Analysis: How Russia’s invasion strengthened Ukrainian identity
This year, Ukraine’s Independence Day falls on the same day that marks six months since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. The two events feel inextricably, indelibly linked: Ukrainians will celebrate more than three decades of independence from the Soviet Union while remaining on high alert for a military escalation by the Kremlin.
“Tomorrow is an important day for all of us,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday. “And that is why this day, unfortunately, is also important for our enemy. We must be aware that tomorrow hideous Russian provocations and brutal strikes are possible.”
Read the full analysis here.
This year, Ukraine’s Independence Day falls on the same day that marks six months since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. The two events feel inextricably, indelibly linked: Ukrainians will celebrate more than three decades of independence from the Soviet Union while remaining on high alert for a military escalation by the Kremlin.
“Tomorrow is an important day for all of us,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday. “And that is why this day, unfortunately, is also important for our enemy. We must be aware that tomorrow hideous Russian provocations and brutal strikes are possible.”
Read the full analysis here.
Russian missile hits passenger train as Ukraine marks Independence Day
With a mix of prudence, exuberance and, mostly, defiance, Ukrainians on Wednesday took time out from their existential battle with invading Russian forces to celebrate their 31st year as a free nation, marking their first Independence Day since the Kremlin launched a full-scale war here six months ago.
Warnings from Ukrainian officials and American intelligence agencies that Russia was poised to mar the holiday by launching missile strikes went largely unrealized, although the war’s violence continued in some parts of the country.
Along the shifting front lines to the east and south, Ukrainians contended with missile and artillery attacks near Dnipro and in the Eastern Donbas region.
Russian rocket strikes on a passenger train in the town of Chaplyne, about 60 miles east of the Dnieper River killed at least 22 people and wounded at least 50, officials said.
Read the full story here.
With a mix of prudence, exuberance and, mostly, defiance, Ukrainians on Wednesday took time out from their existential battle with invading Russian forces to celebrate their 31st year as a free nation, marking their first Independence Day since the Kremlin launched a full-scale war here six months ago.
Warnings from Ukrainian officials and American intelligence agencies that Russia was poised to mar the holiday by launching missile strikes went largely unrealized, although the war’s violence continued in some parts of the country.
Along the shifting front lines to the east and south, Ukrainians contended with missile and artillery attacks near Dnipro and in the Eastern Donbas region.
Russian rocket strikes on a passenger train in the town of Chaplyne, about 60 miles east of the Dnieper River killed at least 22 people and wounded at least 50, officials said.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Putin will increase the size of the Russian military from 1.9 million to 2.04 million, Russian media reported. It will include a 137,000 increase in the number of military personnel and take effect on Jan. 1.
- Victims of a Russian missile attack on Chaplyne include an 11-year-old who died under the rubble of a house and a 6-year-old caught in a car fire, Kirill Timoshenko, a Ukrainian presidential aide, said on Telegram. He said 25 people were killed in total and 31 injured.
- Biden is expected to call Zelensky on Thursday to discuss an almost $3 billion U.S. military aid package. Biden said he was “proud to announce our biggest tranche of security assistance to date,” which will include air defense systems, artillery and munitions.
- Tensions continue to mount around the Zaporizhzhia power plant, with Russia maintaining “an enhanced military presence at the site,” according to a daily intelligence briefing from Britain’s Defense Ministry.
More live updates here.
- Putin will increase the size of the Russian military from 1.9 million to 2.04 million, Russian media reported. It will include a 137,000 increase in the number of military personnel and take effect on Jan. 1.
- Victims of a Russian missile attack on Chaplyne include an 11-year-old who died under the rubble of a house and a 6-year-old caught in a car fire, Kirill Timoshenko, a Ukrainian presidential aide, said on Telegram. He said 25 people were killed in total and 31 injured.
- Biden is expected to call Zelensky on Thursday to discuss an almost $3 billion U.S. military aid package. Biden said he was “proud to announce our biggest tranche of security assistance to date,” which will include air defense systems, artillery and munitions.
