Weekly exclusives
Photo of the week
The installation "Battle for Light" containing a power transformer destroyed as a result of Russian shelling of the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, which was working at one of the thermal power plants of DTEK, on Kontraktova Square, Kyiv, on September 19, 2024.
Interview
Vitaly Lytvyn, Ukrainian National Guard Frontier Brigade Mayor, Hero of Ukraine
Military serviceman Vitaly Lytvyn spent a third of his life fighting at the at the frontline. He went to fight in Ukraine in 2014. And, in June 2022, he was conferred the title Hero of Ukraine, attached with the Golden Star medal - for personal courage and heroism. Currently, he is a senior officer with the reconnaissance division at the Rubizh (‘frontier’) Brigade, the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU). From the first days of the Great War, Vitaly and his soldiers were in Hostomel outside of Kyiv. While fighting there they ordered themselves to hold out for eight hours at least, whatever the cost. He estimated that those eight hours would be enough for the country to mobilize for the war. And this task was accomplished.
Hero of Ukraine Vitaliy Lytvyn (call sign Desna), the guest at this video interview Ukrinform held as part of its Victory Commanders project, says that, for him, the military profession was a conscious choice in response to the demand of the time. He shared his thoughts on what transformation the Ukrainian army has undergone in the past ten years, and how the adversary has changed. Indeed, we also conversed about the specifics of reconnaissance operations amid war, and about the conscription for war.
Publications
Russia is about to attack nuclear power plants in Ukraine ahead of the cold season. Ukraine has banned Telegram on work devices for military and government employees . The EU to loan €35 billion to Ukraine
Ukraine Latest: Weekly Digest for September 16-22, 2024
Fact Check
Russian trying to create narrative about ineffectiveness of F-16s through fakes
Russian propaganda continues its campaign to discredit the effectiveness of F-16 fighter jets. A pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, whose work is ostensibly aimed at combating anti-Russian fakes, has recently spread a "refutation" of the fact that the F-16 multi-purpose fighters, which Ukraine has already received, are capable of turning the tide of the war in favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The authors of the post generally call information about the capabilities of these planes Ukrainian and Western fakes. In their "refutation," the propagandists refer to a statement made by the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker, at a conference of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), in which he allegedly claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not plan to send F-16 jets to risky operations since the pilots are still beginners in flying these fighters. In addition, propagandists claimed that the F-16s that Ukraine received were conventional Cold War fighters, and their effectiveness on the battlefield was a figment of Ukrainian propaganda.
Video
Western components of Russian weapons showcased in Brussels
In the premises of the Ukrainian Hub in Brussels, an exhibition of fragments of Russian weapons was held, from which electronic components and components produced in Western countries were removed. The presented samples of the exposition aroused wide interest among the European public and journalists.
During the opening of the exposition, the special envoy for the implementation of EU sanctions, David O'Sullivan, noted that the fact that Russia uses Western components in weapons that kill Ukrainians requires increased attention and decisive measures from the European institutions that take care of sanctions issues in order to make it as difficult as possible for the country- aggressor access to such materials.
The event was attended by the representative of Ukraine to the EU Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov, the authorized adviser to the President of Ukraine on sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk, member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, People's Deputy of Ukraine Yelizaveta Yasko.
Ukraine vs. Russia: Hearings on the merits of the case of violation of the Maritime Convention have begun in The Hague
The 16th convoy of volunteer "ambulance" went from Belgium to Ukraine
News:
Culture
City Council: UNESCO response needed for demolition of Pushkin monument in Odesa
In order to dismantle the monument to Alexander Pushkin on Dumska Square in Odesa, the city council must receive a response from UNESCO, as the monument is located in a protected area.
“The law on decolonization [the Law of Ukraine “On Condemnation and Prohibition of Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and Decolonization of Place Names”] has a number of exceptions, in particular, the zones of World Cultural Heritage Sites are exceptions. That is, our entire 618-hectare zone falls under this. Any action there, from changing the layout of the neighborhood to simply replacing pipes, requires a response from UNESCO,” Liptuga said.
Now, the official says, the city council has sent letters to the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and communicated with UNESCO about what to do next with the monuments in the protected zone.
Akhtem Seitablayev: Russia's presence at any film festival demonstrates weakness of our international partners
"My attitude (to the participation of Russians in international film festivals, - ed.) is, of course, to put it mildly, negative. It is unacceptable to allow an aggressor country, which has violated all international and human norms, to present its so-called artistic work. Putin's thesis that where there is "Russian language, there is Russian world" speaks for itself. We all know very well, unfortunately, what the "Russian world" is. This is devastation, genocide, this is an absolute disregard for everything that makes us humans, therefore their presence at any film festival and the opportunity to demonstrate (their films, - ed.) there is a sign of weakness, in particular of our international partners, who allow this and for some reason believe that culture is beyond politics. This is a false opinion. Culture is politics," said Seitablayev.
Politics
Poland unlikely to raise historical issues with Ukraine during its EU presidency - expert
During its presidency of the European Union, Poland is unlikely to raise historical issues at the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, but it would be better if the atmosphere between the two countries improved.
Ukraine expects decision on case of violation of Maritime Convention within 9-12 months
“If we look at the practice of such cases, then, in principle, it can take nine months or more from the end of the last hearing on the merits of the case to the adoption of the relevant decision of the arbitral tribunal. So we think that, conditionally, we may have a final award in this case within nine months or a year. But these are just predictions. We, of course, have no influence on the arbitration tribunal and cannot know for sure when the decision will be made,” Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Anton Korynevych said
Some partners still want to discuss frozen assets in talks with Putin – expert
"Different stakeholders have different views on the issue. But this view (the possibility of discussing the fate of frozen assets with the Kremlin - ed.) is no longer mainstream, and this is reflected in the G7 declarations and the EU decisions," the activist emphasized.
Economy
Kirovohrad region’s farmers obtain over UAH 10M in grants for horticulture, greenhouse production
In the Kirovohrad region, business entities have obtained six grants worth UAH 10.348 million as part of the grant support programs, ‘Own Orchard’ and ‘Own Greenhouse’. Other programs are also being implemented successfully across the region.
Three sugar refineries already running in Vinnytsia region
Three out of five sugar refineries that declared readiness to start the production season are already running in the Vinnytsia region and have produced 21,000 tonnes of sugar.
See you next Friday!