Our warriors and the entire nation are getting stronger every day – address by the President of Ukraine

11 October 2023 – 20:44

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A report on our work in Brussels today.

First of all, a meeting in the Ramstein format, our broad defense coalition, more than 50 member states. Defense ministers, top military officers. Our main focus is to strengthen our air defense and the most important tools at the front. Artillery, long-range systems. I am grateful to all partners for their continued willingness to help our defense. Defense Minister Umerov outlined the details of our priorities to our partners.

I met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Brown. The meeting was long and specific. It was made clear that America will continue to provide Ukraine with the sustainable and uninterrupted support necessary for our defense. We discussed how to boost our capabilities in defending ourselves against Russian terror – drones and missiles – now, before winter. I am grateful to the United States!

I had a good meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. We discussed our defense priorities, our cooperation with the Alliance. Today, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held at the level of defense ministers, and tomorrow a meeting of NATO defense ministers will take place. Of course, we are working on further support for our warriors, on very specific things, including the supplies that the guys told me about when I was at the front, visiting brigades on the front line.

The talks with the Prime Minister of Belgium were very important and productive. Belgium has joined our aircraft coalition and will provide Ukraine with F-16s. This is a powerful step. There is a new defense package from Belgium, which has several important components. I would like to mention air defense missiles in particular. Thank you! Belgium became the first country in the world to actually use frozen Russian assets to compensate for the damage caused by Russian aggression, and next year we will receive €1 billion 700 million for our defense and recovery projects. This is very important, and I am grateful to Belgium and personally to Mr. Prime Minister De Croo. As for the sanctions against Russia, we discussed the introduction of a procedure by Belgium and a number of other influential countries to prevent Russian diamonds from being supplied to the European market. This is a blow to Russia’s profits. This long-awaited step will become a reality.

So, it was a powerful day! Belgium, thank you! All allies in Ramstein, thank you! The United States, I am grateful for your leadership and support!

Every day our warriors and our entire nation are getting stronger.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also tweeted out his remarks to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group/Ramstein 16.

Today, I addressed the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, or Ramstein meeting, expressing my gratitude to all of its nations for their tireless work and strong joint decisions they have made. I outlined our vision and priority defense needs as winter approaches. pic.twitter.com/8uCE87KiCC

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 11, 2023

Here’s the video, followed by the English transcript.

We need to get the instrument of terror out of Russia’s hands – speech by the President at the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format

11 October 2023 – 13:37

Mr. Minister Austin!

Thank you for your support and leadership. It indeed feels like a true warrior is leading the Ramstein team.

Dear ministers, dear generals!

I am grateful to each of you for your tireless work and for the strong joint decisions you have made for us, for all our people. Thank you so much.

General Brown!

This is the first time you are participating in a Ramstein meeting. And I think it is very symbolic, given your military background as a combat pilot – an F-16 pilot. I am sure that together we will do many good things to defend freedom.

Jens, Mr. Secretary General!

I thank you for your faith in Ukraine – for your confidence that Ukraine will be among the allies in NATO.

Ladies and gentlemen!

Next Monday will mark the six hundredth day of our resistance to Russia’s full-scale aggression against our people, against Ukraine. And today, no one can say for sure how many more days we will have to defend our independence and identity. But we can already say several things, which are important.

First: Putin will not achieve Ukraine. Second: Russia cannot afford a new arms race. And third: democracy can win this battle. It is necessary not only for our country, but for every nation, for the whole world. Our time is not the time for the slavery of nations.

You all know that Moscow’s ambitions have never been limited to Ukraine. And we all want these ambitions to be defeated in Ukraine – as soon as possible, this is the best opportunity – so that we don’t have to look for shells and supply tanks to other countries in Europe, Asia or Africa that the Russian dictator may try to turn into ruins or seize into his crazy empire or zone of influence.

I know that NATO is ready and capable of protecting its members from external aggression. May we never have to experience this in reality. I know what steps can protect Europe and the world from the spread of Russian aggression. And I know what is needed to speed up the just end of this war – let me emphasize: a just end. Full protection of our sovereignty, full restoration of our territorial integrity, full guarantee of Ukraine’s security after the aggression.

