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☆ Russia launches overnight air attack on Ukraine from east to west
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichJune 20 (Reuters) - Russia launched a widespread overnight air attack on Ukraine targeting the capital and cities from east to west as most of the country spent the night with air raid sirens blasting for several hours. "Another massive air attack on the capital," Popko said. Yuriy Malashko, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region in southeast Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia's raid targeted telecommunication infrastructure and agriculture and farming properties. The top military command said that Russia launched seven missiles in the attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to preliminary reports.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Serhiy Popko, Popko, Yuriy Malashko, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, General, of Ukraine's Armed Forces, NATO, Russia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Lviv, Poland, Zaporizhzhia, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' was spotted on video rocking an unusual Baby Yoda patch, and it's not immediately clear why
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's military shared a video this week of Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi engaged in war efforts. A mysterious Baby Yoda patch could be spotted on his uniform, and its not exactly clear why. Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces published a video on Monday showing Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, sporting a Baby Yoda patch in the center of his uniform as he discusses details on the war with other top officials. The new video includes scenes of Zaluzhnyi hovering over blurred-out information and walking alongside individuals whose faces have been censored. "Retweet if spotted Mr. Baby Yoda."

Persons: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, —, Serhiy Shaptala, Zaluzhnyi, Baby Yoda, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Ukraine's, Staff of, Armed Forces, Armed Forces of, Twitter, Ukraine's General Staff, Ukraine's Armed Forces, Kyiv's, Staff, Facebook Locations: Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine, Moscow, Kherson

☆ Putin appeared to literally turn his back on his loyal defense minister on Russian state TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Paul Squire | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Vladimir Putin literally turned his back on his defense minister during a publicity stunt. In the clip from Russian state TV, Putin appears to avoid facing Sergei Shoigu, his loyal minister of defense. During a visit to a Moscow military hospital to give Russian soldiers medals, Putin appeared to turn away from Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov attend a meeting with Russian President in Moscow on February 27, 2022. It is, however, unclear whether there is a rift between Putin and his defense minister or, if there is, whether or not recent events are the cause of any potential tension between them.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, —, Volodymyr Omelyan, Valery Gerasimov, ALEXEY NIKOLSKY, Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Service, TV, Russian, Russian Defence, SPUTNIK, Getty, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Shoigu, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Chechen force signs contract with Russia's defence ministry that Prigozhin refused
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 12 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday it has signed a contract with the Akhmat group of Chechen special forces, a day after Russia's powerful mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin refused to do so. The contract the defence ministry signed on Monday was with the Akhmat paramilitary group that has often been called the private army of Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia's Chechnya region. Unlike Prigozhin, Kadyrov has recently refrained from criticising the defence ministry. "I think this is a very good thing," Alaudinov was quoted as saying by the defence ministry's website after signing the deal. Russia's deputy chief of the general staff, Colonel General Alexei Kim, said after signing the agreement with the Chechens that he hoped other volunteer units would follow suit.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Wagner, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Kadyrov's, Apty Alaudinov, Alaudinov, Alexei Kim, Lidia Kelly, Mark Trevelyan, Peter Graff Organizations: Russia's Defence, Prigozhin, Thomson Locations: Chechen, Moscow, Ukraine, Chechnya, Maryinka, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine says heavy battles ongoing after first counteroffensive gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Sunday, Ukraine said its troops had made advances on three villages in Donetsk: Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka. Some prominent Russian military bloggers indicated that while Ukrainian forces took Blahodatne and Neskuchne, fighting for Makarivka was going on. While staying largely silent over the past week about its counteroffensive, Ukraine's military has reported daily battlefield successes. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Kyiv wanted to discuss details of the "aircraft coalition" with its allies at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on June 15 in Brussels. "At this stage, we are talking about training of pilots ... and our technicians and engineers," Ukraine's Military Media Centre quoted Reznikov as saying.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, Makarivka, Vladimir Putin, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Pavel Polityuk, Anna Pruchnicka, Lidia Kelly, Robert Birsel, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Brigade, Marines, Reuters, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Defence, Kyiv, Ukraine Defence Contact Group, U.S, Military Media, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Bilohorivka, Luhansk, Storozheve, Ukraine, Blahodatne, Donetsk Region, Russian, Brussels, Zelenskiy, Kyiv, Gdansk, Melbourne

"Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the matter. The defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The defence ministry said that in the interests of increasing the effectiveness of "volunteer detachments", all such units - or their men - would have to sign a contract with the defence ministry by July 1. It did not mention Wagner by name but it routinely refers to Wagner as "volunteer assault detachments". "These measures will increase the combat capabilities and effectiveness of the armed forces and their volunteer detachments," Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, Shoigu, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Staff Valery Gerasimov, WAGNER Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Nikolai Pankov, Guy Faulconbridge, Jason Neely Organizations: MOSCOW, Defence, Staff, Shoigu, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, May, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, United States, Africa, Washington, Russia, Russian

☆ Ukraine's dam disaster is 'unlikely' to derail its plans for a counteroffensive against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam, while the Kremlin denied the attack and said Kyiv intentionally sabotaged the dam to distract attention from its counteroffensive. The dam breach comes amid months of buildup to Ukraine's counteroffensive, a phase of the war that many see as potentially pivotal in Kyiv's pursuit of victory. A spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Friday, however, dismissed reports that a counteroffensive had begun, according to Reuters. Ukraine's government has repeatedly said there will be no public announcement of the start of the counteroffensive. Andrius Tursa, central and Eastern Europe advisor at Teneo, a political risk consultancy, said the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam may alter Ukraine's offensive plans — but was "unlikely to derail" them.

Persons: Andrius, Tursa Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, NBC, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters Locations: Donetsk region, Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Eastern Europe, Nova, Crimea

☆ Top general tells Putin how Russia repelled major Ukrainian attack - defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, June 8 (Reuters) - The general in charge of Russia's troops in Ukraine has briefed President Vladimir Putin on how his forces repelled a large-scale Ukrainian attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, one of his subordinates said on Thursday. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier on Thursday that Russian forces had withstood fierce overnight attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the frontline in Zaporizhzhia and had inflicted heavy losses on them. Reuters could not independently verify Shoigu's battlefield account and there was no immediate comment on the situation from the Ukrainian defence ministry. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, had briefed Putin on the overnight battle on Thursday morning, Russian Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk said in a video clip released by the Defence Ministry. Romanchuk said attacking Ukrainian forces had run into serious problems in a Russian minefield, that Russia had used bombers to repel them, and alleged that Russian forces had destroyed three German-made Leopard tanks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Putin, General Alexander Romanchuk, Romanchuk, Andrew Osborn Organizations: ., General Staff, Defence Ministry, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russia

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who spent months on the ground in Bakhmut, said the Kremlin's claims about inflicting heavy losses on Ukraine are 'wild and absurd science fiction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Company leader Yevgeny Prigozhin scoffed at the Kremlin's reports of big wins in Ukraine. He dismissed the tally as "wild and absurd science fiction," further antagonizing the Kremlin. But in a Monday statement from his press service, Prigozhin dismissed the Kremlin's tally as "wild and absurd science fiction." "Therefore, I believe that this is simply wild and absurd science fiction," said Prigozhin. Ukraine's and Russia's Defense Ministries did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin scoffed, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he's, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Leopard, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Germany, France, Shoigu

☆ Russia says it thwarts big attack in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Asked to comment, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said: "We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake." Further north, near the long-contested city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces were reported to have been "moving forward" by the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Ukraine since early May, chiefly on Kyiv, with Ukraine saying it was targeting military facilities but also hitting residential areas. Russia now controls at least 18% of what is internationally recognised to be Ukrainian territory, and has claimed four regions of Ukraine as Russian territory. Ukraine vows to eject every last Russian soldier from its territory and casts the invasion as an imperial-style land grab by Russia.

Persons: Oleksiy Danilov, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Bakhmut, Oleksii Reznikov, Semyon Pegov, Gonzo, Staff Valery Gerasimov, William Burns, Vladimir Putin's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, UKRAINE Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, David Ljunggren, Philippa Fletcher, Nick Macfie Organizations: Ukraine's Security, Defence Council, Reuters, Ukraine's General Staff, Strategic Communications, Ukrainian Defence, Twitter, Staff, Russian, CIA, Wall Street, UKRAINE, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, KYIV, Moscow, Ukraine's Donetsk, Bakhmut, Donetsk, South Donetsk, Ukrainian, Berkhivka, Luhansk, Russia's Belgorod, Velyka, Vuhledar, Russian, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine retakes part of village near Bakhmut, head of Russia's Wagner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] View of military vehicles as Ukrainian forces destroy Russian positions in direction of Bakhmut, near Klischiivka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a video released on June 4, 2023. 3rd Assault Brigade / Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service/Handout via REUTERSJune 5 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken part of the village of Berkhivka, north of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, calling it a "disgrace". Prigozhin's private Wagner militia captured Bakhmut last month after the longest battle of the war and handed its positions there to regular Russian troops. Ukrainian forces have continued to attack areas north and south of the city including Berkhivka, whose seizure Wagner had claimed on Feb. 24. The village lies about 3 km (1.9 miles) northwest of Bakhmut.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Bakhmut, Wagner, Prigozhin, Denis Pushilin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, you'll, Shoigu, Mark Trevelyan, Felix Light, Kevin Liffey Organizations: 3rd Assault Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Klischiivka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, Russian, Berkhivka, Moscow, Donetsk

