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☆ Ukraine war: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warns there will be no quick ending
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the war in Ukraine could be long, as Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russia continues to make only marginal gains. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost published Sunday. If President Putin and Russia laid down their weapons, we would have peace,” the NATO chief said. On the possibility of Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said: “Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and ruthless, but NATO is prepared for every threat and challenge. “The point of NATO is to prevent war – not least nuclear war.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, “, Zelensky, Putin, Stoltenberg, Sofiia Gatilova, Stepanov, ”, Mark Milley, Budanov Organizations: CNN, NATO, Berliner, Reuters, Getty, Russia, United, United States ’, Joint Chiefs, Staff, BBC Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Bakhmut, Reuters Ukrainian, Chernihiv, AFP, Moscow, Andriivka, United States

As part of a review of the EU's 2021-2027 budget, the European Commission in June proposed 50 billion euros in grants and loans for Ukraine to keep Kyiv financed as it fights off Russian aggression. This year, the EU will pay out 18 billion euros to Ukraine in highly concessional loans, but, if the proposed 50 billion total stays, Ukraine will only get 12.5 billion annually from 2024 to 2027. She said the EU budget review should also add money for military mobility -- roads, ports, bridges and airports that allow armed forces to move around quickly -- as the 1.7 billion euros originally allocated for the purpose was insufficient. "We see the need for military mobility infrastructure increasing. It exceeds one billion euros just for Lithuania," she said.

Persons: Gintare Skaiste, Skaiste, Jan Strupczewski, Jason Neely Organizations: Infantry Brigade, Armed Forces, SANTIAGO DE, European, European Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Reuters, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, SANTIAGO, SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain, Lithuania

☆ Ukraine plans big rise in defence spending in 2024 draft budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The government approved a draft 2024 budget on Friday that puts the deficit at 1.548 trillion hryvnias ($41.92 billion) and increases defence spending to 1.7 trillion hryvnias, over 21% of GDP. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the increase in defence spending was needed to fund Ukraine's war effort following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. "This amount (defence spending) is 113 billion hryvnias more than this year. Debt repayment is planned to be 606.5 billion hryvnias, including 421.6 billion hryvnias to be spent on internal debt repayments and 184.9 billion hryvnias for external debt repayments. About 468.8 billion hryvnias is budgeted for social spending, with 30.8 billion hryvnias allocated for business support.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Denys Shmyhal, Yuliia Dysa, Olena Harmash, Anna Pruchnicka, Timothy Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe

☆ Ukraine's army keeps outsmarting Russia on the battlefield, with cunning ruses and opportunistic attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tom Porter | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"Deception has succeeded against Russian forces at all echelons and across all three service branches," the report said. A Russian drone had earlier damaged a tank there, and Afanasyev wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe company says over 250 of these decoys have so far been handed over to the Ukrainian military. In eastern Ukraine's Popasna, a base used by the mercenary pro-Russian Wagner Group was bombed to rubble by Ukrainian troops in April 2022. Ukraine's 110th brigade then "worked effectively to attack the Russian soldiers," he said.

Persons: it's, Ivan Oleksii, Oleksii, Cmdr, Oleksandr Afanasyev, Afanasyev, Vladimir Solovyov, Wagner, Igor Russak, Ukraine's, Huw Dylan, David Gioe, Joe Littell Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Russian, Getty, Kremlin, Wagner, Russian Wagner, Wired, Purpose, Center for Information Resilience, 25th Airborne Brigade, Modern War Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Makiivka, Lyman, Donetsk, St Petersburg, Ukraine's, Avdiyivka, Europe, Izium, Kharkiv, Kherson

