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OUTSIDE AVDIIVKA, Ukraine — The headquarters of one of the battalions in Ukraine’s 53rd Mechanized Brigade smells of fresh cut pine trees. The scents are from the wooden support beams in the labyrinth of trenches that make up most of the unit’s rudimentary base outside the embattled town of Avdiivka. As the war enters its 17th month, the fighting has developed a noticeable rhythm. Russia and Ukraine are locked in a deadly back and forth of attacks and counterattacks. Russian artillery no longer has the clear advantage and Ukrainian forces are struggling with staunch Russian defenses, grinding on in their southern offensive, slowed because of dense minefields.

Organizations: Ukraine’s 53rd, Brigade Locations: AVDIIVKA, Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Avdiivka, Russia

A dog named BradleyThe armored fighting vehicles are so admired by Ukrainian soldiers that running around Kach’s team’s camp barking is “Bradley” – the brigade press officer’s 6-month-old rescue puppy. Russian artillery started to pick off the vehicles sent out to de-mine the area. The 47th ran into trouble very quickly trying to pierce the Russian line in their newly acquired armor. Outside loud booms from Ukrainian artillery cannons sweep across the heavily damaged and now largely empty town. They have more guns, they have more shells and they have more people so we must counter that with our … professionalism.”These days, that means the slow grind of the exposed troops fighting from trench to trench, assaulting tree line to tree line under heavy fire.

Persons: Ukraine CNN —, ”, “, Kach, Bradley, “ Bradley ” –, Seb Shukla, “ It’s, Rob Lee, ” Lee, Tral, Stanislav, ” Stanislav Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Bradley, CNN, 47th Mechanized Brigade, US, Foreign Policy Research Institute, ” Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Kharkiv, American, Germany, Kach’s, Crimea, Donbas, Azov, German, “, Russian

☆ How the Russian officer elite has been decimated in Ukraine — here are the generals and top commanders killed in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Vitaly GerasimovMaj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov became the second senior Russian commander reported to be killed after Ukrainian military intelligence claimed he was shot dead in Kharkiv. Andrey KolesnikovUkraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov. Ivan GrishinColonel Ivan Grishin, commander of Russia's 49th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, died in Ukraine, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vyacheslav SavinovLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Savinov, who headed Russian artillery intelligence, was killed in Ukraine, a Russian artillery school confirmed. A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

Persons: , Oleg Tsokov, Andrei Sukhovetsky Maj, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Sukhovetsky, Vitaly Gerasimov Maj, Vitaly Gerasimov, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Kolesnikov Ukraine's, Andrey Kolesnikov, Oleg Mityaev Russia, Oleg Mityaev, Anton Gerashchenko, Andrei Mordvichev, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yakov Rezantsev, Illia Ponomarenko, Zelenskyy, Rezantsev, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's, Dmitry Safronov, Denis Glebov, Glebov, Courage, Konstantin Zizevsky, Mikhail Vedernikov, Yuri Agarkov, Agarkov, Andrei Zakharov, Sergei Porokhnya, Gleb Garanich, Reuters Magomed, Magomed Tushaev, Putin, Vladimir Zhonga, Vladimir Zhoga, Sergei Sukharev, Sergei Krylov, Sukharev, Alexei, Alexei Sharov, Sharov, Sergey Bratchuk, Dmitry Dormidontov, Dmitry Pavlovich Dormidontov, Igor Zharov, Igor Igoshin, Zharov, Denis Kurilo, Kurilo, Anton Kuprin, Kuprin, Anton Gerashenko, Stringer, Denis Mezhuev, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov Maj, Gen, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov, Alexander Beglov, Fontanka, Miras, Miras Bashakov, Ivan Grishin, Vyacheslav Savinov, Savinov, Metin Aktas, Denis Kozlov, Kozlov, Andrei Simonov, Simonov, Roman Kutuzov Major, Roman Kutuzov, Alexander Sladkov, Tsargrad, Roman, Roman Berdnikov, Kutuzov, Volya, Kanamat, Botashev, Artem Nasbulin Maj, Artem Nasbulin, Serhiy Bratchuk, Tsokov, Михаил Ведерников Organizations: UK Defence Ministry, Service, British Defence Ministry, West, Storm, Russian, 7th Airborne Division, Combined Arms Army, Russian Federal Security Service, Arms Army, Interior Ministry, The New York Times, 8th General Army, Southern Military District of, Armed Forces, Twitter, Telegraph, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Separate Marine Brigade, Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Airborne, 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Luhansk People's, 56th Air Assault Brigade, Guardian, 12th Engineer Brigade, Russian Armoured, Carrier, Reuters, The Daily Mail, Forces, Sparta Battalion, Donetsk People's, Daily Mail, 331st Guards Parachute, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Strategic Communication, Information Security, The Independent, 810th, Zhukov Brigade, Russian Marines, Evening, Local, 200th, Rifle Brigade, Black, Fleet, Russian Federation, Ukrainian, New York Times, 1st Guards, Banner, The Times, Kremlin, 8th Army, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Armed Forces of, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, Russian Forces, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Separate Guards Engineers of Keningsbersko, Red Banner Brigade, Courage, Russian 2nd Army, Presidential, Russian Air Force, BBC, High Mobility Artillery, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chornobayivka, Kherson Airport, London, Yakov Rezantsev Ukraine, Kyiv, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Chuhuiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Pskov Region, Andrei Zakharov Ukraine, Ufa, Nova Husarivka, Chechen, Hostomel, Russia's Chechnya, Donetsk People's Republic, Volnovakha, Kostroma, Tatarstan, Pechenga, Sevastopol, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Izyum, Ukraine's Donbas, Severodonetsk, Kherson, Berdyansk

