Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid News
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"And the other one is I've got a, I printed off a flag of Ukraine, the army flag of Ukraine that has a trident in as well. And that's in my front window. And a guy came around uh to i think i free cycled something so free cycle is like ebay but you give it away for free and he came to pick whatever it was that i was giving away up and he noticed the the flag and he's like and he pulled up his sleeve and he had a uh a ukraine trident tattoo on i was like this is amazing"
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-06:01⏩
Jonathan has returned from holiday and mentions how someone said that he didn't have a tan and that there was a light shining in his face - Jonathan mentions that he is "a ginger" and did in fact tan well (with freckles joining together!). Jonathan then mentions a story about how he wore his Slava Ukraini t-shirt to breakfast and a woman commented how much she loved it - it turns out she had been following the war closely whilst on holiday. This leads into two user comments Jonathan wants to share. The first comment was from a user in the US who met a Ukrainian woman who burst into tears when she saw that he was wearing a Ukrainian t-shirt. They hugged and he told her that she was not alone. Jonathan was really moved by the user's compassion. The second user is at university and has a small Ukrainian heart on their backpack. A fellow student asked (in German) if they spoke German - the user responded in German and was told that their accent was good (despite never having been to Germany!). Jonathan then shares an anecdote about how he wore his Ukrainian t-shirt to get his latest covid jab (he's on the vulnerable list so has had lots!) and another guy in the queue was wearing a t-shirt too. Jonathan then talks about how he has a Ukrainian flag in his front window and a guy he was giving a free bike to had a Ukrainian trident tattoo. One of his son's friends who is half Ukrainian was very excited about seeing the maps etc. that Jonathan has in his office and told him that he had seen a car with Ukrainian number plates in the local area. Jonathan sent a message to see if the boy's mother wanted to be interviewed.
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Denmark military aid: $115m to Ukrainian defence industry
🎦 06:01-07:07⏩
Jonathan reports that Denmark are sending $115m to Ukraine for the procurement of weapons from the Ukrainian Defence Industry. Jonathan notes how generous this aid package is as it will directly benefit the Ukrainian economy.
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Sweden military aid: PBV 302s approved for transfer
🎦 07:07-08:28⏩
Sweden has approved the transfer of PBV 302 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine - these were pledged back in May. Hundreds of these vehicles could be sent to Ukraine. Although old, they are still considered to be useful. Jonathan notes how the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, has said that Sweden has not and does not intend to place any restrictions on the weapons they send to Ukraine. This is in relation to the debate about whether Ukraine should be allowed to strike Russian territory. Jonathan will return to this subject later in the video.
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Japan military aid: Six mine clearing vehicles donated to Ukraine
🎦 08:28-08:36⏩
Jonathan reports that Japan has donated six Nikon BM-307V-16 mine clearing vehicles to Ukraine.
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Ukraine/Russia/International: Debate about Storm Shadow missile use inside Russia continues
🎦 08:36-15:02⏩
Jonathan returns to the debate about the use of Storm Shadow missiles. The Times has reported that the US is blocking the use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia despite the UK approving their use. Jonathan agrees with a comment from Ukraine News Live who said that if there were no restrictions on weapons, the Ukrainian counter-offensive would be much more effective. Zelensky has said that Western countries need to allow for deep strikes inside Russia. Jonathan reminds viewers that UK PM Keir Starmer publicly approved the use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia and that the UK's MoD contradicted this position shortly afterwards. There was some speculation at the time that this was a U-turn but Jonathan believes that Starmer may have been told by the US that although it was fine for the UK to approve this, there were issues with the US components within the missile system. It could be that the US is blackmailing Ukraine by threatening to withdraw aid if they attack Russia using western long-range missiles. A user, Sheshan Joshi, questioned which US components are needed to launch Storm Shadow missiles given that they are launched from SU-24 jets (which are not supplied by the West). Other users have suggested that the issue might be to do with the targeting systems on the missile, which may be reliant on US data. Dmitry Alperovitch is cited as saying that the US is not sharing intelligence about targets inside Russia. Jonathan notes how this backs up what he has said previously - that the US has provided intelligence about targets inside Ukraine but not outside of it. Another user (John Ridge) believes that the US is using blackmail to prevent the use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia by threatening to withdraw bilateral security assistance. Jonathan agrees with John Ridge that whether or not this is to do with the components of the missile system or is outright blackmail, the result is the same. The Daily Telegraph has reported, citing a Biden administration official, that the White House has denied blocking the request. This contradicts the earlier report by The Times. Jonathan states that someone is lying, either the White House or UK sources and that it appears that the US is behind this.
