All current developments on the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the Eastern Front
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Images released by the Ukrainian presidency show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visiting soldiers on the Eastern Front.
“Today we are visiting our brigades on combat operations in one of the hottest areas (of the front),” Zelensky said in a statement on social media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he had visited the Eastern Front in the area of the cities of Kupiansk and Lyman, which are the target of an offensive by Russian troops.
Mr. Zelensky said he “discussed the operational situation on the battlefield, current problems and needs with brigade commanders and fighters.”
Ukrainian forces have been conducting a slow counteroffensive in the east and south since June, but in the Kupiansk sector it is Russian troops who are attacking.
In August, Ukrainian authorities urged people living near Kupiansk to evacuate those areas. On September 20, the army said it feared further Russian attacks in the region.
Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the front several times since the start of the Russian invasion, including Bakhmut, the site of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.
Leopard tanks and no additional mobilization for Russia in Ukraine
The 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces releases images showing a German-supplied Leopard 2A6 tank of the Ukrainian infantry in the Zaporizhia region firing towards the southeastern city of Melitopol.
Russian conscripts will not be sent to the combat zone in Ukraine and no further mobilization is currently planned, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday at a meeting with senior military officials.
“The armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to carry out the special military operation,” Shoigu said, adding that over 335,000 people signed contracts for military service in 2023, including about 50,000 in September.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced last week that it would call up 130,000 men for military service in most regions of the country this fall, which began on October 1.
Ukraine is accused of firing cluster bombs at a Russian village
The governor of Russia’s Bryansk region has claimed that Ukraine used cluster munitions on a Russian village near the Ukrainian border, hitting several houses.
No injuries were reported in Klimovo, Governor Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram.
Kiev has not commented on this allegation.
Euronews cannot independently verify the Russian official’s claim, which was made without photo or video evidence.
Washington controversially delivered cluster bombs to Kiev in July in what politicians and human rights groups called a “terrible mistake.”
Cluster munitions are banned by an international treaty signed by more than 120 countries.
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Like a shotgun, they spray explosive submunitions over an area the size of several football fields. Like landmines, these can then remain inactive for years after the end of a conflict and kill and maim civilians.
Russia has been documented to frequently use cluster bombs in Ukraine.
Loss of US aid would have “devastating” impact on Kiev – experts
Experts warn that Ukrainian troops could soon run out of ammunition and equipment if far-right officials in Washington succeed in cutting U.S. funding.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the US has pledged more than $43 billion (41 billion euros) in military aid to Ukraine – more than half of the West’s total military aid.
Senior U.S. officials have repeatedly claimed that military and humanitarian support to Kyiv will last “as long as necessary.”
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However, the Republican opposition, spurred on by a group of Trump officials, managed on Saturday to force Congress to approve a preliminary budget that excluded aid to Kyiv.
This compromise – which prevented a government shutdown in Washington – shows that aid to Kiev is far from guaranteed.
If the funding were stopped, “it would be devastating for the Ukrainians,” warns Mark Cancian, a consultant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington.
“Ukrainian troops would be weakened and possibly even collapse,” although he believes they “may still be able to remain on the defensive.”
A halt to aid – which the White House says will not happen – would have a delayed effect because there are many deliveries in the pipeline.
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“We would certainly have to wait several weeks before we would see effects on the battlefield,” Cancian said.
Additionally, Moscow may not be able to capitalize on this weakening as it is “pretty exhausted at this point,” he added.
Far from the front lines, the end of US aid could also weaken Ukraine’s air defenses, which must be continuously supplied with ammunition.
They play a key role in protecting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure from Russian attacks.
Top EU diplomat dismisses concerns about bloc’s long-term support for Ukraine
The European Union’s foreign policy chief led a delegation of senior diplomats on an unannounced visit to Kiev on Monday, where he dismissed concerns about political tensions in the bloc that could hamper its long-term support for Ukraine.
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Even if the informal meeting between representatives of the EU and Ukraine was largely symbolic, it showed the EU’s “clear commitment” to Kiev, Josep Borrell said at a press conference in Kiev.
“The EU remains united in its support for Ukraine… I do not see any member state abandoning its commitment.”
He emphasized that the Union is committed to a “sustainable engagement” with Ukraine.
“Our resolve…is firm and will endure.”
Borrell listed the commitments the 27-nation club has made and wants to make, including proposed 5 billion euros in military aid next year, a target for training about 40,000 Ukrainian troops and possible joint defense ventures between EU- and Ukrainian defense companies.
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However, their “strongest security promise” to Ukraine is to grant it EU membership, he continued.
Ukraine wants to join the bloc – something EU officials have advocated – even though it could take decades, especially given a war of attrition with no end in sight.
Talks between the EU and Kiev took place following the weekend election victory in Slovakia by former Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose pro-Russian agenda has increased question marks over the EU’s continued support for Kiev.
The small Eastern European EU country could add tension to the bloc’s discussions over Ukraine, as has already happened with Hungary.
Budapest maintained close relations with Moscow and spoke out against arms sales to Ukraine or economic aid.