Will the United States continue to support the war in Ukraine? As polls tally the votes of midterms nationwide, an election as a cleaver for Joe Biden’s politics, the continuation of massive aid delivered to the country hangs in the balance. Volodymyr Zelensky knows this well. This Tuesday, November 8, the Ukrainian president urged the Americans to “maintain unshakable unity” until “peace is restored” in Ukraine.
Zelensky thanked “President Biden, both parties in Congress and every American citizen” for the significant financial, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of the country on February 24. According to the Pentagon, this aid, approximately two tens of billions of dollars, would have made it possible to decimate Russian war resources. It has at least enabled Ukraine to lead the counter-offensive, thanks in particular to precision and long-range rocket launchers. And should in any case extend to Europe: France is preparing to double the aid provided to Ukraine.
- Russia lost half its tanks in Ukraine war, Pentagon says
A very political statement. This Tuesday, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense virtually declared victory against Russia. “Putin has failed,” he told a group of American journalists at a George Washington University conference. According to him, “more than half of the main battle tanks” of the Russian army have been consumed in Ukraine, 80% of the ground force has already been mobilized, the majority of precision-guided missiles have been fired.
- kyiv claims attack on two ammunition depots
kyiv forces allegedly destroyed two Russian ammunition depots in southern Ukraine on Tuesday, according to statements by the Ukrainian army on Facebook. These deposits were located in Snihurivka, in the Mykolaiv region, and in Kostromka, in the neighboring Kherson region.
The command also listed the losses suffered by Russia in southern Ukraine over the past 24 hours. According to him, four tanks, a “Tor-M2” anti-aircraft missile system, an “Acacia” self-propelled howitzer, two mortars and nine units of armored vehicles are missing. 55 Russian soldiers were also reportedly killed, the statement added.
The counter-offensive continues while kyiv is still in the dark. Targeted by numerous Russian bombardments on its energy installations, the capital is undergoing major restrictions, which should last until the end of the week. On the other hand, electricity has been restored after a two-day blackout in the city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, occupied by the Russian army, said Tuesday an official of the occupation authorities, Kirill Stremoussov.
- At COP27, NATO stresses the importance of fossil fuels in war
The development of renewable energies is not only good for the climate but also for security, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, who insisted on the strategic interest of reducing “dependence on fossil fuels”.
“I really think what we’ve seen in Ukraine is Russia’s attempt to use energy as a weapon against NATO allies and other countries…it’s a stark reminder of the need to ensure a transition from reliance on fossil fuels to renewables,” he said during a video intervention at COP27 on the climate in Egypt.
- Putin decorates popular ‘soldier priest’ killed in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin on Tuesday posthumously presented Russia’s highest decoration to an Orthodox priest, recently killed in Ukraine, who had made himself known on television for having recommended to the mothers of Russian soldiers to have more children to mitigate their grief.
In a statement, the Kremlin said Mikhail Vasilyev was awarded the title “Hero of the Russian Federation” for “his courage and heroism in fulfilling his civic duty”. On Sunday, the Patriarchate of Moscow announced the death of this priest “in the special operation zone in Ukraine”, while he was carrying out “his clerical duties”.