Ukraine updates in English

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I don't understand the information about Polish/Ukrainian bodies and what the repercussions of that still are, in the current day. How sad it is that the history of the world has only major wars, battles, and related atrocities as its milestones. What a terrible reflection of the human race.
I also never realized until a couple of years ago how Ukraine being the natural footpath between Eastern and Western Europe has made it a place of perpetual conflict.

[US7IGN]

I don't understand the information about Polish/Ukrainian bodies and what the repercussions of that still are, in the current day. How sad it is that the history of the world has only major wars, battles, and related atrocities as its milestones. What a terrible reflection of the human race.
I also never realized until a couple of years ago how Ukraine being the natural footpath between Eastern and Western Europe has made it a place of perpetual conflict.

I agree. But why did Poland and Turkey, which were in the same situation, manage to preserve their states?
Probably because Poles don't elect comedians as presidents, and their government makes great efforts to purchase weapons and strengthen their armed forces, understanding that enemies don't attack those who are ready to defend their country, and not steal state money and deceive their people.

In addition to already existing weapons and its own production of weapons, Poland is buying from the USA 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters, one of the best in the world in its class, a huge batch of 486 HIMARS systems, which have shown high efficiency in the war in Ukraine, 366 M1A2 tanks Abrams, 250 of which are the latest SEPv3 modification, 32 fifth-generation F-35A fighters, two batteries of Patriot air defense systems and an air defense control system.

Another major supplier of weapons to Poland is South Korea. Warsaw concluded framework agreements with Seoul on the purchase of 648 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and 980 K2 Black Panther tanks. Some of these systems will be produced in Poland.

Likewise, the Poles bought 48 FA-50 combat training aircraft in the Republic of Korea.

Poland also purchased three frigates from Great Britain.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cgmg40yvy49o

However, I can't shake the feeling that everything in Ukraine is coming to an end. The last warm days have come and I don’t want to think about the fact that energy problems will soon start again. The majority of people are apathetic and indifferent, and even the threat of a blackout in winter seems abstract. If you can't do anything, you simply stop reacting to it. In addition, thanks to the government's policies and Western support, for most of the population, war is something that does not concern them personally. Everyone knows people who fight and die, but this has also become commonplace. The human psyche is very flexible.

It turned out that I often don't want to go to the office and I don't need personal communication with other people. Sometimes I remember my hamster, but I don't want to get a new one. It's too hard when they die so quickly. My children have become something virtual for me, as I probably am for them. My son is going to live separately. Apparently his salary and stipend already allow him to do this. He doesn't ask me for anything. And only my wife tries to come once every two or three months. If it weren't for Kate, she would have returned long ago.

From time to time I hear about another business moving its production and people outside of Ukraine. Even my company is making every effort to develop its business abroad. But the authorities decided to raise taxes even more and passed a controversial law, which, according to business, will do more harm than good. However, if there had been no help from the West, the authorities would have finished off Ukraine faster than the russians.

[US7IGN]

The rest of the news does not add optimism (I ignore the news about which drones or missiles hit the next weapons depots/airports because I don’t see that this will have any impact on the situation at the front).

The Council of the EU reached an agreement on providing Ukraine with a package of macro-financial assistance in the amount of up to 35 billion euros, which will be a component of a loan from the G7, for which the profits from the frozen assets of the russian federation will be used.

The Council of the EU must approve the decision by written procedure after the European Parliament adopts the text in the first reading. The decision will then enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2024/10/9/7195912/

But Hungary will hold up a final deal on a $50 billion G7 loan to Ukraine until after the U.S. presidential election by delaying its decision on the timing of the renewal of EU sanctions against russia, Hungary's finance minister said. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungary-hold-up-g7-loan-ukraine-until-after-us-election-2024-10-08/

The second Peace Summit for Ukraine, to which russia was going to be invited, will not take place in November as planned, said Daria Zarivna, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine. https://mind.ua/news/20279918-ukrayina-vidmovilasya-vid-ideyi-provesti-drugij-samit-miru-u-listopadi

US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken canceled a visit to Germany during which they were supposed to participate in a meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group due to Hurricane Milton. https://censor.net/ua/n3513925

The United States will face "dangerous consequences" if it presses on with growing military aid to Ukraine rather than backing a proposed russian settlement that would see Moscow take over swathes of territory, the rassian top diplomat Lavrov said in exclusive responses to Newsweek questions. https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-russias-lavrov-warns-dangerous-consequences-us-ukraine-1964468

As we can see, russia has already achieved its main victory - its representatives have returned to the information space, it is taken into account again, it is feared and respected again, it has regained its status as a superpower, with an eye on China, of course.