☆ Danger lurks behind 'every bush' for brigade in Ukrainian counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ukrainian servicemen of the Spartan Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine prepare a shell for a D-30 howitzer at a position at a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Spartan brigade fighting in Ukrainian counteroffensiveSoldiers encounter vast minefields and trenchesSpartan brigade says Russians know the terrain wellZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine, Sept 14 (Reuters) - For soldiers in Ukraine's "Spartan" brigade, danger could lurk behind every bush and in every field as they fight in Kyiv's counteroffensive against deeply entrenched Russian forces. Progress through vast Russian minefields and heavily fortified defences has been slower than many Ukrainians had hoped since the counteroffensive began in early June. Just our boys," he said at a location in the Zaporizhzhia region. Stepan, 38, was a metal worker before he joined the Spartan brigade, which is part of Ukraine's National Guard, and was apprehensive at first.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Jordan, Stepan, Ron Popeski, Timothy Organizations: Spartan Brigade, National Guard, REUTERS, Ukrainian, Ukraine's, Spartan, Reuters, Ukraine's National Guard, Brigade, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Stepan

☆ Ukrainian forces press on in east, inflict casualties in south, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had repelled eight attacks in the east in hotly contested areas south of Bakhmut. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said Kyiv's forces were making gains around three villages south of Bakhmut - including Andriivka. Russian forces captured Bakhmut in May after months of battles left the city in ruins. Ukrainian forces have since been chipping away at Russian positions, notably south of Bakhmut. The drive southward is intended to split a land bridge created by Russian forces between the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and areas they hold in the east, expanded by their full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Oleksander Shtupun, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Stephen Coates Organizations: Infantry Brigade, Armed Forces, Russia's Defence Ministry, Ukraine's, Defence, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Russian, Bakhmut, Azov, Moscow

☆ Ukrainian soldier says new Leopard tanks are better than old Soviet ones because the ammo doesn't explode, kill the crew, and blow the turret off if it takes a hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine's armor arsenal was bolstered by Western tanks like the German-made Leopard ahead of the counteroffensive. A gunner with the 47th Mechanized Brigade says these vehicles are vastly superior to Soviet tanks. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty ImagesWith Soviet-era tanks like the T-64 or later T-72 and T-80, crew survivability wasn't the highest priority. Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesBeyond tanks, Ukrainian service members also speak very highly of Western-made protected mobility platforms, such as armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. Other Western vehicles, like the American-made Humvee, have also received praise from Ukrainian forces.

Persons: Vladyslav, it's, SERGEI SUPINSKY, Dogukan, Ukraine Ed Ram, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds Organizations: 47th Mechanized Brigade, Service, 47th Mechanized, Strategic Communications, 2A6, —, Getty, Anadolu Agency, ABC News, Bradley, Washington, Britain's Royal United Services Institute Locations: Soviet, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Russian, Skybyn, Kyiv, AFP, Peremoha, Brovary, Zaporizhzhia Region

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter is now providing key aviation intelligence to Ukraine, defense agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a helicopter last month is now helping Ukraine fight Russia. Maksym Kuzminov, the helicopter pilot who switched sides in a daring defection, is now providing the Ukrainian military with key Russian aviation intelligence, according to an interview with Kuzminov released by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Kuzminov first reached out to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence at the end of 2022, jumpstarting a plan for him to flee Russia with his helicopter. After Kuzminov landed in the Kharkiv region, the helicopter was eventually moved to safer territory, Ukraine's defense intelligence said. The aircraft will be used to "replenish" Ukraine's military fleet, the defense intelligence said.

Persons: Maksym, Kuzminov, Maksym Kuzminov, Artem Shevchenko, jumpstarting, AMTSh, Radio Svoboda Organizations: Service, Defense Intelligence, Russian Pilots, YouTube, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Radio Free Europe, Radio Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kharkiv, Russia's, Primorsky Region, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine collects Russian bodies on 'road of death' in retaken southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Ukrainian servicemen check the body of a dead Russian soldier, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk Region Ukraine September 8, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBLAHODATNE, Ukraine, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Wearing face masks, the Ukrainian soldiers poked sticks into the undergrowth along a deserted country road, searching for the bodies of Russian soldiers they hoped to exchange for their own comrades, living and dead. They called it the "road of death" after the number of Russian soldiers killed there when Ukrainian forces retook the southeastern village of Blahodatne at the start of their counteroffensive in June. Three months on, the frontline had shifted south and it was finally safe enough for the three-man team of Ukrainian soldiers to start their operation in this liberated part of Donetsk region. There was intense fighting for Urozhaine," he said, referring to a nearby village that was later retaken.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Volodymyr, Ron Popeski, Tom Balmforth, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Donetsk Region Ukraine, REUTERS, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Blahodatne, Donetsk Region, Donetsk, Russia, Urozhaine

