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☆ At least one drone downed in new air attack on Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichMay 4 (Reuters) - Drones attacked Kyiv on Thursday evening, subjecting residents to spasms of gunfire and explosions in the fourth attack on the capital in as many days. "During the last air alert, an unmanned aerial vehicle was spotted over Kyiv. The object was shot down by air defence forces," Kyiv city military administration head Serhiy Popko said on Telegram. Residents who had gone to air raid shelters said the drones had arrived more quickly than usual after the alerts were declared.

☆ Analysis: Cross-border attacks as Russia and Ukraine seek to weaken each other ahead of expected offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine is apparently striking at fuel depots in Russian-occupied areas and inside Russia itself – seemingly precise attacks but ones to which Kyiv is making no overt claim. Russia has been lashing out at what often seem to be civilian targets in Ukraine, either in rage or through ineptitude. Ukraine was quick to capitalize on that statement and sent senior officials to the area to claim Russia had already begun pulling back. And now, in Kherson, Ukrainian officials have ordered a 58-hour curfew from 8 p.m. on May 5, barring locals from leaving their houses. This comes amid a deluge of comments from Ukrainian officials that the weather - for the past fortnight alternating between rain and bold sunshine - has held them back.

[1/5] A firefighter works at the site of a train station hit by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine May 3, 2023. Pools of blood and piles of debris lay on the ground outside the Kherson hypermarket, whose entrance had been heavily damaged and cordoned off, Reuters correspondents on the scene said. Russia did not comment on the attacks in Kherson, one of four Ukrainian regions it said it annexed last September. Many windows were smashed at the railway station, and at least two survivors were seen being carried out on stretchers. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Wednesday announced a curfew in Kherson city to last from Friday evening until Monday morning for "law enforcement" reasons.

☆ Armed with tanks and heavy armor from NATO, Ukraine says it's about to hit Russian forces with an 'iron fist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is almost ready to launch a long-awaited spring counteroffensive, its defense minister said. "We are to a high percentage ready," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday. Reznikov said Western-supplied weapons would serve as an "iron fist" against Russian forces. Stoltenberg said the aid provided to Ukraine included over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other military hardware, as well as "vast amounts of ammunition." Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people continue to face the deadly consequences of the Russian onslaught, which targets not just the Ukrainian armed forces but also civilians.

☆ Russia digs in as Ukraine prepares to attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

And in the case of Polohy, Russia has constructed two distinct defensive lines, one to the north and one to the south. Musiyenko estimated that Ukraine would have a force of between 100,000-110,000 for an attack, including eight assault brigades with a total of 40,000 troops. Russia has not said how many troops it has in Ukraine, or within its borders ready to deploy. A leaked U.S. intelligence document dated Feb. 28 seen by Reuters said the West had committed 200 tanks to Ukraine. Army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said in December he needed 300 to defeat Russia, along with other vehicles and artillery.

☆ Ukraine stages raids across Dnipro River as counteroffensive looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 25 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the River Dnipro are frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday. Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said the raids were intended to reduce the combat capability of Russian troops who have been shelling Kherson city since being forced to retreat. "Our military visit the left (eastern) bank very often, conducting raids. Russia seized the Kherson region soon after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, and has continued since then to hold all of the region's territory east the Dnipro. Retaking all the Kherson region would be an important step towards achieving this goal.

☆ Ukrainian Forces Recapture Land Across Key River in South, Think Tank Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Ian Lovett | Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian forces have established a presence on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region, according to the Institute for the Study of War, in what would be a significant step in Ukraine’s effort to reclaim occupied territory. The Washington-based think tank cited geolocated footage from Russian military bloggers, who in recent days have been openly discussing whether their side had lost control of the eastern bank of the Dnipro. Russian troops withdrew to the east side of the river in November, after months of Ukrainian strikes had stretched their supply lines to the regional capital of Kherson, on the river’s western bank.

☆ Russia says it has gained more ground in battle for Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The battle for Bakhmut has turned into one of the bloodiest of the 14-month war, with the Eastern Ukrainian city almost completely destroyed by artillery shelling and urban combat. Russia says capturing Bakhmut will allow it to mount further offensives into eastern Ukraine. If they succeed, Moscow's forces are likely to face even larger urban battles for the nearby towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private Wagner military force which is leading the assault on the city, has claimed his troops control 80% of Bakhmut. "There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory," Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.

