(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukraine marked 35 years of independence as European leaders gathered in Kyiv to announce significant new military aid, while Ukrainian forces continued long-range strikes against Russian economic targets.
The European Commission approved a further 6.1 billion euros (£5.2 billion / $6.6 billion) in defence loans for Ukraine. This funding is earmarked for air defence systems, missiles, ammunition, and radar equipment. The new package brings total EU defence funding and loans to Ukraine to over 20 billion euros (£17 billion / $21.5 billion) for 2026.
The loan is part of a larger 90 billion euro (£76 billion / $96 billion) facility approved earlier in the year. To access the funds, Ukraine must submit detailed procurement lists, and equipment purchased must have at least 65 percent of its components sourced from the EU. The loan is ultimately intended to be financed from Russian war reparations.
European leaders, including the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, were in the Ukrainian capital for talks. The UK delegation brought permission for Ukraine to begin domestic production of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a move intended to boost Ukraine’s defence industry and relieve pressure on Western stockpiles.
Because of martial law, mass public gatherings are prohibited, so citizens marked the day informally, with many visiting the Motherland Monument in Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces reported a third consecutive day of strikes on Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, in the Krasnodar region. This follows a campaign against Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, that began in mid-July. The strikes are part of an effort to increase economic pressure on the Russian war effort.
In other developments, Ukraine is creating a National Pantheon in Kyiv to honour figures important to its independence and statehood. Poland has expressed concern that it could include members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army linked to the World War Two era Volhynia massacres. Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki warned that honouring those responsible for crimes against Polish civilians could damage Ukraine’s relations with Poland and Europe.
Poland has signed its largest ever contract for the Piorun man-portable air-defence system under NATO’s SAFE joint procurement program. The deal, worth nearly 2 billion euros (£1.7 billion / $2.15 billion), will supply launchers and missiles to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Norway.
In other news, Russia has asked Finland to ban protests outside its embassy in Helsinki on 20th September, when Russian citizens can cast ballots in parliamentary elections. Finnish media reports say Moscow requested a temporary ban on demonstrations and tighter security. Finnish law prohibits banning demonstrations in advance.
In Kazakhstan, the newly formed pro-presidential party Adilot secured a large majority in snap parliamentary elections, winning 71 percent of the vote. The party is a rebrand of the former ruling Amanat party. No opposition parties were permitted to participate, and all parties in the new parliament support President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The vote was for the country’s first single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai.
In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party co-leader Alice Weidel said that if her party took national power, it would close Germany’s borders, leave the Schengen free travel zone, and abandon the euro. The AfD holds a significant poll lead in the state of Saxony-Anhalt ahead of elections on 6th September. Poland’s foreign minister warned that reinstating permanent border controls in Germany would have serious consequences for Poland.
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