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At least six explosions hit Crimea air base in nearly an hour
Shortly before 3:20 p.m. on Aug. 9, Nikolay Abbasov, a resident of Saki, near Crimea’s western Black Sea coast, heard an explosion. Walking to his window, he filmed a cloud of smoke rising in the distance.
At almost the same moment, a Russian influencer, Diana Andreeva, was enjoying the beach in nearby Novofedorivka when she turned her camera to capture the cloud, which was rising from Saki air base, home to the Russian Navy’s 43rd Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment.
About 50 minutes later, both would capture two massive explosions at the base, capping an alleged attack claimed by Ukraine that killed at least one person and injured 13 others, according to Russian officials.
Read the full story here.
Shortly before 3:20 p.m. on Aug. 9, Nikolay Abbasov, a resident of Saki, near Crimea’s western Black Sea coast, heard an explosion. Walking to his window, he filmed a cloud of smoke rising in the distance.
At almost the same moment, a Russian influencer, Diana Andreeva, was enjoying the beach in nearby Novofedorivka when she turned her camera to capture the cloud, which was rising from Saki air base, home to the Russian Navy’s 43rd Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment.
About 50 minutes later, both would capture two massive explosions at the base, capping an alleged attack claimed by Ukraine that killed at least one person and injured 13 others, according to Russian officials.
Read the full story here.
U.S. allies most vulnerable to Russia press for more troops, weapons
As the United States and NATO inject personnel and equipment into Eastern Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, vulnerable allies such as Latvia are scrambling to scale up their defenses for fear they will be next to come under attack.
Like Ukraine, which is not a NATO member but considered a close partner of the alliance, the countries closest to Russia say they are desperate for more Western military aid. It is essential to arm themselves as well as Ukraine, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said during a visit from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this month, because there is a real risk the war will “come to our borders.”
The Biden administration has vowed to boost side-by-side exercises in the region to hone proficiency in air-defense capability and other vital combat skills, not only in Latvia but across the Baltics and in other nations within easy striking distance of Russian forces.
Read the full story here.
As the United States and NATO inject personnel and equipment into Eastern Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, vulnerable allies such as Latvia are scrambling to scale up their defenses for fear they will be next to come under attack.
Like Ukraine, which is not a NATO member but considered a close partner of the alliance, the countries closest to Russia say they are desperate for more Western military aid. It is essential to arm themselves as well as Ukraine, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said during a visit from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this month, because there is a real risk the war will “come to our borders.”
The Biden administration has vowed to boost side-by-side exercises in the region to hone proficiency in air-defense capability and other vital combat skills, not only in Latvia but across the Baltics and in other nations within easy striking distance of Russian forces.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- WNBA star Brittney Griner has appealed the harsh sentence she received from a Russian court earlier this month on drug charges.
- Vladimir Putin said Moscow is ready to arm its allies with modern, combat-tested weapons.
- Forty-two countries are calling on Russia to withdraw troops from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, according to a statement by the European Union dated Friday and posted Sunday.
- Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the two countries will expand their bilateral relations, North Korean state media reported Monday.
- Ukrainian troops struck a Wagner Group base in Popasna on Sunday, the regional governor said early Monday.
- The latest round of shelling near the plant killed one employee and injured two others, Ukraine’s nuclear power regulator said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- WNBA star Brittney Griner has appealed the harsh sentence she received from a Russian court earlier this month on drug charges.
- Vladimir Putin said Moscow is ready to arm its allies with modern, combat-tested weapons.
- Forty-two countries are calling on Russia to withdraw troops from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, according to a statement by the European Union dated Friday and posted Sunday.
- Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the two countries will expand their bilateral relations, North Korean state media reported Monday.
- Ukrainian troops struck a Wagner Group base in Popasna on Sunday, the regional governor said early Monday.
- The latest round of shelling near the plant killed one employee and injured two others, Ukraine’s nuclear power regulator said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A top Ukrainian official pointed to more “explosions” in occupied Crimea as local Russian officials rushed to the scene to investigate.
- An ammunition depot was on fire early Tuesday, local authorities confirmed as they pledged to investigate. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the fire caused ammunition stored in the depot to detonate, according to state news outlet RIA Novosti.