☆ Ukrainian troops have established a bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro river, implying Russia's defensive positions are weakening, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian troops have established positions on the east bank of the Dnipro river, the ISW reported. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. The institute could not confirm the extent or the intentions of the Ukrainian positions. A video posted online appears to show Ukrainian amphibious vehicles landing on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river and establishing a bridgehead.

Kyiv and the West accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes in occupied Ukrainian territory, which Moscow denies. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions that Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions. HEAVY ARTILLERYFighting has raged in and around Bakhmut in Donetsk region for months, with Ukrainian forces holding out despite regular claims by Russia to have taken the city. "Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences," they said.

Summary Putin visits Russian-held UkrainePutin discusses war with Kherson commandersUnclear when the visit took placePutin sits beside General TeplinskyApril 18 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has visited military headquarters in Russian-controlled Ukraine, the Kremlin said, where he discussed the war with a general from Russia's airborne troops who has reportedly taken up a powerful new role in the invasion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, has triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two. Dressed in a heavy blue jacket, Putin, 70, was shown on Russian state television descending from a military helicopter in Russian-held Ukraine and greeting senior military commanders. Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of Russia's airborne troops, sat to Putin's right while Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich sat to Putin's left. "Teplinsky, commander of Russia’s corps of airborne troops, the VDV, has highly likely returned to a major role in Ukraine," British military intelligence said.

As a result, farmers in Poland, Hungary and other nations have seen their incomes plummet. measures,” his country would follow Poland in restricting Ukrainian grain imports until the end of June, according to Hungarian news reports. The announcement came after Warsaw reached a deal with Kyiv on Friday to strictly limit and, for a time, halt Ukrainian grain deliveries to Poland. Image Ukrainian grain being loaded onto a cargo ship near Odesa, Ukraine, in August. Image A Ukrainian soldier loading shells inside an American-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer to be fired toward Russian positions in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Friday.

☆ Ukraine hails GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shells that can hit a target 25 miles away with pinpoint accuracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US has supplied Ukraine with more than 3,000 of the advanced shells, according to a report. In the video, which was posted to Zaluzhny's Facebook page, a Ukrainian soldier praised the high-precision Excalibur shells, saying they were extremely important for accurately striking Russian forces' equipment. The GPS-guided 155 mm shells offer an accurate, longer-range alternative to conventional artillery shell, capable of hitting within seven feet of their target. The Excalibur has a range of 25 miles, according to Pentagon budget documents from last year that first confirmed the shells had been sent to Ukraine. It is thought that the US has sent around 3,000 Excalibur rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, Forces.net reported in January.

☆ Ukraine says Russian forces make progress in frontline city of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its regular nighttime report. Russian officials say their forces are still capturing ground in street-by-street fighting inside Bakhmut. [1/5] A tank is towed through a road, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, near the bombed-out eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 29, 2023. Russian forces shelled towns in central Zaporizhzhia region, including the contested centre of Hulyaipole, the Ukrainian general staff statement said. Rocket and artillery in the past 24 hours struck two areas of concentration of Russian forces, an ammunition depot and two fuel depots, it said.

☆ Ukraine withdraws report of Russian troop pullout from southern town
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top military brass on Thursday withdrew a report that wrongly said Russian troops had left the town of Nova Kahkovka in southern Kherson region, and blamed an error for the mistake. The general staff of the armed forces, in a rare retraction, said Russian troops remained in the town on the east bank of the Dnipro River. It said the initial report had been issued "as a result of incorrect use of available data" but gave no details. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of Kherson region, had earlier denied the report. Russian forces redeployed to the east bank of the Dnipro River last November after abandoning positions on the west bank in the face of a counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops.

☆ Russian shelling kills 3 Ukrainian civilians in Kherson, one in the east
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, March 11 (Reuters) - Three civilians were killed in Russian shelling of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Saturday, and one more died in the eastern Donetsk region, regional officials said. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said three people, including an elderly woman, were also wounded during the artillery shelling of the city. Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November after nearly eight months of occupation by Russian forces who seized it soon after the start of the large-scale invasion. Pavlo Kyrylenko, Donetsk regional governor, said one person was killed and at least three civilians were injured in the city of Kostyantynivka following several rounds of Russian shelling during the day. Donetsk region has seen some of the heaviest fighting since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year.

