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☆ Russia is making daily tactical gains in eastern Ukraine, as criticism grows of Ukrainian military reporting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Andrew Carey | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine’s DeepState monitoring group, which updates daily changes in frontline positions, shows Russian forces pushing forward in eight different locations along 20-25 kms of frontline in one 24-hour period. Military bloggers on both sides broadly agree that Russian forces have crossed a water course and taken control of the settlements of Semenivka and Berdychi. Heavy fighting continues there, but the situation is under the control of the (Ukrainian) Armed Forces,” he said. Russian forces are also making headway west of Donetsk city, entering the industrial town of Krasnohorivka from the south and the east. “Without (its) manpower advantage, Russia’s artillery and airpower advantage would not be sufficient for Russia to make gains on the battlefield.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Myroshnykov, Stringer, ” DeepState, Muscovites, –, Nazar Voloshyn, ”, DeepState, “, Voloshyn, Narciso Contreras, Anatolii Stepanov, Rob Lee, ” Lee Organizations: CNN, Anadolu, Getty, ) Defense Forces, Armed Forces, –, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, United States, Avdiivka, Ocheretyne, Donetsk, Semenivka, Soloviove, Keramik, Ukrainian, Karlivka, DeepState, Russian, Kyslivka, Krasnohorivka, ”, AFP, Moscow, – greenlit, “ Russian, Russia

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —As the US prepares to transfer significant military aid to Ukraine following the Senate passing funding legislation worth $61 billion, reports from eastern Ukraine continue to highlight Kyiv’s sliding fortunes on the battlefield. Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers on the front lines have spoken of being badly outgunned by Russian forces. A Ukrainian military blogger, Bohdan Myroshnykov, wrote, “In Novobakhmutivka, the enemy made progress in the village, advancing up to 400 meters in depth. Meanwhile, around Chasiv Yar, about 40 kilometers to the north, both Ukrainian and Russian reports suggest Ukraine has succeeded in stopping Russian advances, at least for the moment. Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters“In the Chasiv Yar direction, the offensive of the Russian forces ‘stalled’ on the eastern outskirts,” a Russian military blogger, Wargonzo, reports, though fierce fighting continues, the site adds.

Persons: DeepState –, –, Biden, Joe Biden, Charly Triballeau, Volodymyr Zelensky, Bohdan Myroshnykov, “, DeepState, Ukraine’s Eastern Command –, Oleksandr Ratushniak, ‘, Ukraine’s DeepState, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Vladimir Putin, Chasiv Yar Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Russian, Wednesday, Senate, Scranton Army, Getty, 100th, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, CNN, Reuters, 92nd Brigade, Nazi Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Israel, Taiwan, Scranton, Scranton , Pennsylvania, AFP, Russian, Russia, Novobakhmutivka, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, ”, Ivanivske, Bakhmut, Nazi Germany

☆ Top of Kharkiv’s giant TV tower crashes to ground after Russian missile strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Maria Kostenko | Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Kyiv CNN —The top section of a giant television tower in Kharkiv has crashed to the ground after the structure was hit by a Russian missile, a Ukrainian official says. Video circulating on social media shows the moment the top of the mast broke, rotated through 180 degrees, and fell to earth. Subsequent videos also posted on social media show the mast lying where it fell, surrounded by trees at the foot of the tower. The television tower in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after its top crashed to the ground following a Russian missile strike on April 22, 2024. A month ago, the city’s main power plant was destroyed in a Russian strike, along with all electricity substations in the city, according to the mayor.

