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☆ More than a year after Ukraine reclaimed control of a Kyiv suburb, its residents are still identifying bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia took control of Bucha, a Kyiv suburb, in a brutal campaign at the beginning of the war. More than a year later, Bucha's residents are still trying to identify the bodies of civilians killed there. More than a year after the Russians were driven out of Bucha, a Kyiv suburb, residents there are still healing. Nazar Havryliuk, 17, told the Times that his father and uncle were amongst those who chose to stay. "We don't ask these people to come here," Andriy Halavin, a priest in Bucha, told the Times.

Persons: It's, Vadym Yevdokymenko, Yevdokymenko, Nazar Havryliuk, Andriy Halavin Organizations: Service, New York Times, Times Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Bucha, Russian

Vadym Boychenko, mayor of Mariupol, at his office in the city hall of Mariupol, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Russian service members work on demining the territory of Azovstal steel plant during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine May 22, 2022. A view shows the building of a theatre destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 10, 2022. Before Russia's invasion last February, Mariupol was affectionately known as the mighty Ukrainian city with a fierce, steel heart. A local resident reacts while speaking outside a block of flats heavily damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 18, 2022.

☆ Russia seeking to disrupt Ukraine's preparations for counterattack, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 19 (Reuters) - Russia has shifted the focus of its missile strikes on Ukraine to try to disrupt preparations for a Ukrainian counterattack, a senior Ukrainian military intelligence official said. After months of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Russian forces are now increasingly targeting military facilities and supplies, said Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of the Defence Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate. He also said Russian aviation was now targeting areas on or near the front line more often than before. Russia, whose air strikes have also often hit residential areas across Ukraine, did not immediately comment on Skibitskyi's remarks. Soldiers near the front line said this week that Russian forces were pounding supply lines to try to halt the Ukrainian advances.

CNN —The US has announced a $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine intended to “bolster its air defenses” and “sustain its artillery ammunition needs,” with Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces looming. Instead of supplying Ukraine with the weapons it currently needs, USAI packages are intended to create a medium- and long-term supply for Ukraine. With the new package announcement, the US has committed $37.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including $36.9 billion since the beginning of the war in February 2022. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in late April that the Ukrainian military is almost finished preparing for its counteroffensive against Russian forces. But even after the Ukrainian counteroffensive begins, the US will continue to send military aid to Ukraine, according to a US military official, both to sustain Ukraine’s military force against dug-in Russian troops and to provide new equipment.

☆ Ukraine's Smart Holding aims to recover assets seized from ex-owner
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 5 (Reuters) - Ukrainian industrial and investment group Smart Holding told Reuters on Friday it will try to recover assets seized by the state from former owner Vadym Novynskyi, saying it owns the assets that were seized rather than the billionaire. Ukraine's domestic security service said on Thursday it had seized assets worth more than $280 million from Novynskyi after accusing him of aiding Russia, an allegation he denies. It also seized assets from him worth around $96 million in April. Smart Holding said the assets no longer belonged to Novynskyi as he had fully divested himself of ownership of the company before Ukraine imposed sanctions on him late last year. "It is therefore misleading and incorrect to suggest that Mr Novynskyi owns these assets," Smart Holding said in a written statement to Reuters, adding that the company would pursue the assets in court.

☆ Ukraine awaits US missile system after latest Russian strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The entrance to the Recknitztal barracks, home of the anti-aircraft missile group 24, on the left a mobile launch pad of the Patriot air defense system. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. Germany and the Netherlands also have pledged to provide a Patriot system each to Ukraine. Separately, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter died Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood of the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. The southern port city was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of the war, but Ukrainian forces regained control of it in November, one of the most notable battlefield defeats for Moscow.

☆ Ukraine says it seized assets of billionaire accused of aiding Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has accused Novynskyi of "aiding" Russia, which invaded Ukraine last year. The representative, who did not want to be named, on Friday said the billionaire denies the charge. The SBU said it had seized assets including ownership deeds to 40 Ukrainian enterprises and 30 natural gas wells. "The property of pro-Russian oligarch Vadym Novynskyi, who is involved in aiding the aggressor country, was seized," the SBU said in a statement. The details of the accusations against him for aiding Russia have not been spelled out by the SBU.

☆ Russian fighter jets are reportedly ambushing Ukrainian pilots in sneak attacks. Fending them off would require F-16s, pilot says, which the US previously said 'won't help them.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian fighter jets are ambushing Ukrainians in sneak attacks, an official told The Telegraph. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the White House to send F-16 jets to fight back. The Biden administration has so far refused to send F-16 fighters and MQ-9 drones to Ukraine. They will send up a Russian jet alone, tricking the Ukrainian pilot into thinking there is only one jet. Kahl added that the subject was discussed by President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Biden's visit to Kyiv on February 20.

