Europe 'They're just meat': Russia deploys punishment battalions in echo of Stalin Reuters October 3, 2023

Ukraine will not participate in the Junior World Judo Championship due to the admission of russian athletes, including an active military serviceman.

The Judo Federation of Ukraine writes about this.

"The International Judo Federation, as usual, at the last moment admitted seven russian athletes, one of whom is an active military serviceman, to the World Junior Championship in a neutral status," –– the message reads.

Ukraine: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Kyiv 02.10.2023 EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Good afternoon, and sorry for being so late.

I know that you have been waiting for quite a long time, but the debate has been long, and I have to say very interesting and useful.

But I have to start by thanking our Ukrainian hosts – in particular you, dear Dmytro [Kuleba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine], and certainly President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy for your very good hospitality.

Today, we had an Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Kyiv. This is for sure a historical date for several reasons.

It is the first time ever that the Council met outside the European Union.

It is the first time that we met in a candidate country.

And, unfortunately, it was also the first time that the Foreign Ministers of the European Union met in a country at war.

Of course, we would have preferred very much to meet under different circumstances, but these circumstances are the way they are, and we have to support Ukraine in facing this challenge.

By coming to Kyiv, the European Union’s Foreign Ministers sent a strong message of solidarity and support to Ukraine in the face of this unjust and illegitimate war.

I, personally - before today’s meeting - visited Odesa and Kyiv, to meet with the Ukrainian people, to know and discuss their daily lives and see with my own eyes the brutal, inhumane nature of Putin’s aggression against this country.

Targeting churches, cultural heritage, ports that are exporting food for hungry people around the world – this says a lot about the true face of the so-called “special military operation” that Putin is waging against the people of Ukraine, who are resisting with incredible bravery.

Russia is weaponising hunger and energy. Russia is doing so, extending its crimes across the globe, targeting the most vulnerable people in Africa and in Asia, depriving them of their food. This is the consequence of this naval blockage.

This is not only our claim. It is also the perception of many, as we have seen at the heart of the United Nations General Assembly two weeks ago.

Unhappily, Russia seems determined to continue with its illegal actions, violating the international rules-based order and putting global diplomacy to the test.

This means that we have to work more together.

And we have started doing that - well, not started because we have been doing that for months - but today’s discussion has provided us with a better idea of the security dimension of this situation. This has been a central discussion today, with President Zelenskyy, and Minister Kuleba.

We have been talking about the security commitments that we want to provide to Ukraine, showing our determination to stand by Ukraine in the long term, to deter acts of aggression and resist the destabilisation efforts by Russia.

You can imagine there are many different aspects under our sustained engagement. Let me start with the military side.

I proposed a new bilateral multi-annual envelope under the European Peace Facility (EPF), of up to €5 billion for the next year, [and] more will come. I hope that we can reach an agreement before the end of the year when the Member States have to agree on the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework.

We continue training Ukranian soldiers. The target today is to train 40,000 [soldiers] in the upcoming months, and this includes specialised training for fighter jets’ pilots.

We are also working on strengthening the cooperation between the European and the Ukrainian defence industries. You had an important meeting here in Kyiv a few days ago.

And we will continue working on increasing resilience, cyber defence and defence against hybrid threats such as disinformation and developing a common strategic communication.

It is very important to increase our support on demining. This is a key condition for Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction.

We are also discussing about further promoting comprehensive reform of the law enforcement sector, accountability, and resilience, mainly via the strengthening of the existing EU Advisory Mission (EUAM Ukraine) that I had the opportunity to visit in Odesa.

And, for sure, the strongest security commitment that we can give to Ukraine, is the European Union membership. This is the strongest security commitment for Ukraine. Now Ukraine is a candidate country, and it is going further on this path.

We talked about war, military efforts, resilience, cyber-attacks, but we also talked about peace. We have to engage both on looking for peace and on the reforms needed for the accession process.

By the end of the year, the European Council will receive the report of the [European] Commission on the Enlargement package that will be presented together by myself and Commissioner [for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver] Várhelyi.

Another important issue is the continuous work on accountability, including the crime of aggression and inhumane actions such as the deportation of children. Russia has to pay for its aggression and for all its crimes.

We will now take forward the work on these points, in close consultation with Ukraine. And, as I said before, together with the accession process there is the Peace Formula. We took note that President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula is the only peace initiative discussed in the international community. Others were mentioned but they have disappeared. The only one that remains, the only one that attracts the attention and the work of the international community is President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. It is – we can say – the only game in town. It is “the” formula. We will continue working as the European Union to make it more global and the basis for the future peace.