Persons: Oleh Syniehubov, Sofiia Gatilova, Russia –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Kharkiv, Reuters, US, Pentagon Locations: Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Reuters Kharkiv –, Russia

“Thank you, America!” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram on Saturday, shortly after the House of Representatives passed the long-delayed Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act by a vote of 311-112. The bill was part of a wider $95 billion package providing foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the House passed the Israel Security Supplemental with a vote of 366-58. Lawmakers wave Ukrainian flags after the House passed the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. “For people who want to defeat the enemy, this news is a great morale booster.”He went on: “To win, we need ammunition … we really need artillery shells because we have an artillery hunger.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Mahmoud Abbas, Joe Biden, “, Dmytro Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, ” Kuleba, Maria Zakharova, Dmytro Kurylovich, Bankir Organizations: CNN, Israel, Palestinian, Senate, Getty, Russian Foreign, 110th, National Guard, Artillery, “ Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Europe, United States, “, Taiwan, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Avdiivka, Russian

Ahead of the encroaching Russian forces, Ukrainian volunteers have been evacuating civilians from Ocheretyne and other villages, posting videos on social media showing older residents leaving badly destroyed apartment buildings, along with their pets, and with belongings packed into cardboard boxes. A photograph taken on April 11, 2024, near the town of Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk region, shows smoke rising from fires after bombing. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty ImagesAbout 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ocheretyne, on another piece of higher ground, the town of Chasiv Yar is also firmly in Russian sights. “The situation around the town of Chasiv Yar is difficult,” Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ “Khortytsia” operational-strategic group, told CNN. Ukraine’s vulnerability in the face of the FAB threat highlights another huge need for Kyiv – more air defenses.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Novokalynovo, Boris Rozhin, Anatolii Stepanov, Velyka, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Mike Johnson, Jake Tapper, “, Vladimir Putin doesn’t, Lloyd Austin, Chasiv Yar, ” Nazar Voloshyn, Yurii Fedorenko, Yar, Chasiv, ” Voloshyn, Zelensky, Victoria Butenko Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Russian, Getty, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, ” Artillery, US, House Defense, House, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kremlin, Nazi, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Separate Assault Brigade, Reuters, Ukrainian Telegram, FAB, Kyiv, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Novokalynove, Donetsk, Ocheretyno, AFP, Tonenke, Pokrovsk, Europe, Russia’s, Chasiv, Nazi Germany, Kalynivka, Ivanivske, Zaporizhzhia region, Chasiv Yar, Kharkiv

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Ukraine’s air defenders say they notched up two significant firsts on Friday morning, taking down a Russian Tu22M3 strategic bomber and hitting two Kh-22 hypersonic cruise missiles in flight. Ukraine’s air force said six Kh-22 missiles were launched overnight from Russian bombers flying over the Black Sea and the nearby Sea of Azov – out of a total of 22 missiles and 14 Shahed drones fired overall. A military source told CNN a Patriot air defense system had been responsible for the two successful Kh-22 interceptions. Russia has fired hundreds of them at Ukrainian targets since the start of the full-scale invasion two years ago, according to air force information – all of which had evaded air defense until now. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty ImagesFatalities in Dnipropetrovsk regionAs well as the six Kh-22 missiles fired overnight, Russia fired 16 other missiles at Ukraine, including two Iskander K cruise missiles, in addition to 14 Shahed drones.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Anatolii Stepanov Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Patriot, Defense Intelligence, ” Russia’s Defense Ministry, Tass, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Dnipropetrovsk, Azov, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Russia’s Stavropol, Dnipro, AFP, Dnipropetrovsk region, Synelnykove

But with Russian forces still inside the country and millions of Ukrainians displaced from their homes, fighting on the frontlines, or living overseas, there is no election in sight. Although Sunday is the day the constitution says Ukraine should be voting, it also does not allow it during wartime. He would have voted for Zelensky five years ago if he had had the chance and would vote for him now. Last August, President Zelensky was asked for his position in an interview on Ukrainian television and sounded sympathetic to holding a poll. As the United States Congress continues to dither over new military aid, elections in Ukraine became folded into the debate by some Republicans.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Viktor Yanukovych, Mykola Lyapin, Kateryna Bilokon, Yanukovych, ”, Jamie Oliver, ‘, ’, Oleksiy Koshel, Zelensky’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, Lindsey Graham, “, ” Zelenskiy, Valentyn Ogirenko, Graham, Ruslan Stefanchuk, ” Stefanchuk, disenfranchisement, Oleksandr Voitko, Valerii, Maria Kostenko, Victoria Butenko Organizations: CNN —, Republicans, Sunday, Putin, CNN, Zelensky, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Russia, United States Congress, Republican Party, South, 47th Brigade, “ Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv’s, Europe, United States, “, South Carolina, Kyiv, Russian, Avdiivka, Italy, Russia

