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☆ Analysis: Ukraine counteroffensive takes shape but main test still to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Moscow's strategy in the south likely aims to maximise Ukrainian casualties before Kyiv can reach the main Russian line of defences about 10-15 km (6-9 miles) away, according to Lee. The main thrusts have come near the Kyiv-controlled town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia region and Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk region, about 80 km to the east. "My main concern five or six days into this main phase is that the progress appears to have stopped. Military analysts saw it as unlikely this would become the focus of the main Ukrainian offensive. Images shared by Russian military bloggers showed destroyed or damaged U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2 tanks, headline items of military aid sent by the West for the counteroffensive.

Persons: Rob Lee, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's, Ben Barry, Lee, Konrad Muzyka, Hanna Maliar, Muzyka, Maliar, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Tom Balmforth, Mark Trevelyan, Mike Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Western, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Reuters, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russian, West, Interior Ministry, Deputy, Troops, Military, Bradley, Leopards, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, KYIV, Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Moscow, Kherson, Kharkiv, Poland, Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Zaporizhzia, Melitopol, Velyka Novosilka, Bakhmut

SummarySummary Companies Drones attack Druzhba pipeline infrastructure, Russian media sayDrones strike far inside RussiaOne killed in shelling near Ukraine borderRussian forces intercept British Storm Shadow missilesMOSCOW, May 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine struck oil pipeline installations deep inside Russia on Saturday with a series of drone attacks including on a station serving the Druzhba pipeline, while shelling from Ukraine killed at least two, Russian officials and media said. Ukraine has not publicly acknowledged launching attacks against targets inside Russia. The Telegram channel Baza, which has good sources among Russia's security services, said the drones attacked a station serving the Druzhba pipeline. Russia's oil pipeline operator Transneft (TRNF_p.MM) said earlier this month that a filling point on Druzhba in a Russian region bordering Ukraine had been attacked. Kyiv officials have previously said that Western-supplied weapons would be used exclusively against Russian forces inside Ukraine.

☆ Barely Noting War in Public, Putin Acts Like Time Is on His Side
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Anton Troianovski | Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Pro-Ukrainian fighters stormed across the border into southwestern Russia this past week, prompting two days of the heaviest fighting on Russian territory in 15 months of war. Yet President Vladimir V. Putin, in public, ignored the matter entirely. He handed out medals, met the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, hosted friendly foreign leaders and made televised small talk with a Russian judge about how Ukraine was not a real country. In managing Russia’s biggest war in generations, Mr. Putin increasingly looks like a commander in chief in absentia: In public, he says next to nothing about the course of the war and betrays little concern about Russia’s setbacks. Instead, he is telegraphing more clearly than ever that his strategy is to wait out Ukraine and the West — and that he thinks he can win by exhausting his foes.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for their safety in a city under Russian occupation. But there is concern in the international community that the six-reactor nuclear plant, Europe's largest, could be caught up in fighting, particularly as military analysts expect Ukraine to try to push Russian forces back in Zaporizhzhia region. In April, Japan contributed 2 million euros to the U.N.'s watchdog to help its effort to secure the safety of Zaporizhzhia power plant. Kotin said Russian forces would have to retreat if it looked like that road was going to be cut off. He added that he believed Russian forces had already been conducting drills at the plant to practise pulling out.

☆ Dramatic video shows a Russian soldier being shot at by his own side as he tries to surrender to a drone, Ukrainian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dramatic video footage shows a Russian soldier's surrender to a Ukrainian drone, Ukraine said. The "I Want to Live" hotline, which claims to receive thousands of calls a month, is an official project of Ukraine allowing Russian soldiers to pre-arrange to surrender once on Ukrainian territory. In the footage, the soldier can be seen making various signals to the drone indicating he doesn't want to fight, Matvienko said. The drone drops him a package containing a note which, per Matvienko, tells him to surrender and to follow it. The encounter, Matvienko said, is one example of how "Ukrainian soldiers find such creative ways to defeat Russians on the battlefield."

☆ Russian Nationalist Is Wounded in Car Explosion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Zakhar Prilepin at a press conference in Moscow in 2021. Photo: Sergei Bobylev/Zuma PressA prominent Russian nationalist writer and politician was wounded in an explosion of his car on Saturday, the latest in a string of unexplained incidents in Russia. Zakhar Prilepin’s car was being driven in the western Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod when it blew up, killing the driver, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

☆ Moscow says US behind Kremlin drone attack, Russian forces target Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, without providing evidence, said Ukraine had acted on U.S. orders with the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday. "Attempts to disown this (attack on the Kremlin), both in Kyiv and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Separately, Russia's foreign ministry said the alleged drone attack "must not go unanswered" and that it showed Kyiv had no desire to end the 15-month old war at the negotiating table. Russian emergency services quickly extinguished a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, after a drone attack set product storage facilities ablaze, TASS news agency reported. Reporting by Kyiv, Moscow and Amsterdam buros Writing by Gareth Jones Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Ukrainian air defenses withstood Russia’s most intense air attack on Kyiv since the start of the year overnight into Thursday, the capital region’s military chief said. Last night, the aggressor launched another large-scale air strike on the capital,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, wrote on Telegram. Russian air attacks have targeted Kyiv on three days out of the past four, Popko said. Russian oil refinery firesAlso early on Thursday, fires broke out in two oil refineries in southwestern Russia, following separate alleged drone strikes. It is unclear who is responsible for the drone attack.

