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☆ Ukraine's front-line forces are trying to fight their way through Russia's formidable Surovikin Line. Here's what that is.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian forces are making steady territorial gains in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. In doing so, Kyiv's troops have fought against the formidable Surovikin Line. As they approach Verbove, Kyiv's troops have are pushing against the main part of the so-called "Surovikin Line." The Surovikin Line is a complex system of defensive fortifications and obstacles across Russian-occupied territory in southern and eastern Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo even reach the main line, Kyiv's soldiers have had to move through sprawling minefields — which has proven to be a slow and painstaking process.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin's, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, George Barros, Barros, Rob Lee, Michael Kofman Organizations: Service, Factory, Russian Army, Institute, REUTERS Locations: Robotyne, Verbove, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Orikhiv, Azov, Kherson, Crimea, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Washington, Russia, Tokmak, Ukrainian, Moscow

Both India and Bharat are used officially in the nation of 1.4 billion people, which has more than 20 official languages. “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States,” the country’s constitution states. Bharat is also the Hindi word for India and is used interchangeably – both feature on Indian passports for example. “The word ‘India’ is an abuse given to us by the British, whereas the word ‘Bharat’ is a symbol of our culture,” Harnath Singh Yadav, a BJP politician, told Indian broadcaster ANI. Some opposition politicians said the government’s use of Bharat was a response to the formation of the INDIA alliance.

Persons: Bharat, ”, Droupadi Murmu, Narendra Modi, Modi, –, ’, ” Harnath Singh Yadav, Virender Sehwag, Bharat ’, Bharat ”, ” Shashi Tharoor, “, it’s, Raghav Chadha, Jaishankar Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Indian, of States, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Cricket, Developmental, INDIA, Aam Aadmi Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, Britain, British, Kingsway, Nicobar, INDIA

☆ Ukraine Has Made ‘Notable Progress’ in the Last 72 Hours, the U.S. Said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian forces notched victories this week against two lines of Russian defense, according to a White House spokesman, who called the advances “notable progress” in Kyiv’s counteroffensive. The spokesman, John Kirby, declined to discuss war plans for Ukraine but said the U.S. expected Ukrainian forces to continue to push farther south, which will require “tough fighting ahead.”Ukraine celebrated a tactical victory this week when its forces retook the southern village of Robotyne. A senior Ukrainian military official said today that Ukrainian units had successfully pushed about three and a half miles farther south of Robotyne toward Melitopol, a primary target of the counteroffensive. The White House comments came a day after Ukraine’s foreign minister sharply derided criticism of the counteroffensive as slow. “I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves,” he said.

Persons: John Kirby, ” Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Robotyne, Ukrainian, Melitopol

☆ Opinion: Remembering ‘Juice,’ the young fighter pilot who embodied the Holy Grail of aviation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Opinion Nolan Peterson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The young Ukrainian pilot known by the call sign "Juice" campaigned for F-16 fighter jets for his country in its battle against Russia. The joking, the nonchalance, the sterile vocabulary — it’s all part of a well-honed fighter pilot culture, which ingrains the mental resilience needed to survive. “Even with our losses, we are still doing our job in this real combat mood, real fighter pilot mood, with crazy jokes. Beyond their fears and sorrows, there is another emotion, unique to war, which Ukrainian fighter pilots must now also control each time they fly. For its part, the US military plans to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the supersonic fighters this October.

Persons: Nolan Peterson, Read, CNN —, I’ve, Andriy Pilshchikov —, he’d, Juice, I’m, “ We’re, we’ve, “, …, ” Melaniya, wasn’t, —, Tom Wolfe, ’ Nolan Peterson, ” Jonathan “, ” Juice, it’s, ” Podolyak, ” Organizations: Atlantic Council, US Air Force, Fortem Technologies, CNN, Tactical Aviation Brigade, Russia, Garmin, California National Guard, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Twitter, Facebook, US Air National Guard Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Afghanistan, Russian, Kyiv’s outskirts, ” Jonathan “ Jersey, Soviet, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, California

