Ukraine ticker Zelensky demands show of force from Ukrainians in the fall +++ Moscow's military spending even higher than expected
On February 24, 2022, Russia began its large-scale war of aggression against the whole of Ukraine in violation of international law. The front line has remained virtually unchanged since fall 2022. Almost 18 percent of Ukraine is occupied by Russian troops. An end to the war is not in sight. The developments in the ticker.
The most important facts at a glance
- Kiev is puzzled by mysterious structures installed by Moscow near the Kerch Bridge.
- A new document is said to prove that opposition activist Alexei Navalny was poisoned while in Russian custody.
- Kiev was once again the target of several Russian drone attacks on Monday night.
- You can read about what was important beforehand here.
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11.10 pm
Selenskyj demands show of strength from Ukrainians in the fall
Following his return from the USA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has called on his compatriots to mobilize all forces to achieve what Kiev considers to be a just peace. "Everything that can be done this fall, everything that we can achieve, we must achieve," he said in his evening video address. It was necessary to increase the pressure on Russia as much as possible in order to force an end to the war.
To this end, military and diplomatic efforts should be combined. The aim is to implement the agreements reached in the USA. "Now it is necessary to work to the maximum before Ramstein," said Selenskyj. A major meeting of the Ukraine Support Group is planned for October 12 in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate. Among others, US President Joe Biden is expected to attend.
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19.22 hrs
Moscow's military spending even higher than expected
According to a draft law, Russia intends to spend 13.5 trillion roubles (around 127 billion Swiss francs) from the state budget on its military next year. This is an increase of a quarter compared to the current year, reported the independent business portal "The Bell". At 10.4 trillion roubles (around 98 billion Swiss francs), 2024 is already an absolute record year for the defense sector. Military spending should actually fall significantly from next year - to around 80 billion francs.
Last week, the financial service Bloomberg had already reported on rising military spending in Moscow. However, its estimate of the equivalent of 132 billion euros (approx. 124 billion francs) was slightly lower than the actual figure now estimated, reports "The Bell", citing an explanatory annex to the budget bill introduced in parliament.
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6.15 pm
Ukraine angry about Swiss position on peace plan
Ukraine has expressed its displeasure at Swiss support for a peace plan presented by China and Brazil for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war. "All initiatives that do not contain a clear reference to the UN Charter and do not guarantee the full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity are unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry in Kiev wrote in a commentary. Such "peace initiatives" are only there to create an illusion of dialog. Kiev was equally annoyed that Ukraine was being discussed without Ukraine.
According to media reports, Switzerland took part in a meeting organized by Brazil and China on the margins of the UN General Assembly last week. A six-point plan for ending the war, which has been going on since 2022, was presented. The core of the plan should be a ceasefire along the current front line, along the lines of the Korean War. The USA and its European allies rejected the plan because it lacked any reference to the UN Charter and therefore to the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This plays into the Kremlin's hands.
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3.40 p.m.
Europe rebuffs Swiss arms companies
Germany is excluding Switzerland from certain armaments projects, reports "Le Temps". Berlin informed Armasuisse of this in writing when Switzerland asked why the offer of a local company was not being considered.
It was allegedly a question of multispectral camouflage nets, which not only hide military equipment visually, but also conceal the radar signature and thermal signature. The Bundeswehr wants to procure 100,000 such nets.
A corresponding bid from a Swiss company was rejected on the grounds that EFTA states - i.e. Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - are not allowed to take part in the tender.
When asked by Armasuisse, the neighbors gave a clear signal that Switzerland was no longer considered "reliable", according to Armasuisse CEO Urs Loher. This confirms a report in the NZZ, according to which Berlin relies on war material that is "Swiss free" in order to avoid getting into a legal predicament.
Germany is reportedly not alone in this view. Last year, the Dutch parliament decided to stop procuring Swiss weapons after the federal government blocked the export of 96 Leopard 1s from Italy to Ukraine.
![A Piranha infantry fighting vehicle next to Iveco trucks at the Auenfeld barracks in Frauenfeld.]()
A Piranha infantry fighting vehicle next to Iveco trucks at the Auenfeld barracks in Frauenfeld. KEYSTONEDenmark has not forgotten that Switzerland was unable to authorize the delivery of Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Kiev. And Spain has remembered that the Swiss government prevented the transfer of 35-millimetre ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank.
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3 p.m.
"Putin will [probably] never resort to nuclear weapons"
Following the uproar over changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine, the Kremlin is once again raising the bar for the possible use of nuclear weapons. The fighting in the Ukraine war should not always be immediately associated with a Russian nuclear response, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow.
