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☆ Claims that the US bought 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from a close Russian ally are likely false, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Reports that the US purchased 81 combat aircraft from Kazakhstan are likely false, experts said. Kazakhstan has denied selling aircraft to Ukraine, saying foreign companies were not allowed to bid. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementReports that the US acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan are likely false, according to military analysts.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, US, Ukrainian Telegram, UA, Business Locations: Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian

☆ First British royal visits Ukraine since Russian invasion began
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. The duchess is a champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Sophie met survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture, as well as children who were allegedly forcibly separated from their families by Russia, according to Buckingham Palace. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh lights a candle as she visits Saint Andrew's Church on April 29, 2024 in Bucha, Ukraine. In March 2023, Prince William visited the Ukrainian-Polish border to meet British and Polish troops and learn more about their collaboration in supporting Ukraine.

Persons: Duchess, Buckingham, Sophie, Edinburgh, Prince Edward , King Charles ’, “, ” “, ”, Anatolii, Volodymyr Zelensky, Olena Zelenska, ” Buckingham, Prince William Organizations: CNN, United Nations, CNN’s Royal, Ukraine, Andrew's Church, Democratic Locations: Edinburgh, Ukraine, Russia, Buckingham, Bucha, Kyiv, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of, Congo, Colombia

☆ Massive drone strike suggests Ukraine is going after Russia's devastating glide bombs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementUkraine's massive weekend drone attack on a Russian airbase deep behind enemy lines suggests Kyiv may be trying to curb the threat of Moscow's devastating glide bombs, according to new Western intelligence. Destroyed Russian glide bomb kits are visible in footage from the ground following the strike. Russia's defense ministry said in March that it began increasing production of several types of munitions — including 6,600-pound ones — that could be modified and turned into glide bombs. Saturday's strike on the Kushchyovskaya airbase isn't the first time Ukraine has gone after Russian airbases hosting fighter-bombers that can drop glide bombs. Experts have warned that Russian glide bombs pose a tremendous threat to Ukrainian forces.

Persons: —, Russia's Su, kgibcTnREI — Brady Africk, Brady Africk, Russian Su Organizations: Service, Saturday, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian, American Enterprise Institute, Russian Defense Ministry, Getty, Institute for, Russian Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Moscow, Russian, Anadolu, Ukraine, Rostov

☆ Pedro Sanchez: Spanish PM refuses to quit, vowing to fight ‘unfounded’ attack on his wife
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Al Goodman | Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I have decided to continue, with more force if possible, as the head of the Spanish government,” the 52-year-old prime minister said. Sanchez thanked his Spanish Socialist Party members for their support. Manos Limpias acknowledged on the same day that it had relied on press reports for its court complaint. Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty ImagesSanchez’ Socialist party performed strongly in recent regional elections in Spain’s northern Basque region. Sanchez became prime minister in 2018 after winning a no-confidence vote against the conservative Mariano Rajoy.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Begoña Gomez, Sanchez, Gomez, Manos Limpias, “, ”, it’s, Gomez “, Manos, General’s, Hazte, Javier Soriano, Mariano Rajoy, “ Pedro, –, we’ve, Español’s Pau Mosquera Organizations: CNN, Spanish, Spanish Socialist Party, Madrid, Superior Court of Justice, AFP, Getty, Socialist, Socialist Party, Español, Español’s Locations: Madrid, Spanish, Spain’s, Basque, Catalonia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Spain, ”

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine pulls back forces in east as front line situation worsens; Kyiv desperately awaits U.S. weapon supplies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A serviceman of the battalion of unmanned attack air systems "Achilles" of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade prepares the "Vampir" night drone for the operation at a front-line position near the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on April 22, 2024, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat from several villages in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces advanced, the country's army chief said Sunday. "The situation at the front [has] worsened," Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Telegram. He said the "most difficult situation" was in the areas west of Russian-occupied Maryinka and Avdiivka, a town captured by Russian forces in February and that he had moved his forces "to new frontiers" west of the villages of Berdychi, Semenivka and Novomykhailivka in a bid to prevent casualties. Russia had deployed four brigades in these areas as it launched offensives, Syrskyi said, and while it had achieved some tactical successes, it not yet achieved any "operational advantages."

