We See a Threat from Russia to Our Generation, We Will Counter It – Address by the President

20 September 2024 – 19:35

I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, I held a meeting of the Staff.

The report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi focused on the front and on our operation in the Kursk region. Importantly, our combat brigades are holding their positions as steadily as possible. There were reports from the intelligence services. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine – Budanov. The Foreign Intelligence Service – Ivashchenko. We discussed in great detail, and even with some emotion, the issue of drone production and drone supply to all elements of our Defense and Security Forces. We also addressed today the production of missiles, electronic warfare systems, and relevant cooperation with partners. The reports were presented by Umerov, Sybiha, Fedorov, the military, the Security Service of Ukraine – Maliuk. It was a really detailed conversation. The main point is not just to secure contracts and funding for them, but also to ensure the speed of real production and real delivery. And the energy issue – it was a significant part of today’s Staff meeting. There were reports by Prime Minister Shmyhal and Minister of Energy Galushchenko on the physical protection of facilities and the real situation with restoration. We also discussed the threat we now see from Russia to our energy generation. We will counter it.

The energy issue was also discussed in detail with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Her today’s visit has contributed to the sensitive support of Ukraine. There is a new package for our energy sector from the European Union – EUR 160 million. There is also an agreement to increase electricity imports to Ukraine, which will undoubtedly support our state, our people in difficult situations. We discussed with Ursula the steps that will help us preserve at least a quarter of our generation. Of course, we also talked about our political interaction with the European Union – we have to speed up the process of accession negotiations and preparation of the respective parts of the future agreement. There is an important decision by Ursula on European support for our Ukrainian school meals program. So, in everything from defense to social issues, we have really good results. Ursula, thank you!

And one more thing.

We are actively preparing for negotiations in the US – this includes President Biden, representatives of both parties in Congress, and we expect to meet with both presidential candidates of the United States. In Ukraine, we will always be grateful to the USA for supporting our independence – for all the assistance provided to help Ukraine withstand this war. And now we are going to present a very concrete Plan on how Ukraine can not only endure this war, not only maintain the level of resistance as it is now, but also grow stronger at this very moment – grow stronger in a way that will really bring us closer to a just peace, really bring us closer to victory. Ukraine is counting very heavily on this support. And rightly so. Because when one nation wins the fight for its independence and respect for international law, the whole world wins. This is exactly how it should be.

I thank everyone who stands with us, who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

Yurii Hulchuk, a 22-year-old Ukrainian marine, lost his voice and emotions after enduring brutal torture in russian captivity. Even in his mother’s embrace, he remains silent.

With each passing day, the cruelty of russian forces reaches new depths, as reports of torture and… pic.twitter.com/6YPJrolhQ6

— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) September 20, 2024

Yurii Hulchuk, a 22-year-old Ukrainian marine, lost his voice and emotions after enduring brutal torture in russian captivity. Even in his mother’s embrace, he remains silent.

With each passing day, the cruelty of russian forces reaches new depths, as reports of torture and brutal executions of Ukrainian POWs continue to surface. At what cost does the world continue to look away?

📹libkos/IG

Ukrainian Ambassador at Large Olexander Scherba reports that the Russians subjected Hulchuk to electroshock “therapy.”

One of the defenders of Mariupol and a prisoner of war who recently returned to Ukraine. Just look at his arms. I have seen similar images from Nazi concentration camps.

Ukrainian prisoners of war go through hell. They are tortured, raped, castrated.

According to Volodymyr… pic.twitter.com/dR54yAcXlH

— Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇦 (@rshereme) September 18, 2024

One of the defenders of Mariupol and a prisoner of war who recently returned to Ukraine. Just look at his arms. I have seen similar images from Nazi concentration camps.

Ukrainian prisoners of war go through hell. They are tortured, raped, castrated.

According to Volodymyr Osechkin, russia only exchanges the most “presentable” Ukrainian prisoners “to avoid outrage.” Imagine the condition of Ukrainians which russians refuse to exchange.

If you ever wondered what you would have done to stop Hitler and Nazis… you are doing it now to stop Putin and ruzzia.

Denmark:

⚡️The first €40.7 mln from Denmark for direct financing of Ukrainian defence production are already in @DefenceU accounts.

A crucial step in strengthening our defence capabilities. More to come.
Thank you, my friend @troelslundp 🇺🇦🇩🇰
Grateful to Danish leadership and to all… pic.twitter.com/oIRAovKl7y

— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) September 20, 2024

⚡️The first €40.7 mln from Denmark for direct financing of Ukrainian defence production are already in @DefenceU accounts.

