Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kyiv, November 4, 2023

Wednesday’s Coverage: “A Historic Result” — EU Opens Membership Talks With Ukraine And Moldova

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1435 GMT:

Addressing the EU’s 27 heads of state and government in Brussels, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has expressed gratitude for the maintenance of European unity: “The world has seen Europe’s effectiveness. This is Europe’s historic choice.”

I’m convinced that every European nation that shares common European values should be part of the European family. This is true for Ukraine, this is true for Moldova, really for the peoples of the Balkans….I’m sure Georgia’s moment will come. And I’m sure that there will be decisions regarding Belarus, because it’s also a European nation that should be in a united Europe in the future.

We hope that the next steps will not be delayed….Ukraine is ready to go through all the necessary steps.

Zelenskiy said the pressure on Russia over its invasion is “not enough”, and Ukraine’s supporters need to fulfil promises about funding and logistics “as soon as possible”.

The President emphasized the need to protect Kharkiv and other cities from Russian guided bombs: “Our long range strikes and modern air defence are the key to stopping this terror.”

And while thanking the EU for authorizing military aid to Kyiv from the profits on Russia’s frozen assets, he called for the strengthening of sanctions against Moscow.

UPDATE 1320 GMT:

European Council President Charles Michel has announced the security pact between Ukraine and the European Union, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visiting Brussels to sign the agreement.

Zelenskiy added:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also hailed the opening of talks for Ukraine’s EU membership and the disbursal of €1.9 billion ($2.04 billion) in assistance to Kyiv.

UPDATE 1058 GMT:

Russia’s Investigative Committee says more than 30,000 migrants have been seized and 10,000 sent to Ukraine.

Committee chairman Alexander Bastrykin said, “We have already caught more than 30,000 who have received citizenship and do not want to register with the military. We have registered them and already sent about 10 thousand to the special military operation zone.”

Bastrykin said the men forced to go to Ukraine “dig trenches and create fortifications” in “the ranks of our rear units”.

UPDATE 0829 GMT:

Two civilians were killed and 31 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine on Wednesday.

In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, one person was slain and 16 injured, including two girls aged 12 and 15. An industrial site, a high-rise building, 15 houses, a gas pipeline, and the warehouse of a humanitarian aid organization were damaged

In the Donetsk region in the east, one civilian was killed and seven injured in Toretsk as six homes were damaged.

Other casualties were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.

UPDATE 0800 GMT:

Russian authorities are systemically depriving political prisoners and government critics of contact with relatives, seeking to ensure cooperation and to “impose additional suffering on them and their families”, Amnesty International has documented.

The report is based on interviews with family members of 13 detainees, lawyers, and human rights activists. Because Russian authorities forced Amnesty’s departure from the country in 2022, just after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, investigators could not speak with political prisoners.

“For a detainee facing investigation and trial, the denial of contact with the outside world is an effective reprisal used by the authorities to gain confession or a guilty plea,” Amnesty summarizes.

Authorities/ tactics including the naming of family members as witnesses in a case, barring them from contact with the detainee; transferring prisoners to another penal colony on the eve of family visits; and arbitrarily placing prisoners in disciplinary cells, barring them from visits and phone calls.

When political prisoners are able to write family, correspondence is often withheld for weeks or months.

“Not only is Russian law far from compliance with [international] standards, it also enables authorities to continue harassing and persecuting their opponents behind bars,” the report concludes. “Moreover, practice in Russia today is such that it often does not conform with the country’s own legislation.”

UPDATE 0749 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 5 of 6 missiles and all 23 Iran-type attack drones fired by Russia overnight.

No information has been given of any damage or casualties.

UPDATE 0720 GMT:

The US Justice Department has charged Russian national Amin Timovich Stigal, 22, with conspiring to hack and destroy computer systems and data in Ukraine and allied countries including the US.

The Department announced a $10 million reward for information on Stigal, who remains at large. It said he initially targeted Kyiv’s government systems and data with no military-related role, and then attacked computer systems in the US and other countries that provided support to Kyiv.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The European Union and Ukraine will sign a security pact with Ukraine on Thursday.

The agreement will set out the EU’s commitment to assist in nine areas of security and defense policy, including arms deliveries, military training, defense industry cooperation, and demining.

It follows Ukraine’s 10-year bilateral pacts with 16 countries, including 13 in Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to attend the signing ceremony in Brussels.

A draft document, seen by Reuters, says commitments will remain in effect “as Ukraine pursues its European path” and will be reviewed in 10 years at the latest.

It notes that the EU has agreed on €5 billion ($5.34 billion) for a fund for Ukraine military aid this year; however, it does not specify the value or quantity of future assistance.

“Further comparable annual increases could be envisaged until 2027,” the document explains.