News Feed

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.

8:07 PM

Zelensky meets Stoltenberg, French defense minister in Kyiv.

Zelensky thanked Stoltenberg for a "meaningful conversation" during a press briefing following their talks. The president said that both Kyiv and NATO are doing everything they can to ensure Ukraine becomes a member of the alliance as soon as possible.

6:49 PM

Zaluzhnyi meets UK Defense Staff Chief Radakin.

Zaluzhnyi said during the talks he emphasized the importance of reinforcing Ukraine's air defense capabilities. "I thanked him for his visit and for supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression," Ukraine's top general wrote on Telegram.

6:22 PM

Polish government confirms Ukrainian air defense missile fell on Polish soil last year.

The projectile that caused the death of two people in Poland's Przewodow in November last year was a stray Ukrainian anti-air missile, Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro confirmed, the Polish Radio Lublin reported on Sept. 28.

5:39 PM

Kazakhstan confirms intent to comply with sanctions against Russia.

Kazakhstan will "definitely comply" with the sanctions regime against Russia, the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a press briefing on Sept. 28 after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

5:02 PM

EU threatens new drone component bans to countries still re-exporting to Russia, Iran.

The European Commission has warned Western firms and governments it could ban the export of certain components to some third-party countries from where Russia and Iran source drone parts, the Guardian reported on Sept. 28.

4:32 PM

Reuters: UN trade chief says Ukraine's grain corridor is positive step but not lasting solution.

The opening of a humanitarian corridor by Ukraine to bypass Russia's de facto blockade is a move in the right direction, but should not replace a larger deal to resume shipping through the Black Sea, the top United Nations trade chief said in comments to Reuters on Sept. 27.

4:19 PM

Russia attacks Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, injuring 3.

"At 12:50, there was a strike in the residential district of Kostiantynivka," Roslov reportedly said. "According to the latest information, three people were injured, one of them is in serious condition."

3:36 PM

Navalny transferred to single-cell room for a year as appeal rejected.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being transferred to a single-cell room for one year after a Moscow court rejected his appeal against a 19-year sentence on extremism charges on Sept. 27.

2:20 PM

Zelensky meets with UK Defense Minister.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with recently appointed U.K. Defense Minister Grant Shapps in Kyiv on Sept. 28, the president announced on social media.

1:23 PM

Shelling near Kherson injures 3.

A Russian attack on the village of Antonivka, a suburb of the city of Kherson, injured two women and a man, Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration, reported on Telegram on Sept. 28.

12:04 PM

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities dissolve self-declared government.

The president of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shakhramanyan, signed a decree on Sept. 28 dissolving all official institutions of the breakaway state from Jan. 1, 2024, Karabakh authorities announced. The government of the self-declared republic will "cease to exist" as an entity from that day, the decree said.

10:35 AM

Media: German-Japanese manufacturer continues to provide Russian military industry with components.

DMG Mori, a German-Japanese company and one of the world’s largest producers of machine cutting tools, has continued to do business with Russian firms that manufacture military hardware, according to an investigation by the independent Russian news agency Agentsvo.

9:42 AM

Media: Poll ahead of upcoming Slovak election shows divide on support for Ukraine.

A poll released ahead of parliamentary elections in Slovakia scheduled for Sept. 30 illustrate the split between the Slovak electorate on support for Ukraine and a slight lead for opposition leader Robert Fico, Slovak newspaper Dennik N reported.

8:40 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 277,320 troops in Ukraine.

The figure includes an additional 330 casualties reported over the past day.

7:55 AM

Military: Over 30 drones downed overnight on Sept 28.

Ukraine's air defense shot down over 30 drones that Russian forces launched overnight on Sept. 28, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command, said on air.

6:29 AM

ISW: Ukraine appears to marginally advance near Bakhmut.

Geolocated footage published on Sept. 26 and analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced near the village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, located 11 kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

4:54 AM

North Korea advancing weapons deal with Russia.