CNN —Ukraine says it hit two Russian naval vessels, along with a communications center and several other facilities belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, in a huge overnight attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Ukraine said the vessels hit were two amphibious landing ships, the Yamal and the Azov. More than 20 Russian naval vessels have now been disabled or destroyed, a third of the entire fleet. Though Ukraine has virtually no navy of its own, technological innovation, audacity and Russian incompetence have given it the upper hand in much of the Black Sea. In October last year, satellite imagery indicated that Russia relocated some of its naval ships away from Sevastopol after a series of Ukrainian attacks.

Persons: Mikhail Razvozhayev, Mykola Oleshchuk, Razvozhayev Organizations: CNN, Black, Telegram Locations: Ukraine, Sevastopol, Russian, Azov, Crimea, Crimea’s, Simferopol, Moscow, Russia, Ukrainian, Odesa, Bosphorus

☆ Russian border region closes malls and schools as Ukrainian attacks escalate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Andrew Carey | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —All schools and colleges in parts of the Russian region of Belgorod will be closed on Monday and Tuesday following an increase in Ukrainian attacks on the territory, the region’s governor has announced. Shopping malls will also be closed Sunday and Monday, Vyacheslav Gladkov added in a statement on Telegram. A man rides a bicycle near a damaged market pavilion hit by recent shelling in the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region of Russia on March 11. Maxim Shemetov/ReutersUkraine has been attacking the Belgorod region off and on since the first half of 2023 but scaled up shelling and strikes most about a week ago. Earlier in the week Ukrainian groups of Russian fighters on Tuesday mounted a cross-border attack in Belgorod while Belgorod city suffered heavy drone strikes and shelling.

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, ” Gladkov, ”, Gladkov, Maxim Shemetov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Schools, Reuters, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Belgorod, Ukraine, Belgorod district, Shebekino, Russia, Reuters Ukraine

Russian Telegram channels have showed other mobile election teams across the occupied territories, including some which appear to clearly show Russian soldiers accompanying election officials as they go house to house. Ukrainian officials say intimidation tactics like that are commonplace and are aimed at forcing people to give their vote to Putin. For their part, Russian-installed officials in the occupied territories reported several explosions close to polling stations on Saturday, at least some of which Ukraine appeared to acknowledge. Russia’s election officials have been posting updates on what they say is turnout in the various regions. Ukraine says Moscow will fabricate the final results and insists that the majority of people living under Russian occupation are choosing not to take part in the poll.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Iryna Vereshchuk, ” Vereshchuk, “ We’ve, ”, fatigues, Putin, Vladimir Rogov, Vladimir Saldo, Saldo Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, Russian, Ukrainian, Saturday Locations: Russia, Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Moscow, Avdiivka, Russian, Ukraine, Berdiansk, Kakhovka, Dnipro

☆ The war in Ukraine in 12 key moments
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

We’ve been taking a look at some of the most significant moments of the war so far. Putin’s announcement signaled the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has so far cost the lives of over 10,300 civilians, according to the United Nations. May 20, 2023: Russia takes control of BakhmutUkrainian army medics treat wounded soldiers at a stabilisation point near Bakhmut frontline. June 2023: Ukraine counteroffensiveUkrainian soldiers shoot rounds into Russian positions with an S60 anti-aircraft canon placed on a truck, outside Bakhmut. February 8, 2024: Ukraine military chief firedCommander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi during an event dedicated to Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24, 2023 in Kyiv.

