Tuesday, October 3, 2023

1820 GMT — The White House has warned that time is running out to fund Ukraine, after Republicans in Congress blocked US aid for Kiev.

"Time is not our friend. We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefields needs for a bit longer, but we need Congress to act," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

President Joe Biden told US allies in a call earlier that he was "confident that we're going to continue to have bipartisan and bicameral support" for aid, Kirby added.

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1845 GMT — Russia summons Moldova ambassador in media row

Moscow has summoned Moldova's ambassador to protest against what it called "politically-motivated persecution" of Russian-language media in the pro-Western country.

In mid-September, Moldova expelled the country chief of Russia's state news agency Sputnik, accusing the outlet of spreading "propaganda and disinformation."

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement the expulsion of Moldova's Sputnik bureau chief was part of an ongoing campaign of "politically motivated persecution" of Russian-language media in Moldova.

Moscow said that a number of people who are involved in restricting "freedom of speech and the rights of Russian journalists in Moldova" will be banned from entering the country.

1815 GMT — US aid for Kiev to last 'couple of months' without funding: White House

US aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia will run out in "a couple of months" if Republican hardliners fail to pass new funds for Kiev, the White House said.

"You're talking perhaps a couple of months or so, roughly," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.

1500 GMT — Biden urges US allies to 'coordinate' support for Ukraine

President Joe Biden called key allies to "coordinate" support for Ukraine, the White House said, amid concerns in Western capitals after Republican hardliners derailed US funding for Kiev.

Biden spoke with the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Britain, and of the EU and NATO, along with the foreign minister of France, the White House said.

Biden had been under mounting pressure to calm shaken allies after an 11th-hour deal in the US Congress to avoid a government funding shutdown on Saturday contained no new aid for war-torn Ukraine.

Democrat Biden has called for Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to rush through new aid, saying that US support for Kiev as it battles Russia’s invasion could not be interrupted "under any circumstances".

1820 GMT — Ukraine troops advance on southern front: general

One of Ukraine's top generals said his forces were advancing in the south, one of two theatres of their counteroffensive to evict Russian occupation forces, but offered few details of their gains.

"In the Tavria sector, there has been an advance by the defence forces," General Oleksander Tarnavskyi said in a post on Telegram, using the military's name for the southern front.

Tarnavskyi, head of the southern group of forces, said troops had conducted 1,198 assignments in the past 24 hours, with Russian forces sustaining losses of 261 men and a further 10 being taken prisoner.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, in its evening report, said offensive operations were proceeding in the east and south, with little elaboration.

1810 — Ukraine must win war before joining NATO, EU: Slovakia's foreign minister

Ukraine must win its war against Russia before joining NATO and the EU, Slovakia’s foreign minister said.

“Ukraine must first win the war. This is a necessary precondition,” Miroslaw Wachowski said at the Warsaw Security Forum.

"So, we must do everything we can to help Ukraine win this war and regain its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

Noting that he returned from Kyiv this morning, Wachowski said that Ukrainians are doing "their best and we must help them".

1520 GMT — Zelenskyy to visit eastern frontline: statement

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was visiting Ukrainian troops near the eastern front line, where Russian forces have been pressuring Kiev's army in areas they recaptured recently.

Ukraine launched a highly-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian positions in the south and east but progress has been slow and Russian forces are also pushing back in the northeast.

"Today we are visiting our brigades performing combat missions in one of the hottest areas (of the frontline) -- Kupiansk-Lyman," Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media.

1515 GMT — European development bank aims to double Ukraine fund

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development wants to double its post-war Ukraine reconstruction fund to at least $3.1 billion per year, its president Odile Renaud-Basso told AFP.

The EBRD chief, speaking before her attendance at the International Monetary Fund/World Bank autumn meetings in Marrakesh next week.

Ukraine's war-ravaged economy shrank by almost a third last year, but the EBRD forecast last week that it will grow by a modest one percent in 2023.

"We now have stabilisation. Outside of conflict zones and occupied territories, economic activity continues to function, banks to finance and businesses have reorganised themselves," Renaud-Basso said in an interview at the EBRD's London headquarters.

1024 GMT — Poland, Ukraine make breakthrough on grain transit

Warsaw and Kiev have agreed to speed up the transit of Ukrainian cereal exports through Poland to third countries, a first step towards resolving their "grain war".

It is the first breakthrough since the start of a diplomatic spat between the two allies that was triggered when Poland slapped a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain.

The populist government in Warsaw, which faces a general election on October 15, said the embargo was designed to protect local farmers against a collapse in cereal prices.

But under Tuesday's agreement, which also involves Lithuania, some Ukrainian grain destined for world markets will transit directly through Poland without undergoing quality checks at the Polish border.

1049 GMT — Russia says 335,000 sign up to fight, no plans for new mobilisation

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

"There are no plans for an additional mobilisation," Shoigu was shown telling top generals on state television. "The armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation."

Shoigu, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, hailed the patriotism of those who had signed up.

"Since the start of the year, more than 335,000 people have entered military service under contract and in volunteer formations," Shoigu said. "In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens signed contracts."

0931 GMT — Ukraine aims to borrow $700M from World Bank to support agriculture

Ukraine's government has started talks with the World Bank on a $700 million loan for emergency support to the agricultural sector this year and next, the farm ministry said.

The funds were required for small farmers and agricultural and food producers, the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

The agricultural sector is a key driver for Ukraine's economy but has been hit hard by Russia's offensive.

0716 GMT — Ukraine says downed 29 Russian drones, missile overnight

Ukraine has downed over two dozen Iranian-made attack drones and a cruise missile launched by Russian forces from the Crimean peninsula, annexed illegally by Moscow in 2014.

"On the night of October 3, 2023, Russian occupiers attacked (Ukraine) with 31 Shaheds (unmanned aerial vehicles) and an Iskander-K cruise missile," the air force said, specifying it had downed the missile and 29 of the drones.

Its statement said that the drones and missiles were shot down by forces responsible for the southern region of Mykolaiv and the central region of Dnipropetrovsk.

0143 GMT — US aid cuts would be 'devastating' for Ukraine soldiers: experts

Ukraine's troops would soon run short of essential ammunition and equipment if Republican hardliners succeed in stopping US military aid, undermining operations on the ground and reducing their ability to defend against Russian strikes, experts have said.

Top American officials have repeatedly insisted the United States would back Kiev for "as long as it takes," and Washington has committed more than $43 billion in security aid since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 — over half the total from all Western donors.

But Republican opposition led Congress to remove new funding f or Ukraine from a recent compromise bill to avoid a US government shutdown, highlighting that continued American support is not guaranteed.

For our live updates from Monday (October 2), click here.