A 25-storey residential building in the Darnytskyi neighborhood of Kiev was damaged following a Russian attack: there is one casualty. Two more people were killed in Bogodukhiv district of the Kharkiv region. Russian Shahed drones struck the South Kiev Bridge on the Dnipro several times during the night. Meanwhile, the European Commission has provided another 2.9 billion euros to Kiev from the Ukraine Facility. Zelensky: "Thanks to von der Leyen and EU countries"
A 25-storey residential building in Kiev's Darnytskyi neighborhood was damaged following a Russian attack. Ukrinform reports it citing the military administration of the capital. One person died and two were injured. Two more people were killed in Bogodukhiv district of the Kharkiv region following Russian drone strikes. A Russian drone hit a power plant in the Lubny district of Ukraine's Poltava region, leaving 6,000 residents without electricity.
Russian Shahed drones struck the South Kiev Bridge on the Dnipro several times during the night. The bridge is now closed to traffic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced this on X, reporting an attack with over one hundred drones against the country, almost fifty of which were jet-powered. The Ministry of Defense of Moscow, reported by the Tass agency, reported that the Russian armed forces have taken control of the population centers of Grachevka and Serdobino, in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, and of Malaya Rybitsa, in the Sumy region. Meanwhile, Putin has defined Western military exercises in the Baltic Sea and attempts to stop Russian ships as an "escalation".
The European Commission has provided an additional 2.9 billion euros to Kiev from the Ukraine Facility. This is the eighth disbursement under the Ukraine Facility, the main EU instrument to support Ukraine's recovery, reform program and path to accession to the Union. “I thank the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Member States for the decision to provide 2.9 billion euros to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in X.
Two people were killed in Bogodukhiv district of the Kharkiv region following Russian drone strikes. The news was reported to Ukrinform by the head of the Zolochiv border community, Viktor Kovalenko. According to him, around 8:25 am, the Russian military attacked a car with a drone on the Zolochiv-Dergachi road, near the village of Mironivka, killing a 66-year-old man. Around 9:50 am, the Russians also hit a tractor of one of the community's farms with an FPV drone, killing a 50-year-old operator. Furthermore, at around 09:50, Russian troops attacked a gas service vehicle in the administrative center of the community, the village of Zolochiv. The vehicle was seriously damaged, but the workers were unharmed. "The situation remains extremely tense. In fact, the enemy has taken control of the Zolochiv-Dergachi road and cars are hit almost daily by FPV drones and 'Molnii' missiles. The eastern part of the community and Zolochiv itself, even villages located 35 km from the border, are under attack," says Kovalenko.
Ukraine will have no gap in its budget for 2026. This was stated by the spokeswoman of the European Commission, Paula Pinho, in the daily press briefing. The European Commission's assessment came following a meeting held yesterday with Ukrainian diplomats. "We never said there was a financial gap. This is what we heard from the reports," Pinho specified. "We have identified ways to cover Ukraine's budget and defense needs for the rest of 2026. The EU has allocated 45 billion euros as part of the loan to support Ukraine, a considerable part of which has already been disbursed", added the European Executive Budget Spokesperson, Balazs Ujvari. For 2027, Ujvari said, "we have agreed to quickly proceed with the 45 billion euro tranche of loans to support Ukraine, again according to applicable conditions. This will play a critical role in meeting Ukraine's needs next year." “We have also started working on identifying additional budgetary and defense needs for 2027. In this regard, it is important that other partners also respect their financial commitments and step up their efforts, in light of the significant challenges Ukraine is facing. Finally, we have agreed to meet on a monthly basis to coordinate our joint efforts,” concluded the European spokesperson.
“We concluded that what is in the pipeline will actually meet Ukraine's needs for this year.” A spokesperson for the European Commission declared this during the press briefing, effectively closing Kiev on advances of funds expected for 2027. The EU resources still arriving for Ukraine after the disbursement announced today of 2.9 billion are around 34 billion. “The number one conclusion that came out of yesterday's meeting is that we looked at what is in the pipeline from the European Union.” Yesterday's meetings, according to Brussels, made it possible to "identify the means to cover Ukraine's budget and defense needs for the remainder of 2026". The disbursement of the funds still available for this year, including under the Ukraine Facility, will take place "in line with the agreed conditions and commitments on reforms". The EU has committed 45 billion this year under the Ukraine Support Loan. Finally, the Commission reiterated that the EU "never said it wanted to do everything alone": the contribution of partners will have to be added to the 90 billion European loan to reach 135 billion, "which was the funding gap initially established for this year and next".
"Conte's position? He will have to deal with reality. Italy cannot avoid supporting Kiev, it cannot do like Orban." Former prime minister Paolo Gentiloni says this on Omnibus on La7.