And I am going to hand to you Dmytro, but before that, let me underline that this joint meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers with Ukraine in Kyiv should be understood as a clear commitment of the European Union to Ukraine and its continued support in all dimensions. Its military support, its support for peace – for a just peace, for accountability and working for the [EU] membership path.

It is also sending a strong signal to Russia: we are not intimidated by your missiles or drones. Just after I left Odesa a new rain of drones fell in the Oblast of Odesa - just some minutes after I left the city.

We are not intimidated by your drones or missiles. Our resolve to support the fight for freedom and independence of Ukraine is firm and will continue. Yes, we will continue standing for Ukraine.

Thank you.

Q&A

Q. It looks like Russia prepares for a long war. The West seems more and more divided. Symbolism is one thing, but could you specify what you are doing to guarantee Ukraine long [term] support.

The European Union remains united in its support to Ukraine. We remain united. I do not see any Member States faulting on their engagement to support Ukraine with the tools that we have. And what are we doing? I think that I have already explained. You want me to repeat again what I have been telling you. What will we do? We will do more of the same. More - putting on the table financial requests to the Member States that have to decide. On the civilian side - the economic support - which is as much as important as the military one because the economy of Ukraine cannot fall down, otherwise, there will not be any possibility of supporting the war effort. You know that there is a proposal for €50 billion. Then, on the military side, to revamp the European Peace Facility, with a dedicated European specific fund to continue supporting Ukraine. As I said, there is a figure for the next four years, and a commitment for the next year of [up to] €5 billion more. This is what we have to do. I understand there is no big news, but to do the same more and quicker, to provide quicker and in greater quantity our support is what Ukraine needs. That is what we continue doing.

Q. [In Ukrainian]

I do not know where this idea comes from. Who has talked about partial membership, half membership, 25% membership? Membership is membership, full stop.

video https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-247061

Blogger Calls Propagandist Mukavozchyk And Asks Why His Daughter Works In The United States 2.10.2023

The author of Sovbelia was confused.

It is a well-known fact that the children of some state officials and propagandists live, study and work in the West, which is mercilessly criticised by their own parents, writes BAJ.

The hosts of the YouTube channel Partyzanskaya Pravla tried to clarify the position of one of them - Andrei Mukavozchyk.

The authors of the YouTube channel recalled that Maria, Andrei Mukavozchyk's daughter, studied in the USA and now works there as a chemist.

• Why doesn't she want to return to Belarus? asks Uladzislau Bokhan (an artist and prankster who is famous for pranking teachers in Belarusian and Russian schools).

• I'd explain it to you... There's nothing for you to understand," the employee of Sovetskaya Belorussia began to deny, as usual. - It won't work anymore. If you failed from 2020 to 2023, what are your chances after that? None...

During the conversation, the propagandist's interlocutor wondered why the daughter didn't understand that today's Belarus is a country for life; she doesn't see the prospects and prosperity of science. Is it impossible to study chemistry at home?

• She can. Why not? Andrei Mukavozchyk sighed.

But he refused to speculate on the subject, suggesting that questions be put directly to his daughter.

• I'm like a father, a patriot and all that. So what? You are incapable of understanding even such simple things as what and how," the propagandist continued in his typical manner. - I can't explain. You just want to get to the bottom of it.....

The website and pages of the propaganda publication regularly publish slanders written by Andrei Mukavozchyk, in which he criticises the West, representatives of Belarusian democratic forces, resorting to personal attacks and direct insults.

• The world of consumerism is going mad, trying to bring us down too. For a while or forever. We should resist, not give in if it comes to that," the author recently instructed his readers.

A few days ago Andrei Mukavozchyk published an article justifying the CEC's decision to deprive Belarusians living abroad of the right to vote.

• We wonder why people who do not live in the country are given the opportunity to vote? he was indignant. - They are not traitors, they are very worthy. But they don't know what Belarus needs.

I wonder if these words equally apply to his own daughter?

Hardbass Name: When we were at War - Nightcore Alan Aztec - Russian Spy (feat. Karate) Alan Aztec - Do it like a Russian (feat Karate)

The Come Back Alive Foundation has provided 20 engineering and demining teams of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with pickup trucks and mine clearance equipment.