We are now in a special situation on the front line. In a situation where it is important to put pressure. Without any pauses. It is very important – without any pauses. You all understand the principles of effective defense. It is the defense that does not leave the enemy a chance to rest, recover, or choose any other tactics. Russia has lost the initiative for today. We are putting pressure on it. We are! It is Ukrainian courage and your support that determine what is happening on the battlefield and, most importantly, what will happen on the battlefield. And although the occupiers are still trying to storm our positions, although our defense and counteroffensive actions are very difficult – it is still Ukraine, it is our soldiers who determine the course of events.

Russia cannot handle this war on its own. You can see it. It needs Iran – Russia cannot succeed without the Shaheds and other help. It needs North Korea. Just imagine – for the first time in its history, Moscow has gone to Pyongyang to bow down. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is escaping our naval drones and missiles. Traditional buyers of Russian weapons see how superior the weapons made by the free world and used by Ukrainians are. Russia is slowly but surely withdrawing from various points of geopolitical fractures in the world because it lacks its own strength. But at the same time, it still has enough resources to incite conflicts and turn them into full-scale tragedies. This is happening in the Sahel, and it can happen even more painfully in Israel and in the Middle East as a whole. We must not allow this to happen. We can prevent it! We have to put even more pressure so that the aggressor weakens faster and does not have time to adapt to our pressure. We need to make sure that Russia is heading for defeat and does not even attempt to claim anything else.

One of the most vital battles here is the one against the Kremlin’s key tool, its greatest perverted pride – the pride of the terrorist. Last winter, Russia wanted to turn it into a weapon against us by destroying our power plants and supply network. I am grateful to all of you, every country, every leader who helped us with air defense and energy equipment. It really was a life-saver for all of us, our people, our children. Obviously, this winter Russia will try to repeat those tactics, but with certain conclusions and greater terrorist efforts. Please note that even during the attack on Israel, terrorists targeted one of the largest power plants in the region. Until last winter, when Russia relied on these tactics, other terrorists had not done so in such attacks.

Of course, our task now is to get through this difficult time, through this winter. But, in fact, the real power of this task, if fulfilled, is much greater than just getting through this winter. Air defense is a significant part of the answer to the question of when this war will end and whether it will end justly for Ukraine. I am confident that it can be so. It will be so.

Everyone can see what the protection of the sky gives. It is a guarantee that there will be normal life in the cities. There will be an economy. There will be people. Long-range air defense can also ensure the functioning of our corridors in the Black Sea and the Danube region. Air defense will ensure that Russian jets will not be able to approach our borders. And therefore it will solve the issue of Russian guided bombs.

We all need this kind of push now. A step forward in our defense. Air defense. For Ukraine, this will be a victory of life. It is vital. For Russia, it will be a failure of its key strategy – the strategy of terror, what will it have left but this?

We need to protect people. We need the opportunity to live and accumulate economic activity. We need normal exports. Grain is the key to global food security – Ukrainian grain. Then there is metallurgy. Other goods of our exports. It is the economic basis of life. We need children to be able to study at schools, not online. And we need people to live not only from one air alarm to another, but based on their plans for days, weeks… better – months. When this happens, the majority of our people who have found temporary refuge abroad will start to come back. Millions of Ukrainians! The stronger we are socially and economically, the more powerful we will be in the military sense. We will be able to ensure the work of a greater number and capacity of defense industries in Ukraine. We will be able to depend much less on the assistance of our partners. We will be able to provide more support to the front line.

Dear friends!

We must win the winter battle against terror. We can win it. And along with it, we can win the battle for how and on whose terms this war will end. Ukraine can survive. It will survive. However, it is important to take the weapons out of the hands of our enemy. What is Russia’s strength? Let’s be honest. Only the fact that they can destroy lives. Russia is not capable of doing anything else. Is it a security donor? No. A supporter of development? No. A political pole? No. A source of economic growth? No. A terrorist? Yes. That is the only thing! That threatens Ukraine and many other nations. We need to get this instrument out of Russia’s hands – the instrument of terror.

The answer is air defense and other types of weapons, the list of which we will discuss and my team will share with you. And above all, please remember that this will not only help to bring a just end to the war for us, but will also keep the war away from you, from your borders and the borders of your allies – from the Alliance. Missiles and drones will not fall in Romania, Poland or elsewhere if they cannot overcome the protection of the Ukrainian sky.

Terrorists like Putin or Hamas seek to hold free and democratic nations as hostages. And they want power over those who seek freedom. The terrorists will not change. They just must lose. And that means we must win. We do! It requires patience. It requires steady and continuous support. We need to take the right steps. Steps that save lives. For real. Vital steps. And strengthen the defense. Significantly.