- Tensions continue to mount around the Zaporizhzhia power plant, with Russia maintaining “an enhanced military presence at the site,” according to a daily intelligence briefing from Britain’s Defense Ministry.
More live updates here.
Zelensky vows retribution after deadly Russian strike on Independence Day
As Ukrainians marked the 31st anniversary of their country’s break from the Soviet Union with a somber parade in Kyiv on Wednesday, Russia launched a deadly missile attack on a train station and residential area in a town 300 miles to the southeast, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, officials said.
The strike rocked Chaplyne, population 3,700, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned days earlier that Russia could be plotting “something particularly cruel” this week to spoil Ukraine’s Independence Day, the country’s highest national holiday.
Details of the strike were still coming into focus late that evening, but Zelensky and one of his deputies said four missiles hit the station, damaging a utility building and destroying rail cars. A residential neighborhood was also hit.
Read the full story here.
As Ukrainians marked the 31st anniversary of their country’s break from the Soviet Union with a somber parade in Kyiv on Wednesday, Russia launched a deadly missile attack on a train station and residential area in a town 300 miles to the southeast, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, officials said.
The strike rocked Chaplyne, population 3,700, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned days earlier that Russia could be plotting “something particularly cruel” this week to spoil Ukraine’s Independence Day, the country’s highest national holiday.
Details of the strike were still coming into focus late that evening, but Zelensky and one of his deputies said four missiles hit the station, damaging a utility building and destroying rail cars. A residential neighborhood was also hit.
Read the full story here.
Biden pledges $3 billion in long-term military aid for Ukraine
President Biden on Wednesday announced the United States’ largest single commitment of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, in what his administration called a symbol of Washington’s long-term backing against Russia’s invasion.
The $2.98 billion package, unveiled on Ukraine’s Independence Day, includes more artillery, drones, radar and air defenses. It commits six additional surface-to-air missile systems, quadrupling the supply committed to Ukraine, plus hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition for the howitzers and mortars in use on the battlefield. Counter-drone weapons known as Vampires will be provided for the first time.
“The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
President Biden on Wednesday announced the United States’ largest single commitment of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, in what his administration called a symbol of Washington’s long-term backing against Russia’s invasion.
The $2.98 billion package, unveiled on Ukraine’s Independence Day, includes more artillery, drones, radar and air defenses. It commits six additional surface-to-air missile systems, quadrupling the supply committed to Ukraine, plus hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition for the howitzers and mortars in use on the battlefield. Counter-drone weapons known as Vampires will be provided for the first time.
“The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant is cut off energy grid
Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant was cut off from the country’s electricity grid, setting off a mass power outage in the adjacent area after fires damaged its last functioning transmission line, Ukraine’s nuclear power company said Thursday.
The incident renewed fears about safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is also the largest atomic energy plant in Europe and is located in an area now occupied by invading Russian forces.
Fighting in the vicinity of the plant has led to acute worries of a potential catastrophe and to calls from many world leaders for U.N. nuclear experts to be allowed to visit the site.
Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame for shelling at the plant, which they said had resulted in the disconnection from the power grid — the first time it has ever been cut off.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant was cut off from the country’s electricity grid, setting off a mass power outage in the adjacent area after fires damaged its last functioning transmission line, Ukraine’s nuclear power company said Thursday.
The incident renewed fears about safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is also the largest atomic energy plant in Europe and is located in an area now occupied by invading Russian forces.
Fighting in the vicinity of the plant has led to acute worries of a potential catastrophe and to calls from many world leaders for U.N. nuclear experts to be allowed to visit the site.
Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame for shelling at the plant, which they said had resulted in the disconnection from the power grid — the first time it has ever been cut off.
Read the full story here.
5 ways Ukraine fought and saved its capital from Russian invaders
A months-long examination by The Washington Post of the Ukrainian military’s successful defense of Kyiv is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 people, including many of the country’s top political and military leaders.