Persons: Vladmir Putin, Putin, We’ve, ’, Volodymyr Zelensky, Pavel Klimov, ”, Marko Djurica, Russia's, Kolya Serga, Ed Ram, Sefa, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Moscow, Bakhmut, Wojciech Grzedzinski, Wagner, Prigozhin, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mike Johnson, Samuel Corum, Ukraine Valerii, Yan Dobronosov, Zelensky, Ukraine’s, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, CNN’s Jennifer Hauser, Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova, Andrew Carey Organizations: CNN, NATO, Reuters, Ukraine, United Nations, Presidential Press, Snake, Social Media, Anadolu Agency, Concord, Putin, Getty, Republican, Armed Forces, Moscow Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia’s, Kyiv, United States, Russian, West, Dnipro, Hroza, Kharkiv, Bucha, Moskva, Crimea, Kherson, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Belgorod, Bakhmut, NATO, Robotyne, Mariupol, Washington , DC, Avdiivka

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —The small group of women thought about canceling their protest when the sirens went off. A short distance away from where the women were standing, lawmakers debated reforms to Ukraine’s mobilization rules, inside Kyiv’s heavily protected parliament building. Antonina and her son Sasha, 3, take part in a protest in Kyiv, Ukraine, calling for soldiers' mobilization to have a time limit. “The time has come to take back what is ours,” said one highly produced video, published on the Telegram channel of then commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. “The bureaucratic apparatus of the armed forces is a bit inflated.

Persons: Antonina, Sasha, “, doesn’t, ” Antonina, Antonina’s, Daria Tarasova, ”, Valerii, Mac ”, Mykola, Yurii, Ukraine’s, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Andriy Demchenko, Demchenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky, ” Zaluzhnyi, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Oleksandr Syrskyi, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Gen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sysrkyi, Genya Savilov, ” Tymofiy Mylovanov, Mylovanov, “ It’s Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Kyiv, CNN, Telegram, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, 92nd Assault Brigade, Territorial Defense Force, Publishing, Getty, State Border Service of Ukraine, Facebook, Former, Publicly, Munich, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Presidential Press Service, Reuters, President’s, Air Assault Forces, Kyiv School of Economics Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russia, London, Ivano, Frankivsk, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Hungary, AFP, Avdiivka

Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesA Russian helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov who defected to Ukraine in a dramatic operation is dead, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) tells CNN. A source at Ukraine’s GUR confirmed to CNN the body was that of Kuzminov, but would not comment on how he had died. Spanish Civil Guard officers investigate the garage where the body of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov was found in Villajoyosa, Spain, on February 13. Some context: Last September, CNN reported on how the Russian pilot flew his Mi8 combat helicopter across the border – in an operation directed by Ukraine’s GUR. In an interview, carried out under the auspices of the GUR, Kuzminov explained how he planned his defection and why he did it, telling reporters he was opposed to the war.

Persons: Butenko, Andrew Carey, Al Goodman, Maxim Kuzminov, Maxym, Ukraine’s GUR, Rafa Arjones, Dmitry Peskov, Sergey Naryshkin, Kuzminov Organizations: Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, CNN, Spanish Civil Guard, Ukraine’s, Civil Guard, Reuters, Foreign, RIA Novosti, Mi8 Locations: CNN’s, Kyiv, Madrid, Russian, Ukraine, Spain, Villajoyosa, Informacion, Russia, Moscow

☆ Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine is dead: Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Victoria Butenko | Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian pilot who dramatically defected to Ukraine by flying his helicopter across the border, is dead, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR). A source at Ukraine’s GUR confirmed to CNN the body of the man found in Spain was that of Kuzminov, but would not comment on how he had died. The shooting took place in a neighborhood where some Russian and Ukrainian expatriates have settled since the war began, according to the Villajoyosa city hall press office. When Kuzminov flew into Ukraine, the two other Russian service members on board the Mi-8 helicopter with him did not know what was happening. “I contacted representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, explained my situation, to which they offered this option: ‘Come on, we guarantee your safety, guarantee new documents, guarantee monetary compensation, a reward,’” the pilot said.

