New NATO boss pledges continued support for Kyiv, the day after Russia captures key town_ DW News
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00:00Air raid sirens sounded twice in the capital as NATO's new secretary-general Mark Rutter
00:06Visited Kiev on his first official trip in the role. He met with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and discussed
00:12Ukraine's so-called victory plan. Mr. Rutter promised Kiev that the military alliance would continue to support Ukraine in its defense
00:20against Russia's invasion. Here he is at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president
00:26Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before and will continue on this path until you become a member of our alliance.
00:38I very much look forward to that day. And this is why we are so committed to supporting Ukraine.
00:48Because your security matters for ours. And your fight for freedom reflects our core principles and values.
00:58And this of course comes a day after Russian soldiers captured a key town in eastern Ukraine.
01:05Russia's defense ministry has now confirmed its win in Volhynia in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
01:10Video posted on social media appears to show Russian troops raising flags across the town.
01:16Ukrainian forces there retreated to avoid being surrounded.
01:19The victory at the intersection of two battlefields could make it easier for Russia to break through Ukraine's defensive lines.
01:29More on this from military analyst Marina Amiron from King's College London.
01:34Welcome back Marina. Both sides have been fighting over this town for two years.
01:40What is it that changed? Why did Ukraine lose control of Volhynia?
01:46Good evening Phil. Well the first issue that we have to consider is the Ukrainian operation in Kursk.
01:54Obviously it left several very important defense pillars of the Ukrainian armed forces understaffed.
02:03And of course Ukraine doesn't have enough artillery shells. It's trying to supplement with drones.
02:08And so those two places would be Pokrovsk and Vuhledar which has now fallen to Russian control.
02:16Also the Russians from their side they have adjusted their tactics.
02:21They're using a lot of fabs in order to shape the battlefield so to say.
02:28And it's quite demoralizing for the Ukrainian armed forces located there.
02:33And they are trying to attack along the flanks.
02:38So they have worked out a tactical approach which seems to be working with all three branches or all two branches working in coordination.
02:48So the air force, the army, aviation and the Russian army.
02:53And is this a significant win for Russian forces in that area?
02:58Well it is. Because Vuhledar is firstly a good defensible position. It's located on a height.
03:07The second thing is that it opens up the way for the Russians to Korakhove.
03:14Which is if you look at the map and you look at the river located to the north of Korakhove it would be difficult to storm from the north.
03:23So now the Russians have the opportunity to get to Korakhove from the south.
03:28It also opens up the road to broader Zaporizhia region. Towns like Gulaipole for instance.
03:35So it's not clear where the Russians will be going next.
03:39But it did destroy one of important defense posts for the Ukrainian armed forces.
03:47And it's not only the military strategic side that counts here but also it's a huge impact on the Ukrainian armed forces morale.
03:56NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte was in Kiev today.
04:01President Zelensky asked again for Ukraine to be allowed to use long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
04:09Would a yes to that request actually change the situation on the battlefield in the east?
04:16Well the problem is that Ukraine doesn't have enough long-range missiles in order to make a significant impact and change the dynamics in the Donbass.
04:30So if yes were said then there should be a greater commitment with deep strike systems provided to Ukraine.
04:40And of course we know that the targeting data would have to be provided by NATO.
04:47All the satellite imagery on high-value targets, on industrial sites, on military sites inside Russia.
04:56So yes, with all that Ukraine has at its disposal now will have most likely an operational effect.
05:05But it certainly is not going to change the dynamics of the battlefield.
05:10Okay, thank you for that Marina.
05:12Marina Miron, military analyst from King's College London.
05:17Thank you for having me.
05:20Straight to Kiev and our correspondent Max Zander who was at that press conference.
05:25Welcome Max. Ukraine closer to NATO than ever before.
05:30Not a new message from the new NATO chief.
05:37That is correct.
05:38I think that the main point that the new NATO chief Mark Rutte in this case was trying to make at his first visit ever
05:46in this position, in his first visit to Kiev in this position
05:51is to emphasize that although there is a new leader at the helm of NATO
05:56that the course is still the same and that NATO is pledging solidarity that Ukraine will be supported along the way.
06:05So this trip was about, had a symbolic meaning, a lot of symbolic value here.
06:10I think this message was received here in Kiev today.
06:13But apart from that, no concrete measures were announced, no timelines, etc.
06:20The agenda for a large part was secret.
06:23What we do know is that they did speak about President Zelensky's victory plan
06:29though we do not know about the details of the plan or these discussions.
06:34Like the talks today, this meeting will also be in preparation of a meeting in a larger format
06:40in the Rammstein meeting, this is supposed to take place on October 12th
06:44where two very important issues will be raised, also by the Ukrainians.
06:48One is the use of long-range weapons to target or to attack targets within Russian territory.
06:55Western-provided weapons, something that, for example, Germany and the US oppose of.
07:00But President Zelensky today again made clear that this is very important to be able to properly defend itself.
07:06And then with winter on the way, there still is a lack of air defense capabilities here in Ukraine.
07:12NATO countries have pledged to deliver more air defense systems.
07:17But there was rare criticism by President Zelensky at this meeting today
07:22stating that the transfer of these weapons is prolonged by the Allies and it's simply taking too much time.
07:28And the air raid sirens sounded during Mr. Rutte's visit.
07:33How dangerous is it for a top NATO official to travel to Ukraine these days?
07:41Right, I mean, these meetings happen with very tight security and they are planned in secrecy.
07:46So, for example, us journalists were invited to this presser.
07:49We did not know who the VIP would be until he actually entered the room,
07:55though it was clear that it's likely going to be Mike Rutte.
07:58The Russians likely know of this visit well beforehand.
08:02It certainly was not a coincidence that air raid sirens sounded twice during this visit,
08:07likely to send a message there.
08:11But let me remind you, this war has taken place for more than two and a half years now.
08:16There have been countless visits of high-level delegations, including the US president,
08:21and so far none of these delegations have been directly impacted.
08:25And that is due to very tight security, but also Russia probably has very little to gain
08:29from directly impacting a foreign guest.
08:33Thank you for that, Max. Max Zander in Kyiv.