Air defense is a must. I’m sure you heard me.

Thank you for your invitation! Thank you very much for your attention! And for your common big support during all these days, weeks, months of full-scale war! I thank you and your nations!

Слава Україні!

Grateful for the vital support of Ukraine in the struggle for freedom and independence.

We have common values that we fight for. https://t.co/QMHmKikcJi

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 11, 2023

Ukrainian Air Force Pilot wishes you productive wednesday! pic.twitter.com/U1zp0MHscI

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 11, 2023

Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting — most important results:

🇺🇸 $200 million — ammunition for air defense, artillery and missile ammunition, aviation weapons, anti-tank weapons
🇬🇧€115 million — aid package, demining, equipment maintenance
🇩🇰Transfer of F-16 at the beginning… pic.twitter.com/bZgKQ0AtJi

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 11, 2023

🇺🇸 $200 million — ammunition for air defense, artillery and missile ammunition, aviation weapons, anti-tank weapons
🇬🇧€115 million — aid package, demining, equipment maintenance
🇩🇰Transfer of F-16 at the beginning of next year
🇫🇮€95 million – a new aid package
🇨🇦$25 million for winter preparation
🇧🇪 F-16 pilots training, F-16 aircraft at 2025, substantial technical support
🇳🇴$18.5 million for demining
🇪🇸Additional air defense systems, help in preparation for winter,
€1.5 million for demining
🇩🇪Missiles for air defense and tanks
🇧🇬English courses for F-16 pilots
🇱🇹2 NASAMS launchers, ammunition and winter supplies

Grateful to every partner country for substantial impact in strengthening #UArmy.
#Ramstein 16 will have great impact on our victory!

 

F-16 delivery plan:
🇩🇰Denmark plans to deliver the first batch of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine in the spring (March, April) of 2024.https://t.co/FbTAqynEGU
🇳🇱Netherlands will send F-16 to Ukraine at the end of 2024.https://t.co/5ARuxPcY5K
🇧🇪Belgium will transfer several F-16 to… pic.twitter.com/QS058BXEZN

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 11, 2023

F-16 delivery plan:
🇩🇰Denmark plans to deliver the first batch of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine in the spring (March, April) of 2024.
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Denmark-to-send-first-F-16s-to-Ukraine-in-early-2024/60780948
🇳🇱Netherlands will send F-16 to Ukraine at the end of 2024.
https://24tv.ua/f-16-koli-ukrayina-otrimaye-zahidni-vinishhuvachi-vidpovid-posla_n2409136/amp
🇧🇪Belgium will transfer several F-16 to Ukraine in 2025
https://rtl.be/actu/belgique/politique/la-belgique-va-envoyer-des-f-16-lukraine-annonce-la-ministre-de-la-defense/2023-10-11/article/596901

The United Kingdom announced the transfer of stationary Terrahawk Paladin anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine. In the standard configuration, the installation is equipped with a 30-mm Mark 44 Bushmaster II cannon with a possible increase in caliber to 40 mm.
A new package of the UK… pic.twitter.com/TJ9A8KgeA7

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 11, 2023

The United Kingdom announced the transfer of stationary Terrahawk Paladin anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine. In the standard configuration, the installation is equipped with a 30-mm Mark 44 Bushmaster II cannon with a possible increase in caliber to 40 mm.
A new package of the UK military support for Ukraine is worth more than £100m.
https://gov.uk/government/news/major-new-package-of-support-for-ukraines-counter-offensive-announced-by-grant-shapps

The US is currently down to a few hundred million for Ukraine. The Biden administration is trying to get creative. Politico has the details.

The Biden administration is considering using a State Department grant program to send additional military aid to Ukraine as Congress continues to battle over weapons funding, according to two U.S. officials with knowledge of the discussions.

The White House is weighing a range of options as it scrambles to find additional money to support Ukraine after lawmakers stripped funding in a last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown, said the officials, who like others interviewed for this story were granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

President Joe Biden hinted at this strategy on Wednesday, saying “there is another means by which we may be able to find funding for that.” He declined to comment further.

One of the officials said the president’s comments referred to “existing funding authorities” Congress previously gave the administration “that allow us to provide additional support to Ukraine for a bit longer if Congress doesn’t act.”

One option under consideration is using foreign military financing — a program run by the State Department that provides grants or loans to help partner countries purchase weapons and defense equipment — intended for Ukraine and other countries impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion, said the two officials.