According to unconfirmed military information, Russian air defense fended off 125 Ukrainian drones yesterday. Peskov today addressed the question of whether this did not constitute a massive air attack, to which Russia could respond with nuclear weapons according to the new doctrine.
"One should not refer too much to this document, it is an important document," he said about the nuclear doctrine. "Important decisions have been made, they will be written down accordingly. But the special military operation is going on without the need to constantly draw any connections," he said, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
Last week, head of state Vladimir Putin announced extended rules for the possible use of nuclear weapons in a threatening tone. According to these rules, Russia could also consider air strikes on its territory to be an existential threat or attacks by a non-nuclear-armed country that is supported by nuclear powers.
Western security experts differ in their assessment of the danger of this nuclear threat. So far, only rhetoric has come from Moscow, wrote Fabian Hoffmann, a German military expert researching in Oslo, on X. There are no signs that indicate preparations for the use of nuclear weapons. "There is a high probability that Putin will never resort to nuclear weapons because the risks are too high."
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14:28
Leopard 2 extinguishes itself
It is "unique material", cheers "Defense Express" in view of a new video from the 116th Mechanized Brigade: According to the Telegram channel Khorne Group, it shows how a Leopard 2 of the Ukrainian armed forces attempts to recover a T-72.
During towing, the German-made tank itself takes a hit on the turret and a fire breaks out, which the automatic extinguishing system is able to fight.
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14:15
Russian convicted for attack on nationalists
In the trial for the attack on the nationalist Russian writer Sachar Prilepin, a court today sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment.
The man comes from the eastern Ukrainian Donbass region and, according to media reports, once fought on the side of the Russian-backed separatists. Prilepin is a vehement supporter of the Russian military deployment in Ukraine and was injured in the bomb attack in May 2023 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. His driver was killed.
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1.22 pm
Navalny: New document points to poisoning
"The Insider" claims to have seen documents from the Polar Wolf penal colony in Kharp in Russia, where opposition activist Alexei Navalny died on February 16.
According to the documents, the Putin critic reported to the guard on duty because he suddenly felt very ill. Navalny was taken to another area, where he "lay down on the floor and began to complain of a sharp pain in his abdomen", a document quotes.
It continues: "He began to reflexively vomit the contents of his stomach, convulsed and lost consciousness, which was immediately reported to the medical staff of the penal colony." These statements were deleted from a later version of the report, according to The Insider.
The report is consistent with statements made by Yulia Navalnaya: her widow has also said that her husband had severe stomach pains before his death. The official line is that the opposition figure died of natural causes. A heart rhythm disorder is said to have been to blame.
However, this does not fit with the symptoms described, explains a doctor: these could "hardly be explained by anything other than poisoning", says the expert.
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11.02 a.m.
How Putin's drones hunt civilians in Kherson
The "Kyiev Post" has published a video showing how Russian drones hunted civilians in Kherson on September 29 - "in their cars, on the streets [and] at bus stops", writes the Ukrainian newspaper. There are up to 60 such attacks every day.
The clip shows civilians hiding under treetops from the buzzing drones. Then an explosion can be heard some distance away. "She dropped a hand grenade," someone says. There is another rumble. "A second hand grenade," says a man.
"You can't wear a protective vest or a helmet," complains a woman in English. "Because the drones are targeting you." Because of the drone attacks, the fire department is sometimes unable to reach those affected.
Next scene: An old Ukrainian woman cries. "We heard a drone. My husband and I hid in the hallway [of our house]. They circled and dropped [explosives]. They flew up a second time and dropped something again. it started to burn." Her husband adds that it was the third attack that morning.
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10.29 a.m.
Mysterious structures near Crimean bridge pose a mystery
Kiev is puzzled by mysterious structures that Moscow is installing near the Kerch Bridge: satellite images emerged back in August showing a facility being built parallel to the Crimean Bridge, the purpose of which is still unknown.
Five weeks later, the armed forces are still none the wiser: Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk speculates , according to "Newsweek" , that it could be a "protective structure or another crossing" to the other shore.
"It's a bit early to draw conclusions," Pletenchuk concedes, however. "What it is will be clear when they are finished." But the Russians would probably not be able to complete the structure in this "season": "Because the time of storms is beginning, and it will be very difficult to build anything in these conditions."
