Analysis: Ukraine sees ‘year of victory’ but Russia has other plans
LONDON — With upgraded weaponry on the way, Western resolve holding firm, and the Ukrainian army continuing to outmaneuver and outwit Russia’s flailing military, Ukraine’s promised “year of victory” is off to a good start.
If 2023 continues as it began, there is a good chance Ukraine will be able to fulfill President Volodymyr Zelensky’s New Year’s pledge to retake all of Ukraine by the end of the year — or at least enough territory to definitively end Russia’s threat, Western officials and analysts say.
But while Zelensky was rallying Ukrainians to expect victory this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin used his New Year’s speeches to prepare Russians for a drawn-out fight.
Read the full analysis here.
LONDON — With upgraded weaponry on the way, Western resolve holding firm, and the Ukrainian army continuing to outmaneuver and outwit Russia’s flailing military, Ukraine’s promised “year of victory” is off to a good start.
If 2023 continues as it began, there is a good chance Ukraine will be able to fulfill President Volodymyr Zelensky’s New Year’s pledge to retake all of Ukraine by the end of the year — or at least enough territory to definitively end Russia’s threat, Western officials and analysts say.
But while Zelensky was rallying Ukrainians to expect victory this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin used his New Year’s speeches to prepare Russians for a drawn-out fight.
Read the full analysis here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian forces struck a market in a village southeast of Kharkiv, killing two women, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov reported Monday morning on Telegram.
- Ukrainian Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, who oversees operations on Ukraine’s bloody eastern front, visited troops defending the outskirts of Bakhmut and nearby Soledar on Sunday, Zelensky said.
- The founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, may be attempting to financially exploit Ukrainian resources around Bakhmut and is using the war to connect his military forces with Russian regional officials, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said in their latest assessment.
- Russia deployed “the most professional Wagner units” in its efforts to capture Soledar, Syrsky said while visiting troops defending the area, according to the Ukrainian Military Media Center Telegram channel.
More live updates here.
- Russian forces struck a market in a village southeast of Kharkiv, killing two women, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov reported Monday morning on Telegram.
- Ukrainian Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, who oversees operations on Ukraine’s bloody eastern front, visited troops defending the outskirts of Bakhmut and nearby Soledar on Sunday, Zelensky said.
- The founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, may be attempting to financially exploit Ukrainian resources around Bakhmut and is using the war to connect his military forces with Russian regional officials, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said in their latest assessment.
- Russia deployed “the most professional Wagner units” in its efforts to capture Soledar, Syrsky said while visiting troops defending the area, according to the Ukrainian Military Media Center Telegram channel.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- “Everything is completely destroyed, there is almost no life yet,” Zelensky said of Soledar. Russian forces and hired fighters from the Wagner Group are likely in control of most of the settlement, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
- Iran could be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine by providing military support to Russia, the White House said Monday. Russia has used hundreds of Iranian attack drones to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
- Officials at a vocational school in eastern Ukraine dismissed claims by Russia that hundreds of Ukrainian troops were killed in a missile strike there, the Associated Press reported Monday. Russia said Sunday it had targeted the school in Kramatorsk and killed 600 Ukrainian troops. Reporters visited the site Monday, where the school’s deputy director scoffed at Moscow’s claims. “Nobody saw a single spot of blood anywhere,” she told the AP.
More live updates here.
- “Everything is completely destroyed, there is almost no life yet,” Zelensky said of Soledar. Russian forces and hired fighters from the Wagner Group are likely in control of most of the settlement, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
- Iran could be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine by providing military support to Russia, the White House said Monday. Russia has used hundreds of Iranian attack drones to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
- Officials at a vocational school in eastern Ukraine dismissed claims by Russia that hundreds of Ukrainian troops were killed in a missile strike there, the Associated Press reported Monday. Russia said Sunday it had targeted the school in Kramatorsk and killed 600 Ukrainian troops. Reporters visited the site Monday, where the school’s deputy director scoffed at Moscow’s claims. “Nobody saw a single spot of blood anywhere,” she told the AP.
More live updates here.
Kyiv withstands bombs and blackouts as Russia fails to cripple capital
KYIV, Ukraine — Two days after a Russian missile killed her close friend on New Year’s Eve, Daria Khizhchuk was back at her job waiting tables at an upscale Italian restaurant in the Ukrainian capital.
Her shift passed in a daze; she filled chatty customers’ orders on autopilot while consumed with grief.
“It was the worst,” Khizhchuk said. “Sadly it is like that. There are two worlds.”
As Kyiv settles into its first winter since Russia invaded last February, residents are coping with the harsh realities of the grinding war: a constant threat of airstrikes, regular power outages, fears of nuclear attack.
