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05:44Ukraine is racing to scale up a new generation of intercepted drones as Russia increasingly
05:50deploys jet powers drones in its attacks.
05:54Reunyus gained exclusive access to an air defense position protecting the Kyiv
05:58region, and spoke exclusively to the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Kirill
06:03Budanov, about the technology being developed to counter the new threat.
06:07Our correspondent Sasza Vakulina joins us now from Kyiv.
06:12Good morning, Sasza.
06:13So, what is the latest? What can you tell us?
06:21Another rather sleepless night here in the capital, with the air defense working non-stop.
06:27Kyiv residents woke up by around 3 a.m. local time, with at least 10 explosions,
06:32as Ukrainian air defense were intercepting the incoming ballistic missiles on top of the endless drone attacks.
06:39Now, Ukraine is currently working on the technology to intercept Russia's new jet-powered drones.
06:46And I spoke exclusively to Kirill Budanov, the head of the office of the president of Ukraine,
06:51who told me the technology is already being implemented.
06:53Moreover, it is being tested at the battlefield.
06:55And he said that the challenge now is to be able to scale up the production of these interceptors.
07:01But he is confident that it will be possible to do before the cold comes here, before the winter in
07:08Ukraine.
07:09And he also told Uranus confirmed that the countries who have already signed the drone deals with Ukraine
07:14or who are negotiating those drone deals with Kyiv will have access to these new interceptors
07:21capable of stopping Russia's jet-powered drones.
07:26This isn't about any specific product.
07:29In principle, it's about cooperation between countries on similar products, so to speak.
07:34So Ukraine's latest technologies, which are currently being scaled up,
07:38including interceptors for jet-powered drones,
07:40could also become part of agreements with the European countries?
07:43Anyone who has made such agreements with us has the right to continue negotiations on specific products.
07:49Euronews was also given exclusive access to some of the air defense troops working in the Kyiv region
07:56to see what the changing threat means for them,
07:59for those people who are indeed in charge of protecting the skies.
08:03Now, they told us that when a jet-powered drone is incoming,
08:06there are about 10 seconds before it can reach Kyiv.
08:09And this is more or less the time that they also have to be able and to prepare to shoot
08:13it down,
08:14between 10 to 15 seconds.
08:16And, of course, this intensity is taking its toll on the cruise as well.
08:20Some of these troops I talked to in Kyiv and in the region of the capital
08:25told me that over the past couple of days or even weeks,
08:29they could only do about an hour and an hour and a half of sleep.
08:33We also talked to Pavlo Tsugunov, who is aircraft battery commander,
08:37and he described the pressure on his crews under why these new jet-powered drones
08:43are so difficult for some of the existing systems to intercept
08:47and what exactly the troops are doing to do that nevertheless.
08:55First of all, there is this constant pressure.
08:59The enemy is constantly putting both those defending the skies and civilians under pressure.
09:04In my view, this is a tactic aimed at intimidating the civilian population.
09:11Since the Russians are not currently making progress in direct combat on the front,
09:15they are trying to frighten the population into withdrawing its support from the military
09:20and ultimately to force the military to accept capitulation.
09:32Sasha Vakulina reporting from Kyiv.
09:35As ever, thank you very much.
09:37An important element in Russia's war machine is Belarus,
09:41a neighboring country with pariah status in Europe.
09:45Conversely, Alexander Lukashenko's regime benefits from Moscow's support.
09:49But unlike in Russia, there is a strong pro-democracy movement in Belarus
09:54that is preparing an exile for the end of the dictatorship in Minsk.
09:59The opposition leader is Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya,
10:02who works tirelessly for her country's freedom,
10:05as she did yesterday at the European Parliament in Brussels.
10:09I had the opportunity to speak with her about her take
10:12on the likelihood of the war in Ukraine spilling over into the EU.
