Ukraine Archives - Defence Monitor

08 Jul

US to send ‘more weapons’ to Ukraine, says Trump

Washington, July 8 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will send additional weapons to Ukraine, shortly after Moscow claimed new territorial gains. Trump made the remarks at the White House on Monday (US time), acknowledging Ukraine's mounting challenges on the battlefield amid intensified Russian strikes. "We're going to have to send more weapons -- defensive weapons primarily?" Trump told reporters, noting the scale of attacks Ukraine has endured. "They're getting hit very, very hard," he added while clarifying that he was "not happy" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US President's assurance came days after…

19 Sep

Ukraine allocates additional $11.96 bn for defence

Kyiv, Sep 19 (IANS) The Ukrainian parliament has voted to allocate an additional 495.3 billion hryvnias (about $11.96 billion) for defence, the country's Finance Ministry has said. The voting on Wednesday was supported by 298 votes in favour, surpassing the required minimum of 226, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. With the sum, Ukraine's expenditures for defence will reach 3.73 trillion hryvnias (about $90 billion) in 2024, Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram. Ukraine will source additional funds for military needs from hiked taxes and additional placement of domestic government debt bonds, among other sources, according to…

10 Dec

On 2024-eve, Ukraine faces stalemate on all fronts, not only in battlezone

New Delhi, Dec 10, It was left to the EU and NATO's prime outlier, Hungary's Viktor Orban, to give a pithy, incisive, and uncomfortable - for Kiev and its Western backers - assessment of the present situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "Now it is obvious that Ukraine will not win on the battlefield. Russia will not lose." As Ukraine flounders, unable to make headway militarily, and running out of resources and funding as the US and the EU are embroiled in their own domestic squabbles, or the "fatigue" of a long, inconclusive, and expensive war sets in, the outlook seems…

02 Dec

Ukraine plans to produce 100-km-range air defence systems

Kiev, Dec 2, Ukraine has set out plans to produce air defence systems capable of intercepting aerial threats at a distance of 100 km, according to Deputy Defence Minister Ivan Havryliuk. Havryliuk said that next year, Ukraine will focus on producing air defence systems of the Koral type with a range of more than 100 km, along with portable anti-aircraft missile systems, reports Xinhua news agency. In 2024, Ukraine will allocate a total of $4.8 billion for the purchase of missiles and ammunition amid the raging war with Russia, Havryliuk said. Developed by the Luch Design Bureau, the Koral is…

10 Oct

Ukraine to spend 21.6% of GDP on defence in 2024

Kiev, Oct 10, As Russia continues its war against Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree to spend at least 21.6 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 on national defence, local media reported on Tuesday. The presidential decree, which put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council, stipulates that Ukraine's defense spending next year will reach no less than $46 billion, rpeorts Xinhua news agency citing local media. The document instructed the government to prioritise the financing of the defense sector in the 2024 state draft budget based on…

23 Sep

Biden to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles: report

Washington, Sep 23, US President Joe Biden has told his Ukrainian counterpart that the Washington will send Kiev a type of long-range missile capable of striking inside Russia, local media reported. According to NBC News, it is unclear when the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS will be delivered, nor is it certain when a formal announcement will be made. The report cited three US officials and a congressional official familiar with the discussions. They were not authorized to disclose the information publicly. Ukraine has long asked for ATACMS, from the US to boost its fighting forces in the…

26 Aug

Russia rejects inclusion of Ukraine conflict in G20 document, China also raises objection

New Delhi, Aug 25, Russia on Friday rejected the inclusion of the Ukraine conflict in the Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document, which was released at the culmination of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) in Jaipur. Meanwhile, China said that the meeting was not the "right forum" to discuss geopolitical issues and that it did not support the inclusion of the content in the Outcome Document. Russia rejected the inclusion of the paragraph which referred to the Ukraine conflict and the G20 nations calling for a peaceful end to the crisis through dialogue, saying “that it does not…

25 Aug

Norway joins Denmark, Netherlands to donate F-16s to Ukraine

Oslo, Aug 25, Norway has become the third European nation after Denmark and the Netherlands to pledge to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. “We are planning to donate Norwegian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and will provide further details about the donation, numbers and time frame for delivery in due course,” CNN quoted Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store as saying on Thursday. Norway had first announced its plans to support the training of Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets in May. “Norway is supporting Ukraine in its efforts to build a modern air defense system. This is both important…

22 Aug

Wagner chief seen in 1st video address after failed rebellion

Moscow, Aug 22, For the first time since the Wagner mercenaries' failed rebellion against the Russian military in June, the group's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared in a video address, suggesting that he was currently in Africa, the media reported on Tuesday. Although the video posted on Telegram channels linked to the mercenary group is yet to be officially verified, it shows Prigozhin in combat gear, saying the group is making Africa "more free", reports the BBC. In the video, he says Wagner is exploring for minerals as well as fighting Islamist militants and other criminals. "We are working. The temperature…

19 Aug

US approves transfer of Danish, Dutch F-16s to Ukraine

Washington, Aug 19, The US has approved the transfer of American-made F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Kiev as soon as Ukrainian pilots are fully trained to operate them, a State Department spokesperson said. "This way, Ukraine can take full advantage of its new capabilities," the BBC quoted the spokesperson as saying on Friday. Denmark and the Netherlands have taken the lead in preparing a program to train Ukrainian pilots on the American jet, but the US is still working with other countries to see who may provide F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force. The State Department…