While the violent escalation between Israel and Hamas has taken center stage in the international public eye, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues with intensity and has already been ongoing for 20 months. Days after his meeting with the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin affirmed that the new American weapons that have reached Kiev’s hands “will not change the course of the war,” while Kremlin forces continue to attack with intensity in the east of Ukrainian territory. For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky remains confident that the arsenal supplied by his allies will benefit his cause, highlighting the progress of his Army in the Black Sea.
The war in Ukraine does not stop. Russian bombings in cities such as Avdivka, Marinka, Donetsk and Kupiansk continue to intensify, after Moscow’s offensive will focus its efforts on the east and northeast of the territory, with the aim of wresting control of as many towns as possible from Kiev. The Kremlin troops in Ukrainian territory would already exceed 400,000according to information from the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.
Although media attention has turned its attention to the Middle East, the conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of appeasement and clashes in both the military and diplomatic arenas between both sides continue. In recent days, the West has sought to reiterate its support for kyiv, including a multibillion-dollar military assistance package that the United States government hopes to approve soon.
Russia’s progress vs. the ‘counteroffensive’
The eastern city of Avdivka has become one of the new battle fronts where hostilities have been recorded with greater intensity in recent weeks. Although the Ukrainian government claims that Russian troops have been shelling the settlement in record numbers, They also highlight that Russian Army casualties in the last week could amount to more than 2,000.
“The enemy dropped about 40 guided aerial bombs in two nights. But the number of ground assaults has been reduced, half that of yesterday and the day before yesterday,” said Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman for Ukraine’s southern military command, adding that, despite the incursion of new Russian assets from the north and south of the country, “the defense line resists.”
On the Ukrainian side, the Kiev Army has benefited from the American shipment of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a series of programs and devices that work to guide missiles with great precision on the battlefield. With this, Ukraine claims to have dealt one of the biggest blows to Russian air defenses since the start of the war, managing to shoot down nine helicopters, ammunition reserves and a Russian anti-aircraft system inside Ukrainian towns controlled by Moscow.
The Russian president rejected the idea that the new American technology acquired by Ukraine will change “the course of the war”, confirming that Moscow has sufficient military arsenal to confront Kiev’s new weapons.
“For Ukraine, in this sense, there is nothing good… it only prolongs the agony,” Putin said during his visit to Beijing on October 19.
The Black Sea as disputed territory
In a virtual appearance at a German-Ukrainian business forum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the pressure of his troops on Moscow was bearing fruit, presuming that the Russian fleet would be gradually moving away from the coasts of the peninsula. from Crimea.
“This is a historic achievement,” Zelensky mentioned, although he did not provide reliable evidence to support his claims.
On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed both the Ukrainian advances in the war and the assistance that kyiv receives from abroad, belittling the weapons potential of the Western bloc.
“The potential of the collective West to produce ammunition is limited and it takes not a short time to mobilize resources in order to increase that potential,” Peskov mentioned in his daily appearance with the local press.
The West reiterates its unconditional support for Ukraine
The Ukrainian president does not take his finger off the line about the need for his allies to continue with the constant supply of war material for their ranks, since “the long-term security” of Europe depends on a possible victory. While the leaders of the old continent seem to respond to Zelensky’s call and remain firm with their intentions of continuous supply.
One of the most influential regional leaders in the European Union, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, was direct in highlighting that Berlin’s support for Kiev will continue, despite its promise to also help Israel in its offensive against Hamas.
“We are supporting Ukraine economically, with financing, with humanitarian aid and also with weapons (…) This support will not be affected in any way,” Scholz stressed during a business forum between Germany and Ukraine on October 24.
Within the same European bloc, European Union officials are expected to review a report on Ukraine’s progress in meeting the requirements to formalize its membership in the organization. The date of said review would be November 9, just over a month before the European summit, where the bloc’s members are expected to seriously discuss Ukrainian accession.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen was committed, once again, to European assistance to kyiv. In addition, she stressed that she is “very confident” that her most powerful ally, the United States, will also continue with military assistance packages for Ukraine.
Biden’s support for kyiv in the speech to the nation and the doubts in Congress
On October 19, the Democratic president did not leave out the conflict in Ukrainian territory from his spontaneous speech to the nation, mentioning that, without the help of the United States, the armed front in Kiev would not last “more than two weeks.” For this reason, he asked to allocate around $60 billion more in military assistance to Ukraine.
“If we distance ourselves, other potential aggressors would be encouraged to do the same”Biden said, calling on representatives in the Legislative branch to “overcome domestic divisions” and allow the existence of the security package, which would also have Israel as a benefactor.
Despite the president’s intentions, the US Congress finds itself in a turbulent situation. After the dismissal of Kevin McCarthy as leader of the Lower House, it cannot operate normally, so the hypothetical approval of the ambitious military assistance package would be much more complex.
Furthermore, representatives do not seem completely confident in supporting two nations that polarize both Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of Congress.
In the past, the Republican caucus had already expressed its doubts with the continuation of military assistance to Kiev, questioning the real progress of the counteroffensive and alleging that those billions of dollars that are being spent on financing a war on the other side of the world would have to be allocated to address domestic situations. Proof of this was the desire of a bloc of Republicans to eliminate additional aid to Ukraine in the temporary measure that avoided a government shutdown and which generated more cracks within the party.
“We must respond to Russian terror every day”: Zelensky on Russian bombings in civilian areas
After a Russian missile killed six people at a shopping complex inside the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on October 22, Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as shocking “a common civilian target,” condemning the Kremlin’s actions and calling on the international community “unity to combat terror.”
“Russia will not be able to achieve anything through terror and murder. The end result for all terrorists is the same: the need to face responsibility for what they have done,” said the Ukrainian head of state in a post on his social networks. .
In a report published on October 21, the Institute for the Study of War showed that Russian troops would be using a mix of military tactics, including bombings, drone attacks and missiles, to circumvent the air defenses of the cities most protected by Ukrainian systems. A momentum that could increase as winter begins in Europe.
With Reuters, AP, EFE and local media
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