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☆ Evacuations begin as major dam 'blown up' by Russian forces, Ukraine says, warning of flooding
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine has begun emergency evacuations of residents in parts of the southern Kherson region after claiming that a major dam, the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, had been "blown up" by Russian forces Tuesday. The South command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on its Facebook page that the facility had been "blown up" by Russian forces and that "the scale of the destruction, the speed and volume of water, and the probable areas of flooding are being clarified." Ukrainian officials warned of potentially devastating flooding in the region and called on residents in 11 areas to leave immediately. Russia denied damaging the dam, saying instead that Ukraine had undermined the structure. Leontiev said there was still no need to evacuate the inhabitants of Nova Kakhovka, adding that "we are preparing for the worst consequences, but we hope that they will not happen."

Persons: Vladimir Leontiev, Leontiev Organizations: Russian, Ukraine's Armed Forces, CNBC, NBC News Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, Russia, Russian, Nova Kakhovka, Nova

☆ Russia says no threat 'for now' to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after dam breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoMOSCOW, June 6 (Reuters) - Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom said on Tuesday that the breach of a dam in southern Ukraine did not pose a threat to the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for now where it said the situation was being monitored. Yury Chernichuk, director of the Russian-controlled power station, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging application that the situation at the nuclear plant was stable. "At the moment there are no threats to the safety of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Five units are in "cold shutdown" state, 1 in "hot shutdown" state.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko MOSCOW, Rosatom, Yury Chernichuk, Chernichuk, Andrew Osborn Organizations: REUTERS, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine's Kherson, floodwater

☆ Ukraine Dam Disaster: What We Know
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A critical dam on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine was split in half overnight Tuesday, posing significant risks to the safety of a nearby nuclear power plant and surrounding communities. The dam is near the front line of the war. But they do show a significant amount of water flowing freely through the dam, indicating the severe damage. Last year, Russian forces took control of the dam and a nearby hydroelectric plant. Satellite imagery showed new damage to a bridge next to the dam days before Tuesday’s destruction.

Persons: Nova Kakhovka Organizations: Tuesday, The New York Times Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, Kherson, Nova

☆ Factbox: What is the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 6 (Reuters) - The southern command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Tuesday that the Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Kherson region was blown up by Russian forces. Russia's TASS agency reported that the dam collapsed and the nearby territories were flooding. What is the Kakhovka dam, and what impact does blowing it up have? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAM* The dam, 30 metres (98 feet) tall and 3.2 km (2 miles) long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro river as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. * Blowing the Soviet-era dam, which is controlled by Russia, would unleash a wall of floodwater across much of the Kherson region.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Michael Perry Organizations: Ukraine's Armed Forces, Russia's TASS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine's Kherson, Dnipro, Russia, Salt, U.S ., Utah, Kherson

☆ Clashes near Bakhmut continue despite easing, Ukraine's military says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released on May 21, 2023. "The enemy continues to suffer significant losses in the Bakhmut direction," Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app after what he said was a visit to troops around Bakhmut. Bakhmut, once home to 70,000 people, has no strategic value, according to military analysts. British defence intelligence said on Saturday that Russia continued to redeploy regular military units to the Bakhmut sector, replacing Wagner fighters. Russia now controls nearly all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as swaths of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Persons: Wagner, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Bakhmut, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: Press Service, Brigade, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Wagner Group, Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Moscow, Donbas, Hiroshima, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Melbourne

☆ Watch: Biden Praises Passage of Debt-Ceiling Deal, Bipartisanship
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Destruction of Ukraine Dam Floods Front Line, Prompts EvacuationsRussia and Ukraine accused each other of destroying a major dam and power plant in the Kherson region, causing serious flooding and putting thousands of homes at risk. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explains the significance of the attack. Photo: Libkos/Associated Press

Persons: Matthew Luxmoore Organizations: Associated Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson

☆ Traitor next door? Fear stalks Kherson after Russian occupation ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nonetheless, her garden walls in the Ukrainian city of Kherson are covered with graffiti marking her out as a Russian collaborator. Fear and suspicion stalk the streets of Kherson, a southern port that was occupied by Russian troops for over eight months before they were driven out by Ukrainian forces in November. More than 5,300 collaboration cases have been registered across the country, according to the prosecutor general's website. Cases of collaboration can point to the tough choices people have to make when trying to survive under occupation. He left the business to his workers, who had to register with the Russians and take Russian passports, and fears they could be prosecuted once the occupation ends.

☆ Watch: Donald Trump, Anchor Kaitlan Collins Spar at CNN Town Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Matthew Luxmoore Organizations: Associated Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson

☆ A Ukrainian donation drive built an 'Army of Drones' and picked up an unusual system called a 'Shahed Hunter' for Kyiv's forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It has used the funds to purchase thousands of UAVs, and systems to hunt Russian drones. The Shahed Hunter system is a network of radars and signal jammers that can detect Russian drones from around 25 miles away, Fedorov said. It's unclear where, exactly, the Shahed Hunter systems have been used or how many times they have been deployed. But Fedorov noted that Ukraine needs more of the systems to defend against continuous waves of Russian drone attacks. On Sunday night alone, Ukraine's air defense systems shot down 35 drones — 30 of which targeted Kyiv, according to the country's defense ministry.