☆ Pro-Ukraine group sabotaged pipelines, intelligence suggests, NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

On the battlefield, Ukraine's forces continued to fight for the eastern city of Bakhmut on Tuesday despite Russian troops and mercenaries nearly encircling them. "Without a doubt, Ukraine is absolutely not involved in the excesses on the pipelines," presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said in a statement. Several towns and villages near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region came under Russian shellfire, including Dubovo-Vasylivka, Ivanivske, Dyliivka and Bohdanivka, the statement said. Other provinces of Ukraine were attacked by Russian troops on Tuesday, the Ukrainian military said, including in central Zaporizhzhia region. That narrative is rejected by Kyiv and the West, which say Ukraine is fighting for survival against a Russian imperial land grab.

It was one of the last still providing Ukrainian citizenship for newborns in the southern city of Kherson which was then under Russian occupation. Early in the occupation, Ukrainian parents faced pressure to accept Russian citizenship for their newborns. "When we asked for diapers, the Russians told us, 'If you come without Russian birth certificates, we will not give you diapers'," said Natalia Lukina, 42. The ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the situation in Kherson during Russian occupation. It is unclear how many babies received Russian citizenship, because Russian officials recorded them and Ukrainian registration workers did not cooperate with them, Klimenko said.

☆ Ukraine clings to Bakhmut but time may be running out as Russians advance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Ukrainian service members ride a self-propelled howitzer, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukraine February 27, 2023. Ukraine says Bakhmut has limited strategic value but has nevertheless put up fierce resistance. Not everyone in Ukraine is convinced that defending Bakhmut can go on indefinitely. "From my standpoint, it is not logical to defend Bakhmut at any cost," Rakhmanin said. Russian forces were making preparations for new attacks in central Zaporizhzhia region and on the southern front in Kherson region, the military statement said.

REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerBILOZERKA, Ukraine, March 1 (Reuters) - When Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November, Andrii Povod returned to find his grain farm in ruins. The institute's Baliuk said the war damage could lead to an alarming loss of fertility. ECHOES OF WORLD WAR ONEA working group of soil scientists created by the Ukrainian government estimates it would cost $15 billion to remove all mines and restore Ukraine's soil to its former health. If studies of damage to land during World War One are anything to go by, some areas will never recover. To be sure, World War One lasted four years, and the war in Ukraine only one year so far, but lead remains a key component of many modern munitions, Rintoul-Hynes said.

KHERSON, Ukraine, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Vladyslav Antoniuk felt euphoric three months ago when he returned to his home city Kherson, the day Ukrainian troops rolled back in and jubilant residents waved blue and yellow flags in the main square to celebrate. Russian soldiers, who retreated just across the Dnipro River, have not been pushed back further and are pummelling the city daily with artillery. On Wednesday, Russian shells hit a bus stop in the city centre, killing six people and wounding a dozen. He said his administration evacuates about 100 people from the city daily on trains and buses on a voluntary basis. Reporting by Rod Nickel in Kherson, Ukraine Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia has likely suffered its highest rate of casualties since the beginning of the war in the past 2 weeks, UK Defense Ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In the last 2 weeks, Russian casualties are likely the highest since the war began, the UK said. The Ukrainian General Staff estimated that the mean average for the last seven days was 824 Russian casualties. While it is difficult to accurately track the death toll of the war, Western officials estimate that Russia could be approaching nearly 200,000 casualties. A Ukrainian soldier fires towards Russian positions outside Bakhmut, Ukraine, on November 8, 2022. Although Prigozhin does not speak for the Russian military, his comments provide insight into Russian expectations of the war.

Ukrainian troops are well trained ... and like any large city it is impossible to capture it from head-on. Prigozhin refrained from further attacks on Russia's military leadership, looking straight into the camera to stress he was not criticising anyone. The United States assesses that Wagner currently has about 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts recruited from Russian prisons. Prigozhin denied that and asked Washington to "clarify" what crime Wagner was accused of. Prigozhin said on Friday that Wagner had stopped recruiting prisoners.

☆ 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.

Asked if the United States would provide the jets, Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday, "No." The Russian state news agency TASS quoted him as saying Russian forces were making advances there, but "not clear-cut, that is, here there is a battle for literally every meter." Ukraine still controls Maryinka and Vuhledar, where Russian attacks were less intense on Monday, according to Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov. In central Zaporizhzhia region and in southern Kherson region, Russian forces shelled more than 40 settlements. Zelenskiy is urging the West to hasten delivery of its promised weapons so Ukraine can go on the offensive.

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