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☆ Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Getty Images Putin speaks with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson during an interview in February 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Mikhail Mishustin, Ukraine –, Kiselyov, “, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Pavel Bednyakov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Tucker Carlson, Zuma Press Putin, Maxim Shemetov, – what’s, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, coy, Kremlin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, Putin, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, AP North Korean, Vostochny, Tucker Carlson Network, Zuma Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Putin Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, Moscow, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, Belarus, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Tsiolkovsky, Russia's, North Korea, United States

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

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

A new sign went up a few miles from the front line recently on the main billboard of an occupied town in Ukraine’s Luhansk region. Together we’re strong,” read the sign in the white, blue and red colors of the Russian flag, according to Anastasiia, a resident. The message was clear to her: That the president was Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, not Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, and that Mr. Putin was the only choice in the Russian presidential vote taking place in the occupied parts of Ukraine over the past three weeks. Mr. Putin long ago transformed Russian elections into a predictable ritual meant to convey legitimacy to his rule. In the occupied territories, this practice has the additional goals of presenting the occupation as a fait accompli and identifying dissenters, said political analysts and Ukrainian officials.

Persons: ”, Vladimir V, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Locations: Ukraine’s Luhansk, Russia, Ukraine

Russian Telegram channels have showed other mobile election teams across the occupied territories, including some which appear to clearly show Russian soldiers accompanying election officials as they go house to house. Ukrainian officials say intimidation tactics like that are commonplace and are aimed at forcing people to give their vote to Putin. For their part, Russian-installed officials in the occupied territories reported several explosions close to polling stations on Saturday, at least some of which Ukraine appeared to acknowledge. Russia’s election officials have been posting updates on what they say is turnout in the various regions. Ukraine says Moscow will fabricate the final results and insists that the majority of people living under Russian occupation are choosing not to take part in the poll.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Iryna Vereshchuk, ” Vereshchuk, “ We’ve, ”, fatigues, Putin, Vladimir Rogov, Vladimir Saldo, Saldo Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, Russian, Ukrainian, Saturday Locations: Russia, Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Moscow, Avdiivka, Russian, Ukraine, Berdiansk, Kakhovka, Dnipro

☆ Russians vote in an election that Putin will win, but the Kremlin is looking for a landslide victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesThere are no surprises over who will win Russia's presidential election this coming weekend with incumbent, Vladimir Putin, set to win a fifth term in office, keeping him in power until at least 2030. The heavily stage-managed vote taking place from Friday to Sunday is not expected to throw up any nasty surprises for the Kremlin which told CNBC months ago that it was confident Putin would win the vote comfortably. That's particularly the case in a country where Russian opposition figures are not represented on the ballot paper or in mainstream politics, with most activists having fled the country. "According to official data, Putin received 77.5% of valid votes in the 2018 presidential election that saw a turnout of 67.5%. Russian opposition activists, most in self-imposed exile in order to evade arrest, imprisonment or attack, have also condemned the election.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Putin, That's, Alexei Navalny, there's, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolay Kharitonov, Russia's, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Andrei Kolesnikov, —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Andreas Tursa, Russian Federation's, Yulia Navalnaya, Dmitrii, we're Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, New People, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, Russia's, Commission, Levada, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Putin, Teneo, Russian Democratic Society, Festival Locations: Kremlin, Ukraine, Russia, Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Europe, Kyiv, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, London, Sirius, Sochi, Stavropolsky Krai, Krasnodar Krai

☆ Russia’s war machine is trying to turn Ukrainian teenagers into soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The Ukrainian teenager was given a Russian passport and sent to a Russian school. And then, in the fall of 2023, not long before his 18th birthday, he received a summons from a Russian military recruitment office. Russia has publicly acknowledged the transfer of Ukrainian children without guardians, despite some having guardians or parents. All Ukrainian teenagers held in Russia, when they turn 18, they are put on a (recruitment) list of Russian military,” told CNN. “It’s a Russian strategy to turn Ukrainian children into Russian children and militarize them.

