Australian Defense Magazine reported Nov. 1 that Australia has provided glide bomb kits to Ukraine following the withdrawal of the Royal Australian Air Force from service.
JDAMs, or wing kits, convert simple free-falling explosives into guided ammunition. GPS helps the bomb to adjust its course as it approaches the target.
Bloomberg reports that the bomb, once dropped, deploys wings allowing it glide up to 72 km, tripling its range.
In July of this year, Australia announced a military aid package worth 250 million Australian Dollars ($168 million). This was the largest amount of assistance the country had provided since the start of the full-scale conflict.
ABC News, an Australian media outlet, reported that Australia announced on Oct. 16, that it would donate 49 “soon to be retired” Abrams tanks made in the United States.
According to Australian Defense Magazine an unspecified amount of JDAM ERs was delivered to Ukraine. However, it is not immediately clear when the weapons were delivered.
The Kyiv independent has not been able independently to verify the transfer of munitions and Kyiv is not commenting on their delivery.
The delivery of the munitions is in line with the Defence’s Guided Weapons and Ordnance plan of the Australian government, which revealed on October 30 that Australia would withdraw its inventory of 225-kg JDAM ER glide bombs manufactured in Australia in 2021.
The reported delivery comes as Russian KAB-guided aerial bombs continue decimating Ukrainian cities on frontline. The transformation of older aerial bombs, primarily from the Soviet era, into 500-kg guided weapons continues to cause civilian casualties and damage civilian infrastructure.
The first guided kits for aerial weapons, made by the United States, were delivered to Ukraine in February 2023.
Richard Marles, the Australian Defense Minister, had announced in advance that Australia would be “providing air-to-ground precise munitions and short range air defense systems” during a visit to Kyiv scheduled for April 2024.
Media reports in 2024 revealed that the Australian military had decided to disassemble and bury their fleet of multi-role Taipan helicoptors, despite Kyiv’s official request to transfer them to Ukraine.
Since the start of the full-scale conflict, Australia has provided Ukraine more than $1 billion worth of aid, including $866 millions in military assistance.
Kyiv City military administration said that all drones that were threatening the city had been neutralized, without specifying how many drones were shot down.
On Nov. 2, Governor Serhii Lisak reported that a Russian attack damaged infrastructure near Dnipro.
“… “We face a pivot in history,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. “If Ukraine falls into Putin’s boot then all of Europe will be under Putin’s shadow.”
Kadyrov stated that after the first drone attack against Russia’s North Caucasus Republic, which targeted the Russian Special Forces University (Vladimir Putin) in the Chechen City of Gudermes, on October 29, he had ordered all his commanders fighting Ukraine to “not take prisoners and destroy” Ukrainian soldier as a retribution.
Radek Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, said that Kyiv can buy weapons on credit from Polish factories. He added that the loan could be repaid after the country’s rebuilding.
Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries, said: “This cooperation will strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry and protect critical infrastructure from enemy drones.”
The Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 39 of the 71 Shahed drones and unidentified drones that Russia launched overnight. The Air Force added that 21 drones were “lost” and five more flew towards Russia.
Commander-in Chief Oleksandr Sryskyi said that “active hostilities which continue in certain regions require constant renewal of resources of Ukrainian units.”
According to Ukraine’s intelligence services, North Korean soldiers were equipped with 60-mm mortars and AK-12 rifles. They also received machine guns, sniper weapons, Feniks guided anti-tank missiles, as well as hand-held antitank grenade launches.
This includes 1,270 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
Two S-400 missiles struck a police station in the early hours of Nov. 1, killing Andrii Matvienko. According to the Interior Ministry, 36 police officers, 9 civilians and 1 rescuer were injured.
Robert Shonov, an ex-employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok was arrested in 2023 on charges of passing information to the U.S. about Russia’s war against Ukraine. He was sentenced on Nov. 1 to four years, 10 months and 10 days in prison.
Two U.S.-based pollsters commissioned by Georgian opponents are questioning the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream Party was declared victorious.
“This is a key step towards the full launch 5G in Ukraine which we plan to finish by 2030,” Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Federorov said on November 1.
Zelensky stated that if Ukraine were granted permission to use long-range Western weapons on Russian soil, it could target “every camp” where North Korean troops gather in Russia.
SPP, the state-run gas importer in Slovakia, said: “We regularly discuss this topic with our partners. However, the information about a gas supply agreement being concluded with SPP’s participation is not true.”
“And we assure you that we will stand firmly alongside our Russian comrades until the day of victory,” said North Korean Foreign Minister Choe son Hui during her talks with Sergey Lavrov, her Russian counterpart.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said that this “cannot help but surprise” given the Turkish leadership’s statements about their willingness to mediate Ukraine and Russia.
The recent military assistance was provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which removes weapons from U.S. stockpiles.
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 with civilian life.
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.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com