Persons: CNN — Maxim Kuzminov, Ukraine’s GUR, Dmitry Peskov, Sergey Naryshkin, Russia Legion –, Kuzminov, ” “, Maxim, ‘, ’ Kuzminov, Kyrolo Budanov, Budanov, “, ” Budanov, GUR, ’, I’m, ”, ” Kuzminov, Victoria Butenko, Andrew Carey, Al Goodman, Madrid Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Spanish Civil Guard, Civil Guard, Ukraine’s, Russian Foreign Intelligence, RIA Novosti, Russian TV, Russia Legion, Armed Forces of, EU, Legion, Kyiv, Radio Liberty Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Alicante, Villajoyosa, Spain, Alicante province, Russia, Moscow, ” “ Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Russia used a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time in recent strike, Ukraine claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ukraine claims it has evidence Russia fired an advanced hypersonic missile – one that experts say is almost impossible to shoot down – for the first time in the almost 2-year-old war. The government-run Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise said in a Telegram post that debris recovered after a February 7 attack on the Ukrainian capital pointed to the use of a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile by the Russian military. Ukrainian authorities reported four people were killed and 38 others injured in Kyiv during the February 7 attacks, but no casualties have been directly attributed to the alleged Zircon missile. Its hypersonic speed makes it invulnerable to even the best Western missile defenses, like the Patriot, according to the United States-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA). Additionally, the MDAA says the Zircon is “a maneuvering anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile” with a range of somewhere between 500 and 1,000 kilometers (310 to 620 miles).

Persons: Serhii, Gorshkov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Yurii Ihnat, ” Sidharth, CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova, Mariya Knight, Andrew Carey, Jack Guy Organizations: CNN, Kyiv Scientific Research, Forensic, Ukraine’s, Ministry, Firefighters, Reuters, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Russian, Ukrainian Air Force, Royal United Services Institute, Zircons Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kyiv, Holosiivskyi, United States, “, Ukrainian, London

☆ Russian forces push into Ukraine’s Avdiivka, piling pressure on new army chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Andrew Carey | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Avdiivka, to the northwest of Donetsk city, remains the scene of some of the heaviest fighting as Russian forces continue their push from the north into the center of town. Even so, the DeepState mapping site suggests Russian forces are perhaps no more than several hundred meters away from the main supply route into town. Serhii Tsekhotskyi, an officer with the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, told Ukrainian television that Russia was deploying large numbers of troop into the battle for Avdiivka. Lying just a few kilometers north of Donetsk airport, captured by Russian forces in early 2015 after months of periodically heavy fighting, Avdiivka has been firmly in Moscow’s crosshairs ever since. East of Kupiansk and the Oskil river, along the northernmost stretch of the battle, an army spokesman told Ukrainian television on Saturday that Russian forces were pressing.

Persons: Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Serhii, “, ”, Boris Rozhin, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Moscow’s crosshairs, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Chasiv Yar Organizations: CNN, Russian, Motorized Infantry Brigade, Avdiivka, Presidential Press Service, Reuters, Land Forces, Storm Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Donetsk, Russia, Avdiivka, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Bakhmut

