Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
A tail part of Russian helicopter that was shot down in Kherson Oblast is exhibited in the Dnipro History Museum on June 2, 2023 in Dnipro, Ukraine. (Global Images Ukraine / Getty)
Ukraine carried out overnight strikes on military airfields in Russian-occupied territory, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Oct. 17.
The targets were located near Berdiansk, in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Luhansk.
The strikes hit "helicopters and airfield equipment of the Russian occupying forces," the Armed Forces reported.
In a separate message, the Armed Forces said that they had carried out four strikes "on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons, and military equipment" of the Russian military over the last 24 hours.
The attacks hit two helicopters on landing sites and an ammunition depot, according to the morning update.
Ukraine is carrying out offensive operations in the direction of Berdiansk on the southern front. The city has been under occupation since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Luhansk, like Donetsk and Crimea, has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
The delivery of Western long-range weapons has allowed Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russian-occupied territory, including Crimea.
Since the summer, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian military targets on the peninsula due to the importance of Crimea for Russian logistics routes.
Martin Fornusek