On support for Ukraine "we have established a point, which is the political point: we all agree that Putin's invasion is an invasion and that Ukraine is the attacked and not the aggressor. Is there anyone who has pro-Putin tendencies in the progressive camp? No". This was declared by Nicola Fratoianni of AVS, guest on Start on Sky TG24. "It seems to me that Goffredo Bettini's letter poses a question to everyone: to get out of a discussion on this issue which has divided the centre-left in parliamentary choices and which widely divides the right, which risks becoming a discussion on political positioning outside of merit, context, the possibility of concretely discussing which are the most useful tools for supporting Ukraine, that is, ending the war. If anyone thinks that supporting Ukraine coincides with military victory and therefore with the postponement of the war, we do not agree", he continued. “This war will not end with the last bomb on the ground, or with the last rifle fired but with diplomacy,” he concluded.
"On foreign policy, it is more what has seen us united than what divides us and what we will discuss and I am sure we will find a high synthesis. Of course there are different and decisive points of view, but if it were not so we would be one party". Elly Schlein said this to the PD leadership.
"I thank the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Member States for the decision to provide 2.9 billion euros to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility". Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote it on X. "This support is particularly timely and will help ensure Ukraine's macro-financial stability and strengthen our defense capabilities. We are working together, in full coordination, to implement all our agreements. I thank the European Union for its assistance and unwavering solidarity."
The European Commission has provided an additional 2.9 billion euros to Kiev from the Ukraine Facility. This is the eighth disbursement under the Ukraine Facility, the main EU instrument to support Ukraine's recovery, reform program and path to accession to the Union. “The disbursement follows Ukraine's successful implementation of reforms in several strategic sectors, including the judicial system, financial markets, human capital, business environment, energy, transport, agriculture and the green transition,” reads a note from the European executive. The amount, the European Commission specifies, includes 800 million euros disbursed for the first time as part of the "Ukraine Facility" component of the loan to support Ukraine (Ukraine Support Loan). With today's disbursement, total EU support provided through the Plan for Ukraine will exceed €32 billion (including external contributions from Member States and partner countries, as well as funds channeled through the Plan from the loan to support Ukraine). For the first time, this tranche also includes a top-up from the additional 8.35 billion euros allocated through the loan to support Ukraine for 2026. "As Ukraine defends itself from Russian aggression, it also continues to implement comprehensive reforms envisaged in the Plan for Ukraine", declared the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen "With today's disbursement we contribute to safeguarding Ukraine's financial stability and supporting investments that they will favor future recovery. Because European solidarity means concrete support. Europe will remain at Ukraine's side for as long as necessary", he further underlined.
Kiev must pay the price for carrying out attacks in the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, stressing that Russia needs a lasting peace with Ukraine, not a ceasefire. And therefore "it is always open to negotiations". "The regime in Kiev - added the presidential spokesperson - has shown no intention of reaching global agreements. Fragmentary agreements cannot bring us closer to a peaceful solution. Agreements can only be global. As the president said yesterday, we don't need a ceasefire, we need peace". Speaking about the situation in the Black Sea, Peskov said: "The situation in the Black Sea is special. Russia is responding to the attacks that Ukraine has started to conduct. Ukraine has to pay the price for this. It is already paying it and will continue to pay it. We are continuing the special military operation. It is very important for us to completely block military, ammunition and fuel supplies to Ukraine by sea. This is what we are doing now and will continue to do." Finally, regarding the Turkish and United Nations initiative to start talks involving Russia and Ukraine on a ceasefire in the Black Sea, Peskov commented: "We are aware of this initiative, but there are no specific details."
The European Commission today paid 2.9 billion euros to Ukraine to support financing needs and ensure the functioning of the country's public administration. The amount, specifies a note from the EU executive, includes 800 million disbursed for the first time under the Ukraine Facility component of the loan to support Ukraine (Ukraine Support Loan). For President Ursula von der Leyen, "while Ukraine defends itself from Russian aggression, it also continues to implement the global reforms envisaged in the plan for Ukraine. With today's disbursement we contribute to safeguarding Ukraine's financial stability and supporting investments that will favor its future recovery. Because European solidarity means concrete support. Europe will remain at Ukraine's side for as long as necessary". With this latest payment, the total EU support provided through the Plan for Ukraine will exceed €32 billion (including external contributions from Member States and Partner Countries, as well as funds channeled through the Plan from the Loan to Support Ukraine), a figure equivalent to almost 70% of the funding currently available under the first pillar of the Facility. The disbursement follows Ukraine's implementation of reforms in several strategic sectors, including the judiciary, financial markets, human capital, business environment, energy, transport, agriculture and green transition.
From March to September, Russian forces lost 300 square kilometers of occupied Ukrainian territory, including the 147 square kilometers 'liberated' from the Ukrainians with the 'Vivaldi' operation launched by Kiev forces in northern Donetsk in recent months but announced only in September.
