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☆ A Ukrainian recon commander in Kharkiv said its first line of defense was missing, in a 'betrayal' that allowed Russian troops to just walk in
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"There was no first line of defense," Denys Yaroslavskyi told the BBC, which reported from Vovchansk on Sunday. Jonathan Beale, a defense correspondent at the outlet, wrote that Yaroslavskyi showed him drone footage of Russian troops walking past Ukraine's northeastern border without resistance. Lying on Kharkiv's northeastern border, Vovchansk is one of Ukraine's closest cities to the Russian region of Belgorod. Related storiesDays earlier, Ukrainian military observers reported that between 30,000 to 35,000 Russian troops had gathered for the push. The Kremlin has since 2022 been accusing Ukraine of shelling Belgorod, though this also comes amid repeated reports of Russian troops misfiring or dropping bombs by mistake on civilians there.

Persons: —, Denys Yaroslavskyi, Jonathan Beale, Yaroslavskyi, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Vladimir Putin, Vovchansk Organizations: Service, BBC, Business, Reconnaissance Unit, Armed Forces, Ukraine's General Staff, Russian Federation, Kyiv, Russian, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russia, Vovchansk, Ukraine's, Russian, Belgorod, Moscow, Ukraine, The Washington, Kyiv

☆ Russian missiles that Patriots have beaten before are slipping through cracks in Ukraine's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to suggest that his country still needs more of the advanced air-defense systems. Rescue team works at a site of residential buildings destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on March 22, 2024. AdvertisementKyiv maintains a formidable arsenal of air-defense assets alongside the Patriots, which includes Soviet-era systems and others provided by the West. But Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, have repeatedly said that the existing capabilities are not enough to protect the country from unrelenting Russian bombardments.

Persons: —, Denys Shmyhal, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stringer, Zelenskyy, Adrienne Watson, Michal Dyjuk Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Business, Telegram Channel, Ukraine's, Dnipro, Telegram, AP Ukraine, Kharkiv, REUTERS, Patriots, National Security, Patriot, U.S, AP, US, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Warsaw, Poland

Surprisingly Weak Ukrainian Defenses Help Russian AdvanceUkrainian trenches Ukrainian trenches Rudimentary Ukrainian trench lines outside Avdiivka, in an area claimed by Russia. But there’s another reason the Kremlin’s troops are advancing in the area: poor Ukrainian defenses. These trench lines lack many of the additional fortifications that could help slow Russian tanks and help defend major roads and important terrain. 2 miles Pavlivs’ke Novofedorivka Robotyne Russian fortifications Russian-claimed control Verbove Russian defenses shown below Held by Russia Novoprokopivka Romanivs’ke 2 miles Pavlivs’ke Novofedorivka Russian-claimed control Russian fortifications Verbove Russian defenses shown below Held by Russia Romanivs’ke Russian-claimed control Pavlivs’ke Novofedorivka Russian fortifications Verbove Russian defenses shown below Held by Russia Romanivs’ke 2 miles Sources: Satellite image from Planet Labs; Russian-controlled territory (as of Feb. 29, 2024) from the Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project; Russian fortifications based on data from Brady Africk. Satellite imagery from February shows the multilayered Russian defenses to the west of Verbove, with thousands of shell craters visible in the surrounding fields.

Persons: Avdiivka, Soloviove, Berdychi Stepove, Krasnohorivka, Russia Berdychi, Kyiv’s, Russia Novoprokopivka, Pavlivs’ke, Brady Africk, Verbove, “, ”, Serhiy Hrabskyi, They’d, Denys Shmyhal, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky’s, Paroinen, Mr, Hrabskyi, ” Mr, Oleksandra Mykolyshyn Organizations: Planet Labs, The New York Times Russian, Ukrainian Army, Russia Berdychi Stepove, Institute for, American, The New York Times, Black Bird Group, Russian Army Locations: Avdiivka, Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russia Russian, Verbove, Russian, U.S, Moscow, Donetsk, Ivano, Frankivsk, shoring

☆ Ukraine took out another Russian fighter jet, bringing its kill streak to 7 in a week
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's Armed Forces destroyed another Russian Su-34 fighter jet, marking the seventh in a week. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementUkraine said it destroyed another Russian fighter jet on Wednesday, bringing its kill streak to seven in one week. The commander of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Wednesday that Ukraine had taken out a Su-34 fighter bomber. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force told the Kyiv Post that the plane was downed "in the eastern direction."