Many are thinking about the unacceptability of the ceasefire due to fears that russia will use it in its interests. https://www.forbes.com/sites/melikkaylan/2024/10/09/moscows-hidden-plans-for-exploiting-a-ceasefire-with-ukraine/

But in return, they do not offer anything in the interests of Ukraine. Continue this war at the cost of Ukrainian lives and territories? So the dead do not need territories or Ukraine. They don't need anything at all. What is the point of going to fight and for what to a soldier who knows that he will not return and does not see a future for his children? In the best case, they will grow up and also go to die like him?

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the battlefield situation 'creates opportunity' to take steps to end the war in Ukraine no later than 2025. "In October, November and December we have chance to move things toward peace and lasting stability. The situation on the battlefield creates an opportunity to make this choice – choice for decisive action to end the war no later than in 2025," he told the Ukraine-South East Europe summit in Dubrovnik. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-says-battlefield-situation-creates-opportunity-bring-an-end-war-2025-2024-10-09/

No one knows what Zelensky meant, but the Cabinet of Ministers suspended the reservation of employees of Ukrainian enterprises until November 15. The authorities want to review the list of enterprises and organizations that have the right to reservation. https://glavred.net/ukraine/v-ukraine-ostanovili-bronirovanie-rabotnikov-chto-izvestno-o-reshenii-kabmina-10603859.html

"Ukrainian Pravda" ("Ukrainian Truth"), one of the leading Ukrainian online media, declares about the long-term and systematic pressure that the Office of the President exerts on the editors and individual journalists of the publication. https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1019507.html

[US7IGN]

Yesterday I bought medicine for the next month, and today I feel better. It got colder to +10C, but taking advantage of the lack of precipitation, I rode my bike in the morning. Good propagation on 28 MHz gave the opportunity to have a good time on the air. Something tells me that my skills in receiving and transmitting Morse code need to be kept in good condition.

Little news from the front and even less good. Predictably, the fewer weapons supplies from the West, the greater the efforts of the authorities aimed at obtaining the resource that is available to them - people.

Mobilization teams conducted raids near the Kyiv Sports Palace, where the Okean Elsa concert was held, as well as in clubs and restaurants in a number of other Ukrainian cities. The men's documents were checked, some of them were detained. The reaction to these raids mostly depends on whether someone is subject to mobilization or not. Those who are not in danger of joining the army, of course, support the mobilization, and those who risk getting a military ticket in one go, do not rush to the front.

The surrealism of what was happening emphasizes the fact that the band's frontman Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is an active military serviceman - after the start of the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cevypk2gjw4o

That is, an active military serviceman lives like an ordinary person and gives concerts instead of fighting. According to the law, he should have been arrested for voluntarily leaving the military unit. That is, laws in Ukraine are only for the poor.

Meanwhile, the russian army launched an offensive in the Kursk region, part of which was captured by Ukrainian troops in August. On October 10, there were reports of a significant advance of russian troops and the threat of encirclement of some parts of the Armed Forces. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c8rd8ez4r86o There is very little information, but the fact that no one reports on the successes of the Ukrainian army allows us to draw certain conclusions.

Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin gave an interview in which he reported on another reform of medical commissions, where corruption is the biggest in Ukraine. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cz9p25x4jp1o It is these commissions that decide whether to recognize a healthy person as unfit for military service, or to send a sick person to fight. Periodically, officials of these commissions are detained with huge sums of millions of US dollars, but it is clear that this is only the tip of the iceberg and no one will destroy the system that brings in billions.