- The United Nations and Russia discussed safety around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
- Three foreign nationals could face the death penalty in eastern Ukraine after a court in the separatist Donetsk region charged them Monday with being mercenaries, the Russian state media outlet Tass reported.
- Russia’s Black Sea fleet is “struggling” to effectively control the waters off Crimea’s coast following Russian forces’ withdrawal from Snake Island and the sinking of Russia’s flagship, the Moskva, in April, the British Defense Ministry said.
More live updates here.
- A top Ukrainian official pointed to more “explosions” in occupied Crimea as local Russian officials rushed to the scene to investigate.
- An ammunition depot was on fire early Tuesday, local authorities confirmed as they pledged to investigate. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the fire caused ammunition stored in the depot to detonate, according to state news outlet RIA Novosti.
- The United Nations and Russia discussed safety around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
- Three foreign nationals could face the death penalty in eastern Ukraine after a court in the separatist Donetsk region charged them Monday with being mercenaries, the Russian state media outlet Tass reported.
- Russia’s Black Sea fleet is “struggling” to effectively control the waters off Crimea’s coast following Russian forces’ withdrawal from Snake Island and the sinking of Russia’s flagship, the Moskva, in April, the British Defense Ministry said.
More live updates here.
A U.S.-Russia nuclear war could starve 5 billion to death, study says
Some two-thirds of the world could starve to death in the event of a nuclear war between Russia and the United States, according to a Rutgers University-led study published Monday. Nuclear conflict would lead to “catastrophic” disruptions in food supplies, as sun-blocking soot and ash wilt crops around the world, researchers wrote in the peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Food.
Even a smaller-scale nuclear war between Pakistan and India would devastate food supplies, slash global production by 7 percent within five years and kill up to 2.5 billion people. Food insecurity in these cases would be deadlier than the nuclear blasts, the study predicts.
“The data tell us one thing: We must prevent a nuclear war from ever happening,” climate scientist Alan Robock, co-author of the study, said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
Some two-thirds of the world could starve to death in the event of a nuclear war between Russia and the United States, according to a Rutgers University-led study published Monday. Nuclear conflict would lead to “catastrophic” disruptions in food supplies, as sun-blocking soot and ash wilt crops around the world, researchers wrote in the peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Food.
Even a smaller-scale nuclear war between Pakistan and India would devastate food supplies, slash global production by 7 percent within five years and kill up to 2.5 billion people. Food insecurity in these cases would be deadlier than the nuclear blasts, the study predicts.
“The data tell us one thing: We must prevent a nuclear war from ever happening,” climate scientist Alan Robock, co-author of the study, said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
Crimea ammunition depot blast is work of Ukraine special forces, official says
KYIV, Ukraine — Two people were reported injured and infrastructure severely damaged early Tuesday when a major blast rocked an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Crimea in what the Kremlin called an “act of sabotage.”
A senior Ukrainian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said the explosions were the work of Ukrainian special forces operating deep behind enemy lines — the same forces believed responsible for a powerful attack against a Russian air base in western Crimea last week that signaled a shift in Ukraine’s strategic capabilities.
Russian media also reported Tuesday that Crimean authorities were investigating the possibility of a second attack against a different ammunition depot in south-central Crimea.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Two people were reported injured and infrastructure severely damaged early Tuesday when a major blast rocked an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Crimea in what the Kremlin called an “act of sabotage.”
A senior Ukrainian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said the explosions were the work of Ukrainian special forces operating deep behind enemy lines — the same forces believed responsible for a powerful attack against a Russian air base in western Crimea last week that signaled a shift in Ukraine’s strategic capabilities.
Russian media also reported Tuesday that Crimean authorities were investigating the possibility of a second attack against a different ammunition depot in south-central Crimea.
Read the full story here.