The transfer of vehicles and equipment took place within the “We Live Here” project, implemented jointly with Kyivstar.

The Come Back Alive Foundation announced this on social media.

“Last year, our defenders from this unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were demining the Kharkiv region liberated from the invaders. They had a rotation to Bakhmut. Now they are working in the Kupyansk direction,” the statement reads.

Each of the 20 sapper teams of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received:

pickup truck; Autel EVO Nano+ quadcopter; tablet with a protective case and memory card; 3 Motorola radios; 3 personal and group mine clearance kits; 3 tactical sappers kits; metal detector; blasting unit with a charger; ohmmeter, probes, 2 coils of wire. The Foundation also handed over seven modular explosive protective suits to Ukrainian soldiers.

The total value of the transferred vehicles and equipment is UAH 26 million 45 thousand 556.

The Come Back Alive Foundation has already provided 51 sapper teams from six units with such equipment to the tune of over UAH 71.5 million within the “We Live Here” project.

Together with Kyivstar, the Come Back Alive Foundation is raising UAH 175 million to equip 146 sapper teams of the Armed Forces Support Force.

The “We Live Here” project was launched in May this year.

So far, more than UAH 105 million has been raised to implement the initiative.

The sappers of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are operating both in the already liberated territories and in the areas where active hostilities with Russian invaders are taking place.

On 3 October, a train hit a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system on the Yenakievo-Uglegorsk crossing in temporarily occupied Donbas This is reported by the ASTRA edition with reference to sources.

"The previous night, a goods train hit a vehicle of the Russian Armed Forces' Strela-10 SAM system on the Yenakievo-Uglegorsk crossing," the report said.

According to preliminary data, the driver was travelling as part of a military convoy, but failed to cope with the control, drove off the bridge and hit the train.

As a result, the crew that was sitting in the SAM was destroyed, and two more Russian military personnel were wounded.

As added, the diesel locomotive went off the rails, there is damage to the railway bed.

Recall: on 1 October, drones attacked the Smolensk aircraft plant for the production of missiles X-59. As a result of the attack damaged production at the plant and disrupted the production of weapons.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Oct. 3 that Russia had lost 279,440 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 360 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,732 tanks, 9,008 armored fighting vehicles, 8,932 vehicles and fuel tanks, 6,565 artillery systems, 801 multiple launch rocket systems, 540 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 5,080 drones, 20 boats, and one submrine.

Russia launched 31 Shahed drones and one Iskander-K ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight on Oct. 3, the Air Force reported.

Air defenses working in Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts successfully shot down 29 of the drones and the Iskander missile.

The attacks were reportedly launched from occupied Crimea.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak earlier reported that a drone and other debris from downed drones struck a factory, causing a fire and other damage in Pavlohrad, located 75 kilometers east of the regional capital Dnipro.

Elsewhere in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, debris caused damage to civilian infrastructure, but no casualties were reported, according to Lysak.

Nate Ostiller News Editor Nate Ostiller is a News Editor. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Russia's Investigative Committee charges top Ukrainian military officials with 'terrorism'

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk October 3, 2023

Four top representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were charged with committing "terrorist acts on Russian territory," Russia's Investigative Committee announced on Oct. 3.

The list includes military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa, and commander of the 383rd separate regiment of remotely controlled aircraft, Serhii Burdeniuk. The announcement also alleged that the commanders had compelled their subordinates to assist them in committing the "terrorist attacks."

According to Russia's Investigative Committee, the "terrorist attacks" detailed were referring to drone strikes in Russia and occupied Crimea. Russian officials have regularly characterized attacks against targets in Russia and occupied Crimea as "acts of terrorism," such as the July 17 explosions on the Kerch Bridge, yet Russian forces strike non-military targets and civilians in Ukraine on a daily basis.

Nate Ostiller News Editor Nate Ostiller is a News Editor. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

ISW: Russia allegedly removed Bakhmut General due to poor performance

by Rachel Amran October 3, 2023

Russian milbloggers are speculating that the Russian Ministry of Defense removed Lieutenant General Andrey Sychevoy from his post commanding the Bakhmut direction due to poor performance south of the city, near Klishchiivka and Andriivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in its daily assessment on Oct. 2.

The Kyiv Independent is unable to verify this report.

According to ISW, a "Storm Z" instructor suggested on Oct. 1 that Russian military command removed Lt. General Sychevoy for conducting "unprepared and unsupported" counterattacks near Andriivka and Klishchiivka.