During a speech in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Minister of Education Oksen Lisovy drew attention to a disturbing trend: more and more 10-11 graders, particularly boys, are leaving the country. https://nenka.info/uchni-10-11-klasiv-osoblyvo-hlopczi-aktyvno-vyyizhdzhayut-za-kordon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=uchni-10-11-klasiv-osoblyvo-hlopczi-aktyvno-vyyizhdzhayut-za-kordon They are trying to solve this problem and I am sure that the solution will be to ban leaving from an early age. This can also expand the circle of persons from whom bribes can be taken for permission to leave Ukraine.

Ukraine’s outgunned and outmanned army had one major advantage over its enemy: internet through Starlink terminals. Now the russians have it, too. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/12/starlink-russia-ukraine-elon-musk/

[US7IGN]

It's getting colder quickly and the first frosts and power outages are expected soon.

Ukraine is preparing for massive strikes by russian aggressors with the beginning of the autumn-winter period, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Lytvynenko said. https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1020602.html

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal talked about Ukraine's preparation for the winter and heating season - the third in the conditions of a full-scale war.

"Today, more than 99% of residential buildings are ready for the start of the heating season. The number of schools, kindergartens and hospitals ready for winter is also approaching 100%. More than 18,000 boiler houses and 4,800 central heating points are at the stage of being ready for supply warmth," Shmyhal said during the government meeting.

As for the accumulation of resources, according to the Prime Minister, there are currently 12.2 billion cubic meters of gas in storage, as well as 3.1 million tons of coal in warehouses, which is enough to get through the winter. This heating season, like the last one, is planned to run on gas produced in Ukraine.

"All 9 NPP power units controlled by Ukraine are currently working. They will provide the main volume of electricity generation in the heating season," the head of government said. https://www.blackseanews.net/read/223126

Top energy officials have fallen and key energy policy decisions have been delayed because of political calculations, lawmakers and experts say, costing Ukraine valuable time in preparing for winter. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/world/europe/ukraine-energy-crisis-russia.html

The energy community has warned National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NCSREPU) that if the Ministry of Energy does not review its order establishing control over Ukrenergo, and if new supervisory board members are not elected for the company by December 9, Ukrenergo may lose its independent system operator (ISO) certificate. This is stated in the letter of the Director of Energy Community Artur Lorkovsky to the head of the NCSREPU Yury Vlasenko https://forbes.ua/news/ukrenergo-mozhe-vtratiti-evropeysku-sertifikatsiyu-energetichne-spivtovaristvo-zaklikalo-minenergo-vidmovitisya-vid-kontrolyu-nad-kompanieyu-14102024-24170

But after the letter became public, Energy Community issued a retraction: The certification of Ukrenergo as an independent Transmission System Operator (TSO) began well before the war, with the goal of aligning its governance with EU standards. Claims that this process will affect Ukraine’s ability to import electricity from the EU during winter are misleading. Ukraine’s energy imports are crucial for ensuring reliable energy supply, particularly during the cold season when access to electricity is essential for basic services and public well-being.

We regret that an internal letter from the Energy Community Secretariat, addressed to the National Commission for Regulation of Electricity and Utilities Markets (NEURC), has been misused to propagate these claims.

Our focus remains on supporting Ukraine’s energy resilience through assistance linked to practical measures, including increasing electricity imports and repairing infrastructure. https://www.energy-community.org/news/Energy-Community-News/2024/10/15.html

The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Tax and Customs Policy, Danylo Hetmantsev, believes that half of the economy is in the shadows, but there are industries, such as trade, where 60-70% are. https://agroportal.ua/news/finansy/getmancev-polovina-ekonomiki-ukrajini-znahoditsya-u-tini

But the main reason for this is the state itself and its tax policy. For example, last week parliament passed legislation that would establish a guaranteed tax liability for distilleries based on their capacity rather than how much alcohol they produce. The same approach to other business. It doesn't matter how much you earned, the most important thing is how much you should pay in taxes according to the authorities.