Road to war: U.S. struggled to convince allies, and Zelensky, of risk of invasion
On a sunny October morning, the nation’s top intelligence, military and diplomatic leaders filed into the Oval Office for an urgent meeting with President Biden. They arrived bearing a highly classified intelligence analysis, compiled from newly obtained satellite images, intercepted communications and human sources, that amounted to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war plans for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
For months, Biden administration officials watched as Putin massed tens of thousands of troops and lined up tanks and missiles along Ukraine’s borders. As summer waned, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, focused on the increasing volume of intelligence related to Russia and Ukraine. He set up the Oval Office meeting after his own thinking had gone from uncertainty about Russia’s intentions, to concern he was being too skeptical about the prospects of military action, to alarm.
Read the full story here.
On a sunny October morning, the nation’s top intelligence, military and diplomatic leaders filed into the Oval Office for an urgent meeting with President Biden. They arrived bearing a highly classified intelligence analysis, compiled from newly obtained satellite images, intercepted communications and human sources, that amounted to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war plans for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
For months, Biden administration officials watched as Putin massed tens of thousands of troops and lined up tanks and missiles along Ukraine’s borders. As summer waned, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, focused on the increasing volume of intelligence related to Russia and Ukraine. He set up the Oval Office meeting after his own thinking had gone from uncertainty about Russia’s intentions, to concern he was being too skeptical about the prospects of military action, to alarm.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- A blast near Dzhankoi in Russian-occupied Crimea was “demilitarization in action,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted, without openly claiming responsibility for the explosion.
- Zelensky, in an interview with The Post, said that “one can’t wage war with drones,” as he defended his government’s response to U.S. intelligence warnings of a possible Russian invasion.
- Kyiv said supporting powers were not specific enough in their warnings, and Zelensky himself suspected that some Western officials wanted him to flee so they could negotiate a settlement with Moscow over Ukraine, The Post found as part of its months-long examination of the road to war in Ukraine.
- The United Nations and Russia discussed safety around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
More live updates here.
- A blast near Dzhankoi in Russian-occupied Crimea was “demilitarization in action,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted, without openly claiming responsibility for the explosion.
- Zelensky, in an interview with The Post, said that “one can’t wage war with drones,” as he defended his government’s response to U.S. intelligence warnings of a possible Russian invasion.
- Kyiv said supporting powers were not specific enough in their warnings, and Zelensky himself suspected that some Western officials wanted him to flee so they could negotiate a settlement with Moscow over Ukraine, The Post found as part of its months-long examination of the road to war in Ukraine.
- The United Nations and Russia discussed safety around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s nuclear power agency accused Russia of a cyberattack on its website, which it said had failed. Energoatom said Tuesday night that the hacking efforts did not “significantly affect” the company’s official site.
- U.N. chief António Guterres will meet Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv on Thursday. The secretary general is also set to visit a Black Sea port shipping grain from Ukraine under a U.N.-backed deal.
- Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Russian targets in Crimea for the second time in days. The occupied peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, is a military supply hub for Russia’s forces and a popular destination for its tourists.
- Russia has “no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” and its arsenal exists mainly to “deter a nuclear attack,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday at a conference in Moscow.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s nuclear power agency accused Russia of a cyberattack on its website, which it said had failed. Energoatom said Tuesday night that the hacking efforts did not “significantly affect” the company’s official site.
- U.N. chief António Guterres will meet Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv on Thursday. The secretary general is also set to visit a Black Sea port shipping grain from Ukraine under a U.N.-backed deal.
- Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Russian targets in Crimea for the second time in days. The occupied peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, is a military supply hub for Russia’s forces and a popular destination for its tourists.
- Russia has “no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” and its arsenal exists mainly to “deter a nuclear attack,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday at a conference in Moscow.
More live updates here.
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An interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
KYIV, Ukraine — Over the past six months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an inspiring wartime leader and champion of his country. During an hour-long, wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post at the presidential office, where hallways are kept dark and are lined with sandbags to protect against Russian attack, Zelensky discussed U.S. warnings about Russia preparing to launch a full-scale invasion — and if he believed them.
Read the full interview here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Over the past six months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an inspiring wartime leader and champion of his country. During an hour-long, wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post at the presidential office, where hallways are kept dark and are lined with sandbags to protect against Russian attack, Zelensky discussed U.S. warnings about Russia preparing to launch a full-scale invasion — and if he believed them.
Read the full interview here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- The Ukrainian nuclear energy agency accused Russia of a cyberattack on its website, which it said had failed.