Until his dismissal in Sept. 2022, General Sychevoy commanded the Western Group of Forces in Kharkiv Oblast. Sychevoy's current position in the Russian military is unknown.

Rachel Amran News Editor Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.

October 2, 2023

Today, the United States and Denmark announced their partnership to reduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities and build cyber resilience in Ukraine’s critical infrastructure through the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure in Ukraine activity. Denmark is investing $2.8 million (20 million DKK) in the activity.

Since 2014 and particularly since the run-up to its brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian Federation has targeted cyberattacks against Ukraine’s government institutions and critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, electricity, and data storage systems. The United States, with this new support from Denmark, will continue its work to strengthen Ukraine’s cybersecurity enabling environment, including its laws, regulations, and institutional frameworks; develop Ukraine’s cybersecurity workforce, including building the capacity of existing experts and by developing a dedicated cybersecurity workforce pipeline; and by building trust and collaboration between the public and sectors to form a more resilient Ukrainian cybersecurity industry.

“Strengthening Ukraine’s cyber capabilities is critical to protecting the country’s institutions and infrastructure against the increased cyber attacks resulting from Russia’s war. I welcome Denmark’s $2.8m investment in the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure in Ukraine activity and look forward to working together to enable Ukraine to withstand Russia’s cyber aggression” – United States Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink.

“There is a great need to build a more resilient digital infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia uses cyber attacks to disrupt critical infrastructure and undermine trust in authoriti. This is why we will contribute 20 million DKK (2.8 million USD) towards Ukrainian cybersecurity in close collaboration with the U.S.” – Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The United States, through USAID’s Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure in Ukraine activity, has been essential for providing state institutions and key infrastructure with the tools and cyber expertise they need to keep running and to meet the needs of the Ukrainian people during the war. The activity has also supported Ukraine’s efforts to form partnerships with international cybersecurity actors, including Ukraine’s State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection launching cooperation with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

The United States is proud to partner with Denmark and New Zealand through the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure in Ukraine activity, and looks forward to our continued collaboration. Through its contribution, Denmark underscores its support for the Ukrainian people and their security against cybersecurity attacks from malign actors. The donation also builds on New Zealand’s investment of $0.49 million in the cybersecurity program earlier in 2023.

By U.S. Embassy Kyiv | 2 October, 2023

Ruble Sinks Back to 100 Versus Dollar in New Headache for Russia

Have a confidential tip for our reporters? Get in Touch Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal LEARN MORE By Bloomberg News 3 October 2023

The ruble depreciated near 100 per dollar again, briefly crossing an important psychological mark for Russian consumers and the government after past efforts by policymakers failed to arrest the currency's decline.

Russia's currency weakened as much as 0.5% to 100.255 against the greenback before trading at 99.94 as of 7:22 a.m. in Moscow on Tuesday. The drop returned it to a threshold that triggered an emergency interest-rate hike in August and prompted fierce discussion about possible capital control measures to bolster the ruble.

How Orban copied Putin in extorting foreign companies with selective taxes & rules forcing them to leave and handing them over to friendly oligarchs for pennies on the dollar

Trying To Turn Ukraine Into ‘Neutral’ Finland Or Austria Would Be A Disaster

By Robert Farley Published 1 day ago

Can we turn Ukraine into Austria? Or perhaps Finland?

Along with a host of others, former Greek Minister of Finance Yannis Varoufakis has argued that the foundation for peace between Russia and Ukraine lies in the neutralization of the latter. And many in Europe and North America might prefer an outcome that soothes the conscience and allows Ukraine to maintain a degree of independence from Russia, however shadowy. Fortunately or no, the comparisons don’t hold up; trying to turn Ukraine into Cold War Austria or Cold War Finland is bound to lead to disaster.

Turn Ukraine Into Austria? In the wake of World War II, the Allied powers detached Austria from Germany and divided it into four occupation zones. In 1955, Austria signed a treaty that ended this occupation but left the country permanently neutral and largely demilitarized. Austrian democracy survived and the Austrian economy thrived, despite the fact that Vienna became well-known as a venue for spy-on-spy conflicts during the Cold War.

Austria’s example would be relevant, but for two factors; Austria was a conquered (and guilty) combatant at the end of World War II, and Austria was not regarded as strategically consequential for the security of any of the European great powers. Unlike Ukraine, Austria had enthusiastically participated in a brutal war of extermination against Jews and Slavs on the Eastern Front.

