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Excalibur despite reports that planning was underway to provide it and that it was already in use in Ukraine. The Defense Department will spend $92M in congressionally approved supplemental funds for procurement of replacement M982 Excalibur munitions transferred to Ukraine.
Ukraine says that it is currently working on implementing the EU’s reform recommendations and expects the European Commission to give a positive assessment by the end of the year allowing pre-accession negotiations to begin, Ukraine Business News reported. In particular Shmyhal stated that Ukraine is working on visa-free customs processes, further integration into the Bloc’s energy, digital, roaming, and payment spaces as well as industrial and transport alignment.
Zelenskiyy announces his demands for the eighth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. According to the Deputy Head of the President's Office, Igor Zhovkva, the sanctions should be further strengthened. The next set of restrictions proposed are gas sanctions, the disconnection of all Russian banks, without exception, from the SWIFT system, further restrictions on trade with the Russian Federation in other goods, and restrictions on EU visas for Russians. Zhovkva believes that the decision of several EU ministers to limit or cancel the visa facilitation agreement is insufficient. Furthermore, he notes that Russian citizens can now enter the European Union's territory only by land, "therefore, of course, the position of the states neighboring the Russian Federation will be decisive."
President Zelenskiyy predicts Ukraine’s future as the EU's green energy hub. Ukraine can become a green energy hub for Europe, replacing Russia's dirty energy resources. As President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy emphasized, Ukraine possesses a huge natural potential for establishing capacities in green energy, including green hydrogen. The head of state is convinced that the European energy market needs a player like Ukraine. Zelenskiyy notes that Ukraine already exports electricity to the EU, but the scale of cooperation can be increased exponentially. The president also said that Ukrainian territory has a complete range of natural resources and minerals - from gas to uranium, from lithium to titanium, from coal to quartzites, among other valuable assets.
Analysts proclaim 70% implementation of the McFaul-Yermak group sanctions plan. The implementation of the sanctions plan of the McFaul-Yermak group will reach about 70% after the latest announcements by the G7 and the EU on energy restrictions, according to a report by the KSE. It is noted that subject to the introduction of price restrictions on gas and oil, the further ban on the insurance of Russian tankers, etc., the implementation of the Yermak-McFaul group's plan will be 67%. If these conversations remain in the plane of discussion, the plan's implementation is 60%. The KSE indicated that Russia will lose 50% of its income from exporting oil and oil products as a result of the oil price cap in December and 75% in February. In addition, sanctions against coal from the Russian Federation have stopped the export of the resource by sea. In parallel with this, a discussion began regarding the 8th package of EU sanctions.
IAEA says Russian military equipment present inside Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, calls for safe zone. The International Atomic Energy Agency observed the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles, and equipment at various places inside the plant's territory. "There is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical
15 UKRAINE Country Report October 2022 www.intellinews.com