☆ War has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes, sports minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 2 (Reuters) - Russia's war against Ukraine has claimed the lives of 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports facilities, the country's sports minister, Vadym Huttsait, said on Saturday. "They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war," Huttsait said, according to a transcript on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's website. The International Olympic Committee has recommended the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as neutrals. Reuters could not independently verify the number of Ukrainian athletes killed or how many facilities have been destroyed. In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, a number of Ukrainian national-level athletes have taken up arms voluntarily to defend their country.

☆ Ukrainian official offers a plan Kyiv would take after it reclaims control of Crimea from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kyiv has ruled out any peace talks with Moscow until Russian troops leave all occupied territories, including Crimea. As part of the plan, he also called for dismantling a 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge that Russia built to Crimea. Moscow blamed Ukrainian military intelligence for the attack. Russia's latest rocket and artillery attacks killed 4 civilians and wounded 15 others since Saturday, according to the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait said the death toll included 262 Ukrainian athletes, reaffirming Kyiv's call to bar Russia from the Olympics.

☆ Ukraine says athletes not allowed to compete against Russians in Paris qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Ukrainian athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics if they have to compete against Russians, government minister Oleh Nemchinov said. Huttsait is also president of Ukraine's Olympic committee. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals. The IOC is to make a separate decision on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris at a later date. Some federations have readmitted Russians and Belarusians in competitions but there is also considerable opposition to the IOC's plans from athletes and some European governments.

☆ Russia shot down several of its own planes in the early days of invading Ukraine, leaving it with few willing pilots, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia downed some of its own planes at the start of the war in Ukraine, a former US official said. As a result, Russia started running out of experienced pilots willing to fly, officials told the FT.A lack of pilots scuppered Russia's ability to control the skies, per several earlier reports. The FT in a Thursday report cited two Western officials and a Ukrainian official who spoke of the friendly-fire incidents. A view of destroyed armored SU-34 fighter jet belonging to Russian forces after Russian forces withdrawn from the city of Lyman in Donetsk. The think tank said Russia began committing instructor pilots to combat operations, hindering its ability to train anyone else.

☆ Ukraine Says Russia Delaying New Mobilization Amid Stepped-Up Offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Matthew Luxmoore | Evan Gershkovich | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine said Russia was ready to launch a new mobilization but was struggling to integrate troops it had already drafted and was waiting to gauge the success of a stepped-up offensive ahead of the first anniversary of its invasion later this month. “Everything is ready,” the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitsky, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “The personnel is in place, the lists are ready, the people tasked with carrying out recruitment and training are on standby.”

☆ Ukraine Says Russia Is Delaying New Mobilization Amid Stepped-Up Offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Matthew Luxmoore | Evan Gershkovich | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine said Russia had everything in place to launch a second wave of military mobilization but was waiting to gauge the success of a stepped-up offensive aimed at capturing swaths of territory ahead of the first anniversary of its invasion later this month. “Everything is ready,” the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitsky, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “The personnel is in place, the lists are ready, the people tasked with carrying out recruitment and training are on standby.”

☆ I'm a wedding planner in Ukraine. I've adapted ceremonies to curfews and blackouts, and one bride asked for money toward a vehicle for her father's army unit instead of gifts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Oksana Bratseiko has spent seven years working in the wedding industry in Kyiv, Ukraine. My team organized very few weddings in 2022 because most couples didn't bother with a big event: they opted for modest, last-minute weddings at Kyiv's City Hall. Wedding planning in wartime Ukraine is special — but challengingThe Forever Bride wedding team in August 2022. We started planning our first wartime wedding in May 2022Vadym and Anna at their wedding in August 2022. Planning weddings during wartime is like a light in the dark.

☆ Ukraine on mission to ban Russia from Olympics, IOC says sanctions stand
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Vadym Huttsait, 51, a former Olympic fencing champion, told Reuters the idea of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals was unacceptable. Moscow said on Tuesday it would welcome any IOC moves to allow its athletes to compete in the Olympics. But hours later the IOC said it was standing by sanctions imposed against the countries over Russia's invasion. There has been little public support yet from other nations for an outright ban on Russians at Paris. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier'LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEDALS'The IOC's initial recommendation to ban Russians and Belarusians has been applied by many sports federations.

