Winter is coming to Ukraine, but Kyiv is adapting its tactics
Analysis by CNN's Tim Lister
Ukraine will soon face its second winter at war, and the bold campaigns of a year ago that saw significant gains in Kharkiv and Kherson seem a distant memory.
The Ukrainian military is now waging a war of intense attrition against stubborn and larger Russian forces along a front of nearly 1,000 kilometers. It is still desperately short of air power, and offensive action will be disrupted by the deteriorating weather.
The Russians are likely to launch another campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging its people into a dark winter. On the battlefield, the Russians have adapted. Next year’s defense budget will be 70% higher than this year’s. They are in this for the long haul.
Biden reiterates support for Ukraine as US narrowly avoids government shutdown
From CNN staff
Joe Biden leaves after attending mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington on Saturday. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden has reiterated support for Ukraine as the US narrowly avoided a government shutdown on Saturday.
Biden urged Congress to pass separate funding for assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia, after a stopgap funding measure dropped aid to the war-torn country.
“While the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support. We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” he said.
Biden also praised bipartisan efforts to keep the government open and funded through November but added that the last-minute scramble by House Republicans was a “manufactured crisis” that could have been avoided months ago.
Some context: A government shutdown was prevented after Congress passed a stopgap funding measure ahead of a critical midnight deadline in a whirlwind day on Capitol Hill.
President Joe Biden signed the bill late Saturday night.
The stopgap bill originally included funding for Ukraine to help Kyiv fight the full-scale invasion from Russia, but the funds were dropped after some conservatives raised objections during negotiations.
Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet briefly held up the vote on the bill after he objected over concerns about the lack of funding in it. Bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid "in the coming weeks."
House Democratic leadership said in a statement that they expect McCarthy to bring a separate Ukraine aid bill to vote when the House returns.
44 min ago
Russian forces launch around 40 drones on Ukraine's central and southern regions
From CNN's Josh Pennington
Russian forces launched around 40 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine’s central and southern regions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said in an operational update early Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force destroyed 30 out of 40 Shahed drones launched from the south overnight in the central Vinnytsia region and over the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south, according to the AFU.
We will bring you more detail on these attacks -- the latest wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine -- as we get them.
Robert Fico, second from left, celebrates his victory in the general elections alongside party members in Bratislava on Sunday. Tomas Benedikovic/AFP/Getty images
The party of Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico, an openly pro-Russian politician, has won the country’s parliamentary election, although it will need a coalition partner to govern.
Preliminary results published by Slovakia’s Statistical Office early on Sunday morning showed that with more than 99% districts counted, Fico’s SMER party has secured 23.3% of the vote.
The liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party came second, with 17% of the vote.
While not a landslide, SMER’s result is better than expected — last opinion polls published earlier this week showed SMER and PS neck and neck.
Hlas, a party that was formed as an offshoot of SMER following internal disputes, came third with 15% of the vote.
With seven political parties reaching the 5% threshold needed to enter the parliament, coalition negotiations will almost certainly include multiple players and could be long and messy.
Possible impact on Ukraine: Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Slovakia — which is part of NATO — has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies. The two countries share a border, Slovakia was the first country to send air defenses to Ukraine and it welcomed tens of thousands of refugees.
But all that could change. Fico makes no secret of his sympathies toward the Kremlin and has blamed “Ukrainian Nazis and fascists” for provoking Russia’s President Vladimir Putin into launching the invasion, repeating the false narrative Putin has used to justify his invasion.
Fico has called on the Slovak government to stop supplying weapons to Kyiv, and said that if he were to become prime minister, Slovakia would “not send another round of ammunition.” He is also opposed to Ukraine joining NATO.
45 min ago
EU foreign policy chief visits Odesa on anniversary of Russia's illegal annexations
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited the city of Odesa on Saturday as part of a push to express solidarity and support for Ukraine, on the one-year anniversary of the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia.
Speaking from inside the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa, Borrell said the city of Odesa should be in the news headlines for its beauty and rich history, but instead, it has been in the headlines "for the barbaric attacks by Russia."
"I've been witnessing the consequences of this war, and how Odesa and Ukraine are paying a high price for it," he said.
Borrell said the EU will continue supporting Ukraine in its fight to recover its territorial integrity and achieve a just peace.
Some background: On September 30, 2022, Vladimir Putin said Russia would annex the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The regions together account for 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, a fifth of the country's land mass. It marked the largest forcible annexation of land in Europe since 1945.
