politico.
Ukraine, India to hold Joint Working Group meeting on military-technical cooperation
The Joint Working Group was established by the 2012 Defense Cooperation Agreement. The first meeting was held in Kyiv on June 4-6, 2018.
Modi to visit Kyiv after hugging it out with Putin. Can Ukraine crack their alliance?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Ukraine on Aug. 23 for a historic visit, the first time an Indian prime minister set foot in Ukraine since diplomatic relations were established over 30 years ago. India, the world's largest country by population and an increasingly powerful player on the
Opinion: As war rages, Ukraine faces an escalating HIV crisis
Ukraine has the second-highest number of HIV cases in Europe, a fact easily forgotten amid Russia’s ongoing war. As of 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health’s Public Health Center reported that over 157,000 Ukrainians are virus carriers. The dangers associated with HIV/AIDS have only escalated amid
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