☆ Moscow's 'special' forces: An inside look at how Russia's famed Spetsnaz really operate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Mark Galeotti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Russia's Spetsnaz forces are often depicted as a kind of Russian super troops. Osprey PublishingMost countries' special forces emphasize physical fitness, determination and aggression. Special people, for special tasksMembers of the Russian military's 16th Separate Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in 2018. Even so, being better than most of the Soviet army's miserable and recalcitrant conscript forces did not make most of them truly special, special forces. The special operations commandMembers of Russian's 22nd Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in November 2017.

☆ 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.

☆ Videos capture Russian MiG-31 jet bursting into flames before it crashed into a lake
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian interceptor aircraft crashed into a remote area in northwestern Russia on Wednesday. Both pilots ejected before the MiG-31 went down, and there were no report of civilian injuries. The accident comes just days after another jet accidentally bombed a Russian city. Footage published by state-run media outlet Russia Today showed wreckage of the MiG-31 strewn across a frozen lake, where law enforcement also told TASS the plane crashed. RT cited witnesses saying that the aircraft crashed over 200 feet from the shore.

☆ Moscow is trying to play it cool, but its military moves hint at growing concern over NATO's newest member
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Finland's admission this month doubles the length of NATO's border with Russia and does so in a region with important Russian military outposts. But Putin's invasion of Ukraine scared not only Finland into joining NATO but also Sweden, which hasn't fought a war since Napoleon was alive. This boosts the alliance's military, political, and economic power considerably and confronts Russia with the prospect of even more NATO forces on its border. There is the possibility of NATO forces and infrastructure being deployed to those countries. Russia's Arctic forces also field an array of powerful weapons, including submarine- and land-based cruise missiles and air-launched hypersonic weapons.

☆ Two Ukrainian men in wheelchairs were forcibly deported to Russia and subjected to months of abuse. Then they escaped.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two Ukrainian men in wheelchairs were forcibly sent to Russia last year after Kherson was occupied. Bohdan and Oleksandr told Insider they were bullied during their time in a Russian deportation camp. Their days were filled with threats and bullying, the men told Insider, adding that nurses frequently referred to them "Nazis." Both told Insider they plan on living there for the foreseeable future. Describing the moment he got out of Russia, Bohdan said: "I felt like it was the day before my birthday party.

☆ Map shows how Russia's border with NATO more than doubles with Finland as a member
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Finland officially became a member of the NATO military alliance on Tuesday. Finland has an 830-mile border with Russia, meaning Russia's border with NATO more than doubles. Finland's presence in the alliance more than doubles the border between NATO countries and Russia. The increase in public and political support in Finland for joining NATO came after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He added: "In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security."

[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. Near the front lines west of Bakhmut, in the Ukrainian-held town of Chasiv Yar, the thump of outgoing artillery fire could be heard. CROSS-BORDER RAIDThe reported cross-border raid into Russia's Bryansk province comes days after Moscow said Kyiv had attacked targets deep inside its territory with drones. Russia's RIA state news agency said several people had been taken hostage in a store in Lubechanye, less than a kilometre from Russia's border with northeastern Ukraine. Echoing wording from earlier meetings, host India said countries apart from Russia and China had condemned the war.

☆ Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine focused on Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Leonardo Benassatto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Ukrainian service members are seen next an infantry fighting vehicle near the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 25, 2023. Apart from Bakhmut itself, six nearby Donetsk settlements came under Russian shelling, it said. Russia is trying to encircle Bakhmut, forcing Ukraine to pull out its garrison. Her boss, President Joe Biden, went there a week ago to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's military forces have mostly focused on holding defensive positions in recent weeks, but are expected to attempt a counter-offensive later this year using new weapons pledged by the West.

☆ Satellite images hint at scale of Russian mercenary group's losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The number of graves at a cemetery used by Russia's notorious mercenary Wagner Group has dramatically grown over the last two months, satellite images show. Satellite images show an increase in graves at a cemetery in Bakinskaya, Russia, from Nov. 24, 2022, to Jan. 24, 2023. The Wagner Group previously provided assistance to the Russian military during conflicts in Syria and Libya. The U.S. government said last week that it will designate Wagner Group as a “significant transnational criminal organization” and impose further sanctions against the organization and its support network. The Wagner Group did not comment on the satellite images and video footage.