While the Allies officially regarded Austria as a victim of Nazi aggression, it was also well-understood that many or most Austrians had joined the war willingly on the German side.

Critical to the legitimacy of the neutralization of Austria was the idea that the Austrians deserved what they got for their participation in the Nazi war machine. This belief was deeply held by the Soviets, but also extended to the Western Allies and even to the Austrians themselves. The Ukrainians (and most of their allies) understand themselves as victims of aggression rather than its perpetrators, resulting in a vastly different rhetorical environment.

Also, unlike the Ukrainian situation, Russia did not regard control of Austria as crucial to either its security or identity. Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear in his speech at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War that the stakes were not limited to security; they very much included Russia’s natural right to a sphere of influence in what Putin regarded as Russia’s ancestral lands.

This would put a neutral, disarmed Ukraine is a far more perilous position than Cold War Austria.

Can Ukraine Become Finland? The USSR invaded Finland (a former territory of the Russian Empire) as part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939. While the Finns performed well in the first months of the Winter War, they were later forced to conclude a peace with the USSR.

When war broke out again in June 1941, Finland joined the Nazi cause and attempted to regain its lost territories, only to be forced into another surrender in September 1944. As with Austria, the USSR was able to impose an arrangement upon Finland because Finland, having thrown in its lot with the Nazis, was on the losing side of a catastrophic war.

Finland wasn’t quite in the same position as Austria (Finland’s war policy was quite measured, and generally speaking Finns avoided participating in the Holocaust), but nevertheless, the albatross of Nazi collaboration hung heavy over the country.

Finland was allowed to retain its democratic institutions and mostly allowed to govern its internal affairs. Finland’s latitude in foreign and security policies was sharply curtailed, however. Nor was Finland completely free to manage its affairs; the looming threat of Russian intervention had a negative impact on Finnish speech, literature, film, and culture, in large part because of the fear and reality of government censorship.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Finns loved Finlandization so much that Finland immediately applied for NATO membership as soon as this war began.

What Will Kyiv Do? The USSR and the Western Allies imposed neutrality on Austria and Finland through force of arms. This imposition carried with it the legitimacy not simply of might makes right, but also of the extermination of the foulest regime to disgrace the modern historical record. Moreover, the Finns and the Austrians (to different degree) accepted the justice of this verdict.

Ukrainians will not accept this judgment. They do not believe that they have done anything wrong, and do not believe that their sovereignty should be abrogated out of concern for the convenience of their next door neighbor. They do not believe that Russia will refrain from military, political, and economic intervention in Ukraine in the future.

Analysts who style themselves “realist” seem to like the idea of Ukrainian neutrality; it recognizes Russia’s right to a sphere of influence and reduces the American commitment to the region, goals that the anti-engagement school has long treasured. But these “realists” might as well ask for a dozen Shield helicarriers and a battalion of unicorns. Forcing Ukraine to accept “neutrality” after suffering substantial territorial losses to Russia in 2014 was a no-go; Kyiv had lost any trust that it had in Moscow’s intentions.

The situation today is much worse; Ukrainians across the society actively hate Russia and Russians, and will not accept an agreement that reduces or eliminates Ukraine’s ability to protect itself. “Realists” should take time to think through the actual dynamics of the political and military situation between Ukraine and Russia before holding forth on how to restrain and constrain Ukraine.

will not copy the charts but will copy all the text

How much aid the U.S. has sent to Ukraine, in 6 charts World Oct 1, 2023 9:14 PM EDT Every year, the United States sends billions of dollars in aid — and much more than any other country — to beneficiaries around the world in pursuit of its security, economic, and humanitarian interests.

Heading into 2022, U.S. foreign assistance was driven by various priorities of the Biden administration, including combating climate change, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and countering authoritarianism. But since Russia’s invasion in February of that year, Ukraine has become far and away the top recipient of U.S. foreign aid. It’s the first time that a European country has held the top spot since the Harry S. Truman administration directed vast sums into rebuilding the continent through the Marshall Plan after World War II.

WATCH: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy gives address at U.S. National Archives during visit to Washington

Since the war began, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress have directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute. (This figure does not include all war-related U.S. spending, such as aid to allies.) The historic sums are helping a broad set of Ukrainian people and institutions, including refugees, law enforcement, and independent radio broadcasters, though most of the aid has been military-related. Dozens of other countries, including most members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union, are also providing large aid packages to Ukraine.

