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☆ US says Russia used choking agents against Ukrainian troops, breaching chemical weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” it said. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. The US has previously warned Russia against chemical warfare in Ukraine; in March 2022, a month after the invasion began, President Joe Biden said that NATO would respond if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. Russia has signed those treaties and claims it doesn’t have chemical weapons, but the country has already been linked to the use of nerve agents against critics in recent years.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Chloropicrin, Joe Biden, Mallory Stewart, Sergei Skripal, Alexey Navalny –, Vladimir Putin, Navalny Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Ukrainian, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian Embassy, CDC, State Department, United, United Arab Emirates, US, NATO Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Netherlands, China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab, Moscow, Ukrainian, Siberia

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

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

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

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

CNN —Pro-Ukrainian groups of Russian fighters claimed to have launched cross-border attacks in two regions of Russia on Tuesday, hours after Kyiv fired a wave of drones at targets across the country. The group, comprising a few hundred battle-hardened, anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers fighting as part of Ukraine’s armed forces, also said it had destroyed an armored personnel carrier inside Russia. A separate pro-Ukrainian group of Russian fighters, the Siberian Battalion, wrote Tuesday on Telegram: “Well, we’re home at last. CNN has asked the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment. The ministry also said its forces had killed 60 Ukrainian soldiers near Odnorobovka as they attempted to cross into Russia.

Persons: Russia Legion –, Russia –, ”, “ Organizations: CNN — Pro, Kyiv, Russia Legion, CNN, Kremlin Russian, Siberian Battalion, Russian Volunteer Corps, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, for Russia Legion, Novosti, IL, RIA Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Tyotkino, Russia’s Kursk, Ukrainian, Odnorobovka, Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Nekhoteevka, Spodariushino, Belgorod, Kursk, Russia’s Belgorod, Moscow, Oryol, Leningrad, Bryansk, Tula, Oryol region, Glushkovsky, Ivanovo

☆ Odesa attack: Ukrainian investigators demand answers after Russian strike kills 12, including 5 children
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Svitlana Vlasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Anna and Tymofii were killed in a Russian attack early on Saturday. A relative of Anna told CNN that Liza doesn’t understand what happened to her mother and brother. People visit the remnants of the building that was struck by a Russian drone in Odesa, leaving flowers and toys at the site of the attack that killed 12 people. Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty ImagesEntire family killedFive children, including Tymofii, were among the 12 people killed, according to Odesa officials. The fifth child killed in the attack was only identified by local media as 3-year old Mark.

Persons: Serhiy Haidarzhy, Anna, Tymofii, Serhiy, Liza, Anya, ”, “, Liza doesn’t, they’re, Tymoffi, Natalia Humeniuk, Oleksandr Gimanov, Tetyana, Oleh Kravets, Lisa, Mark, Vitaliy, Anastasia, Kravets Organizations: CNN, Locals, Southern Operational Command, Regional Directorate, Territorial Defence Forces Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Russian, AFP

☆ Pentagon Weighs New Plan to Ship Weapons to Ukraine Quickly
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration is considering whether to provide Ukraine with badly needed arms and ammunition from Pentagon stockpiles even though the government has run out of money to replace those munitions, according to two U.S. officials and a senior lawmaker. Such a move would be a short-term measure to help tide over Ukraine’s armed forces until Congress breaks a monthslong impasse and approves a larger military aid package to the country, the officials said. But in considering whether to tap into the Pentagon stockpiles again, the administration is weighing both the political risks and questions about American military readiness. “It’s something that I know is on the table,” Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who leads the Armed Services Committee, said in an interview. Mr. Reed, who recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, said he would support such a stopgap measure in “incremental uses to buy time.”

Persons: Biden, Jack Reed, Reed, ” Organizations: Rhode Island, Armed Services Committee Locations: Ukraine

☆ Zelensky warns ‘millions will be killed’ without US aid to Kyiv, as Ukrainian troop deaths reach at least 31,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Stephanie Halasz | Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“Millions” could die in Ukraine’s war with Russia if US lawmakers don’t approve President Joe Biden’s $60 billion aid request for Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN on Sunday. Zelensky’s warning came just hours after the Ukrainian leader made a rare admission of troop losses, saying that about 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed so far in the conflict, during a conference in Kyiv. Addressing the conference, Zelensky disputed Russian claims of much higher numbers when it comes to Ukrainian casualties. 31,000 Ukrainians, Ukrainian soldiers, died in this war. Not 150,000, whatever (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is lying with,” Zelensky said.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, J.D, Vance, Zelensky, Vance “, It’s, ” Zelensky, “, Vladimir, Putin, ”, Oleksiy Reznikov, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky’s, Andy Carey, Madalena Araujo Organizations: CNN, Russian, ” CNN, Ukraine Defense, Congress, Republicans, ” Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, United States, Switzerland