☆ A fired general's pleas from the front lines reveal Ukraine is bloodying Russian forces in a critical fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He said Russia is struggling to knock out Ukrainian artillery while Russian forces suffer "mass deaths." The counter-battery fight is critical in the counteroffensive, and it looks like Ukraine has an edge. After he was fired, he revealed publicly that Ukraine is bloodying his forces in an important fight, the artillery battle. In this fight, Ukraine relies heavily on rocket artillery systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, or howitzers like the 155mm M777s. Russian artillery can have the same effect on Ukraine though if left unanswered, which is a reason why the counter-battery fight matters.

Persons: Ivan Popov, Popov, vilely, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Jack Watling, Gen, Valery Zaluzhny, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Jake Sullivan, Patrick Hinton, Hinton Organizations: Service, Artillery, Arms Army, Getty, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Royal United Services Institute, Washington Post, Publishing, Hudson Institute, NATO, Systems, National, AP, Forbes, British Army's Royal Artillery, Staff's, Military Sciences Research, RUSI Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk Oblast, Kharkiv Region, U.S, Kherson region, Hinton

☆ Frontline videos offer grim, close-up view of Kyiv's counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak /File PhotoKYIV, July 11 (Reuters) - Vivid helmet camera videos filmed by Ukrainian soldiers at the front line can give viewers a visceral feel of combat as Kyiv's counteroffensive finally unfolds, even though experts warn against drawing strong conclusions about how the war is going. The information vacuum has been partially filled by a steady stream of video filmed by soldiers themselves and often compiled, edited and released by their units. Later, an exhausted commander lets out an expletive at the camera after a Russian artillery strike on his unit's position. Reynolds added that the videos can also provide a feel for the artillery-scarred terrain Ukrainian troops are fighting on. 'SO YOU ALL KNOW THE PRICE'Troops releasing videos say that depicting the intensity of combat helps convey to the public their forces' commitment, bolstering support.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Nick Reynolds, Reynolds, Oleh, Valerii Markus, we'll, Dan Peleschuk, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Separate Assault Brigade, Royal United Services Institute, Reuters, Troops, Mechanized Brigade, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Neskuchne, Donetsk region, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Russian, London, Crimea, Russia

☆ The US isn't too concerned about creating a lasting nightmare for Ukrainian civilians with mines and bomblets because Russia already did it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US officials have broadly dismissed concerns around the indiscriminate risk of cluster bombs to civilians. Ukraine will use US-provided cluster munitions in specific situations, US officials said. The remains of artillery shells and missiles including cluster munitions are stored on December 18, 2022 in Toretsk, Ukraine. It could be near the soaring failure rate for Russia's cluster munitions, alleged to be as high as 40%. These include Russian antipersonnel mines, but also a variety of cluster munitions.