Persons: Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi Organizations: Separate Assault Brigade, Russian Locations: Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russian, Berdychi, Russia

☆ Russia is making daily tactical gains in eastern Ukraine, as criticism grows of Ukrainian military reporting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Andrew Carey | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine’s DeepState monitoring group, which updates daily changes in frontline positions, shows Russian forces pushing forward in eight different locations along 20-25 kms of frontline in one 24-hour period. Military bloggers on both sides broadly agree that Russian forces have crossed a water course and taken control of the settlements of Semenivka and Berdychi. Heavy fighting continues there, but the situation is under the control of the (Ukrainian) Armed Forces,” he said. Russian forces are also making headway west of Donetsk city, entering the industrial town of Krasnohorivka from the south and the east. “Without (its) manpower advantage, Russia’s artillery and airpower advantage would not be sufficient for Russia to make gains on the battlefield.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Myroshnykov, Stringer, ” DeepState, Muscovites, –, Nazar Voloshyn, ”, DeepState, “, Voloshyn, Narciso Contreras, Anatolii Stepanov, Rob Lee, ” Lee Organizations: CNN, Anadolu, Getty, ) Defense Forces, Armed Forces, –, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, United States, Avdiivka, Ocheretyne, Donetsk, Semenivka, Soloviove, Keramik, Ukrainian, Karlivka, DeepState, Russian, Kyslivka, Krasnohorivka, ”, AFP, Moscow, – greenlit, “ Russian, Russia

☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The US purchased 81 of the aged warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post. AdvertisementDerived from the MiG-23, the MiG-27 was a ground-attack aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Mikoyan, Antony Blinken, Kassym, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, US, Ukrainian Telegram, UA, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian Defense Ministry Kazakhstan, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Astana, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally for less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, fueling speculation about potential use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service. Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan next following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Kassym, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russia, Foreign, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Germany, Astana, Russian, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

CNN —A Russian court has placed Forbes journalist Sergey Mingazov under house arrest after he was detained for allegedly spreading fake news about the Russian armed forces, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti has reported. Forbes Russia says its journalist will be under house arrest for at least two months as he awaits trial after being detained on Friday. Bubon said that Mingazov is accused of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian armed forces “under the guise” of reliable reporting. Internet ban imposedBubon told Forbes Russia that Mingazov’s house arrest was enforced as a “preventative measure.” In Russia, preventative measures take place pre-trial and include being remanded in custody, released on bail, or placed under house arrest. “It contained, under the guise of being reliable, deliberately false information about… the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” it continued.

Persons: Sergey Mingazov, Forbes, “ Forbes, Mingazov, ”, Mingazov’s, Konstantin Bubon, Bubon, “, general’s, Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, Alexander Nevzorov, Dmitry Gordon, Marina Ovsyannikova Organizations: CNN, Novosti, Forbes Russia, Russian Armed Forces, Mingazov’s, Kremlin, Khabarovsk territory’s, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Wall Street Locations: Russian, Bucha, Ukraine, ”, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russia, Khabarovsk, Radio Free Europe

☆ Russian oil refinery partially suspends operations after drone attack, as thermal energy plants are damaged in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Russian oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region was impacted by a suspected Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday, according to local officials. Meanwhile in Ukraine, four thermal energy plants were “severely damaged” after Russian attacks overnight, according to a statement from DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company. DTEK said that its thermal power plants have been attacked more than 170 times since the beginning of the war. A video surfaced online showing the head of the Belarusian KGB security service alleging the two medical facilities were housing soldiers. Videos shared online showed medical personnel hurrying to move patients and equipment to ambulances that were awaiting to receive them.

Persons: Veniamin Kondratyev, Eduard Trudnev, Trudnev, ”, Kondratyev, Herman Halushchenko, Halushchenko, Serhii Lysak, Lysak, ” Svitlana Onyshchuk, DTEK, Mykola Oleshchuk, Ivan Tertel, Vitali Klitschko, hurrying, Klitschko Organizations: CNN, Regional, Kyiv, TASS, Slavyansk ECO Group, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Ukraine’s Energy, Facebook, Frankivsk, Ivano, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, Hospitals, Belarusian KGB, ”, Security Service of Ukraine Locations: Krasnodar, Ukrainian, Slavyansk, Kuban, Krasnodar Krai, Russia’s, Ukraine, DTEK, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano, Lviv, Dnipro, Kryvyi, Rih, ”, Russia, Belarus, Belarusian, Kyiv, “

☆ F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine is slated to receive its much-anticipated fleet of F-16 fighter jets this summer. AdvertisementThe long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can't come soon enough for its forces. The fighter jets are expected to arrive at some point this summer, reportedly as early as June. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes fly above the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. US Air Force F-16's stand ready with bombs loaded to take off during the first daylight attack to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