But despite this, the number of expensive cars in Kyiv is increasing every day. For example, the exclusive Ferrari 296 GTB hybrid supercar, the price of which starts at 300,000 euros, was recently involved in an accident. https://topgir.com.ua/v-ukra%d1%97ni-dtp-ferrari-296-gtb-video/

[US7IGN]

Evacuation of the population is carried out not only in Donetsk, but also in Kharkiv regions. https://informator.ua/uk/u-kup-yansku-rizko-pogirshilas-situaciya-v-misti-ogolosili-primusovu-evakuaciyu-vsih-civilnih

Citizens of the DPRK are part of separate units of the russian Armed Forces and their number is about 3,000 people, Ukrainian intelligence sources confirmed. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-ato/3916460-u-rozvidci-pidtverdili-so-rosia-zalucila-do-vijni-proti-ukraini-vijskovih-iz-kndr-dzerelo.html

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that the Alliance actually facilitated russia's invasion of Ukraine by its indecision and failure to provide timely and significant military support to Ukraine. https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/die-fehlende-militaerische-unterstuetzung-machte-russland-die-invasion-leichter-a-9621b980-b1b1-4819-8901-0ca48a496681#ref=rss

Europe is beginning to change its approach to supporting Ukraine. Since the EU is unable to supply all the necessary weapons and ammunition, the bloc is turning to investments in the military industry of our country. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/13/ukraine-defense-industry-denmark/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

France will fall short of its pledge to donate up to €3 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year and is only on track for "above €2 billion," Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said. https://www.politico.eu/article/france-miss-3-billion-mark-ukraine-aid-pledge-sebastien-lecornu-security-deal/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social

Czechia along with Hungary and Slovakia have exploited their derogation from the EU ban on the import of russian oil to maintain and even increase the purchase of russian crude since the russian invasion of Ukraine. The Czech Republic has spent over EUR 7 billion on Russian oil and gas — more than five times the EUR 1.29 billion it has provided in aid to Ukraine. Czechia’s oil imports have resulted in over EUR 2.3 billion in tax revenues for the Kremlin since the start of the invasion. https://csd.eu/publications/publication/tapping-the-loophole/

In the first half of 2024, 7.3 billion crowns ($323 million) were spent on aid payments to refugees, while the income was 11.7 billion crowns ($517 million). The treasury was replenished by 4.4 billion crowns ($195 million) from insurance and taxes paid to refugees.

"Refugees from Ukraine have long been giving our budget much more than we spend on aid to our compatriots. They are an asset for us, not a burden," the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Czech Republic says. https://www.facebook.com/mpsvcz/posts/pfbid02Z2DUmQ5ZD2RKDW2xwbZ75NT1JFvWatUHfD7pbKjZxq6sGsiPZyNokGRWuKd2DmQvl

The German government no longer plans to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with heavy equipment. This was reported in Bild, referring to the documents of the Ministry of Defense of Germany. According to media estimates, almost 300 Leopard 2 tanks, as well as BMPs, armored personnel carriers and howitzers "in an unknown quantity" remained in Germany's warehouses. Ukraine will receive only those volumes of equipment that were already declared before the transfer, in particular 18 units of Leopard 2. https://t.me/BILD_Russian/19284

Everything in this message is beautiful and I don't even know how to comment on it.

American politicians from both parties are putting pressure on the President of Ukraine, Zelensky, on the question of why there is no mobilization of those aged 18 to 25 in Ukraine, Serhiy Leshchenko, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote in a telegram. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-leshchenko-mobilizatsiya-18-rokiv/33159760.html

[US7IGN]

The US will not deploy the THAAD medium-range missile interception system in Europe for Ukraine, — the Pentagon...
The statement says that THAAD will not be installed in Europe to support Ukraine, but it may be deployed for Israel.
According to the press secretary of the US Ministry of Defense, the wars in Ukraine and Israel differ in their nature, which affects the decisions of the US.

“The tough answer that Ukrainians may not like to hear but is unfortunately true is that we can take the risk of shooting down Iranian missiles over Israel without triggering direct war with Tehran that could lead to nuclear war,” a senior U.S. Senate aide who works on Ukraine policy told POLITICO. “There’s a lot more risk in trying that with russia.” https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-bridle-no-holds-barred-us-support-israel/

I think it's just a trick. Patriots and other Western air defense systems have been shooting down russian missiles over Ukraine and even russian planes over russia for a long time now and it hasn't led to an escalation.

