War in Ukraine: a loan of 35 billion euros, a new “Russian doll” drone feared by kyiv… an update on the situation

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Friday, September 20, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict.

Ursula von der Leyen announces a loan of 35 billion euros to Ukraine

The European Union will lend up to 35 billion euros to Ukraine using Russian assets frozen abroad, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday during a visit to Kiev. "This is another major contribution from the EU to the reconstruction of Ukraine", the head of the European executive said on the social network X. "Russia's continued attacks mean that Ukraine needs the EU's sustained support", she added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the money will be used to bolster his country's air defense and energy infrastructure. Under a June deal between the G7 nations, the money lent to Kiev is to be repaid over time with interest earned on Russian assets abroad that have been frozen by the West since the Russian military attacked Ukraine in February 2022.

Shortly after the invasion, $300 billion (€268 billion) of Russian assets were frozen by the West, but it took months for the West to agree on a financing mechanism. In May, EU member states agreed that 90% of the proceeds from Russian assets would go to military aid to Kiev. Von der Leyen announced her arrival in the Ukrainian capital this morning for a visit to discuss European support for Ukraine, winter preparations and G7 loans. “My 8th visit to Kyiv comes as the cold season is about to begin and Russia continues to target energy infrastructure”, she said on X.

On Thursday, the Commission President announced that €160 million from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets would be transferred to Ukraine to help it meet its humanitarian and energy needs this winter. Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, Russia has taken out around 9 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity in Ukraine, equivalent to the combined capacity of the three Baltic republics, according to the Commission President. “Our goal is to restore 2.5 GW of capacity, which is 15% of Ukraine's needs”, Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the European Union on Friday of having “lost its mind” and of persisting on a “suicidal” slope by allocating ever more funds to Ukraine. “The EU has lost its mind […] and continues to follow a confrontational and suicidal path", said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry. "This is the path to escalating tensions with Russia".

It would allow FPVs to reach more distant targets, the new “Russian doll” drone feared by kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still waiting for the green light from Western countries for the use of long-range missiles in Russia. However, this authorization has not yet been granted, while Ukrainian forces continue to be targeted by new weapons deployed by Vladimir Putin's troops, as reported by Geo.

One such military innovation is a drone dubbed “Russian doll”. This type of drone could increase the effectiveness of attacks tenfold. According to Serhii Flash, a Ukrainian expert in military technology, these FPV drones are used at surprising distances, potentially carried by larger drones such as the Burya-20, developed by the Russian company SPC Berkut. Capable of flying over 64 km from the control center, this drone is used to launch multiple FPV drones while guiding them remotely.

This tactic, which consists of deploying multiple drones from a larger one, is a first in this conflict, according to Flash, and represents a threat feared by kyiv. These "Russian dolls" allow to attack targets at long range with increased precision, posing a new challenge for Ukrainian defense.