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the dismissal of Ukraine’s top commander, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in the biggest military shakeup since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion almost two years ago. Oleksandr Syrskyi will become Ukraine's new military chief, in a consequential move by Zelensky. Launched last June, Ukraine’s counteroffensive in particular aimed to push south towards the Sea of Azov, splitting Russia’s forces in two and cutting its land bridge to Crimea. Despite the failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, the now-former military chief remains one of the most popular leaders in the country. With Ukraine’s independence in 1991, he rose through the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces becoming a Major General in 2009.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky, Zaluzhnyi, “, ” Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zaluzhnyi –, –, , ”, Syrskyi Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Armed Forces, Ukrainian Land Forces, CNN, Economist, Zelensky, Ukraine’s, Kyiv Institute of Sociology, Analysts, Soviet Union Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Azov, Crimea, Orikhiv, Tokmak, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Soviet, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine air defenses under pressure as two Russian missile types again evade interception
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jack Guy | Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Dmitri Lovetsky/APData from Ukraine’s air force shows that all three Iskander ballistic missiles and four Kh-22 cruise missiles fired by Russian forces evaded attempts to bring them down. Ukraine did have some success, bringing down 26 of 29 Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 type cruise missiles, all three Kalibr cruise missiles and 15 of 20 Shahed drones fired by Russia. Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersThe air force said an array of means was used to try to defeat the Russian attack, including air defense missiles, ground forces, and electronic warfare systems. International analysts say the onslaught of Russian missiles, stockpiled for months, aims to overwhelm Ukraine’s limited missile defense. The Ukrainian air defense is working “at the edge of its capacity,” Oleksiy Melnyk, co-director of international security programs at the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, told CNN.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, Dmitri Lovetsky, Valentyn Ogirenko, Mykhailo Podolyak, Oleksiy Melnyk, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Russian, Kyiv, Firefighters Locations: Russia, Regions, Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Zelensky considers a major shakeup of Ukraine’s leadership, beyond expected ouster of military chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Pierre Meilhan | Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Zelensky did not offer clarify who would be replaced, but his comments come amid speculation over the future of army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The army chief had suggested that the drafting of up to half a million additional soldiers was required, which Zelensky resisted. That operation began in June and was aimed at driving Russian forces back from the territories they have occupied since 2022, particularly in the south of the country. Zalzhnyi’s ouster would also be a politically risky move for Zelensky, given the general’s immense popularity has survived counteroffensive’s failure. A poll published by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology in December found 88% of Ukrainians supported the army chief compared to 62% for the President.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, ” Zelensky, Valerii, Zaluzhnyi, Republicans hewing, Donald Trump, Serhiy Nykyforov, Zalzhnyi, Zalzhnyi’s, CNN’s Joshua Berlinger Organizations: CNN, RAI, European Union, Republicans, Kyiv Institute of Sociology Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Orikhiv, Azov, Crimea, Zaluzhnyi, European, Washington

☆ Ukraine’s soldiers ‘in deep defense mode’ as uncertainty lingers over commander-in-chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Andrew Carey | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A presidential spokesman denied the report but a source familiar with the matter said an announcement was expected within days. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters/FileA senior army spokesman with responsibility for the same region drew attention to another Ukrainian deficit opposite Russia, in comments on Ukrainian television – namely, a lack of ammunition. Where previously, Russian forces had been firing 60,000 rounds a day along the entire front line, the number currently was about half that, he said. “We are in deep defense mode and are holding back the enemy.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, ” Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelensky, Valerii, Syrskyi, ”, Zaluzhnyi, Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii, Valentyn Ogirenko, ” Illia Yevlash, Yevlash, Chasiv Yar, Oleksandr, Dmytro Lazutkin Organizations: CNN, President’s, Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tabaivka, Luhansk, Russia, Bakhmut, Avdiivka

☆ Embattled army chief lays bare Ukraine’s challenges, at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Kyiv CNN —Ukraine’s embattled army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, says Ukraine must adapt to a reduction in military aid from its key allies and focus ever more strongly on technology if it is to win its war against Russia. When Zaluzhny - in a separate interview at the same time - referred to the situation as a ‘stalemate,’ Zelensky’s office snapped, saying such talk only helped Russia. In his article for CNN, it seems clear Zaluzhnyi views the state of the war no differently. Now, though he clearly believes Ukraine’s military leaders must take account of a series of disappointments and distractions away from the battlefield as well. Only an end to “outdated, stereotypical thinking” can help modern armies achieve victory in war, he writes.

Persons: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Organizations: CNN —, CNN, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Technology Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Russia’s, Kyiv

On Monday, presidential spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov told CNN and others that rumors of the army chief’s dismissal were untrue. Two names in particular are being discussed as possible successors, one of the sources, a senior military commander, told CNN. The other frontrunner is Oleksandr Syrskyi, currently the Commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, the senior military commander speaking to CNN said. Zelensky did not openly criticize Zaluzhny, but told a live news conference in December: “I am waiting for very concrete things on the battlefield. One soldier contacted by CNN currently fighting around Avdiivka in the east said any decision to dismiss Zaluzhny was a mistake.