As of Sept. 21, the U.S. had roughly $650 million remaining out of $4.6 billion in foreign military financing that Congress appropriated across two supplemental packages for Ukraine and “countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine,” according to the State Department.

Even if the U.S. uses the financing authority to purchase weapons, Congress still needs to authorize additional funding to support Ukraine, the U.S. official said.

The administration could also potentially ask Congress to redirect funding from elsewhere in the Pentagon budget to support Ukraine, according to a Defense Department official familiar with the discussions. However, this route would require approval from lawmakers.

A top Pentagon spokesperson said no decision had been made on what route the department will take.

“Reprogramming is always an option for urgent needs. At this time right now, though, to my knowledge, no decision has been made on using reprogramming as a way to support Ukraine security assistance,” said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder. “We remain committed to working with Congress on the Ukraine supplemental and receiving a full budget.”

Pentagon leaders warned lawmakers last week that department’s portion of previous aid packages has nearly run out. Comptroller Mike McCord wrote in a letter to congressional leaders that the Defense Department “has exhausted nearly all available security assistance funding for Ukraine.” No money remains for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the program used by the Pentagon to purchase new weapons and equipment for Kyiv, while $1.6 billion remains to replenish U.S. inventories.

More at the link.

I know there has been speculation in comments, as well as in reporting that the Biden administration will try to bundle funding for Ukraine’s war effort with additional funding for Israel and even possibly with further defense aid to Taiwan. That’s somewhat creative, but the congressional math is still a problem. There is a significant block of Republican senators who oppose any new aid to Ukraine and have the ability to individually hold up any funding package that includes it. Even more of a problem is that the majority of the GOP caucus in the House is now opposed to any additional funding for Ukraine. Meaning that the minority of that caucus that does want more funding would have to partner with the Democrats, force a discharge petition to get the bill to the floor, and then vote with the Democrats to get it passed. Given that the GOP House caucus cannot even get a majority of its members behind one of the two candidates for Speaker of the House and we are down to about 9 actual working days on the congressional calendar to get another short term CR out, the administration is fighting both the numbers needed to pass a supplemental aid package and the calendar.

This is what the Biden administration and, especially, the Ukrainians are up against:

https://twitter.com/AlonPinkas/status/1711621029209006112

Especially because the Republicans have decided to do what they usually do:

“While Hamas carried out these attacks, Joe Biden has blood on his hands.”

– Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) blames Biden for Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel, again parroting an unsubstantiated GOP claim that Iran used the money from the $6B prisoner exchange to help fund the attacks pic.twitter.com/J0EEfbOttW

— The Recount (@therecount) October 10, 2023

As a result I expect that any attempt to bundle additional support for Ukraine with additional support to Israel will either be short lived or not even be attempted because of domestic political considerations in the US. My impression is that part of President Biden’s we just quietly get things done political strategy is avoiding fights he knows he can’t win. Right now getting more support to Israel, regardless of whether Israel needs it or not, is a major domestic political imperative in the US. Getting more support to Ukraine, which Ukraine desperately needs, is not. I would like to be wrong, but I do not expect to be.

Michael McKinley, a retired Senior Foreign Service Executive, has some thoughts on this in Politico:

The unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel will complicate the debate in the United States and internationally about sustaining assistance for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s aggression. Israel merits the unquestioned support of its allies as it responds to the most significant challenge it has faced since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. But it does not follow that the conflict in Ukraine should fade into the background.

Events in Israel along with other worrying developments — including Azerbaijan’s assault on Nagorno-Karabakh and Serbia’s border build-up with Kosovo — only underscore how quickly the international order we’ve long taken for granted has been undermined since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 20 months ago. The world we’re entering is becoming a more volatile, violent place.

For Western nations who want to forestall that future, the first line of defense remains Ukraine. Israel is receiving support and likely to prevail in its conflict with Hamas, but without continued assistance from the United States and its allies, Ukraine is much less likely to win its war with Russia.

If Ukraine is not to suffer the fate of other “forever wars” and become a secondary priority to a possibly wider conflict in the Middle East, or a global landscape with other pressing demands, U.S. leaders need to recast the case for staying the course on Ukraine. Messaging on Ukraine should include greater realism about the conflict, its complexities, its likely outcome and what it means for global security.

