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2:15 PM

Media: Ukrainian strike destroys radar station in Russia's Kursk region.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) used a drone to destroy the Russian radar system Kasta in the Kursk region on Sept. 28, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on Sept. 29, citing its source in the SBU.

1:40 PM

Putin asks former Wagner commander to create 'volunteer units' for Ukraine war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Andrei Troshev, the former chief of staff of the mercenary Wagner Group, to form 'volunteer units" for the war in Ukraine, according to a transcript of Putin's speech published by the Kremlin on Sept. 29.

11:59 AM

Energy Ministry: IAEA demands Russia immediately leave Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference has adopted a resolution on the immediate return of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukraine's full control, the Energy Ministry reported on Sept. 29.

11:16 AM

ISW: Russia has reduced pace of offensive operations on Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line.

Russian troops have recently reduced the tempo of their localized offensive operations on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Sept. 28.

10:15 AM

Russian attacks kill 6, injure 13 in Ukraine over past 24 hours.

Russian multi-weapon attacks against Ukraine killed six civilians and wounded another 13 over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on Sept.29.

9:47 AM

US House approves $300 million for Ukraine.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $300 million tranche for Ukraine late on Sept. 28 after Republicans removed it from the defense spending bill, Politico reported.

8:04 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 277,660 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

Ukraine's General Staff reported on Sept. 29 that Russia had also lost 4,687 tanks, 8,972 armored fighting vehicles, 8,836 vehicles and fuel tanks, 6,409 artillery systems, 794 multiple launch rocket systems, 536 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,991 drones, and 20 boats.

8:01 AM

Sweden provides 25 million euros to support Ukraine's energy system.

Sweden has allocated 25.2 million euros ($26.6 million) to the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine and has already delivered over 1,000 tons of equipment to aid in the restoration of the power infrastructure.

7:49 AM

Russia claims 11 drones downed over Kursk, Kaluga regions.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Sept. 29 that its forces shot down 11 Ukrainian drones overnight — 10 over the Kursk region and another one over the Kaluga region. Kyiv hasn't commented.

6:40 AM

Pentagon: English language training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots begins in US.

The U.S. Department of Defense has officially confirmed the beginning of English language classes as part of the program to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

5:51 AM

US State Department: American weapons are used properly by Ukraine.

Weapons that Ukraine receives to counter Russian aggression are used properly, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing on Sept. 28. There were no cases of the weaponry falling into the wrong hands.

4:59 AM

Oil prices slide as Russia, Saudi Arabia plan supply boost.

Oil prices declined in early trading on Sept. 29 following a recent surge, as profit-taking and the anticipation of increased supply from Russia and Saudi Arabia overshadowed optimistic forecasts of demand, Reuters reported.

2:36 AM

Interview

Iryna Tsilyk: Losing intellectuals on front lines is disastrous for Ukrainian culture.

2:15 AM

Ukraine to serve on IAEA Board of Governors.

Ukraine has been elected to serve on the Board of Governors for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to the UN nuclear watchdog's statement posted on Sept. 28.

1:46 AM

Russian forces shell 7 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces shelled seven communities in Ukraine's border Sumy Oblast on Sept. 28, firing over 180 rounds from various types of weapons, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Telegram.

12:53 AM

Technology

Russia is covering Ukraine with landmines. Clearing them will be extremely difficult

12:14 AM

Human story

Abducting the future: How Ukrainian parents fight to rescue their children from Russia

11:53 PM

Germany greenlights joint Rheinmetall-Ukraine venture in Kyiv.

This new enterprise will provide "maintenance, assembly, production, and development of military vehicles" and initially operate exclusively on the territory of Ukraine, the German Federal Cartel Office said.

11:30 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: European defense leaders visit Kyiv

11:11 PM

Pentagon: Government shutdown to affect F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots.

The Pentagon spokesperson reportedly said during a press briefing that a "shutdown is the worst scenario that can happen to the (Defense) Department" regarding the training of Ukrainian crews on F-16s.

10:43 PM

Belarus claims Polish helicopter violated its airspace, Poland denies.

"At around 15:20, the aircraft crossed the border of the Republic of Belarus, flying into a depth of up to one and a half kilometers," the Belarusian Defense Ministry's press service said.

9:55 PM

The Hill: Republicans remove Ukraine funding from US defense spending bill.

The House Rules Committee convened at night on Sept. 27 to remove the funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative from the defense spending package and instead had it stand as a separate bill, the outlet said.

9:15 PM

EU extends protection for Ukrainian refugees until 2025.

"The EU will support the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes," Spanish acting Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez said. "The prolongation of the protection status offers certainty to the more than 4 million refugees who have found a safe haven in the EU."

8:50 PM

Russian shelling of Kherson kills 3 women.

According to the prosecutors, Russia carried out the attack against the city at 6 p.m., targeting residential districts and causing casualties in the streets.

8:21 PM

Russian shelling of Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, kills 2, injures 3.

According to the prosecutors, Russia shelled the town at 12 p.m. local time using 152 mm artillery. Two men aged 47 and 54 were reportedly killed in the attack. A 60-year-old man and two women aged 45 and 61 suffered injuries as a result of the strike, the Prosecutor's Office said.

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White House: Ukraine to receive F-16 fighter jets after pilots complete training

by Martin Fornusek and The Kyiv Independent news desk August 18, 2023 5:17 PM 2 min read

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 7, 2023. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

The U.S. will greenlight the transfer of F-16 fighter jets by third countries to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete their training on the aircraft, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Aug. 18.

"What we did this week is formalized through a letter from Secretary Blinken to his counterparts in Europe, that upon the completion of that training, the United States would be prepared in consultation with Congress to approve a third-party transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine," Sullivan said during a press briefing.

The U.S. official added that Washington is working closely with European partners on all elements of the training program, including manuals.

Reuters reported earlier on Aug. 18 that according to an unnamed U.S. official, Washington has given the green light to Denmark and the Netherlands on sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression as soon as pilot training is completed.

The information was later confirmed by the Danish and Dutch governments.

In a letter obtained by Reuters, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said the U.S. backs both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and the comprehensive training of Ukrainian pilots under the guidance of F-16 instructors.

During the Vilnius NATO summit in July, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced the official formation of a coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, led by Denmark and the Netherlands.

The coalition plans to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in August in Denmark, and a training center will also be set up in Romania.

However, according to the Washington Post, the training of the first six Ukrainian pilots will not be completed until the summer of 2024.

The Ukrainian servicemen first have to undergo English lessons in the U.K. to learn the terminology needed to fly the jets, while the combat training itself is expected to start only by January next year, the news outlet reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

Authors: Martin Fornusekand The Kyiv Independent news desk

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