☆ Ukraine tells critics of slow counteroffensive to 'shut up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen put out burning grass near their positions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 31, 2023. Nearly three months since launching a much vaunted counteroffensive using hundreds of billions of dollars of Western military equipment, Ukraine has recaptured more than a dozen villages but has yet to penetrate Russia's main defences. "I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimetre by themselves," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain. DRONE ATTACKS WITHIN RUSSIAUkraine has also stepped up attacks using drones on targets deep within Russia itself and in Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. While Ukraine rarely comments directly on specific attacks inside Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to boast of the Pskov attack on Thursday.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Dmitro Kuleba, Jens Stoltenberg, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Russia KYIV, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Ukrainian, Reuters, Russia, Kremlin, Nazi, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Spain, Russian, Robotyne, Western Zaporizhzhia, Novopokropivka, Kyiv, Bakhmut, RUSSIA Ukraine, Bryansk, Crimea, Pskov, St Petersburg

☆ Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front -commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June, but well-prepared Russian defence lines reinforced by minefields have slowed their southward advance towards the Sea of Azov. "We don't stop here," said a commander who led some of the troops into Robotyne and uses the nom de guerre "Kombat". Both are occupied by Russian forces following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February last year. A U.S. official said last week that Ukrainian forces did not appear likely to be able to reach and retake Melitopol in their counteroffensive, intended to split Russian forces in the south.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladyslav Smilianets, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Separate, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Robotyne, U.S, Thomson Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Azov, Ukrainian, Orikhiv, Berdiansk, Melitopol, Moscow

☆ Ukraine says its special forces pulled off a daring amphibious raid into occupied Crimea, hit Russian troops, and raised the flag on the peninsula
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special forces made a surprise amphibious raid into occupied Crimea on Thursday. Kyiv's military intelligence agency said its troops engaged with Russians and raised a flag there. It is the latest in a string of engagements around Crimea, which Ukraine has vowed to liberate from Russia. The amphibious raid — and symbolic flag raising — also comes as Ukraine observes its 32nd Independence Day. Indeed, many of Kyiv's Western military backers sent messages to mark Ukrainian Independence Day, renewing commitments to keep supporting the country with economic and security assistance.

Persons: HUR, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, General Budanov, Zelenskyy, Kyrylo Budanov, Putin, Budanov, Sophia, Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ukraine's Defense Forces, Ukrainian, REUTERS, NATO, US Locations: Crimea, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Russian, Russia, Ukraine's, Olenivka, Moscow, Kyiv, Kerch, Ukrainian, REUTERS Ukraine, Kyiv's St, United States

☆ New video captures the moment Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian S-400, a rare loss of a prized and formidable air-defense system
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine published a video on Wednesday showing the moment it destroyed a Russian S-400. The S-400 is formidable air-defense system that has drawn comparisons to the US Patriot battery. Kyiv's military intelligence said in a statement that the attack dealt a "painful blow" to Russia. Russia's advanced S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air system that's capable of shooting down targets at high altitudes and long ranges. According to open-source intelligence site Oryx, Moscow's military had lost just three S-400 launchers and one command post for the system.

Persons: that's, HUR, Anton Gerashchenko, ANDREY SMIRNOV, It's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Wednesday's Organizations: US Patriot, Service, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, American Patriot, Getty, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Olenivka, Kyiv, Crimea, Moscow, British, Western, Kerch

☆ Ukraine defies odds by advancing in counteroffensive - senior official
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian servicemen of the 108th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defence fire small multiple launch rocket systems towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Ukraine began counteroffensive in early JuneUkrainian troops encountering minefields and trenchesDeputy defence minister says Ukraine defying the oddsKYIV, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine has made progress in its counteroffensive against Russian forces simply by proving it can push back a better-armed and numerically superior enemy, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday. Ukrainian troops have faced vast Russian minefields and trenches in the counteroffensive launched in early June, and a U.S. official said last week it looked unlikely that Kyiv would be able to recapture the strategic southern city of Melitopol. Armed with Western tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, Ukraine has retaken a string of villages but no larger settlements. SOUTHWARD PUSHMaliar, a war crimes lawyer, has served as a deputy defence minister since 2021.