Persons: —, they're, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, Pierre Crom, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, they'll, YASUYOSHI CHIBA, Colin Kahl, I'm, Kahl Organizations: Service, US, NATO, MSNBC, Rights Watch, National, Ukraine, Getty, Cluster Munitions, Human Rights Watch, World Bank Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Lithuania, Toretsk, Izium, Zarichne, AFP, Lebanon, Crimea, Russian

☆ Retired US general breaks down why it's so hard for Ukraine to make a counteroffensive push through Russia's defenses. It's '20 kilometers of hell.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As one retired US general put it, Kyiv's forces needs to break through "20 kilometers of hell," which is no easy task, especially with the tools at hand. Russia's troops have built layers of sophisticated and vicious defenses designed to inflict as much pain on Ukraine's advancing military as possible. As Ukrainian forces prepared for their offensive, Russian forces spent those months readying elaborate defenses behind a sprawling front line that stretches for hundreds of miles across eastern and southern Ukraine. "This is 20 kilometers of hell," Kimmitt said, referring to the layers of defenses. "So, the story of this counteroffensive is far from written, and we will continue to support Ukraine along the way."

Persons: Mark Kimmitt, Kimmitt, they're, Mark Milley, Jake Sullivan, Biden Organizations: Service, US, NATO, US Army, Coalition Forces, Maxar Technologies, Street, Joint Chiefs, Staff, National Locations: Russia, US, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Iraq, Yevpatoria, Crimea

☆ The US is finally giving Ukraine's military cluster munitions, deadly and controversial explosives that could be 'devastating' for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US announced a new weapons package that includes cluster munitions for Ukraine on Friday. Cluster munitions are deadly and controversial, but they could boost Ukraine's counteroffensive. The White House and Pentagon announced a new $800 million security assistance package for Ukraine on Friday that, for the first time, includes cluster munitions. Cluster munitions can be dropped from the air or fired as artillery and deal damage over a larger area. Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty ImagesDue to their range and movement, cluster munitions can be unpredictable and hit outside their intended target.

Persons: —, Kurt Volker, Federico Borsari, it's, Wojciech Grzedzinski, Ben Hodges, Borsari, hasn't, Pierre Crom, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, willy nilly, Colin Kahl, I'm, Kahl Organizations: US, — Kyiv, Service, Pentagon, Ukraine, NATO, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Center for, The Washington, Getty, Army, Kyiv, Munitions, Amnesty, Rights Watch, National Locations: Ukraine, Hai, Lebanon, Russia, Toretsk, Izium

“We were jumping like rabbits under mortar rounds and bombs.”When it got quieter, he and fellow soldier Slava fell asleep. In the presence of two Ukrainian soldiers, the three men described low morale in their trenches, disarray and the apparent expendability of some Russian forces. Mark Phillips/CNNHopes of exchangeThe men’s captors want them exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers held by the Russians, but they don’t have high hopes. When he saw the Ukrainian soldiers, he crawled away in fear and huddled with two soldiers. A Ukrainian soldier later explains that it’s difficult to hear what the Russian soldiers are saying during the gunfights.

Persons: ” Anton, “, Slava, let’s, ”, Anton, sobs, Mark Phillips, Storm Z, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, maiming, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sergei, ‘, ’, CNN “, ” Sergei, ” Slava Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN, CNN, Ukrainian Third Assault Brigade, International Committee, Russian Ministry of Defense, “, Third Assault Brigade, Wagner PMC, Storm Z, Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Russian, Bakhmut, “, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russia, ”, Mariupol, Moscow, Kherson

☆ Ukrainian forces take control of Piatykhatky village on Zaporizhzhia front, Russian-installed official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 18 (Reuters) - A Russian-installed official acknowledged on Sunday that Ukraine had recaptured a village in the southern Zapororizhzhia region, its first gain on that front since it launched its counter-offensive earlier this month. The official, Vladimir Rogov, said Ukrainian forces had taken the settlement of Piatykhatky and were entrenching themselves there while coming under fire from Russian artillery. "The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," Rogov said on the Telegram messaging app. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, and Reuters could not independently confirm the situation on the battlefield. Russia says it is inflicting heavy losses on Kyiv's forces and President Vladimir Putin said last week that Ukraine had "no chance" of success in the counter-offensive.

