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☆ Ukraine sees speeding up inspections as key to Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Ukraine's efforts to increase exports under the Black Sea grain deal with Russia are currently focused on securing faster inspections of ships rather than including more ports in the initiative, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday. Ukraine is a major global grain producer and exporter, but production and exports have fallen since Russia invaded the country last February and started blockading its seaports. Three leading Ukrainian Black Sea ports in the Odesa region were unblocked in July under an initiative between Moscow and Kyiv brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. Kyiv accuses Russia of carrying out the inspections too slowly, causing weeks of delays for ships and reducing the supply of Ukrainian grain to foreign markets. "Ukraine focuses on normalising inspections rather than opening new ports," the senior Ukrainian official said.

Share this -Link copied'It's too much for me': Zelenskyy begins speech by thanking U.S. Zelenskyy began his remarks before a joint meeting of Congress at 7:40 p.m. "I think we share the exact same vision, that of a free, independent and prosperous Ukraine," Biden said. The Ukrainian president added that the soldier told him that "many (of) his brothers, this system saved." President Joe Biden holds a medal presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Share this -Link copiedPhoto: Zelenskyy shakes hands with Biden as he arrives President Joe Biden welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House.

President Zelenskyy is an inspiring leader. He's expected to visit the White House before addressing a joint session of Congress at the Capitol. A group of soldiers who helped defend Bakhmut gave him a Ukrainian flag and asked him to get it to Congress — and the Ukrainian president promised to give it to Biden himself. We will pass it on from the boys to the Congress, to the president of the United States. We are grateful for their support, but it is not enough.” Share this -Link copied

☆ Zelenskiy says U.S. Patriot system will be crucial part of Ukraine's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday said a U.S. promise to provide the Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system was an important step in creating an effective air shield. The Patriot system is "a defensive system, it's not escalatory, it's defensive" Biden told reporters. U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had earlier said the United States would provide $1.85 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, including a transfer of the Patriot Air Defense System. The Patriot is considered to be one of the most advanced U.S. air defense systems and offers protection against aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.

☆ Russia's military needed up to 72 hours to approve a strike — making soldiers hit Ukrainian targets too late: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's military generally needed up to 72 hours for approval to attack new targets, per The NYT. Despite Russia having more military equipment than Ukraine, Ukrainian forces were more agile. Instead of attacking the new targets, Russia largely bombarded the old locations no longer being used by Ukraine. Per US officials who spoke with The Times, up to "60 percent of Russian cruise missiles missed their intended targets." The slow decision-making of the Russian military effectively shredded their plans to seize the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and several other cities early in the conflict.

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

☆ Russia preparing for long war, Ukrainian military says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Residential houses are damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bakhmut in Donetsk region, Ukraine, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Yevhen Titov/File PhotoSummary Russia seeks prolonged war, Ukrainian general saysHe dismisses the possibility of a New Year ceasefireLikelihood of attack from Belarus is low, he saysKYIV, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russia is digging in for a long war in Ukraine and still wants to conquer the entire country, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday. Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a military briefing that although he did not expect Moscow to launch an attack from Belarus, Russian was training new troops on its neighbour's soil and had moved military aircraft there. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, at the same briefing, warned against allowing complacency to set in after recent Russian military setbacks. Gromov did not say what Russia's aim might be in prolonging the already nearly 10-month-old war.

☆ UK says attacks on Russian bomber bases could be 'most strategically significant' force protection failure of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian air bases have faced deadly drone attacks thought to be carried out by Ukraine. The drones involved in attacks on two Russian bases on Monday were launched from Ukrainian territory, the New York Times reported, citing a senior Ukrainian. "Ukrainian forces likely sought to disrupt Russian strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure and demonstrate Ukraine's ability to target Russian strategic assets," ISW added. The attacks on Russian air bases seemingly mark a new chapter in the conflict. "Why didn't Russian air defenses track and identify the targets so deep inside the country?"

☆ Ukraine strikes two military bases inside Russia using unmanned drones - NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine struck two military bases hundreds of miles inside Russia using unmanned drones, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing a senior Ukrainian official. The drones were launched from Ukrainian territory and at least two planes were destroyed at one of the bases and several more were damaged, the newspaper reported. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin not sincere about peace talks now, says top U.S. diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is not sincere about peace talks with Ukraine at this time, a top U.S. diplomat said on Saturday after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other senior Ukrainian officials in Kyiv. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday he was prepared to speak to Putin if the Russian leader was interested in ending the war. This reaction from Russia, Nuland said, showed "how not serious they are". Nuland also met Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenskiy's office, who expressed thanks for the billions of dollars worth of aid Washington has committed to Ukraine. "Ukraine's victory, which we are sure of, will be our joint victory," Zelenskiy's office quoted him as telling Nuland.

