Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid News
Table of Contents 📖
"The days when we could indulge in inter-service rivalry are over. We must be fit to fight, not fight among ourselves."
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:19⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to part 2 of his Ukraine War update on military aid. He mentions that today's geopolitics video will be very busy as there is so much happening.
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Poland's Foreign Minister on Use of Western Weapons
🎦 00:19-01:13⏩
Jonathan reports that Poland's foreign minister has said that Ukraine should be allowed to use western weapons to strike Russian airfields and this should not be seen as an escalation. He was speaking following a meeting of the EU Council and has called for restrictions on the use of long range weapons to be lifted.
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Biden's Focus on Ukraine
🎦 01:13-01:54⏩
Jonathan notes that Biden has said that he will concentrate on Ukraine and the Middle East in the remaining time that he is president, regardless of whether or not he is re-elected. Jonathan hopes that Biden will be strong on Ukraine and ensure the country is in the strongest position possible, regardless of who wins the next US election.
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EU, US and G7 Loan for Ukraine
🎦 01:54-02:24⏩
The EU and US are close to agreeing a $50bn loan for Ukraine. Each would provide $20bn with the remaining $10bn coming from the UK, Japan and Canada. The loan is expected to be agreed at the upcoming G7 finance ministers' meeting in Rio de Janeiro and will be paid back using revenues from frozen Russian assets.
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US Grant for Ukraine
🎦 02:24-03:01⏩
The Ukrainian government has approved a $3.9bn grant from the US for salaries and social support, to be channelled through the World Bank.
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First Tranche of Frozen Russian Assets to be Transferred to Ukraine
🎦 03:01-03:27⏩
The first tranche of revenues from frozen Russian assets, totalling €1.4bn will be transferred to Ukraine in the first week of August. These funds will be used to buy weapons.
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Next Tranche of EU Funding for Ukraine
🎦 03:27-03:46⏩
Ukraine hopes to receive the next tranche of EU funding, totalling €4.1bn, in September.
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Ukraine Gas Production
🎦 03:46-04:26⏩
Ukraine expects to produce enough gas domestically to meet its needs this winter. Ukrainian gas production is increasing and over 10bn cubic metres have already been pumped into storage, with plans to increase this to 13bn cubic metres by November. This will also enable Ukraine to continue energy intensive activities such as manufacturing weaponry and potentially even supporting hydrocarbon exports.
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Hungary Blocks EU Funds for Arms Procurement
🎦 04:26-04:52⏩
Hungary has blocked the release of EU funds for arms procurement to Ukraine. This follows Ukraine's decision to stop oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
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Drones: Introduction
🎦 04:52-05:31⏩
Jonathan introduces a new section on drones.
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Drones: Ukraine's New Drone Chief
🎦 05:31-06:24⏩
Jonathan discusses an article from The Economist, quoting Defence Correspondent Shashank Joshi, which focuses on Ukraine's new drone chief, Vadim Sukharovsky, described in the article as "a modern-day Cossack Hetman". The article claims that whilst Russia has the numerical advantage when it comes to drones, Ukraine is holding its own qualitatively. Jonathan disagrees with this assessment, pointing to evidence which suggests that Ukraine is actually ahead in both areas.
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Drones: Sukharovsky on the Principles of Warfare
🎦 06:24-07:05⏩
Jonathan continues to share his thoughts on the Economist article, which quotes Colonel Sukharovsky as saying: "drones will not overturn the fundamental principles of warfare. The primary role of artillery or infantry are undiminished". Jonathan agrees with the Colonel, noting that military operations still depend on combined arms. Sukharovsky does not believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace military commanders any time soon.
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Drones: Latvia Sends Drones to Ukraine
🎦 07:05-08:02⏩
Latvia has sent over 500 drones to Ukraine. The first batch of 300 arrived in early July, with the remaining 200 due by the end of the month.
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Drones: Czechia Joins Drone Coalition
🎦 08:02-08:22⏩
Czechia has joined the International Drone Coalition (led by Latvia and the UK) and will contribute to efforts to boost Ukraine's drone arsenal. The agreement was signed at the recent NATO summit in Washington.
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Drones: Ukraine's Use of Cheap Acoustic Sensors
🎦 08:22-09:56⏩
Jonathan highlights Ukraine's success in using cheap acoustic sensors to detect incoming Russian drones. The sensors, which cost around $400-$500 each, are positioned around Ukraine and relay audio data to mobile fire groups armed with equipment such as Gepards and ZSUs. This enables Ukrainian forces to target drones far more cheaply than the cost of deploying missiles, which is crucial to ensuring Ukraine wins the economic war.