They are also carrying on. Dance studios and nail salons are open — having learned to operate with battery-powered lights even when Russian attacks on infrastructure cut power. Cafes and restaurants, often running on generators, are packed.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Two days after a Russian missile killed her close friend on New Year’s Eve, Daria Khizhchuk was back at her job waiting tables at an upscale Italian restaurant in the Ukrainian capital.
Her shift passed in a daze; she filled chatty customers’ orders on autopilot while consumed with grief.
“It was the worst,” Khizhchuk said. “Sadly it is like that. There are two worlds.”
As Kyiv settles into its first winter since Russia invaded last February, residents are coping with the harsh realities of the grinding war: a constant threat of airstrikes, regular power outages, fears of nuclear attack.
They are also carrying on. Dance studios and nail salons are open — having learned to operate with battery-powered lights even when Russian attacks on infrastructure cut power. Cafes and restaurants, often running on generators, are packed.
Read the full story here.
U.S. Pentagon to train Ukraine on Patriot missile system
The Pentagon is planning to bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training on the Patriot missile defense system, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the development said Tuesday.
The training will occur at Fort Sill, which spans about 145 square miles southwest of Oklahoma City, and could begin as soon as this month, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plan ahead of a formal announcement. The base is home to both basic Patriot missile defense training and field artillery training for U.S. troops.
The move follows President Biden’s decision last month to approve sending a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s defenses against an onslaught of Russian missiles. Germany last week announced that it, too, would send a Patriot battery to Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
The Pentagon is planning to bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training on the Patriot missile defense system, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the development said Tuesday.
The training will occur at Fort Sill, which spans about 145 square miles southwest of Oklahoma City, and could begin as soon as this month, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plan ahead of a formal announcement. The base is home to both basic Patriot missile defense training and field artillery training for U.S. troops.
The move follows President Biden’s decision last month to approve sending a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s defenses against an onslaught of Russian missiles. Germany last week announced that it, too, would send a Patriot battery to Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Fighting is raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as both sides battle for Soledar, a salt mining town just three miles from Bakhmut.
- Russia is “unlikely” to take control of Bakhmut despite recent gains in Soledar, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, citing Ukraine’s “stable” defensive lines and control over supply routes in the area.
- Baerbock’s visit to Kharkiv was the first by a German Cabinet member to the eastern Ukrainian city since the war began, according to German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
- Baerbock promised power generators and blankets for Ukraine, as well as “further arms deliveries.”
- The Pentagon will bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training, possibly as early as this month, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the development.
More live updates here.
- Fighting is raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as both sides battle for Soledar, a salt mining town just three miles from Bakhmut.
- Russia is “unlikely” to take control of Bakhmut despite recent gains in Soledar, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, citing Ukraine’s “stable” defensive lines and control over supply routes in the area.
- Baerbock’s visit to Kharkiv was the first by a German Cabinet member to the eastern Ukrainian city since the war began, according to German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
- Baerbock promised power generators and blankets for Ukraine, as well as “further arms deliveries.”
- The Pentagon will bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training, possibly as early as this month, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the development.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Fierce fighting is taking place in the salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, just six miles from the strategic city of Bakhmut.
- Fighting continued in Soledar as both sides sought to control the narrative.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has decided to revoke the citizenship of four pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians.
- The Pentagon is planning to bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training on the Patriot missile defense system, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
More live updates here.
- Fierce fighting is taking place in the salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, just six miles from the strategic city of Bakhmut.
- Fighting continued in Soledar as both sides sought to control the narrative.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has decided to revoke the citizenship of four pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians.
- The Pentagon is planning to bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training on the Patriot missile defense system, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
More live updates here.
Russia claims to control Soledar, a battlefield gain after months in retreat
Russia claimed Wednesday that its forces had seized control of Soledar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region that is a gateway to the nearby and fiercely fought-over city of Bakhmut.
Ukraine denied Russia’s claims, though its troops in the area have been under severe pressure in recent days.
If confirmed, Russia’s takeover of Soledar would the first significant territorial advance for Moscow following months of defeats and retreats.
The claim of a Russian victory was made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, which has been leading a bloody campaign to take Soledar and Bakhmut, hoping to shift the battlefield narrative, which has been marked in recent months by Russia’s retreats from the northeast Kharkiv region, and from Kherson city in the south.
Read the full story here.
Russia claimed Wednesday that its forces had seized control of Soledar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region that is a gateway to the nearby and fiercely fought-over city of Bakhmut.
Ukraine denied Russia’s claims, though its troops in the area have been under severe pressure in recent days.
If confirmed, Russia’s takeover of Soledar would the first significant territorial advance for Moscow following months of defeats and retreats.
The claim of a Russian victory was made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, which has been leading a bloody campaign to take Soledar and Bakhmut, hoping to shift the battlefield narrative, which has been marked in recent months by Russia’s retreats from the northeast Kharkiv region, and from Kherson city in the south.
Read the full story here.