Persons: —, Mykola Oleshchuk, Forbes, Sinéad Baker, Justin Bronk, Baker, Denys Shmyhal Organizations: Ukraine's, Forces, Service, Pravda, Eternal, Ukrainian Air Force, Kyiv Post, Ukraine, Royal United Services Institute, ABC News, US, Africa Command, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Russia, Europe

The two sides issued a joint communique, stating Japan's long-term support in helping Ukraine achieve economic stability. Japan hopes the conference will build momentum for international support for Ukraine as the war drags on and attention has diverted to the Gaza situation. The conference is largely about reconstruction and investment in Ukraine, but it’s also about Japan’s national security. Its support for Ukraine comes amid fear of China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japan, in cooperation with other Group of Seven members, hopes to link the Tokyo conference to a separate Ukraine reconstruction conference to be held in Germany in June.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, ” Kishida, “, Denys Shmyhal, ”, it’s, Yoko Kamikawa Organizations: TOKYO, “, Ukraine, of, Japan External Trade Organization, Russia, ”, Seven Locations: Japan, Ukrainian, Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Gaza, East Asia, States, Tokyo, Germany

☆ Japan Hosts Ukraine Reconstruction Meeting, Pledges New Tax Treaty
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Sakura MurakamiTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Monday in Tokyo to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine, pledging a new bilateral tax treaty and other support for Japanese businesses as the Ukraine war rages on. "Japan has stood with and continues to stand with Ukraine," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a speech opening the talks, during which he announced a new bilateral tax treaty and the start of negotiations for an investment treaty without giving details. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, Japan has pledged more than $10 billion worth of financial aid, as it seeks to show solidarity with Kyiv's war effort. He added that he hoped to see major carmakers, including Toyota, create production facilities in Ukraine. At the reconstruction meeting, Kishida said Japan would support venture capital companies in Ukraine, pledged an easing of visa controls, and said government agency JETRO would open a new office in Kyiv.

Persons: Sakura Murakami TOKYO, Denys Shmyhal, Fumio Kishida, Shmyhal, Kishida, JETRO, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Ukrainian, Toyota Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Hungary Far-Right Would Lay Claim to Neighbouring Region, if Ukraine Loses War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's far-right Our Homeland party would lay claim to a western region of Ukraine that is home to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians if Ukraine loses its statehood due to Russia's invasion, the party's leader said late on Saturday. "Regarding the war in Ukraine, our message is very simple: immediate ceasefire, peace and a resolution through talks," Toroczkai said in a video posted on his party's website, calling for autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. "If this war ends up with Ukraine losing its statehood, because this is also on the cards, then as the only Hungarian party taking this position, let me signal that we lay claim to Transcarpathia," he said, drawing applause from the crowd. Budapest has clashed with Kyiv over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue. Last month all European Union states except Hungary, which is also a member of NATO, agreed to start EU accession talks with Ukraine.

Persons: Laszlo Toroczkai, Toroczkai, Viktor Orban, Zoltan Kovacs, Peter Szijjarto, Dmytro Kuleba, Denys Shmyhal, Boldizsar Gyori, William Maclean Organizations: Homeland, Dutch Forum for Democracy, Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Hungarian, Union, NATO Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Budapest, Hungarian, Hungary

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A complex Russian missile attack targeted Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv on Tuesday morning, killing at least three people, wounding several others and damaging residential buildings, officials said. Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Tusk said they had reached “an understanding” to resolve through talks any differences between their countries over grain shipments and trucking. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and France’s new foreign minister also traveled to Kyiv in the new year. Kyiv was the first foreign capital he visited since becoming prime minister again, Tusk said. The Ukrainian military, however, denied it had anything to do with the attack.

