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☆ Ukraine war: With a surprise cross-border attack, Russia ruthlessly exposes Ukraine’s weaknesses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Analysis Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The town of Vovchansk in the northern Kharkiv region, liberated from Russian occupation more than 18 months ago, awoke Friday to intense shelling and aerial bombardment. As of Saturday, it appeared the Russians still held a handful of Ukrainian border villages, with intense aerial bombardment continuing in the Vovchansk area. Barros says that it is instead to compel Ukrainian forces to pivot from Donetsk to Kharkiv region. Gunners fire at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region on April 21. In Krasnohorivka, for example, Ukrainian units were able for months to use apartment buildings and a brick factory as defensive positions.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Vadym Skibitsky, George Barros, Sever, “, ” Barros, Anatolii Stepanov, Barros, exacerbates, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Zelensky, Chasiv, Chasiv Yar, Skibitsky, Stanislav, ”, that’s Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Institute for, ” Gunners, Getty, Manpower, Reuters, Gunners, Kharkiv, United States, Zelensky Locations: Vovchansk, Kharkiv, Russia, Donetsk, Ukraine, North, Washington, “ Russia, Ukrainian, AFP, Sumy, Donetsk oblast, Belgorod, Russian, Chasiv Yar, Chasiv, ”, Kreminna, Kharkiv oblast

☆ Pentagon races to prop up Ukraine's hard-fighting 47th Mechanized Brigade that's exhausted, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Pentagon plans to replenish the powerhouse brigade with Bradley fighting vehicles, Forbes said. AdvertisementUkraine's hard-fighting 47th Mechanized Brigade is battle-weary and urgently needs US support, Forbes reports. Trained by NATO instructors, the 47th Brigade all-volunteer unit is one of Ukraine's powerhouse brigades. Russia's 30th Motor Rifle Brigade took advantage of the rotational lapse as the 47th Brigade withdrew and attacked, capturing a large swathe of territory. AdvertisementBeyond material support and tactical adjustments, the 47th Brigade needs a reprieve from the relentless cycle of conflict.

Persons: Bradley, Forbes, —, Putin, Bradley IFVs, Bradley IFV, ince Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Mechanized Brigade, Forbes, NATO, 47th Brigade, M1, Bradley, Ministry of Defense, 47th Mechanized Brigade, ust Locations: Ukraine, Stepove, Avdiivka

☆ The wild-looking Russian 'turtle tanks' that keep showing up may not be as crazy as they seem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Its new "turtle tanks" may look silly, but there are indications they may be effective. Some OSINT pages highlighted the turtle tank's role in the assault on Krasnohorivka. Abandoned Russian ‘turtle’ tank on the Krasrohorivka front. AdvertisementVideos of Russian “turtle” tanks during assaults on Chasiv Yar and Krasnohorivka. The Russian turtle tanks are a clear step beyond the widely documented "cope cages" both sides have relied on to try and shield their heavy armor throughout the war.

Persons: —, Rob Lee, — Rob Lee, Lee, /htt, per a, lea, ely Organizations: Service, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russia's, Rifle Brigade, Russia's 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

☆ Russian troops advanced and captured large parts of village after apparent Ukrainian blunder left front line unmanned
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A mistake by Ukrainian troops appears to have let Russian forces advance and capture large parts of a village. AdvertisementA blunder by Ukrainian troops appears to have allowed Russian forces to advance and capture large parts of a village unopposed. The 47th Mechanized Brigade was due to be relieved by the 115th along the front line just east of Ocheretyne. AdvertisementMelnyk said the only reason Russia was unable to continue its advance was because the 47th Brigade rejoined the fight. An update on the Ukrainian Deep State website, which tracks changes on the battlefield, showed that Russian forces had captured large parts of the village.

