French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu was visiting Kiev on Thursday, as was NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The Ukrainian army claimed on Thursday September 28 that Moscow had launched an attack “massive” of drones during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, and that 31 of the 39 Russian drones used had been destroyed. The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, was visiting kyiv on Thursday, on the eve of the first Defense Industries Forum organized by Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, also visiting kyiv on Thursday, declared at the same time that the Ukrainian counter-offensive against the Russian army was winning “from the ground, little by little”. Franceinfo looks back at the highlights of the day in Ukraine.
A “massive” drone attack in the night
Natalya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Southern Military Command, said Russian drones were intercepted over coastal regions of the Black Sea, and were targeting areas further inland. during the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
Russia “continues to apply pressure and seek new tactics, including resorting to massive attacks”she said on Telegram. “This night, several groups of attack drones were launched… Air defense operated in almost the entire southern direction, in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions.”
Separately, Serguii Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said that Russian forces had “fired nearly 20 shells” over the Nikopol district during the night.
The Ukrainian counter-offensive is “gaining ground”
“Today, your forces are advancing. They face fierce fighting, but they are gaining ground little by little,” declared NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, traveling to kyiv on Thursday. “Ukrainians are fighting for their families” And “their freedom”, And “Moscow is fighting for its imperialist illusions”, he added.
Ukraine is “closer to NATO than ever”
During his visit on Thursday, Jens Stoltenberg also said that Ukraine is “closer to NATO than ever”, during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “It’s a matter of time when Ukraine will be a de jure member of the Alliance (Atlantic). We are doing everything to bring this moment closer.”, declared the leader. The allies refused to give kyiv a timetable for its accession during the last summit in July in Lithuania.
For Paris, the need to be “reliable in our aid to Ukraine”
“This war will last. As it will last (…), we must ensure that tomorrow we continue to be reliable in our aid to Ukraine”said French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, during his trip to kyiv on Thursday.
Faced with a protracted war, France wants to anchor its aid to Ukraine over the long term and move from a logic of selling military equipment to the establishment of industrial partnerships between the two countries. “Little by little, we will move towards a logic where transfer will no longer be the principle but the exception”, said the minister. The latter wants to favor “Acquisitions, sometimes under French subsidies”. For this, according to him, it is necessary “directly link our defense industry” with the Ukrainian side.
Protection of Ukrainian refugees extended
The protection granted to Ukrainian refugees in the European Union has been extended by one year, until March 2025, EU member states decided on Thursday. “The EU will support the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. The extension of protection status provides security for the more than 4 million refugees who have found refuge in the EU”declared the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whose country holds the presidency of the Council of the EU.
Since March 2022, Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have benefited from a status allowing them to reside, work and access health care in the EU. The Temporary Protection Directive was activated on March 4, 2022.