Germany Prospect of new military aid for Kiev
Almost 1,200 days after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine can hope for new military assistance from the West. The defense ministers from Germany, Great Britain and numerous other countries want to coordinate further military aid for Kiev in Brussels today.
04.06.2025, 05:17
SDA
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow is also expected to attend the meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group. He is to provide information on the situation on the front and say which defense equipment his armed forces currently need most urgently.
The meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels will be chaired by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his British counterpart John Healey. The two politicians will once again replace former US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who initiated the so-called Ramstein Group comprising around 50 states and led it until the change of government in Washington.
The new US government under President Donald Trump did not want to continue this job. It is focusing less on military aid and more on persuading Kiev and Moscow to conclude a ceasefire agreement as quickly as possible. Other countries fear that this could be at the expense of Ukraine.
Criticism of Moscow's stance
Meanwhile, the ceasefire envisaged by Trump remains out of reach. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha demanded a response from Moscow to a document with proposals for a peace solution that was handed over to the Russian delegation on Monday during the latest round of peace talks in Istanbul. "We demand Russia's response," Sybiha wrote on Platform X. "Every day of silence proves their desire to continue the war."
The format of the Istanbul talks had been devalued to meetings about the exchange of prisoners of war. "Russia has so far rejected any significant format for a ceasefire," criticized Sybiha. "This would be reason enough for our partners to impose new sanctions against Russia right now."
General Staff: Fighting in the Donetsk region and in the border area near Sumy
According to the General Staff in Kiev, there were 134 Russian advances during the course of the day. Pokrovsk is still one of the focal points of the Russian attacks.
A further offensive is therefore underway in the north-east of Ukraine on the border with Russia. The General Staff describes the situation somewhat vaguely as the "Kursk area". As there are practically no Ukrainian troops left in the western Russian region of Kursk itself, it is likely to be mainly attacks on the neighboring Ukrainian region of Sumy.
During the night, the Russian military once again deployed swarms of drones against numerous targets in Ukraine. According to media reports, numerous explosions were reported in cities such as Kherson, Odessa and Zaporizhia. In Kharkiv, at least one person was injured by falling debris from a drone.
Russian attacks: Nuclear authority warns of accident at nuclear power plant
In view of the recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of the risk of a nuclear accident at a nuclear power plant. During a visit to Kiev, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said that his organization's presence on the ground was essential to avoid the risk of a serious nuclear accident, even more than three years after the start of the war. The situation also remains dangerous for nuclear safety.
The IAEA has played a central role in protecting and monitoring the condition and safety of Ukraine's nuclear power plants since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. It regularly sends teams of experts to the active reactor sites in Rivne and Khmelnytskyi and has been permanently present at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant since September 2022, which has been under Russian control since March 2022.
Zelensky changes top military leadership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made changes at the top of the military leadership. The previous head of the army, Mykhailo Drapaty, has been relieved of organizational tasks such as mobilization, training and preparation of recruits, Zelensky said in his evening video message. "As commander of the United Armed Forces, Drapaty will focus exclusively on combat issues so that he can devote himself 100 percent to the front." The curtailment of authority was preceded by a fatal Russian missile attack on a military training area in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Drapaty himself offered his resignation two days ago via Telegram as a consequence of the fiasco, in which, according to him, twelve soldiers lost their lives and dozens were injured. However, the 42-year-old is regarded as one of the most capable Ukrainian generals. Observers assume that Zelenskyi did not want to give up his leadership qualities at the front.
Selensky also appointed Oleh Apostol as head of the paratroopers and Robert Browdi as head of the drone troops.
NATO wants to greatly expand its defense capabilities
In view of the continuing threat posed by Russia, NATO intends to greatly expand its military capabilities for deterrence and defense. As the German Press Agency has learned from alliance circles, the plan is to increase the current targets by around 30 percent. In future, for example, significantly more long-range cruise missiles and drones as well as capacities in areas such as air defense and artillery are to be provided.
To ensure that the targets are met, Germany and the other member states will now be assigned new national planning targets. They are to be formally adopted this Thursday at a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels.