Persons: Viacheslav, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Dan Peleschuk, Anna Dabrowska, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: 108th, Brigade, Territorial Defence, REUTERS, Russian, U.S, Reuters, Ukraine, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian, Melitopol, Ukraine's, Russian, Robotyne, Tokmak, Azov, Berlin, Kharkiv, Kherson

☆ Ukraine's most controversial weapons aren't a 'silver bullet,' but they are giving Kyiv's forces what they desperately needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukrainian forces have been using controversial US-provided cluster munitions for several weeks. The remains of artillery shells and missiles including cluster munitions are stored on December 18, 2022 in Toretsk, Ukraine. Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty ImagesFootage of Ukraine using cluster munitions on the battlefield has emerged in recent weeks. Russia insists it does not use cluster munitions, despite documented use of cluster munitions by the Russian military in Ukraine in the past. But while cluster munitions are operationally effective, they alone won't prove decisive in Ukraine's counteroffensive or the war.

Persons: It's, Biden, Pierre Crom, George Barros, Barros, GENYA SAVILOV, there's, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Vladimir Putin, DPICMs Organizations: Service, Russia, White House, Pentagon, Institute for, Getty Images, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Toretsk, Donetsk, Russia, Washington, Avdiivka, AFP, Russians, Donetsk Oblast, Moscow, Russian

Critics say the move is a part of a sustained effort to indoctrinate school children and stifle any independent thinking. Russian President Vladimir Putin has always maintained that Moscow’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine is an effort to liberate the country from a “Nazi regime” and Western influence. No critical thinking allowedMany countries introduce school children to patriotic ideas and civic values. According to independent human rights monitor OVD-Info, there have been almost 20,000 people detained for protesting against the war in Russia. This complete crackdown on freedom of speech means there isn’t a force in Russia that can counteract school propaganda.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergey Kravtsov, ” Kravtsov, Katerina Tertytchnaya, “ There’s, ”, Putin, Yuri Kadobnov, Sergey Lavrov, Kirill, ” Ian Garner, ” Tertytchnaya, ” Garner, Garner Organizations: CNN, country’s Ministry of Education, Nazi, Russian, Russian Federation, RIA Novosti, University College London, Ministry of Education, Schools, Getty, Kremlin, University of Chicago’s, Political, Students Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Moscow, AFP, Russian, France, Russians, China

☆ Russia's planting mines everywhere, even cruelly hiding explosives in everyday items like fridges, toys, and children's books, Ukrainian military engineers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian soldiers who previously occupied Ukrainian territory left it littered with land mines. Moscow's troops hid explosives in every items like toys, fridges, and even children's books. For instance, they cruelly hide explosives in everyday household items like refrigerators, toys, and even children's books. Military sappers inspect an area for mines and non-exploded shells left after Russia's invasion in Kyiv Region, Ukraine April 21, 2022. REUTERS/Mykola TymchenkoUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in April 2022 that Russian soldiers retreating in the north at the time had left mines everywhere, creating a "complete disaster."

Persons: it's, Mark Milley, sapper, Gleb Garanich, Oleksandr, Mykola Tymchenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Maksym Trykur, Trykur, That's, Europe's Organizations: Service, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Ukraine's, Transport Service, State Emergency Service, Special Transport Service, Mining, Mines Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Izium, Kharkiv region, Kyiv, Kyiv Region, Udy, Kharkiv, Africa

☆ Russia watches as Saudi Arabia leads Ukraine peace talks with U.S., world allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

High-precision weapons were aimed at private houses, a historic building and a high-rise building," said Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. WASHINGTON — Ukraine welcomed Saudi Arabia's decision to host multinational talks this week on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposed peace plan, a move that could set up future negotiations with Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that the United States, several European countries and Brazil were invited to the talks. Read more: Saudi energy minister says latest Riyadh-Moscow oil cuts showed unity with RussiaLast year, Saudi Arabia helped broker a prisoner exchange involving more than 200 people between Kyiv and Moscow. "Is it possible to reach a peace settlement now with the participation of the Kyiv regime and in the context of its current stance?