Here are some key findings:
1. In the run-up to the war, Ukrainian political officials downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale Russian invasion, but the Ukrainian military was making critical preparations.
2. Russia directly and through an intermediary tried to get the Ukrainian government to capitulate in the initial hours of the war.
3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t opposed to resigning or leaving Kyiv if it would end the war.
Read all the findings here.
A months-long examination by The Washington Post of the Ukrainian military’s successful defense of Kyiv is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 people, including many of the country’s top political and military leaders.
Here are some key findings:
1. In the run-up to the war, Ukrainian political officials downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale Russian invasion, but the Ukrainian military was making critical preparations.
2. Russia directly and through an intermediary tried to get the Ukrainian government to capitulate in the initial hours of the war.
3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t opposed to resigning or leaving Kyiv if it would end the war.
Read all the findings here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vows retribution after deadly Russian strike on Independence Day.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily but entirely disconnected from the grid for the first time Thursday, according to its operator, Energoatom, after transmission lines were cut.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to increase the size of the Russian military from 1.9 million to 2.04 million, Russian media outlets reported.
- French President Emmanuel Macron met with Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Paris on Thursday to underline his “grave concern” about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Russian rockets targeted the Vyshgorod area directly north of Kyiv early Thursday, but no casualties were reported, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vows retribution after deadly Russian strike on Independence Day.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily but entirely disconnected from the grid for the first time Thursday, according to its operator, Energoatom, after transmission lines were cut.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to increase the size of the Russian military from 1.9 million to 2.04 million, Russian media outlets reported.
- French President Emmanuel Macron met with Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Paris on Thursday to underline his “grave concern” about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Russian rockets targeted the Vyshgorod area directly north of Kyiv early Thursday, but no casualties were reported, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains cut off from Ukraine’s electricity grid Friday, causing power outages in parts of the country, however it is running using power from a nearby line, the country’s energy company Energoatom said. Although now receiving power, it is not yet providing any power to the rest of the country. Russian troops have controlled Europe’s largest power plant since March.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency chief says his team of experts will visit the site in the coming “days.” Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement: “Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We can’t afford to lose any more time.”
- Russia is using 21 sites in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, to detain, interrogate and process prisoners of war and civilians in so-called “filtration camps,” a report by Yale University and the State Department has found.
More live updates here.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains cut off from Ukraine’s electricity grid Friday, causing power outages in parts of the country, however it is running using power from a nearby line, the country’s energy company Energoatom said. Although now receiving power, it is not yet providing any power to the rest of the country. Russian troops have controlled Europe’s largest power plant since March.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency chief says his team of experts will visit the site in the coming “days.” Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement: “Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We can’t afford to lose any more time.”
- Russia is using 21 sites in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, to detain, interrogate and process prisoners of war and civilians in so-called “filtration camps,” a report by Yale University and the State Department has found.
More live updates here.
Ukrainians describe beatings and torture while held as Russian POWs
KYIV, Ukraine — In early April, after Russian forces took control of the southeastern city of Berdyansk, they made local police officer Yuri Mykytenko an offer: He could stay on the job — so long as he collaborated with them.
The 30-year-old asked for 10 minutes to think it over. Then he ran.
He was caught at a checkpoint on his way out of town, and became a prisoner of war.
Mykytenko is one of thousands of Ukrainians believed to have been held as POWs since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February. And in the past month, two incidents have underscored the dangers they may face.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — In early April, after Russian forces took control of the southeastern city of Berdyansk, they made local police officer Yuri Mykytenko an offer: He could stay on the job — so long as he collaborated with them.
The 30-year-old asked for 10 minutes to think it over. Then he ran.
He was caught at a checkpoint on his way out of town, and became a prisoner of war.
Mykytenko is one of thousands of Ukrainians believed to have been held as POWs since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February. And in the past month, two incidents have underscored the dangers they may face.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Threat of nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine adds to global energy chaos
Few countries understand the risks posed by nuclear energy like Ukraine. Just a couple of hours’ drive from Kyiv is the now-decommissioned Chernobyl power plant, the site of perhaps the worst-ever nuclear accident and certainly the most notorious.
