The command of the armed forces of Germany, as part of the planned EU mission to train Ukrainian military personnel, intends to accept 5,000 Ukrainian military personnel for training, Ntv reported on Sunday.
According to the channel, recruits will participate in basic training as part of the EU mission, while more experienced soldiers will receive special training. In particular, in the Bundeswehr, the Ukrainian military will be trained in the use of the Iris-T air defense system, the first installation of which, according to German media, Berlin has already transferred to Kyiv.
In total, the EU mission plans to train 15,000 Ukrainian military personnel.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said that at the moment she considers it more important to supply Ukraine with air defense systems, rather than tanks.
Earlier, a senior European official told reporters on condition of anonymity that a decision on the EU mission to train Ukrainian military personnel is expected to be made at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday in Luxembourg. According to him, the EU is preparing a mission, which should start functioning in mid-November. “We will train 12 thousand people and another 2.8 thousand will receive specialized training,” the official said.
The two-year mission mandate trainees will include both new recruits and experienced military personnel. There is a need for basic training and special training, the official explained.
About 13,000 Ukrainians of Jewish origin have repatriated to Israel since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while the number of repatriates from Russia amounted to 26,000, that is, about one in eight Russian Jews left the country, writes The Guardian on Sunday.
According to the publication, another 35,000 Russians of Jewish origin are awaiting paperwork.
“The repatriation process has been expedited for Ukrainians who are classified as refugees, but unexpected demand from Russia has stunned the Jewish Agency, a quasi-state body that facilitates immigration… However, the work of the Jewish Agency is under threat. In July, the Russian Ministry of Justice recommended closing the organization,” – writes the publication.
The article notes that despite pressure from its Western allies to take a decisive stance, Israel tried to remain neutral in the Russian war in Ukraine, as it relies on Moscow to facilitate its military operations in Syria, but the threat of closing the offices of the Jewish Agency prompted the acting Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid to warn that such a move would deal a serious blow to bilateral relations.
Since 1950, Israel has experienced several waves of aliyah from countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia and Yemen, as well as an influx of more than 1 million people from the USSR and its independent republics after 1989. According to Ukrainian-born Knesset member Yuli Edelshtein, who spent three years in a Siberian penal colony, history repeats itself. “Danger has been a part of the Jewish experience in Russia for generations. Nobody will ever forget this… This time people leave in a hurry – they are driven by fear,” he said.
Russian citizens in Israel are still accepted as tourists. Five new private agencies have also opened to help Jewish Russians make aliyah. “Municipal administration offices across the country have seen a surge in the number of people looking for documents to support their claims of Jewish ancestry. Many of those turning to the authorities for help are mothers desperate to get their sons out of the country,” it said. in the article.
Source: http://theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/16/ukrainians-russians-jews-jewish-roots-flee-israel-aliyah
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted the strengthening of contacts with Saudi Arabia last week.
“There are significant agreements. Among other things, this is the decision of our partners to provide a $400 million humanitarian support package. This is very important,” he said in a video message on Sunday evening.
“We have the most significant relationship with Saudi Arabia in 30 years,” he said.
Major British clothing manufacturer Marks and Spencer’s has released a fun new Christmas game for the holiday season – chocolate in the form of everyone’s favorite Jenga game.
The £8 Chocolate Topple Towers is a selection of “milk, dark, white and light chocolate blocks”.
The viral clip, posted by the retailer’s employees, has already gained more than 300,000 views on the TikTok social network. It shows M&S employees taking turns removing the chocolate blocks before eating them, but without the tower collapsing.
However, people disagree on whether an edible version of the classic family game is needed. Still, it’s better not to joke with food.
Last week, net sales of dollars by the National Bank of Ukraine decreased extremely slightly – to $604.9 million from $608.5 million a week earlier, while in the previous two weeks they amounted to $862.0 million and $737.8 million, respectively.
According to the information of the National Bank on its website, from October 10 to October 14, it purchased $8.3 million, which corresponds to the usual purchase volumes during the war, while it sold $613.2 million compared to $615.7 million a week earlier.
In the cash market, the hryvnia strengthened by about UAH 0.3 over the week, to about UAH 40.7/$1, despite devaluation at the beginning of the week by about UAH 0.45 due to massive Russian shelling.
As reported, in September the volume of interventions of the National Bank amounted to $2.75 billion compared to $1.33 billion in August and $1.2 billion in July, but still remains much less than in June ($3.96 billion) and May ($3.3 billion). .4 billion).
In general, from the beginning of the year to October 14 inclusive, the NBU purchased $3 billion 142.2 million and EUR111.0 million on the market, and sold $20 billion 704.1 million and EUR1 billion 789.1 million.
Including since the beginning of the war, the purchase of foreign currency has reached $2 billion 485.3 million and EUR111.0 million, and the sale – $17 billion 933.9 million and EUR1 billion 789.1 million.
Ukraine’s international reserves as of October 1, 2022, according to the NBU, amounted to $23.93 billion (in equivalent), which is 5.9% less than at the beginning of September. At the same time, according to the new head of the NBU, Andriy Pyshny, as of October 7, they again exceeded $24 billion.
Moderately cool weather is expected in Ukraine in the next 24 hours.
According to Ukrgidromettsentr, on Monday, October 17, there will be no precipitation in Ukraine. In the western, central and eastern regions, it is foggy in places at night and in the morning. Wind southwest, in the southern part northeast, 5-10 m/s.
The temperature at night is from 3° to 2° below zero, in the extreme west and south of the country 3-8° warm; in the daytime 13-18°, in the western regions in some places up to 22°, in the north of the Left Bank 10-14°.
In Kyiv on Monday without precipitation. Wind southwest, 5-10 m/s. Temperature at night 1-3° warm, daytime 15-17°.
According to the Central Geophysical Observatory. Boris Sreznevsky in Kyiv on October 17, the highest temperature during the day (24.0 °) was in 2018, the lowest at night (-5.8 °) in 1976.
Tuesday, October 18, no precipitation in Ukraine. Wind southwest with transition to northwest, 5-10 m/s. Night temperature 0-5° heat, in western and northern regions 5-10°; daytime 15-20°.
In Kyiv on Tuesday no precipitation. Wind southwest with transition to northwest, 5-10 m/s. Temperature at night 8-10 ° heat; in the afternoon 17-19 °.