North Korea is continuing arms negotiations with Russia and intends to strike a deal soon, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Sept. 27.

3:41 AM

Ukrainian players shine at League Cup matches.

Three Ukrainian footballers had strong performances at the League Cup quarterfinals on Sept. 27 in the U.K., bringing further attention to the country’s sports potential, Channel 24 reports.

2:57 AM

Trudeau apologizes for honoring Nazi veteran.

"This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

2:22 AM

CNN: House Republicans to reject Senate deal as US shutdown nears.

The bill includes an additional $6.1 billion in funding for Ukraine, comprising $4.5 billion for defense equipment and $1.6 billion in fiscal budget support.

1:57 AM

WSJ: Scholz blocks transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to fear of Russia.

Other members of Germany’s ruling coalition have approved sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. On Sept. 4, German MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote on Twitter that "he (Scholtz) alone blocks this decision within the coalition".

1:48 AM

Zelensky teases new national security measures.

“Ukraine will be stronger. Ukraine will have more capabilities to defend itself,” the president said.

MORE NEWS

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Russia’s southern mistake — Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics

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Zelensky meets European leaders in Moldova, discusses EU, NATO integration process and further military support

by Martin Fornusek June 1, 2023 5:24 PM 4 min read

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meets President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during the 2d European Political Community Summit on May 1 (Source: President of Ukraine / official website)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has travelled to Moldova for a meeting with European leaders as part of the 2nd European Political Community Summit, held on June 1.

Zelensky listed military support, security guarantees, Ukraine's peace formula, and NATO and EU membership as important points on the agenda of the ongoing bilateral talks.

Zelensky met Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, discussing the shared interests of both countries, namely European aspirations and withstanding Russia's aggression. It is Zelensky's first visit to Ukraine's southwestern neighbor since the outset of the full-scale invasion.

"I think security guarantees are important not only for Ukraine. They are also important for Moldova because Russia is carrying out aggression in Ukraine and there is a potential threat of aggression in other parts of Europe," Zelensky said.

The two heads of state also talked about priority infrastructure projects that are to be implemented in the near future.

Zelensky met President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, publishing a joint statement on the occasion of International Children’s Day, which falls on June 1.

The statement condemned the illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia, pledging to facilitate their safe return.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 19,000 children have been abducted by Russia, according to a Ukrainian national database, while thousands remain not accounted for. Ukraine has so far managed to return 371 Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia, and the process is ongoing.

The two leaders presented a distance learning program for Ukraine’s medical staff, which should make Ukraine's healthcare system better equipped to provide appropriate physical and mental healthcare for the children affected by the war.

The statement welcomed the creation of the EU Project Office in Ukraine under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, tasked with formulating a strategy for reforming the childcare system.

According to the statement, about 1.3 million Ukrainian children now live in the EU.

Host nations provide them with access to healthcare, education, and other social systems under the EU's Temporary Protection Directive.

Zelensky and von der Leyen also discussed Ukraine’s peace formula, security guarantees for Ukraine before full NATO membership and Ukraine’s EU accession process.

According to Ukraine’s head of state, the country is close to fulfilling the European Commission’s recommendations for the start of the accession negotiations.

Kyiv is now waiting for an assessment of progress to be presented in June.

Zelensky also met Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, and Dimitar Kovachevski, the prime minister of North Macedonia.

President Zelensky thanked the two NATO members for supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression and in its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

He also thanked the Prime Minister of North Macedonia for joining his country in the Core Group for the establishment of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against our country, expressing hope that Albania will join as well.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Moldova's President Maia Sandu during the 2d European Political Community Summit on May 1 (Source: President of Ukraine / official website)

The European Political Community is a platform for political coordination among European countries, created in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The platform aims to foster political dialogue and cooperation to solve issues of common interest as well as to strengthen Europe's security and stability.

Moldova is hosting the second summit of the European Political Community at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca. The group met for the first time in October 2022 in Prague.

Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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