☆ Captured, injured, but undeterred. One soldier’s life fighting for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | Anna-Maja Rappard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Kherson, Ukraine CNN —If one man’s story encompassed all two years of Ukraine’s war you might expect it to have ended abruptly long ago. And slowly, Russian forces pushed the Ukrainians back towards Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant. On May 17, Ukrainian troops began surrendering. Kyiv released a drone video as part of its fervent denial, showing the same Russian troops who planted a flag over the flattened hamlet, fleeing the scene. “I have hope he will never be part of this war,” Oleksandr said.

Persons: Oleksandr, ”, …, “, gaunt, Valery Zaluzhny, “ I’m, Ed Ram, it’s, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Oleksandr Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Ukrainian, Urozhaine . 36th Marines Brigade, Armed Forces, Russia, NATO, Washington Post, Kremlin Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, Mariupol, Russia, Urozhaine, Kyiv, Urozhaine ., Russian, Vodiane, Denmark, AFP, Olenivka, Donbas, Dnipro, Crimea

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

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

Despite his death, Kyrkach-Antonenko found some new meaning, hope and purpose with the birth of their child. The Ukrainian parliament passed legislation in February to allow and fund the use of soldiers’ frozen sperm in case of their death. Once President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the bill into law, it will for the first time allow the widows of Ukrainian soldiers to use their dead partners’ reproductive cells – both sperm and eggs - to have children. It will also enable wounded soldiers to use their preserved reproductive cells to have children where their injuries would normally make that impossible. The possible injury to soldiers’ reproductive organs and trauma affecting the quality of sperm make cryopreservation of reproductive cells worthwhile, she told CNN, mentioning allegations of castration.

Persons: Natalia Kyrkach, Vitalii, Vitalina, Antonenko, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Antonenko Vitalii, Olena Shulyak, ”, It’s, Iryna, ” Feskova, Feskova, ‘, it’s, There’s, cryopreservation, Putin, Vitalina –, he’s Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russia, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Center Locations: Russia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian

Greece has become the first majority-Orthodox Christian nation to legalize same-sex marriage under civil law. Public opinion in majority Orthodox countries has mostly been opposed, too. Civil unions may become more common among Orthodox countries gravitating toward the European Union. Greek Orthodox showed relative tolerance, with half of Orthodox saying homosexuality should be accepted and a quarter favoring same-sex marriage. As head of the Russian Orthodox Church, he oversees the world's largest Orthodox flock.

Persons: ”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, “, George Demacopoulos, ” Demacopoulos, —, Vladimir Putin, “ perversions, Putin, Kirill, Moscow, Tiny Montenegro, Aleksandar Vucic, ″, ___ Smith, Yuras, Stephen McGrath, Illia Novikov, Veselin Toshkov Organizations: European Union, Pew Research Center, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University, Ukrainian, of, of Human, Russian Orthodox Church, Kremlin, Russia’s, Levada, MONTENEGRO Serbia, Balkan, Serbian Orthodox Church, of Human Rights, Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Associated Press, Gec, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Greece, Montenegro, Cyprus, Russia, Eastern Europe, Washington, New York, European, UKRAINE, Ukraine, RUSSIA, Russian, BELARUS, Belarus, SERBIA, MONTENEGRO, Serbia, ROMANIA, MOLDOVA Romania, Romania, Bucharest, Moldova, BULGARIA, Bulgaria, Pittsburgh, Tallin, Estonia, Belgrade, Kyiv, Sofia

