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☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy strips citizenship of several former politicians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an International Human Rights forum, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 9, 2022. LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 5 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revoked the citizenship of several former influential politicians on Saturday in the latest of steps to "cleanse" the country from pro-Russian influences. Zelenskiy would not list the names, but said they had dual Russian citizenship. According to Ukrainian state media, the list includes several top politicians from the office of Viktor Yanukovych, who served as Ukraine's pro-Russian president from 2010 until he was removed from office in 2014. Reporting by Nick Starkov, David Ljunggren and Lidia Kelly; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ORIKHIV, Ukraine—Ukraine last summer stunned Russian troops with precision strikes from U.S.-supplied Himars mobile rocket launchers. Now an even more potent rocket system holds the potential to re-energize Kyiv’s troops. U.S. officials are expected Friday to say they will give Ukraine new Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs, precision-guided, 250-pound explosives that are strapped to rockets and can be fired from a Himars or another launcher. The armament, which has never been deployed and is only at the start of production, has a range of roughly 94 miles, or around twice the range of current Himars shells.

"This could slow down [a Russian assault] significantly," said Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defence minister. This was a major boost for the Ukrainian military, allowing it to destroy Russian ammunition dumps and weapons storage facilities. "We are currently unable to reach Russian military facilities more than 80 kilometres away," said Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Musiyenko. Beyond the logistical impact, the addition of a longer-range weapon to Ukraine's arsenal could help shake Russian confidence. Still, said Karako, it is possible the Ukrainians could end up receiving an even longer range weapon in the future.

☆ Rare battlefield footage shows how Ukraine's upgraded Soviet-era tanks are outperforming Russia's upgraded Soviet-era tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine upgraded many of its tanks before the war, but Russia also had newer, higher-quality tanks. On the outskirts of a destroyed town, the Ukrainian tank is advances down a road, straight toward the Russian tank. Without stopping, the Ukrainian tank fires a round at its adversary. Ukrainian troops perform maintenance on tanks near the frontline in Donbas on January 18. More victories, better weaponsUkrainian troops inspect a destroyed Russian tank near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region in December.

☆ Ukraine denies report it intends to get 24 jets from allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A pair of Ukrainian Su-25 jet fighters fly low, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Kramatorsk, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 24, 2022. REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File PhotoJan 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine's air force on Saturday denied a newspaper report saying it intended to get 24 fighter jets from allies, saying talks about potential deliveries were still continuing, a domestic media outlet said. Spain's El Pais newspaper, citing air force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat, said Ukraine initially wanted two squadrons of 12 planes each, preferably Boeing F-16 jets. Later in the day, he told Ukrainian national television that allied nations did not like public speculation about jets, Interfax Ukraine news agency said. Germany's defence minister this week ruled out the idea of sending jets to Ukraine.

Ukraine has won promises of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line. Zelenskiy, speaking separately, said Ukraine wanted to preempt Russian attacks on Ukrainian urban areas and civilians. Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian air force denied a newspaper report that it intended to get 24 fighter jets from allies, saying talks were continuing, Ukraine's Babel online outlet said. He also told Ukrainian national television that allied nations did not like public speculation about jets, Interfax Ukraine news agency said. Germany's defence minister this week ruled out the idea of sending jets to Ukraine.

☆ Blasts reported at Engels air base deep inside Russia - online media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported early on Monday. There was no immediate official confirmation of the blasts and Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. The Russian news outlet Baza reported, citing local residents, that air raid sirens were wailing and an explosion was heard. The air base, near the city of Saratov, about 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow, was hit on Dec. 5 in what Russia said was Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian air bases that day. Ukraine has never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but has said, however, that such incidents are "karma" for Russia's invasion.

☆ Explosions reported at military airbase deep inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian soldier watches a bomber take off from Engels airbase in this file photo from 2008. Engels is home to strategic bombers that Russia uses to launch missiles into Ukrainian cities. Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported early on Monday. The Russian news outlet Baza reported, citing local residents, that air raid sirens were wailing and an explosion was heard. Ukraine has never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but has said, however, that such incidents are "karma" for Russia's invasion.

