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☆ Zelensky signs law expanding draft age as Ukraine struggles to beef up its military
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | Yulia Kesaieva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Ukrainian Parliament passed the measure in May 2023 but Zelensky had not signed it into law until Tuesday. Firstly, men are drafted into military service. The law signed by Zelensky on Tuesday lowers the age they can be drafted to 25, but leaves the mobilization age at 27, However, the Ukrainian Parliament is also considering a bill that would reduce the mobilization age to 25. Disagreement regarding the draft age is believed to be one of the reasons why Zelensky fired Zaluzhnyi in February of 2024. But Zelensky previously said he would agree to a law to mobilize younger Ukrainian men, if it was “really” needed.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, –, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Zelensky, United Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russian assault piles pressure on fragile Ukrainian defensive line in the east
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The UK statement, which was shared on X, said: “Russian forces have maintained a gradual advance West of Avdiivka. Their apparent fall in just over a month after a prolonged and brutal Russian assault is indicative not only of Russian momentum, but also the fragility of Ukraine’s defensive lines. Ukraine’s military declined to comment on who is currently in control of Tonenke in response to a question from CNN. Troops CNN spoke to in frontline areas expressed concerns about the lack of Ukrainian defensive positions, personnel and munitions. The ISW said the Ukrainian forces appeared to have repelled the Russian mechanized assault, an apparent reference to the Umanske attack.

Persons: Kostiantyn, Donald Trump, Zelensky, ”, Yuriy Butusov, Butusov, Vlada, ISW, Chasiv Yar, Victoria Butenko, Svitlana Vlasova, Yulia Kesaieva Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, GOP, Washington, European Union, Ukraine’s, Staff, Russian, Troops CNN Locations: Russian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, Kyiv, Umanske, Tonenke, Berdychi, US, Bakhmut

The woman is Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a Crimean Tatar, and she shared video of the moment on her social media accounts. It’s inevitable.”Arrests like hers, as well as large mass raids, especially, but not exclusively, in areas predominantly inhabited by Crimean Tatar communities, have been common since 2014. “The situation is only getting worse,” said human rights lawyer Emil Kurbedinov, himself a Crimean Tatar. AFP/Getty ImagesThe major concern now is that Crimea is a template for the other four Ukrainian regions now fully or partially occupied by Russia. Propaganda effortWhen it comes to Crimea, Russia has tried to hide its oppression under a veil of public investment, and patriotism.

Persons: “, ”, Russia’s, ” Zudiyeva, Joseph Stalin, Emil Kurbedinov, Daniel van Moll, NurPhoto, Kurbedinov, Ukraine –, Viktor Yanukovich’s, ” —, Baz Ratner, Yanukovich –, Sergey Aksyonov, Sean Gallup, ” Kurbedinov, Krzysztof Janowski, ” Janowski, Vladimir Putin, Irina Volk, Zaporizhzhia –, Volk, didn’t Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Tatars, Soviet Union, Fleet, Reuters, Research, Russia, Crimean, Getty, UN, Ukrainian, Moscow Locations: Crimean, Ukrainian, Crimea, Crimean Tatar, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Crimean Tatars, Russia, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Russian, Soviet, Moscow, Kyiv, Russian Republic of Crimea, AFP, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Avdiivka, Kerch, “

CNN —Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that the released prisoners had returned to Ukraine. Last week, Ukraine and Russia exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in what the Ukrainian government called the “second major exchange after a long break.”It was the first exchange since the mysterious crash of a Russian IL-76 plane on January 24 in Russia’s Belgorod region, which neighbors eastern Ukraine. Moscow claimed the plane was transporting dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kyiv said it was carrying Russian missiles to be used in further strikes on Ukraine. Zelensky said 207 Ukrainian service members were returned on Wednesday, while the Russian Defense Ministry said 195 Russian military personnel had been received.