Persons: Bohdan Yermokhin, Vladimir Putin, who’s, ”, Yermokhin, Ivana Kottasova, Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Dmytro Lubinets, “, ” Bohdan Yermokhin, Lubinets, ” Lubinets, ” Yermokhin, Lubinets —, Mariupol, ’ ”, Belova, Mykola Kuleba, Filip, ” Yermohkin, Kuleba, It’s, Artem, Russia …, ” Artem Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, Russian, Rights, International Committee, Human Rights Watch, Ukraine, “, Lvova, National Guard, Save Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Geneva, Chechnya, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Save Ukraine, Belarus, Crimea, Qatar

☆ Russia can't reach a pro-Russian region in Moldova easily — but there are ways it can cause trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesMoscow is continuing its saber-rattling over the pro-Russian region of Transnistria in Moldova, and analysts are saying that while Russian authorities would find it hard to physically reach the breakaway region to annex it, there are still ways it can stir up pro-Russian unrest — and trouble for Moldova. All U.N. members consider the region to be part of Moldova, which has expressed a desire to reintegrate the region. Similarly to Ukraine, Moldova has a pro-Western government and wants to join the European Union. Problematically for Russia, Moldova and Transnistria are landlocked, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. CNBC has asked the Kremlin to comment on concerns that Moscow could look to destabilize Moldova and is awaiting a response.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Russia, Problematically, it's, Ian Bremmer, doesn't, Maia Sandu, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Abdoulaye Diop, Maxim Shipenkov, Lavrov, Bogdan Tudor Organizations: Getty, Moldovan, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Ministry, European Union, Eurasia Group, Gazprom, Western, CNBC, Foreign Affairs, Cooperation of, Reuters, Russian, West, RIA Novosti, Google, Russian Federation, Institute for, EU, Afp Locations: Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Transnistria, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Moldovan, Romania, Cooperation of Mali, Reuters Russia, Central Asia, USSR, Sochi, Donetsk, Luhansk, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia

☆ Russia appeared to flaunt a captured, 'fully operational' Bradley infantry fighting vehicle
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia claims its forces captured a US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). AdvertisementRussia has claimed its forces captured a US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in Ukraine — and it appears to be preparing to parade it across Russia. Russia also said in December that it had captured a Bradley IFV, Reuters reported. In one video that was circulating on social media last week, Russian soldiers appeared to conduct field testing on a captured US-made Humvee. 🇺🇦🇺🇸 Russian soldiers captured an American Humvee that was in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Persons: flaunting, —, l, sid e, ure, Russ, sian, Bradley, Wes, Тоби Organizations: Bradley, Defence, Service, Ukraine —, Russian Embassy, FV, kr Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russian, South Africa, Moscow

☆ ‘Eventually, one gets used to anything:’ How Ukrainians have learned to live with war
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Dnipro, Ukraine CNN —The residential block in Dnipro looked like someone had taken a huge bite out of it. Their presence was a sign of how Ukrainians have become used to the realities of living through a war. Tsyplionkova said she considered leaving Dnipro after the war started but found she simply couldn’t go: this is her city. Lydmila Lashko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, says two years of war have forced Ukrainians to get used to its brutal realities. “But eventually one gets used to everything.”Some 4.8 million Ukrainians are officially registered as internally displaced people, according to data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy.

Persons: Yevhenia Tsyplionkova, Tsyplionkova, “, Ivana Kottasová, CNN Tsyplionkova, ”, Lydmila Lashko, ” Lashko, Lashko, They’ve, Zhanna Vedmedieva, ” Vedmedieva, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Savchenko, Ivana Kottasova, Yulia Murashkina, Murashkina, Ihor Omelchenko, wasn’t, Omelchenko, ” Omelchenko, Vedmedieva Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Russian, Ukrainian Railways, CNN, Ukrainian Red Cross Society, Dnipro, Ukraine’s Ministry of Social, Donetsk People’s, United Nations Human Rights Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, Iranian, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian, Demydiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kreminna, Severodonetsk, Luhansk, Russia, Russian, Dmytrivka, Novomykhailivka, Donetsk People’s Republic, Mariinka, France, Havriushyna