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy . WASHINGTON —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy, Yermak, Read, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov Organizations: Saudi, Kyiv, Street, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Mykolaiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy . WASHINGTON, Volodymyr Zelenskyy . WASHINGTON — Ukraine, Jeddah, Ukraine, West, East, North, United States, Brazil, Riyadh, Moscow, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Kyiv, Russian

☆ Analysis: Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

White jazz artists were antiracists before the term was inventedMany of the tributes to Bennett mentioned his disdain for bigotry. Many White jazz artists were antiracists, long before the word was invented. Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s musical mentor, recorded with and relentlessly championed Black jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. He hired a Black jazz bassist, Eugene Wright, and refused to play in segregated venues. There are countless photos of a beaming Bennett hanging out with Black jazz artists.

Persons: Tony Bennett, Ed Sullivan’s, Bennett, ”, Duke Ellington, “, ’ ” Bennett, there’s, Jason Aldean, Aldean, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Rick Diamond, Bennett —, ” Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Benny Goodman, Jim Crow, Ellington, Louis Armstrong, don’t, It’s, that’s, Lionel Hampton, Goodman, Michael Ochs, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, fidgety, “ We’ll, “ You’re, ” Winehouse, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Elvis Costello, Bennett’s unflappability, Bennett wasn’t, Brubeck, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Evans, Mark Allan, Greg Thomas, ” Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas, Wynton Marsalis, Bennett –, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, –, Thomas, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Toronto Star, MLK, Atlanta Civic Center, US Army, Carnegie Hall, Michael Ochs Archives, Jazz, Studios Locations: New York, Tennessee, America, Atlanta, Nazi, African, British, Turkey, Japan, London, Aldean, American, Europe, United States

☆ Russia abruptly fired a front-line general, and now Ukraine is seizing the moment to punch through the defenses he had overseen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The fired Russian general had demanded changes after suffering losses in artillery battles with Ukraine that were crucial to holding their defensive lines. According to the US officials, Ukraine has expressed a desire to press south toward the occupied city of Melitopol, near the Sea of Azov. Doing so would allow Kyiv's military to split the territory that Russia currently occupies and threaten its hold on the Crimean peninsula. Ukrainian “Grad” multiple rocket launcher fires standing in a field near Orikhiv on June 27, 2023 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. A press officer stands on top of a destroyed Russian military vehicle in Novodarivka village, Zaporizhzhia Region, southeastern Ukraine.

Persons: they've, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ivan Popov, Popov, Dmytro Smolienko, Getty Images Popov, Mark Milley, Milley Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, US, NATO, Pentagon, New York Times, Grad, Getty Images, Kyiv, Kyiv's, Staff of, Armed Forces, Staff, Arms Army, Publishing, Times, Joint Chiefs Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Melitopol, Azov, Russia, Ukrainian, Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian, Novodarivka, Zaporizhzhia Region

☆ Is Ukraine's counteroffensive failing? Defense experts say the risks facing Kyiv are growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesFor Michael Clarke, a defense analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, there's a risk that the first phase of the counteroffensive, designed to probe Russia's defenses, takes too long. Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesKonrad Muzyka, a military intelligence specialist and president of Rochan Consulting, said "the weather has always been the factor" for Kyiv. But Kyiv says its forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in at least three areas and are operating against a backdrop of increased Russian offensive operations. Ukraine's defense ministry claims that its forces have liberated around 210 square kilometers (81 square miles) of occupied territory since June. Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images

Persons: —, Michael Clarke, Clarke, Konrad Muzyka, Muzyka, Yuriy Sak, Sak, Anatolii Stepanov Organizations: 110th Brigade, Territorial Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Military, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Rochan Consulting, Kyiv, Afp Locations: Novodarivka, Luhansk, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kherson, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russian, Russia, Vuhledar, Yuriy, Siversk

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

☆ For These Ukrainian Soldiers, the Fight Is Personal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Maria Varenikova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The objective for one private taking part in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia is not complicated: it is a house near the beach, overflowing with flowers, the play room strewn with toys. Ukrainian military strategists may be intent on driving a wedge through Russian forces and cutting supply lines, but Private Yevheniy just wants to see his home again, in the Azov Sea port city of Berdyansk. “I miss the sea most of all,” he said, as his unit held ground in the frontline village of Tavriyske. As a rule, soldiers go wherever they are sent, but the Ukrainian Army makes an exception: those who were driven from their hometowns after Russia invaded last year can request to take part in the fight to liberate them.