The Kremlin's decision to seize the territories in violation of international law came after referendums widely panned as a sham, as people were voting both figuratively and, in some cases literally, at gunpoint.
46 min ago
Why Putin met a former Wagner commander
Analysis by CNN's Nathan Hodge
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “vertical of power” – the way in which the entire structure of Russian political power rests on one man – has undergone profound stress testing in the wake of the Wagner mercenary group’s aborted march on Moscow in June.
But everything is now business as usual, and the remnants of Wagner are back in the government’s control, if Kremlin messaging is to be believed.
In a televised meeting Friday, Putin met with Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and former Wagner commander Andrey Troshev, according to a partial transcript published by the Kremlin.
The meeting was held in a long-familiar format. Putin was seated at the head of a conference table with briefing papers and notes, making some general remarks before settling down to official business. The language was sober, competent and relatively substance-free: It could have been a routine meeting with a regional governor to discuss economic plans, at least judging by the official readout.
But unpack the language, and Putin’s Friday meeting appeared to put a reassuring gloss on the Russian government’s attempt to bring the mercenary group to heel.
Ukraine ready to become international military production hub, Zelensky says
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
Ukraine is ready to offer special conditions to companies that are willing to develop weapons production jointly with Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday.
He made the comments as he met with representatives from defense companies from various countries, including the United States, United Kingdon, Germany, France, Turkey, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
"It will be a mutually beneficial partnership. I think this is a good time and place to create a large military hub," Zelensky said, according to his office.
"The sky shield and demining are the two biggest priorities for us today," Zelensky said, adding this includes air defense means and the production of systems for warning and surveillance. "We have to do this. This will be useful not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe and our neighbors," he said.
Ukraine is also interested in the production of long-range missiles and artillery with new capabilities. The combination of advanced technologies and military tactics will help Ukraine prevail in the war against Russia, Zelensky said.
"That is why we prioritize the development of defense production using modern technologies, production of shells, missiles, drones in Ukraine in cooperation with global leaders in the field and using our experience in their operation," Zelensky said.
"Ukraine has shown the whole world what actually works, and I think we can share this experience," he added.
Some context: CNN has previously reported on Ukraine's burgeoning home-grown weapons industry.
Kyiv has been developing its own arms in part as it allows it to strike Russia outside of Ukraine without using Western-supplied arms.
The party of an openly pro-Russian politician won Slovakia's parliamentary election although it will need a coalition partner to govern. Slovakia — which is part of NATO — has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies.
The US narrowly avoided a government shutdown but the stopgap measure dropped funding for Ukraine. After the bill passed President Biden said "we cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted.”
Ukrainian police arrested two people suspected of hiding a Russian anti-missile system left over from fighting in the early days of the war.
Ukraine will soon face its second winter at war, and the bold campaigns of a year ago that saw significant gains in Kharkiv and Kherson seem a distant memory.
The Ukrainian military is now waging a war of intense attrition against stubborn and larger Russian forces along a front of nearly 1,000 kilometers. It is still desperately short of air power, and offensive action will be disrupted by the deteriorating weather.
The Russians are likely to launch another campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging its people into a dark winter. On the battlefield, the Russians have adapted. Next year’s defense budget will be 70% higher than this year’s. They are in this for the long haul.
Joe Biden leaves after attending mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington on Saturday. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden has reiterated support for Ukraine as the US narrowly avoided a government shutdown on Saturday.
Biden urged Congress to pass separate funding for assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia, after a stopgap funding measure dropped aid to the war-torn country.
“While the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support. We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” he said.
Biden also praised bipartisan efforts to keep the government open and funded through November but added that the last-minute scramble by House Republicans was a “manufactured crisis” that could have been avoided months ago.
Some context: A government shutdown was prevented after Congress passed a stopgap funding measure ahead of a critical midnight deadline in a whirlwind day on Capitol Hill.
President Joe Biden signed the bill late Saturday night.
The stopgap bill originally included funding for Ukraine to help Kyiv fight the full-scale invasion from Russia, but the funds were dropped after some conservatives raised objections during negotiations.
Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet briefly held up the vote on the bill after he objected over concerns about the lack of funding in it. Bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid "in the coming weeks."
House Democratic leadership said in a statement that they expect McCarthy to bring a separate Ukraine aid bill to vote when the House returns.
Russian forces launched around 40 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine’s central and southern regions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said in an operational update early Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force destroyed 30 out of 40 Shahed drones launched from the south overnight in the central Vinnytsia region and over the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south, according to the AFU.