☆ Ukraine on mission to ban Russia from Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At least 220 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have died in the war, Huttsait said, with over 340 sports facilities damaged or ruined. However, there has been little public support yet from other nations for an outright ban on Russians at Paris. "Certainly, there is some attempt by the International Olympic Committee to allow our athletes to participate in international competitions," said Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of Russia's Olympic Committee. 'LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEDALS'The IOC's previous recommendation to ban Russians and Belarusians has been applied by many sports federations. Should that happen, Ukraine's sporting authorities and athletes will face a "very difficult decision" whether to boycott Paris, Huttsait said.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Kyiv presses allies for faster weapons supplies; Germany rules out fighter jets for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other areas in the Donetsk region are under constant Russian attacks. There are constant attempts to break through our defense," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Sunday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed allies for faster weapons supplies as fighting in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, continues to be intense. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other areas in the Donetsk region are under constant Russian attacks. There are constant attempts to break through our defense," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Sunday.

☆ Total of 321 heavy tanks promised to Ukraine - Ukraine ambassador to France
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - A total of 321 heavy tanks have been promised to Ukraine by several countries, Ukraine's ambassador to France said on BFM television on Friday. "As of today, numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine," Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to France, said in an interview with French TV station BFM. "Delivery terms vary for each case and we need this help as soon as possible," he added. Omelchenko did not provide a breakdown of the number of tanks per country. On Thursday, several Western nations led by Germany and the United States said they would send tanks to Ukraine.

☆ Ukrainians Target Pushkin in Drive Against Russian Influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Oksana Grytsenko | Photographs Serhii Korovayny For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A monument honoring Russian poet Alexandr Pushkin in Kyiv, Ukraine, was removed last year. KYIV, Ukraine—When Russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014, Vadym Pozdnyakov was among a crowd that toppled a statue of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin in the city of Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. Now, nearly a year into Russia’s full-scale invasion, he is leading a campaign with a new target: monuments to 19th-century Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin.

DNIPROVS’KE, Ukraine — The smell of sawdust hangs in the air around a network of neatly dug trenches in a quiet and densely forested area on Ukraine’s border with Belarus. Originally built in April, Ukrainian forces continue to update and strengthen defenses such as these trenches, amid reports of Russian troops and armor pouring into Belarus. Air force drills will be held from Monday to Feb. 1 using all of Belarus's military air fields, and joint army exercises involving a “mechanized brigade subdivision,” the Belarusian defense ministry said. “We are now focused on the reserves and groupings of troops that Russia is putting in the temporarily occupied territories. Across the Dnipro river from Belarus, not far from the trenches, Ukrainian forces are taking no chances.

☆ Russia's defense manufacturing sector is using convict labor to meet war-time demands: UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia announced it's using the forced labor of convicts to manufacture weaponry. The UK MOD said that manufacturers are likely under intense pressure to keep the army supplied. Russia, which reintroduced forced prison labor in 2017, has a prison population of around 400,000, as well as a system accused of perpetuating "extreme brutality and corruption," the UK MOD said. It is likely under "intense pressure" to produce more, the UK MOD said. The UK MOD report follows several signals that Russia, like Ukraine, is grappling with difficulties in keeping its front line supplied with a wide range of munitions.

☆ Christmas joy and anger for rival Orthodox churches in historic Kyiv monastery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It has become a focus of a bitter conflict between Ukraine's Orthodox communities, triggered by Russia's invasion. Members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukraine's largest, piled into the cathedral's ornate interior on Saturday, to hear the first ever Ukrainian-language service in the cathedral. Ukraine's Orthodox Church, in its various iterations, has been subordinate to Moscow since the 17th century. The war, now in its eleventh month, has led many Ukrainians to rally round the OCU, which they see as more pro-Ukrainian than its rival, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). That decision infuriated Russia's Orthodox Church, as Istanbul had previously recognised the UOC, then under Moscow's rule, as the legitimate Ukrainian church.

☆ Russia plans to mobilize 500,000 soldiers in days. If they don't deliver victory, then 'Putin will collapse,' says Ukrainian spy chief.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainian military is warning that Putin is planning to mobilize up to half a million new troops. The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service said that they believe the mobilization will be announced on January 15. "If Russia loses this time around, then Putin will collapse," said Ukraine's deputy military intelligence chief. The new infusion of manpower will massively increase the number of soldiers Russia has deployed in occupied Ukraine. Russia's first mobilization in October of 300,000 soldiers was heavily criticized, with many mobilized soldiers being untrained, elderly, unwell, or too young to fight.

☆ Ukraine's parallel war on corruption to unlock door to West
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The activity reflects a parallel war Kyiv is waging against high-level graft, according to Reuters interviews with half a dozen Ukrainian anti-corruption monitors and officials. It had been repeatedly opened and closed for two years due to procedural errors and shortcomings, SAPO prosecutors said at the time of the hold-ups. New anti-corruption cases include a probe launched in October into a former tax chief suspected of taking more than $20 million in kickbacks. SAPO prosecutors, for instance, earn at least $2,500 per month, or six times more than the Ukrainian monthly average. Kateryna Butko, a civic activist serving on the SAPO selection committee, acknowledged that Ukraine's fight against graft is often plodding.

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