Victory Chronicles-DAY 946

President Joe Biden has announced a significant increase in security assistance to Ukraine, with a pledge of approximately $8 billion in arms in the coming months. 

The announcement was made ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House. While Biden commended Ukraine for its wartime successes, he emphasized the need for continued efforts. 

The US Department of Defense has been asked to allocate the remaining funds for security assistance to Ukraine before the end of Biden’s presidential term. Additionally, the Department of Defense has announced $2.4 billion in Security Assistance Initiative for Ukraine, including air defense equipment, unmanned aerial systems, air-to-ground munitions, and support for Ukraine’s military-industrial base. 

Biden has also instructed the Department of Defense to refurbish and provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and missiles. This announcement builds upon earlier decisions to redirect US air defense supplies to Ukraine and provide additional missiles.

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At least eight people were killed and 44 others injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past 24 hours. Ukrainian forces successfully shot down a significant number of Russian drones and cruise missiles, preventing further damage. However, some drones were lost or returned to Russia. In addition to drone attacks, Russian troops launched missiles at various regions, resulting in casualties. 

The Odesa region, Sumy region, and the city of Zaporizhzhia were among the areas targeted. Critical infrastructure in Ivano-Frankivsk was damaged, causing a partial power outage. A Russian drone flying at a dangerously low altitude threatened the Rivne nuclear power plant.

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The number of people injured in Russian bombing strikes in Zaporizhzhia has increased to 10, with two of them being hospitalized. Police officers are receiving reports from citizens about damaged property in the area. 

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The 46th Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine encountered six tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle, and small infantry groups. The brigade’s artillery engaged them initially, followed by the operators of FPV drones and UAVs with drops. The drones skillfully neutralized three tanks and the infantry fighting vehicle, while the UAVs pursued the remaining enemy forces through fields and forests. 

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing for potential strikes against Ukraine’s three remaining operational nuclear power plants ahead of the coming winter, highlighting the Kremlin’s unwillingness to engage in good-faith negotiations and continued commitment to the destruction of the Ukrainian state and its people. 

Zelensky gave speeches to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25 stating that Ukrainian intelligence found that Russia aims to target Ukraine’s three operational nuclear power plants in order to degrade Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and power generation capacity before winter 2024–2025 and cause “nuclear disaster.” 

Zelensky recently noted that Russia is using unspecified Chinese satellites to photograph Ukraine’s nuclear power plants in preparation for strikes and emphasized in his UNGA speech that Russia’s previous winter strike campaigns against Ukrainian energy infrastructure have already destroyed Ukraine’s thermal power generation capacity and severely degraded its hydroelectric power generation capacity.

Russian authorities and sources have repeatedly falsely accused Ukrainian forces of targeting Russian and Russian-occupied nuclear power plants likely as part of Russia’s overarching informational effort to falsely paint Ukraine and the Zelensky government as illegitimate actors and war criminals with whom Russia cannot engage in peace negotiations.

Zelensky’s UN speeches also emphasized the principles of international law and the UN Charter as the main avenue through which Ukraine can achieve peace and highlighted the illegality of Russia’s war under international law alongside Russia’s ongoing destabilizing global efforts to enhance its war in Ukraine.

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Fighter Andriy Prozapas died on August 2, 2023, near the village of Vilshana, Kharkiv region. While performing a combat mission, he came under enemy mortar fire and was mortally wounded. The defender would have turned 36 in September.

Andriy was born in the village of Lapni, Volyn region. He lived in the city of Kovel. He graduated from the Pedagogical Faculty of Rivne State Humanitarian University with a Physical Education and Sports degree. At the same time, he participated in various sports competitions. His greatest passion was football. He repeatedly participated in football tournaments in his region. He was the top scorer in the 2020 Kovel District Football Championship. Throughout his life, he played in the following football teams: “Liubomyrka, Radoshyn, Lublinets, and Kovel. 

Since February 24, 2022, the man has been defending his country from invaders. At first, he was in the TRO, and in March, he joined the Armed Forces. He served in the 14th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. He held the positions of rifleman and medic. He participated in the defense of the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions.

For his service, he was awarded the badge “Insignia of the Commander of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great”, the medal “For Exemplary Military Service,” III degree, and the Princely Cross of the Hero “Forever in Service”.

“Andriy was a great family man: a wonderful father, a caring and loving husband. We raised two children together and dreamed of building a house. He was a pillar of support for all of us, and for me he was the whole world, the love of my life. He was sincere, balanced, modest, humane, brave, courageous, positive, patient, loyal, loving, so simple-minded, but how beautiful he was in his simplicity. He always acted according to his conscience and did not change his life principles. Andriy had the kindest heart… He went to war not because he was “born for war”. No! He went because he was afraid to the point of wild trembling in his heart that the war would reach here, to his dearest ones,” said his wife Olena.

The fighter was buried in the village of Verbka in Volyn. A memorial plaque was installed in the deceased’s native school. Andriy is survived by his parents, wife, son, daughter and two sisters. 

*Andriy’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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• US promises to support training of 18 more Ukrainian F-16 pilots next year
• Biden to convene leader-level Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Germany in October
• Pentagon has recommended giving white phosphorus shells to Ukraine, but White House keeps saying no
• UK PM to Zelenskyy: these weeks and months are crucial
• Germany to donate EUR 70M to support Ukraine’s energy system