The truth is that sustaining assistance for Ukraine is already a challenge, as much psychological as political. Fatigue has kicked in among Ukraine’s supporters notwithstanding reassuring statements by President JoeBiden and European leaders following the revolt by congressional GOPhardliners in Washington against further financial support for the war effort. In our recent past, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, costing trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives, increasingly came to be described as forgotten wars as they dragged on for many years.

Ukraine should not be seen in the same way. The moment is fast approaching for the Biden administration to strengthen the rationale for sustaining the war effort, by starting first with redefining the strategic commitment of the U.S. and its allies. At the NATO summit in June, it became clear that the allies have yet to provide everything Ukraine needs to significantly improve its battlefield performance. The debate continues over what weapons to supply. Allies also pushed off Ukraine’s NATO membership into an indefinite future.

This hesitancy is driven by genuine concerns about taking steps that could provoke an unpredictable Russian response. Nonetheless, it’s time for Western leaders to be more forthright and strategic in explaining what the endgame is: that military assistance to Ukraine will help not just defeat Russia now but also transform Ukraine’s military capabilities so it can serve as a bulwark against further Russian aggression in Europe and Central Asia. Making this case requires that Western leaders be clearer about the fact that Russia is stronger militarily and politically than many suggest, a longer-term threat to global stability and not just in Europe, and acknowledging that the war may go on for some time and cannot have a defined timetable.

Much more at the link!

Avdiivka:

Russia keeps bombarding the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka.
It’s almost completely annihilated by now, but several hundred civilians still stay there. pic.twitter.com/Ll1YTAFtKV

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) October 11, 2023

As Zelensky spoke in Brussels, Russian forces pushed ahead with an assault on the eastern industrial city of Avdiivka.

Ukraine’s General Staff said that “up to three battalions” of Russian soldiers were involved in the offensive around Avdiivka.https://t.co/8fmB9oKofq via @ft

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) October 11, 2023

Here’s the details:

Since he left Ukraine on Tuesday, Russian forces have stepped up attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, marking their first offensive actions in months. Launched in May with the goal of clawing back lost territory, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has so far struggled to gain momentum.

As Zelenskyy spoke in Brussels, Russian forces pushed ahead with an assault on the eastern industrial city of Avdiivka.

Oleksandr Stupun, a military spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern front, said Russian forces were fighting with “all their might to show some kind of success and are trying to surround Avdiivka”.

The industrial city is home to Ukraine’s largest coking plant, which videos posted on social media and verified by the Financial Times showed was targeted by artillery attacks and air strikes on Tuesday. Some videos showed plumes of smoke rising from the battered city, while those posted by Ukrainian drone operators revealed a convoy of Russian armoured vehicles and infantry troops moving towards the frontline.

Of Avdiivka’s prewar population of 30,000, authorities say only a little more than 1,000 residents remain in the city, much of which has been reduced to rubble by relentless shelling.

Ukraine’s General Staff said that “up to three battalions” of Russian soldiers were involved in the offensive around Avdiivka.

“They are not succeeding, but they will try to gain some operational space,” Stupun said of the Russian assault. “At the moment they are suffering losses, our soldiers are standing firm and defending Avdiivka and the neighbouring settlements.”

Russia also continued its air strikes on Ukraine’s Danube ports, used to export grains and by the country’s military for its seaborne operations, the General Staff said.

Much more at the link!

Massive Russian armoured column north of Avdiivka moving towards Ukrainian positions from Krasnohorivka during the first day of the offensive. pic.twitter.com/NzlV1s9h9Q

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) October 11, 2023

ATGM strike on Russian armoured vehicle. Avdiivka front. By the 53rd brigade of Ukraine. https://t.co/2hTzqqIDcB pic.twitter.com/vo6ktqddVP

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 11, 2023

/2. As commented by the source- “The tank was blown up on a minefield, the BMP was following it but turned around in an instant after the detonation of a tank. Then the armored personnel carrier brought this meat” pic.twitter.com/DOMQHmoTTC

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 11, 2023

/2. Some footage of today’s Russian attack on Avdiivka.https://t.co/R5aFz8hw5Ahttps://t.co/QFh0eapMa6 pic.twitter.com/LJSOCumJSf

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 10, 2023

/1. About today’s large scale Russian attack on the Avdiivka front, by DeepState:

Today was one of the most difficult days at the Avdiivka direction
⚔️ The enemy went on the attack with several columns, filled with infantry. The attack was accompanied by artillery, aviation and missile strikes. Columns advanced from Krasnohorivka, Novoselivka Druha, Vodyane, Pisky and Vesele. Russians managed to capture certain positions, but considering the number of personnel and equipment that was involved, the results are simply deplorable for the enemy.
⚔️ Russians hoped for a blitzkrieg. Losses of equipment are colossal, analysts will soon be counting. Hundreds of Russian infantrymen were engaged and they are still roaming the no man’s land. The fighting continues. Indeed, everything could have been much worse, but the coordinated work of the Defense Forces of Ukraine produced results. Of course, it was not without losses.