☆ Ukraine reports some successes in counteroffensive against Russian forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

And it said Ukrainian troops were making gradual progress in their southward advance to the Sea of Azov. Russian accounts of the fighting said their troops had beaten back Ukrainian attacks near Bakhmut. Ukraine began its counteroffensive in June and has focused on retaking Bakhmut, seized by Russian troops in May, and capturing clusters of villages in the south. They face Russian troops that are well dug in and have benefited from extensive mining operations. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar told national television that Ukrainian forces were pressing their drive near southward from the village of Robotyne, captured last week.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Antony Blinken, Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Nick Starkov, Ron Popeski, Grant McCool Organizations: Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Ukraine, Azov, Military, Russia's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Azov, Kyiv, Zelenskiy, Mariupol, Robotyne, Russia, Klishchiivka

☆ German-made anti-aircraft guns from the 1960s are one of Ukraine's best weapons against Russia's exploding drones, and this video shows one blasting them out of the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has relied on its decades-old Gepard cannons to defend against Russian drones and missiles. A new video published Thursday by the Ukrainian military shows the anti-aircraft guns in action. Gepards, which were first developed in the 1960s, have proven to be very effective in downing these systems, as well as other low-altitude Russian drones and cruise missiles. Ukrainian servicemen operate a Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun during their combat shift, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoThe firepower boost for Ukraine's Gepards comes at a crucial moment.

Persons: Kyiv's Gepards, Vladimir Putin's, Jacob Bradford, Gepards, Switzerland —, Ukraine's Gepards, John Kirby, Biden Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Factory, US Army, Rheinmetall AG, REUTERS, Ukraine's, National Security, NATO, Pentagon, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Odesa, Moscow, Kyiv, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, German, Kyiv region, Russia

☆ 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

☆ Germany has finally figured out how to build more ammo for the 1960s-era cannon Ukraine is using to blast Russian drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has been using Cold War-era Gepard cannons to take down Russian drones and missiles. A German arms manufacturer plans to send 300,000 35mm rounds to Kyiv for its Gepards. Ukraine has relied heavily on its arsenal of Gepards provided by Germany to blast low-flying Russian drones and missiles out of the sky. It took existing 35mm ammunition from infantry fighting vehicles and modified it for the Gepard, which needed its fire control unit to recognize the new munitions. A Gepard gun successfully fired the ammunition in May, and Rheinmetall said on Sunday that "a first lot" of 35mm ammunition is now on its way to Ukraine.

Persons: Jacob Bradford One, SERGEI SUPINSKY Organizations: Service, NATO, Factory, Rheinmetall AG, Ukraine, US Army, Rheinmetall, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Germany, Kyiv, Switzerland, German, Poland, Berlin, AFP, Moscow, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Ukrainian mortar squads say they meet fierce Russian resistance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A Ukrainian serviceman sits next to mortar shells inside a dugout at a position near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine September 4, 2023. It's a routine they repeat frequently as Ukraine's army tries to battle through vast Russian minefields and heavily fortified trenches in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. "The Russians resist fiercely there (on the front line), they are trying to get back their positions," the mortar squad's commander, who uses the call-sign Hrai, told Reuters. Our soldiers are in their (former Russian) positions, prepared by them (the Russians). The mortar position is part of a maze of trenches and dugouts with wooden walls and underground living quarters.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Hrai, Timothy Heritage, Tom Balmforth Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, tarpaulin, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine says it retakes more ground as Zelenskiy visits front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