Persons: KSHPPV, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Armed Forces, United Arab Emirates, Russian Ministry of Defence, Russian Air Force, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Azovstal, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Russia’s Belgorod, Moscow, Kyiv

CNN —Ukraine’s military intelligence says it sank a Russian warship off the coast of Crimea overnight into Thursday, landing the latest in a series of blows to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after mounting a “massive” missile attack on the occupied peninsula hours earlier. Night-time footage supplied by Ukraine showed naval drones racing toward the Russian ship before exploding on impact, causing significant damage to the vessel. CNN could not independently verify Ukraine’s claims and it is unclear from the footage which vessel was struck and when. The vessel became infamous after it threatened to bomb Snake Island in the Black Sea if the Ukrainian soldiers defending it did not surrender. In the meantime, I thank everyone who contributed to the cleansing of Crimea from the Russian presence,” Oleshchuk said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Mikhail Razvozhaev, Razvozhaev, Mykola Oleshchuk, ” Oleshchuk, Yurii Ihnat, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Russian, Ukraine, Wednesday, Ukraine’s Air Force, 204th Tactical Aviation Brigade, Ukrainian Air Force, Air Force Command, Ukraine’s Armed Forces Locations: Russian, Crimea, Lake Donuzlav, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Moskva, Sevastopol, “, ”

CNN —Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first such swap since the deadly crash of a Russian military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers. Wednesday’s exchange was the first since the mysterious crash of a Russian IL-76 plane on January 24 in Russia’s Belgorod region, which neighbors eastern Ukraine. But Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said there was still no reliable information as to who might have been on board the downed Russian plane. Speaking after Wednesday’s prisoner exchange, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IL-76 plane had been downed by a US Patriot missile system. Putin stressed that Russia would not halt prisoner exchanges despite the plane crash.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Petro Yatsenko, Kyrylo Budanov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, “, Andriy Yermak Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Social Media, Ukraine’s, US Patriot, American Patriot, Patriot, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Mariupol, Ukrainian, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Belgorod, Yablonovo, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Sumy

☆ Ukraine investigating if Russian troops killed surrendering soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Yulia Kesaieva | Benjamin Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating whether Russian troops killed two Ukrainian service members after the pair had surrendered. The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that the footage showed the execution of two prisoners of war. Russia has been accused of carrying out a litany of crimes since it invaded Ukraine, though the Kremlin has denied wrongdoing. Lubinets said that he believed Ukrainian officials would be able to identify the Russian troops responsible. “I believe that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies will be able to identify the Russian servicemen who committed this crime,” Lubintes added.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, “, Lubintes, CNN’s Joshua Berlinger Organizations: Ukraine CNN, general’s, CNN, Kremlin, Russia Ukrainian Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Stepove, Donetsk, Geneva, Russia, Russian

CNN —The eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the conflict, where fighting remains intense even when the front lines have barely moved for months. Russia appears to have made tactical advances in the outskirts of the embattled town as Ukraine claims it is inflicting heavy losses on assaulting troops. Here is what you need to know about the past week in Ukraine. Defensive fortifications will be bolstered along all of Ukraine’s northern territory which borders Belarus and Russia. Ukraine claims defensive actions in and around the town are inflicting heavy losses on Russian troops and equipment.

Persons: Zelensky, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, “, Vitalii, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, chief’s, Marianna Budanova, GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Yusov, Russia —, — Organizations: CNN, Analysts, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukrainian Security Service, Russian Railway, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Belarus, Kherson, Russian, Dnipro, Ukraine’s, CNN Ukraine, Buryatia, Siberia, Mongolia, North Korea, China, Finland, Helsinki, Brussels, Turkey, Soviet Union

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Putin orders Russian army to add 170,000 troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Christian Edwards | Yulia Kesaieva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s military to increase its number of troops by 170,000, as Moscow’s war in Ukraine enters its 22nd month. The increase would take the overall number of Russian military personnel to more than 2.2 million, including 1.32 million troops, according to the decree published by the Kremlin Friday. In August 2022, Putin ordered an increase of 137,000 troops by January 1, 2023, which put the military’s staffing at just over 2 million personnel, including 1.15 million troops. In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 5,937 troops had been killed in the war. Putin’s latest decree comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine is set to enter its second winter, with both sides suffering heavy losses without making significant gains on the battlefield.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Russia’s, Putin, recriminations, Dmitry Medvedev, Gavriil, Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s, Valery Zaluzhny, Volodomyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, Russia’s Security, Victory, Nazi, Sputnik, Russian, United, Economist, NBC Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Soviet, Nazi Germany, United Kingdom