Persons: Yevheniy, “, ” Organizations: Ukrainian Army Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Azov, Berdyansk, Tavriyske

July 18 (Reuters) - Yum Brands' (YUM.N) Taco Bell prevailed on Tuesday in its self-described bid to "liberate" the phrase "Taco Tuesday," as competing fast-food chain Taco John's told the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) it would abandon its federal "Taco Tuesday" trademark. Taco Bell had asked the USPTO in May to cancel the trademark, calling it a common phrase that Taco John's had monopolized unfairly in the restaurant industry. Representatives for Taco Bell did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Tuesday filing. A separate Taco Bell challenge to that trademark is still pending. Taco John's told the USPTO last month that Taco Bell was only seeking to sell more tacos, and that its mark did not prohibit anyone "from advertising and selling tacos on Tuesday."

Persons: Taco Bell, John's, Taco John, Jim Creel, Taco John's, Gregory Gregory, Taco, Blake Brittain, David Bario, David Holmes Organizations: Brands, U.S . Patent, Office, Yum Brands, Taco, Gregory's, Bell, Reuters, Taco Bell, USPTO, Thomson Locations: Taco, Cheyenne , Wyoming, U.S, New Jersey, Somers Point, Washington ,

☆ Russian tourists need to cross active war zones in Ukraine to get to their summer vacations in occupied Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian tourists need to cross through occupied Ukraine to get to their summer holidays in Crimea. An expert told Insider that Russian tourism in Crimea is a priority for Putin and the Kremlin. "There's been a huge push on the part of Russian authorities to really sustain and even increase tourism in occupied Crimea for economic reasons, and for an integration of occupied Crimea into the larger Russian system," Hird said. Crimea is a legitimate military target for Kyiv and among the most important territories Ukraine hopes to reclaim in this war. Since the Kerch Bridge's shut down, Russian media released an instruction guide for Russian tourists traveling through occupied Ukrainian territories, Anton Gerashchenko, the advisor to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, tweeted.

Persons: Putin, Ukraine didn't, Karolina Hird, Evans Hanson, Vladimir Putin, There's, " Hird, We've, Hird, Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Security, CNN, Institute for, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kerch, Wall, Silicon, Russia, It's, Moscow, Kherson, Melitopol, Donetsk Oblast, Russian

☆ Cluster bombs could turn the war in Ukraine's favor — but Russia says it's ready to use them too
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"But of course, if they [cluster munitions] are used against us, we reserve the right to tit-for-tat actions," the president said. Though not banned by the United States, Russia or Ukraine, cluster bombs are outlawed in over 100 countries under a global pact, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, because of the danger they pose to civilians. The United Nations called on the warring parties to immediately cease all use of cluster munitions. Up to 40% of cluster munitions fail to explode on impact, the U.N. said, which allows for "decades of intermittent detonations." They add that cluster munitions could be a critical factor in determining the outcome of the conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, they're, Jack Watling, Justin Bronk, Anatolii Stepanov, Bronk Organizations: Getty Images, U.S, Tass, Ukrainian, Cluster Munitions, Washington Post, The Washington Post, Getty, United Nations, Defense, NATO, Royal United Services Institute, Armed Forces, Afp, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Moscow, Kremlin, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Europe, United States, Russian, Lysychansk

This is how Komsomolskaya School Number 1 is marking the opening of a new school desk, a so-called “hero desk” emblazoned with the face and biography of one of Russia’s war dead, once a pupil at this very school. The desks are part of a pan-Russian initiative called the “New School Project” and are funded by “United Russia,” a staunchly pro-Putin party. As of early May, United Russia said there were more than 14,000 desks in 9,000 schools across the country. Local news reports suggest some schools use the desks to reward good behavior or good grades. The desks across the country are standardized: green, with military photographs, a biography, medals awarded (often posthumously) and the soldier’s date of death.