Persons: Roman Popko, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko, Oleh, Ihor Terekhov, Donald Tusk, Russia's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Tusk, Rishi Sunak, Denys Shmyhal, ”, ” Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Kyiv —, Polish, British, European Council, Ukrainian Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Polish, Europe, Russia, Poland, “, Moscow, Russian, Donetsk, russia, ukraine

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

☆ Ukrainian students were told to go to a Crimean 'camp' for school only to be held captive in Russia, The Washington Post reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has been accused of forcibly removing thousands of Ukrainian children from their homes. Some Ukrainian students were told they needed to go to Crimea for school "camp," WaPo reported. Students from Kherson, which was seized by Russian troops in March 2022, told the Post their school directors pressured them to go to the "camp." Russia has been repeatedly accused of kidnapping or forcibly removing Ukrainian children from their homes. Children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories have no way of returning to their country on their own, often spending months away from their homes.

Persons: WaPo, —, Denys Berezhnyi, Berezhnyi, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Polyanskiy Organizations: Service, Washington Post, US State Department, Street Journal, United Nations Commission, Russia's, UN Commission Locations: Russia, Crimea, Kherson, Ukraine, Russian

Agriculture has suffered losses of over $25 billion since the war began, Ukrainian grain trader association UGA estimates. Ukraine's grain exports so far in the 2023/24 season that started in July are running 28% below the year-earlier volume, according to agriculture ministry data. A new Black Sea shipping channel may offer a lifeline, like for Ukraine's depleted steel industry. An additional 943,000 tons should leave from Black Sea ports and 464,000 tons from the Danube by the month-end. A Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa on Nov. 21 added to a series of attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea and Danube grain ports.

Persons: Stringer, Jean, Francois Lepy, Dmitry Skornyakov, Denys Marchuk, Skornyakov, Yuriy Stelmakh, Roman Gorobets, Soliman, Scott Wellcome, Pavel Polityuk, Gus Trompiz, Nigel Hunt, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Agriculture, UGA, Spike, Agrarian Council, FE ASTRA, Kremlin, Mediterranean, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, PARIS, Russia, UN, Geneva, Black, Russian, Odesa, Romania's Constanta, Brazil, Egypt, GoodMills, Kyiv, Paris, London

☆ Ukraine's coal mines turn to women to solve wartime staff shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Its answer was to allow women to work underground for the first time in its history. "I took this job because the war started and there were no other jobs," 22-year-old Krystyna said candidly. He joined the army two weeks after the start of the full-scale invasion, Krystyna said, adding that she worries greatly about him. Russia-backed militias in eastern Ukraine took over many coal-rich regions in 2014. After the wartime repeal of that ban, about 400 women now work underground at DTEK's mines -- although that is only 2.5% of the total subterranean workforce.

Persons: Krystyna, Alina Smutko, Denys, Natalia, Max Hunder, Ivan Lyubysh, Tom Balmforth, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Soviet Union, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk region, Pavlohrad, Russian, Europe, Soviet, Russia, DTEK

☆ Ukraine's Coal Mines Turn to Women to Solve Wartime Staff Shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Its answer was to allow women to work underground for the first time in its history. "I took this job because the war started and there were no other jobs," 22-year-old Krystyna said candidly. Russia-backed militias in eastern Ukraine took over many coal-rich regions in 2014. DTEK, the mine's owner and Ukraine's largest private energy company, says nearly 3,000 of its 20,000 mineworkers are fighting. After the wartime repeal of that ban, about 400 women now work underground at DTEK's mines -- although that is only 2.5% of the total subterranean workforce.