☆ ‘Panic’ and Shortages in Parts of Occupied Ukraine Amid Russian Evacuation Orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Marc Santora | Anna Lukinova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Ukraine — People living in Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine described in recent days an atmosphere of confusion, defiance and scarcity, as the occupation authorities ordered tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate in the face of a looming Ukrainian offensive. The New York Times communicated with more than a dozen people in occupied towns and villages in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, by phone and through secure messaging applications. They said gas stations were running dry, grocery store shelves were emptying and A.T.M.s were out of cash. “They discharge people from the hospitals and take away the equipment,” said Andriy, 38, a resident of occupied Kamianka-Dniprovska in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine. And people are afraid to ask since there are armed soldiers around.”Access to occupied areas is heavily restricted, and the accounts of residents could not be independently verified.

☆ Engineers reduce risk of dam bursting near Russian-held Ukraine nuclear plant, TASS reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Engineers have reduced the risk of a dam bursting and damaging a large Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine, a senior Russian official was quoted as saying by TASS news agency on Friday. "As we anticipated, a technical solution to the problem has been found," Karchaa told TASS, quoting regional officials in Kherson region, where the dam is located. "A gate of the Kakhovka hydropower plant has been opened and repair works have begun at the Kakhovka canal. He had earlier told TASS that a possible breach of the dam owing to high water levels could flood the cable line for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant further east and cause nuclear safety risks. Russian troops seized the plant, Europe's largest nuclear station, as they invaded parts of Ukraine last year.

Other NATO allies have donated 10 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, according to the State Department. Depending on the location and strength of the jamming, a rocket can still launch and result in a successful strike with significant damage. Widespread Russian jamming can have drawbacks for their own forces as well, impacting their ability to communicate and operate. For nearly a year, the HIMARS system has been the longest-range rocket system Ukraine has, allowing troops to fire up to six rockets in quick succession at Russian positions as far as 50 miles away. “Jamming is like the weather or the terrain, it’s something that happens that you have to deal with,” the official said.

"If, because of your petty jealousy, you do not want to give the Russian people the victory of taking Bakhmut, that's your problem," Prigozhin added in the video. A senior Ukrainian official said Russia was bringing Wagner mercenary fighters from along the front line to Bakhmut to capture it by Victory Day. In another sign of disarray on the Russian side, former Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev joined Wagner as a deputy commander, Russian pro-war social media channels reported. Earlier, Prigozhin was pictured surrounded by corpses he said were his men, shouting abuse at Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Moscow accused Ukraine of firing drones at the Kremlin in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to kill Putin.

☆ Fact Check-Photograph shows July 2022 explosion in Russian ammunition depot, not recent airfield airstrike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A picture of a large explosion has been miscaptioned online as if showing a recent Ukrainian strike on a Russian airfield. The image dates from July 2022 and shows an attack on a Russian ammunition depot in Kherson. Reuters found one recent report about a Ukrainian strike in Berdiansk, published on May 1 by Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform (here). The photograph dates from July 2022 and shows a strike on a Russian ammunition depot. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Russia's air force has taken a beating, but its jets could still turn the tables in Ukraine, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's air force has had a limited role in Ukraine, despite numerical and technological advantages. Russia has held its air force back largely because of Ukraine's effective air-defense network. Which raises the question: If Ukrainian air defenses fade, will the Russian Air Force — known as the VKS — finally become a decisive factor in the war? Ukraine's small but resourceful air force put up spirited resistance that mitigated Russia's numerical and technological superiority, however. "So the air force, I think, would definitely be committed much more heavily if they had a chance."

[1/5] A firefighter works at the site of a train station hit by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine May 3, 2023. Pools of blood and piles of debris lay on the ground outside the Kherson hypermarket, whose entrance had been heavily damaged and cordoned off, Reuters correspondents on the scene said. Russia did not comment on the attacks in Kherson, one of four Ukrainian regions it said it annexed last September. Many windows were smashed at the railway station, and at least two survivors were seen being carried out on stretchers. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Wednesday announced a curfew in Kherson city to last from Friday evening until Monday morning for "law enforcement" reasons.

☆ Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin by drone, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Shortly after the Kremlin announcement, Ukraine reported alerts for air strikes over the capital Kyiv and other cities. "The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit," the Kremlin added. "When the enemy can achieve nothing on the battlefield, it strikes at peaceful cities," Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi said. Elsewhere, oil depots were ablaze in southern Russia and Ukraine alike as both sides escalated a drone war ahead of Kyiv's promised spring counteroffensive against Russian forces. Blinken said later the U.S. government had authorised another $300 million worth of arms and equipment for Ukraine.

