EU Foreign Affairs Council holds a “historic” meeting in Kyiv. Ukraine’s Army of Drones hits a record number of Russian artillery pieces last week.
EU Foreign Affairs Council holds “historic” meeting in Kyiv
On Monday, October 2, an EU Foreign Ministers meeting was held in Kyiv. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, spoke to journalists ahead of the meeting.
Kuleba said it was a “historic event” and the first time ever that EU’s Foreign Affairs Council met outside of the bloc’s borders, but “within its future borders.” This is a message of unfettered support that the EU is extending to Ukraine, he added.
Borrell said it was an “informal” meeting because it took place outside the EU. It is considered “a high-level political debate”, he said, adding that it represents a clear commitment of the European Union to continue to provide all-round support to Ukraine and deter Russia’s acts of aggression.
“We are convening a historic meeting of EU Foreign Ministers here in Ukraine, a candidate country and future member of the EU. We are here to express our solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people,” Borrell said on X, formerly Twitter.
All 27 EU member states have dispatched officials to the meeting in Kyiv. According to DPA, in advance, Borrell had suggested that one topic for the EU meeting should be making longer-term financial pledges for military aid to Ukraine and also supporting the supply of modern fighter jets and missiles with EU funds.
Earlier Borrell said that the EU is weighing a new multi-annual program of support to Ukraine to allocate up to EUR five billion every year between 2024 and 2027.
On September 19, Borrell announced an EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Kyiv.
On September 30, Borrell made an unannounced visit to Odesa. On October 1, he arrived in Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. He took part in a ceremony honoring veterans, service members, and fallen soldiers.
Army of Drones hits record number of Russian artillery pieces last week
Ukraine’s “Army of Drones” hit a record number of Russian artillery pieces last week, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for Innovation in Education, Science and Technology, and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, said.
“Army of Drones struck a record number of Russian artillery pieces [last week]. Here’s a weekly summary,” Fedorov said on Telegram.
“The Russians lost 69 howitzers and 17 self-propelled artillery systems. The more artillery pieces get hit, the less artillery strikes will target our military positions and near-front towns,” he said.
Drones damaged or destroyed a total of 220 pieces, including 33 tanks, 41 trucks and “lots of other pieces of equipment,” Fedorov added.
Karabakh Conflict – a Failure of Russian Hybrid Warfare. Ukraine in Flames #514
In September, a major shift happened in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, possibly signaling its end. In a single day, Azerbaijan forced the self-proclaimed Karabakh leaders to surrender and accept full integration into Azerbaijan. Unlike the previous two wars in the region, Armenia did not intervene, and russia, responsible for Karabakh’s Armenian security, merely watched the events unfold. Watch Ukraine in flames #514 to find out about the factors leading to the recent escalation in Karabakh and explore why this situation holds significant relevance for Ukraine and other states grappling with occupied territories.
Guests:
- Agil Rustamzade, Azerbaijani military expert
- Maryna Honcharuk, Journalist, Curator of Ukrainian-Turkic cultural projects
- Mehriban Kasumova, Azerbaijani journalist
