Victorious news of 629th day of war: Ukraine pushes Russian fleet out of Crimea, Germany to send more Leopard tanks

Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully attack Russian fleet, pushing it out of Crimea - NATO

Ukrainian troops' attacks on Russian Navy facilities in the temporarily occupied Crimea have been successful. This forces the aggressors to look for alternative places to base their navy. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this. 

The Ukrainians have successfully attacked supply facilities in Crimea, and therefore Russia is looking for alternatives. This actually demonstrates the achievements of Ukrainians when it comes to attacks by the Russian navy, according to the NATO Secretary General.

Last week, the Ukrainian military conducted several successful operations to destroy Russian ships in the Black Sea. On November 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a shipyard in Zatoka, Crimea, damaging a caliber corvette Askold. In addition, on November 10, the Ukrainian intelligence officers conducted a successful special operation in Crimea, damaging two small amphibious assault ships - one ship of the older 1176 Akula project and another newer 11770 Serna project.

10 Leopard tanks now, 25 more next year

Germany has handed over a new aid package to Ukraine, which includes 10 Leopards, special equipment, ammunition, drones and radar systems. This is stated in the updated list of the German government.

The list includes 10 LEOPARD 1 A5 main battle tanks (20 units were previously delivered); 14 Bandvagn 206 multipurpose tracked vehicles (in addition to the 46 units delivered earlier); a WISENT 1 demining tank (11 in total for the Armed Forces); and five Carrier Warthog tracked medical vehicles. Border Guard Service vehicles, heavy-duty semi-trailers, 16 Zetros trucks and 13 MAN TGS trucks were also delivered.

In addition, Ukraine received more than 1,000 155 mm shells; 1.5 million rounds of ammunition for pistols; 10 VECTOR reconnaissance drones; 14 GO12 ground surveillance radar systems; and 10,000 special goggles.

The following year, the German arms company Rheinmetall will supply 25 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. The contract will be funded by the German government. The delivery of the equipment is scheduled for 2024. 

The EU will fulfill its promise to Ukraine and produce a million shells and missiles in a year

European Commissioner for Internal Trade Thierry Breton will report on the implementation of the plan to increase the capacity of the EU to produce shells at a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Brussels. This is due to commitments to Ukraine.

"We have positive news - our production capacity has increased by 20-30% since mid-February 2023. Of course, our goal is much higher numbers, and we will get them a little later, namely in the spring of 2024. According to our commitments to Ukraine, we have promised to reach at least one million shells and missiles (annually - ed.). And we will keep this promise," Thierry Breton said.

The European Commissioner also commented on the statement of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said he doubted such optimistic forecasts.

"I made a tour of all European facilities. And the good news is that we have the capacity, we just needed to increase it. And I am telling you that the production of more than a million shells, given our capabilities, starting in the spring, will be met! Then it's up to the individual countries - it's their responsibility to meet their deadlines and volumes. They have to control this well and, most importantly, understand that what they produce should be sent primarily to Ukraine," Breton said.

Another topic of the ministerial meeting in Brussels, according to Breton, is "unconditional support for Ukraine" despite the tragic events in the Middle East.

The EU allocates funds for humanitarian aid to Ukrainians

The European Union will allocate EUR 110 million for humanitarian aid to Ukrainians. 100 million will be spent on projects in Ukraine, and another 10 million will be allocated to support Ukrainian refugees and the communities that host them in Moldova. This was announced by the European Commission.

The new funding is intended to help EU humanitarian partners provide services such as cash assistance, food, water, shelter, medical care, psychosocial support and protection to Ukrainians.

Since February 2022, the EU has provided a total of EUR 843 million in humanitarian aid. The EU will also provide another 84 power generators from its strategic reserves as winter approaches and Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are likely.