Persons: Vladimir Rogov, Rogov, Vladimir Putin, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Piatykhatky, Russia, Donetsk

[1/5] Ukrainian service members are seen on their position at a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 18, 2023. "The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," the official, Vladimir Rogov, said on the Telegram messaging app. A separate statement from Russia's Vostok group of forces said Ukraine had failed to take the settlement. Ukrainian officials have imposed an information blackout to help operational security, but say that Russia has suffered much greater losses than Ukraine has during its new assault. "In all these areas, Ukraine continues to pursue offensive operations and has made small advances," it said on Twitter.

Persons: Anna Kudriavtseva, Piatykhatky, Vladimir Rogov, Russia's, Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin, Ramaphosa, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Antonio Guterres, Hola Prystan, Tamara, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, Wendell Roelf, Mark Trevelyan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Ukrainian, Twitter, South, Initiative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Russian, Donetsk, Kherson, Bakhmut, St Petersburg, Africa, Hola, London

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine CNN —In a deserted shell of a building, a Ukrainian drone pilot blocks off his surroundings and focuses solely on the controller in his hands. During the day, the drone unit spent hours scoping out possible night-time launch sites for their mission, as well as figuring out the exact coordinates of their target. Frederik Pleitgen/CNNThey hide their vehicles and proceed a few hundreds of meters on foot, while Ukrainian and Russian forces trade artillery salvos. A successful hitAs the Ukrainian drone approaches its Russian target, the mission enters its most critical phase. Still, the men say, their job is not done just yet, not while Russian forces continue to occupy Ukraine.

Persons: ‘, ’ ”, –, ” Bankir, “, Marat, Frederik Pleitgen, they’re, ”, Vladimir Sladkov, Vladimir Rogov, they’ll, Ukraine’s SBU, ” Marat, “ It’s, it’s Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Security Service, country’s Patrol Police, CNN, Patrol Police, coy, Bradley, Russian, “ Team Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kherson, Russian, United States

☆ Ukraine Is Finding It ‘Very Difficult to Advance’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a string of notable early successes, progress has slowed in Ukraine’s counteroffensive to retake land occupied by Russian forces. “It is very difficult to advance,” Hanna Malyar, a deputy Ukrainian defense minister, said. Ukraine’s forces have met fierce resistance and have suffered losses both in human casualties and in the Western tanks newly supplied to them, U.S. military officials said. But such difficulties were expected, and any verdict on the counteroffensive’s success is extremely premature, American and Ukrainian officials said. My colleague Andrew Kramer reported today from Blahodatne, Ukraine, one of the villages that Ukraine reclaimed in the opening days of its counteroffensive.

Persons: ” Hanna Malyar, Andrew Kramer, ” Andrew Organizations: Russian, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Blahodatne

☆ Ukraine's forces are advancing but appear to be miles from Russia's main defensive line. A much tougher fight lies ahead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian forces are gaining ground in the counteroffensive, but they've yet to reach the main Russian defensive line. Ukrainian forces may still be 10-20 kilometers from that line in places. But Ukraine is still miles from Russia's main line of defense, and a tougher fight is probably still to come, experts say. But that is not the main line of defense. Those defenses are backed by a line of reserve forces, Watling added, noting that as Ukrainian forces push against Russian lines, "the fighting will likely get tougher."

Persons: —, it's, George Barros, Jack Watling, Watling, Serhii Mykhalchuk, ISW, Barros, it'll Organizations: Service, Institute for, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ A Russian draftee says he surrendered to a Ukrainian drone after 2 wounded comrades killed themselves, leaving him alone and under fire on the front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian draftee surrendered to a Ukrainian drone last month and is being held at a detention center. A 26-year-old Ukrainian drone operator was ready to kill him but took mercy on him. Anitin's journey through no man's land between the Russian and Ukrainian lines was fraught with dangers, and at one point, Russian artillery fire appeared to intentionally target him. He was walking on top of his dead comrades lying around him," a Ukrainian officer told The Journal. When Anitin reached the Ukrainian lines, he made a mad dash the rest of the way.