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Germany military aid: Confusion about funding freeze and future support
🎦 15:02-24:57⏩
Jonathan discusses the confusion surrounding the future of German military aid to Ukraine. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) published a report that Germany was freezing military aid. Germany to Ukraine, a twitter account that tracks German military aid, has said that there are still unanswered questions about how Germany will finance future aid to Ukraine. There is speculation that Germany is planning to rely on a G7 loan of 50 Billion Euros rather than providing direct bilateral assistance. The money would be paid to Ukraine so that it could then buy equipment rather than receiving it directly from Germany. Germany to Ukraine has questioned this approach, asking why Germany should have a "special right" in comparison to other G7 members. The account also questioned whether, given that the loan is to be paid to Ukraine (and is largely funded by France and Germany), Ukraine is actually funding German aid. Germany to Ukraine finished by saying that this approach means that Ukraine will end up having to pay for its own aid when other G7 members are making direct contributions. Tendar, a European Parliament member, has refuted the FAZ report and said that military aid will continue. Tendar is quoted as saying that Ukraine "can order and receive what it needs" and that this is "necessary for the safety of Germany and Europe". A user has clarified that the FAZ article was not manipulation, but that the situation is complex. The upcoming elections in some Eastern German states means that the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD), the ruling party, is struggling in the polls. The right-wing pro-Russia Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) and the pro-Russia Die Basis are performing well. It is challenging for the SPD to maintain popularity given their pro-Ukraine stance. Germany to Ukraine has confirmed that Germany intends to use the G7 loan to fund aid in 2025 onwards and that the additional 3.8bn Euros previously promised will no longer be forthcoming. The only positive is that the report that Germany was blocking the transfer of an RST SLM from another country was false. Jonathan believes that although Germany remains the second largest donor to Ukraine after the US, this is still a backwards step. Germany to Ukraine has reported that the first Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tank has been destroyed in the Donestk region. 58 of these tanks have been delivered by Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine. Germany to Ukraine has also posted footage showing a Ukrainian "Vincent One" mine-clearing vehicle operating on the Kupiansk front - these vehicles are based on a Leopard 1 chassis. Germany has delivered 46 Vincent One mine clearing tanks to Ukraine. Germany has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine which includes one IRIS-T SLS short-range air defence system, 14,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells, 10 unmanned surface vessels, 16 Vector reconnaissance drones as well as spare parts. Jonathan reminds viewers that Germany has provided significant military aid to Ukraine over the last three weeks. This includes:
- 2 x IRIS-T SLS launchers
- 10 x Sonobot V unmanned surface vessels
- 26 Vector reconnaissance drones
- 1 x Bergepanzer 2 armoured recovery vehicle
- 6 x High mobility engineer excavators
- 50 x Rifles
- 10 x Precision rifles
- 700 x Assault rifles
- 14,000 x 155mm artillery shells
- 55,000 x First Aid kits
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment.
Jonathan finishes this topic by noting how footage has emerged of German-supplied FFG APCs operating in the Kupiansk region. They appear to be the lightly armoured BAT UMG variant. Jonathan is surprised that these vehicles are being used in such a high-risk area given their lack of mine and ambush protection.
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United States military aid: Congressman urges Biden to lift targeting restrictions
🎦 26:47-28:02⏩
Jonathan reports that Mike Turner, chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, has written to US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin urging him to lift targeting restrictions that prevent Ukraine from striking targets inside Russia with ATACMs.
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United States/International: Former F16 pilot calls for veterans to be allowed to fight for Ukraine
🎦 28:02-29:11⏩
Jonathan plays a video from Mark J Lindquist, a US Airforce veteran and F-16 pilot, who calls on the US to lift restrictions that prevent US citizens from fighting in Ukraine. He believes that veterans could make a significant contribution to the fight.
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United Kingdom military aid: Keir Starmer instructs National Security Council to develop plans for increased support to Ukraine
🎦 29:11-29:59⏩
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has instructed the UK's National Security Council to draw up plans to increase support for Ukraine. Jonathan notes how The Daily Telegraph was critical of Starmer's record on Ukraine but believes that this is unfair given that the UK remains steadfast in its support.
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Ukraine military: Ukraine allocates 24 Billion Hryvnias for drone procurement
🎦 29:59-32:08⏩
Jonathan reports that Ukraine is to allocate 24 billion Hryvnias (Ukrainian currency) for the purchase of drones. Jonathan notes that drones have become a key weapon for Ukraine and that they are now being produced domestically in large numbers, however, there is still a shortfall of around 10 billion dollars in investment needed in order to increase production. Jonathan states that the Ukrainian drone operators are having a significant impact on Russian logistics. This is evidenced by the high number of Russian vehicles being destroyed on a daily basis. Jonathan provides the example of a road between the Russian-controlled towns of Hluhiv and Rylsk where Ukrainian drone operators are targeting Russian military vehicles. Jonathan believes that this asymmetry is key to Ukraine winning the war.
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Wrap up
🎦 32:08-32:12⏩
Jonathan thanks viewers for watching.
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