☆ Analysis: Cross-border attacks as Russia and Ukraine seek to weaken each other ahead of expected offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine is apparently striking at fuel depots in Russian-occupied areas and inside Russia itself – seemingly precise attacks but ones to which Kyiv is making no overt claim. Russia has been lashing out at what often seem to be civilian targets in Ukraine, either in rage or through ineptitude. Ukraine was quick to capitalize on that statement and sent senior officials to the area to claim Russia had already begun pulling back. And now, in Kherson, Ukrainian officials have ordered a 58-hour curfew from 8 p.m. on May 5, barring locals from leaving their houses. This comes amid a deluge of comments from Ukrainian officials that the weather - for the past fortnight alternating between rain and bold sunshine - has held them back.

☆ Russia Tightens Restrictions in Occupied Regions of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Residents waiting for buses in Russian-controlled Mariupol, Ukraine, in December. Russian counterintelligence operatives are restricting travel in occupied areas of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukrainian forces step up their assaults behind enemy lines ahead of an expected counteroffensive, Russia is imposing stricter measures on civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine, Ukrainian officials say. The Ukrainian General Staff, which is responsible for the country’s overall military strategy, said “the violent abduction of pro-Ukrainian civilians” in occupied areas was continuing and that there were signs more civilians could be detained. In a reflection of the dangers facing Russian occupiers themselves, both Ukrainian and Russian officials reported an assassination attempt on the Kremlin-appointed deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Tuesday.

☆ Ukraine could launch its offensive against Russia any moment now. Here's what's waiting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The defenses continue for hundreds of miles across the meandering southern front – where Ukrainian forces are expected to concentrate their counter-offensive in the coming weeks. This area will be critical should Ukrainian forces try to advance towards the city of Melitopol and split Russian forces in the south. It’s unclear where the equipment went but likely that it was sent north to reinforce Russian defensive lines. Russian-appointed officials in Zaporizhzhia claim there is already a large build-up of Ukrainian forces in the area. Ukrainian officials do not disclose the movement of units.

☆ Armed with tanks and heavy armor from NATO, Ukraine says it's about to hit Russian forces with an 'iron fist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is almost ready to launch a long-awaited spring counteroffensive, its defense minister said. "We are to a high percentage ready," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday. Reznikov said Western-supplied weapons would serve as an "iron fist" against Russian forces. Stoltenberg said the aid provided to Ukraine included over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other military hardware, as well as "vast amounts of ammunition." Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people continue to face the deadly consequences of the Russian onslaught, which targets not just the Ukrainian armed forces but also civilians.

☆ Russia digs in as Ukraine prepares to attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

And in the case of Polohy, Russia has constructed two distinct defensive lines, one to the north and one to the south. Musiyenko estimated that Ukraine would have a force of between 100,000-110,000 for an attack, including eight assault brigades with a total of 40,000 troops. Russia has not said how many troops it has in Ukraine, or within its borders ready to deploy. A leaked U.S. intelligence document dated Feb. 28 seen by Reuters said the West had committed 200 tanks to Ukraine. Army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said in December he needed 300 to defeat Russia, along with other vehicles and artillery.

☆ Russia's Prigozhin: Ukrainian counter-offensive is 'inevitable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 26 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's private Wagner militia, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Ukraine was preparing for an "inevitable" counter-offensive and was sending well-prepared units to the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, for many months the focal point of fighting. But he said his forces would do whatever it takes to halt any Ukrainian attempt to retake the city. "We will advance at any cost, just to grind down the Ukrainian army and disrupt their offensive," Prigozhin said. Russia has said capturing Bakhmut will allow it to mount further offensives in eastern Ukraine. Despite downplaying its strategic significance for Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkiy has repeatedly refused to withdraw his forces.

☆ Ukraine stages raids across Dnipro River as counteroffensive looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 25 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the River Dnipro are frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday. Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said the raids were intended to reduce the combat capability of Russian troops who have been shelling Kherson city since being forced to retreat. "Our military visit the left (eastern) bank very often, conducting raids. Russia seized the Kherson region soon after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, and has continued since then to hold all of the region's territory east the Dnipro. Retaking all the Kherson region would be an important step towards achieving this goal.

☆ UK intel says Russia is giving Ukrainians in occupied towns a choice: Get Russian passports or get 'deported' and have their property seized
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russian authorities are forcing Ukrainian citizens in occupied areas to get Russian passports. If residents refuse, they will be "deported" and have their property seized, UK intel said. The UK Ministry of Defense said Putin's forces are trying to force Russian culture on occupied Ukrainian territories. According to an update from the UK Ministry of Defense, Russia is forcing Ukrainian citizens to accept Russian Federation passports. The ministry added that making Ukrainians register with Russian passports is "a tool in the 'Russification' of the occupied areas," meaning the forced assimilation of Ukrainians into Russian culture.

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