☆ West closely watching Putin's next move after breakaway region asks Moscow to 'protect' it from Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with his confidants for the 2024 election at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2024. Maxim Shemetov | ReutersSpeculation is mounting that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use his annual address to Russian lawmakers Thursday to announce that Russian troops will be sent to "protect" the pro-Russian, breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova. Officials in the separatist region appealed to Russia on Wednesday for "protection" against Moldova's pro-Western government. "We keep a close eye and reiterate that the Transnistrian region is aligned with the goal of peace and security of Moldova. A map of Moldova, including the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Maxim Shemetov, —, Putin, Moldova's, Daniel Voda, Matthew Miller, Tursa, Russia's, Ivana Stradner, Daniel Mihailescu Organizations: Gostiny Dvor, Reuters, Moldova's, Russia's Foreign, RIA Novosti, Analysts, Federal, U.S . State Department, EU, Getty Russia, United Nations, Defense, Democracies, CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Institute for, Afp, Getty Locations: Moscow, Russia, Transnistria, Moldova, Soviet Union, Europe, Pridnestrovie, Moldavian Republic, Transnistrian, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Washington, U.S, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Chisinau

☆ A breakaway region in Europe is asking Russia for protection. Here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Christian Edwards | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

No country officially recognizes Transnistria, where Russia has kept a steadily dwindling military presence for decades, now standing at around 1,500 troops. Before Wednesday, the congress’ most recent meeting was in 2006, when it passed a referendum calling to join Russia. When Transnistrian politicians unexpectedly announced a new meeting, analysts suggested this could lead to fresh calls for unification with Russia. Russia’s war in Ukraine has had a profound effect on Transnistria’s economy. Minzarari said the dispute had created opportunities for Russian authorities to “fish in troubled waters.”Why is Russia interested in Moldova?

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ”, Daniel Voda, “, Maia Sandu, Dumitru Minzarari, ” Minzarari, Minzarari, Gen, Rustam Minnekaev, Lenin, Anton Polyakov, Putin, Vadim Kranoselsky, ” Ben Dubow Organizations: CNN —, European Union, Kremlin, Novosti, Moldova’s, Transnistria’s, Deputies, Russia, Moldovan, Russia’s, Ministry, CNN, EU, Carnegie Endowment, International, Baltic Defense College, Military Region, Institute for, RIA Novosti, Center for Locations: Moldova, Transnistria, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Moldovan, Russia, Tiraspol, Odesa, Maj, Kherson, Russian, US, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kyiv, Transnistrian

☆ Opinion: Neither Russia nor the West know how this war will end
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Opinion Anna Arutunyan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is doing so in part because the plans and intentions of Ukraine’s Western allies are so vague. Just as the Kremlin is doing, Ukraine’s Western allies are signaling their resolve to “defeat” Russia without actually articulating what that defeat means. The military support Ukraine’s allies are willing and capable of offering stops precisely where Ukraine’s most pressing shortages lie: manpower. But Ukraine’s Western allies are failing to reckon with these realities and, amid growing reluctance by right-wing parties in the US and Europe to shoulder the costs, are resorting instead to triumphalist rhetoric. Western allies need to start recognizing their limited resources, or at least the limits to what they can or will offer Ukraine.

Persons: Anna Arutunyan, Mark Galeotti, Prigozhin, Putin, Read, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Putin, Anatolii Stepanov, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine’s, ”, Emmanuel Macron’s, Zelensky, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Kremlin, Getty, EU, Munich Security Conference, Estonian Ministry of Defense, Law Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Switzerland, ”, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukrainian, AFP, Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Crimea, NATO, Luhansk, Europe