Persons: —, Falcon, SAMs, Alexandru, Egypt —, John Baum, Russia —, Baum, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Russia's, Tannehill, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, Peter Dejong Organizations: Service, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, NATO, Kyiv, Israeli Air Force, AP, US Air Force, Operation, Allied Force, Yugoslavia, Air Force, Defense Technical Information, Reuters, Storm, Russia, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US Navy, SA, Russian, AIM, INA Locations: Ukraine, Balkans, Kyiv, Romania, Norway, AFP, — Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lebanon's, Israel, Yom, Romanian, Fetesti, Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Islamic, Kuwait, Russian, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Bekaa, East, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Eindhoven, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Crimean

☆ Opinion: $95 billion Israel-Ukraine aid package gives Biden huge leverage. He should use it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Opinion Mark Hannah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The $95 billion military aid package President Joe Biden signed Wednesday was a feat of tough-minded negotiation to get funding to Ukraine and Israel after months of congressional horse-trading. But if the aid inflates those countries’ war aims, it could discourage the kind of tough-minded negotiation that is the only way to end their wars. The new infusion of aid gives the US a lot of leverage with Ukraine and Israel. However, the recent aid package includes long-range missiles, or ATACMS, which suggests Ukraine is readying an offensive against Crimea. In Israel, putting conditions on military aid is a better idea.

Persons: Mark Hannah, Joe Biden, Mark Hannah Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Mark Milley, “, —, Israel, Biden, George W, Bush, Putin, Ukraine’s, Biden judiciously, Netanyahu, Henry Kissinger, Golda Meir, Kissinger, ” Kissinger, Russia shouldn’t Organizations: Institute for Global Affairs, Eurasia Group, CNN, Wednesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Palestinian Authority, Abrams Tanks, Crimea, Israel, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Crimea, Washington, Ukrainian, Russia, Gaza, United States, Kippur, Tel Aviv, Soviet

☆ Pentagon Announces Additional $6 Billion in Military Aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States will give Ukraine $6 billion to purchase military hardware directly from American defense companies, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced on Friday, expressing confidence that many of the weapons and munitions the country most needs will soon arrive. “This is the largest security assistance package that we’ve committed to date,” Mr. Austin told reporters at the Pentagon. It will include air-defense missiles and artillery ammunition among other offensive and defensive weaponry, he said. Mr. Austin and Gen. Charles Q. This was the 21st such monthly meeting of the group since it was formed two years ago at a U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, and the first to be held since President Biden signed a long-stalled foreign aid package that includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mr, Austin, Charles Q, Brown Jr, Biden Organizations: Ukraine, Defense, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO, United Locations: States, Ukraine, United States, Kyiv, U.S, Ramstein, Germany

☆ Ukraine war live updates: NATO chief chides China; Pentagon says weapons will reach Ukraine 'within days'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A view of the street filled with rubbles of partially destroyed building after a Russian missile strike as at least 7 were killed, 28 injured in the attack Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said, in Dnipro, Ukraine on April 19, 2024. The Pentagon says its deliveries of weapons from the latest U.S. support package for Kyiv are on their way and will arrive in the coming days, if not sooner. Russian officials have hit back at the news, saying the new arms provisions will harm the region's security but will not bring Ukraine any closer to defeating Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had some strong words for China, saying Beijing must end its support for Russia's war in Ukraine if it wants better relations with the West, and that it cannot have it "both ways." Elsewhere, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping Organizations: Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Pentagon, Kyiv, Russia, NATO Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Ukraine, China, Beijing

☆ Right-wing media ruptures over Marjorie Taylor Greene’s threat to oust Mike Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Marjorie Taylor Greene has exposed the fault lines in right-wing media. While The Journal has showered Johnson in glowing praise, Fox News and the Post have gone different routes. Yet, it’s unlikely she will emerge from this battle victorious — a reality that has underscored the importance of Murdoch’s right-wing media empire. While the winds might not entirely favor Greene and the MAGA Media hardliners in this very moment, they do appear to be shifting. That could very well pale in comparison to what the rising, more extremist wing of right-wing media delivers in the years ahead.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson’s, Rupert Murdoch, Greene, Johnson, ”, MOSCOW MARJORIE, They’ve, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s, Bannon, Charlie Kirk, MAGA, Trump, “, God ”, Tucker Carlson, ” Greene, Kirk, Carlson, Murdoch, Murdoch GOP kingmaker Organizations: New York CNN, Republican, MAGA Media, Fox News, Street Journal, New York, Kyiv, Post, Republican Party, Breitbart, Murdoch GOP, GOP, Trump Locations: New York, Ukraine, MAGA, Johnson