⬅️ Russians statements about the entry into Berdychi which were circulating on the Internet – is just another sick fantasy of propagandists. Of course, not everything is rosy near Avdiivka, but the first attack of the real Soviet army was repelled.
https://t.me/DeepStateUA/17797

Hroza:

Ukrainian authorities accuse two brothers of helping the Russian military carry out this year’s deadliest missile strike, which hit their hometown of Hroza, killing 55 people.https://t.co/kw1QXviBLG via @ft

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) October 11, 2023

Here’s the details from The Financial Times:

Ukrainian authorities have accused two brothers of helping the Russian military carry out this year’s deadliest missile strike, which hit their hometown of Hroza, killing 55 people.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and prosecutors in Kharkiv region on Wednesday announced treason charges against Volodymyr Mamon, 30, and his younger brother, Dmytro Mamon, 23, who are alleged to have long collaborated with Russia.

Additionally, authorities charged Volodymyr with directly aiding and abetting the Russian army in the murder of his neighbours. Prosecutors said they were working to locate the brothers, who are Russian passport holders and are believed to be in Russia.

The Russian missile attack on October 5 struck a grocery store and an adjacent café, where civilians and military personnel had gathered to commemorate a fallen soldier. Almost every family in the village of 330 people had at least one relative at the gathering, said Ukraine’s interior affairs minister Ihor Klymenko, underscoring the devastating impact the attack has had on the community.

Fifty-one people — about a sixth of the village’s population — were killed instantly when the Russian Iskander missile hit, reducing the buildings to rubble. Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesperson for the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office, said on Wednesday that the death toll had risen to 55 and could increase since several people remained in hospital with serious injuries.

Prosecutors said the Mamons had willingly collaborated with Russian forces while the region was under occupation in 2022. For their efforts, authorities said, the Mamons were appointed to law enforcement jobs in the Russian occupation administration. Prosecutors shared photographs of law enforcement documents issued to them by Russian authorities.

The Mamons fled to Russia last autumn, as Ukrainian forces moved in to retake the area during a counteroffensive that brought the Kharkiv region back under Kyiv’s control.

In self-exile, the brothers allegedly continued their work with Russian forces, building a local network of sources on the ground in Kharkiv from whom they would glean details about Ukraine’s military.

Ukrainian authorities say the Mamons’ relatives, neighbours and acquaintances from Hroza and other towns and villages in the Kharkiv region unwittingly participated in the brothers’ intelligence-gathering operations.

Under the guise of ordinary conversation over messenger apps, the Mamons asked several people, including Dmytro’s wife, for information about the movements of Ukraine’s troops and public events that involved the military in the Kharkiv region.

Prosecutors said the brothers caught wind of the funeral service in Hroza days before.

“The older brother found out in detail from fellow villagers who will be at the memorial event, what time it will be and where exactly,” prosecutors said. “He passed this information on to his Russian supervisors, who . . . made a decision [to attack] a civilian target.”

Authorities published text messages they say show conversations between Volodymyr and Dmytro and residents in Hroza in which the time and location of the funeral were discussed. The exchanges appear to show that the brothers knew people who would be present at the wake but believed a majority of the attendees would be military service members.

More at the link!

After:

https://twitter.com/krides/status/1712036166726193475

https://twitter.com/krides/status/1712039621842927944

Before:

https://twitter.com/krides/status/1712042389244682353

https://twitter.com/krides/status/1712044234692288758

https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1712223863524716997

Putin has some thoughts on who actually invaded Ukraine in 2014 and then expanded the war in 2022. Hint: it wasn’t Russia!

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1712104383691776140

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron tweets or videos tonight. Here is some adjacent material from the Ukrainian Army Cats & Dogs account.

https://twitter.com/UAarmy_animals/status/1706107295363436726

https://twitter.com/UAarmy_animals/status/1706091534263660552

https://twitter.com/UAarmy_animals/status/1705555649663287556

Open thread!