Day 967 of the war begins with good news for Ukraine. Joe Biden spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky and announced a new $425 million defense package, which includes additional air defense systems and long-range weapons.
Additionally, Australia will donate a batch of 49 old American M1A1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine.
On the other hand, NATO currently has no plans to invite Ukraine into the alliance in the immediate future, says the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith.
Former Chief of the Ukrainian Army Valerii Zaluzhnyi stated that NATO member states’ armies continue to rely on outdated principles and weapons „inherited from the Korean War,” which will not be relevant in modern warfare. He specified that the war in Ukraine has introduced new technologies to the battlefield that will replace traditional weapons.
On the front lines, Ukrainian forces hit a Russian troop training ground with a HIMARS missile carrying fragmentation ammunition. Approximately 15 Russian soldiers and several military equipment pieces were present at the location at the time of the attack.
Ukraine shot down 22 kamikaze drones launched by Russia, with two reaching Belarus. The nighttime attack included a guided air-to-surface missile Kh-59 and 56 drones.
Across the border, Colonel Nikita Klenkov, deputy commander of a unit in Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), was fatally shot in the Moscow region by an unknown assailant.
### The Most Recent Developments on the Front Lines and in Russia
– **GRU Commander Killed in Moscow**: Colonel Nikita Klenkov, deputy commander of a unit in Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), was fatally shot in the Moscow region by an unknown assailant. Klenkov, 44, was reportedly the deputy commander of GRU unit 43292, serving as a special operations forces training center, according to the Moscow Times. The Russian Telegram channel Baza reported that Klenkov was shot on a road in the town of Melenki, east of Moscow, while driving. The assailant fired eight shots. TASS reported that Klenkov had „returned home a week ago” from the front lines in Ukraine.
– **Russian Troop Training Ground Hit with HIMARS**: Ukrainian forces struck a Russian troop training ground with a HIMARS missile carrying fragmentation ammunition. Approximately 15 Russian soldiers and several military equipment pieces were present at the location during the attack. Ukrainian defense forces shared the video recording of the strike on Facebook. A Ukrainian drone spotted the Russian soldiers, and their coordinates were used to launch the HIMARS system. The target was hit directly. The Ukrainian military did not disclose the location of the attack, but several Telegram channels and Forbes reported that the attack took place in the Zaporizhzhia region. This is at least the sixth attack in the past eight months on Russian soldiers gathered in open, vulnerable areas to aerial strikes, as noted by Kyiv Post.
– **Drone Shootdown Report**: Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure in the Nikolaev region in southern Ukraine with an attack involving 56 drones and a missile launched overnight from Wednesday to Thursday on Ukrainian territory. Vitali Kim, the governor of the Nikolaev region, announced that electricity supply was interrupted for some consumers, but there were no casualties from the attack. Ukrainian air forces also reported five strikes on energy infrastructure in regions near the front line. 22 drones were shot down, with 27 drones lost, likely falling on Ukrainian territory. Two other drones reached Belarus.
### Good News from the U.S.
– **New U.S. Military Aid Package**: President Joe Biden announced new security assistance for Ukraine worth $425 million. The package „includes additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and essential munitions to address Ukraine’s urgent needs,” as mentioned in the White House statement. In the coming months, the United States will provide Ukraine with a range of additional capabilities, including hundreds of air defense interceptors, dozens of tactical air defense systems, additional artillery systems, significant quantities of ammunition, hundreds of armored troop carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as thousands of additional armored vehicles, all contributing to equipping Ukraine’s armed forces.
– **Biden-Zelensky Dialogue**: Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Joe Biden over the phone, requesting more air defense systems and further assistance for Ukraine’s indigenous arms production. In turn, the White House announced that Biden will host a virtual summit of the Contact Group for Ukraine, coordinating with international partners on additional assistance for Kyiv. In a post on X, Zelensky thanked the U.S. for the new military aid package, mentioning that it includes „long-range action weapons.” He did not specify the type of weapons and did not mention anything about using Western weapons for long-range strikes in Russia.
– **Lightning Trip to Berlin**: Joe Biden is making a lightning trip to Berlin on Friday, underscoring the importance of the relationship with a steadfast European ally, whom the incumbent president is expected to urge to remain mobilized to help Ukraine. Ukraine will be at the center of discussions between Joe Biden and German officials at a time when Russian bombardments are increasing, and Kiev’s army is retreating on the eastern front. Joe Biden will also have a four-way meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
– **Ramstein Meeting Rescheduled for November**: The White House announced that the meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine Defense will be rescheduled to November, in a virtual format, after President Joe Biden canceled foreign trips in October to manage the effects of hurricanes in the U.S.
### Other Relevant Information
– **NATO Relies on Outdated Principles**: NATO member states’ armies continue to rely on outdated principles and weapons, „inherited from the Korean War,” which will not be relevant in modern warfare, said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former Chief of the Ukrainian Army and current ambassador of Kyiv to the UK, as reported by The Kyiv Independent. „There will be no war like the one in 1953. I am talking about the Korean War. That ended in the summer of 2023 in Ukraine when two professional armies of over a million people each faced off on the battlefield,” Zaluzhnyi said in a speech at Chatham House in London, referring to the conflict in Ukraine. The retired general dismissed by Volodymyr Zelensky from the helm of the army also noted that modern warfare has brought new technologies to the battlefield, such as drones and artificial intelligence. However, it is impossible to produce expensive missiles, fighter jets, and aircraft carriers on the „massive scale” required by modern warfare, making these systems less effective, he emphasized.
– **After Ukraine, Putin Will Invade Moldova**: The Kremlin could exploit its military ties with Transnistria to invade and fully occupy the Republic of Moldova if Russia wins the war in Ukraine, according to an analysis published by the Institute for the Study of War. Details can be found [here](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/eveniment/avertisment-de-la-washington-dupa-ucraina-putin-va-invada-republica-moldova).
– **American Tanks from Australia**: Australia will donate a batch of 49 old American M1A1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine. „We stand with Ukraine in its fight against the illegal invasion by Russia,” said Australian Defense Minister Pat Conroy. Equipped with a 120-millimeter gun, these 60-ton tanks were built between 1985 and 1993 and were refurbished before being acquired by Australia in the mid-2000s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [welcomed this initiative on the X network](https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1846634591580307572) and expressed his „gratitude.”
– **No NATO Invitation**: NATO currently has no plans to invite Ukraine into the alliance in the immediate future, said the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith. „I think NATO’s position on this is very clear. We stated at the summit this summer that Ukraine is on an irreversible path to membership and that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance. We are not at the stage where we are discussing issuing a short-term invitation,” Smith said ahead of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels. „But, as always, we will continue discussions with our friends in Ukraine on how they can move towards the Alliance,” she added.
– **Zelensky Brings Victory Plan to Brussels**: Ukrainian President arrived in Brussels on Thursday and will present the victory plan at the European Council, as reported by Kyiv Independent. „All European leaders will hear how our positions need to be consolidated. We must end this war fairly,” said Volodymyr Zelensky in a video message during the trip to Belgium. The Ukrainian president arrived in Brussels just a day after unveiling the plan in a special session of the Ukrainian Parliament. He previously presented this strategy to leaders from the U.S., UK, Germany, France, and Italy to garner allies’ support ahead of the uncertain U.S. elections. The plan has five points: an invitation to NATO membership, a defense aspect, non-nuclear deterrence of Russian aggression, economic growth and cooperation, and post-war security architecture. There are also three classified points shared with international partners. After meeting with EU leaders, Zelensky will meet with high-ranking officials of the European Parliament and participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.