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☆ A stalemate in the Ukraine war could now be the best-case scenario, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian soldiers of a mortar team in 24th brigade are seen at positions near Toretsk, Ukraine on March 26, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesBefore the two-year anniversary of Russia's war against Ukraine, defense experts widely predicted that the conflict would settle into a stalemate in 2024, leading neither side to make or lose a significant amount of territory. Russia's recent momentum — and ongoing worries over Ukraine's weaponry and ammunition shortages, as well as stalled U.S. military aid — are now prompting concerns that a stalemate might even be the "best-case scenario" that Kyiv can hope for this year. At worst, Ukraine could see Russian forces breaking through Ukraine's defensive positions along parts of the front line, one defense expert noted. Ukrainian servicemen of 24th brigade operate an 82mm mortar near the frontline in Toretsk as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Toretsk, Ukraine on March 27, 2024.

Persons: Ben Barry, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Barry, Vladimir Putin, confidants, Evgenia Novozhenina, Ian Bremmer, Ukraine's, Metin Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Land Warfare, Kremlin, Reuters Supply, Ukraine, Eurasia Group Locations: Toretsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Avdiivka, Russia, Russia’s, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Iran, North Korea, Germany, U.S, Europe, Ukrainian, Izium, Kharkiv

☆ Ukraine's female soldiers are fighting on two fronts — against Russians, and sexism within their ranks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said last October that almost 43,000 women are currently serving in the military, a 40% increase since 2021, before Russia's full-scale invasion. Female combatants in Ukraine say the war is changing societal perceptions of a woman's strength, capabilities and worth, but change doesn't happen overnight. "At anything else, military women are no different from men ... [and] the more women there are who perform their duties well, the better the attitude towards military women becomes. Ukraine's defense ministry is also keen to highlight efforts it has made to level the playing field for female recruits. It's a far cry from 2021 when Ukrainian female troops were photographed practising for a parade wearing high heels with onlookers calling the policy sexist and idiotic.

Persons: Tsybukh, Olena Bilozerska, I'm, Bilozerska, Bilozeska, Olena, Metin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, —, It's, Drahaniuk, Yuliia Organizations: Ukrainian, Assault Brigade, Anadolu, Getty, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, CNBC, Medical Battalion, Anadolu Agency, Ukraine, Ministry of Defense Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Donbas, Ukraine's, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Lviv, Soviet, Kyiv, Yuliia

☆ How the Russian officer elite has been decimated in Ukraine — here are the generals and top commanders killed in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Vitaly GerasimovMaj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov became the second senior Russian commander reported to be killed after Ukrainian military intelligence claimed he was shot dead in Kharkiv. Andrey KolesnikovUkraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov. Ivan GrishinColonel Ivan Grishin, commander of Russia's 49th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, died in Ukraine, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vyacheslav SavinovLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Savinov, who headed Russian artillery intelligence, was killed in Ukraine, a Russian artillery school confirmed. A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

Persons: , Oleg Tsokov, Andrei Sukhovetsky Maj, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Sukhovetsky, Vitaly Gerasimov Maj, Vitaly Gerasimov, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Kolesnikov Ukraine's, Andrey Kolesnikov, Oleg Mityaev Russia, Oleg Mityaev, Anton Gerashchenko, Andrei Mordvichev, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yakov Rezantsev, Illia Ponomarenko, Zelenskyy, Rezantsev, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's, Dmitry Safronov, Denis Glebov, Glebov, Courage, Konstantin Zizevsky, Mikhail Vedernikov, Yuri Agarkov, Agarkov, Andrei Zakharov, Sergei Porokhnya, Gleb Garanich, Reuters Magomed, Magomed Tushaev, Putin, Vladimir Zhonga, Vladimir Zhoga, Sergei Sukharev, Sergei Krylov, Sukharev, Alexei, Alexei Sharov, Sharov, Sergey Bratchuk, Dmitry Dormidontov, Dmitry Pavlovich Dormidontov, Igor Zharov, Igor Igoshin, Zharov, Denis Kurilo, Kurilo, Anton Kuprin, Kuprin, Anton Gerashenko, Stringer, Denis Mezhuev, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov Maj, Gen, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov, Alexander Beglov, Fontanka, Miras, Miras Bashakov, Ivan Grishin, Vyacheslav Savinov, Savinov, Metin Aktas, Denis Kozlov, Kozlov, Andrei Simonov, Simonov, Roman Kutuzov Major, Roman Kutuzov, Alexander Sladkov, Tsargrad, Roman, Roman Berdnikov, Kutuzov, Volya, Kanamat, Botashev, Artem Nasbulin Maj, Artem Nasbulin, Serhiy Bratchuk, Tsokov, Михаил Ведерников Organizations: UK Defence Ministry, Service, British Defence Ministry, West, Storm, Russian, 7th Airborne Division, Combined Arms Army, Russian Federal Security Service, Arms Army, Interior Ministry, The New York Times, 8th General Army, Southern Military District of, Armed Forces, Twitter, Telegraph, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Separate Marine Brigade, Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Airborne, 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Luhansk People's, 56th Air Assault Brigade, Guardian, 12th Engineer Brigade, Russian Armoured, Carrier, Reuters, The Daily Mail, Forces, Sparta Battalion, Donetsk People's, Daily Mail, 331st Guards Parachute, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Strategic Communication, Information Security, The Independent, 810th, Zhukov Brigade, Russian Marines, Evening, Local, 200th, Rifle Brigade, Black, Fleet, Russian Federation, Ukrainian, New York Times, 1st Guards, Banner, The Times, Kremlin, 8th Army, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Armed Forces of, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, Russian Forces, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Separate Guards Engineers of Keningsbersko, Red Banner Brigade, Courage, Russian 2nd Army, Presidential, Russian Air Force, BBC, High Mobility Artillery, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chornobayivka, Kherson Airport, London, Yakov Rezantsev Ukraine, Kyiv, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Chuhuiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Pskov Region, Andrei Zakharov Ukraine, Ufa, Nova Husarivka, Chechen, Hostomel, Russia's Chechnya, Donetsk People's Republic, Volnovakha, Kostroma, Tatarstan, Pechenga, Sevastopol, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Izyum, Ukraine's Donbas, Severodonetsk, Kherson, Berdyansk

