Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid News
Table of Contents 📖
"It is just interesting that the UK is very, very much involved in supporting Ukraine in many ways that people aren't aware of."
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:29⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to part B of his Ukraine War Update for 31st January 2025.
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Military Aid - Lithuania
🎦 00:29-01:16⏩
Jonathan reports that Lithuania will be providing Ukraine an undisclosed number of L-70 anti-aircraft guns. The specific number being provided was not disclosed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, for security reasons. Jonathan notes that "the UK has a martlet, various different ones that do the job there".
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Military Aid - United Kingdom
🎦 01:16-02:47⏩
The UK has agreed a £2bn deal with Ukraine to provide air defence systems, missiles and help in setting up repair bases within Ukraine. Jonathan notes that having repair bases set up within Ukraine will be a huge benefit as it will reduce the time taken to repair damaged military equipment and get it back to the front lines. Jonathan observes that:
- The UK is heavily involved in supporting Ukraine, doing a lot of work behind the scenes that most people are unaware of.
- This information was based on conversations he has had with sources since being in Ukraine.
Military Aid - Croatia
🎦 02:47-03:17⏩
Croatia have announced a new military aid package for Ukraine - the 12th they have provided. This was announced at a press conference in Zagreb by Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Jonathan is interested to see the details of this package, which is expected to be approved soon.
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Military Aid - Israel
🎦 03:17-05:53⏩
Jonathan discusses two military aid topics related to Israel's support for Ukraine:
- Rumours that Israel was planning on sending captured Russian weapons to Ukraine have been dismissed by the Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, who said that any decision rested with the Israeli Defence Ministry, which has not approved it.
- Patriot interceptors that are no longer needed by Israel are being sent to Ukraine, a reversal of Benjamin Netanyahu's previous stance. Jonathan notes that this is good news but has a "bittersweet flavour" due to Netanyahu's reluctance. He also notes that there are 8 Patriot Missile Systems that could potentially be made available to Ukraine which would be a "much, much larger delivery of incredibly important air defence systems".
Potential Impact of Trump Presidency on the Ukraine War
🎦 05:53-06:17⏩
Jonathan discusses the potential implications of a Trump presidency on the war in Ukraine. He highlights that as fighting in the Middle East winds down, this could mean more resources and attention can be devoted to Ukraine by the US, in contrast to the Biden Administration which had a "tight leash on what could go to Ukraine". Jonathan highlights opportunities and threats of a potential Trump presidency:
- Opportunities:
- Redirection of attention and resources from a less chaotic Middle East to help Ukraine.
- If Putin remains unwilling to make concessions (which Jonathan believes is likely), Trump's presidency could result in increased pressure on Russia, forcing them to accept unfavourable peace terms.
- Threats:
- A potential scenario where Trump, in seeking a quick resolution to the war, might press for concessions from Moscow, and Putin might seize on this to claim victory. This would pose a significant risk, especially if Russia were to rearm and escalate aggression after Trump's term.
- Jonathan acknowledges that there are valid arguments to be made on both sides.
Military Aid - France
🎦 06:17-06:27⏩
France will be providing its Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of March 2025 according to the French Foreign Minister.
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Military Aid - Germany
🎦 06:27-08:17⏩
Jonathan reports that Germany is providing the following to Ukraine:
- 10 backhoe loaders to be used by the Ukrainian National Guard.
- €43.6bn of aid, with a recent increase of €3.25bn, much of which has been used to support Ukrainian refugees in Germany.
Military Aid - Lithuania (Addendum)
🎦 08:17-08:21⏩
Jonathan thanks 'Germany to Ukraine' (presumably the name of a Twitter account) for the information on Germany's aid contributions and adds information that was not included in the previous section on Lithuania's aid. Jonathan states that aid-filled trucks from Lithuania have been arriving in Ukraine, which include:
- Thousands of drones
- Thermal cameras
- Five-tonne telescopic handlers
Military Aid - Czech Republic
🎦 08:21-09:01⏩
Jonathan highlights comments made by Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavský, about a new artillery ammunition initiative being considered by the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has been instrumental in ensuring the quality and supply of artillery ammunition to Ukraine. Jonathan notes that "the Ukrainians will need a continued provision of that kind of ammunition".