We will bring you more detail on these attacks -- the latest wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine -- as we get them.
Robert Fico, second from left, celebrates his victory in the general elections alongside party members in Bratislava on Sunday. Tomas Benedikovic/AFP/Getty images
The party of Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico, an openly pro-Russian politician, has won the country’s parliamentary election, although it will need a coalition partner to govern.
Preliminary results published by Slovakia’s Statistical Office early on Sunday morning showed that with more than 99% districts counted, Fico’s SMER party has secured 23.3% of the vote.
The liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party came second, with 17% of the vote.
While not a landslide, SMER’s result is better than expected — last opinion polls published earlier this week showed SMER and PS neck and neck.
Hlas, a party that was formed as an offshoot of SMER following internal disputes, came third with 15% of the vote.
With seven political parties reaching the 5% threshold needed to enter the parliament, coalition negotiations will almost certainly include multiple players and could be long and messy.
Possible impact on Ukraine: Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Slovakia — which is part of NATO — has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies. The two countries share a border, Slovakia was the first country to send air defenses to Ukraine and it welcomed tens of thousands of refugees.
But all that could change. Fico makes no secret of his sympathies toward the Kremlin and has blamed “Ukrainian Nazis and fascists” for provoking Russia’s President Vladimir Putin into launching the invasion, repeating the false narrative Putin has used to justify his invasion.
Fico has called on the Slovak government to stop supplying weapons to Kyiv, and said that if he were to become prime minister, Slovakia would “not send another round of ammunition.” He is also opposed to Ukraine joining NATO.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited the city of Odesa on Saturday as part of a push to express solidarity and support for Ukraine, on the one-year anniversary of the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia.
Speaking from inside the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa, Borrell said the city of Odesa should be in the news headlines for its beauty and rich history, but instead, it has been in the headlines "for the barbaric attacks by Russia."
"I've been witnessing the consequences of this war, and how Odesa and Ukraine are paying a high price for it," he said.
Borrell said the EU will continue supporting Ukraine in its fight to recover its territorial integrity and achieve a just peace.
Some background: On September 30, 2022, Vladimir Putin said Russia would annex the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The regions together account for 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, a fifth of the country's land mass. It marked the largest forcible annexation of land in Europe since 1945.
The Kremlin's decision to seize the territories in violation of international law came after referendums widely panned as a sham, as people were voting both figuratively and, in some cases literally, at gunpoint.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “vertical of power” – the way in which the entire structure of Russian political power rests on one man – has undergone profound stress testing in the wake of the Wagner mercenary group’s aborted march on Moscow in June.
But everything is now business as usual, and the remnants of Wagner are back in the government’s control, if Kremlin messaging is to be believed.
In a televised meeting Friday, Putin met with Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and former Wagner commander Andrey Troshev, according to a partial transcript published by the Kremlin.
The meeting was held in a long-familiar format. Putin was seated at the head of a conference table with briefing papers and notes, making some general remarks before settling down to official business. The language was sober, competent and relatively substance-free: It could have been a routine meeting with a regional governor to discuss economic plans, at least judging by the official readout.
But unpack the language, and Putin’s Friday meeting appeared to put a reassuring gloss on the Russian government’s attempt to bring the mercenary group to heel.
Ukraine is ready to offer special conditions to companies that are willing to develop weapons production jointly with Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday.
He made the comments as he met with representatives from defense companies from various countries, including the United States, United Kingdon, Germany, France, Turkey, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
"It will be a mutually beneficial partnership. I think this is a good time and place to create a large military hub," Zelensky said, according to his office.
"The sky shield and demining are the two biggest priorities for us today," Zelensky said, adding this includes air defense means and the production of systems for warning and surveillance. "We have to do this. This will be useful not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe and our neighbors," he said.
Ukraine is also interested in the production of long-range missiles and artillery with new capabilities. The combination of advanced technologies and military tactics will help Ukraine prevail in the war against Russia, Zelensky said.
"That is why we prioritize the development of defense production using modern technologies, production of shells, missiles, drones in Ukraine in cooperation with global leaders in the field and using our experience in their operation," Zelensky said.
"Ukraine has shown the whole world what actually works, and I think we can share this experience," he added.
Some context: CNN has previously reported on Ukraine's burgeoning home-grown weapons industry.
Kyiv has been developing its own arms in part as it allows it to strike Russia outside of Ukraine without using Western-supplied arms.