The Russian war machine is running at full tilt and has a much larger pool of men to draw from than Ukraine to replenish its ranks. Zelensky said he and Zaluzhnyi had a “frank discussion about what needs to be changed in the army. Frontline units in several vulnerable areas told CNN in recent weeks that they were often chronically short of ammunition, particularly Western 155mm artillery shells. The Russian military continues to make mistakes, but it is learning and adapting, especially in the exploitation of attack and reconnaissance drones and electronic warfare. The Russian military has also exploited glide technology to deliver aerial bombs more accurately, one reason that the Ukrainian offensive in the south faltered last summer.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi, Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, ”, Matthew Schmidt, ” Schmidt, Frontlines, Diego Herrera Carcedo, “, Kyrylo Budanov, Schmidt, Vadim Ghirda, Dmytro Kuleba, Budanov, Valerie Zaluzhnyi, ’, Serhii Naiev, Zaluzhnyi’s, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Mick Ryan, –, Zaporizhzhia, Maxym, it’s Organizations: CNN, Presidential Press Service, Reuters, International Affairs, University of New, Getty, Ukrainian Military Intelligence, Biden, EU, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine Gold Star, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, Ukraine’s Joint Forces, St, Budanov, Security Service, US Naval Institute ., Hungary Locations: Kyiv, Russia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine, Kupiansk, University of New Haven , Connecticut, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Zelensky, St Petersburg, Volgograd, Crimea, ”, US Naval Institute . Ukraine, Australian, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine’s railways are still running after two years of war. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine’s rail network, known as Ukrzaliznytsia or UZ for short, has always been a source of pride and practicality in the eastern European nation, even before the war. ‘Constant threat’Ukraine's rail network, known as Ukrzaliznytsia or UZ for short, has always been a source of pride and practicality in the eastern European nation. UZ says a further $9 billlon is likely required to repair and modernize the existing UZ network, which at 19,700 kilometers is one of the world’s longest. “Our responsibility is to be a stable partner.”Indeed, despite the war, UZ says it has repaired and renewed 289 kilometers of track in 2023, rebuilt 15 bridges, built 528 new freight cars and repaired around 9,000 others. Britain’s Network Rail and Swiss Federal Railways are providing engineering support to help rebuild damaged infrastructure, while the Global Ukraine Rail Task Force (GURTF) was established in 2022 to raise funds to support Ukrainian rail workers and their families.

Persons: UZ, – UZ, ”, Jeff J Mitchell, Yarema Dul, “, ” UZ, it’s, Ukraine’s, Olena Zelenska, Dul, Transport Network Mykola Panov, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Yevhen Liaschenko, ” Liaschenko, GURTF, Andy Bagnall Organizations: CNN, UNICEF, Russia, UZ’s, Transformation Department, Transport Network Mykola, CNN Travel, “, ” Railway, Publishing, Transport Network, Britain’s, Rail, Swiss Federal Railways, Global Ukraine Rail Task Force, Rail Partners Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lviv, Warsaw, Vienna, Panama7, Odesa, Kharkiv, Russian, Poland, Germany, Soviet Union, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Hungary

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, “, ”

Kyiv CNN —Aid to Ukraine is frozen in US Congress, and Kyiv could be dealing with a Trump presidency more sympathetic to Moscow. “I don’t worry much about it,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate, told CNN in an exclusive interview in Kyiv. His agency has claimed notable successes, including raids on the Russian-occupied Crimea and attacks on Russian airfields, inflicting embarrassing wounds on the Kremlin. Ukrainian social media is bursting with footage from frontline troops showing drones spying on, attacking and even capturing Russian troops, although Moscow uses many of the same tactics. But as Ukraine’s long-held hopes for F-16 jets come to fruition – with Kyiv’s pilots already training on the aircraft – Budanov echoed Ukraine’s newest request.

Persons: Ukraine’s, isn’t, Kyrylo Budanov, Trump, ” Budanov, “, ” Trump, Putin, Budanov, Zelensky, Valeriy Zaluzhny, Moscow, ” Organizations: CNN —, Trump, CNN, Ukraine, Republican Party, Russian Federation, Kremlin, Artillery, US Air Force’s Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Ukrainian, North Korea

CNN —Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it has discovered a mass corruption scheme in the purchase of weapons by the country’s military amounting to nearly $40 million (1.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnia). Ukraine’s Defense Ministry paid nearly all of the funds to arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, but the SBU said the ammunition was never received. We have no place for corrupt officials.” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klymenkov said in a statement Saturday. Ukraine has been dogged by corruption scandals involving its defense ministry in recent years. In December, a senior Ukrainian defense ministry official was detained over allegations he had embezzled 1.5 billion hryvnia ($40 million) in a separate case involving an artillery shells contract.

Persons: SBU, Yurii Zbitnev, –, ”, Dmytro Klymenkov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Oleksii Reznikov, Washington Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Security, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Lviv Arsenal, European Union, Ministry of Defence, Defense, Officials Locations: Balkans, Ukraine, Ukrainian, United States, Kyiv

☆ Trench rats: Rodents swarm Ukraine frontlines in grisly echo of World War I
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Christian Edwards | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mice and rats are seen scurrying around under beds, in backpacks, power generators, coat pockets and pillowcases. A mousetrap in a garbage can tries to stem the swarm of rodents in a trenches near Bakhmut, Ukraine, in October 2023. The report was reminiscent of those from World War I, where the putrid pileup of waste and corpses allowed “trench rats” to breed rapidly. As well as causing anxiety and disease among soldiers, mice also ravage military and electrical equipment. In World War I, soldiers could not solve the trench rat problem.