A crucial step in strengthening our defence capabilities. More to come.
Thank you, my friend @troelslundp
🇺🇦🇩🇰
Grateful to Danish leadership and to all Danish people.

Norway:

⚡Norway allocates additional $5.7 billion to Ukraine until 2030.https://t.co/o7rRQHjOo5

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 20, 2024

From The Kyiv Independent:

Norway’s civil and military support program for Ukraine, known as the Nansen program, will be extended until 2030 and will be increased by a further 5 billion kroner ($475 million) this year, Oslo announced on Sept. 20.

The Nansen program will now have a total value of 135 billion kroner ($12.8 billion). The program initially was set to spend 75 billion kroner ($7 billion) from 2023 to 2028.

Oslo’s decision will result in an additional $5.7 billion in Norwegian support for Ukraine until 2030, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

Zelensky said he was grateful to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and all political parties in the Norwegian Parliament.

“This unwavering commitment will help Ukraine protect lives, defend freedom, and strengthen our resilience,” Zelensky said.

Norwegian news outlet Nettavisen said that the decision to expand the Nansen program came after the government “received massive criticism because Norway’s support for Ukraine has lagged behind, compared to other countries.”

Almost all Norwegian opposition parties demanded a significant increase in support for Ukraine, Nettavisen said.

Norway is ranked 12th in the world in terms of the amount of aid provided to Ukraine, having so far provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker.

The US:

⚡️The U.S. will provide Ukraine with an additional package of $375 million in military aid, Reuters reported on Sept. 20, citing two unnamed U.S. government officials.https://t.co/GPoEwxpyoR

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 20, 2024

Also, from The Kyiv Independent:

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with an additional package of $375 million in military aid, Reuters reported on Sept. 20, citing two unnamed U.S. government officials.

The announcement of the package is expected sometime next week, the officials said.

Foreign military assistance is crucial for Kyiv as the all-out war with Russia stretches past two and half years, with Russian forces pushing hard in Ukraine’s east.

If confirmed, it would be the largest tranche of military aid the U.S. has sent Ukraine since May earlier this year, when a package worth $275 million was delivered.

The officials said the package would likely include patrol boats, ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), artillery shells, spare parts, and other military equipment. The exact quantities were not specified.

The previous day, Reuters reported that Congress and the administration of President Joe Biden are close to an agreement on a one-year extension of $5.8 billion in military aid for Ukraine before it expires at the end of September.

After the House of Representatives failed to pass a Republican-backed spending bill on Sept. 18 that did not include the PDA extension, the Democratic-led Senate said it would prepare a new bill to avert a shutdown.

The sources told Reuters that the Senate bill should include the prolongation of the Ukraine aid funds. It remains unclear whether Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who delayed a $61 billion aid bill for Kyiv for months earlier this year, will support it.

The $61 billion assistance package was eventually passed in April, allocating some $7.8 billion to the PDA and allowing the release of a number of defense aid tranches since then.

As I’ve mentioned before, thanks to a former client, I get Politico‘s Morning Defense newsletter each AM. This is from today’s:

THE BIG NEWS: Rep. Don Bacon returned from Ukraine this week, and he’s adamant that the U.S. must ease restrictions on using U.S.-donated weapons to strike into Russian territory.

The HASC Republican — who traveled to the war zone with fellow Armed Services Democrats Salud Carbajal and Jimmy Panetta — called out the Biden administration for “making the Ukrainians fight with one arm behind their back.” He spoke with Connor about his visit and meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top officials.

The takeaways: On top of expanded rules of engagement for the use of Western weapons, Bacon said his discussion with Ukrainian leaders and troops also centered on Ukraine’s need for continued training for its F-16 pilots and more sanctions against Moscow.

“They were all on message, everywhere we went,” Bacon said. “Even the lowest junior ranking people on the ground, they knew: ROEs, F-16 pilots, sanctions on Russia.”

Expanded use of weapons: The delegation visit this weekend came just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart David Lammy visited Kyiv. The high-level visits came as Ukrainian leaders push to reconsider a ban on using U.S. long-range missiles to hit targets in Russian territory.

Bipartisan pressure on Capitol Hill is also growing for President Joe Biden to relax the policy. Many of Biden’s critics, Bacon included, argue the rules amount to an unfair fight for Ukraine by taking away major Russian military targets.