This video still shows a "Yars" ballistic missile loaded into a silo launcher in the Kaluga region. (Russian Defense Ministry)In a further sign of the importance it attaches to its strategic nuclear deterrent, the Russian military has loaded a "Yars" ballistic missile into a silo launcher in the Kaluga region. The Ministry of Defense released video to mark the event, just ahead of Russia's "Day of Strategic Missile Forces." It said that an "intercontinental ballistic missile of the Yars complex was loaded into a silo launcher at the Kozelsky missile formation in the Kaluga region." (Russian Defense Ministry)"The importance of this operation lies in the fact that the missile will be on combat duty as planned.

Nikita Chibrin says he still remembers his fellow Russian soldiers running away after allegedly raping two Ukrainian women during their deployment northwest of Kyiv in March. He deserted from the Russian military in September and fled to Europe via Belarus and Kazakhstan. Chibrin’s military documents, seen by CNN, show his commander was Azatbek Omurbekov, the officer in charge of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. Omurbekov, known as the “Butcher of Bucha” is under sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the mass killings while reiterating baseless claims that the images of civilian bodies were fake.

Young mothers Yana and Yaroslava don’t want to leave Russia with their 6-year-old son. But they fear a harsh new anti-gay law passed by Russian lawmakers will leave them little choice. Honestly, it is scary to stay,” Yaroslava told CNN. As the Kremlin prepared to finalize the expansion of the 2013 discriminatory anti-gay law, members of the LGBTQ community in Russia told CNN they feared the uncertain future ahead. “Our mere existence is illegal for our state and even for our child,” Yaroslava said.

A Russian lawmaker announced Saturday that he invited freed arms dealer Viktor Bout to be in "broad cooperation" with a government committee that he leads. The legislator, Leonid Slutsky, is head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. Slutsky said Bout could help the committee on "issues of assistance to Russian citizens who find themselves in a difficult life situation abroad." "And the experience of interaction during the release of Victor will certainly be useful,” Slutsky said in a post on his Telegram account. The Russian official said Bout is holding up well for "all the trials he had gone through."

Kirby said the US was imposing new sanctions on three Russian entities involved in acquiring and using Russian drones. The US also authorized an additional $275 million in military aid for Ukraine on Friday. He said the several hundred drones Iran is providing to Russia are being used to kill innocent Ukrainians and destroy civilian infrastructure. He said Iran was providing Russia with an "unprecedented level" of military and technical support, including the potential sale of ballistic missiles and a new joint production line. He called the Tehran-Moscow pipeline a "full-fledged defense partnership" that the US expects to grow in the coming months.

By the time Cherelle Griner arrived at the White House, it was clear Brittney Griner was on the verge of being released. As Cherelle Griner waited to meet with Sullivan, however, a change in venue signaled what was about to happen. Biden delivered the first official confirmation that Brittney Griner was on her way home, something he’d told aides he wanted to do himself. Shortly after, advisers delivered the official notification to Biden and Cherelle Griner: Brittany Griner was secure and in the hands of US officials. Biden then brought Cherelle Griner to a chair set up next to his at the Resolute Desk.

Only hours earlier, they were the adrenaline-pumped vanguard of the Ukrainian army’s attempt to take on the Russian troops – among them mercenaries that hold much of the area. “We’re dealing with shrapnel wounds and gunshot wounds,” he says. It’s intense work, performed under the threat of missile attacks from Russian-held territory just 30 kilometers away. The pace of arrivals means there’s no time to shelter when air raid warnings sound here. Tape on the windows appears the only attempt to mitigate damage from any blast.

Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in February, saying Ukraine's deepening ties with the West posed a security threat. MOBILISATIONAround 150,000 of the 300,000 reservists called up in September and October were deployed in Ukraine, 77,000 in combat units, he said. [1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia December 6, 2022. President Alexander Lukashenko, who relied on Russian troops to put down a popular revolt two years ago, has so far kept his own army from joining the war in Ukraine. Thousands of Russian troops have deployed in Belarus since October, Ukraine says, and Belarus authorities have increasingly spoken of a threat of "terrorism" from partisans operating from across the border.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the strong international support for Ukraine has likely impacted China's thinking about Taiwan. Blinken reiterated that the United States is determined to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and indicated that robust support to Ukraine would help rather than deter that goal. Blinken said Beijing has seen “countries coming together in extraordinary ways to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, to put tremendous pressure on Russia to ends its aggression, and as well, to make sure that, in the case of NATO, we're strengthening our own capacity to defend ourselves in case that aggression were to spread.”“And I think that has to have an impact on China's thinking about the future and about what it may be looking at in terms of Taiwan,” he said. Some context: Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never officially recognized the Communist Party’s claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

Explosions at two Russian air bases Monday have focused attention on Ukraine's efforts to develop longer-range combat drones. The Russian Defense Ministry says the attacks were carried out by Ukrainian drones, which it claims were brought down by Russian air defenses. Imagery — both satellite and photographs — indicates some damage was done to Russian military planes at one base in Ryazan region. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has offered no official comment on the explosions, and the Ukrainian government has not acknowledged adding long-range attack drones to its arsenal. The two bases hit, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, are hundreds of miles inside Russian territory and beyond the reach of Ukraine's declared arsenal of drones.

