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☆ Engineers modeled the disastrous flood that would follow a key dam in Ukraine being destroyed. The reality is even worse, they say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Engineers predicted what would happen if Ukraine's Kakhovka Nova dam was breached. The dam was breached for real on Tuesday, and the reality is worse than predicted, one said. Russia and Ukraine are blaming each other for destroying the dam. In the wake of the news, animated maps created in October last year by Swedish engineers Dämningsverket have widely recirculated on social media. He told Insider: "The real dam break looks worse than the scenario I modeled because of higher water levels in the reservoir than what I had anticipated."

Persons: —, Dämningsverket, Henrik Ölander, Hjalmarsson, I'm, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Engineers, Service, New Civil, New York Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson —

☆ Video from Ukraine shows an entire house washed away in floods after a crucial dam was destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video shared online shows a house being washed down the Dnipro River. An expert told Insider the dam explosion is a "disaster" and will cause catastrophic flooding. The video, which was first published on Telegram and has since been verified by the BBC, shows the red roof of the large house as it is flushed down the Dnipro River. The house in the video was later identified by BBC reporter Adam Robinson, who shared aerial pictures of it from June 2020. Dr. Stephen Hall, a politics lecturer at the University of Bath, told Insider that the explosion is a "humanitarian disaster" that will have several implications in the weeks to come.

Persons: —, Adam Robinson, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov, Al Jazeera, Stephen Hall Organizations: Service, Reuters, The Guardian, BBC, Kremlin, University of Bath, Dnipro Locations: Russian, Kherson, Dnipro, Ukraine, Nova, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Mines are being swept away in the floodwaters and exploding after a key dam in Ukraine was destroyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Paul Squire | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An explosion at a dam in Ukraine caused a flood that is submerging towns downstream. Ukrainian officials warned that mines are being swept away by the flood. Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up Kakhovka dam to cause havoc and slow a military attack. The Kakhovka Dam is located upstream of Kherson. Russian officials, meanwhile, blamed Ukraine for the sabotage.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrhydroenergo, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Emergency Service, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine's, Dnipro, Kyiv, Kherson, Crimea, Ukrainian, Europe

☆ Nova Kakhova: Critical dam in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine near Kherson destroyed sparking region-wide evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Helen Regan Jonny Hallam Josh Pennington Olga Voitovych Irene Nasser | Helen Regan | Jonny Hallam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“The Russians will be responsible for the possible deprivation of drinking water for people in the south of Kherson region and in Crimea, the possible destruction of some settlements and the biosphere,” he said. As of 10:00 a.m. local time, 742 people have been evacuated from the Kherson region, the ministry said. “We are helping citizens in the liberated west-bank part of the Kherson region. Around 16,000 people on the west bank of Kherson region are in a “critical zone,” Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukraine-appointed head of the Kherson region military administration, said. It also supplies water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which lies upstream and is also under Russian control.

Persons: Moscow’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ”, Andriy Yermak, Charles Michel, Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky, Russia’s, Ihor, Oleksandr Prokudin, Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontiev, ” Leontiev, Andrey Alekseenko, ” Alekseenko, Alekseenko, ‘, Natalia Humeniuk, Energoatom Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, European, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ukraine, Internal, Ukraine’s National Police, Ukraine’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, Novosti, Emergency, International Atomic Energy, Maxar Technologies Locations: Ukraine, ”, Nova, Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine’s Kherson, Russia, Ukrainian, Kherson region, Crimea, Moscow, Kyiv, Salt, Utah

☆ Clashes near Bakhmut continue despite easing, Ukraine's military says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released on May 21, 2023. "The enemy continues to suffer significant losses in the Bakhmut direction," Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app after what he said was a visit to troops around Bakhmut. Bakhmut, once home to 70,000 people, has no strategic value, according to military analysts. British defence intelligence said on Saturday that Russia continued to redeploy regular military units to the Bakhmut sector, replacing Wagner fighters. Russia now controls nearly all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as swaths of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Persons: Wagner, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Bakhmut, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: Press Service, Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Wagner Group, Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Moscow, Donbas, Hiroshima, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Melbourne

