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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the European Union not to delay the development and implementation of a ninth sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine,
"I call on my colleagues in the EU -- both in the European Commission and among the EU member states -- to put aside any doubts, or, as it is fashionable to say, 'fatigue,' and start to quickly complete the ninth sanctions package," Kuleba said in an online briefing on Tuesday.
The grim, concrete bunker-like building gives off a communist-era vibe and hardly seems like a place of sanctuary,
But for children and parents, mostly mothers, who fled Ukraine, where Russia's unprovoked invasion has sparked Europe's most bloody and destructive conflict since World War II, the university dormitory in an upscale district of the Czech capital of Prague, is just that: a sanctuary.
For months now, dozens of Ukrainian refugees have lived here in Brevnov, occupying small, spartan rooms, each floor sharing a bathroom and communal kitchen. But few complain, grateful for the free accommodation. On the ground floor, there is a recreation center for children, run by an international NGO. Their parents say it's a godsend.
Children have perhaps been hardest hit by Russia's unprovoked invasion with many losing parents or becoming victims themselves. Since hostilities began on February 24, 408 children have been killed and 750 wounded, according to the latest data provided to RFE/RL from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The U.N.'s children agency, UNICEF, reported in August that more than five children were killed or injured in Ukraine daily, cautioning that the actual figures were probably much higher.
A court in St Petersburg is being asked to brand the Vesna Youth Democratic Movement as extremist and to ban its activities, The Associated Press reported.
Vesna organized protests across the country after Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
On 30 September, the St. Petersburg prosecutor's office asked the court to recognize the activist group as extremist and ban its activities in Russia.
The second hearing on the case took place Tuesday.
Lawyer Andrey Chertkov said that the argument of the prosecutor that the Vesna movement is aiming for "an unconstitutional change of power in the Russian Federation" has no evidence.
"What we are doing now is we are trying to refute it conclusively," he said.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 30.
that a bipartisan group of 16 U.S. senators pressed the Biden administration to carefully reconsider Ukraine's request for lethal Gray Eagle drones to fight Russia and asked the Pentagon to explain why it has not moved ahead, citing a copy of the letter.
The Biden administration has so far rejected requests for the armable MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, which has an operational ceiling of 29,000 feet and would represent a great technological leap forward for Ukraine.
The rejection had been based on concerns the drones could be shot down, were not essential to Ukraine's war effort and could escalate the conflict, but the Pentagon has not gone on record to confirm its stance.
Ukraine has made numerous appeals for the United States to supply it with the powerful drones, most recently with anti-drone missiles, hoping Washington will reverse its prior opposition, as Russia increasingly turns to kamikaze drones and attacks civilian infrastructure.
The senators, including Republican Joni Ernst and Democrat Joe Manchin, both of whom serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern over U.S. opposition to the request, saying that provision of the armable drone "demands careful reconsideration."
A Pentagon spokesman said, "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on our communication with elected officials."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke Tuesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the November 29-30 NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bucharest, Romania, according to a statement released by Spokesperson Ned Price.
“Secretary Blinken and Secretary General Stoltenberg discussed priorities for the meeting, including continued support to Ukraine, strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defense, and enhancing resilience. They also expressed continued support for Finland and Sweden’s NATO Accession process,” the statement said.
Disbursement of $4.5 billion in economic aid for Ukraine will begin in the coming weeks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.