☆ Ukraine says it offered to return 3,000 dead Russian soldiers for burial, but Russia refused because it wouldn't admit the death toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia refused to acknowledge more than a handful had died, per Ukraine's defense minister. Reflecting on what he called "the cynicism of the Russians," Reznikov said that Ukraine had counted around 3,000 Russians killed, per translations provided by the filmmaker. The idea of sunflowers — Ukraine's national flower — being fertilized by the bodies of Russian soldiers is a common symbol of resistance in Ukraine. But Maurer said officials were too scared to tell anyone above the defense minister, according to Reznikov's recollection. Anastasia Vlasova/Getty ImagesInsider could not independently confirm the numbers of Russian dead at that time.

☆ Russian jamming may have hamstrung a US-made bomb kit being used in Ukraine, leaked documents say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Leaked Pentagon documents highlighted concerns about the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon. The American-made bomb kit used by Ukraine may have been hamstrung by Russian jammers. One document in particular highlights concerns about US-made bomb kits which have been sent to Ukraine in recent months. One factor is the bomb fuses aren't arming at their release, which Ukraine's air force has worked to fix. Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe Pentagon documents first became public last week and circulated through social media platforms like Discord, Twitter, and Telegram.

☆ Ukrainians are riding tanks captured from an elite Russian unit into battle in Bakhmut, but their new gear may not last long
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That includes T-80 tanks captured the 1st Guards Tank Army, an elite Russian armored unit. But Russian tanks are designed for Russian forces, and Ukraine might get limited use out of them. No wonder Western observers have been thrilled by reports of Ukraine capturing hundreds of Russian tanks and turning them against the invaders. "You can see an entire unit composed of nothing but captured Russian tanks." Interestingly, Kofman believes Ukraine doesn't need tanks as much as it needs armored vehicles to carry infantry into battle.

☆ Putin's top troops are being 'decimated' as Russia relies too much on so-called 'elite' forces to wage war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Several so-called "elite" Russian units have suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine. The 155th is only the latest so-called "elite" Russian unit to face serious setbacks on the battlefield. An abandoned Russian military tank left in the Ukrainian city of Balakliia after Russian Forces withdrew from the Kharkiv region on September 15, 2022. So I think it's much more of a blow to Russia's ground force's combat power than it is to their reputations." Russia's military leadership has at times faced criticism and even domestic outrage over its decision-making.

☆ Russia's air force is struggling to hit targets in Ukraine, but its missiles can still keep Ukraine's jets at bay
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

However, more potent air-to-air missiles are helping Russian jets keep Ukrainian aircraft at bay. However, a potent mix of air-to-air missiles — some of which out-range their Ukrainian counterparts — have helped keep Ukrainian aircraft at bay. The Kh-38 is a Soviet concept dating back to the 1980s, but the Russian air force never procured them "in anything like operationally useful numbers," Barrie said. Russian air-to-air missiles have been "effective in limiting the Ukrainians ability to use their own air force," Barrie said. For now, the only blessing for Ukraine is that Russia doesn't have a lot of these long-range air-to-air missiles.