Some were quick to conclude that the life of a Ukrainian doesn’t worth that of a Israeli. But to be fair, Ukrainians and Israelis behave differently.

50 prosecutors of Khmelnytskyi region, led by the regional prosecutor, covering the corruption scheme of Tetyana Krupa, a member of the pro-presidential party, in the medical commission and the Pension Fund, were issued a fake disability.
On October 5, the detention of Tetyana Krupa, a deputy of the Servant of the People party, the chief doctor of the Khmelnytskyi medical and social commission, who issued mass disability certificates for bribes, and her son Oleksandr Krupa, the head of the Pension Fund of the Khmelnytsky region, who were kept in cash at home and abroad in Austria , Poland, Turkey and Spain more than 10 million dollars, and own three dozen houses in Ukraine and Europe, raised the main question - so who allowed Tatyana Krupa to act in one position continuously for 16 years? https://www.facebook.com/butusov.yuriy/posts/pfbid0qzmF4dzsWuX8Dx8GsYwz5fi8eLCJkexgrRRGhBWAX3s7XMxCivsUhoii2dpgeNcQl

On the other hand, even the former commander-in-chief Zaluzhny very suspiciously resigned from the army according to the conclusion of a similar medical committee, and it is no secret that this is a mass phenomenon for those who have money or friends in power.

I have never heard of anyone being beaten and forced to join the army in Israel at a time when powerful and rich people are exempted from service for bribes or are in the military, but have never actually been to the front.

However, I also have not heard anything about Israel prohibiting men from leaving the country because there is a war going on.

The Prosecutor General's Office has registered almost 60,000 criminal proceedings for voluntarily leaving a military unit and about 30,000 for desertion since the beginning of 2022. In January-September 2024, almost four times more desertions were registered than in the same period last year. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2024/10/16/7479890/

Although these are only officially registered cases. I heard that there are cases when the commander does not report about the deserter, and receives his money. But this can only be by their mutual consent.

Mobilization centers believe that raids in public places contribute to raising public awareness and mobilization and have increased the number of volunteers. https://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/4723954-u-ttsk-vidznachyly-zbilshennia-dobrovoltsiv-zavdiaky-reidam

Yes, the Internet is full of videos of beaten "volunteers" who pass the medical commission in half an hour and go to the barracks the next day, and die at the front a month later.

[US7IGN]

Therefore, it is not surprising that the second wave of emigration from Ukraine began, not because of the danger of hostilities, but because people do not see a future in this country, neither for themselves nor for their children. A significant part of the new migrants are internally displaced people who lost their homes and jobs in the occupied cities, or those on the front line, and could not find them in the controlled territories. This leads to an outflow of skilled labor, especially engineers and white-collar workers - people with high qualifications and knowledge of the English language. Banks point to another aspect of the problem - a decrease in the number of those who need banking services. The number of Ukrainians who need banking services has already decreased from 18 to 13 million, and in the latest forecasts, they are already at the level of 11 million. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c93px84133jo

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented MPs with a long-awaited "victory plan" that aims to strengthen his country's position enough to end the war with russia. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0z8gg5v14o

There are already many jokes about the plan essentially consisting of three points: Ukraine should be accepted into NATO, Ukraine should be given weapons and allowed to strike russia, Ukraine should be given money. The plan also has secret appendices. If the West does not do this, it will be blamed for Ukraine's defeat.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed his willingness to speak with russian President Vladimir pootin about a fair peace in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also stated that there should be another peace conference, also with the participation of the russian president, said the SPD politician in Berlin in a government statement on the upcoming EU summit in Brussels. "That is why it is also right that, if asked, we will also speak to the russian president, we say: Yes, that is also the case." https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/scholz-betont-bereitschaft-zu-gespraech-mit-putin_aid-120153029