☆ Watch: Biden Praises Passage of Debt-Ceiling Deal, Bipartisanship
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Destruction of Ukraine Dam Floods Front Line, Prompts EvacuationsRussia and Ukraine accused each other of destroying a major dam and power plant in the Kherson region, causing serious flooding and putting thousands of homes at risk. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explains the significance of the attack. Photo: Libkos/Associated Press

Persons: Matthew Luxmoore Organizations: Associated Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson

☆ Russia destroyed Ukraine's 'last warship' in Black Sea missile attack, defense ministry said
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainian Navy's "last warship" was destroyed, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. The Yuriy Olefirenko was hit with "high-precision weapons" in the port of Odesa, Russia claimed. Russia said the Yuriy Olefirenko was hit on Monday with missiles, which Konashenkov called "high-precision weapons," per Reuters. Russia has rarely targeted the port after signing the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative last year. Whichever side holds the piece of land can control ship traffic between the ports of Kherson and Mykolaiv and the Black Sea, per Forbes.

Persons: Yuriy Olefirenko, —, Igor Konashenkov, Konashenkov, Frederik Mertens, Mertens Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Navy, Service, Ukrainian, Russian Defence Ministry, UN, Forbes, Navy, Hague, Strategic Studies, Newsweek Locations: Odesa, Russia, Telegraph, Ukraine, Soviet, Kherson —, Dnipro, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Ukrainian

Ukrainian forces set up Starlink satellite receivers to provide connection for civilians at Independence Square after the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson to the eastern bank of Dnieper River, Ukraine, on November 13, 2022. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Thursday it has agreed to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals from Elon Musk's SpaceX for use in Ukraine as Kyiv continues to defend itself against a full-scale Russian invasion. "We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement to CNBC. Musk reportedly told the Pentagon in October he would no longer finance the Starlink terminals in Ukraine as the country prepared to fight through the harsh winter months.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Mykhailo Fedorov, Musk, Starlink, SpaceX wouldn't Organizations: Independence, WASHINGTON, Pentagon, Elon, SpaceX, CNBC, Bloomberg, Twitter, CNN Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, Kyiv, Europe

☆ Russian forces target food and water sources to starve Ukrainians, international law report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

People receive food from AFAT - Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency on November 28, 2022 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. WASHINGTON — Russian occupying forces in Ukraine have employed starvation tactics on civilians by targeting food lines, agricultural harvests and water infrastructure, according to a team of international lawyers helping Kyiv investigate alleged war crimes. The Kremlin has previously denied that its forces commit war crimes or deliberately target civilians and related critical infrastructure. The lawyers and investigators also found that infrastructure related to Chernihiv's water supply was targeted by aerial bombing. Elsewhere in Ukraine, the investigators found that Russian forces prioritized stealing harvests and destroying agricultural machinery.

Persons: Catriona Murdoch, Vladimir, Putin's, Murdoch, Read Organizations: Emergency Management, WASHINGTON —, Global, CNBC, Mobile Justice Team, Mobile, U.S . State Department, European, Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office, Russian Embassy, Washington , D.C, Kremlin, Soyuz Locations: AFAT, Chernihiv, Ukraine, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON — Russian, Ukrainian, European Union, Russian, Washington ,, Kherson

☆ Shocks, Beatings, Mock Executions: Inside Kherson’s Detention Centers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Carlotta Gall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They beat prisoners relentlessly and tortured them with electric shocks, waterboarding and mock executions. Yet such was their sense of impunity, the Russians who seized control of a detention center in southern Ukraine last year and filled it with 200 detainees were careless about concealing their identities. Last week, Ukrainian prosecutors announced war crimes charges against four members of the Russian National Guard — the commander who ran the detention facility and three of his subordinates. They were accused in absentia for cruel treatment of civilians and violating the laws of war. Investigators say they have uncovered hundreds of crimes that were carried out under the Russian occupation, including executions and deaths in custody, torture, sexual violence and beatings in the recaptured areas.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ A secretive SEAL-like unit is leading Ukraine's shadowy battle against Russia in a vital corner of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations appears to be leading the effort for Ukraine. For Ukraine, the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, a secretive SEAL-like unit, is leading the shadowy battle against Russia. Therese PratsThe 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations was based on the Soviet-era 17th Naval Special Purpose Brigade. The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations could play a significant role in future large-scale fighting. Roxana DavidovitsLike the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, most of the Ukrainian military emerged from the Soviet military.