Persons: —, Ruslan Anitin, Anitin, Bakhmut, Wagner, Ivanov, Boxer Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Service, Wall Street, Wagner Group, Command Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Russia, Luhansk, Kharkiv

It wasn’t even 8 a.m. and Captain Fritz, a Ukrainian infantry officer, had already smoked a half-dozen cigarettes. He’s 24, but his pale blue eyes seemed older than his years, reflecting the weariness of war but also maybe something else, perhaps a flicker of mischief. If he stood up, he could be easily shot by Russian snipers concealed in a thick tree line a few hundred yards away. The trench walls and mud floor shook from explosions, the steady pounding of Russian artillery that erupts each day at dawn with an almost absurd regularity. “See those bushes?” said Captain Fritz, who identified himself by his call sign, as many Ukrainian soldiers do.

Persons: Captain Fritz, ”, Fritz Locations: Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine's offensive against Russia is missing a key element because no allies sent F-16 jets fast enough: expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But an expert said it will likely suffer from a significant capability gap: close air support. Because this is where they'll feel their lack of aircraft to attack those, the close air support which F-16s would do very well." Close air support is pretty much what it sounds like — aircraft working closely with ground units, usually to clear out obstacles or damage key positions or weapons so that foot soldiers and armor can advance. The F-16 has distinguished itself in the past in close air support, including in the Kosovo War, the First Gulf War and in the US invasion of Afghanistan. As a Pentagon spokesman said in a recent briefing, F-16s to Ukraine is a "long-term" endeavor and "will not be relevant to the upcoming counter offensive."

Persons: —, Michael Clarke, Per Clarke, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ryan Pickrell Organizations: Service, of, King's College London, The Times, NATO, —, Biden Administration, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Russian, London, Russia, Kosovo, Afghanistan

☆ Zelensky Visits Ukraine’s Flood Zone, Where Residents See ‘Horror’ Float By
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Marc Santora | Maria Varenikova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even as rescue workers took boats through flooded streets to get people to safety, Russian forces assailed the city on Thursday afternoon. Shelling struck near an evacuation point at the heart of Kherson, close to where Mr. Zelensky had stood hours earlier, and sent hundreds of people ducking for cover in floodwaters that have loosed land mines and mixed with toxic material. “There was nowhere to hide,” said Serhiy Ludensky, a volunteer from an animal care center, who was on a boat near a flooded square when the shelling struck. The people on the boat managed to break down the door of a flooded dormitory to take shelter there until the explosions stopped. The monthslong bombardment of Kherson, which Russian soldiers once occupied in southern Ukraine, has not let up since an explosion on Tuesday at the Kakhovka dam, up the Dnipro River.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Serhiy Ludensky Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, Dnipro

☆ Ukraine warns of floating mines and disease after Kakhovka dam collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Local residents stand in water on a flooded street, after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Alina SmutkoSummary Kakhovka dam on Dnipro river was destroyed on TuesdayUkrainian deputy prime minister visits flooded KhersonHe warns of floating mines, disease and chemicalsKHERSON, Ukraine, June 7 (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official warned of the danger posed by floating mines unearthed by flooding and the spread of disease and hazardous chemicals on Wednesday as he inspected damage caused by the collapse of the Kakhovka dam. Russia said Ukraine sabotaged the dam to distract attention from a new counteroffensive it said was "faltering". "Water is disturbing mines that were laid earlier, causing them to explode," Kubrakov, dressed casually in a grey t-shirt, told reporters. EVACUATIONUkrainian authorities have evacuated people from 24 flooded settlements and at least 20 settlements are flooded on territory occupied by Russian forces, he said.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Kubrakov, Oleksandr Prokudin, Max Hunder, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Ukrainian, Regional, United Nations, International Committee, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, Dnipro, KHERSON, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Russian, Mykolaiv

Kherson, Ukraine CNN —Nadejda Chernishova breathes a sigh of relief as she steps off a rubber dinghy, moments after being rescued from her flooded home in Kherson. Nadejda Chernishova, 65, said water levels rose too fast for her to leave her home on her own. Planet Labs PBC/ReutersIn a frontline city like Kherson — where the shelling is constant — the rising water brings an added danger. The large presence of soldiers and first responders contrasts with the very few number of Kherson residents out on the streets. Both sides have been severely impacted by the collapse — even more so on the Russian side — leaving the terrain in very difficult condition.