☆ Andrey Morozov: Pro-Kremlin military blogger dead days after reporting massive Russian losses in Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Vasco Cotovio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger, Andrey Morozov, has reportedly died just days after he reported that Russia had suffered massive losses during its assault on the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka. Morozov’s death comes after he reported that Russia was suffering massive losses during its assault of Avdiivka. CNN has seen evidence Russia suffered heavy casualties during the offensive on Avdiivka, but cannot verify the estimates published by Morozov. If he doesn’t remove it, we won’t provide supplies,” Morozov wrote. Pro-Russian military bloggers have enjoyed some freedom to criticize the Russian military and the way the Ministry of Defense was prosecuting the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Andrey Morozov, Mozorov, Maxim Pashkov, Morozov, “, ” Pashkov, ” Morozov, ”, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Igor Girkin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Defense Locations: Kremlin Russian, Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Russian, Luhansk People’s Republic, Ukrainian, Luhansk, Moscow

☆ After recent gains, Russia signals it could try to seize Kyiv again — saying the 'regime must fall'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A senior Russian official has signaled that Russian forces could make another attempt to capture Kyiv, after a failed attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital early in the war. Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, told Russian media agencies that Russia could "reach Kiev," using the Russian spelling of the city, saying it could happen later, if not now. Russia claims that the partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are now a part of Russia, a claim roundly rejected by Ukraine and its allies. In his latest interview, Medvedev commented that "this regime must fall, it must be destroyed, it must not remain in this world." Kyiv was a "Russian city," he claimed, warning that in Ukrainian hands it was "a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation."

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Russian, Russian Security, RIA Novosti, Russian Federation Locations: Kyiv, Russian, Russia, Kiev, Moscow, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, United States of America

☆ Russia's air force took control of the skies before seizing victory in a front-line fight, and it could be 'devastating' for Ukraine if it continues, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

And if it continues or expands, a real possibility as Ukrainian air defenses are under significant stress, it could be "devastating," war experts said. Confirming its retreat from the area, Ukraine said it was saving troops from being fully surrounded by Russian troops. This activity appears to indicate the employment of a combined arms tactic involving having air forces support maneuver elements on the ground. Ukraine's air defenses have largely denied Russia air superiority, preventing its jets and aircraft from conducting significant air campaigns since the beginning of the war. Even "recurring temporary localized and limited Russian air superiority," ISW explained in a recent update, "would likely allow Russian forces to more aggressively pursue operational advances along the frontline."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, George Barros, Barros, Vlada, hasn't, ISW, Kostiantyn, Avdiivka, it's, John Kirby, Kirby, It's, Putin Organizations: Service, Bakhmut, The Institute, Washington DC, Institute for, Armored Infantry, National Security, Chemical Plant, Ukraine Locations: Russian, Russia, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Moscow, Ukraine, Washington, Avdiivka district, Luhansk, Lastochkino, MLRS

☆ After Retreat, Ukraine Digs in to Repel New Russian Attacks in East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images"The Ukrainian military has established itself on new lines of defence and is successfully repelling attempts by the Russian invaders to develop an offensive," Brigadier-General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi wrote on Telegram messenger. The capture of Avdiivka pushes Ukrainian forces further from the Russian-held bastion city of Donetsk, an important logistics hub used by Moscow to support its operations across partially-occupied eastern Ukraine, a region known as the Donbas. Serhiy Zgurets, director of the Kyiv-based Defence Express consultancy, predicted Russian forces would try to "straighten out" the front line around Mariinka and launch a fresh push around the town of Vuhledar, which is held by Kyiv. Pavel Mogila, commander of an armoured unit in a Russian militia force fighting for Ukraine, said they helped evacuate forces from the city using three vehicles. Moscow unilaterally declared it had annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in 2022 despite not fully controlling any of them.