Persons: —, Mykola Melnyk, Hope, Vadym, Melnyk, Ocheretyne, Chasiv Yar, David Axe Organizations: 115th Mechanized Brigades, Service, 47th Mechanized Brigade, 115th Mechanized Brigade, 115th, Rifle Brigade, Facebook, 115th Brigade, Financial Times, 47th Brigade, Getty, for, Ukraine's 67th Mechanized Brigade, Forbes, Ukraine's Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Russia, Russian, AFP, Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk, Ukraine's, Bakhmut, Ukraine's Donetsk

☆ The US Army isn't ready to attack across rivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yet if the US Army went to war tomorrow, it would lack the equipment, doctrine and experience to launch an attack across a defended river, according to one Army engineer. "The Army has not conducted such an operation since World War II," wrote Maj. Aditya Iyer, an Army engineer, in an essay for the Association of the United States Army. "The current wet-gap crossing doctrine, organization, materiel and leadership are ineffective for division-level wet-gap crossing operations independent from the corps," Iyer warned. "In contrast, the Ukrainian forces had accurate intelligence that showed the Russian troops massing along the river," Iyer said. Related storiesIndeed, the Army was unprepared for river crossings at the start of World War II.

Persons: —, Aditya Iyer, Iyer, Napoleon, Kevin Larson, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Army, Association of, United States Army, Business, 74th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, Union Army, US 36th Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry, Company, 92nd Engineer Battalion, US, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Fredericksburg, Italy, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Forbes

☆ Ukraine hit a company of Russian troops with HIMARS while they waited around for a visiting general
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian battalion congregated at a training area near the village of Trudovske in occupied eastern Ukraine when the two missiles struck, The BBC reported Wednesday. Sources familiar with the incident told the outlet that the soldiers were gathered to await the arrival of a senior commander. Ukraine has yet to comment on the strike, but the BBC reported a US-made HIMARS launch system was used to fire the two missiles. In August, Ukraine said it launched a HIMARS attack on five Russian units gathered on a beach that resulted in 200 casualties and destroyed equipment. Some accounts at the time suggested the troops had been gathered to await a general's pep talk before a dangerous mission.

Persons: —, Alexander Osipov, Osipov, Yaroslav Trofimov, Oleg Moiseyev, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Simon Miles, flack Organizations: Service, Russian, BBC, Business, Telegram, Wall Street, 29th Army of, Defense, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union Locations: Russia, Trudovske, Ukraine, Transbaikalia, Soviet, Russian

☆ Kremlin tries to stifle war bloggers' 'hysteria' over Ukrainian offensives in Dnipro, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

However, Russian military bloggers said they're failing, per the Institute for the Study of War. AdvertisementThe Kremlin is struggling to stamp out Russian military bloggers' "hysteria" around Ukrainian offensives in the Dnipro River, according to war analysts. Shoigu's speech is likely intended to play down Russian military bloggers' fears about Russia's struggles on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, the Institute said. On Monday, a Russian milblogger called Two Majors on Telegram, posted a letter allegedly written by a Russian soldier. It said the lack of drones in the area meant Russian forces were moving more slowly and exposed them to Ukrainian strikes.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Russia's, Vladimir Putin, OGPU, Krynky, Serhiy Bratchuk, Ukraine's Espreso, Natalia Gumenyuk, Andriy Yermak, Su Organizations: for, Service, Institute, Novosti, Telegram, 1st Battalion, 35th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Ukrainian, Odesa's, Administration, AFP Locations: Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine, Krynky, Censor.Net, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Donetsk

☆ Russia lost at least 15 tanks in a matter of days in just one Ukrainian village, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It lost at least 15 tanks in about two days, one analyst said, with other reports of losses. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia lost at least 15 tanks and 33 armored vehicles in about two days as it launched a major assault on a strategic village, analysts said. Other groups monitoring Russia's invasion of Ukraine gave similar assessments of Russia's recent losses there. And Ukrainian military analysts estimated that Russia lost at least 36 vehicles in Avdiivka over just two days, The Telegraph reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementFootage shared by the Shadow of Ukraine Telegram channel shows Russian vehicles being hit.