Persons: Ukraine CNN —, Chernishova, “ I’m, ”, ” Chernishova, Nadejda Chernishova, I'm, Vasco Cotovio, Oleksandr Prokudin, Prokudin, Nova Kakhovka, ” Prokudin, “, haven’t, ” Produkin, – Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Planet Labs PBC, Reuters, Artillery, ” Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, “, Dnipro, Russian, ”, Karobel, Nova, Kyiv, Moscow, Kherson —, Russia, ” Kyiv

☆ Transfer of holy icon shows Russian Orthodoxy's new sway under Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Emphasising its importance to the faithful, Putin last month ordered Andrei Rublev's "Trinity" be transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church from Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery for a year. For some, though, there is unease at the sway of the Church - and concern about possible damage to the fragile icon. She quipped that Russian leaders over the centuries have turned to icons in tough situations with the hope of victory. "Masterpieces of Russian icon painting and national shrines should not be exposed to unjustified risk," members of a cultural council within the Russian Academy of Sciences wrote in an open letter to Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova. "The only space suitable for placing the icon 'Trinity' by Andrei Rublev is in the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery, which is confirmed by almost a century of practice."

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Andrei Rublev's, Moscow's Tretyakov, the, Josef Stalin, Abraham, Regina Elsner, Sergius –, Bolsheviks, Kirill of Moscow, Kirill, Putin's, Ksenia, Leonardo da Vinci's, Mona Lisa, Tretyakov, Korobeynikova, Olga Lyubimova, Andrei Rublev, Lucy Papachristou, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Potter Organizations: Trinity Sunday, Soviet Union, Church, Eastern European, International Studies, Kremlin, Putin, Reuters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Ukraine, Moscow's, Soviet, Mamre, Russian, Berlin, Russia, Trinity, St, Moscow –, Gdansk

☆ Ukraine Sees New Virtue in Wind Power: It’s Harder to Destroy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Maria Varenikova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ODESA, Ukraine — The giants catch the wind with their huge arms, helping to keep the lights on in Ukraine — newly built windmills on plains along the Black Sea. The new Tyligulska wind farm stands only a few dozen miles from Russian artillery, but Ukrainians say it has a crucial advantage over most of the country’s grid. A wind farm can be temporarily disabled by striking a transformer substation or transmission lines, but these are much easier to repair than power plants. “It is our response to Russians,” said Maksym Timchenko, the chief executive of DTEK Group, the company that built the turbines, in the southern Mykolaiv region, the first phase of what is planned as Eastern Europe’s largest wind farm. “It is the most profitable and, as we know now, most secure form of energy.”

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskyy denies that Bakhmut is occupied by Russian forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Her comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, appeared to suggest that Bakhmut had fallen. And the spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, Serhii Cherevaty, said that the Ukrainian military is managing to hold positions in the vicinity of Bakhmut. Russian forces still seek to seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, including several heavily fortified areas. Prigozhin tried to use the battle for the city to expand his clout amid the tensions with the top Russian military leaders whom he harshly criticized. "We fought not only with the Ukrainian armed forces in Bakhmut.

☆ Explainer: How important is Wagner's claimed capture of Bakhmut?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] A general view shows a building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid their attack on Ukraine, in the front line city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Alex... Read moreLONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that his Wagner fighters had completed the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after months of intense fighting, a claim denied by Ukraine. Zelenskiy portrayed "Fortress Bakhmut" as a symbol of defiance which he said was bleeding the Russian military dry. If confirmed, Bakhmut would be Russia's first major capture since July last year and a morale-boosting battlefield win after a string of defeats. The city's capture would be a boost for Russia's most high-profile mercenaries - Wagner - and their publicity-hungry founder Prigozhin.

☆ Ukrainian frontline commander 'Witch' explains why they're so determined to hold on to Bakhmut: 'We are exhausting them morally and psychologically'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has faced questions about why it will not retreat from Bakhmut, now mostly held by Russia. With Russian forces now holding the majority of the city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has faced questions over whether Ukraine can — or even should — try to hold on to the city. Junior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. Junior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. But with "even a few units" of precise, modern weapons Ukraine has "a tangible advantage" over Russian forces, she said.

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