Persons: “ Kira, ”, ” Kira, Kira, Libkos, Robert Graves, “, General Valery Zaluzhny, Hulton, ” Zahorodniuk, Ukraine weathers, Zahorodniuk Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Hulton Deutsch, Ukraine’s National Museum of Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Moscow, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk region

☆ Davos: Zelensky warns Putin’s war must not become ‘frozen’ as Ukraine faces shortage of weaponry and aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Christian Edwards | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Is the third world war possible? Putin’s war was less than a year old when Zelensky last spoke at Davos via a video link in January 2023. Zelensky said the West's fears that supplying weapons would escalate the war cost Ukraine time, lives and opportunities. Speaking at Davos shortly before Zelensky, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said only continued support for Ukraine would make Putin to relent. “And the paradox is that, if we want that to happen… the way to get there is [to send] more weapons to Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, Putin, ” Zelensky, Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, ” Von der Leyen, Ursula Von der Leyen, Gian Ehrenzeller, ’, ”, Fabrice Coffrini, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, Economic, Hamas, ”, Getty, NATO Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Pyongyang, Tehran, AFP

Linking Ukraine’s military assistance to U.S. border security interjects one of the most divisive domestic political issues — immigration and border crossings — into the middle of an intensifying debate over wartime foreign policy. Failure risks delaying U.S. military aid to Kyiv and Israel, along with humanitarian assistance for Gaza, in the midst of two wars, potentially undermining America's global standing. Rather than approve Biden’s request, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, Republicans are demanding something in return. Democrats call these essentially nonstarters, and the border security talks are going slowly. Other Republicans, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a Donald Trump ally, have drawn an even deeper line against Ukraine aid.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden’s, ”, Luke Coffey, Andriy Yermak, Coffey, Vladimir Putin’s, Mitch McConnell, It’s, “, Sen, Chris Murphy, Conn, Biden, Tom Cotton, McConnell, Sabrina Singh, Democratic Sen, Jack Reed, Mike Garcia of, Garcia, Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump, Lolita C, Baldor, Ellen Knickmeyer, Stephen Groves Organizations: WASHINGTON, Hudson Institute, Republican, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Biden, Republicans, Democrats, Senate, The Defense Department, Defense Department, Congressional Research Service, World Bank . National, Democratic, Senate Armed Services Committee, Russia, Kyiv, Navy, Rep Locations: Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Mexico, U.S, Kyiv, Gaza, Ukrainian, United States, Kentucky, Russian, Rhode Island, ”, Mike Garcia of California, Iraq, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

☆ Zelensky says safety rules ‘violated’ in Ukrainian military ceremony hit by deadly Russian strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The whole situation is being analyzed minute by minute,” Zelensky said Monday in an address to the nation. “It will be found out who exactly violated the rules on the safety of people in the area accessible to enemy aerial reconnaissance. Zelensky visited a training center at an unspecified location to mark the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery. In the immediate wake of the strike, Ukrainian parliamentarian Mykhailo Volynets said 28 people died and 53 were injured as a result of the missile attack. Ukrainian forces said they had penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in Zaporizhzhia region in September, but the progress of the counteroffensive has been slow, as Ukraine’s forces have been rebuffed by heavily fortified Russian defenses.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, ” Zelensky, Rustem Umerov, ” Umerov, Zelensky, Mykhailo Volynets Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Defense, Sunday, Facebook, of Missile Forces and Artillery, Presidential, Defense and Security Forces, Investigation Bureau, Missile and Artillery Forces, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian, Assault Brigade, 128th Locations: Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, ”

☆ Ukraine War Risks Stalemate, Armed Forces Chief Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt and WSJ Ukraine correspondent James Marson explain Ukraine’s evolving counteroffensive military strategy and what could be next for Europe’s biggest land war since World War II. Photo Illustration: Jeremy Shuback/WSJKYIV, Ukraine—The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces says the war with Russia is at risk of becoming a stalemate and Kyiv would need a major upgrade in weapons and technological capabilities to regain the initiative. In an interview and essay for the Economist, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, Ukraine’s top military commander, said the war was entering a new phase of “static and attritional fighting, as in the First World War.”