☆ Russian Politician and Businessman Dies After Falling From Hotel Roof in India
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | Krishna Pokharel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A hotel in India’s Odisha state where police are investigating the sudden deaths of a Russian politician, who reportedly criticized the Ukraine war, and his companion. MOSCOW—A Russian politician and businessman died after falling from the roof of a hotel in India on Christmas Eve, police said, two days after a companion succumbed to a heart attack and months after he was in the media spotlight for a quickly retracted WhatsApp post deemed critical of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. Authorities in the eastern Indian state of Odisha said they were investigating the deaths of the two men, Pavel Antov, a 65-year-old regional lawmaker from western Russia who owned a sausage-making company, and Vladimir Bydanov, 61, with whom he had been sharing a room.

CNN —Russian sausage magnate-turned-lawmaker Pavel Antov died in India on Saturday after falling from the third floor of his hotel, according to the Indian police. Police believe Antov died by suicide after falling from the third floor of his hotel in the Rayagada district, although the postmortem report has not been released yet, Sharma said. He was a member of the Russian parliament’s United Russia party, which was formerly headed by Vladimir Putin and is still staunchly supportive of the Russian President. Russian Consul General in Calcutta Alexey Idamkin told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Monday that the Odisha State Police and the Consulate General in Calcutta didn’t see anything suspicious in the death of two Russians in India. In mid-September, Russian businessman Ivan Pechorin, who was the top manager for the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, was found dead in Vladivostok, according to Russian state media.

☆ Russia is considering plans to expand its military by around 30%, to 1.5 million troops, says British intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin was given a plan to boost Russia's military by 30%, to 1.5 million personnel, the UK MOD said. It is not clear when Russia would have these new troops and how it would get them, the UK MOD added. Sweden and Russian neighbor Finland applied to join NATO in May, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and are close to the end of the process. Russia's army has struggled since its invasion of Ukraine, with widespread reports and intelligence updates highlighting poor training and low morale among its troops. In September, Russia announced a partial mobilization of an additional 300,000 troops, which it said was completed in October.

☆ Putin vows to win in Ukraine as Russian military to reach 1.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the fighting in Ukraine as a “tragedy” but vowed to pursue his campaign there until its goals are reached Wednesday, while his defense chief announced a plan to increase Russia’s military from 1 million personnel to 1.5 million. Speaking at a meeting Putin held with top military brass, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the 1.5 million-member military should include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers. Putin ordered an unpopular mobilization of 300,000 reservists in September to beef up Russia’s forces in Ukraine. Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected such rhetoric and described the Russian attack as an unprovoked act of aggression. Putin vowed that what he termed a “special military operation” would continue until its tasks are completed.

☆ An elite Russian military brigade was basically 'wiped out,' taking so many losses in Ukraine that it will 'take years to rebuild,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An elite Russian brigade suffered so many losses in Ukraine that it will take years to rebuild. The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is one of many high-profile units that saw heavy depletion. But despite these advantages, the 200th suffered greatly in the months of combat that would follow. "Nothing of that brigade is left," Col. Pavlo Fedosenko, the commander of Ukraine's 92nd Mechanized Brigade, told The Post in a recent interview. That figure echoes a similar estimate from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the highest-ranking US general, who said last month that over 100,000 Russian soldiers had been "killed and wounded."

☆ Russia releases video of nuclear-capable ICBM being loaded into silo, following reports that US is preparing to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It identified it as a "Yars" missile, which has a nuclear warhead. Russia shared the video following reports that the US will send a Patriot defense system to Ukraine. Russia previously fired a Yars missile in October, as part of a test conducted by the country's nuclear forces. This latest video comes after reports that the US is set to send a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. Russia initially said in response that it would wait for official confirmation before reacting, and then said that it would consider the Patriot missile system a legitimate target.

☆ Drone strikes in Russia seen as Ukrainian rebuff to missile barrages
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian officials revelled in the blasts but declined to acknowledge Kyiv's role, after Russia said Ukraine used unmanned Soviet-era aerial vehicles to attack two air force bases in the Ryazan and Saratov areas of south-central Russia. On Tuesday, a third Russian airfield in Kursk, which lies closer to Ukraine, was set ablaze in another drone strike. Military analysts saw the attacks as Kyiv's response to Russia on the same day that Moscow conducted another wave of missile strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine. wrote Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. It was not the first time Russia accused Ukraine of using such drones for attacks inside its borders.

☆ Biden administration says it is 'not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders' following deadly explosions at Russian bases
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A series of deadly explosions rocked Russian bases, two of which are far from Ukraine's borders. The US said Tuesday that it is "not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders." "We are not enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders — we are not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders." Price's comments came after a series of unusual and fatal explosions occurred at Russian air bases inside the country. The series of explosions does not mark the first time that Russian territory has been attacked.

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