Persons: Ukraine CNN —, Valery Zaluzhny, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zaluzhny, Serhiy Nykyforov, “, Zelensky, –, Rustem Umerov, ” Zelensky, Kyrylo, Budanov, Oleksandr Syrskyi, ” Zaluzhny, ” Ihor Zhovkva, ”, ’ Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Zelensky, Economist, Defense, Defense Intelligence, Ukrainian Land Forces, Kyiv Institute of Sociology, ” Reuters Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Orikhiv, Azov, Crimea, Tokmak, Avdiivka

☆ ‘The enemy is amassing forces, they assault every day.’ Ukrainian army officials give unvarnished account of the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Andrew Carey | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Earlier this week, Ukraine announced it had withdrawn its forces from the village of Krokhmalne to take up more advantageous defensive positions on higher ground. Reports suggest Russian forces continue to press in the area. A readout from the Army General Staff on its Facebook page said Ukrainian forces had faced down 13 attacks on the settlements of Tabaiivka and Stelmakhivka, to the northwest and south, respectively, of Krokhmalne. A Ukrainian serviceman prepares 155-mm artillery shells near the front line in Zaporizhzhia, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on January 14, 2024. ReutersFurther southeast, the area around Bakhmut, which was the overwhelming focus of Russia’s winter offensive exactly a year ago, Ukrainian forces also report coming under increased pressure.

Persons: spokespeople, Sergeant Oles Maliarevych, …, Oleksandr Shtupun, “ Organizations: CNN, Russian, Army, Staff, Land Forces Command, Ukrainian, Reuters, 92nd Separate Brigade Locations: Kharkiv, Luhansk, Ukraine, Krokhmalne, Tabaiivka, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Kyiv, Orikhiv, Tokmak, Crimea, Russia

CNN —Ukraine says it has intelligence suggesting only five bodies were delivered from the crash site of a Russian military transport plane to a nearby morgue, a Ukraine military intelligence official told CNN, casting doubt on Moscow’s claim that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the explosion. Moscow says the plane was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kyiv says it was carrying Russian missiles to be used in further strikes on Ukraine. Ukraine’s military command said it regarded Russian military aircraft approaching Belgorod as legitimate target, but did not confirm it had fired at the plane. Traffic officers block off a road near the crash site of the IL-76 plane outside the village of Yablonovo, Russia, January 24, 2024. Russia has not yet provided evidence that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board the plane that crashed.

Persons: Andriy Yusov, ”, –, Yusov, Stringer, Dmytro Lubinets, Mykola Oleschuk, Reuters Lubinets, Cross, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian, Reuters, Ukraine, UN, International Committee, Ukraine’s Security Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Yablonovo, Russia, Belgorod, Belgorod city, Ukrainian, Kharkiv

CNN —Ukraine has rejected suggestions by Slovakia’s new Prime Minister Robert Fico that it will need to cede territory to Russia to end the war. “There can be no compromise on territorial integrity, neither for Ukraine, nor for Slovakia, nor for any other country,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook. Speaking just days ahead of a scheduled visit to Ukraine, Fico told the public broadcaster both Kyiv and Moscow would need to make painful compromises to bring the war to an end. In the European Union, he is closely aligned with Hungary’s Victor Orban and has been very open about his intentions to block Ukraine’s bid to join the EU and NATO. Bringing a very different sort of message Monday to Ukraine was Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Persons: Robert Fico, Oleh Nikolenko, ”, Fico, ” Fico, Viktor Yanukovich, Hungary’s Victor Orban, Denys Shmyhal, “, Donald Tusk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Tusk Organizations: CNN, Foreign, Facebook, European Union, Kyiv, Ukraine, United, EU, NATO, Ukraine’s NATO, Slovak Army Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, Europe, Moscow, Donbas, Luhansk, Crimea, United States, Uzhhorod, Kyiv, Poland, Ukrainian

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