Persons: —, Osinttechnical, ISW, Vitaliy Barabash, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Center for Naval, Avdiivka, for, Telegraph, Ukraine Telegram, Russia, Mechanized Brigade, Amphibious Assault Brigade, General Staff of, Armed Forces Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Washington, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ Russian commander could have been fired after outrage from military bloggers who said he was incompetent, ISW said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian commander was removed after outraged military bloggers amplified his failed leadership. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian commander was ousted following a wave of outrage at his poor leadership from military bloggers, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. Russian military bloggers amplified the "significant losses due to inadequate artillery support and poor leadership in the Kherson direction," triggering the removal of the disgraced commander claimed the bloggers, per the ISW. A Russian brigade officially has at least 2,000 soldiers, and the commander holds the rank of colonel. The ISW wrote that the removal of the commander suggests that Russian ultranationalist outrage may still have influence over Russian military command despite an overall decline following the rebellion by Wagner mercenaries in June.

Persons: —, Wagner, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Russian 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Service, Institute for, Russian Armed Forces, 205th Brigade, General Staff of, Armed Forces of, Russian Locations: Russian, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Chechnya, Dagestan, Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk

☆ Russia's using its elite paratroopers in an unusual way to hold the line, leaving the force 'airborne in name only,' war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is relying on its elite paratroopers, the VDV, to defend against Ukraine's counteroffensive. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has turned to its elite paratroopers, the VDV Airborne Forces, to help defend against Ukraine's battlefield advances. As so-called "elite" Russian forces have taken losses, they have at times been backfilled with poorly-trained replacements, degrading the overall capability of the unit. Since those figures were released, VDV units have been transferred to support Moscow's defensive efforts in the face of Ukraine's pressing counteroffensive. The VDV is one of several elite units to suffer severe casualties during the war as Moscow has relied heavily on them.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, VDV Airborne Forces, Russian, Institute for, Victory, Russian MoD, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Paratroopers, Rifle Brigade, 155th Naval Infantry Brigade Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Russian, Alabino, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv

☆ Injured Russian soldiers are being sent back to the front line without being treated amid manpower and ammunition shortages, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Injured Russian soldiers are being sent back to the front lines without treatment, a report says. One soldier's mother reportedly said that they were being treated "like cows at a slaughterhouse." Russia appears to be suffering from manpower shortages as Ukraine's counteroffensive continues. The claims come amid further reports about Russia's mounting losses and ammunition shortages as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive. A recent investigative report by independent Russian outlets said that the average time for a mobilized Russian troop to die in Ukraine was just four-and-a-half months.

Persons: Irina, Nikolai, Ekaterina Bogdanova, Kostya, Bogdanova, —, Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Guards, Rifle Brigade, Internal Affairs of Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Radio Free Europe, Russian, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Internal Affairs of Ukraine

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian forces have retaken the village of Andriivka, south of the city of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian military brigade fighting in the area said Friday. "It's official: The Third Separate Assault Brigade has liberated Andriivka. 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation - smashed to pieces!" "As a result of a lightning-fast operation, the Russian garrison of Andriivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces and destroyed." The liberation of the village of Andriivka marks a symbolic and strategic victory for the Ukrainian forces, and comes after Wagner fighters left the Bakhmut area.

