According to a press release from the U.S. Defense Department, Washington announced on November 1 a new package of military aid for Kyiv valued at $425 million.
The day before, U.S. Secretaries of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) and Antony Blinken (right) said at a joint press briefing that the U.S. will “soon provide Ukraine with a new aid package” in light of North Korean troops being involved in Russia’s conflict.
The recent military assistance was provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which removes weapons from U.S. stockpiles.
The list of aid includes ammunition for NASAMS missiles systems, Stinger missiles and ammunition for HIMARS rockets systems. It also includes tube-launched optically tracked and wire-guided TOW missiles as well as AT-4 anti-armor and Javelin systems.
Washington will also supply Kyiv with Stryker armored vehicles, munitions and equipment to counter unmanned aerial systems (cUAS), medical equipment, spare parts and other contents.
Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, announced during his visit to Kyiv in October that the U.S. has recently allocated another $400 million military assistance package for Ukraine.
Austin arrived in Kyiv unannounced to discuss the future of support as the U.S. Presidential election approaches.
There are growing concerns that if former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, wins against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Democratic presidential primary, he could withdraw or reduce U.S. assistance for Ukraine, forcing Ukraine to make painful concessions.
Despite U.S. aid, Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine while the country prepares for new strikes against its power grid as winter approaches.
On October 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the U.S. had transferred to Ukraine almost 10% of the $61 billion approved by Congress in April 2020.
The Kyiv Independent has joined a unit called the Witches of Bucha. They are named after a suburb of Kyiv Oblast, where they are located. All of these women are volunteers and combine their combat duties and civilian lives.
Two missiles struck a police station and killed police officer Andrii Mattvienko. The attack resulted in 26 police officers and 4 civilians being injured, according to Kharkiv Regional Police.
Bloomberg reported that Russia has captured 1,146 sq km (442 sq miles) of Ukraine since Aug. 6. This is about a quarter larger than the first seven months this year.
Estonian intelligence stated that North Korean soldiers are trained to fight in mountainous terrain and are therefore unfamiliar with the climate and geography of Ukraine.
The Main Inspectorate of Defense Ministry audits ministry activities, including monitoring quality of military training, staffing and oversight of military aviation safety. It also conducts technical investigations.
“At this time, they don’t have an advantage in the towns.” The contact line has stabilized,” Anastasia Bobovnikova said, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk.
“We are trying to help but we are also a frontline country.” “Russia also threatens us and not everything is feasible,” said Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister.
The last time Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to an EU country was 2021 when he attended the OSCE meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The “East Shield Program” aims to strengthen Poland‘s border with Belarus and the Russian exclave Kaliningrad.
The General Staff reported that Russia launched more than 2,00 strike drones against Ukraine in October, breaking the previous record of nearly 700 set in September.
Following the suspension of operations at Arctic LNG 2, Russian LNG tankers have gathered off Russia’s east coast, indicating that Moscow has been unable to find buyers.
Trump has praised and backed Putin repeatedly, but rarely criticised him. He called the Russian invasion of Ukraine “genius” and a “smart” move in 2022.
Two men were arrested in Moscow recently after allegedly attempting to steal 25 packets butter.
The Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 31 of 48 Shahed drones and unidentified drones that Russia launched overnight. The Air Force added that 14 more drones had been “lost” and three others were flying towards Belarus.
Svetlograd is a town with around 35,000 inhabitants, located over 600 km (372 miles), southeast of the Ukrainian border in Donetsk Oblast.
This includes 1,460 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
After the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula held in Montreal, more than 45 countries signed an agreement on October 31 to support the facilitation of the return of all Ukrainian deportees and captives.
Oleh Osiian is the first deputy head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection. He said that Ukraine and China are currently in talks to expand the exports of agricultural products.
Zelensky stated that the document was likely to cover issues related to national minorities and security cooperation.
Radiy Khabirov said that a Ukrainian drone had struck an oil refinery located in the city Ufa, in Russia’s Bashkortostan republic.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com