CNN —Russia has foiled at least 20 Ukrainian drone attacks over the past day, including on the capital, Moscow, officials said Sunday, a day after it launched its largest drone attack against the Ukrainian capital. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, 11 drones were destroyed over the territories of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk oblasts over Saturday night, adding later on Sunday that nine more were also destroyed over the same regions. A municipal service worker sweeps up debris on the playground of a drone-damaged preschool in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 25, 2023. Global Images Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine/Getty ImagesThe attacks follow Russia’s largest drone attack against Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv since the start of its full-scale invasion, according to local officials. A Telegram post from Ukraine’s Air Force said it had intercepted 71 Shahed drones across six regions of Ukraine, with the vast majority in Kyiv region.

Persons: Sergey Sobyanin, Alexey Dyumin, Denis Pushilin, ” Pushilin Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Moscow, Donetsk People’s, DPR, Ukraine’s Air Force, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, Russian, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azov, a.m, Solomianskyi, Kyiv, Ukraine

The war is approaching the end of its second year, and Ukraine’s military needs more manpower to sustain a bloody war of attrition against Russia, a country with more than three times the population of Ukraine. In a recent essay, Ukraine’s top military commander, Valery Zaluzhny acknowledged that training and recruiting troops was becoming a serious challenge. The essay acknowledged a bleak reality: Ukraine needs more people in uniform, and it needs them now. Ukraine fills its ranks with volunteers but also has a system of conscription that allows the state to draft men of military age. If the war continues with the same intensity as it is today, there is no way to avoid conscription.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Valery Zaluzhny, ”, Andriy Demchenko, it’s, Maj, Viktor Kysil, won’t, Mark Holovei, I’m, I’ve, we’re, Maria Zaika, Maria Zaika “, ’, “ I’ve, “, Oleksandr Dyadyushkin, Vlad, Dmytro Kostyuk Organizations: CNN, Russia, State Border Service of, It’s, 5th Assault Brigade, Foreigners Locations: Ukrainian, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, State Border Service of Ukraine, Moscow, North Korea, Israel, Gaza, Europe, Russia, Bakhmut

Meanwhile, a blast in Russian-occupied territory in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, killed a pro-Moscow official, with a Ukrainian intelligence agency taking credit for the assassination. The Black Sea frontUkrainian Defense Intelligence (GUR) claimed it hit two small Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea on Friday, its latest display of Ukraine’s ability to hit Russian targets in occupied Crimea. “Two Russian landing craft have been hit with Ukrainian sea drones near Chernomorske, Crimea,” Andriy Yusov, a representative of GUR, said in comments to CNN. Ukraine Defence Intelligence released grainy, grayscale video showing what it claims is the moment of its srikes on Russian navy vessels in the Black sea. Kyiv has also focused on breaking Russia’s dominance in Ukraine’s territorial Black Sea waters.

Persons: GUR, ” Andriy Yusov, Vlada, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Mikhail Filiponenko, Igor Kornet, Ursula von der Leyen, John Thys, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ursula von der, “ Organizations: CNN, Moscow, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, CNN . Defence Intelligence, Ukraine Defence Intelligence, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense CNN, Liberian, Operational Command, UN, Police, Getty, Tavria, Forces, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, People’s Militia, Luhansk People’s, Defense Intelligence, Russian, European Union, EU, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine’s, Crimea, Luhansk, Ukrainian, “, Chernomorske, ”, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Odesa, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Luhansk People’s Republic, AFP, Europe

☆ Russia parades Ukrainian war prisoners as ‘volunteers’ for its army in apparent violation of international law
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Anna Chernova | Yulia Kesaieva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A group of former Ukrainian servicemen, including prisoners of war, have “volunteered” to fight on the front lines for Russia, Moscow’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti has claimed, in a potential violation of international law. The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian state media, said in late October that Russia had “recruited” 70 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) from various penal colonies. Coercing POWs to serve in the Russian forces would be a violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been adopted by all nations, according to the International Red Cross. “Russian authorities have likely coerced Ukrainian prisoners of war into joining a ‘volunteer’ formation that will fight in Ukraine, which would constitute an apparent violation of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War,” the ISW said. Russia and Ukraine remain locked in battle as the war enters a third winter with neither country’s forces establishing the upper hand.

