Victory Chronicles-DAY 951

US President Joe Biden may advance the status of Ukraine’s NATO membership application before he leaves office in January 2025, according to an unnamed Western official cited by the Financial Times. The announcement comes ahead of a meeting between Ukraine and its allies, which President Biden will chair on October 12. 

While Biden has publicly expressed support for Ukraine’s NATO membership, he has not taken active steps to bring Ukraine closer to joining, such as extending an invitation to join the Alliance. However, there are preliminary indications that Biden may be willing to change the status of Ukraine’s membership bid before the end of his term. 

NATO membership remains a crucial goal for Ukraine, but achieving it is contingent upon a lasting ceasefire and a clear delineation of the territory covered by the Alliance’s mutual defense clause.

The ratio of Ukrainian and Russian artillery ammunition on the battlefield is currently 1:3, according to First Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk. This is an improvement compared to the winter of 2024 when the ratio was 1:8. However, Havryliuk noted that the advantage still lies with Russia due to their greater human potential and resources. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is working to offset this advantage by introducing innovative solutions and military technologies. They focus on quickly identifying and solving problems on the battlefield and implementing these solutions through technologies and weapons. While the process is imperfect, powerful steps are being taken in this direction. The Ministry acknowledges that the party that can solve problems and implement innovative solutions faster will gain the advantage and win the war.

On October 1, Russian troops targeted a market and a public transportation stop in Kherson, Ukraine, with artillery, resulting in the deaths of six people and injuries to six others. Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Regional Administration: “The occupants attacked a market in the center of Kherson. The outlets where Kherson residents were buying or selling products in the morning were attacked. At least eight people are known to have been injured. Preliminary, five people were killed and three others were injured.” 

The official channel of the National Police of Ukraine has published a video that shows what the city of Toretsk looks like today. “Hundreds of shells and mines, dozens of air bombs, an endless number of FPV drones are fired by the enemy at the city every day. Every day, our brave defenders risk their lives to protect their homeland,” the National Police said in a statement.

The Russian government plans to spend 17 trillion rubles ($183 billion) on national security and defense in 2025 — about 41 percent of its annual expenditures. The Russian government submitted a bill on the federal budget for 2025 to 2027 to the State Duma on September 30.

The bill projects federal revenues to be 40.3 trillion rubles ($433 billion) in 2025 and federal expenditures to amount to 41.5 trillion rubles ($446 billion). The budget calls for 13.5 trillion rubles ($145 billion) to go towards “National Defense” expenditures in 2025 and projects that defense spending will decrease to 12.8 trillion rubles ($137 billion) in 2026 but increase to 13 trillion rubles ($139 billion) in 2027.

The 2025 budget also calls for 3.5 trillion rubles ($37 billion) towards “National Security” — meaning that Russia plans to commit about 41 percent of its expenditures in 2025 to combined “defense” and “security” expenses. The budget notably allocates 14.03 billion rubles ($151 million) annually from 2025 to 2027 to the creation of a mobilization reserve in the Russian Armed Forces.

The bill calls for about 40 billion rubles ($430 million) in 2025 to fund the “Defenders of the Fatherland Fund,” which supports Russian veterans and their families.[4] The Russian government is also earmarking significant funding towards developing new technologies. The 2025–2027 budget allocates 6.1 trillion rubles ($65 billion) for measures to “achieve technological leadership,” 234.4 billion rubles ($2.5 billion) for machine-tool production, 112.1 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) for the “Unmanned Aircraft Systems” production project, 46.9 billion rubles ($504 million) for the development of new nuclear and energy technologies, and 175.3 billion rubles ($1.8 billion) for the development of radio and microelectronics.

Increases in defense spending do not necessarily equate to increased military capabilities, however, especially when significant funding is going towards paying benefits to Russian fighters, veterans, and their families.

Tanker Oleh Palamarchuk, with the call sign Sova, died on January 15, 2024, near the village of Terny in Donetsk region. In battle, he led his entire crew out of a hit tank, but did not have time to get out himself. The fighter was 54 years old.

Oleh was from the village of Hybalivka, Vinnytsia region. He studied at the Mohyliv-Podilskyi assembly technical school. In 2014-2016, he participated in the ATO. Recently, he worked as a rescuer.

On February 26, 2023, the man volunteered for the war. He was trained in Sweden. He served in the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a tank Commander of a tank platoon, a tank company, and a tank battalion.  

The fighter received awards for his meritorious service: “For Combat Valor” and ‘Cross of Military Merit’. “He was a very good man and a loving brother,” said Natalia, the deceased’s sister. Oleh was buried in his native village. He is survived by his wife, son and sister.

*Oleh’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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