Daily Briefing

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Morning Headlines

Bloomberg: Ukraine is taking an economic hit from Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, forcing it to rely on more expensive imports as it builds alternative sources, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (archive).

ISW: Ukrainian forces continued to regain positions within Vovchansk (NE of Kharkiv City) amid reports of intensified Ukrainian counterattacks throughout northern Kharkiv Oblast on September 25.

More News

The Kyiv Independent: The United States on Sept. 26 will announce "a series of actions to accelerate support" for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and future recovery, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sept. 25.

Reuters: The United States plans to announce more than $8 billion worth of military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Washington, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

AFP, Yahoo News: Former US president Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky of refusing to "make a deal" to end his country's war with Russia.

Fox News: House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fire Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States after she allegedly organized a U.S. taxpayer-funded visit to a battleground state ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Fox News Digital has learned.

Forbes: Just months after the White House charged the Kremlin is secretly developing nuclear-armed spacecraft to confront rings of Western satellites aiding besieged Ukraine, Moscow is stepping up its threats of launching a space blitz on these allied spacecraft.

AFP: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called for reform of the UN Security Council to limit veto power in cases of mass killings, in a likely reference to Russia.

Reuters: The United States is deeply concerned by a report that Russia has a secret war drones project in China that appears to be an instance of a Chinese company providing lethal assistance to a U.S.-sanctioned Russian firm , a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday.

The Kyiv Independent: Russia destroyed all thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The Guardian: Keir Starmer has told Russia he does not know how it can show its face at the United Nations after invading Ukraine and treating its own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder”.

POLITICO: Britain’s top diplomat directly accused Putin of running a “mafia state” and likened him to a slave-owner in a fiery address at the United Nations Security Council. David Lammy took aim at the Russian president during the New York gathering Tuesday, telling Russia’s representative: “We know who you are.”

AP News: In a strong, new warning to the West, Putin said Wednesday that any nation’s conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.

Reuters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday dismissed efforts by China and Brazil to end Russia's war in Ukraine, questioning why the pair were proposing an alternative to his own peace formula and warning: "You will not boost your power at Ukraine's expense."

Reuters: Saab is looking to set up production in Ukraine to support the country's development of independent defence capabilities, the Swedish defence equipment maker's CEO told Reuters.

Reuters: Disinformation attributable to Russian and Belarusian services spiked on the internet by around 300% during the first days of severe flooding in Poland, the country's deputy premier and digitalisation minister was quoted on Wednesday as saying.

The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian forces captured around 20 Russian soldiers and killed "several dozen" others during an operation to recapture an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, a member of Ukraine's military intelligence claimed on Sept. 25.

Reuters: NATO plans to coordinate the transport of a large number of wounded troops away from front lines in case of a war with Russia, potentially via hospital trains as air evacuations may not be feasible, according to a senior general.

POLITICO: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen blasted China for supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine and accused Beijing of not playing by international trade rules.

The Kyiv Independent: Russia is preparing to target three Ukrainian nuclear power plants, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.N. Security Council in New York on Sept. 24.

worth mentioning

House GOP launches investigation into Zelenskyy's Pennsylvania visit

Russian disinformation is spreading. Europe could learn from the US.

France 24: On the ground in Russian territory held by Ukrainian forces

Wounded Russian soldiers forced back into the fight

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