Ukraine has banned the use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices used by government officials, military personnel and essential workers because it believes Russia can spy on both messages and users.“, the main security body announced. The National Security and Defense Council said in a statement that it announced the restrictions on Friday after Kirillo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR, presented evidence to the council that Russian special forces could eavesdrop on Telegram. But Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Security Council's Center for Countering Disinformation, posted on Telegram that the restrictions only apply to official devices and not to personal phones. Telegram is heavily used in Ukraine and Russia and has been an important source of information during the war, but Ukrainian security officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about its use. After the decision was announced, Telegram released a statement saying that it had never disclosed anyone's data or the contents of messages.
Russian forces launched three attacks on Kharkiv on Friday, wounding 15 people, including three children.“Ten people were injured,” the mayor said. Igor Terekhov said eight people were being treated in hospital. Police in Ukraine's second-largest city said the airstrikes, cited by public broadcaster Sspirune, had hit three districts of the city. The first, with a guided bomb, struck an area outside the hospital; the second hit an area lined with residential buildings and the third a grassy square. Four of the injured were patients at the hospital, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Ole Shnievbov said, adding that the exterior of the building was damaged.
Further southeast, in the Kharkiv region, Russian attacks killed two people and wounded two in the village of Kivsharivka.In southern Kherson, parts of which are controlled by Russian troops, Woman killed in Russian shelling The attack occurred in an area outside the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson. The account could not be independently verified.
The European Union's secretary-general announced plans for the EU to lend Ukraine 35 billion euros ($39 billion/£29 billion), secured by proceeds from frozen Russian assets. And she promised to help Ukraine “stay warm” ahead of a third winter of its war with Russia. Ms von der Leyen was in Kiev amid growing concern about how Ukraine's war-torn power grid would cope this winter.
Ukraine's “plan for victory” in the war against Russia depends on its allies making quick decisions this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. On Friday during von der Leyen's visit, Zelenskyy told a joint press conference with the European Commission president that Ukraine plans to use the proposed billions of dollars in EU loans for air defence, energy and domestic weapons purchases.
The US is readying $375 million in military aid Package for Ukraine breaks months of small package trend Two U.S. officials told Reuters they were sending supplies to Kiev for the military operation against Russia. The supplies, due to be announced next week, include patrol boats, extra ammunition for the Himar high-mobility rocket artillery system, ammunition for 155mm and 105mm cannons, spare parts and other weapons, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Norway is increasing its civilian aid to Ukraine by 5 billion kroner ($475 million) this year and extending the aid package by three years until 2030.“The extension will increase total aid to 135 billion kroner through 2027 from the current 75 billion kroner. The extra money will go to “critical civilian needs,” Jonas Gahr Store said. “Europe is in a very dangerous situation.”
Russia has charged four of its soldiers serving in occupied Ukraine with torturing a US citizen living in the Russian-controlled town of Donetsk, which has been battling pro-Russian rebels since 2014. It is unusual for Russia to charge its soldiers, who are celebrated at home, with crimes, AFP reported. Authorities did not say what motive the soldiers had for killing 64-year-old Russell Bentley, known as “Texas,” who was a frequent supporter of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and appeared on pro-Kremlin social media channels.
The operator of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in eastern Ukraine accused Ukrainian forces of launching a drone attack on a nearby electricity substation on Friday.The Ukrainian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
NATO completed a major counter-drone exercise this week, with Ukraine taking part for the first time. Western countries are eager to learn from the rapid development and widespread use of unmanned systems in Dutch warfare. More than 20 countries and 50 companies participated in the exercises, held at a Dutch military base, to test cutting-edge systems for detecting and countering drones and evaluate how they work together.