10:17Look, I don't know what the plans of Russia and Lukashenko's regime are,
10:23but we are seeing what's happening in Belarus, for example,
10:28how regime is building new infrastructure that is not supposed to be there
10:33if a country is not preparing for escalation or provocation.
10:37So, I think that Europe has to be aware of what might happen,
10:44you know, and experts say about the Suwalki gap,
10:47about threats to Lithuania, Latvia, Poland.
10:51And we already see these hybrid attacks on these countries.
10:55We see drones flying over their territories.
10:58We see these balloons over Lithuania that interrupts airspace.
11:04We saw already attacks on trains near Polish borders.
11:09So, we see how, like, Russia is trying to test how far it will go
11:14until there will be reaction.
11:16But I'm absolutely sure that if such, like, physical attacks will take place,
11:22they most certainly will use Belarusian territory,
11:26while Lukashenko is there, who is serving to Russia's interest.
11:30So, that's why, you know, I encourage our European partners
11:35that please help Belarusians to get Belarus out of Russia's claws,
11:39to make Belarus reliable partner and not the source of constant threat,
11:43because these attacks, you know, on NATO alliance,
11:47it might happen at any moment.
11:49How would you describe Lukashenko's role in the current conflict?
11:56Lukashenko is the puppet of Putin's regime.
11:59He's ready to sell independency, sovereignty of Belarus,
12:05just in exchange of political and economic support.
12:08He wants personally survive as politician.
12:10And in 2020 Putin saved him, saved Lukashenko.
12:15Now Lukashenko is paying his debts.
12:17He's on the leash, and the issue is how long is the leash.
12:20Putin can shorten it or make it longer,
12:24but it's illusion that we can, like, drag Lukashenko from Putin.
12:30They have this symbiotic relationship.
12:32They need each other, they use each other.
12:34And that's why I don't think that Lukashenko can be re-educated
12:41or that he can turn his eyes to Europe.
12:46Would you say that the moment Putin's reign comes to an end,
12:52that would also be the end of Lukashenko's regime in Minsk?
12:57Look, I rather often hear from politicians that,
13:00oh, until something changes will come to Russia,
13:04nothing will change in Belarus.
13:05But I'm absolutely confident that changes in Russia can start from the changes in Belarus.
13:11Because in Belarus society is more consolidated.
13:15You know, we know that we voted against Lukashenko in 2020,
13:20and these anti-regime moods, they're still there,
13:23despite repressions, despite political prisoners.
13:27And, you know, it's much easier, you know,
13:30to help Belarusians to win our country back
13:33than to work with Russia and persuade all the Russians
13:37that they have to stop their imperial ambitions.
13:40You know, the contexts are different in Belarus and Russia.
13:43Recently, NATO shot down a drone over Lithuania.
13:48Is that a sufficiently strong message to Moscow?
13:53And how should NATO react if this happens again?
13:56You know, when this drone fell down,
13:58there was almost no reaction from NATO alliance.
14:02Like, drone didn't kill anybody.
14:04Like, maybe it's accidental.
14:06The next drone might harm somebody.
14:09So, you know, Russia also watches what will be the reaction from the Western countries.
14:14There is no reaction.
14:15Okay, they can go further and further, as I said, test the borders.
14:20You know, and, of course, among population, you know,
14:24these narratives intensifying that the war can start,
14:28there might be attacks on Lithuania.
14:30And Lithuanian people, for example,
14:32they're not sure that the NATO alliance, you know,
14:34other countries will come to rescue them.
14:36We have to take example from Ukraine.
14:39You know, because before it was only attacked by Russia,
14:43now it is attacking back.
14:45I'm not, like, encouraging Europe to attack back immediately,
14:48but just to be prepared for possible counterattack,
14:51you know, if this happens,
14:54Europe has to be ready for this.
14:55I have one more, and your answer can be short.
14:59If you had one message to European leaders
15:03about the Russian-Belorussian drone threat,
15:08what would it be?