Persons: ”, –, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, ” Khmelnitsky, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Valery Zaluzhny Organizations: CNN, Novosti, RIA Novosti, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Donetsk People’s, Cross, Geneva Convention Locations: Russia, Moscow’s, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Ukraine’s, The Washington, Russian, Geneva

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —For many Ukrainians, a recent somber assessment of the battlefield by Ukraine’s military chief was not a surprise. On Saturday, Igor Zhovka, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, slammed Zaluzhny for his comments. The situation may be better now but the truth of where the war stands “must be accepted, whatever it is,” he told CNN. But now even as the war moves into what Zaluzhny described as “positional warfare,” Shevchuk is convinced it will remain on everyone’s minds. Kyiv resident Natalia Kovalchuk believes everyone in Ukraine will have to join the war effort in the long run.

Persons: Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny, Igor Zhovka, “, ” Zhovka, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ursula von der, Vitalii Shevchuk, CNN Vitalii, ” Shevchuk, Shevchuk, Alexander Ermochenko, Zaluzhny’s candor, ” Lyuba Shipovich, Zelensky, Maxym, Iryna Avramets, ” Iryna, “ Zelensky, Oksana Yarosh, don’t, Natalia Kovalchuk, CNN Natalia Kovalchuk, ” CNN’s Gul Tuysuz Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Economist, ”, European, CNN, Russian, Reuters, Dignitas, Getty, Kyiv, Spain Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, ” Ukraine, Hostomel, Ukraine’s Crimean, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Moscow, Saltovka, Kharkiv, Crimea

☆ Ukrainian family of nine was shot dead in their sleep in Russian-occupied Donetsk
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Yulia Kesaieva | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Images from the Ukrainian Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s Office showed a horrific murder scene of multiple family members shot while in their beds, still tucked in each others arms, with blood spatters visible on the walls. Volnovakha has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022 following Moscow’s brutal invasion of its neighbor the month before. The Ukrainian Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s Office said armed men in “military uniform demanded that the family living there vacate the house to accommodate a Russian army unit” earlier this month. Days later, gunmen returned and “shot all nine members of the family, who were already asleep at that time,” the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said. This month, Ukrainian forces have held out against a renewed Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, as Moscow’s forces pummel residential areas.

Persons: Volnovakha, “, ” Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s, Russian, Russian Federation, Donetsk People’s Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Volnovakha, Ukrainian Donetsk Region, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic

Kyiv CNN —Over the last week, a secret delivery of American weapons and a cross-river raid have injected much-needed energy into Ukraine’s largely stalled counteroffensive. In the east, Ukrainians claim to have inflicted massive losses on Russian forces trying to encircle an embattled city. Russian forces have launched waves of attacks repelled by the Ukrainian troops who are heavily entrenched in the area. Smoke rises above the area of the front line town of Avdiivka on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. Stringer/AFP/Getty ImagesAvdiivka is no stranger to Russian assaults and has been on the front line of the conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

Persons: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, “, It’s, John Hamilton, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Zelensky, Stringer, WarGonzo, Mykola Miakshykov, UOC, ” Organizations: CNN, US Army Tactical Missile, Armed Forces of, ”, Army Tactical Missile, White, US Army, Battles, Analysts, Getty, Kremlin, Popular, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan, Zelensky Locations: Kyiv, Berdiansk, Azov, Luhansk, Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine, New Mexico, Moscow, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Russia, AFP, Kherson, Dnipro, Russian, Popular Russian, Krynky, Poyma, Kherson ., Obukhivka, Dnipropetrovsk Region, Ukrainian

“The fighting has been going on for four days,” Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka city military administration, told Ukrainian national television on Friday. Both small arms battles and artillery duels.”According to Barabash, Russia has been “firing everything they have available” at the city in a bid to encircle Ukrainian fighters. They are not human beings, they are titans.”Ukrainian President Voloydymr Zelensky also said his country’s troops were keeping Russian forces at bay. Avdiivka, a city very close to the Donetsk city airport, had already been the front line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014. It is seen by Ukrainian and Russian forces as a heavily fortified stronghold, with entrenchments built up over the past eight years.

