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☆ Strikes Hit Russian-Occupied Ukraine as Kyiv Prepares New Offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Thomas Grove | James Marson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Explosions shook Russian-occupied cities in southern Ukraine, injuring a police chief and hitting a military facility, while a Russian missile strike killed at least two people and injured 29 others in the eastern city of Slovyansk, Ukrainian officials said. The explosions Monday came as front lines in the east and south were largely deadlocked and Ukraine’s military resisted offensives by Russian forces focused on a handful of cities to the east of Slovyansk, which has long been in Moscow’s sights.

☆ China’s Economic Lifeline to Russia Gives Beijing Upper Hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ China’s Xi Arrives in Moscow as Beijing Seeks to Position Itself as a Peacemaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia this week is aimed in part at positioning Beijing as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv—but with both sides gearing up for major spring combat operations, neither is ready now to talk about peace. Mr. Xi, who arrived in Moscow on Monday for a summit with Mr. Putin, faces an uphill struggle to establish himself as an honest broker in the conflict, given his vocal backing of Russia in the wake of Mr. Putin’s invasion of his smaller neighbor.

☆ Poland to Send Four MiG-29 Jet Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland said it would send four MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine in coming days, making it the first Western nation to supply warplanes to Kyiv, which is preparing a counteroffensive against Russia’s invading forces. The move puts Poland once again at the center of European policy-making on Ukraine, following Warsaw’s successful efforts earlier this year to cobble together a coalition of countries willing to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

☆ Poland Says Russian Spies Sought to Sabotage Western Arms Transfers to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Patriot Missile systems protect an airport outside the Polish town of Rzeszow where military aid flows into Ukraine. WARSAW—Poland’s domestic security agency detained nine foreigners suspected of planning to sabotage Western weapons shipments to Ukraine, in the largest known attempt by Russia to target arms deliveries from within Europe. Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński said Thursday that the nine people, who have been detained in recent days, had been paid by Russian special services.

☆ Poland to Send Four MiG-29 Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Karolina Jeznach | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland said it would send four MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine in coming days—making it the first Western nation to supply warplanes to Kyiv, which is preparing a counteroffensive against Russia’s invading forces. The move puts Poland once again at the center of European policy-making on Ukraine, following Warsaw’s successful efforts earlier this year to cobble together a coalition of countries willing to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

As forces from Russian paramilitary group Wagner fight to expel Ukrainian troops from the eastern city of Bakhmut, the group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin , faces a defining moment. Mr. Prigozhin’s star rose as Wagner fighters gained ground in the war on Ukraine. He was allowed to recruit convicts from Russia’s vast prison system and was supplied with weapons by the government. This gave him a 50,000-strong fighting force and a new, heavily armed power base.

☆ Russia’s New Offensive in Ukraine Exposes Blunders, Poor Training
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Isabel Coles | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MAKSYMIVKA, Ukraine—Drone footage taken by the Ukrainian military panned across the icy battlefields of the eastern Donbas area to reveal demolished tanks and a Russian soldier lying face down in a pool of blood. Other footage captured nearby showed a smoldering Russian tank trampling two soldiers—it is unclear if they are dead or wounded—while trying to maneuver. In a third video shared by Ukrainian commanders, a Russian soldier, his clothing on fire, flees a tank moments before it explodes.

WARSAW, Poland— President Biden struck a defiant tone in an address rallying allies and declaring that Russia would never prevail in its war with Ukraine, which is now entering its second year. “Appetites of the autocrat cannot be appeased. They must be opposed,” Mr. Biden said before hundreds of flag-waving Poles and an array of diplomats gathered at the Royal Castle complex here. “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. Never,” Mr. Biden said, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would never be defeated on the battlefield.

☆ With Ukraine War at Its Doorstep, Poland Becomes West’s Firebrand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WARSAW—With the Ukraine war on its doorstep, Poland has emerged as Europe’s pre-eminent hawk on the conflict with Russia, as Warsaw plays a central role in stiffening Western resolve toward Moscow through public pressure and backchannel negotiations. Poland’s stance at the forefront of Western support for Ukraine will come under the spotlight when President Biden visits Warsaw days before the first anniversary of the start of the war. The visit is a sign of Washington’s support for a country that was once a prickly ally and whose strident warnings of Russian aggression fell largely on deaf ears in the West before Moscow invaded last year.

☆ Smartphones Are Changing the War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Stephen Fidler | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cellphones have been a crucial tool for civilians as the fighting has raged in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine. Smartphones are making the war in Ukraine the most intensively documented in history, changing the shape of the conflict and transforming the world’s understanding of it. Each of the millions of devices in and around Ukraine are sensors that can provide data located to place and time. Their microphones and cameras can record and transmit sounds and images that depict the facts of war or provide tools for propaganda. These records are allowing investigators to build extensive visual archives of the conflict that could eventually provide a reckoning for war crimes.

ADANA, Turkey—Rescue efforts turned grim Thursday as fewer survivors were found amid the rubble four days after two devastating earthquakes rocked Turkey and Syria and people turned instead to burying the dead, now more than 21,000 people across both countries. In Turkey, the death toll was 17,674 by late Thursday evening local time, according to figures provided by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay to the country’s state news agency. This surpasses the toll of a devastating 1999 earthquake that traumatized the nation and changed Turkish politics for decades. Authorities in Syria reported 3,377 deaths. Thousands more people were injured as thousands of buildings collapsed when Monday’s earthquakes—magnitude 7.8 and 7.5—hit the Syrian-Turkish border.