☆ Russia shot down several of its own planes in the early days of invading Ukraine, leaving it with few willing pilots, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia downed some of its own planes at the start of the war in Ukraine, a former US official said. As a result, Russia started running out of experienced pilots willing to fly, officials told the FT.A lack of pilots scuppered Russia's ability to control the skies, per several earlier reports. The FT in a Thursday report cited two Western officials and a Ukrainian official who spoke of the friendly-fire incidents. A view of destroyed armored SU-34 fighter jet belonging to Russian forces after Russian forces withdrawn from the city of Lyman in Donetsk. The think tank said Russia began committing instructor pilots to combat operations, hindering its ability to train anyone else.

☆ A Ukrainian soldier died on the battlefield in Bakhmut. His death has sparked a fierce dispute between some American veterans and a volunteer trainer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

While entering a house in Bakhmut, two Ukrainian soldiers were ambushed by Russian troops. While he was doing laundry, Wang said a dark-green SUV suddenly pulled up and he heard a Ukrainian soldier shout, "De medyky?" More muscle than the pork ribsWang, by his own admission, decided to take charge of rescuing the wounded Ukrainian soldier. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIn the phone conversation with Insider, Wang defended his involvement in the death of the Ukrainian soldier. A wider tapestry of issuesThe SOLI instructors said the Bakhmut deaths were just one part of a wider tapestry of issues caused by Wang's inexperience and overzealousness.

☆ 5 places World War III could start in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Robert Farley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine, starting the largest clash in Europe since World War II. These five simmering disputes pose the greatest risk of erupting into "World War III" in 2023. In 2022, the world came closer to Great Power War than at any point since the end of the Cold War. These five areas pose the greatest risk for the eruption of what we might be tempted to call "World War III." Pray World War III never happensDestroyed apartments in Lyman after the Ukrainian city was recaptured from Russia forces in November 2022.

☆ The Ukraine war rages on without a clear end in sight. Here are 6 ways the conflict with Russia could play out
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, there does not appear to be a clear end in sight. Russian victoryWhen it began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia's goal was to take over the country completely. Rather than taking more territory, Russia's objectives in the current stage of war seem to be to weaken Ukraine's resources, economy, and army. Nuclear war and/or NATO interventionPutin has repeatedly made nuclear threats since he began the invasion of Ukraine and, in September, claimed that it was "not a bluff." One senior official previously said that a Russian nuclear strike could trigger a "physical response" from NATO itself.

☆ Russian fighter jets are struggling in Ukraine, but Ukraine can't beat their missiles and radars, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian air force's lackluster performance in Ukraine has been scrutinized throughout the war. Despite its failings over Ukraine, Russia's air force still has advanced jets and missiles. Russian pilots have modified their operations in order to make the most of those advantages. But that doesn't mean that the Russian air force is stupid. Yuri Smityuk\TASS via Getty ImagesDespite initial fears that they would be smashed by Russian missiles and jets, Ukrainian air defenses have had a major impact.

A view of damaged electrical wires after Ukrainian army retaken control from the Russian forces in Lyman, Ukraine on November 27. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images/FILE)Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the second winter season of the war "will be very challenging." Shmyhal said that "all regions of Ukraine, except Kherson region, are supplied with power. Shmyhal said the situation required a strong air defense and quick repairs of damaged power equipment. Obtaining additional power equipment was also a priority, he said.

☆ Russian troops are building new defensive positions nearly 40 miles behind current front lines, a sign they're planning for more retreats, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian troops are making new defensive positions miles behind the front lines, the UK said Friday. British intelligence said that these new positions suggest the Russian military is planning for more retreats. Ukrainian troops last week entered the southern city of Kherson after Russian President Vladimir Putin's defense chief ordered a retreat across the Dnipro (also called Dnieper) River. A Ukrainian tank is seen as Ukrainian Armed Forces' military mobility continue toward Kherson front in Ukraine on November 9, 2022. According to a recent assessment by the Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces have continued to attack Bakhmut, though Ukrainian forces have so far managed to repel the assaults.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine rages on without a clear end in sight. Here are 6 ways the conflict could play out.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

It’s become routine since Russia invaded Ukraine: President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak by phone whenever the U.S. announces a new package of military assistance for Kyiv. Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy he’d just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting. Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. Biden now faces resistance from some Republicans and Democrats that wasn’t present when Congress approved previous Ukraine funds. “I had an important conversation with U.S. President Biden today,” he said in videotaped remarks.