The Biden administration called them “shortsighted” and said they would hurt low- and middle-income countries by pushing energy prices higher. Europe’s ban on importing oil from Russia shipped by sea kicks in on Monday, injecting extra uncertainty into the outlook for energy supply. G7 nations, the European Union and Australia agreed Friday to impose a price cap of $60 a barrel on Russian oil shipped to other countries that have not adopted an embargo. The move, which also takes effect Monday, is aimed at depriving the Kremlin of revenue while avoiding a price shock by keeping Russian oil flowing to some markets. Moscow has previously threatened to retaliate by cutting off oil supply to countries that adhere to the price cap.

Ukrainian artillerymen load an M109 self-propelled howitzer during training exercises with US and Norwegian at Grafenwoehr Training Area on May 12. Since the start of the conflict in February, the US has trained only a few thousand Ukrainian soldiers, mostly in small groups, on specific weapons systems. The proposal, which was made at the behest of Ukraine, is still under inter-agency review by the administration. But the primary variable on the battlefield right now is the availability of ammunition on both sides, he said. "The Ukrainians aren't going to be as effective at combined arms maneuvers if they don't have enough artillery ammunition."

A view of damaged electrical wires after Ukrainian army retaken control from the Russian forces in Lyman, Ukraine on November 27. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images/FILE)Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the second winter season of the war "will be very challenging." Shmyhal said that "all regions of Ukraine, except Kherson region, are supplied with power. Shmyhal said the situation required a strong air defense and quick repairs of damaged power equipment. Obtaining additional power equipment was also a priority, he said.

☆ Air alert issued across Ukraine, explosions reported
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Nov 23 (Reuters) - An air-raid alert was issued across all Ukraine on Wednesday and officials in at least two regions said local air defences were in operation against Russian missiles. Interfax Ukraine news agency also reported explosions in several southern and southeastern regions, citing local channels in the Telegram messaging app. Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian critical infrastructure in recent weeks as they faced setbacks on the battlefield following their Feb. 24 invasion. Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukrainian investigators find bodies with signs of torture in Kherson-minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ukrainian police forensic experts search for evidence at a park where fighting took place between Ukrainian territorial forces and Russian forces at the beginning of the war, in Kherson, Ukraine November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Murad SezerNov 17(Reuters) - Investigators in Ukraine's recently liberated southern Kherson region have uncovered 63 bodies with signs of torture after Russian forces left the area, Ukraine's interior minister was quoted as saying early on Thursday. Ukrainian and international investigators say what they describe as war crimes have been committed in areas occupied by Russian troops since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. Mass burial sites have been found in other parts previously occupied by Russian troops, including some with civilian bodies showing signs of torture. Russian forces left parts of Kherson region last week -- it had been one of the first areas seized by Russia.

☆ Russia attacks Ukrainian missile plant and gas production facilities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russia pounded gas production facilities and a major missile factory in new missile strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. Now they are bombing our gas production (facilities), they are bombing our enterprises in Dnipro and Pivdenmash," Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted him as telling a conference. It was not immediately clear which gas production facilities he was referring to. Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, launching some of the heaviest waves of missile strikes since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kyiv city officials said two cruise missiles and four Iranian-made Shahed drones were destroyed near the city on Thursday.

☆ Zelenskiy has 'no doubt' Ukrainian missile did not cause blast in Poland
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted by Interfax Ukraine news agency as saying on Wednesday he had no doubt that an explosion that killed two people in Poland was not caused by a Ukrainian missile. "I have no doubt that it was not our missile," he was quoted as telling Ukrainian media. Zelenskiy was quoted as saying he believed Ukraine should already have been given access to the site of the explosion. Zelenskiy also said Kyiv had received no offer from Moscow to start peace talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that Ukraine was not interested in holding peace talks with Russia.

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