☆ Russian statement on what it says was a major Ukrainian attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, June 5 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry on Monday said Ukraine had launched an attack in the eastern Donetsk region. Below is the full text of the statement. "The enemy's goal was to break through our defenses on the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front. "The commander of the combined group of troops - the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General Gerasimov V.V. Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by David Ljunggren and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gerasimov V.V, Guy Faulconbridge, David Ljunggren, Diane Craft Organizations: Armed Forces, Staff of, Russian Federation , Army, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Donetsk, South Donetsk

☆ Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive, killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Russia: thwarted a major Ukrainian offensiveUkraine silent on Russian statementRussia says killed more than 250 UkrainiansRussia says has destroyed tanksMOSCOW, June 5 (Reuters) - Russian forces have thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in the southern Ukrainian region of Donetsk and killed hundreds of pro-Kyiv troops, the defence ministry in Moscow said on Monday. In a statement, the ministry said Ukraine had launched the attack on Sunday using six mechanised and two tank battalions. The ministry also released video of what it said showed several Ukrainian armoured vehicles in a field blowing up after being hit. Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops as well as destroying 16 tanks, the infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles, the ministry said. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, was in the area of the Ukrainian attack, the ministry said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Lidia Kelly, David Ljunggren, Guy Faulconbridge, Diane Craft Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, Staff, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Moscow, South Donetsk, Russian, Russia's Belgorod, Kyiv, Bakhmut

[1/2] Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks with servicemen during withdrawal of his forces from Bakhmut, 2023. Press service of "Concord"/Handout via REUTERSSummary Prigozhin: conflict with Chechens settledPrigozhin: Kremlin factions endanger the stateSays defence ministry is in chaosWagner may go to Belgorod region - PrigozhinMOSCOW, June 3 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that Kremlin factions were destroying the state by trying to sow discord between him and Chechen fighters. Prigozhin said a dispute between him and Chechen forces who are also fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine had been resolved. But he laid the blame for the discord on unidentified Kremlin factions - which he calls "Kremlin towers". "Dangerous games have become commonplace in the Kremlin towers...they are simply destroying the Russian state."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov's Akhmat, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Niether, Guy Faulconbridge, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Press, Staff, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Concord, Belgorod, MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Kremlin, Soviet Union

☆ Factbox: Turkey's new government: key figures in Erdogan's cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following are descriptions of key figures in the cabinet:MEHMET SIMSEK - FINANCE MINISTERFormer economy chief Simsek has been appointed as treasury and finance minister. He was highly regarded by financial markets when he served as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. HAKAN FIDAN - FOREIGN MINISTERFidan was appointed as foreign minister, replacing Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was one of the longest serving top Turkish diplomats. ALI YERLIKAYA - INTERIOR MINISTERAli Yerlikaya was appointed as interior minister and replaced Suleyman Soylu, who kept his position since 2018. Yerlikaya, 55, served as governor of provinces of Gaziantep, Tekirdag, Agri and Sirnak before.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, MEHMET SIMSEK, Simsek, Merrill Lynch, HAKAN FIDAN, Fidan, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Erdogan, YASAR, Yasar Guler, Hulusi Akar, CEVDET YILMAZ, Cevdet Yilmaz, Ali Yerlikaya, Suleyman Soylu, Yerlikaya, Burcu Karakas, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: FINANCE, U.S, Embassy, National Intelligence Organisation, MIT, Turkish Army, Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency, Kurdistan Workers Party, AK, Turkish, Commission, ALI, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Ankara, Oslo, Syria, Iraq, Istanbul, Yerlikaya, Gaziantep, Tekirdag

☆ Russian mercenary boss slams army 'clowns' as he marks birthday at training camp
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Celebrating his 62nd birthday on Thursday at a training camp, Prigozhin also confirmed that his men would finally leave the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on June 5 after handing it to the Russian army. The Wagner mercenaries captured the devastated city in late May after months of grinding warfare. He then engaged in a detailed description of the prosthetic legs which his wounded men have received, including those who continued to fight. Prigozhin said his men wanted to rest at camps in Russian-controlled Ukraine for around a month and then things would become clearer. Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Read, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones Organizations: Staff, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, Ukrainian

