Putin’s forces struggling 1,000 every day casualties as Zelensky praises Kursk assault

The EU’s diplomatic service has called on member states to better adapt a military training mission for Ukraine to Kyiv’s needs but stopped short of recommending the bloc send military instructors to the war-torn country, German weekly Welt am Sonntag reported on Saturday.

The EUMAM mission, launched in November 2022, has trained some 60,000 Ukrainian troops mainly in Poland and Germany and is set to be extended by another two years once the current mandate runs out in mid-November.

“It is imperative to train AFU (Ukraine) soldiers on the same equipment that they will use later in combat,” the report cited a review of the mission by the EU’s diplomatic service as saying, adding that EU defence ministers would discuss the topic next week.

The EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the review, which has also been seen by Reuters.

It said that a shortage of Soviet-style equipment was one of the challenges of the current training in the EU.

Kyiv asked the EU in May to conduct some training on Ukrainian soil but member states are divided with sceptics warning that the bloc could be drawn into the war and raising doubts about Kyiv’s ability to protect training sites against Russian attacks given its severe shortage of air defences.

Russia has declared a state of emergency in part of the Voronezh region bordering Ukraine after an overnight drone attack, local governor Alexander Gusev said in his Telegram channel.

According to Gusev, Russian forces intercepted five drones. Falling debris ignited a fire, leading to the detonation of explosive materials.

The incident damaged no civilian buildings, but prompted authorities to impose emergency measures in three settlements in the Ostrogozhsky district and evacuate 200 people, he said.

Defence Secretary John Healey has said “Britain is united for Ukraine” to mark Ukrainian Independence Day.

“On their Independence Day, we salute the fearless resolve of the Ukrainian people. They fight for freedoms that we must never take for granted”, he said in a statement on X.

“Ukraine has no firmer friend than the UK and we will stand with them for as long as it takes. Britain is united for Ukraine.”

Russia has lost 606,490 troops since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

This number includes 1,160 casualties Russian forces suffered in the past 24 hours.

The General Staff also reported Russia has also lost 8,542 tanks and 16,620 armored fighting vehicles sine the beginning of the invasion.

Sir Keir Starmer has issued a statement of support as Ukraine marks 33 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.

The prime minister told Ukrainians the UK will back them “today and always”, offering a “crystal clear” message of solidarity to the war-torn nation.

Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

CNN has defended its journalist Nick Paton Walsh after Russia filed criminal charges against him for allegedly crossing the border illegally to report in the Kursk region.

The network said that Walsh’s reporting was legitimate and in line with international law, despite Russia’s accusations.

“CNN’s team has consistently provided factual, impartial coverage of the war, reflecting both Ukrainian and Russian perspectives,” the network said in a statement.

The network added that its team, along with other international journalists, was invited by the Ukrainian government and escorted by the Ukrainian military to view territory recently reclaimed by Ukraine.

“This is protected activity in accordance with the rights afforded to journalists under the Geneva Convention and international law,” CNN stated.

During the broadcast, CNN journalists accompanied a Ukrainian military convoy to the town of Sudzha, where they found a nearly deserted settlement with only a few elderly residents remaining.