Following meetings with Zelenskyy and other top leaders, Bacon said the international discussion “but nothing has happened.”

“The rules of engagement’s really pissing him off,” Bacon said of Zelenskyy. “And I don’t blame him.

“He was pretty clear the restrictions do not help Ukraine and it prolongs the war,” he said. “It costs Ukrainian lives. And we’ve got to take the war to Russia.”

F-16 pilot training: Another pressing priority remains the continued training of Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots. The planes arrived this summer after months of wrangling.

Ukrainian pilots trained to fly the jets at Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona. But Bacon argued Ukraine’s F-16 pilots need to continue that training to build up experience on the jets. He contends contractors should train them at a location out of the way of combat.

“We need to find a way [to continue training], like some retired F 16 pilots, have them on contract and fly maybe in a base [in the] very west of Ukraine,” Bacon said. “But we need to help them figure out how to raise the qualifications of the F-16 pilots who graduated. I heard that loud and clear.”

Another supplemental? Other lawmakers have returned from Ukraine in recent months and urged their colleagues to allocate more assistance before the end of the year — a move some supporters see as more urgent with the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House.

Bacon, a proponent of continued aid, said he’s open to more funding to help Ukraine in the lame duck session, but argued “the administration should tell us” what its funding needs are. So far, the White House hasn’t sought more money since lawmakers approved roughly $61 billion this spring to assist Ukraine and replenish U.S. stockpiles.

“They do need to help us know what the need is,” he said. “That said, I want to help Ukraine win.”

The Biden administration has requested lawmakers roll over its authority to transfer nearly $6 billion worth of weapons and equipment to Ukraine as part of a government funding stopgap this month. If the authority isn’t renewed, the Pentagon is warning it won’t be able to supply Ukraine with weapons once the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. More on that below.

Following today’s reports of more glide bomb attacks on Kharkiv, killing at least two, this map is next in my feed. These red dots and planes look like urgent targets for immediate action pic.twitter.com/ZDVDk4tK1t

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) September 20, 2024

“On Thursday, September 26, President Biden will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the White House. Vice President Harris will also meet separately with President Zelenskyy at the White House.” pic.twitter.com/VFZ9HuBbzI

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 20, 2024

Next week at the White House, I will meet with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine for the seventh time.

President Biden and I have been clear: Our commitment to the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom is unshakeable.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 20, 2024

France:

⚡First group of Ukrainian pilots complete French jet training.

The first cohort of Ukrainian pilots have completed Alpha Jet training in France, the French Armed Forces announced on Sept. 20.https://t.co/YO40Pis8I0

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 20, 2024

Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:

The first cohort of Ukrainian pilots have completed Alpha Jet training in France, the French Armed Forces announced on Sept. 20.

The French Air Force has been training Ukrainian pilots since March 2024 as part of the international coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, which was founded at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

Kyiv has been calling for its partners to provide F-16s jets since the very first year of the full-scale war in order to bolster its fleet of aircraft, which is otherwise made up of Soviet-made planes.

While Ukraine has been promised nearly 80 jets from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, the training of new pilots has been considered one of the main bottlenecks for expanding Ukraine’s F-16 capabilities.

The French Armed Forces wrote on X that the Alpha Jet training program shows “France’s firm support for the Ukrainian war effort,” but did not provide further details.

French newspaper Le Monde reported in June that the French Air Force had committed to training 26 Ukrainian pilots.

This number is significant as the French Air Force usually certifies around 30 pilots a year, after up to five years of training.

The program began in March with 10 Ukrainian pilots, who are training using Alphajets fitted with a panel that simulates the instruments in the cockpit of an F-16, Le Monde said.

A group of Ukrainian pilots also recently arrived in Romania to start training on F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Sept. 12.

Other Ukrainian pilots have undergone training in the U.S. or Denmark, though Copenhagen said it would not provide instructions to Ukrainian aviators on its territory past 2024.

The EU:

Relentless Russian attacks mean Ukraine needs continued EU support.

The @EU_Commission will provide a loan of up to 35 billion euros to Ukraine as part of the G7 pledge.

This is another major EU contribution to the Ukraine’s recovery.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 20, 2024

Kharkiv:

Russian glide bomb struck near the hospital in the downtown of Kharkiv earlier this evening AND I’ve just heard two more distant explosions.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) September 20, 2024

Video from a car captures the exact moment of the KAB hit. The streets in Kharkiv are still pitch black pic.twitter.com/7PCe4aFWDg

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) September 20, 2024

This evening, Russian aviation struck center of Kharkiv with a guided airbomb, a bomb hit right next to a city hospital.