She also reported unspecified "success" in the direction of the villages Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, but gave no details. Ukraine has now taken back about 47 square km of territory around Bakhmut since starting its counteroffensive in early June, Maliar wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Zelenskiy was shown presenting medals to soldiers at a number of sites and offering thanks to medics at a field hospital on the southern front. [1/4]Ukraine's President Zelenskiy awards a Ukrainian service member as he visits a position at a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine September 4, 2023. Maliar said last week that Ukrainian troops had broken through the first line of Russian defences, and Ukraine's military expects now to advance more rapidly.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, Zelenskiy, Dmytro Kuleba, Yuliia Dysa, Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Russian, Deputy, Reuters, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Foreign, Russian Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Azov, Donetsk region, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ NATO-trained Ukrainian recruits admit they're being overpowered by Russia's battle-hardened troops in the northern sector, Kyiv Independent reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainians fighting in the northern sector of the frontline say they're buckling under Russia's attacks. Many of the troops were civilians before Russia's invasion and have just three weeks of NATO basic training. Other recruits the Kyiv Independent spoke to said three weeks of NATO basic training had left them underprepared for the reality of the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops at the Kupiansk axis on the northern frontline, according to authorities in Kyiv. "Russian forces are likely seeking to distract Ukraine from its counteroffensive," the Ministry of Defence said on X Saturday.

Persons: Russia's, Igor Kossov, Volodymyr, he's, Ihor, Ukraine's, Vadim Ghirda Organizations: Kyiv Independent, Service, 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Independent, NATO, 32nd Brigade, AP, Ministry of Defence, MoD Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Germany, Russian, Kupiansk, Kyiv, Ukrainian

CNN —Ukrainian forces said they had penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a sign that Kyiv is edging closer to Moscow’s sprawling network of fortified trenches along the southern front. CNN reported earlier this month that the US had been receiving increasingly “sobering updates.”A Ukrainian serviceman walks near a destroyed Ukrainian tank near Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, on August 25, 2023. Viacheslav Ratynskyi/ReutersUkrainian soldiers ride a tank near Robotyne, a village that Kyiv took last week amid a slow and grueling counteroffensive against dense Russian defense lines. Viacheslav Ratynskyi/ReutersRussian military bloggers reported increased activity near the village of Verbove, in southeastern Ukraine, but said Moscow’s forces were resisting Ukrainian advances. Units were also stationed on the western edge of the village of Verbove, the brigade said on Telegram.

Persons: Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Verbove “, Yevgeniy Balitsky, WarGonzo Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Ukrainian, “, Reuters, 46th Brigade, –, Verbove Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Robotyne, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Reuters Ukrainian, Kyiv, Reuters Russian, Verbove, Solodka, Tokmak, Novoprokopivka, Russian

☆ 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 mourns ace fighter pilot 'Juice' killed in collision
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The death of Andriy Pilshchykov, 30, a poster boy for Ukraine's air force who lobbied Western governments for supplies of F-16 fighter jets, was a bitter blow for Ukraine's military as it battles Russia. The air force spokesperson described him as a "mega-talent". Standing beside her were his mother and a young man in an air force pilot's jumpsuit who held up a photo of him, his head bowed. [1/6]Ukrainian servicemen attend a wake ceremony of Ukrainian military pilot Andriy Pilshchykov, who was killed on Friday when two L-39 combat training aircraft collided over a region west of Kyiv, in Kyiv, Ukraine, August 29, 2023. Since Russia's 2022 invasion, he had travelled to the U.S. in a delegation seeking supplies of F-16 fighter jets.

Persons: Andriy Pilshchykov, Natalia Menesheva, Young, ashen, Pilshchykov, Gleb Garanich, JETS Pilshchykov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, …, Yulia Reshitko, Pilshchykov's, Militarnyi, Ivan Lyubysh, Sergiy, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Heritage, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Catholic, REUTERS, JETS, U.S, Reuters, MiG, NATO, Thomson Locations: Western, Russia, Kyiv's, Kyiv, Ukraine, California

CNN —Signs are growing that Ukrainian forces have penetrated the first line of Russian defenses along part of the southern front lines in Zaporizhzhia region, and are expanding a wedge in the direction of the strategic town of Tokmak. “Otryady Kadyrovtsy” [Kadyrov Detachments] painted a similar picture, saying: “Heavy fighting continues in the Robotyne area. On Thursday, the spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern command, Nataliya Humenyuk, said Russian forces were bringing more forces to the Zaporizhzhia area from Kherson to the south, due to the heavy casualties among units already there. Yurii Malashko, head of Zaporizhzhia region military administration, said there were almost no buildings left standing in Robotyne after weeks of fighting in the area. “The Ukrainian forces’ ability to advance to the outskirts of Robotyne – which Russian forces have dedicated significant effort, time, and resources to defend – remains significant even if Ukrainian gains are limited at this time,” the ISW said.

