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1:54 PM

Media: Drone hits FSB building in Russia's Kursk.

A drone struck an administrative building in the Russian city of Kursk on Sept. 24, according to Roman Starovoit, the governor of the eponymous Russian region.

1:15 PM

House speaker drops plan to strip $300 million Ukraine aid package from funding bill.

Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Sept. 23 he would support keeping a $300 million aid package for Ukraine in the defense funding bill, walking back a comment he made the day before.

11:35 AM

DeSantis opposes Ukraine's NATO accession.

Ron DeSantis, a leading Republican candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, said in a Sept. 23 podcast he believes that it's not in NATO's best interests to admit Ukraine as a member.

10:29 AM

Man hospitalized with shrapnel injuries after Russian shelling in Nikopol.

Russian forces shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight on Sept. 24, injuring a 25-year-old man and damaging a supermarket and a kindergarten, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration.

10:17 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 275,850 troops in Ukraine.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 24 that Russia had lost 275,850 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year.

7:32 AM

ISW: Winter will not end the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The coming winter will not necessarily stop the advance of Ukrainian counteroffensive troops, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Sept. 23 report.

6:23 AM

Pope tells countries not to 'play games' with Ukraine on military aid.

The pope spoke to reporters about his "frustrations" with the war and the arms industry aboard the papal plane while returning to the Vatican from a visit to France.

5:39 AM

Azerbaijani minister accuses Armenia of provocations in UN speech.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov accused Armenia of revanchism and military provocations in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23.

4:32 AM

National Resistance Center: Russian strongholds in Kursk Oblast deserted.

Russian military strongholds in Kursk Oblast are largely abandoned and only imitating defensive positions, the National Resistance Center reported on Sept. 23.

3:48 AM

Hungarian official: New sanctions against Russia 'cause more harm to Europe'.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto told the Russian state news agency TASS on Sept. 22 that new sanctions against Russia "are not necessary."

2:38 AM

Polish Defense Minister: Polish army will be strongest land force in Europe.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak believes that Poland will amass a force of 300,000 soldiers, making it the largest land army in Europe, Polskie Radio reported on Sept. 23.

1:22 AM

Budanov responds to CNN reports about Ukrainian drone strikes in Sudan.

In a Sept. 23 conversation with Voice of America, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov addressed CNN's report that Ukraine likely participated in drone strikes against a Wagner-backed Sudanese militia.

12:38 AM

Russian shelling in Donetsk Oblast kills 1, injures 1.

Russian forces shelled Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 23, killing an elderly woman and injuring one man, the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office reported to Suspilne news.

11:51 PM

Russian forces shell Sumy Oblast, killing 1.

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Sept. 23 that Russian forces shelled populated areas along the border of Sumy Oblast 21 times throughout the day, killing one person.

10:43 PM

Lavrov claims Moscow open to negotiations, not ceasefire.

Speaking at the U.N. on Sept. 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Moscow was open to negotiations with Ukraine but not a ceasefire.

10:15 PM

Ukrainian forces down 2 Orlan-10 drones over Mykolaiv Oblast.

The Ukrainian military's Southern Command reported on Sept. 23 that two Russian Orlan-10 drones were shot down over Mykolaiv Oblast by Ukraine's air defense.

8:37 PM

Zelensky presents state awards to Polish volunteers.

President Volodymyr Zelensky presented state awards to two Polish volunteers during a stop in Lublin, Poland, on Sept. 23 for their efforts in supporting Ukraine's war effort.

7:55 PM

Shmyhal, Pritzker hold first meeting.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the first U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine Penny Pritzker had their first online meeting on Sept. 23 to discuss energy, demining, housing restoration, critical infrastructure, and the economy.

7:48 PM

Reintegration Minister urges Ukrainians to leave Crimea until liberation.

Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged Ukrainians to leave Russian-occupied Crimea until it is liberated from Russian occupation.

6:59 PM

IAEA: Previously reported mines remain at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

The monitoring mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has observed previously reported anti-personnel mines at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Rafael Grossi, the agency's director general, said in a statement on Sept. 23.

6:00 PM

Media: UK has back channel for talks with Russia over global security.

U.K. officials have been holding diplomatic talks with key Russian representatives concerning global security during Russia’s war against Ukraine, a British newspaper iNews reported on Sept. 23, citing its diplomatic sources.

5:31 PM

Update: Russian attacks kill 1, injure 2 in Kherson Oblast.

Russian forces dropped an explosive from a drone on Mykolaivka village in Kherson Oblast, heavily injuring a 78-year-old man, the regional military administration reported on Sept. 23.

4:54 PM

Zelensky discusses Russia-backed groups with Sudan's leader during unplanned meeting.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had an “unplanned meeting” with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, an army general and de-facto ruler of the African country, on Sept. 23.

4:08 PM

FT: US decided to provide Ukraine with ATACMS ahead of Zelensky’s visit.

U.S. President Joe Biden has decided to provide Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) before President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent visit to the U.S., the Financial Times reported on Sept. 23, citing sources familiar with the matter.

3:17 PM

UPDATE: 1 killed, 32 injured in Russian Sept. 22 strike on Kremenchuk.

The number of injured in the Russian Sept. 22 attack on Kremenchuk has grown to 32, Oleh Liednik, the head of the Kremenchuk District Military Administration, told Suspline media outlet on Sept. 23.

MORE NEWS

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

Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russia's best air defenses in Crimea

UK Defense Ministry: Thousands of Russian airborne troops redeployed to Robotyne as infantry

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Zelensky: France to train Ukrainian pilots on fighter jets

by Dinara Khalilova and The Kyiv Independent news desk September 4, 2023 9:03 AM 1 min read

French Air and Space Force (FASF) pilots walk towards Rafale jet fighters prior to take off during the joint exercise 'Ex Garuda-VII' between Indian Air Force (IAF) and FASF, in Jodhpur in India's state of Rajasthan on Nov. 10, 2022. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

France has joined the international coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after a Sept. 3 phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

According to Zelensky, the two leaders discussed Ukraine’s military needs and France’s potential participation in strengthening security in Odesa Oblast.

Earlier on his official Telegram channel, Zelensky said the two also discussed the "active role of France" in implementing the Ukrainian peace formula ahead of the Global Peace Summit, to be held on Oct. 25-28 in New York.

Zelensky added that the two leaders had started negotiations on bilateral security guarantees for Ukraine and agreed to strengthen cooperation in protecting Ukraine’s sea routes.

On Aug. 22, the first Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said it would take at least six to seven months before Ukrainian pilots and technicians are ready to operate the aircraft.

During the NATO summit in Vilnius in mid-July, Reznikov announced the official formation of the "fighter jet coalition," a group of 11 countries that will assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and acquiring the aircraft.

Greece and the U.S. have also pledged to join the training efforts. So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have promised to provide dozens of their own F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force.

Authors: Dinara Khalilovaand The Kyiv Independent news desk

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