- U.N. chief António Guterres arrived in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, where he is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
- Satellite images appeared to show the first grain ship from Ukraine under the deal docked in Syria, where the government is a close ally of Russia.
- Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Russian targets in Crimea for the second time in a week.
- Zelensky accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism” in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, while the U.N. chief held talks with Moscow on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian workers from the Zaporizhzhia plant described a daily terror of explosions and nuclear catastrophe in interviews with The Washington Post.
More live updates here.
- The Ukrainian nuclear energy agency accused Russia of a cyberattack on its website, which it said had failed.
- U.N. chief António Guterres arrived in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, where he is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
- Satellite images appeared to show the first grain ship from Ukraine under the deal docked in Syria, where the government is a close ally of Russia.
- Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Russian targets in Crimea for the second time in a week.
- Zelensky accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism” in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, while the U.N. chief held talks with Moscow on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian workers from the Zaporizhzhia plant described a daily terror of explosions and nuclear catastrophe in interviews with The Washington Post.
More live updates here.
Inside Ukraine’s captured nuclear plant, explosions and constant fear
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — There’s no warning when incoming fire slams into the grounds of Europe’s largest nuclear plant, sending workers scrambling for cover.
“It’s kaboom — then everybody runs,” said one employee, messaging from Enerhodar, the Russian-held town on the banks of the Dnieper River that is home to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Another employee, who sometimes works suspended off the ground to service equipment, said the vibrations are often so strong from outgoing Russian artillery fire that managers make him stop working.
The workers were among six from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant who spoke to The Washington Post, describing the daily terror of working at the nuclear facility that Russia has used as a shield for its attacks in recent weeks.
Read the full story here.
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — There’s no warning when incoming fire slams into the grounds of Europe’s largest nuclear plant, sending workers scrambling for cover.
“It’s kaboom — then everybody runs,” said one employee, messaging from Enerhodar, the Russian-held town on the banks of the Dnieper River that is home to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Another employee, who sometimes works suspended off the ground to service equipment, said the vibrations are often so strong from outgoing Russian artillery fire that managers make him stop working.
The workers were among six from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant who spoke to The Washington Post, describing the daily terror of working at the nuclear facility that Russia has used as a shield for its attacks in recent weeks.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- U.N. Secretary General António Guterres will meet the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey to address the nuclear threat from an escalation in fighting around the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine.
- Guterres is also expected to visit a Black Sea port at the heart of the U.N.-backed grain deal, brokered to alleviate rising hunger around the world. Ukraine’s port authority said the largest caravan yet will be loaded with wheat, corn and sunflower products for exporting.
- Ukraine is activating a unit under the command of its special forces to attack far behind Russian lines, its defense minister said. Kyiv hopes this will undermine Russia’s ability to hold the front lines in occupied territory ahead of a potential counteroffensive.
- Kharkiv had one of its “most tragic” nights in the war, the region’s governor said Thursday after what he described as hours of Russian strikes. Oleh Synyehubov said shelling killed nine people and injured 35 others.
More live updates here.
- U.N. Secretary General António Guterres will meet the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey to address the nuclear threat from an escalation in fighting around the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine.
- Guterres is also expected to visit a Black Sea port at the heart of the U.N.-backed grain deal, brokered to alleviate rising hunger around the world. Ukraine’s port authority said the largest caravan yet will be loaded with wheat, corn and sunflower products for exporting.
- Ukraine is activating a unit under the command of its special forces to attack far behind Russian lines, its defense minister said. Kyiv hopes this will undermine Russia’s ability to hold the front lines in occupied territory ahead of a potential counteroffensive.
- Kharkiv had one of its “most tragic” nights in the war, the region’s governor said Thursday after what he described as hours of Russian strikes. Oleh Synyehubov said shelling killed nine people and injured 35 others.
More live updates here.
Crimea attacks point to Ukraine’s newest strategy, official says
Ukraine is hoping that a new strategy of attacking key military targets deep inside Russian-occupied territory will undermine Moscow’s ability to hold the front lines ahead of an eventual Ukrainian counteroffensive to reclaim territory, Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday.