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Drones: Boeing and Antonov Sign Drone Agreement
🎦 09:56-12:19⏩
US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, and Ukrainian company, Antonov, have signed an agreement to cooperate on drone technology. The agreement covers training, logistical support, overhaul services and future joint projects in the aerospace and defence industry. Jonathan notes that this will be mutually beneficial, with Boeing gaining valuable insights from the battlefield which can be used to further its own R&D and improve drone technology for the US military.
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Ukraine Artillery Ammunition Shortage
🎦 12:19-13:38⏩
Jonathan refers back to a thread he mentioned in a previous video, in which Andrew Perpetua highlights the shortage of artillery ammunition faced by Ukraine. This is impacting Ukraine's ability to repel Russian attacks and, as the front line has extended, the situation is becoming increasingly serious.
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Military Aid: Bulgaria
🎦 13:38-13:49⏩
Bulgaria has identified excess ammunition stocks which could be transferred to Ukraine. The Bulgarian government will now decide whether to proceed with the transfer and make logistical arrangements.
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Military Aid: Slovakia
🎦 13:49-15:15⏩
Almost all of Slovakia's ammunition production for 2024 has already been ordered by Ukraine. The country is on track to produce 125,000 shells this year and 200,000 in 2025. This is a significant increase on the 20,000 155mm shells produced pre-2022.
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Slovakia's Position on Military Aid to Ukraine
🎦 15:15-15:54⏩
Jonathan is critical of Slovakia's position on military aid to Ukraine. Whilst Slovakia is fulfilling commercial contracts to supply much-needed ammunition to Ukraine, it refuses to provide military aid directly. Jonathan feels that this is morally wrong.
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Military Aid: Canada
🎦 15:54-16:26⏩
The Canadian Armed Forces are training Ukrainian soldiers through simulated combat scenarios as part of Operation Unifier and a multinational Interflex training mission in the UK.
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Ukrainian Prisoners Serving in the Armed Forces
🎦 16:26-17:11⏩
Around 3,800 prisoners have been released from prison and are now serving in the Ukrainian armed forces having completed their training. Of these, some have been wounded and some have been killed in action. It is estimated that around 5,000 prisoners in total will join the armed forces.
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Ukraine and Moldova Discuss Return of Ukrainian Men of Conscription Age
🎦 17:11-17:51⏩
Ukraine is in discussions with Moldova regarding the return of Ukrainian men of conscription age who left the country illegally. A number of Ukrainians have died trying to cross the border into Moldova in an attempt to avoid the draft.
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Russian Technology Found in North Korean Missiles Used Against Ukraine
🎦 17:51-18:14⏩
Analysis of North Korea's KN-23 missiles, used in attacks against Ukraine, has uncovered evidence of Russian technology including Russian steel, tungsten alloy and design elements. Co-operation between the two countries spans decades. For example, the Hwasong-10 is a modified version of the Soviet R-27 nuclear ballistic missile.
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John Healey, UK Defence Secretary, Speaks at RUSI Conference
🎦 18:14-20:15⏩
New UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) conference, said that he wants to see less partisan politics when it comes to security policy. In a move designed to ensure cross-party support for UK defence, he has offered the shadow Defence Secretary access to intelligence briefings. Jonathan welcomes this development, comparing it favourably to the situation in the US where defence has become a bipartisan issue.
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UK Strategic Defence Review
🎦 20:15-21:16⏩
The UK Strategic Defence Review will take place in 2025. John Healey confirmed that contributions from other political parties and the wider defence community will be welcomed. Jonathan is impressed with what he has seen from the new Labour government so far, describing them as "sensible and serious" and noting that their approach to foreign policy has been particularly good.
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UAE Mirage 2000s in China
🎦 21:16-23:07⏩
Jonathan expresses concern that the UAE is allowing China access to western military aircraft. Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist tweeted about the presence of UAE Mirage 2000s in China, highlighting the risk that this will provide China with valuable insights into western military technology. This is particularly concerning because the Taiwanese Air Force also uses this type of aircraft. Jonathan suspects that the French, and Dassault, the manufacturer, will be very unhappy about this development.
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Wrap up
🎦 23:07-23:13⏩
Jonathan thanks viewers for watching and lets them know that he is about to start working on his geopolitics video which will be very detailed.
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