Attending a session of the parliamentary European affairs committee on Wednesday before departing for a European Council meeting later this week, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) opined that the end of the war in Ukraine is coming soon. "The probability of ending the war in Ukraine in a short time is very high," said the prime minister, remarking that he expects the European Council meeting to indicate when that could be the case, "as the topic of inviting Ukraine to NATO is suddenly being brought up". In his opinion, this invitation wouldn't be "free of charge". https://www.tasr.sk/tasr-clanok/TASR:2024101600000186

Against this background, Australia's decision to transfer tanks to Ukraine appears unexpected. Dozens of soon-to-be-retired Australian Abrams tanks will be sent to Ukraine under a $245 million military support package to bolster the war-torn country's fight against russia's invasion. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-16/ukraine-to-receive-aging-australian-abrams-tanks/104480368

Against this backdrop, the only thing that remains intriguing to me is which president exactly and with what will congratulate Ukrainians on the New Year 2025.

[US7IGN]

The air defense shot down drones all night, so I was very sleepy during the day and only the cold invigorated me. Many people started getting sick.

Seva moved to live separately - closer to the university and work. In Ukraine, this would have been impossible - to rent an apartment and live separately only on a stipend and income from part-time work.

[US7IGN]

Every night drones fly and air defense shoots them down and this night I woke up several times again. https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/nichniy-obstril-ukrajini-sili-ppo-znishchili-31-shahed-raketi-zbiti-ne-vdalosya-50459902.html

The authorities invented a new term for drones that failed to shoot down - they now call them "locationally lost".

The temperature at night drops to +2C and during the day no more than +10C in the sun. My head has been hurting since the morning and I hope I haven't caught a cold. While there is no rain, I continue to ride my bicycle. It is a good way to warm up, but today it was quite difficult. Again I managed to make several QSO - with Colin G3ZAF and his friends Andy M0CFO and Stuart M0ABT, who was G0EDS - Club call for Eastbourne District Scouts. Propagation at 28 MHz is back.

Maryna is going to come next week, but there are some difficulties with the tickets. The dentist and ophthalmologist are waiting for us )

The whole country is wondering when russia will start hitting the energy sector again and blackouts will return. Residents of a number of frontline cities have already been warned that there will be no heating in them. But in general, everyone is waiting for who will win the US elections.

The imminent US presidential election hung over a meeting of NATO defense chiefs this week, as NATO allies braced for US support for Ukraine to shrink over the next year if Donald Trump wins even as Iran, North Korea and China step up their military aid to russia.

In a closed-door meeting with his counterparts at NATO, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke about the upcoming election in response to questions about it from allies and how it might impact Ukraine aid, saying he can’t predict the future but that there is still bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress, according to sources familiar with the meeting. NATO officials say they are preparing for the US to take on a lesser role. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/18/politics/nato-ukraine-aid-us-election/index.html

Trump suggests Zelensky is to blame for the russia-Ukraine war. “He should never have let that war start,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/17/trump-zelenskyy-biden-russia-ukraine-war-blame-00184173

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the Western partners really wanted Ukraine to lower the mobilization age, but there are currently no plans to mobilize 18-year-olds. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/313420-vladimir-zelenskiy-vyskazalsya-o-vozmozhnosti-mobilizatsii-s-18-let

The situation with mobilization remains contradictory and it seems that the authorities are focused on raids and forced mobilization of those who do not want to fight, instead of eliminating the reasons why people do not want to fight. However, we understand why this is fundamentally impossible. At the very least, the country needs a good national idea. What is a national idea in Ukraine now? It is something you have to believe in while the government steals. Or rather, pretend to believe. There are no longer any people willing to fight for this.

North Korea has started sending troops to fight with russia in Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency has said as Seoul warned of a "grave security threat". The allegation comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the war, based on intelligence information. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vkqwe9wwdo

During another prisoner exchange on October 19, Ukraine returned another 95 Ukrainian soldiers from russian captivity. They were tortured, starved and in terrible conditions. https://zaxid.net/ukrayina_pid_chas_obminu_povernula_z_rosiyskogo_polonu_shhe_34_biytsi_azovu_n1595984

This is extremely small, while Ukraine built another camp Center-5 for russian prisoners of war. The opening of the new camp is due to the fact that the number of russians who surrender every month significantly exceeds the number of those who are returned by russia as part of exchanges, and the places of detention of prisoners of war in Ukraine "fill up very quickly." "The conditions of Center-5 traditionally meet all the requirements of international humanitarian law: separate sleeping places, three hot meals, showers with hot water, access to medical care" https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-tabir-dlia-viyskovopolonenykh/33162173.html

I refuse to understand this while Ukrainian wounded soldiers receive less money and attention than russian prisoners of war.