☆ Ukraine can keep on fighting Russia — but the 'victory' it wants might be out of reach
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian servicemen practice combat drills involving a BMP-1 in Donbas, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on March 19, 2024. But, with future aid uncertain, analysts question what "victory" Ukraine could realistically achieve against Russia — a country that has put its industries on a war footing and is able to mobilize hundreds of thousands more men to war. While additional aid allows Ukraine to keep on fighting Russian forces in the short stretch, a "victory" in the near-term is an unlikely prospect. What's more, what "victory" looks like for Ukraine, or its allies, could be a source of friction. This is particularly the case in eastern Ukraine, where it has enjoyed support from pro-Russian separatists for over a decade.

Persons: Teneo, Vladimir Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Tursa, Frankness, Oleksandr Musiyenko, Putin Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Russia —, Afp, Centre for Military, Legal, U.S, CNBC Locations: Donbas, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, U.S, Central, Eastern Europe, Ukrainian, Crimea, Red, Moscow, Russian, Sevastopol

☆ Ukraine says it caught a man trying to escape the country by paddling on an inflatable mattress to Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A man was caught trying to leave Ukraine via the Dniester River — on an air mattress. Ukrainian border agents found him paddling with his arms in an attempt to reach Moldova. AdvertisementUkraine's border service said on Wednesday that it caught a man attempting to cross into Moldova by "swimming" on an inflatable mattress in the Dniester River. The border service did not say if the man on the mattress was trying to dodge the draft. This isn't the first time the Ukrainian border service has caught someone in an air mattress-related incident.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, State Border Service, Dnipro, dodgers, The New York Times, BBC, NATO, Agents Locations: Ukraine, Moldova, Romanian, Russia, Ukrainian, Hungary, Kyiv

☆ I Hid the War in Ukraine From My Son - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Sasha Vasilyuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In January 2022, I was planning a summer trip to Ukraine and Russia for my 4-year-old son and me. I spent half of my childhood in Ukraine and half in Russia before moving to the United States when I was a teenager. When I became a parent, my one, obsessive goal — as a mother raising a child in America with a man who spoke only English — was to teach my son Russian. He started inserting English words in otherwise Russian sentences and talking to himself in English while playing alone. A visit to Ukraine and Russia would allow him to see that his mother’s native language wasn’t a quirk of hers but something normal for millions of people.

Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, America, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Russian courts saw hundreds of AWOL cases in March alone, a record high since the war began: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In March, Russia dealt with its highest-ever number of AWOL cases since the war began, Mediazona reported. AdvertisementRussian courts assessed 684 absences without leave in March, the highest-ever monthly count since the war in Ukraine began, independent Russian media reported. Citing public records, independent outlet Mediazona reported on April 12 that a daily average of 34 AWOL sentences were carried out in military courts that month. Related storiesRussian courts have dealt with some 2,300 AWOL cases since the start of 2024, and about 7,400 total cases since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to Mediazona. This spring, Russia is set to call up some 150,000 men for routine, statutory military service, which typically lasts about one year.

Persons: Mediazona, —, Christopher Cavoli Organizations: Service, UK Defence Ministry, Russian Ministry of Defense, Business, US Army, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russian strikes hit Ukrainian critical infrastructure; UK finance minister visits Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine came under attack from Russian aerial strikes overnight, which hit critical infrastructure in the central region of Cherkasy, local officials said. In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, which is occupied by Russian forces, Moscow-installed officials there reported that Ukrainian drone strikes killed two civilians. U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt is in Kyiv meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and will meet with other officials throughout the day. The visit comes a day after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a massive Ukraine aid bill into law, which will provide the embattled country with tens of billions of dollars in more military and financial funding for its fight against Russia's invasion.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden Organizations: Finance Locations: Ukraine, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine Could Use New Weapons to Hit Russian Targets in Crimea, Pentagon Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Helene Cooper | More About Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Pentagon officials refused to specify the exact number of long-range systems that have been sent to Ukraine. The Biden administration sent the longer-range ATACMS secretly, to avoid alerting the Russians. President Biden’s decision in February to send more than 100 of the longer-range systems to Ukraine was a major policy shift. But more than two years into Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine, Mr. Biden’s calculus has changed, administration officials said. As Congress spent months considering another aid package for Ukraine, its troops ran out of ammunition and equipment and lost territory to a slow but steady Russian advance.