Putin secretly pardoned convicts recruited by Wagner to fight in Ukraine
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly pardoned dozens of convicts even before they were sent to fight in the war in Ukraine, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council said — indicating that there were legal flaws in recruitment strategy that promised jailed criminals that their sentences would be set aside only after they had completed military service.
Putin’s decrees were issued secretly both to legally release the prisoners and to avoid the public disclosure of their names, which would normally occur in the issuing of a presidential pardon, said Eva Merkacheva, the member of the Human Rights Council, which is a consultative body set up by Putin in the early 2000s that was recently reorganized to expel voices critical of the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly pardoned dozens of convicts even before they were sent to fight in the war in Ukraine, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council said — indicating that there were legal flaws in recruitment strategy that promised jailed criminals that their sentences would be set aside only after they had completed military service.
Putin’s decrees were issued secretly both to legally release the prisoners and to avoid the public disclosure of their names, which would normally occur in the issuing of a presidential pardon, said Eva Merkacheva, the member of the Human Rights Council, which is a consultative body set up by Putin in the early 2000s that was recently reorganized to expel voices critical of the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Fighting continued in Soledar as both sides sought to control the narrative. A Telegram channel affiliated with the founder of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group posted a photo it said showed Wagner units inside Soledar’s salt mines, as the mercenary group claimed to control the city.
- It was “not true” that Russia had taken over the town, a spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command said, as Ukrainian military officials dismissed Wagner’s claims as propaganda.
- Poland will transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced Monday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Lviv.
- Putin admitted “there is still fighting” in some Ukrainian territories that Russia claimed illegally to have annexed last year.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Gen. Valery Gerasimov to lead Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- Fighting continued in Soledar as both sides sought to control the narrative. A Telegram channel affiliated with the founder of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group posted a photo it said showed Wagner units inside Soledar’s salt mines, as the mercenary group claimed to control the city.
- It was “not true” that Russia had taken over the town, a spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command said, as Ukrainian military officials dismissed Wagner’s claims as propaganda.
- Poland will transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced Monday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Lviv.
- Putin admitted “there is still fighting” in some Ukrainian territories that Russia claimed illegally to have annexed last year.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Gen. Valery Gerasimov to lead Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he could not corroborate reports that the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar was under Russian control, as fighting reportedly continued to rage in the area near Bakhmut. President Zelensky dismissed claims that Russian forces and Wagner Group mercenaries had seized the town.
- Poland will transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine but only as part of an international coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced Monday after meeting Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Lviv.
- A majority of Republicans want their member of Congress to oppose further Ukraine funding, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll this week, the first to test the issue since Zelensky spoke before Congress in December. The poll is the latest to track the growing pessimism among the GOP about Ukraine’s ability to win the war — and more desire to make concessions to Russia in the name of ending it.
More live updates here.
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he could not corroborate reports that the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar was under Russian control, as fighting reportedly continued to rage in the area near Bakhmut. President Zelensky dismissed claims that Russian forces and Wagner Group mercenaries had seized the town.
- Poland will transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine but only as part of an international coalition, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced Monday after meeting Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Lviv.
- A majority of Republicans want their member of Congress to oppose further Ukraine funding, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll this week, the first to test the issue since Zelensky spoke before Congress in December. The poll is the latest to track the growing pessimism among the GOP about Ukraine’s ability to win the war — and more desire to make concessions to Russia in the name of ending it.
More live updates here.
Poland urges allies to join it in sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine
Poland intends to transfer a company of German-developed Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters Wednesday during a visit to western Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
But Warsaw wants the tanks to be sent as part of a broader package of military aid backed by an international coalition, Duda said, suggesting that Poland will not unilaterally or immediately ship the advanced tanks to Ukraine. British officials also said this week that the country could send “game-changing” tanks to join the fight, though no specific plan or timeline was announced.
Duda made the remarks ahead of a meeting next week of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany, where defense ministers from dozens of countries will gather to discuss Kyiv’s most urgent needs.
Read the full story here.
Poland intends to transfer a company of German-developed Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters Wednesday during a visit to western Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
But Warsaw wants the tanks to be sent as part of a broader package of military aid backed by an international coalition, Duda said, suggesting that Poland will not unilaterally or immediately ship the advanced tanks to Ukraine. British officials also said this week that the country could send “game-changing” tanks to join the fight, though no specific plan or timeline was announced.
Duda made the remarks ahead of a meeting next week of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany, where defense ministers from dozens of countries will gather to discuss Kyiv’s most urgent needs.
Read the full story here.
Navy veteran held in Russia is released, U.S. officials say
A U.S. Navy veteran who had been detained in Russia for nine months was released on Thursday, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.
Taylor Dudley, 35, of Michigan, had been held since April in the Russian province of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania. He was released at a border crossing with Poland and was traveling to the United States with a team working for former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, according to a statement from his center, which negotiates for the release of hostages and prisoners abroad.