Persons: Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Avdiivka's, Republicans scupper, rearm, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Dmytro Lykhoviy, Avdiivka, Serhiy Zgurets, Zgurets, Chasiv Yar, Vladimir Putin, Maksym Zhoryn, Pavel Mogila, Taran, Oleh, Putin, Yuliia Dysa, Peter Graff Organizations: Tom Balmforth KYIV, Kremlin, U.S, Republicans, Ukrainian, Defence Express, Kyiv, Third Assault Brigade, 110th Brigade Locations: Avdiivka, Russia, Bakhmut, Mariinka, Kyiv, Russian, Donetsk, Moscow, Ukraine, Vuhledar, Chasiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Delays in Western aid to Ukraine have helped Russia launch offensives on 3 fronts at once, military experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementWestern delays in ammunition and aid to Ukraine have likely helped Russia launch offensive operations on at least three fronts, military experts said. These shortages, and the potential for no further aid being given by the US, have "likely encouraged Russian forces to exploit the situation" to launch offensive operations over the past few weeks, it said. AdvertisementIt warned that these attacks will "likely hinder Ukrainian forces from preparing personnel and materiel for renewed counteroffensive operations." The White House said this month that Ukraine could lose Avdiivka because of a lack of ammunition, despite Russia seeing larger losses there. Ukraine is busy trying to increase its domestic production of ammunition, but Russia, which is much larger and has more domestic resources, is also doing the same.

Persons: John Kirby, Avdiivka Organizations: Washington DC, White, National Security, BBC Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Ukraine's, Kupyansk, Avdiivka, Robotyne, Zaporizhia, Ukrainian

☆ Russia raises its flag in Avdiivka, then presses the advantage on a vulnerable Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Tim Lister | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian military may have sensed a window of vulnerability in its adversary. Ukraine’s better units are exhausted after two years of combat; there is a new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi; and Ukrainian troops are short of shells and vulnerable to relentless air strikes. The daily update from the Ukrainian military provides a glimpse of the firepower now being brought to bear by the Russians. This is how the enemy gained the advantage, destroying everything and advancing in the city.”Ukrainian servicemen build a temporary fortification near Avdiivka. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that in Avdiivka, seven Russians were being killed for every Ukrainian soldier lost.

Persons: they’ve, Ukraine’s, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Ivan Tymochko, –, Firsov, Anatolii Stepanov, Chasiv Yar, Yevlash, ” Yevlash, Diego Herrera Carcedo, ’ Organizations: CNN, Russians, General Staff, Ukrainian Land Forces, Lyman, TV, Getty, Forces Locations: Avdiivka, Donetsk, Russia, Russian, Luhansk, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia, Russians, Kharkiv, Robotyne, Severodonetsk, AFP, Mariinka, Vuhledar, Chasiv, Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Anadolu, Ukrainian

☆ Russia Says Its Forces Move Forward After Ukraine Withdraws From Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Guy FaulconbridgeMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday that its forces had inflicted a series of defeats on Ukrainian forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line just as Ukrainian troops withdrew from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka. Avdiivka is seen as a gateway to Donetsk city, whose residential areas Russian officials say have been shelled by Ukrainian forces, sometimes from Avdiivka. The New York Times reported that there had been chaotic scenes as Ukrainian forces retreated, with some of their wounded abandoned and soldiers starved of ammunition. Russian forces control a little under one fifth of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory. In the month to Feb. 13, Russian forces added 35 square miles of territory while Ukraine added just one square mile, according to the Belfer Center's Russia-Ukraine War Report Card.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yuri Podolyak, Guy Faulconbridge, Giles Elgood Organizations: Russia's, Ukrainian, Europe's, New York Times Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Donetsk, Luhansk, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine withdrawing some troops from Avdiivka, sends in elite unit; Zelenskyy heads to Berlin and Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian military soldiers fire from the MT-12 or 2A29 gun "Rapira" is a Soviet smoothbore 100-mm anti-tank gun on December 7, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine. Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from some areas of the eastern town of Avdiivka to seek better positions after months of intense combat. Moscow has devoted substantial battlefield resources to encircling and capturing the city, and Ukraine's dwindling supply lines have left its forces vulnerable. In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday, the Third Assault Brigade confirmed it was "urgently redeployed to strengthen Ukrainian troops in the Avdiivka area," and describe the situation there as "hell," according to a Google translation. "The enemy continues the active rotation of its troops, and throws new forces and means into the city," it added.

