Day 552: Putin announces that he will withdraw his “T-14 Armata” super tanks. Ukraine wants to ramp up arms production. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Ukraine: Defense minister rejects allegations of corruption
12:01 a.m.: The Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has rejected renewed allegations of corruption against his house. He calls on everyone to “handle information more critically and responsibly,” Resnikov told journalists on Monday, referring to reports in the Ukrainian media about winter uniforms that were allegedly overpriced. Several media outlets had previously reported that the Ministry of Defense in Kiev signed a deal with a Turkish company to supply winter uniforms at the end of 2022, the price of which tripled after the deal was signed.
According to media reports, one of the owners of the company is Oleksandr Kassai, a nephew of Gennady Kassai, who in turn belongs to the party of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Reznikov dismissed the reports, saying they “mislead society”. The impact on Ukraine’s partners is even worse, as such reports create the impression of a “disaster”. When purchasing the uniform, everything was done “in accordance with the law on public procurement” and “on tendering procedures,” Resnikov said.
Zelenskyj: Increase weapons production
10:13 p.m.: After more than a year and a half of war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a maximum increase in arms production to fight the Russian invasion. In addition to artillery weapons and ammunition, drones, rockets and armored vehicles should also be manufactured in the country. “We are increasing the production volume to the maximum. Ukraine can do it. The financing is in place. Our defense industry will bring good results,” Zelenskyy said in his video message distributed every evening in Kiev on Monday.
The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly announced plans to turn the country into one of the largest arms producers. According to Selenskyj, he met with representatives of the defense industry so that production could be further ramped up.
The country is dependent on huge quantities of ammunition and weapons in its counter-offensive to liberate the occupied areas, which has been sluggish for weeks. The country relies primarily on the military aid of Western allies. Zelenskyj once again reiterated that Ukraine must also create the conditions for the new combat aircraft. Kiev is hoping for the early delivery of the F-16 fighter jets announced by the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
World’s largest cryptocurrency exchange considering exit from Russia
9:25 p.m.: The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, is reassessing its Russia business. This also includes the possibility of a withdrawal from a once important market, says a spokesman for the “Wall Street Journal”. “All options are on the table, including a full withdrawal”.
Russia: Remain active in Mali after Wagner boss dies
9:19 p.m.: After the death of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia announced that it would continue activities in African countries. “Russia, for its part, will continue to provide full support to Mali and other interested African partners,” Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, told the UN Security Council on Monday. Russian mercenaries work with dictators in many African countries and counteract Western alliances. Read more about the latest developments of the Wagner troops in connection with Prigozhin’s presumed death here.
So far, around 1,000 mercenaries from the Wagner group, headed by Prigozhin, have worked with the military government in Mali, officially to fight jihadism, but they have not pushed back the Islamic State.
In June, the UN Minusma operation in Mali ended after the military junta ordered UN soldiers to leave the country. Previously, there had been disputes about ways back to democracy. Instead, the military relied on Russian mercenaries. According to the UN, the Islamic State has almost doubled the area under its control in Mali since the international soldiers left.