☆ A month after Putin started drafting Russians to fight in Ukraine, some are already coming home in body bags
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some, Putin said, are trained for as little as 10 days, leading commentators to conclude they were effectively cannon fodder. In Western armies, it would likely be impossible to die within a month of enlistment, because training lasts much longer than that. Radio Free Europe, the US-funded outlet, also reported deaths among newly-mobilized men, swiftly returned to Russia in body bags. Alberque said the mobilized troops probably could not fight effectively — and may never have been meant to. David Betz, a professor in the War Studies department, also at King's said that so few mobilized troops had arrived that their effective casualty rate was "zero."

☆ A Russian defense advisor was caught on a hot mic saying 'we all know the drones are Iranian' but the Kremlin doesn't want to admit it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian defense advisor recently revealed that Russia uses Iranian-made drones in Ukraine. Both Russia and Iran have denied that Tehran's suicide drones are being deployed in Ukraine. Ruslan Pukhov, who is also a military expert, recently joined Russian Business Channel (RBC TV) for a television interview. Pukhov appears unaware that the show is already on the air, and he reveals before the interview gets started that Russia has been using Iranian-made suicide drones, even if the Kremlin isn't acknowledging it. In addition to the Shahed-136, Russian forces have also deployed Iranian-made Shahed-129, Shahed-191, and Qods Mohajer-6 drones.

☆ Russia is frantically moving tens of thousands of civilians across the river in Kherson, an early war win for Putin's forces that they may not be able to hold
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian forces are rushing to evacuate tens of thousands of people in the key city of Kherson. The move comes as Ukrainian forces advance toward the city — the first that Russia captured. Russian forces have been occupying this southern city since they captured it early in the war. A view of a rocket firing as Ukrainian forces advance against Russian troops in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine on October 7, 2022. All together, Kyiv's advances have seen it liberate thousands of square miles of territory over the last two months that were previously occupied by Russian forces.

☆ Retaking Ukraine's Luhansk region is slow going because so many Russian troops fled there in other retreats, its governor said
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The governor of the occupied Luhansk region said many of those who fled ended up there. Haidai Serhiy, the governor of Luhansk, noted wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning that "many Ukrainians expected the de-occupation of Luhansk Region to be as quick as that of Kharkiv Region." And many Russian troops retreated into Luhansk and the Donetsk regions. Luhansk is still almost entirely occupied by Russian troops, though Ukraine has retaken some small areas since it started its counteroffensive, preventing the region from being fully under Russian control. Serhiy said "freshly mobilized Russians, prisoners, and a lot of equipment and air defense have arrived in Luhansk region."

☆ Russia unleashes its anger on Ukraine with brutal strikes — but it has big problems on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes, as Russia's attack continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. Ukraine's leadership has said it will not be intimidated by the latest spate of attacks, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowing to inflict more pain on Russian forces on the battlefield. Supplies running outDespite Moscow's recent show of strength in the last day or so, experts say Russia's forces are looking increasingly desperate and ill-equipped. "Russia's forces are exhausted. Destroyed armored vehicles and tanks belonging to Russian forces, after they withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region in Ukraine on Oct. 5, 2022.

☆ Russian forces committed horrific war crimes in Ukraine, such as rape and torture, and sometimes even made the families of victims watch, UN investigators find
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A team of investigators commissioned by the UN has concluded that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine. Gathering evidence from dozens of towns across Ukraine, interviewing victims, witnesses and authorities, and inspecting mass graves and sites of torture, Møse concluded that "war crimes have been committed in Ukraine." "There are examples of cases where relatives were forced to witness the crimes," Møse said. AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, FileEvidence of Russian war crimes is not a new aspect of the seven-month-long war in Ukraine. Ukraine's ambassador to the US said it represented "war crimes of massive proportions."

The scale of the Russian military’s and political leadership’s setbacks in Ukraine have become too vast for even state media and pro-war activists to ignore. With Russian forces on the retreat, more and more they are accusing the leadership of betraying the troops. As Ukraine retakes territory, videos are appearing online appearing to show massive amounts of equipment abandoned by retreating Russian soldiers. Radical right-wing bloggers calling for Putin to take the gloves off in Ukraine are not a direct threat to the regime, Stanovaya said. The Russian elite is used to seeing Putin as a strong man, someone who deals with challenges and always knows where he’s taking the country.

☆ Russian troops fleeing Ukraine's counteroffensive — some in 'apparent panic' — abandoned 'high-value' weaponry, British intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian troops fleeing Ukraine's counteroffensive abandoned "high-value" weaponry, the UK said. Britain's defense ministry said Russian troops left behind equipment with "essential" capabilities. There, the ongoing fast-paced offensive has sent Russian troops scrambling from their positions, where they have left behind a mountain of ammunition and weaponry, including their rifles. Ukraine's military said last week that it captured a Zoopark-1М radar system designed to detect enemy artillery activity for target acquisition "as a trophy." A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

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