Persons: Mark Kimmitt, James Marson, Jeremy Shuback, Valeriy, ” Locations: Ukraine, KYIV, Russia

☆ Kyiv: Ousting of US House speaker darkens outlook for Ukraine aid as funds dry up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

That left the Biden administration’s $24 billion request for fresh military aid, submitted to Congress in the summer, in limbo. While it’s unclear who might succeed him, several potential candidates are skeptical about continuing support for Ukraine at current levels. Let’s be clear, if the US Congress does not pass a funding bill, Ukraine will be in deep trouble. But for Ukraine’s military planners, the uncertainty is an immense challenge as they try to plot any winter offensive or where to place air defenses. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty ImagesBut a senior adviser to Zelensky criticized “Western conservative elites” for suggesting that military aid to Ukraine should be suspended.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy “, ” McCarthy, Volodymyr Zelensky, Robert Fico’s, –, Michael McCord, McCord, ”, Max Bergmann, ” Bergmann, Bergmann, “, Bergman, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, Oksana Markarova, ” Markarova, Bryan R, Smith, Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, Podolyak, ” Podolyak Organizations: CNN, Russia grinds, Kyiv, Biden, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Congressional, House Democrats, Pentagon, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “, ‘, European Union, Facebook, Embassy of, USA, UN, Assembly, …, Congress Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Slovakia, Poland, Warsaw, Kyiv, Embassy of Ukraine, AFP

☆ Russia sees biggest drone assault on its own territory since invading Ukraine, as Kyiv strikes back through the skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Rob Picheta Anna Chernova Olga Voitovych | Rob Picheta | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring,” Serhii Popko, the head of the city’s Military Administration, said on Telegram. The governor of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine, said air defenses thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on a television tower early on Wednesday. Russian state news agency TASS reported that “as a result of drone attacks four Il-76 aircraft were damaged,” in Pskov. Ukraine stepped up its evacuations of children from the frontline town of Kupiansk on Tuesday, as Russian forces continued to bear down on the battered city. The Ukrainian military says that its forces have made further progress in a part of the southern front, towards the villages of Novodanylivka and Verbove.

Persons: haven’t, Serhii Popko, Popko, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Aleksandr Bogomaz, Mikhail Vedernikov Organizations: CNN, “ Kyiv, Administration, Kyiv “, Kyiv City Military Administration, Emergency Service of, Reuters, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Federal Air Transport Agency, TASS Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv, Pskov, Estonian, Emergency Service of Ukraine, Moscow Ukraine, Bryansk, Ukrainian, Klimovo, Russia’s, ”, Kupiansk, Novodanylivka

☆ Western allies receive increasingly ‘sobering’ updates on Ukraine’s counteroffensive: ‘This is the most difficult time of the war’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Weeks into Ukraine’s highly anticipated counteroffensive, Western officials describe increasingly “sobering” assessments about Ukrainian forces’ ability to retake significant territory, four senior US and western officials briefed on the latest intelligence told CNN. But for them to really make progress that would change the balance of this conflict, I think, it’s extremely, highly unlikely,” a senior western diplomat told CNN. Ukrainian forces have incurred staggering losses there, leading Ukrainian commanders to hold back some units to regroup and reduce casualties. “Russians have a number of defensive lines and they [Ukrainian forces] haven’t really gone through the first line,” said a senior Western diplomat. “The problem, of course, here is the prospect of the blame game that the Ukrainians would then blame it on us,” said a senior western diplomat.

Persons: CNN —, Ukraine’s, “ They’re, ”, We’re, Mike Quigley, haven’t, “, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Mark Milley, Zaluzhnyi, Milley, ” Zaluzhnyi, Putin, ” Quigley, Volodymyr Zelensky, ’, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Illinois Democrat, US, Ukrainian, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Aspen Security Forum Locations: Illinois, Europe, Ukrainian, Western, Ukraine, West

Multiple sea drone attack carried out on Russian assets in Crimea and the Black Sea have grabbed recent headlines, with dramatic videos posted online. These sea drones are targeting the Russians in the Black Sea. “The speed of these drones exceeds any sea craft in the Black Sea region at the moment.”The speed and difficulties in detection may go some way to explaining how the drones that attacked the bridge traveled undetected in the dark across the Black Sea to the bridge. Especially since the Admiral Makarov was newly installed as the Black Sea flagship after the Moskva was famously sunk by Ukrainian forces in April 2022. Russia claimed it was responding to an area it says was housing sea drones.

Persons: Makarov, Putin, ”, menacingly, Admiral Makarov, “ Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Boston Whaler, CNN, “, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Ukraine, Boston, Crimean, Russia, Crimea, Kerch, Crimea’s Sevastopol, Sevastopol, Moskva, Russian

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