Persons: Valerii, ” Ukraine’s, “, ”, Ratynskyi, “ We’re, Nataliya Humenyuk, Yurii Malashko, ” ISW Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Staff, General Staff, Reuters Ukrainian, Russian, Combined Arms Army, ”, Reuters, Kadyrov, Washington DC, Ukraine Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Tokmak, Novoprokopivka, Ocheretuvate, Robotyne ., Robotyne, Russia, Verbove, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Mala Tokmachka, Russian, Kherson, Azov, Crimea, Donetsk

☆ Alongside modern Western arms, Ukraine uses custom-built 'mini-Grads'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine has an arsenal of high-tech Western arms to fight Russian forces, but is also deploying custom-built mini-rocket launchers that use parts taken from a Soviet-era system. [1/3]Ukrainian servicemen of the 108th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defence fire small multiple launch rocket systems toward Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 19, 2023. It is rather ineffective to fire 10, eight or two rockets at one target," he said. He said the development of such weaponry was designed to "give an advantage to units which typically do not have this type of weapon." Reporting by Vladyslav Smilianets, Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gall, Viacheslav, Luka, Yurii Osokolanskyi, Oleksandr Musiyenko, Vladyslav Smilianets, Timothy Heritage, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, Territorial Defence Brigade, 108th, Brigade, Territorial Defence, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, United States, Zaporizhzhia region

☆ 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

CNN —The Netherlands and Denmark will provide Ukraine with much sought-after F-16 aircraft in an agreement hailed by President Volodymyr Zelensky as “historic.”Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide F-16 jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority. “The Netherlands became the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after training. Conditions for the transfer include training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, it said. Out of these 42, we need planes to help training in Denmark and later on in Romania,” Rutte said. Rutte said that language training for Ukrainian service personnel was ongoing and military training in Denmark would begin soon.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Mark Rutte, Ukraine ”, ” Zelensky, ”, Rutte, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ksenia Kuleshova, ” Rutte, Zelensky, Mette Frederiksen, Oleksii Reznikov Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Zelensky, Dutch, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bloomberg, Getty, Danish, Ukraine’s Locations: Netherlands, Denmark, Ukraine, Eindhoven, Danish, Romania

☆ Battlefield casualties in the Ukraine war have surged to almost 500,000 killed and wounded, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Combined casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine near 500,000, US officials said. Russia is believed to have lost as many as 120,000 soldiers, compared with 70,000 Ukrainian deaths. Meanwhile, Ukrainian deaths are estimated to be 70,000, and up to 120,000 soldiers are believed to be wounded. Accurate figures are difficult to ascertain as Kyiv does not disclose official figures, and Russian deaths are believed to be severely undercounted, the officials noted. For many weeks, hundreds of troops were killed or injured every day in the battle, US officials told The Times.

Persons: Mark Milley, Nicholas, Bernadett Szabo Organizations: Service, New York Times, The Times, Times, St, REUTERS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Bernadett Szabo Ukraine, Russian

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy meets troops in frontline Zaporizhzhia region
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy awards a Ukrainian service members at a pre-hospital medical aid centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 15, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia and met troops fighting in the counteroffensive against Russian forces in the south, the president's office said on Tuesday. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south and southeast at the start of June, hoping to cut Russian forces in half by advancing south towards the Sea of Azov. "The military emphasised the need for electronic warfare and frontline air defence systems to counter enemy aircraft and drones. There is also a need for drones, as they are quickly consumed in offensive operations," the office said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Nick Macfie Organizations: Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Azov, Kyiv, Melitopol

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