News Feed

9:54 AM

Czech president: Europe must reduce defense reliance on US.

"The dominant role of NATO as a security provider must no longer mean that Europe neglects its defense obligations," Czech President Petr Pavel said at the College of Europe in Bruges.

9:31 AM

France agrees to provide military equipment to Armenia.

"France has agreed to sign a contract with Armenia on the provision of military aid," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said during a press conference in Yerevan with her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan.

8:41 AM

NATO official: Ukraine's allies running out of ammunition, production must increase.

"The bottom of the barrel is now visible," Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer said. "We need the industry to ramp up production in a much higher tempo."

8:11 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 279,890 troops in Ukraine.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Oct. 4 that Russia had lost 279,890 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 450 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:53 AM

Russia claims 31 drones downed overnight.

Russia's Defense Ministry said via its Telegram channel that its forces shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight on Oct. 4 over the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions.

7:13 AM

Investigation: Baltic-registered crypto firms service payments for Russian private army, allow sanctions evasion.

5:49 AM

ISW: Russia's Defense Ministry signals support for Chechen units in Ukraine amid interethnic tensions.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed gratitude to Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov for overseeing the creation of military units in Chechnya during an Oct. 3 conference with Russian military leadership, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

3:55 AM

Russia shells 8 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Explosions occurred in the communities of Khotin, Mykolaivka, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Shalyhyne, and Esman.

3:20 AM

Bloomberg: Hungary wants to cut EU funding to Ukraine in half.

The proposal adds weight to fears that international support for Ukraine could be waning following U.S. lawmakers' decision to remove aid for Ukraine from a government spending bill passed on Sept. 30.

1:46 AM

Charles Michel: Ukraine could join EU by 2030.

“Ukraine may indeed become a member of the EU in 2030 if both sides do their homework," European Council President Charles Michel said.

1:14 AM

US Congress ousts McCarthy as speaker.

The move follows a tense battle over funding legislation that nearly resulted in a government shutdown. Funding for Ukrainian military aid became a focal point of the legislative fight.

12:38 AM

Biden, world leaders coordinate military support for Ukraine.

The participants discussed strategies for supplying the Ukrainian military with ammunition and weapons, bolstering Ukraine's air defenses, and fortifying energy infrastracture ahead of the winter months.

12:18 AM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky meets soldiers fighting on Kupiansk-Lyman axis

11:59 PM

Russia claims Ukrainian Neptune missile destroyed over occupied Crimea.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile near the Crimean coast late on Oct. 3. Kyiv hasn’t commented on the allegation.

11:07 PM

Prosecutors: Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast injure 4.

Russian attacks against Avdiivka and Illinivka in Donetsk Oblast wounded four civilians on Oct. 3, the regional prosecutor's office reported.

10:43 PM

Media: Azerbaijan detains 4 ex-leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan's security services arrested three former presidents of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic — Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan — Azerbaijani media reported on Oct. 3.

10:39 PM

Ukrainian farmers sow 3 million hectares of winter crops but exports drop.

By the start of October, farmers had sown 2.992 million hectares, including 1.7 million hectares of winter wheat, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on its website.

9:47 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Weakness is lethal. Why Putin invaded Ukraine and how the war must end

9:09 PM

Bloomberg: All Odesa ports receive cargo ships through temporary corridor.

In the past few weeks, 10 ships have used the temporary corridor set up by Ukraine's Navy following Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the media outlet wrote, citing unnamed individuals familiar with the matter and ship-tracking data.

7:42 PM

The Telegraph: UK military aid stocks ‘running out'.

The U.K. is running out of military equipment to send to Ukraine, the Telegraph reported on Oct. 2, citing information from a senior military chief.

7:28 PM

Ukraine to procure 100 high-voltage transformers to prepare for Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

Ukraine will either manufacture or purchase 100 new high-voltage transformers as the country prepares for a repeat of last winter's Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, according to a report by The Economist on Oct. 2.

7:07 PM

Russian finance minister: Ukraine war is Moscow’s main budget priority.

The main priority for Russia’s budget for the next three years is strengthening the country’s military and “supporting participants” of its war against Ukraine, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Oct. 3, as cited by Forbes Russia.

6:50 PM

Ukraine adds Chinese oil, gas companies to 'international sponsors of war' list.

Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has added the three largest Chinese oil and gas companies to its "international sponsors of war" list, the agency's press service announced on Oct. 3.

5:41 PM

Kyiv Independent journalist wins Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism.

Kyiv Independent journalist Asami Terajima was announced as one of the winners of the 2023 Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism, the Thomson Reuters Foundation announced on Oct. 3.

5:31 PM

Governor: Russian air strike on Kherson Oblast village kills 1, injures 7.

Russian forces launched an air strike on Antonivka, a northeastern suburb of Kherson, killing one person and wounding another seven, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Oct. 3.

MORE NEWS

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General: Ukraine had only 1,500 soldiers in south when Russia launched full-scale invasion

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Umerov names 5 Ukrainian defense priorities at 15th Ramstein summit

by Abbey Fenbert September 20, 2023 1:54 AM 2 min read

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the 15th Ramstein summit on Sept. 19. (Photo: Rustem Umerov / Twitter)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukraine's allies at the Sept. 19 Ramstein meeting agreed to form 'Capablities Coalitions' around five key defense priorities: air defense, artillery, aviation, the navy, and armored vehicles.

"Held productive meetings on the sidelines of Ramstein 15," Umerov said. "Hope results will soon be tangible for our warriors on the battlefield."

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group met at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss coordinated security assistance efforts in the 15th meeting of its kind since April 2022.

In a press briefing following the summit, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that creating targeted coalitions was part of the long-term strategy to aid Ukraine.

"Meanwhile, our long-term support for Ukraine will continue to evolve through dedicated capability coalitions, like the ones that we started for armor and F-16 training and information technology," Austin said.

"And these important coalitions will help Ukraine continue to build up a combat-credible force for the future."

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Umerov thanked a number of allied nations, including the U.S., the U.K., and Germany for participating in "substantive talks" at the summit.

The U.K. pledged to donate tens of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine, while Germany affirmed its commitment to an aid package worth over 400 million euros.

"We are providing support in a way that maximizes the benefits to Ukraine, focusing on the core areas of artillery, air defense, ammunition, sustainment and training," said German Parliamentary State Secretary Siemtje Möller.

The German support package will include air defense systems, artillery munitions, and mine-clearing systems.

This marks Umerov's first Ramstein summit since being appointed Ukraine's Defense Minister on Sept. 6.

Abbey Fenbert

News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

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