☆ Zelenskiy's chief of staff: Price cap on Russian oil should be lowered to $30 a barrel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil agreed to by the Group of Seven nations and Australia on Friday should be lowered to $30 per barrel to hit Russia's economy harder, a senior Ukrainian presidential aide said on Saturday. "This was everything that was proposed by the McFaul-Yermak group, but it would be necessary to lower it to $30 to destroy the enemy's economy quicker," Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential administration, wrote on Telegram referencing an international working group on sanctions. The G7 and Australia have agreed a $60 per barrel price cap. Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin takes war to new level of 'barbarism,' U.S. diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is not sincere about peace talks with Ukraine while he is taking the war to a new level of "barbarism" by trying to turn off the lights of civilians, a top U.S. diplomat said on Saturday. "And it's very clear, whether it's the energy attacks, whether it's the rhetoric out of the Kremlin and the general attitude, that Putin is not sincere or ready for that." U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday he was prepared to speak to Putin if the Russian leader was interested in ending the war. "Putin has taken this war to a new level of barbarism, taking it into every single Ukrainian home as he tries to turn off the lights and the water and achieve what he couldn't on the battlefield," Nuland said. "Ukraine's victory, which we are sure of, will be our joint victory," Zelenskiy's office quoted him as telling Nuland.

☆ Ukraine Says Russia Is Sending Hundreds of Paramilitary Troops to Eastern Front
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia is sending hundreds of paramilitary troops to fight in a key city on the front line in eastern Ukraine that is fast becoming the focal point of the next phase of the Kremlin’s invasion, a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday. Andriy Yermak , Ukraine’s chief of presidential staff, said the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization linked to the Kremlin, is sending fighters, including convicts, to the front lines in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine alleges 'Russian trace' in Poland blast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine has evidence of a "Russian trace" in an explosion in eastern Poland which Warsaw and NATO say was probably caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, a senior Ukrainian defence official said on Wednesday, without giving any details. Kyiv is "completely open to a comprehensive study of the situation", he wrote on the council's official Facebook page. Danilov provided no details of what evidence he was citing when he referred to a "Russian trace" behind the incident. Duda said earlier it was "highly probable" that the missile was fired by Ukrainian air defence. Earlier on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the blast, which killed two people, was probably caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile but that Russia was ultimately responsible because it started the war in Ukraine.

Russia launched an intense wave of airstrikes on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, forcing widespread blackouts and hitting residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv. The barrage targeted key cities from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the northeast, pounding energy infrastructure and knocking out power to vast areas in one of the largest coordinated attacks of the war. "85 missile strikes were fired at Ukraine, at our cities, mostly at energy infrastructure. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the strikes should put an end to pressure for peace talks with Russia. While the retaking of Kherson sparked jubilation in Ukraine, officials have cautioned that the conflict is far from over and that Putin could retaliate for the humiliation of his forces' retreat in the south.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin won reelection against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin won reelection against Republican Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. 2022 General EmbedsMichigan's 7th Congressional District candidatesWhen Slotkin first won the seat in 2018, she became the first Democrat to represent Michigan's 8th Congressional District (pre-redistricting) since 2001 with her victory over incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop. In 2022, she ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District. Voting history for Michigan's 7th Congressional DistrictMichigan's newly drawn 7th Congressional District sits in the central region of the state and spans seven counties.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Fears ease of conflict widening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* NATO's secretary-general said Tuesday's blast in Poland was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile but that Russia was ultimately responsible because it started the war. * Ukraine wants access to the site of the explosion, a senior Ukrainian defence official said. Oleg Danilov said Ukraine has evidence of a "Russian trace" in the incident, without giving any details. DIPLOMACY* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said he met U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who is in the region to discuss the war in Ukraine. Burns also met Russian President Putin's spy chief in Turkey this week.