The medical facility has just been repaired from damage caused by previous attacks.https://t.co/KhjOE3u9yRhttps://t.co/CoCJcU5atl pic.twitter.com/y58D0sPOK2

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 20, 2024

Sumy:

Russian strike on a nursing home for the elderly in Sumy. https://t.co/vS08QJ2h2M pic.twitter.com/xnG47OMDSn

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 20, 2024

Vovchansk:

Vovchansk is razed because Ukraine couldn’t strike back pic.twitter.com/IGvaNl8owT

— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) September 20, 2024

Kurahove:

46th Brigade of Ukraine repels anothe massive Russian attack, which is actually still ongoing:

“Yesterday morning in the area of ​​responsibility of the 46th brigade seemed extremely hot. Russians resorted to another mass assault, which continued with varying intensity… https://t.co/yborSzyY0G pic.twitter.com/tCpJ6xJPTV

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 20, 2024

46th Brigade of Ukraine repels anothe massive Russian attack, which is actually still ongoing:

“Yesterday morning in the area of ​​responsibility of the 46th brigade seemed extremely hot. Russians resorted to another mass assault, which continued with varying intensity throughout the day. The enemy attacked with tanks, APCs, and IFVs to the accompaniment of guided air bombs. In total, 24 breakthrough attempts were recorded, into which Russians threw 52 pieces of equipment from different directions.

Our paratroopers “warmly greeted the guests” with artillery fire and FPV drones, engaged a tank company and assault groups to clear enemy infantry in shelters. In one word, they burned the hell fire. 8 tanks and BMPs, 4 APCs, one MTLB and one motorcycle were destroyed. 4 BMPs were damaged. The surviving equipment managed to retreat in time. Irreversible and sanitary losses of Russian personnel amounted to 72 infantrymen.”

https://t.me/oaembr46/1022

Kherson Oblast:

“A Baba Yaga drone came, dropped cookies and a life jacket”: unique footage of how the Ukrainian Armed Forces saved a Russian soldier abandoned by his command.

A drone spotted 22-year-old Russian marine Andrey Alimov on an island in Kherson region. He was holding a piece of… pic.twitter.com/z9geVnGKxf

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 20, 2024

“A Baba Yaga drone came, dropped cookies and a life jacket”: unique footage of how the Ukrainian Armed Forces saved a Russian soldier abandoned by his command.

A drone spotted 22-year-old Russian marine Andrey Alimov on an island in Kherson region. He was holding a piece of paper saying: “Can I have something to eat? It’s hard.” As it turned out, he was given one field ration for three weeks but was abandoned for three months. He ate frogs, reed roots, and drank water from the Dnipro River, hoping to be rescued.

“His faith disappeared when he was shot in the leg, and he was fed with promises of evacuation for another two months. When his leg got really bad, he came out and surrendered to a Ukrainian drone,” journalist Yurii Butusov, who posted the video, wrote.

Russian occupied Crimea:

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested that the issue of Crimea would be key during possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, and suggested placing the peninsula under a UN mandate to prepare a referendum, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

— Hromadske Int. (@Hromadske) September 19, 2024

Crimea is Ukraine. Russian invasion and occupation doesn’t change that legal FACT. It’s not up for vote EVER, and definitely not after decades of occupation, torture and murder, population change by transplanting Russians, and genocide.
2/8

— ArianaGic/Аріянॳць (@GicAriana) September 19, 2024

And @sikorskiradek had the gall to complain about Kyiv’s reaction to the ideas he presented while in Ukraine. It’s clear why Kyiv is angry!! Damn good reason!!!
4/8

— ArianaGic/Аріянॳць (@GicAriana) September 19, 2024

We should be asking what the hell is going on with Poland. This should certainly cause more people to look at the illegal blockades at the PL-UA border which amounted to trade embargo with fresh eyes.
6/8

— ArianaGic/Аріянॳць (@GicAriana) September 19, 2024

We should be asking what the hell is going on with Poland. This should certainly cause more people to look at the illegal blockades at the PL-UA border which amounted to trade embargo with fresh eyes.
6/8

— ArianaGic/Аріянॳць (@GicAriana) September 19, 2024

Reacting to the unacceptable proposals on the future status of the Autonomous Republic of #Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes one thing: #CrimeaIsUkraine 🇺🇦

No compromises. pic.twitter.com/HXcWCztdG6

— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) September 20, 2024

The Kursk cross border offensive:

Russian commanders anticipated that Ukraine was planning an incursion into Kursk Oblast months before it occurred, the Guardian reported, citing documents that Ukrainian soldiers said they had seized from abandoned Russian positions.https://t.co/nUwFDAwCpt

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 20, 2024

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russian commanders anticipated that Ukraine was planning an incursion into Kursk Oblast months before it occurred, the Guardian reported on Sept. 20, citing a collection of documents that Ukrainian soldiers said they had seized from abandoned Russian positions.