Persons: ” Vitalii Barabash, “, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jens Stoltenberg, Virginia, AP Barabash, ” Barabash, Voloydymr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, Oleksandr Shtupun, Avdiivka, that’s, Barabash Organizations: CNN, Russian, Ukrainian, NATO, Virginia Mayo, AP, Institute for, ” CNN Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Barabash, Russia, Donetsk oblast, “, Donetsk, Russian, Mariupol

CNN —Fighters who had previously fought in Ukraine for the Russian mercenary group Wagner have returned to the battlefield in the east, according to the Ukrainian military. Wagner mercenaries had withdrawn from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in May as they handed control of the area to Russia’s military. “As of now, there are several hundred of them in our direction, on the Eastern Front, in different areas,” Cherevatyi told CNN. “Wagner is here too,” a drone operator with call-sign “Groove” told CNN’s Fred Pleitgen on the ground in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. The Ukrainian general leading the southern counteroffensive, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, told CNN last week that Wagner fighters continue to pop up “here and there” on the frontlines.

Persons: Wagner, Serhii Cherevatyi, ” Cherevatyi, “ Wagner, ”, CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, “, ” Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Podolyak, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, that’s Organizations: CNN — Fighters, Communications, Ukrainian, Russian Ministry of Defense, CNN, Russian MoD, Wagner PMC Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov during a send-off ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea on September 27, 2022. Ukraine has increasingly been hitting strategic Russian targets in Crimea, the Black Sea region of southern Ukraine that has been occupied by Moscow since 2014. Russian forces employed Iranian-made drones, hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles and a submarine in the assault, Ukraine’s defense forces said. A damaged building is seen following a Russian military attack in Odesa, Ukraine, in this image released on September 25. Over the past day, Russian forces launched 87 attacks on the Kherson region, Prokudin said, hitting residential areas, medical buildings, educational institutions, and critical infrastructure.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Pletenchuk, Vladimir Putin “, Pletenchuk’s, Viktor Sokolov, Alexey Pavlishak, Andrii Yusov, Matthew A, Foster, US Army National Guard Abrams, Sergei Lavrov, Zelensky, “, Abrams, Charlie Dietz, Oleh Kiper, Kiper, Dmitry Peskov, Oleksandr Prokudin, Prokudin Organizations: CNN, Abrams, Ukrainian Navy, Russian Navy, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, Navy, Special Operations Forces, Sea Fleet, Reuters CNN, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, US Army National Guard, US Abrams, Pentagon, General’s, Reuters, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Russian, Sevastopol, Ukrainian, Crimea, Moscow, Ukrainian Crimea, Piskie, Poland, United States, Germany, Odesa, Izmail district, Iranian, Kherson –, Beryslav, Kherson

CNN —The general leading Ukraine’s counteroffensive along the southern front line says his forces have broken through in Verbove – and predicts an even bigger breakthrough to come. However, open-source analysis of available video suggests that some Ukrainian units have crossed through an important line of Russian defenses near the village of Verbove. Stringer/ReutersAt the beginning of September Ukrainian forces said they had taken the village of Robotyne and were pushing east toward the village of Novoprokopivka. CNN reported earlier this week that the Ukrainian forces were still some 20 kilometers from Tokmak, struggling to break through the multiple layers of Russian defenses. “But the actions of our fighters force them to slowly pull back when they face our assault squads.”The general conceded that for the counteroffensive to be a success, Ukrainian forces need to at least reach the city of Tokmak.

Persons: Verbove –, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, Frederik Pleitgen, ”, Stringer, Soldiers, Tarnavsky, ” Tarnavsky, “, Rather, Sergey Surovikin, Ukraine – Tarnavsky, Tokmak, Pleitgen, It’s, Ukraine’s, CNN Wagner, ‘, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, redeploying, that’s, it’s Wagner, it’s Organizations: CNN, International, Kyiv, Reuters, Assault Brigade Locations: Verbove, Russia, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzia, Zaporizhzhia, Crimea, Robotyne, Novoprokopivka, Ukraine, Tokmak, West, Russian, Belarus, Kherson, –, Sevastopol, Crimean