Persons: It’s, ”, Gennady Alexandrovich Pavlov, Chuvashia, Gennady Pavlov, Russia’s, Daniil Ken, ” Ken, Sergei Shoigu, Ken, Alena Arshinova, Olga, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, there’s, “, ‘, Tatyana Chervenko, Chervenko, Mikhail Stepanov, ’, Stepanov, Wagner, “ Artyomovsk Organizations: CNN, New, “ United, Putin, Teachers ’ Alliance, Russian Ministry of Defense, State Duma, United, Kyiv, Russian, Russia’s Security, Novosti, Ministry Locations: Russian, Chuvashia, Russia, “ United Russia, United Russia, Ukraine, Hostomel, Kyiv, United States, State, St . Petersburg, Simferopol, Crimea, “, Leningrad, ”, Moscow, Virginia, Khabarovsk, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Despite an underwhelming first month of Ukraine’s much-anticipated summer push to liberate territory from Russian forces, Kyiv says its Western backers are not pressuring the country for quick results. Ukraine had hoped to use the push to expel a significant amount of Russian forces from Ukrainian soil and turn the tide of the war. Asked by CNN if Ukraine’s western allies were looking for quicker gains on the battlefield, Yermak said there was no such pressure from partner countries. Ukrainian Army spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi said on Ukrainian television that Russian forces are putting up a “fierce resistance,” but Ukraine has the initiative. In his comments Saturday morning, southern command head Tarnavsky told Ukrainian TV viewers that nine Russian ammunition depots had been destroyed in the last day.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky, Yermak, Serhiy Cherevatyi, ”, Daniel Carde, Kupiansk, Cherevatyi, “, ” Lyman, ” Cherevatyi, Rob Lee, ” Lee, Alex Chan Tsz Yuk, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, Tarnavsky Organizations: Ukraine CNN, NATO, CNN, United, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, State, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kremlin, Arms Army Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Russian, Ukrainian, Lithuania, United States, France, United Kingdom, Bakhmut, Berhivka, Vremivka, Lyman, Donetsk, Russia, Novoselivske, Crimean, Zaporizhzhia, Berdiansk

☆ Ukraine, Russia accuse each other of shelling civilians in Zaporizhzhia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen load a shell into a Partyzan small multiple rocket launch system before firing toward Russian troops at a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine July 13, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File photoJuly 16 (Reuters) - Three civilians were wounded in Russian shelling of a village in Zaporizhzhia, the head of Ukraine's presidential administration said on Saturday, while Moscow-backed officials said that Kyiv's forces shelled a school there. Russia also shelled the city of Zaporizhzhia, hitting and damaging at least 16 buildings there, Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of the city council said on the Telegram. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the nearly 17-month long war that Russia has been waging on its neighbour. Ukraine's top military command said that Russia is trying to stop Ukraine's advance there, shelling heavily the area.

Persons: Stringer, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Anatoliy Kurtiev, Vladimir Rogov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Stepnohirske, Russia, Russian, Stulneve, Tokmak, Melbourne

☆ Solomon Islands says Chinese police to assist cyber, community security
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a statement on Friday, Sogavare's office said the Pacific Islands nation was broadening its security partnerships, and the Chinese police will add to the existing Australia and New Zealand policing support. Riots in the capital Honiara in 2021 exposed gaps in the islands' policing, it said. Opposition leader Matthew Wale said in a statement "policing is different in democracies than in communist countries and democracies must uphold human rights and due process". The issue was not China's supply of security equipment, but the compatibility of Chinese and Pacific policing, said Meg Keen, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands programme. Solomon Islands has a population of 700,000, across an archipelago that occupies a strategic position in the Pacific Islands, and was pivotal to the U.S. move west across the Pacific to liberate the Philippines in World War Two.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Sogavare's, Penny Wong, Wang Yi, Sogavare, Matthew Wale, Meg Keen, Lowy, Wale, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Australia's, Islands Government, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, New Zealand, China's Global, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Australia, Beijing, Pacific, China, U.S, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Jakarta, Islands, Honiara, Philippines, Taiwan, Washington, Canberra

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