Persons: Wagner, Andriivka Organizations: Ukrainian, Separate, Brigade, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Russian Federation, General Staff of, Armed Forces Locations: Andriivka, Bakhmut, Russian, Ukraine, Donetsk

CNN —Ukraine’s Security Service says it has identified a Russian commander who is accused of giving orders to shoot civilians. “The Security Service has established the identity of another Russian occupier who is involved in mass murders of civilians during the occupation of Kyiv region. The SBU alleges Ovchinnikov “took direct part in the capture of the villages of Severynivka, Motyzhyn, and Kopyliv of the Bucha district,” and rode around the territory in armored vehicles “in order to intimidate local residents” accompanied by his subordinates. According to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, the Russian army committed thousands of war crimes in the Bucha district, and hundreds of people were killed in the town of Bucha alone before it was liberated in March 2022. CNN has reached out for comment on Ukrainian allegations to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Persons: Vadym Ovchinnikov, Ovchinnikov “, ”, Ovchinnikov, general’s Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Security Service, SBU, Security Service, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Arms Army, Eastern Military District of, Russian Federation, Kremlin, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Bucha, Kyiv, Severynivka, ”, Uman, Cherkasy, Ukraine

☆ 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 reclaimed an occupied village during its counteroffensive with far fewer troops than Russia, The New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NYT reported that one village, Neskuchne, was liberated with roughly 70 Ukrainian troops. According to the Times, Russia also has a contingent of troops known as the Storm Z unit that consists of former inmates. Ukrainian soldiers told the newspaper that reclaiming the village was a slow and painstaking process. According to the Times, Ukrainian soldiers first moved in on Neskuchne by foot before carrying out an artillery attack with small drones. More than a dozen Russian soldiers were killed and wounded, and six Ukrainian soldiers died, according to the report.

Persons: —, Mark Milley, Russia's, Hanna Malyar Organizations: Service, Ukraine, New York Times, US, Chiefs, Staff, 129th Territorial Defense Brigade, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Times, Storm, 129th, Institute for Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Neskuchne, Donetsk, Moscow, Russian

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin is escalating his feud with the Russian military to stay relevant after Bakhmut, but he risks taking it too far, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to escalate his feud with the Russian defense ministry. But some prominent voices in Russia's pro-war ultranationalist community are troubled by his antics, ISW observed. But in that same information space, Prigozhin also voiced repeated, profane, and blunt criticisms of the regular Russian military and its leadership. This aspect of his online activities appears to have become more pronounced as Wagner forces come off the line and reposition to rear areas. "Prigozhin is exposing a similar hatred for select individuals within the Russian military command," she said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ISW, —, Prigozhin, Russia's ultranationalist, Bakhmut, Stepanenko, Roman Venevitin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Igor Girkin, Shoigu, Russian oligarch Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russia's, Kremlin, Institute for, Press, REUTERS, 72nd, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Wagner, Russian MoD, RIA, MoD, Washington DC Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Concord, Russian, Soledar

☆ 2 senior Russian commanders have been killed in fighting near Bakhmut, defense ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's Defense Ministry said two senior commanders had been killed near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyTwo Russian commanders have been killed in fighting near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. The ministry said the commanders died while repelling Ukrainian attempts to break through the frontline. The department claimed that Ukrainian forces had not succeeded in breaking through Russian defenses and that hundreds of Ukrainian troops had been killed. He said that some Russian troops had fallen back from the north of Bakhmut to regroup to better positions following further reports of Ukrainian advances in the south.

☆ Russia says two of its commanders killed as Kyiv wages Bakhmut offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 14 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that two of its military commanders were killed in eastern Ukraine, as Kyiv's forces renewed efforts to break through Russian defences in the embattled city of Bakhmut. In a daily briefing, the ministry said that Commander Vyacheslav Makarov of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade and Deputy Commander Yevgeny Brovko from a separate unit were killed trying to repel Ukrainian attacks. It also said Ukrainian forces waged attacks in the north and south of Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, but that they had not broken through Russian defences. Neither Ukraine or Russian forces have been able to take full control of the city, despite months of grinding warfare that has inflicted heavy losses on both sides. Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Bakhmut amid a surge of Ukrainian attacks, but Kyiv has played down suggestions a huge, long-planned counteroffensive has officially begun.