The documents included printed orders and handwritten entries from commanders.

Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early August, claiming to have seized around 100 settlements and over 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles).

Russia appeared to have been taken by surprise by the attack, which allowed Ukrainian forces to quickly fan out across the border and move deep into Russian territory.

According to the seized documents, the authenticity of which the Guardian said they “could not independently verify,” Russian commanders had been cautioning that a potential cross-border breakthrough could occur as far back as January 2024.

While the earlier warnings were largely vague, they grew increasingly more detailed — including specific threats that Ukraine would try to seize the town of Sudzha — a warning that was realized after Ukraine captured it in August.

The seized documents also revealed that Russian commanders had attempted to beef up security by the border in Kursk Oblast and “organize additional exercises for the leadership of units and strongpoints regarding the proper organization of defenses” ahead of a possible Ukrainian attack.

Other revelations from the documents were statements from commanders about the deteriorating morale of Russian soldiers in the area.

“The analysis of the current situation regarding suicides shows that the issue of servicemen dying as a result of suicidal incidents remains tense,” one entry read.

Another entry detailed the specifics of one soldier’s suicide.

“The investigation into the incident determined that the cause of the suicide and death was a nervous and psychological breakdown, caused by his prolonged state of depression due to his service in the Russian army,” the entry read.

Commanders also wrote instructions on how to improve morale, including one suggestion that soldiers should receive daily political lessons “aimed at maintaining and raising the political, moral, and psychological condition of the personnel.”

The Toropets ammo dump:

Short video of the first moments of the attack on a Russian Toropets ammunition storage and the panic of local residents. pic.twitter.com/UBN13AL6kV

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 20, 2024

Ukraine’s drone strike on the arms depot in Russia’s Tver Oblast destroyed two to three months’ worth of munitions, Estonian Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, said on Sept. 20.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 20, 2024

More from The Kyiv Independent:

Ukraine’s drone strike on the arms depot in Russia’s Tver Oblast destroyed two to three months’ worth of munitions, Estonian Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, said on Sept. 20.

Ukraine launched an overnight attack on Sept. 18 against one of the largest arsenals in Russia, opened in 2018 and built to withstand a nuclear explosion.

According to Estonian news outlet ERR, Kiviselg commented on the strike during an Estonian Defense Ministry press conference.

Ukraine was able to strike the depot because some of the ammunition was not located inside bunkers, causing a chain of explosions that destroyed 30,000 tons of ammunition to explode, Kiviselg said.

“At an average rate of military action, Russia fires 10,000 shells per week. That is, a two-to-three-month supply of ammunition,”

“We will see the consequences of this loss at the front in the coming weeks,” Kiviselg said.

The arms depot in Topolets stored ballistic missiles, including Iskanders, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery ammunition, and KAB guided bombs, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine has long suffered a disadvantage in terms of ammunition supplies compared to Russia.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told CNN on Sept. 5 that Russian forces currently fire shells at a ratio of around 2:1 to 2.5:1 to Ukrainian forces.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

My Friday morning was with @vonderleyen and my @SESU_UA
😍

I was happy to bark about safety, demining, and also Ukrainian children. I’m grateful to have such an opportunity, even though not everyone understood what I was saying. However, it seems the interpreters got the… pic.twitter.com/IvXAwKaoYc

— Patron (@PatronDsns) September 20, 2024

My Friday morning was with @vonderleyen and my @SESU_UA 😍

I was happy to bark about safety, demining, and also Ukrainian children. I’m grateful to have such an opportunity, even though not everyone understood what I was saying. However, it seems the interpreters got the message 🙂

When a Russian bomb hits, the State Service firefighters rush to tame the flames and rescue people.

We support them with power generators and emergency equipment.

I also visited one of President @ZelenskyyUa’s invincibility points – precious energy shelters in times of crisis. pic.twitter.com/xmMr6MEhKd

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 20, 2024

Open thread!