15:14Don't panic, but be prepared.
15:19That was Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.
15:24Let's return to the Euronews Defense Summit
15:26happening this morning here in Brussels.
15:29The transatlantic partnership is under pressure like never before
15:32as a result of the second Trump administration's
15:35transactional America First policies,
15:38which, among other things,
15:39includes a major shift away from the U.S. role in European security.
15:43All of this while the continent grapples
15:46with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine,
15:48soon to be marking five years.
15:51At the summit today,
15:52we'll speak exclusively to U.S. Ambassador to NATO,
15:55Matthew Whittaker.
15:56I'm joined now from there by our NATO correspondent,
16:00Shona Murray.
16:01Good morning, Shona.
16:02Good to see you.
16:03What do you hope to hear from Ambassador Whittaker
16:06about the role of the U.S. in European security?
16:11Well, good morning, Stefan.
16:12And indeed, we knew that the United States
16:14has moved significantly from its traditional role
16:17as guarantor of European security
16:19to a situation where it's withdrawing capabilities,
16:22conventional capabilities,
16:23and also in the next few months
16:24will announce a significant reduction in troops
16:27all across NATO territory.
16:29Now, this has been a priority for the Trump administration.
16:31It was well flagged.
16:32But the problem for Europe is that it's happening
16:35while there's Russian aggression in Ukraine
16:36and escalating Russian aggression
16:38all across NATO territory
16:40with these increased hybrid attacks.
16:42So we'll be asking the Ambassador a bit about this
16:45and whether he believes this is not just about
16:47intimidating countries to stop supporting Ukraine,
16:49but also about testing NATO unity,
16:52which is a lot of secret services across Europe
16:54are saying it is.
16:55So the question is,
16:56will the United States be there for NATO
16:58if this were to happen?
17:00Other questions are very important
17:01around the scarcity of important patriotic interceptors
17:05that are very,
17:06patriot systems that are very important for Ukraine
17:08in intercepting ballistic missiles.
17:10And overall, a conversation about NATO relations
17:13with Donald Trump and his NATO allies
17:15given the conflict and the confrontation
17:18over the war in Iran.
17:20So all of that coming up this morning.
17:21Stefan?
17:22Also, Shona, yesterday the Estonian government
17:26formally attributed responsibility to Russia
17:28for an attack on a defence company,
17:31the second of its kind.
17:33Undoubtedly, this will feature as part of today's summit.
17:37Tell us what happened.
17:40Well, this situation overall
17:43will very much dominate today
17:44because we are seeing Russia being less risk-averse
17:47when it comes to these attacks
17:48all across NATO territory
17:50and the fact that they're much more violent and kinetic.
17:53And the one in Estonia was very similar
17:55to that in Leipzig Airport in Germany in August
17:57where this was a sabotage,
17:59an arson attack on a robotics defence company
18:02in Tallinn in mid-August.
18:04The Estonians came out yesterday
18:06and said, according to their secret services,
18:08that they can confirm with certainty,
18:10conclude with certainty
18:11that the arson attack was an act of sabotage
18:14ordered by the special services
18:15of the Russian Federation.
18:17The second time a NATO country has said
18:20that this is definitely Russia,
18:21which means that countries themselves
18:23are becoming much more confrontational
18:25with the Kremlin.
18:26Now, what does this mean?
18:27It means that it's an escalation in tensions,
18:31but that doesn't mean that they want to go to war per se,
18:33but certainly relations are getting that much more tense.
18:37Stefan?
18:38All right, Sean Amari there for us.
18:40Thank you very much for that update.
18:42And that does it for us today.
18:44Make sure you follow our Defence Summit on TV and online.
18:47Thank you for watching.
18:48I'm Stefan Grobe and I see you tomorrow.
19:18I'm Stefan Grobe and I see you tomorrow.
19:42Dzięki za oglądanie!
20:00Dzięki za oglądanie!