MOSCOW, May 31 (Reuters) - Russia's most powerful mercenary, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Wednesday that he had asked prosecutors to investigate whether senior Russian defence officials had committed any "crime" before or during the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin's request is his most blatant public challenge to date against President Vladimir Putin's top military brass, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The 61-year-old restaurateur-turned-mercenary has spent months insulting both Shoigu and Gerasimov, who are leading Russia's war effort, for alleged treachery. He says loyalty to Putin is part of his political stance, which he summed up as: "I love my motherland, I serve Putin, Shoigu should be judged and we will fight on." Prigozhin is not directly challenging Putin but rather playing a jester role and acting with the approval of those dismayed by the military's conduct of the war, officials, diplomats and analysts have told Reuters.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, PUTIN'S, Wagner, Putin, Russia's, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones Organizations: Staff, Investigative Committee, Russian Federation, Defence Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Bakhmut

☆ Factbox: What do we know about the drone attacks on Moscow?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Vehicles of emergency service are parked near a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovMOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) - Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday though all of them were destroyed by air defence systems, Russia's defence ministry said. Here is what we know so far:Russia's defence ministry blamed Ukraine for what it called a "terrorist" attack. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on who was behind the drone attack on Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said several drones had fallen on buildings in Moscow, inflicting minor damage.

☆ Ukraine's defense ministry says its Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of their targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's defense ministry tweeted that its Storm Shadow missiles have hit "100%" of their targets. However, Russia also claims it's intercepted two of the Storm Shadow missiles, per Reuters. "Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of the targets identified by the General Staff," the ministry tweeted on Sunday, attributing the information to Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. The Storm Shadow missiles have a range of over 155 miles, per MBDA, a European missiles developer and manufacturer. Ukraine's defense ministry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Moscow unleashes strings of large air raids on Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AIR ATTACKS* Russia launched air attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday using drones and cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials said defence forces shot down more than 40 targets. * Russia unleashed what Ukrainian officials said was the largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of the war on Sunday, killing one and injuring several people. Ukrainian forces have repelled 19 enemy attacks in those regions in the previous 24 hours. * President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered stronger border security to ensure "fast" Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions now under Moscow control.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ Russian forces in retreat near Bakhmut, Ukraine and Wagner say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian troops near the front line said Russia was bombarding access roads to slow the Ukrainian assault, which has shifted momentum after months of slow Russian gains in Europe's deadliest ground combat since World War Two. Ukraine's gains have been accompanied by a deepening public split within Russia's forces between Wagner, which has led the Bakhmut campaign, and the regular Russian military. The Russian defence ministry has acknowledged some withdrawals from positions near Bakhmut over the past week but denies Prigozhin's assertions that flanks are crumbling, or that it has withheld ammunition from Wagner. "Using the principle of active defence, we resort to counteroffensive actions in some directions near Bakhmut. Russia has also been experiencing attacks and explosions both in Ukrainian territory it controls and in Russian territory near the border.

☆ A Russian lawmaker wants to boost Russia's army by using 'large' and 'aggressive' stray dogs as military assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian lawmaker has floated the idea of using "large" and "aggressive" stray dogs in the military. The dogs could be trained to rescue wounded troops, and to sniff out hidden mines. His proposal came just before Kyiv's military claimed 200,000 Russians had been killed in the war. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA Russian lawmaker has made an outlandish proposal to boost Russia's army — using "aggressive" stray dogs as military assets. While Ukrainian soldiers have not trained stray animals for combat, some have turned to them for companionship, a report by AFP revealed.

☆ Ukraine Thwarts Russian Missile Barrage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ian Lovett | Drew Hinshaw | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian officials said 18 incoming Russian missiles were shot down early Tuesday morning, thwarting a strike on the capital. The barrage was fired at around 3:30 a.m. from the north, south and east, according to Ukraine’s air force, and all of the missiles were shot down, including six ballistic Kinzhal missiles. A number of drones—including surveillance drones and Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones—were also downed, according to the general staff.

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, fresh attacks on Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

There’s been little change on the front lines in Ukraine over the past day, according to the Ukrainian military — but plenty of shelling. “Ukrainian defense forces repelled numerous enemy attacks near the town of Mariinka,” it said. The General Staff said the Russians had launched more attacks with S-300 missiles against the town of Kostiantynivka, which lies west of Bakhmut. Geolocated social media video also shows Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region, where the two sides are separated by the river Oskil in some areas. The General Staff said that in Russian-occupied areas, civilians were still being pressured to take Russian citizenship.

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