Ukraine updates: Von der Leyen in Kyiv announces €35bn loan

Freed Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza has called on Russia's  exiled opposition along with Western governments to lay the groundwork for a democratic transition once Vladimir Putin leaves office.

Speaking at a think-tank in London, Kara-Murza said Russia squandered this opportunity after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"We need to learn from those past mistakes, from those past lessons, to make sure we do not repeat these failures the next time a window of opportunity for change in Russia opens," he said.

"None of us knows exactly when, exactly in what circumstances, but it's going to happen in the very foreseeable future," he said. "And next time, we must get this right."  

Kara-Murza was released from a Siberian penal colony on August 1 as part of a major prisoner swap that included other Kremlin critics as well as Western journalists. He had spent more than two years in detention for his opposition to Putin and the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has charged four of its soldiers serving in occupied Ukraine with the torture of a US citizen living in Russian-controlled Donetsk, who had been fighting on the side of pro-Moscow forces since 2014.

In a rare case of accusing active-duty soldiers in Ukraine of committing crimes, Russia's Investigative Committee said it had "established all the persons involved in the death of Russell Bentley and the circumstances of the offenses committed."

The 64-year-old Bentley, known as "Texas," was pronounced dead in April in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. His wife said at the time that he had been abducted and killed by Russian troops.

According to the investigation, soldiers tortured and killed Bentley on April 8 in Donetsk. Two of them then blew up a military vehicle containing his body before another moved the remains to cover up the crime, investigators said.

Authorities did not say what motivated the soldiers to kill Bentley, who regularly appeared on pro-Kremlin social media channels supporting Moscow's full-scale military offensive in Ukraine. 

Russian media have suggested that the soldiers may have mistaken Bentley for a US spy.

Ukraine has banned government officials, military personnel and other defense and critical infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices. The move was described as necessary for national security during the war with Russia. 

Ukraine's National Cybersecurity Coordination Center said it issued the ban for the official devices of government employees, military personnel, security and defense workers, and critical infrastructure employees. 

People who use the app as part of their official duties will be granted an exception to the ban. Ukrainians are free to use the app on their personal devices. 

The app is widely used in Ukraine, not only for text messaging but also for reading the news, including updates on the Russian airstrikes. 

During a meeting on Thursday, the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Telegram is actively used by Russia for cyberattacks, phishing, spreading malware, locating users and calibrating missile strikes.

Telegram's Russian-born founder and chief executive, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France last monthand charged with publishing illegal content on the application. 

Norway will increase its civilian aid to Ukraine by 5 billion kroner (€425 million or $475 million) this year and extend its aid package to 2030, bringing the total to 135 billion kroner, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said.

The Scandinavian country has already pledged 22 billion kroner in military and civilian aid for this year, and the additional 5 billion will be used for "important civilian needs," Store told journalists after a meeting with parliamentary leaders.

"We are living through a very dangerous situation in Europe," Store said.

To get the increased package through parliament, Store's center-left minority government will need the support of the opposition, which has largely backed increased aid to Ukraine.

A Russian missile strike has damaged port infrastructure and an Antigua-flagged civilian ship in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on social media.

Four people were injured in the strike, Kiper said.

"Debris from, according to preliminary assessment, an Iskander-M missile, damaged port and civilian infrastructure, as well as a civilian ship flying the flag of Antigua," Kiper said.

The attack comes a week after Ukraine accused Moscow of hitting a civilian grain ship traveling from Odesa to Egypt with a cruise missile near Romanian waters. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that he hoped US President Joe Biden would support his plan to end war with Russia.

"I really hope that he will support this plan," AFP news agency quoted Zelenskyy as saying during a press conference with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv.

"The plan is designed for decisions that will have to happen from October to December... We would like that very much. Then we believe that the plan will work," Zelenskyy said.

Biden is set to leave office in January following November's US presidential election.

Zelenskyy is due to travel to the United States in the coming week where he will meet Biden and Kamala Harris on September 26.