☆ Under Turkey’s Earthquake Wreckage, Voices Go Silent
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ELBISTAN, Turkey—Shortly after midday, Deniz Kilinc was staring at the devastation of his sister Dilek’s collapsed apartment block when he heard her voice calling from under the cold concrete slabs. It was weak but clear; she was crying for help.

☆ Death Toll in Turkey and Syria Tops 20,000 as Hope Dwindles for Finding Quake Survivors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Thomas Grove | Rory Jones | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ELBISTAN, Turkey—The death toll in the earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria passed 20,000, as hopes dwindled of finding people still alive under collapsed buildings and rescuers focused on recovering bodies and finding shelter for survivors. Late Thursday, Turkey’s disaster agency increased its tally of the dead to 17,134, surpassing a traumatic 1999 earthquake that is seared into the memory of millions of Turks and helped reshape Turkish politics for decades. Authorities in Syria have reported 3,317 deaths, taking the total toll across the two countries to 20,451.

ANTAKYA, Turkey—The death toll in Turkey and Syria from powerful earthquakes surged Wednesday to more than 11,700 people as rescue teams’ hopes diminished and bad weather left survivors stranded in freezing temperatures. The scale of the devastation came into focus across cities and towns along the Turkey-Syria border regions where earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 left apartment blocks, office towers and hospitals in twisted ruins. A sense of dread spread among rescuers and families with missing loved ones as it became clear that the thousands of people trapped in the wreckage couldn’t survive much longer.

☆ Ukraine Calls for Western Warplanes Despite U.S. Refusal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine renewed its calls for Western weaponry including new aircraft to replace its Soviet-vintage fleet, despite a refusal from President Biden to send U.S. F-16s. Less than a week after Kyiv secured pledges for more than 300 U.S. and German-made tanks from Washington and its European partners, Ukraine is looking for more powerful weapons, including F-16 jet fighters and longer-range missiles like Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, that can strike deeper into occupied territory and even hit targets inside Russia.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/roman-abramovich-ukraine-russia-peace-sanctions-11674572583

☆ Poland Formally Requests German Permission to Send Tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Thomas Grove | Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poland asked Germany for permission to re-export Warsaw’s Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, raising pressure on Berlin to allow the supply of heavier weapons to Kyiv. “The Germans have already received our request for consent to transfer Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine,” said Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. “I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks.”

☆ Russia Presses Attack in Ukraine’s South While Kyiv Waits for Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Thomas Grove | Isabel Coles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fighting intensified in Ukraine’s strategically important south, where Moscow claims it is making advances, while Kyiv waits on heavier weapons from its Western allies. Russian forces pushed Ukrainian troops back from the front line in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia in a series of attacks east of the Dnipro River, said Russian-installed regional official Vladimir Rogov .

☆ Russia and Belarus Stage Military Exercises on Ukraine’s Border in Show of Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Thomas Grove | Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukrainian border guards at their positions near the country’s border with Belarus, Ukraine, on Friday. Russia and its ally Belarus launched a series of air-force exercises Monday along the border with Ukraine in an effort to boost cooperation ahead of what Ukrainian officials and military analysts believe could be a fresh effort by Moscow in the coming months to retake battlefield momentum. Moscow has reorganized mobilization and training efforts, boosted arms production and last week appointed its top general in charge of Ukraine operations in an effort to increase efficiency on the battlefield and end a series of wins by Ukraine in recent months.

☆ Russia Aims to Regain Offensive in Ukraine War With New Commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Thomas Grove | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The decision by the Kremlin to return Russia’s top commander to direct the war efforts in Ukraine comes at a pivotal point in the conflict, possibly heralding a fresh Russian offensive as Moscow grapples for success on the battlefield. On Wednesday, the Kremlin appointed Russia’s chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov as commander over Russia’s troops in Ukraine, turning back to a man who led the initial invasion. Russia had expected the invasion would be followed by a rapid victory last year but instead has become bogged down in a long and costly conflict.

☆ Ukraine’s Postal Workers Lead the Way in Reintegrating Reclaimed Lands
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Thomas Grove | Photographs Justyna Mielnikiewicz Maps For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DARYIVKA, Ukraine—Standing behind her post office counter with bricks of cash, a calculator and a flashlight, Lyudmila Gulovskaya distributes Ukrainian state pensions to a line of eager onlookers in this front-line village near Kherson. For these pensioners, it is the first money they have received from Kyiv in six months, after their villages in surrounding areas were occupied by Russian soldiers. For Ms. Gulovskaya, it is the most tangible proof yet that their government has returned.

MOSCOW—Russian troops were losing the battle for Lyman, a small city in eastern Ukraine, in late September when a call came in for the commanding officer on the front line, over an encrypted line from Moscow. It was Vladimir Putin , ordering them not to retreat.

☆ Russia’s Draft Patched Holes but Also Exposed Flaws in War Machine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Thomas Grove | Photographs Manu Brabo For The Wall Street Journal. | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yevgeny Chavelyuk recalls receiving a phone call in October telling him to report for duty in Cherepovets, north of Moscow, where he was working at steelmaker Severstal. Within days he was transferred to a military base in Nizhny Novgorod, east of the capital, where he said training mainly consisted of standing for hours on the parade grounds and learning to make a bed. Soon after, he said, his unit was on its way to what they were told would be further training in the Belgorod region near Ukraine, but he said he knew he had already crossed the border when he got out of his transport vehicle for a cigarette break.

At the start of the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to occupy Kyiv’s government quarters and assassinate the Ukrainian president, Ukrainian intelligence and security officials allege. When Mr. Putin needed more soldiers on fast-crumbling front lines, the warlord rounded up thousands of men, sometimes forcibly, and sent them in, according to Chechen residents.

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