34,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already benefited from this training mission.
The European Union announced on Tuesday additional aid of nearly 200 million euros for the training of Ukrainian soldiers, bringing the total budget for this mission to 255 million euros.
There are now some 34,000 Ukrainian soldiers who have benefited from this training mission, welcomed the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell following a meeting in Brussels with the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba.
In total, the EU has already allocated 27 billion euros to military support for Ukraine, but it is necessary “do more and faster”insisted Mr. Borrell.
The European Union, on the other hand, is having more difficulty releasing new funding to help Ukraine at war.
An envelope of 20 billion euros over four years proposed by Mr. Borrell is blocked by the reluctance of certain European countries to pay more, just like another of 50 billion euros envisaged to consolidate European support for Ukraine.
“We must all continue to work hard to mobilize European capabilities to oppose Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukraine, to destroy Europe”for his part said Mr. Kuleba.
Kyiv suspects Moscow of attempted poisoning
Ukraine suspects Russia of the poisoning of the wife of the head of Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, a spokesperson for this structure, Andriï Yussov, told AFP.
“This is the main hypothesis”he said, assuring that it was deliberate heavy metal poisoning, “in particular, mercury and arsenic”and not an accident.
According to Mr. Yussov, it was Marianna Boudanova and not her husband who “was the target”. “It is simply impossible to directly reach the commander (Budanov) in this way”estimated the spokesperson.
Ms Boudanova, who advises kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, was hospitalized “more than a week ago”, added Mr. Yussov. However, it is impossible for the moment to establish the exact date of the poisoning because “the attack may have been prolonged over time”argued the spokesperson.
He confirmed press information according to which traces of heavy metals had also been discovered in “several” collaborators of military intelligence, without giving other details.
Russia has so far not reacted to these accusations.
Earlier in the day, an intelligence source confirmed to AFP that Ms. Boudanova was suffering from heavy metal poisoning and was receiving treatment.
Analyzes revealed that she had traces of heavy metals in her body which “are not used in everyday life or in military affairs”.
“Their presence may indicate a deliberate attempt at poisoning”according to an intelligence source cited by the Babel information site.
“In all likelihood”the poison was delivered “with food”added a source within the police cited by the Ukraïnska Pravda site.
“She felt bad, so (medical) tests were done and they showed poisoning”she assured, affirming that Ms. Boudanova felt better and had finished “the first stage of treatment”.
Kyrylo Boudanov, 37, has acquired an almost legendary aura since the start of the invasion by occupying this key position.
He has headed the military intelligence department within the Ministry of Defense since 2020, and this structure is considered responsible for several attacks against Russia since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
The Russian authorities accuse him in particular of having organized the attack in October 2022 which partially destroyed the bridge linking Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow, to Russia.
Two months earlier, intelligence service spokesman Andrii Yusov claimed that Mr. Boudanov had been targeted by “more than ten” attempted attacks.
Bombs were notably placed in his car in 2019, an operation which was allegedly orchestrated by the Russian security services (FSB), according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general.