Ukraine’s conventional forces lack the weapons and ammunition needed to launch a full-scale ground offensive to retake territory from the Russians, Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview. He said he expects that sufficient quantities will eventually be delivered in line with commitments already made by Ukraine’s Western partners.
In the meantime, Ukraine's seeking to erode Russia’s military capabilities by attacking its most sensitive military installations from within.
“We’re using a strategy to ruin their stocks, to ruin their depots, to ruin their headquarters, commander quarters,” he said. “It’s our answer to their meat-grinder tactics.”
Read the full story here.
Ukraine is hoping that a new strategy of attacking key military targets deep inside Russian-occupied territory will undermine Moscow’s ability to hold the front lines ahead of an eventual Ukrainian counteroffensive to reclaim territory, Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday.
Ukraine’s conventional forces lack the weapons and ammunition needed to launch a full-scale ground offensive to retake territory from the Russians, Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview. He said he expects that sufficient quantities will eventually be delivered in line with commitments already made by Ukraine’s Western partners.
In the meantime, Ukraine's seeking to erode Russia’s military capabilities by attacking its most sensitive military installations from within.
“We’re using a strategy to ruin their stocks, to ruin their depots, to ruin their headquarters, commander quarters,” he said. “It’s our answer to their meat-grinder tactics.”
Read the full story here.
The Post examined the lead-up to the Ukraine war. Here’s what we learned.
A months-long examination by The Washington Post of the road to war in Ukraine, including Western efforts to thwart the Kremlin’s plans, is based on extensive interviews with more than three dozen senior U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials.
Here are some key findings:
1. The United States intelligence community penetrated multiple points of Russia’s political leadership, spying apparatus and military, and found Vladimir Putin preparing for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
2. Every decision on arming Ukraine was predicated on not giving Russia a reason to attack the United States and NATO.
3. Biden dispatched his top intelligence official to confront Putin with evidence of Russia’s war planning.
4. Kyiv complained U.S. intelligence wasn’t specific enough to prepare for an invasion.
5. Zelensky suspected that some Western officials wanted him to flee.
Read the full story here.
A months-long examination by The Washington Post of the road to war in Ukraine, including Western efforts to thwart the Kremlin’s plans, is based on extensive interviews with more than three dozen senior U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials.
Here are some key findings:
1. The United States intelligence community penetrated multiple points of Russia’s political leadership, spying apparatus and military, and found Vladimir Putin preparing for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
2. Every decision on arming Ukraine was predicated on not giving Russia a reason to attack the United States and NATO.
3. Biden dispatched his top intelligence official to confront Putin with evidence of Russia’s war planning.
4. Kyiv complained U.S. intelligence wasn’t specific enough to prepare for an invasion.
5. Zelensky suspected that some Western officials wanted him to flee.
Read the full story here.
Calls grow to ban E.U. visas for Russians, but not all Ukrainians agree
KYIV, Ukraine — As discussion of a possible ban on tourist visas for Russian nationals heats up in the European Union — a measure backed publicly in recent weeks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — not everyone is on board.
That includes some of Zelensky’s own advisers and European supporters.
Zelensky, in an exclusive interview with The Washington Post conducted in early August, said the way to stop Russia from annexing any more of Ukraine’s territory is for Western countries to announce that they would ban all Russian citizens in response.
Ukraine’s wartime leaders implied that ordinary Russians — even those living outside Russia — shared a collective responsibility for the war and the loss of Ukraine’s land. “Whichever kind of Russian … make them go to Russia,” Zelensky told The Post.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — As discussion of a possible ban on tourist visas for Russian nationals heats up in the European Union — a measure backed publicly in recent weeks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — not everyone is on board.
That includes some of Zelensky’s own advisers and European supporters.
Zelensky, in an exclusive interview with The Washington Post conducted in early August, said the way to stop Russia from annexing any more of Ukraine’s territory is for Western countries to announce that they would ban all Russian citizens in response.
Ukraine’s wartime leaders implied that ordinary Russians — even those living outside Russia — shared a collective responsibility for the war and the loss of Ukraine’s land. “Whichever kind of Russian … make them go to Russia,” Zelensky told The Post.
Read the full story here.