☆ Putin orders stronger Russian border security
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 28 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered stronger border security to ensure "fast" Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions now under Moscow control. Speaking in a congratulatory message to the border service, a branch of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), on their Border Guard Day holiday, Putin said their task was to "reliably cover" the lines in the vicinity of the combat zone. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions in Ukraine that Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Kyiv said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions. The Kursk and Belgorod Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been the most frequent target of attacks that have damaged power, rail and military infrastructure, with local officials blaming Ukraine.

☆ Without a hint of irony over Ukraine, Putin rages against countries that meddle in other states
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow, Russia May 9, 2023. Vladimir Smirnov | Sputnik | ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin slammed countries that he said were trying to "impose their dominance" and rules on others, saying Wednesday that those that do were "completely ignoring the sovereignty" of other states. Russian President Vladimir Putin on a screen at Red Square as he addresses a rally and a concert marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — in central Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. Putin said Tuesday that Russia was going through "difficult times" as it continued its military campaign in Ukraine, but said national pride was growing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looks on, next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they wait for the US-Russia summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva on June 16, 2021.

☆ Ukraine-backed Russian militants claim they've taken over a Russian village in a cross-border raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine-backed Russian militants claim they've taken over territory in the Belgorod region. The Kremlin was informed of the cross-border raid and said it was "sabotage" from Kyiv. One legion of Russian freedom fighters announced the "liberation" of the area from Putin's regime. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyUkrainian-backed Russian militants claim they've taken control of Russian territory in a cross-border raid, announcing the "liberation" of the villages from Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime. On Monday, the Liberty of Russia Legion militants said they were moving into the Belgorod region, a southern Russian area that borders Ukraine and is just miles north of Kharkiv.

☆ Ukraine says it advances on Bakhmut's flanks to entrap Russians
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Moscow says capturing Bakhmut now opens the way to further advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says its advance on the Russian forces' flanks was more meaningful than its withdrawal inside the city, and Russian reinforcements sent to hold Bakhmut will weaken Moscow's lines elsewhere. Ukrainian forces were still advancing, particularly south of Bakhmut, Maliar said, though she said the intensity of fighting on the northern flank had subsided for now. "Wagner Group mercenaries likely secured the western administrative borders of Bakhmut City while Ukrainian forces are continuing to prioritise counterattacks on Bakhmut’s outskirts," the Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Monday. In the latest Russian attack, some 15 blasts were heard overnight in the southern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, a frequent Russian target lately.

☆ Kremlin-funded university that trains Russia’s future leaders is firing all staff living outside Russia, in another sign of Putin crackdown: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's top university for public officials is firing all its employees living abroad, per a report. RANEPA is known as Russia's breeding ground for future ministers, civil servants, and governors. The move comes amid Russia's ongoing crackdown on public dissent, which has ramped up since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. RANEPA is known as one of the top destinations for Russia's public servants and administrative class, churning out future regional governors, civil servants, and ministers. The UK Ministry of Defence also commented on a likely ban on senior Russian officials quitting their posts on Thursday.

☆ Analysis: Ukraine is keeping Russia guessing about its counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is possible we only learn the counteroffensive has begun when its first tangible results are revealed. But it has more significantly revealed a seismic difference in how Russia and Ukraine’s war machines are functioning. This will be vital in the weeks ahead: Moscow appears to process bad news very poorly and publicly. In the weeks ahead, we will likely see more confusion about what Ukraine is up to. But weeks more of Russian confusion, overstretch, and public self-criticism will likely reduce the ultimate human cost on Kyiv.