Much of the aid has gone toward providing weapons systems, training, and intelligence that Ukrainian commanders need to defend against Russia, which has one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Many Western analysts say the military aid provided by the United States and other allies has played a pivotal role in Ukraine’s defense and counteroffensive against Russia. U.S. and allied leaders consider Russia’s invasion a brutal and illegal war of aggression on NATO’s frontier that, if successful, would subjugate millions of Ukrainians; encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin’s revanchist aims; and invite similar aggression from other rival powers, especially China.

NATO allies are particularly wary of being pulled directly into the hostilities, which would dramatically raise the risk of a nuclear war. However, as the fighting has progressed, many donor governments have shed their reluctance to give Ukraine more sophisticated assets, such as battle tanks and modern fighter aircraft. In the summer of 2023, the United States agreed to allow its European allies to train Ukrainian pilots to operate U.S.-made F-16s and to eventually have those allies supply the warplanes to Kyiv.

Nineteen months into the war, the Biden administration had provided or agreed to provide Ukraine with a long list of defense capabilities, including Abrams battle tanks, anti-aircraft missiles, coastal defense ships, and advanced surveillance and radar systems. In July, the Biden administration sparked some controversy in agreeing to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are banned by most countries because of the risk their undetonated components can pose to civilians many years after their use.

UNDERSTANDING THE RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR: A GUIDE FROM WAR ON THE ROCKS We at War on the Rocks have curated this list of articles and podcasts to help you gain a deeper understanding of the history, drivers, background, and events of Russia’s massive assault on Ukraine. Whether you are a soldier or a student, a policymaker or a pundit, a teacher or a techie, this will be useful for you.

Critically, these offerings help place the conflict in the broader context of relations and confrontations between Russia and the West. These resources go back to 2014 and are organized by focus: strategy and the military balance, diplomacy, history, resistance, nuclear weapons and arms control, cyber, energy, Russian politics, and more. This list will be updated regularly.

Editor’s note: To mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, we have updated this guide with all of our material that can help you better understand the conflict.

Recap Deployment Map changes – Week 39 zhutatko –

October 1, 2023

The weekly recap of the latest unit changes on our Deployment map.

Collection of the most significant changes on our Deployment map during the past week. All information based on publicly available sources.

Kupyansk Axis 44th Mechanized Brigade was redeployed to Kupyansk axis to reinforce Ukrainian defense in the north. (source) 42nd Mechanized Brigade was redeployed to Kupyansk axis as well. (source) Bakhmut axis Given the recent release of training videos by 57th Motorized Brigade, it seems the brigade was withdrawn from the front. (source) 93rd Mechanized Brigade, at least partly, returned to the front south of Bakhmut. (source) Velyka Novosilka axis 21st Brigade of National Guard was redeployed to this direction and is performing tasks in the vicinity of Urozhaine. (source) 31st Brigade of National Guard was also redeployed to this direction. Previously, this unit fought in the Kreminna area. (source) There are indications that 37th Marine Brigade and part of 36th Marine Brigade were withdrawn from the front and redeployed elsewhere. * 58th Motorized Brigade has returned to the front and is now deployed to the area of the previously withdrawn 37th Marine Brigade. * 35th Marine Brigade relocated to the area of Novomaiorske. * Tokmak axis 132nd Reconaissance Battalion was deployed to the southern front. * Kherson axis Just recently formed 48th Separate Assault Battalion has been deployed to Kherson Oblast. (source) Our Deployment Map has been updated to reflect the changes above.

Data marked with * come from public Facebook groups of Ukrainian volunteers asking for support, a list of captured soldiers, and so on. Due to possible personal data available at the source such as name etc., the links are hidden and can be provided on demand if requested.

GeoConfirmed UKR.

"Construction of "Dragon's Teeth" fortifications in the North direction from the highway, ~16 km NorthEast of north end of Feodosia, Crimea"

note: this is a very remarkable location: the East side of Crimea. 2,5km long from N to S. Why?

Russia's largest air carrier had three planes break down in a day

Due to technical failures, the planes could not take off on time. The Boeing 777 airplane of the Russian company Aeroflot could not take off from Phuket to Moscow due to damaged landing gear. Also, 400 Aeroflot passengers who were going to Turkey were stuck in Moscow.