Persons: Max Hunder PAVLOHRAD, Krystyna, Denys, Natalia, Max Hunder, Ivan Lyubysh, Tom Balmforth, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, Soviet Union Locations: Ukraine, Pavlohrad, Russian, Europe, Soviet, Russia, DTEK

☆ Ukraine says agreed with Britain discounts on insurance for Black Sea exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cayman Islands-flagged bulk carrier Puma leaves the sea port of Odesa, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Ukraine September 15, 2023. This will make the Black Sea corridor more accessible to a wider range of exporters," Shmyhal said during the government meeting, video of which was posted on the Telegram messaging platform. Ukraine's government expects a harvest of 79 million tons of grain and oilseeds in 2023, with its 2023/24 exportable surplus totalling about 50 million tons. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen to 9.8 million metric tons as of Nov. 6 in the 2023/24 July-June marketing season from 14.3 million tons a season earlier. Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its deep water Black Sea ports.

Persons: Stringer, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Mykola Solsky, Solsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Puma, REUTERS, Rights, Kyiv, United Nations, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Cayman, Odesa, Ukraine, Britain, Russia, Liberia, Ukrainian

For Skachkova, the final straw was her son telling her that he was frightened by the constant shelling nearby. "My mother didn't want to go," Skachkova told Reuters, recalling how she had told her daughter that she did not want to be a burden. Moscow denies targeting civilians but the U.N. refugee agency says about 5 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced by Russia's invasion. Families with children usually stayed for a few days, while older evacuees were harder to find permanent homes for and sometimes stay for months. She was told by Ukrainian soldiers who rescued her that she would have died had she stayed another two days.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Skachkova, Denys, Scherbak, Maria Maliarenko, Chasiv Yar, Yulia Nikonova, Denys strode, Max Hunder, Ivan Lyubysh, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Toretsk, Ukraine, Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Donetsk, Moscow, Tetiana, Bakhmut, Chasiv, Russian, Skachkova

☆ Ukrainian forces hold line in shattered eastern town of Avdiivka -military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - Russian forces, their numbers swelled by reserves, tightened their vise around the shattered eastern city of Avdiivka on Wednesday, but Ukrainian forces are holding defensive lines, Ukrainian military officials said. Anton Kotsukon, spokesperson for the 110th separate mechanised brigade, said Russian forces were massed on three sides of the town. Russian forces, he said, were "playing cat and mouse", sending up "huge numbers" of drones while deploying artillery forces to secure a better picture of the town's defences. It was seized briefly in 2014 when Russian-backed separatists captured chunks of eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian troops retook it and built up fortifications. Ukrainian forces regard Avdiivka as a gateway for future advances to recapture territory in the east - the large Russian-held town of Donetsk is 20 km away.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Anton Kotsukon, They've, Kotsukon, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Avdiivka, hasn't, Denys Popovych, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, vise, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Kyiv, Bakhmut

☆ Ukraine not afraid to take on its oligarchs - justice minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Ukraine’s Justice Minister Denys Maliuska attends an interview with Reuters in Kyiv, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian authorities feel newly empowered to prosecute the once-powerful tycoons known as "oligarchs" thanks to shifting political realities and the war with Russia, Kyiv's justice minister said. "Everyone was afraid of (the) consequences of indicting oligarchs, but this is no longer the case," he said. Ukraine had long struggled to shake off the influence of its shadowy tycoons, who used the huge industrial wealth they amassed after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union to gain political influence and power. A 2021 law aimed at curbing their political and economic influence also sent a clear signal, Maliuska said, and now oligarchs have become "quite accessible" to authorities.

Persons: Denys Maliuska, Ivan Lyubysh, Maliuska, Ihor Kolomoisky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Dmytro Firtash, Vadym Novynskyi, Novynskyi, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, Mark Potter Organizations: Ukraine’s, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Smart Holding, European Union, EU, National Security Council, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, United States, Ukrainian

MOSHCHUN, Ukraine (AP) — In the humble backyard of a destroyed house, a 13-year-old chops firewood to get ready for winter. His mother, Tetiana Yarema, has been preparing for months as she remembers last winter’s Russian strikes on the energy infrastructure that plunged Ukraine into darkness. For the Yarema family, like millions of other Ukrainians touched by Russia’s war on Ukraine, winter is an especially challenging time. The strikes impacted almost a half of Ukraine’s energy capacity. After a lull of six months, Ukraine's energy system sustained its first attack of the season on Sept. 21, resulting in damage to facilities in the central and western regions, Ukrenergo said.