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Military Aid - Finland
🎦 09:01-09:32⏩
Finland have developed an anti-personnel drone, called the Steel Eagle, specifically for Ukraine. The drone is equipped with explosives and can fire steel and tungsten bullets capable of penetrating armoured vehicles from a significant height.
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Ukraine War: Ukraine and Russia Utilise New Methods to Counter Drone Warfare
🎦 09:32-10:26⏩
Jonathan reports that both Russia and Ukraine are having to develop new techniques to counter the threat of so-called 'invisible' fibre optic drones. Unlike conventional drones, these drones are controlled via cable and not susceptible to electronic warfare. Ukraine, through a tech company called Karadag, has pioneered a detection system using infrared scanning and sound arrays to detect and track the drones. This is similar to the techniques already being employed by Ukraine to counter the threat of Iranian-made Shahed drones.
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Ukraine Considers Voluntary Military Service for 18-25 Year Olds
🎦 10:26-11:26⏩
In response to the ongoing pressure to increase troop numbers and protect younger demographics (18-25 year olds), Ukraine's Presidential Office is considering introducing voluntary contract service for men in this age group. This initiative, aimed at bolstering Ukraine's armed forces, would prioritise financial incentives to attract volunteers. Jonathan notes that this is "not quite national service, but it is national service but training" and that this is a reaction to the pressure for mobilisation in this age group as Ukraine doesn't have that many men of fighting age.
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Ukraine War: Increased Efforts to Recruit Ukrainians Living Abroad
🎦 11:26-12:04⏩
Jonathan reports that the Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, has stated that Ukraine is intensifying efforts to inform Ukrainians abroad about recruitment centres. This follows on from the news in the previous topic that a third wave of volunteers in Poland are expected to sign up to the Ukrainian armed forces in February.
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Ukraine Receives ADAM-155M Artillery Shells
🎦 12:04-13:21⏩
Ukraine has started receiving ADAM-155M artillery shells. The shells function in a similar way to US-provided RAAM shells which disperse mines. The ADAM-155M shells are loaded with 36 M72 anti-personnel mines, whereas the US RAAM shells are loaded with nine M718A1 anti-tank mines. Jonathan explains that these are fired and the mines are dispersed over a wide area - the Ukrainians used them to great effect in Vuhledar to destroy a Russian armoured column.
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Ukraine War: Issues with Russian Sarmat Missile Development
🎦 13:21-15:58⏩
Jonathan discusses the troubles that Russia is experiencing in developing its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. The Sarmat (also known as the Satan-2) has been dogged with setbacks, including several failed tests (3 out of 4 tests have failed). According to Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, this is due to Russia's reliance on Ukrainian expertise in this area which they no longer have access to due to the war.
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Military Aid - United States
🎦 15:58-23:51⏩
Jonathan discusses the impact of the US government's decision to pause foreign aid as a result of the US government shutdown. He notes that there has been a lot of discussion about this already and recommends viewers watch a recent video by Jonathan Fink, who discusses the topic in detail. Key points raised by Jonathan:
- Military aid from the US to Ukraine will continue, but there is a 90-day funding freeze on other assistance.
- Jonathan notes that this freeze will impact many organisations in Ukraine and around the world, citing the example of a civil organisation in Kyiv that relies on USAID funding for 70-80% of its budget. This organisation will likely cease to exist if funding is stopped and Jonathan describes this as a "travesty".
- Many countries around the world, including Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Djibouti, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon will be impacted by the decision.
- The only exceptions are Israel and Egypt, who will continue to receive humanitarian and military aid.
- Jonathan highlights that "people are distraught over this complete freeze of funding that affects good work of so many people and organisations."
- There are plans for the US to consider buying weapons using the $300bn of frozen Russian assets. Jonathan believes that the US government would insist on this money being spent with US arms manufacturers.
- The US is developing a cutting edge missile for Ukraine that has a range of 463km. Denmark and the Netherlands are also involved in the project, which could be operational by 2026.
- Jonathan observes that countries are using the war in Ukraine to analyse the effectiveness of equipment and that US arms sales to foreign governments have increased 29% as a result.
- He notes that "people getting ready for a larger-scale war and worried about Russia are tooling up their armies with as much equipment as they can get their hands on".
Wrap up
🎦 23:51-23:56⏩
Jonathan thanks viewers for watching and signs off.
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