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Tuesday, September 29
Kremlin seizes control of German retailer Metro AG's Russian properties
Metro AG is one of the world’s largest retailers, specializing in food wholesale and food distribution to restaurants and hotels. Metro AG first entered the Russian market in 2001 and now operates 91 wholesale stores, employing around 9,000 employees in the country.
Russia to raise military spending by 27% in 2027, highest level in war so far, media reports
Russia is planning to spend 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.58 billion) on its military in 2027, an increase of around 27% over the previously budgeted amount.
Monday, September 28
Russia beginning 'additional mobilization' of troops, North Korean recruitment, Zelensky warns
The president said that Russia is looking to "increase the involvement of foreigners" in its armed forces. North Korea is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops against Ukraine, in addition to the more than 8,000 military personnel currently stationed in Russia.
'Promoting peace is an active work' — Pope Leo urges concessions between Russia, Ukraine
On the last day of his official visit to France, Pope Leo XIV called for concessions to create peace between Russia and Ukraine. The pontiff did not give details on what a peaceful resolution for the war would entail.
Ukraine's defense industry gets a second chance
In 1991, Ukraine inherited the second-largest defense industrial complex of the Soviet Union. It was so big that almost a third of the Soviet space industry sat on Ukrainian soil, and the system employed millions of people. Pivdenmash, a rocket and space technology juggernaut, built the most powerful intercontinental missiles on the planet. Antonov, a world-famous brand, produced the world's largest aircraft. The city of Kharkiv designed tanks, and Mykolaiv launched aircraft-carrying cruisers.
How Ukraine angered South Korea — and why it matters
Ukraine just angered another partner — one sitting on an arsenal of weapons that Kyiv wants. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Sept. 23 announcement at the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine’s two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) were sent to South Korea was not well received in Seoul. "It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering the many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded, claiming that Kyiv
About Donetsk Oblast
The Kyiv Independent's news and on-the-ground reporting from Donetsk Oblast, covering 26,517 square kilometers (10,239 square miles) in Ukraine’s East with a pre-war population of approximately 4.1 million. The administrative center is Kramatorsk, as Donetsk city has remained under Russian occupation since 2014. Donetsk Oblast has been the scene of intense fighting, for example, around the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Vuhledar, as Moscow attempts to capture the entire region.
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According to Fedorov, the initiative will be not one company, but an "ecosystem," combining investment, native production, and R&D.
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