By the end of the year, Ukraine could lose its most important donor. Today Zelensky addresses the US Senate. Putin criticizes a Baltic state with threatening words. The overview.
In view of the possible loss of important US military aid at the end of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to personally ask the US Senate for further support today.
Zelenskyj wants to make clear the urgency of further US aid for his country and will be connected via video to a non-public meeting of senators, announced the Democratic majority leader in the parliamentary chamber, Chuck Schumer. He asked everyone to take part in this “important briefing”. It’s about finding out directly from Zelensky what’s at stake.
Domestic political dispute in the US Parliament
National Budget Office Director Shalanda Young wrote in a letter to leadership in both chambers of Congress published Monday that if Parliament does not act, the government will be left without funds to purchase additional weapons and equipment for Ukraine by the end of the year or to deliver equipment from its own military stocks to Kiev. US President Joe Biden had already requested a huge billion-dollar package from Congress in October, which, among other things, provides fresh money for Ukraine.
However, the release of new US aid for Ukraine continues to be blocked by a domestic political dispute between Democrats and Republicans in the US Parliament. More and more Republicans are expressing doubts about support for Ukraine or rejecting it completely. A recently passed interim budget once again contains no new funds for Ukraine.
Schumer urged his colleagues to “do the right thing” and move forward with the release of new funds. If Ukraine falls, Russian President Vladimir Putin will “keep going,” he warned. Autocrats around the world would be emboldened. Ultimately, it’s about defending democracy.
Ukrainian army under pressure in the east
The Ukrainian army continues to have to fend off fierce attacks from Russian infantry, artillery and air force on the front in the east and south of the country. In its evening report, the General Staff in Kiev spoke of 61 infantry attacks by the enemy on Monday alone. They were repelled, it said without further details.
Dozens of towns along the front were shelled by Russian artillery or aircraft. Unlike a few days ago, there was no mention of the Ukrainians’ own offensive actions in the report. In the late evening hours on Monday, Russian combat drones attacked targets in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine. The regional administration said there were hits.
Avdiivka continues to be hotly contested
According to Kiev, the main Russian efforts remained concentrated on the frontline town of Avdiivka in Donbass, which lies close to Russian-controlled Donetsk. 15 Russian attacks were recorded in Avdiivka and the surrounding area.
“The enemy made unsuccessful attempts to break through the Ukrainian defenses,” the General Staff report said. The Russian army has been trying to cut off Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka since October. The Russian side suffered heavy losses in people and technology. But she continued to advance solely because of her numerical superiority. The military information is usually not immediately independently verifiable.
Russian drones over Kharkiv region
The drone hits caused several fires in the Kharkiv region, as Governor Oleh Synyehubov wrote on his Telegram channel. “Objects of the civil infrastructure” were hit, he wrote without providing further details. There was initially no mention of any injuries. After the air alert ended in the Kharkiv region, Russian drone attacks continued in southern and western areas of Ukraine.
London: Russia controls most of Mariinka
According to British assessments, Russian units have recently made progress in the battle for the town of Mariinka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. “Russia now probably controls most of the built-up area,” said the British Ministry of Defense, citing intelligence. “However, Ukrainian forces continue to maintain control of smaller areas on the western edge of the city.”
“Russia’s renewed advances against Mariinka are part of the Russian autumn offensive,” it said in London. The Kremlin wants to conquer the parts of the Donetsk region controlled by Ukrainian forces, which Russia had annexed in violation of international law. This is most likely still one of the key Russian war aims, the ministry emphasized.
Russia reports that drone attacks have been repelled
Russia says it repelled a major wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on Tuesday night. The Russian Defense Ministry said 26 unmanned missiles were destroyed and 15 more were intercepted over the Sea of Azov and over the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. This could not initially be independently verified. It happens again and again that Russia talks about supposedly successfully repelling attacks, but then damage becomes known.
