NATO allies are unlikely to meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposed spending target of 5% of GDP but are open to an increase from the current 2%, Reuters reported on Jan. 10, citing comments from officials and analysts from various NATO countries.
General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ukraine's Ground Forces chief, reported to President Volodymyr Zelensky on the causes of the problems facing the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade and presented solutions, Drapatyi said on Jan. 7.
"The Ukrainian army is the largest in Europe. The second place after us (France) is four times smaller than us," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed human rights activist Olha Reshetylova to the newly-created position of military ombudsman on Dec. 30.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.
"Together with the new commissioner, the human rights community, and the Ministry of Defense, we will draft a corresponding bill on the Military Ombudsman and establish the institutional framework for its operation," Zelensky said on Dec. 29.
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation detained Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Brigade, on Dec. 29, accusing him of failing to address abuse and torture allegations involving his subordinates.
The former official planned to hide from authorities after his release from detention and flee abroad, the bureau said.
"This fire strike is part of a comprehensive campaign to weaken the ability of the Russian Armed Forces to coordinate military operations against the people of Ukraine," Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications said.
Editor's Note: This story was sponsored by Gender Zed, a Ukrainian human rights organization that works with a broad range of issues, including sexual orientation and gender identity, gender equality issues, women’s rights, and prevention of HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases. Andrii Kovalenko, 35, and his partner are
The initiative aims to bolster Ukraine’s Armed Forces by recruiting Ukrainian men living in Poland and other EU countries.
A court in Ternopil took into custody Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, suspected of abuse of power, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
While the Latvian Defense Ministry said that the drills are "not related to changes in the security environment," the exercises take place amid surging tensions between NATO and Russia.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Dec. 16 ordered an investigation into the alleged abuse, extortion, and humiliation of soldiers in the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade by their commanders.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been hospitalized with chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk said during a Dec. 13 press briefing.
The proposed changes include a revamped recruitment system with "zero tolerance for corruption," improved military training tailored to front-line needs, and integration of advanced technology into training and operational processes.
Ukrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO's Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12.
The system was approved after performing reliably in combat testing, the Defense Ministry said on Dec. 9.
"The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia's military potential, not Ukraine's draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storage."
The exact list of supplies, provided in accordance with a decision on military support in late 2022, remains classified.
"Seven companies of instructors and eight training companies for specialists... have trained over 300,000 service members," said Ivan Buvaltsev, the head of the training department at the Armed Forces.
The Biden administration is urging Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 in an effort to increase troop numbers, the Associated Press reported on Nov. 27, citing an unnamed senior Biden administration official.
In addition to Velyka Novosilka and Rozdolne, Russian forces are advancing near Maksymivka, Pustynka, and Toretsk, Deep State wrote.
The contracts of these soldiers will continue to be valid if they decide to return to their units.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
This number includes 1,270 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
“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.
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.