CNN —Two senior Russian military officers have been killed in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday, the latest high-profile losses for Moscow in a grinding war with its western neighbor. The ministry said the two officers – Col. Vyacheslav Makarov and Col. Yevgeny Brovko – were in killed in action while leading Russian troops in the Donetsk region. “The commander of the 4th motorized rifle brigade, Colonel Vyacheslav Makarov, being at the forefront, personally led the battle,” a Russian Defense Ministry briefing read. The Donetsk region of Ukraine includes the city of Bakhmut, which has seen some of the fiercest and most relentless fighting of the war. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine has made “massive attempts to break through the defense of our troops to the north and south of Artemovsk,” referring to Bakhmut by its Russian name.

☆ Ukraine unit says Russian brigade flees Bakhmut outskirts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Moscow has not commented on the reports from either side that its 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned its positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut. A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops. The 72nd Brigade pissed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men," Prigozhin said. Early on Wednesday the unit, formed from Ukraine's nationalist Azov Battalion, reposted a video of one of Azov's founders, Andriy Biletsky, who said his forces had "defeated" the Russian brigade. "In fact, the 6th and 7th squadrons of this brigade were almost entirely destroyed, brigade intelligence was destroyed, large number of fighting vehicles were destroyed, a considerable number of prisoners were taken," he said.

☆ Ukraine says it routs Russia brigade, Kremlin admits campaign 'very difficult'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The unit's claim appeared to back up comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private army, who on Tuesday said the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions. "We managed to beat up the Ukrainian military machine quite a bit," said Peskov, citing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine. His comments did not address claims that Russia's 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true." A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops.

☆ Russian brigade seriously damaged, Bakhmut still Moscow's top target - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Wednesday its forces had seriously damaged though not destroyed Russia's 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade near Bakhmut, and that the eastern city remained Moscow's main target. Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, said the situation remained "difficult" in Bakhmut, but that Moscow was increasingly forced to use regular army forces because of heavy losses among the Wagner private army group. Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose private Wagner Group is fighting in Bakhmut, said on Tuesday that the 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned its positions. "Unfortunately they have not destroyed the whole (Russian) brigade yet, two companies have been seriously damaged there," Cherevatyi said in televised comments. "The situation (in Bakhmut) remains difficult because for the enemy, despite all the white noise Prigozhin is trying to create, it (Bakhmut) is (still) the main direction of attack, the main coveted target."

☆ Pentagon explains the mysterious Russian tank at a truck stop in Louisiana — saying it was disarmed and is going to an Army training center
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian T-90A tank was left at a casino and travel center in Roanoke, Louisiana last week. The Pentagon claimed ownership of the tank on Tuesday, The War Zone reported. It said it was on its way to a US Army training center when the truck carrying it broke down. "I've been here seven years," Valerie Mott, the assistant manager of the casino and travel center, told The War Zone. Its website says that the training center is "responsible for numerous technical achievements in military intelligence, medical research, engineering, and computer technology."

☆ A captured Russian tank from the war in Ukraine mysteriously showed up at a truck stop in Louisiana, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian tank mysteriously appeared off a highway in Louisiana on Tuesday, The War Zone reported. "I've been here seven years," Valerie Mott, the assistant manager of the casino and travel center, told The War Zone. The tank did not have any machine guns attached to it and had damaged front and rear fenders, The War Zone reported. Spokespeople for the Pentagon, the Russian military, and the Ukrainian Ground Forces did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Since the start of Russia's invasion last year, Ukrainian troops have been reusing captured Russian tanks in battle.

It has also denied that its military commanders are aware of sexual violence by soldiers. When Reuters asked for the identities of both soldiers, prosecutors provided only the name of the younger man. Russia has also accused Ukrainian forces of war crimes, including the execution of 10 prisoners of war. A U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has said that most of the dozens of sexual violence accusations pointed at the Russian military. So far, Ukrainian prosecutors have convicted 26 Russians of war crimes - some prisoners of war, some in absentia - of which one was for rape.

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