The Ukrainian leader has frequently referenced his victory plan but has not given much detail as to what it entails.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday announced that the EU would grant Ukraine a loan of up to €35 billion ($39 billion).

"Relentless Russian attacks mean Ukraine needs continued EU support. The EU Commission will provide a loan of up to 35 billion euros to Ukraine as part of the G7 pledge. This is another major EU contribution to Ukraine's recovery," von der Leyen said in a post on social media platform X.

The loan — announced during a visit to Kyiv by von der Leyen — is part of a wider plan involving G7 nations to raise funds using the proceeds of seized Russian assets, a measure taken to sanction Moscow for launching an invasion against its neighbor.

An independent Russian news website and the BBC said they had identified over 70,000 Russian soldiers who have been killed since the start of the war in Ukraine.

"We have identified the names of 70,112 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, but the actual number is believed to be considerably higher," the BBC Russian service said.

The count was compiled in partnership with Russian news portal Mediazona. The figures were based on the analysis of official statements, obituaries and death notices in online networks and also involved monitoring the graves in cemeteries in Russia.

The period of analysis ran from the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022 to 19 September.

Other estimates of the death toll, on both sides, have shown variation due to the secret nature of the figures and lack of clear sources. A report from the Wall Street Journal came to the figure of 1 million total dead and wounded on both sides, including some 80,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers.

Some Western intelligence agencies have put that latter figure closer to 200,000.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was preparing for "important negotiations with our European partner" in comments made ahead of the visit by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv.

"As we approach the winter season — and especially during this critical autumn — we have many pressing issues that significantly impact Ukraine and the lives of our people," Zelenskyy said in a post on social media platform X.

"Energy is an urgent priority. The front remains a constant priority, which includes supplying and jointly producing weapons," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also highlighted the importance of political cooperation, saying it was "crucial" and that the negotiations for EU membership were a process that "must be active, truly strengthening the entire European system."

The Ukrainian president said that Russian assets also needed to be up for discussion and that they "should be directed towards protecting life in Ukraine from Russian aggression."

The comments were accompanied by a video address to the people of Ukraine in which he gave an update on a Russian strike that hit a nursing home in Sumy. At least one person was killed in the attack.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that another SAMP-T air defense system would be sent to Ukraine in comments to local media.

"We are sending a new Samp-T [anti-missile system] to protect hospitals, schools, universities... for this country that was attacked by Russia," Tajani told Italy’s Radio 24.

He added that "defending Ukraine does not mean bringing a world war... We are helping Ukraine and must reach a fair peace.”

The SAMP-T is a European-made mobile missile system designed to defend against multiple missile and aircraft threats.

Italy and France jointly supplied a battery to Ukraine last year.

Ukraine's air force said on Friday that 61 out 70 Russian attack drones had been shot down along with one out of four missiles launched in overnight strikes.

"The air defense system operated in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Khmelnytsky, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson regions," it said on the Telegram messenger service.

"Air force, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups and units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved in repelling the enemy's air attack," the air force said adding that it had received no information about casualties or destruction.

EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Friday and said she was there to discuss European support, preparations for winter and progress on G7 loans.

"My 8th visit to Kyiv comes as the heating season starts soon, and Russia keeps targeting energy infrastructure," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The post was accompanied with a picture of her at a train station.

"We will help Ukraine in its brave efforts. I come here to discuss Europe's support. From winter preparedness to defence, to accession and progress on the G7 loans." 

Von der Leyen is set to discuss assistance for Ukraine's energy supply with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later on Friday.

The EU is to provide an additional €160 million ($178 million) to Ukraine to help repair the damaged energy infrastructure, expand
renewable energy, and fund shelters, the EU chief said ahead of her trip.

Continuous Russian attacks have destroyed large parts of Ukraine's critical infrastructure and have led to rolling blackouts in the eastern parts of the country.

European countries have sent thousands of generators to Ukraine which are harder to hit and are easier to repair.

kb/ab (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)