Ukraine ramps up production of drones, ammunition: Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is ramping up domestic production of drones and ammunition to fight invading Russian forces.
Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Tuesday that he held a meeting with Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, who briefed him on the results in the production of drones and ammunition.
“We are ramping up production,” Zelensky said, adding that efforts were also underway to ensure “the adoption of new weapon models.”
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Zelensky to oust Ukraine’s top general amid tension over new mobilization
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his top commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, that he was firing him in a meeting on Monday, according to a senior official familiar with the conversation — a disruptive military shake-up amid Ukraine’s struggles on the battlefield and after months of friction between the president and the popular general.
Zaluzhny remains in his post for now, but a formal presidential decree is expected to confirm his ousting nearly two years into Russia’s invasion and as Moscow’s forces appear to be gaining the strategic initiative on some parts of the front.
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EU must defend Ukraine even if US reduces military support, Macron says
The European Union has to make bold decisions to defend Ukraine, pre-empting any US decision to withhold or reduce its military support, Emmanuel Macron has said.
In a speech in Sweden, which hopes to be the next country to join Nato, the French president also said the future security architecture of Europe, including arms control agreements covering European territory, could no longer be settled simply by the US and Russia, and Europe had to have a right to determine its own future.
His remarks were designed as a warning to Europe that it needs to ramp up its whole defence effort and prepare for the possibility that either Joe Biden will be unable to push his military assistance budget for Ukraine through Congress, or that later in the year he is defeated in a presidential election by an isolationist Donald Trump.
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EU Leaders Agree on $54 Billion Ukraine Support Package
European Union leaders agreed unanimously Thursday on a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) support package for Ukraine, overcoming previous opposition from Hungary.
European Council President Charles Michel celebrated the agreement, saying the EU was taking leadership and responsibility in its support for Ukraine and knows “what is at stake.”
“This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine,” Michel said on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the unanimous vote, saying it “proves strong EU unity.”
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy hails arrival of new air defence systems
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the arrival on Friday of two new air defence systems that he said could “shoot down anything”.
Zelenskiy also said that he and his top commanders had discussed conditions along the 1000-km (600-mile) frontline of the war against Russia, singling out the situation in the beleaguered town of Avdiivka as “extraordinarily difficult”.
In his nightly video address, the president pointedly said he could give no details of the newly arrived air defence systems but described them as the culmination of “working tirelessly at various levels for months”.
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‘Poland recognizes Ukraine’s independence, Crimea included’ – country’s officials reassure
This comes after Polish President Andrzej Duda’s Friday interview for Kanal Zero youtube channel, where he made a surprising remark on Crimea that echoed nationally and around the world in the following hours and days.During the interview, Duda called Crimea “special for historical reasons”, claiming that “for most of the time it was under Russia’s control”. He also added that due to that fact, the peninsula would be hard to regain given its special significance for Russia.
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Turkey, Ukraine Sign Document Allowing Turkish Firms to Help Ukraine’s Post-War Reconstruction
Turkey and Ukraine signed an accord that will allow Turkish construction firms to take part in the reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure damaged amid Russia’s invasion, the two countries said on Wednesday.
Turkey shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. The NATO member has worked with the United Nations to broker a deal for the safe export of grain via the Black Sea. It opposes Russia’s invasion, as well as Western sanctions against Moscow.
In a meeting in Istanbul, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, and Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov signed a document setting out the parameters for a “Turkish-Ukrainian Reconstruction Task Force”.
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Ukraine says corrupt officials stole $40 million meant to buy arms for the war with Russia
Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported.
The SBU said late Saturday that five people have been charged, with one person detained while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. If found guilty, they face up to 12 years in prison.
The investigation comes as Kyiv attempts to clamp down on corruption in a bid to speed up its membership in the European Union and NATO. Officials from both blocs have demanded widespread anti-graft reforms before Kyiv can join them.
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How Russia’s war is changing childhood in Ukraine
Missiles are fired on Ukraine’s second city from across the Russian border which is so close by that there are only seconds to stop them.
If they’re aimed at Kharkiv there’s every chance they’ll hit – and little chance of reaching shelter.
School and kindergarten buildings have been closed for almost two years for safety, and playgrounds stand empty.
Now, as the full-scale war heads towards its third year, parts of life in Kharkiv are moving underground.
Deep down in the metro, specially built classrooms run parallel to the platform at five stations.
The local authorities began offering school lessons beneath the city streets several months ago.
They’ve just added preschool classes on the weekends.
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