Kiev attacked the Kerch Bridge in October 2022 and July 2023. Since then, no more heavy goods have been shipped across the bridge. After the Ukrainian armed forces also attacked the only two ferries that can ship trains, the Russian army in southern Ukraine is mainly supplied via the land bridge in the occupied territories.
To ensure that such attacks can be intercepted in future, the Russians are erecting air defense towers near the Kerch Bridge. In addition, underwater barriers have been sunk in front of the connection with the Russian mainland to keep submarines out.
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9.45 a.m.
NATO establishes base in Mikkeli, Finland
Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO in April 2023. Now Helsinki is proposing that the Finnish army base in Mikkeli be converted into a base for NATO troops.
"The Defense Administration proposes the establishment of the Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) in Mikkeli, where the headquarters of the Finnish Land Forces is located," the Ministry of Defense writes in a statement.
![Tagged: The location of Mikkeli, which is a good 100 kilometers from the border with Russia.]()
Tagged: The location of Mikkeli, which is a good 100 kilometers from the border with Russia. Google EarthNATO has already begun planning to expand the base. The project is important, emphasizes Häkkänen: "The establishment of a new headquarters in Finland is an important part of strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence."
The Minister continues: "Finland has very sound knowledge of the conditions and requirements of the northern region. The establishment of the NATO land force headquarters in Finland shows that NATO recognizes and trusts Finland's expertise."
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9 a.m.
Object hit in Mykolaiv
In the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine, an unspecified infrastructure object was set on fire by a Russian drone. The Ukrainian air force announced that 67 of 73 drones attacked across the country had been shot down.
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6.15 a.m.
Explosions in Kiev: drone attack continues
The Ukrainian capital Kiev was once again the target of several Russian drone attacks on Monday night. According to the Ukrainian military, anti-aircraft units were busy for hours fending off several waves of attacks.
"Several enemy drones are over and near the capital," said Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko via the Telegram messaging service. Eyewitnesses reported numerous explosions in Kiev, indicating the use of air defense systems. Objects were hit in the air. There were initially no reports of damage or casualties from the latest attacks.
An air alert has been in place in Kiev, the surrounding region and the whole of eastern Ukraine since around one o'clock in the morning. The Ukrainian air force had previously reported several groups of Russian drone attacks on Kiev and western Ukraine. In addition, the launch of several guided bombs from Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine was registered at around 4.40 a.m. local time, according to the military.
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5.11 a.m.
Selensky complains about "Russia's daily terror"
Russia is attacking Ukraine with undiminished ferocity. In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that the Russian military is deploying around 100 glide bombs, which are guided directly into the target from airplanes, in Ukraine every day.
![Devastation in Zaporizhia after an attack with glide bombs. (September 29, 2024)]()
Devastation in Zaporizhia after an attack with glide bombs. (September 29, 2024) Image: Keystone/Ukrainian Emergency Service via APYesterday, Sunday, the Russians had injured 14 people in an attack on the industrial city of Zaporizhzhya in the south of the country, and residential buildings had been hit. The Russians also struck with glide bombs in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Sumy regions. "This is Russia's daily terror."
Selenskyj went on to say that this was a constant reminder to all of Ukraine's partners "that we need more long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine, that we need more air defense for Ukraine, that we need more sanctions against Russia".
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Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:01 a.m.
Zelenskyi pins hopes on Ramstein meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is optimistic about the meeting of Ukraine's supporters in Ramstein. US President Joe Biden is travelling to Germany in a week and a half and wants to organize a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group, which is led by the USA, at the level of heads of state and government on 12 October.
Zelensky is also expected to attend. In his evening video address on Sunday, Zelensky said that joint steps and a common vision should be decided there on how to increase the pressure on Russia over this war and for peace. Around 50 countries belong to the Ukraine Contact Group, including Germany. The defense ministers of the member states normally take part in the regular talks.
Ukraine urgently needs more air defense systems and heavy weapons. In addition, Zelenskyi and the Ukrainian military are demanding permission from the West to use the long-range weapons they have supplied against military targets on Russian territory.
So far, this permission has not been granted, which is why Ukraine is using combat drones of its own production for these attacks. However, these only have low explosive power. According to calculations by a Ukrainian military expert, between 150 and 200 drones would have to be deployed simultaneously and against different targets in order to overcome Russian air defenses.
Russia has recently made it more difficult for the West to make a decision on this issue by changing its nuclear doctrine. At a meeting of the Moscow Security Council on nuclear deterrence, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin declared that Russia could also use nuclear weapons in the event of a massive attack from the air, i.e. with cruise missiles, aircraft, rockets or drones.
You can find the older entries here.