The Ministry of Education and Science recognized that the level of knowledge of schoolchildren is two years behind due to the war. Many children, due to forced relocations and gaps in education during the war, did not receive enough knowledge and practical skills. This is not about grades, but about the development of socialization skills, about future professional opportunities, successes that may remain unrealized. https://news.telegraf.com.ua/ukr/ukraina/2024-10-18/5882077-uroven-znaniy-shkolnikov-otstaet-na-dva-goda-iz-za-voyny-v-mon-predupredili-o-posledstviyakh?traffic_source=ukr.net

Meanwhile, the level of employment of Ukrainians in Germany has increased significantly. https://www.dw.com/uk/vidomstvo-kanclera-frn-riven-zajnatosti-ukrainciv-u-nimeccini-suttevo-zris/a-70520722?maca=Ukr-Red-Telegram

Experts at the IMF have updated their forecast regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. The new memorandum says that the war will last until the end of 2025 at best. https://meta.ua/uk/news/war-in-ukraine/219350-u-mvf-zminili-stsenarii-koli-za-novim-prognozom-zavershitsya-viina/

[N0TZU]

I believe this is an accurate assessment.

Opinion | Are Americans ready to give up on Ukraine?  https://wapo.st/3BRFb5y

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I have another question, "Is Europe ready to give up Ukraine even if America does, since Ukraine is right next door to them?" If they do, in my opinion it is a foolish thing, because they will be next. If France, Germany, and the UK (the only significant military powers) really do see Ukraine as expendable, it's not hard to envision that they will also see Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, etc. as also being not worth the effort and expense of preserving them. There is almost no doubt that the EU countries could prevail in a defensive war against Russia, without the US. But it would require sacrifice on their part, and I have doubts that the typical European could be persuaded to give up six week vacations and other luxuries.

[N0TZU]

It’s possible that the EU might see Ukraine as expendable because it’s not part of NATO presently, but I really doubt that will happen. Force Ukraine to take a crappy peace deal, probably yes, but I doubt wholesale abandonment. They know that there really would be a “domino effect” and that Putin will not be appeased in the long run.

However they have similar problems as we do in the US with right wing isolationist gains in their electorates so how long or how effectively they would support Ukraine is a question, at least as long as that remains the case.

[US7IGN]

I believe this is an accurate assessment.

Opinion | Are Americans ready to give up on Ukraine?  https://wapo.st/3BRFb5y

Thank you for your interesting opinion. It seems to me that Americans and American authorities may want completely different things. Therefore, support from Americans may mean nothing to American authorities. Moreover, we know how easy it is to change people's opinions to the desired one.

[US7IGN]

I have another question, "Is Europe ready to give up Ukraine even if America does, since Ukraine is right next door to them?" If they do, in my opinion it is a foolish thing, because they will be next. If France, Germany, and the UK (the only significant military powers) really do see Ukraine as expendable, it's not hard to envision that they will also see Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, etc. as also being not worth the effort and expense of preserving them. There is almost no doubt that the EU countries could prevail in a defensive war against Russia, without the US. But it would require sacrifice on their part, and I have doubts that the typical European could be persuaded to give up six week vacations and other luxuries.

Europe is many different countries with different and sometimes directly opposite interests and views. But should we expect efficiency from Ukrainian diplomacy if even ambassadors to key countries do not know the language of their stay? I would be extremely interested to know what their colleagues abroad really think about each Ukrainian diplomat and senior management.

As for Poland, firstly, it is in NATO, and secondly, its authorities do not steal money, but buy weapons and increase the army, showing that Poland is ready to defend itself.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski just announced that he had ordered the russian consulate in Poznań, western Poland, to close due to Moscow's sabotage attempts on the EU member's soil.