U.S. officials confirmed the release. It appeared that the U.S. government did not reciprocate with the release of any Russian prisoners, as it has in the past, including with professional basketball player Brittney Griner who was exchanged for convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.
Read more on this developing story here.
A U.S. Navy veteran who had been detained in Russia for nine months was released on Thursday, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.
Taylor Dudley, 35, of Michigan, had been held since April in the Russian province of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania. He was released at a border crossing with Poland and was traveling to the United States with a team working for former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, according to a statement from his center, which negotiates for the release of hostages and prisoners abroad.
U.S. officials confirmed the release. It appeared that the U.S. government did not reciprocate with the release of any Russian prisoners, as it has in the past, including with professional basketball player Brittney Griner who was exchanged for convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.
Read more on this developing story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- “The battles are ongoing” in Soledar, according to Brig. Gen. Oleksii Hromov, a top official on the Ukrainian army’s general staff. In a military briefing Thursday, he did not provide estimates of “which part of the city we control and which part the enemy is trying to control.”
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu replaced Gen. Sergei Surovikin with Gen. Valery Gerasimov, longtime chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, in Wednesday’s shake-up. Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” for his brutal tactics in Syria, had led the Russian campaign in Ukraine for just over three months.
- The Wagner Group said it found the body of one of two missing British men in Soledar. In a post on Telegram, the group included photos of two British passports allegedly found with the body and bearing the names of the two men. Volunteers Christopher Parry and Andrew Bagshaw were reported missing this week.
More live updates here.
- “The battles are ongoing” in Soledar, according to Brig. Gen. Oleksii Hromov, a top official on the Ukrainian army’s general staff. In a military briefing Thursday, he did not provide estimates of “which part of the city we control and which part the enemy is trying to control.”
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu replaced Gen. Sergei Surovikin with Gen. Valery Gerasimov, longtime chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, in Wednesday’s shake-up. Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” for his brutal tactics in Syria, had led the Russian campaign in Ukraine for just over three months.
- The Wagner Group said it found the body of one of two missing British men in Soledar. In a post on Telegram, the group included photos of two British passports allegedly found with the body and bearing the names of the two men. Volunteers Christopher Parry and Andrew Bagshaw were reported missing this week.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukraine said Thursday that its forces in Soledar were holding their positions against Russia’s assault and had not yet withdrawn — even as the Wagner Group continued to claim control of the town. The Institute for the Study of War's assessment also conflicted with Ukraine’s claims, stating Russian forces probably control most if not all of Soledar and have likely pushed Ukrainian forces out of the western outskirts of the town.
- John Kirby, communications coordinator for the U.S. National Security Council, said Thursday that even if Russian forces were to take Soledar, "it certainly isn’t going to stop the Ukrainians or slow them down in terms of their efforts to regain their territory."
- Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk warned Moscow against deporting Ukrainians living in occupied territories to Russia, in response to reports that Moscow has those plans for 100,000 residents of Ukraine’s Kherson region.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine said Thursday that its forces in Soledar were holding their positions against Russia’s assault and had not yet withdrawn — even as the Wagner Group continued to claim control of the town. The Institute for the Study of War's assessment also conflicted with Ukraine’s claims, stating Russian forces probably control most if not all of Soledar and have likely pushed Ukrainian forces out of the western outskirts of the town.
- John Kirby, communications coordinator for the U.S. National Security Council, said Thursday that even if Russian forces were to take Soledar, "it certainly isn’t going to stop the Ukrainians or slow them down in terms of their efforts to regain their territory."
- Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk warned Moscow against deporting Ukrainians living in occupied territories to Russia, in response to reports that Moscow has those plans for 100,000 residents of Ukraine’s Kherson region.
More live updates here.
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Russia’s new commander reflects Putin’s plan to push for victory in Ukraine
With the appointment of Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s highest-ranking military officer, as direct operational commander of the troubled war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on his conviction that the invasion’s objectives can be achieved without new leadership — and is now turning to a trusted confidant who will carry out his orders without question, analysts said.
“Gerasimov’s appointment is likely intended to support an intended decisive Russian military effort in 2023,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an analysis Wednesday.
Other analysts said Gerasimov was potentially being set up to take the fall for further Russian failures on the battlefield.
Read the full story here.
With the appointment of Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s highest-ranking military officer, as direct operational commander of the troubled war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on his conviction that the invasion’s objectives can be achieved without new leadership — and is now turning to a trusted confidant who will carry out his orders without question, analysts said.
“Gerasimov’s appointment is likely intended to support an intended decisive Russian military effort in 2023,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an analysis Wednesday.
Other analysts said Gerasimov was potentially being set up to take the fall for further Russian failures on the battlefield.
Read the full story here.