Persons: Biden, ATACMS, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, Oleksandr Syrsky, they’ve, Charles Q, Brown Jr, Biden’s Organizations: Joint Chiefs of Staff, Georgetown University Institute of Politics, Service Locations: Ukraine, Berdiansk, U.S, Dzhankoi, Crimea, Russia

☆ The Battle for a Hilltop Fortress in Eastern Ukraine, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russian forces have razed dozens of towns and cities in Ukraine over the past 26 months — killing thousands of civilians, forcing millions from their homes and leaving a trail of destruction that is impossible to calculate. Cities and towns little known to the world have become the scorched-earth battlegrounds where two armies clashed for months to bloody effect before the Russians finally prevailed. Now Russian forces have set their sight on Chasiv Yar, a hilltop fortress town in eastern Ukraine. The campaign is part of an intense effort by Russia to achieve what could be its most operationally significant advance since the first summer of the war in 2022. That includes the headquarters of the Ukrainian eastern command in Kramatorsk.

Persons: Chasiv Yar Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka . Cities, Russia, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Kramatorsk

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Relief in Kyiv as Biden set to sign U.S. aid package; Russian official detained on bribe allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian law enforcement have detained Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of taking bribes, Russia's Investigative Committee said on April 23, 2024. A Russian deputy defense minister in charge of military construction has been detained on Tuesday on suspicion of "large-scale" bribe-taking, in one of the highest-profile corruption cases since Moscow launched its war in Ukraine. A brief statement by the Investigative Committee, Russia's top investigative body, said late on Tuesday that Timur Ivanov had been taken into custody and an investigation into his case was proceeding. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had been informed in advance of his detention, he said. Russian news reports also said Ivanov was likely the most senior Russian official to face such charges since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Alexei Navalny, Dmitry Peskov, — Organizations: Sputnik, Russian, Defense, Investigative, Russia's, Corruption Foundation, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Kubinka, Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Russia

☆ The US secretly slipped ATACMS to Ukraine with more to come, putting high-value Russian targets in danger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Kyiv used these long-range missiles to batter Russian helicopters in multiple strikes last year. T South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty ImagesThroughout the war, Ukraine has routinely pressed Washington to provide ATACMS so it could hit high-value Russian targets deep behind enemy lines. Kyiv used the M39 ATACMS variant in those attacks. Regardless of the variant, the arrival of additional ATACMS will likely compel Moscow to change its strategy and tactics. While the statement did not specifically mention ATACMS, it said the package contains "additional ammunition" for the HIMARS, which could include ATACMS.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Dan Rice, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ATACMS, Biden, Sen, Mark Werner, Zelenskyy, Serhii, Rice, AP Rice, Pat Ryder, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, US, South Korean Defense Ministry, Army Tactical Missile, Korean Defense Ministry, Getty, Kyiv, The New York Times, Reuters, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Senate Intelligence, CBS, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, American University Kyiv, South Korea Defense Ministry, AP, Pentagon Press, Air Force, Gunners, Separate Mechanized Brigade, Armed Forces, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, United States, South Korea, Washington, Ukrainian, Russian, Crimean, ATACMS, Crimea, Donetsk Oblast, —, Russia, Kharkiv, AFP, NATO, Europe

☆ ‘A Good Day for World Peace’: Biden Signs Aid Bill for Ukraine and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Wednesday, reaffirming U.S. support for Kyiv in the fight against Russia’s military assault after months of congressional gridlock put the centerpiece of the White House’s foreign policy in jeopardy. “It’s a good day for world peace,” Mr. Biden said from the State Dining Room of the White House. “It’s going to make America safer, it’s going to make the world safer, and it continues America’s leadership in the world and everyone knows it.”The Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the package on Tuesday night, a sign of bipartisan support after increasingly divisive politics raised questions on Capitol Hill and among U.S. allies over whether the United States would continue to back Kyiv. The 79-to-18 vote provided Mr. Biden another legislative accomplishment to point to, even in the face of an obstructionist House. Within minutes of the vote, Mr. Biden said he would sign the bill into law “so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week.”

Persons: Biden, gridlock, “, ” Mr, “ It’s, ” Organizations: Kyiv, White, Capitol Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, America, U.S, United States, Kyiv

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