CNN —Ukraine has identified the ships hit in its attack against a Russian naval base in occupied Crimea, claiming the vessels are beyond repair. On Wednesday, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, said the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don had been destroyed in the attack. A satellite image shows Sevastopol after a Ukrainian missile attack in Crimea on September 13, 2023. Smoke rises from the shipyard that was hit by a Ukrainian attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. A day after the Sevastopol attack, Ukraine carried out another operation, attacking two ships in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Persons: Andrii, Don, Yusov, Sergei Kotov, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: CNN, Defense Intelligence, BlackSky, Reuters Kyiv, Ukraine’s General Staff, The Defense Intelligence, The General Staff, Russia’s Defense, “, United Nations, Fleet, European Commission, European Union, Ukrainian, Commission Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Sevastopol, Minsk, Rostov, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimean, Turkey, Moscow, Europe, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

Kyiv CNN —The United States’ top general has warned Ukraine has just six weeks left before changing weather hampers its counteroffensive, even as Kyiv is signaling it could fight on into the winter. Meanwhile, an online update from the southern ‘Tavria’ command said: “we continue to make small advances in the area of Robotyne. One of Zelensky’s senior security officials, speaking at the same event the following day, indicated Ukraine’s forces might be set to keep attacking well into the coming winter. Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, acknowledged the counteroffensive was moving more slowly than he would like. Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south then ran for a further six weeks, only ending around November 10 with the liberation of Kherson.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, “, aren’t, haven’t, It’s, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Budanov, David Petraeus, Kyiv’s Organizations: CNN, United, United States ’, Joint Chiefs, Staff, BBC, Biden, Russian Locations: United States, Ukraine, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Tokmak, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lyman, Kherson, Russia

“They just come and say ‘vote.’ So people vote,” Baska told CNN. “Here, when you buy a SIM card for your phone, you immediately get an SMS from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and United Russia Party,” Baska said. The text messages carry pro-Kremlin messaging, informing voters that “about 90% of voters are ready to vote for Yedianaya Rossiya (United Russia),” or that “United Russia is helping Zaporizhzhia region,” she added. Guerrilla activity by Ukrainian partisans has taken place but is more difficult to achieve now, Baska told CNN. ‘Nothing to do with democracy’Few residents in Melitopol are interested in the bogus elections taking place, Baska told CNN.

Persons: ”, Alexander Ermochenko, ” Baska, Yedianaya Rossiya, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, “, Jens Stoltenberg, Baska, Melitopol, …, Republic Denis Pushilin, Yuriy Sobolevskyi, ” Sobolevskyi Organizations: CNN, Communist, National Resistance Center, Ministry of Internal Affairs, United Russia Party, Kremlin, “, NRC, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of, NATO, Yale Humanitarian Research, United Russia, Russian, Russian Guard Locations: Melitopol, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, United Russia, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv, of Europe, ”, Mariupol, Crimea, Republic

CNN —Chinese opera singer Wang Fan has sparked a diplomatic row after she was filmed singing the Soviet war song “Katyusha” inside the Mariupol Drama Theater in Ukraine where hundreds were killed last year. Wang was part of a group of Chinese bloggers visiting the occupied Ukrainian city. “Katyusha” is a Soviet-era folk song that gained popularity during World War II, calling on the population to serve and defend their land. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the group of violating its state borders. It grossly violates Ukrainian legislation regulating the crossing of the state border by foreigners,” Nikolenko said.

Persons: Wang Fan, Wang, ’ Wang Fan, Oleg Nikolenko, “, ” Nikolenko, ’, Boichenko, Wang’s, ”, cynically Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign, Weibo, NATO, Council Locations: Soviet, Ukraine, Ukrainian, “, China, Mariupol, ”, Russian

CNN —Russian forces attacked Ukrainian port facilities on the Danube River used for food exports on Sunday, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to discuss reviving a grain export deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ukraine’s Air Force said 25 drones were used in overnight attacks on the Odesa region, 22 of which were shot down. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it was targeting fuel storage facilities in the Ukrainian port of Reni used to supply Ukraine’s military. An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of trying to create a “food crisis” with the attacks. He will likely to discuss reviving the deal while meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Monday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reni, “, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Andriy Yermak, Erdogan, Putin, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, NATO, Romania’s Ministry of Defense, Russian, UN Locations: Ukrainian, Port, Romania, Romania’s, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Black, Sochi, Ukraine, Kyiv

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