New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visits Ukraine in his first official trip since taking office. Ukraine strikes a valuable Russian radar station, using U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles. Part of Donetsk region will be cut off from water supply for an indefinite time following Russia\u2019s attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Ukraine on Thursday in his first official trip since taking office. He met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking at a joint news conference with Rutte, Zelenskyi said that Ukraine needs more air defense and reiterated his calls for partners to help shoot down Russian missiles and drones. He drew a comparison with Western resolve in aiding Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe spoke today about Ukraine\u2019s air defense needs and a joint action with our neighbors. We see how in the Middle East allies\u2019 unity saves human lives. The joint shooting down of Iranian missiles is no different from the shooting down of Russian missiles and Iranian Shahed drones which unite the Russian and Iranian regimes,\u201d Zelenskyi said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need our regional partners to be more decisive to stop Russian terror. We will continue to convince our partners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShooting down drones or missiles violating allied territory are, of course, decisions for the national authorities,\u201d Rutte said when asked about the prospects of such a move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are working with them, at present the [allies] are not ready [to protect the Ukrainian skies],” Zelenskyi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark Rutte, a former Dutch Prime Minister, took over from Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General on Tuesday. Rutte said NATO\u2019s support for Ukraine would be one of his top priorities in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian troops have struck a Russian Nebo-M radar station using U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Thursday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIts destruction significantly reduces the ability of the Russian army to detect, track and intercept aerodynamic and ballistic targets,\u201d the message reads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nebo-M is hard to hit as it operates in stealth mode, scanning the horizon for aerial targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia has just 10 of such radar stations remaining, the Ukrainian military said, putting the cost of each system at more than USD 100 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA destroyed Nebo-M radar station will result in a favorable \u2018air corridor\u2019 for the effective use of its British Storm Shadow and French SCALP cruise missiles. Ukraine\u2019s defense forces continue to strike the enemy\u2019s important targets,\u201d the General Staff said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Water supply will be cut to the northern part of Donetsk region with a population of approximately 260,000 people for an indefinite time after Russian attacks damaged two water infrastructure sites, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, Kostyantynivka and adjacent towns and villages will be affected by water cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Filashkin, Russia \u201ccritically damaged\u201d Vody Donbasu (Donbas Waters), a local water utility on September 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDue to the extensive damage done to the facility, it is impossible to restore the equipment to a usable condition,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regional authorities and local self-government work to provide alternative sources of water to consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n