Persons: Dmytro Lykhoviy, Andriy Biletskyi, — Elliot Smith Organizations: Military, Third Assault Brigade, Reuters Locations: Soviet, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Moscow

☆ Ukraine Needs $486 Billion to Recover, Rebuild After Nearly Two Years of War - World Bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

That 10-year cost estimate is up from $411 billion last March, with housing needs topping the list at $80 billion or 17%, followed by transport needs of $74 billion or 15%, and commerce and industry at $67.5 billion, or 14%. The new estimate excludes reconstruction needs already met through the Ukraine state budget or through partners and international support. He said the Ukrainian economy had proven remarkably resilient in the face of the war. Four of five firms continued to operate in Ukraine, despite the war, with many relying on digital operations or moving sites to stay in business, he added. The number of internally displaced persons had also gone down to around 3.7 million, compared with 5.4 million in spring 2023.

Persons: Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Arup Banerji, Banerji, Andrea Shalal, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: World Bank, United, European Commission Locations: United Nations, Eastern Europe, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian

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

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

☆ Explainer-Why Does Russia Want to Capture Ukraine's Avdiivka?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Dan Peleschuk and Andrew OsbornKYIV/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian forces are intensifying efforts to seize the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on. Russian war bloggers, whom the Kremlin has brought under tight control, have acknowledged heavy Russian losses but alleged significant Ukrainian losses too. They say Kyiv's forces can be encircled if Russian forces can cut their last main supply line to the west. Avdiivka is seen as a gateway to Donetsk city, whose residential areas Russian officials say have been shelled by Ukrainian forces, sometimes from Avdiivka. Seizing it could boost Russian morale and demoralise Ukrainian forces, which have made only incremental gains in a broad counteroffensive since June.

Persons: Dan Peleschuk, Andrew Osborn, Avdiivka, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sergei Markov, Mykola Bielieskov, Bielieskov, Mike Collett, White, Timothy Heritage Organizations: LONDON, Mechanized Brigade, Radio Liberty, Kremlin, National Institute for Strategic Studies, Kyiv Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Donetsk, Luhansk, Avdeyevka, Kyiv, Kremlin

☆ Lysychansk: At least 28 killed in strike on Russian-occupied town in eastern Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Maria Kostenko | Alex Stambaugh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 28 have been killed in an attack on a building in the town of Lysychansk in the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, the region’s Moscow-installed head said Sunday. Ukraine’s defense ministry has not commented on the incident. Lysychansk was taken over by Russian forces in July 2022, becoming the last town in the key region of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine to fall. Last month, the Russian Defense Ministry said it stopped Ukrainian drones headed toward Moscow and St Petersburg. In December, Ukraine launched an attack on the Russian border city of Belgorod, killing at least 24 and wounding 108 others.

Persons: Republic Leonid Pasechnik, Pasechnik, Lysychansk, Chasiv Yar Organizations: CNN, Luhansk People’s, Russian, Russian Defense Ministry, St Locations: Lysychansk, Russian, Luhansk, Ukraine, Moscow, Republic, Ukrainian, Luhansk People’s Republic, Russia, Crimea, St Petersburg, Russia’s Bryansk, Belgorod, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Avdiivka

☆ Russia Says Death Toll in Ukraine Shelling of Lysychansk Rises to 28
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The death toll from what Russia said was a Ukrainian attack on Lysychansk - a city in the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian region of Luhansk - has risen to 28, including a child, Russia's emergencies ministry said on Sunday. The ministry said 10 people were rescued from under the rubble following what it said was a Ukrainian attack on a building housing a bakery in Lysychansk. The Russian-controlled Luhansk Information Centre said on its Telegram the shelling by U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) occurred on Saturday afternoon. Russia took control of Lysychansk in July 2022 after months of heavy fighting. Only about a tenth of Lysychansk's pre-war population of 110,000 remain in the city, according to Ukrainian officials.

Persons: Lysychansk's, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Luhansk Information, U.S, Mobility Artillery Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Luhansk, Lysychansk, Russian, Melbourne

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