☆ Traitor next door? Fear stalks Kherson after Russian occupation ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nonetheless, her garden walls in the Ukrainian city of Kherson are covered with graffiti marking her out as a Russian collaborator. Fear and suspicion stalk the streets of Kherson, a southern port that was occupied by Russian troops for over eight months before they were driven out by Ukrainian forces in November. More than 5,300 collaboration cases have been registered across the country, according to the prosecutor general's website. Cases of collaboration can point to the tough choices people have to make when trying to survive under occupation. He left the business to his workers, who had to register with the Russians and take Russian passports, and fears they could be prosecuted once the occupation ends.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska asked South Korea to provide non-lethal military hardware when she met with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Tuesday, both countries have reported. But an official from Yoon’s office said Zelenska stopped short of asking for lethal weapons, acknowledging that South Korea would have found it difficult to oblige had any such request been made. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, South Korea has maintained its stance of not providing lethal weapons to a warring country, although Yoon has hinted at a possible major policy shift. The Ukrainian first lady handed Yoon “a personal letter and an invitation from the president of Ukraine” to visit her country, the Ukrainian side said. Last year, she met US first lady Jill Biden privately at the White House to discuss American support for Ukraine.

☆ Belarus president and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko appears to confirm that 4 Russian military aircraft were shot down. The Kremlin has not yet acknowledged the downed aircraft.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that the four downed Russian aircraft were "shot down." According to Reuters, Lukashenko addressed Belarusian troops on Monday at the border with Ukraine. The Belarusian leader decisively claimed that the four aircraft were shot down — but did not say by whom. "Three days after the events near us — I mean in the Bryansk region, when four aircraft were shot down, we are forced to respond," Lukashenko said, according to Reuters. The crash signified the most Russian aircraft lost in a single day since March 2022, according to the pro-Russia Telegram channel Fighterbomber.

☆ Ukraine has exploited Russia's monthslong 'Bakhmut fixation' as it reclaims territory and sends Russian soldiers running from the 'meat grinder,' military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine gained an advantage over Russia by doggedly defending Bakhmut, a military expert told Insider. "The Russians have had a Bakhmut fixation," said Mick Ryan, a retired Maj. Gen. in the Australian army. The Ukrainian military does not release casualty numbers, but military experts believe the country has suffered significant losses in Bakhmut, though notably fewer than Russia. Ukraine shared a video last week of Russian soldiers running away from the city while being chased by armored vehicles. "We lured the enemy into a Bakhmut trap," Cherevatiy, the Ukrainian spokesperson, told The Journal.

"The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions," he said. The Kremlin, for its part, said it did not believe the added British hardware would change the course of the conflict. Moscow has acknowledged retreating north of the city, and the head of the Wagner private army fighting inside Bakhmut has said Russia's regular forces have fled positions on the northern and southern flanks. The public rift between Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and the commanders of regular Russian forces has deepened over the past two weeks, with Prigozhin releasing daily audio and video messages denouncing the Russian military brass. However, both he and the Kremlin dismissed a Washington Post report citing U.S. intelligence leaks that Prigozhin had offered to betray the positions of regular Russian forces in January in return for Kyiv pulling back some troops in Bakhmut.

☆ 4 Russian military aircraft 'ambushed' and shot down near Ukrainian border, Russian media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Four Russian aircraft have been shot down near the Ukrainian border, per a Russian news outlet. It may be the most Russian aircraft lost in a single day during the war, a pro-Russia blog said. Kommersant did not provide evidence that the four aircraft had been downed, but several Russian pro-war military bloggers made the same claim, Reuters reported. Regional Russian authorities have confirmed the crash of one helicopter, per Russian state news agency Tass. A pro-Russia Telegram channel with close links to Russia's air force, called Fighterbomber, said it was the highest number of Russian aircraft lost in a single day "since March last year."

☆ Watch: Donald Trump, Anchor Kaitlan Collins Spar at CNN Town Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Matthew Luxmoore Organizations: Associated Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson

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