Persons: Tetiana Yarema, ”, Yarema, “, Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ” Zelenskyy, Denys Shmyhal, ” Shmyhal, Yurii Musienko, Valentyna Kiriian, DTEK, Maxim Timchenko, ” Timchenko, Andrii Horchynskyi, ” Horchynskyi, ___ Dmytro Zhyhinas Organizations: —, Private Locations: MOSHCHUN, Ukraine, Moshchun, Kyiv, Ukrainian, United States, Private Ukrainian, Maliutianka, russia, ukraine

Shmyhal told a high-level roundtable to support Ukraine held during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, that Ukraine's state budget deficit would be about 20% of the country's GDP this year and 21% in 2024. "We expect support from all our partners, both in equal amounts, Shmyhal said. He said the World Bank has been helping to assess recovery needs, adding that $14 billion alone would be needed for a rapid-recovery response program. Shmyhal said the key to the country's resilience has been economic reform programs, including those to fight corruption and boost digitalization. "If the right conditions are created, we estimate that as much as one-third of Ukraine's future needs could be met with private-sector financing," Banga said.

Persons: Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Ajay Banga, Banga, Janet Yellen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, David Lawder, Alex Richardson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Ukrainian, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank, U.S, Treasury, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Ukraine, Marrakech, Russia, U.S

☆ Ukraine heads into winter with a hobbled energy system
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine declines to share detailed data on the impact of attacks on its energy system, treating it as sensitive information during wartime. Kyiv School of Economics' research centre estimated the direct damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure at $8.8 billion as of June. Last winter, Ukraine was helped by relatively mild weather, rapid repairs, nuclear power and electricity imports from Europe, but some officials expect tougher conditions this time. Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, head of national grid operator Ukrenergo, said the main grid, one of the most damaged parts of the energy system, was ready to transmit winter volumes of electricity. "The energy system is not as reliable and with a smaller reserve capacity than it was before the targeted strikes," he said.

Persons: Marcus Lippold, It's, it's, Andriy Sadovy, Oleksandr Kharchenko, Dmytro Sakharuk, Sakharuk, DTEK, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Oleksiy Chernyshov, Serhiy Sukhomlyn, Julia Payne, Mike Collett, White, Gareth Jones Organizations: United Nations, Kyiv School of Economics, Lviv, Energy Industry Research Center, Reuters, Ukraine's, Naftogaz, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Brussels, Russia, Moscow, Europe, Zhytomyr, Kyiv

CNN —A Russian missile strike killed at least 51 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Thursday, officials say, in what would be one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the conflict began. Moscow’s forces targeted a cafe and a shop in Hroza, in the Kharkiv region, soon after midday local time (5 a.m. Hroza is located about 40 kilometers from the frontlines of the war near Kupiansk, the city in Kharkiv that Russian forces seized early on in the war before losing it a year ago. The Ukrainian military has since been trying to resist advances from Moscow. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine said images arriving from the scene of the attack “are absolutely horrifying,” accusing Russian forces of carrying out a war crime.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, Dmytro Chubenko, Oleh Synehubov, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Klymenko, ”, “, Rustem Umerov, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Europe’s, Denys Shmyhal, ” Shmyhal, ” Denise Brown Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Defense, NATO, “, Ukranian, Russian Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Hroza, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Hrova, Ukraine, Pervomaiske, Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, Granada, Spain, “ Russia