☆ Russian 'blackmail' over grain export deal failed - Ukrainian presidential aide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Russia is resuming participation in a deal to free up grain exports from Ukraine because it realised the initiative would still work without Kremlin involvement, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written statement to Reuters that Moscow's decision showed that Russian "blackmail" and "escalation and threats" fail when they meet a resolute response. "One way or another, Russia, embarrassed, returned to the 'grain initiative' because it suddenly turned out that the grain corridor would work even without the Kremlin's participation," Podolyak said. "When you want to play blackmail, it is important not to outplay yourself," Podolyak said. Another senior Ukrainian official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that Moscow's decision was mainly a result of Turkish pressure on Russia.

☆ Ukraine questions Twitter takeover amid precarious ties with Musk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official expressed scepticism on Saturday about the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, whose relations with Kyiv have been precarious since the billionaire suggested in early October Ukraine should give up occupied land for peace. Musk, a self-declared "free speech absolutist", has expressed desire to shake up Twitter's content moderation, and tweeted that "the bird is freed" after completing the purchase. Musk tweeted on Friday that Twitter would form a content moderation council "with widely diverse viewpoints". Kyiv's reaction to his takeover of Twitter also contrasted sharply with Moscow's, where the deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, tweeted his congratulations to Musk on Friday. And quit that Starlink in Ukraine business," Medvedev wrote, referring to the thousands of satellite-connected internet devices Musk's company SpaceX operates in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine Calls for More Air-Defense Help as Russian Barrages Continue
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine called for more air-defense systems from the West to defend itself against Russian missile-and-drone attacks that have targeted its energy infrastructure in recent weeks, a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday. Andriy Yermak , the chief of Ukraine’s presidential staff, said he requested additional air defenses in calls with the U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior French and British officials.

☆ Rep. Elissa Slotkin faces off against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Elissa Slotkin is running against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. The newly drawn 7th District excludes the city of Jackson, often touted as one of the birthplaces of the Republican Party. Michigan's 7th Congressional District candidatesSlotkin became the first Democrat to represent Michigan's 8th Congressional District (pre-redistricting) since 2001 with her victory in 2018 over incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop. In 2022, she ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District. Voting history for Michigan's 7th Congressional DistrictMichigan's newly drawn 7th Congressional District sits in the central region of the state and includes all of Livingston, Ingham, Clinton, and Shiawassee counties and the state capital of Lansing.

☆ Russia arranging a 'propaganda show' in Kherson - senior Ukrainian official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of organising a "propaganda show" in occupied Kherson after Russian-installed officials said they were preparing to defend the city from imminent Ukrainian attack and urged civilians to flee. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, also accused Russia of trying to scare Kherson residents with what he described as fake newsletters about Ukrainian shelling of the city in southern Ukraine. "The Russians are trying to scare the people of Kherson with fake newsletters about the shelling of the city by our army, and also arrange a propaganda show with evacuation," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Propaganda will not work." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Intense fighting flares in Ukraine's Donetsk region
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoKYIV, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces was taking place around two towns in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Bakhmut and Soledar, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday. Fighting has been particularly intense this weekend in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which make up the larger industrial Donbas, and the strategically important Kherson province in the south. Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions on several fronts on Sunday, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said, with the targets including towns in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. Shelling by Ukrainian forces damaged the administration building in the city Donetsk, capital of the Donetsk region, the head of its Russian-backed administration said on Sunday. There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine to the attack on Donetsk city, which was annexed by Russian-backed separatists in 2014 along with swathes of the Donbas.

☆ Russia is bruised as winter approaches. Can Ukraine land another blow?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That blast, which was used by the Kremlin as a justification for Monday’s onslaught, bruised the Russian psyche and handed Ukraine a significant strategic boost. And the airborne strikes distract from what has been a dismal stretch for Russia in the ground war. They were “an indication of the nature of the threat from Russia,” Giles said. “The reopening of a northern front would be another new challenge for Ukraine,” Giles said. Beyond weapons supplies, Ukraine will be watching to ensure that Western resolve stays firm if Russia tightens energy supplies even further.

☆ Ukraine says Russia's investigation into Crimea bridge blast is 'nonsense'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official dismissed as "nonsense" on Wednesday Russia's investigation into an explosion last weekend that badly damaged a bridge linking the Russian mainland to the Crimea peninsula that Moscow has annexed. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine's security forces for the explosion and earlier on Wednesday Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had detained five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia over the blast. "The whole activity of the FSB and Investigative Committee is nonsense," Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne cited interior minister spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying when asked about Moscow's allegations on the Crimea Bridge blast. Yusov described the FSB and Investigative Committee as "fake structures that serve the Putin regime, so we will definitely not comment on their next statements". Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly and by Kyiv bureau; Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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