But officials have made clear recently that other forms of US aid are potentially in jeopardy if Ukraine does not do more to address corruption. The US has provided Ukraine with over $23 billion in direct budget support since the war began, according to the Congressional Research Service. In a statement to CNN, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington said that Ukraine has moved “ambitiously” to pass reforms, including on its IMF program. That money is also the “most closely scrutinized” form of aid to Ukraine, a senior Democratic Senate aide told CNN. The US intends to provide up to $3.3 billion in direct economic aid to Ukraine if Congress authorizes its $24 billion supplemental request for Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky, Matthew Miller, Miller, ”, Denys Shmyhal, Blinken, “, It’s, Megan Reed, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, The State Department, Congressional Research Service, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, World Bank, Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, IMF, National Bank of, General Prosecutors, National Security, Ukrainian, White, Ukrainska Pravda, Government of, EU, State Department, NATO, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Democratic, Republicans, Pentagon, The Defense, Ukrainian MoD Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, National Bank of Ukraine, USA, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Government of Ukraine, United States, EU

☆ Ukraine counteroffensive: Winter is coming to Ukraine, but Kyiv is adapting its tactics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And Kyiv has dramatically increased long-range missile and drone attacks against Russian military hubs: command centers, fuel and ammunition supplies, transport hubs. There is anecdotal evidence of this from other sources, but not to the degree that the Russian military machine would be damaged. Alexander Ermochenko/ReutersBut just as they seek to degrade Russian air defenses, the Ukrainians have made strides in improving their own. “Our air defense system has become even more comprehensive and experienced … By the winter, it will become even stronger.”Energy production has increased too. Ryan, the former Australian general, says Ukraine’s western partners must recognize and plan for this.

Persons: Franz, Stefan Gady, Michael Kofman, they’ve, It’s, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, ” Tarnavsky, Fred Pleitgen, Tarnavsky, Tony Radakin, Ukraine’s, it’s, WarZone, Gen, Kyrylo Budanov, “, ” Tarnovsky, Oleksandr Ratushniak, ”, Mick Ryan, Futura, Timchenko, Alexander Ermochenko, Denys Shmyhal, Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken, Ryan, outlast, Robert Rose, Sergei Supinsky, Max Boot, ” Boot, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, ”, Russian, Black, Sea Navy, Planet Labs, US Army Tactical Missile, Defense Intelligence, Aviation, Reuters, UK Defense Ministry, Arms Army, CAA, IRIS, Energy, US, Firefighters, Getty, Council for Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kherson, Ukrainian, ” Ukraine, Crimea, Sevastopol, Russian, Crimean, Moscow, Russia’s, Australian, Mariupol, Donbas, Europe, United States, AFP, Russia

☆ Ukrainian soldier says Russia is leaving booby traps on the bodies of its own soldiers in the hope they will kill advancing Ukrainians
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is finding Russian soldiers' bodies turned into booby traps, a Ukrainian soldier told the BBC. Russia is also stacking mines on top of each other and using tripwires, the BBC reported. Ukraine said last year that Russia had also left explosives in car trunks, in washing machines, and under dead bodies. Russia has laid so many mines, he said, that even if the war stopped tomorrow it would take hundreds of years to get rid of the mines Russia has already laid. AdvertisementAdvertisementSome Ukrainian soldiers said they risk their lives by taking mines apart by hand, while others are getting out of their tanks and progressing on foot because the minefields are so dense.

Persons: sapper, Denys, Ukraine's, Ihor, Yaroslav Galas Organizations: BBC, Service, Russian, Transcarpathian Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Poland

☆ Why Ukraine's Patriot missile systems can't cope with Russia's old, iron bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The heavy airplane bombs are "particularly vexing" for air defense systems built to strike lighter targets. Hi-tech air defense missiles are designed to strike more lightweight targets and are ill-equipped to counter the bombs' old, heavy iron construction. This makes them a weapon that the latest air defense systems, like the much-vaunted US Patriot missiles, were not designed to combat, military experts say. The distance from which you can strike the enemy is low, forcing aircraft to fly into the danger zone of the enemy's air defense systems. They can reach a target of 30 miles away, out of range of most of the air defense systems on the frontline.

Persons: Oleksiy, Melnyk, Yuriy Ignat, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin's, Denys Smazhnyi Organizations: Service, Patriot, Sappers, State Emergency Service, FAB, REUTERS, Ukrainian Air Force, New York Times, Kyiv Independent Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, REUTERS Russia, Soviet, Russia, Russian

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