Yet despite the Chernobyl disaster, Ukraine never gave up on nuclear energy. The country has four separate nuclear power plants operating 15 different reactors. It is one of the most nuclear-reliant countries on earth. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, these plants provided 51 percent of Ukraine’s electricity in 2020 — a vital source for a middle-income country.
Read the full analysis here.
Few countries understand the risks posed by nuclear energy like Ukraine. Just a couple of hours’ drive from Kyiv is the now-decommissioned Chernobyl power plant, the site of perhaps the worst-ever nuclear accident and certainly the most notorious.
Yet despite the Chernobyl disaster, Ukraine never gave up on nuclear energy. The country has four separate nuclear power plants operating 15 different reactors. It is one of the most nuclear-reliant countries on earth. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, these plants provided 51 percent of Ukraine’s electricity in 2020 — a vital source for a middle-income country.
Read the full analysis here.
What to know about Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Electricity was restored to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Friday, a day after the facility was cut off from Ukraine’s electricity grid, causing a large-scale power outage.
Emergency backup systems prevented a “radiation disaster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, but the incident fueled global anxiety over the safety of the plant as Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of firing at the site.
The U.N. Security Council held emergency meetings this week to address the risks of fighting around the plant. Diplomats, world leaders and even Pope Francis have called for an end to hostilities to avert nuclear disaster.
Read the full story here.
Electricity was restored to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Friday, a day after the facility was cut off from Ukraine’s electricity grid, causing a large-scale power outage.
Emergency backup systems prevented a “radiation disaster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, but the incident fueled global anxiety over the safety of the plant as Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of firing at the site.
The U.N. Security Council held emergency meetings this week to address the risks of fighting around the plant. Diplomats, world leaders and even Pope Francis have called for an end to hostilities to avert nuclear disaster.
Read the full story here.
Here is the lastest from Ukraine.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been reconnected to the national electricity grid, Ukraine’s energy agency, Energoatom, said.
- Fears remain about a possible radiation leak at the site.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency chief says his team of experts will visit the site in the coming days.
- Russia is using 21 sites in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, to detain, interrogate and process prisoners of war and civilians in so-called “filtration camps,” a report by Yale University and the State Department found.
- Russian claims of a military slowdown are “almost certainly deliberate misinformation,” Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday in a daily briefing.
More live updates here.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been reconnected to the national electricity grid, Ukraine’s energy agency, Energoatom, said.
- Fears remain about a possible radiation leak at the site.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency chief says his team of experts will visit the site in the coming days.
- Russia is using 21 sites in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, to detain, interrogate and process prisoners of war and civilians in so-called “filtration camps,” a report by Yale University and the State Department found.
- Russian claims of a military slowdown are “almost certainly deliberate misinformation,” Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday in a daily briefing.
More live updates here.
Restored power at Ukraine nuclear plant paves way for U.N. visit
Workers at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant reconnected it to the country’s electricity grid on Friday, restoring a flow of electricity to neighboring cities and paving the way for a visit next week by the United Nation’s atomic watchdog.
The repairs to restore energy transmission at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant eased fears, at least temporarily, of a potentially disastrous breakdown that experts said could result from a prolonged disruption. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that emergency generators were needed to maintain operation of the plant’s crucial functions while the power station was temporarily cut off from the grid.
The giant nuclear plant has become a source of acute worry over a potential civilian disaster but also a pawn in the military conflict, a six-month war in which Russia is seeking to seize Ukrainian land.
Read the full story here.
Workers at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant reconnected it to the country’s electricity grid on Friday, restoring a flow of electricity to neighboring cities and paving the way for a visit next week by the United Nation’s atomic watchdog.
The repairs to restore energy transmission at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant eased fears, at least temporarily, of a potentially disastrous breakdown that experts said could result from a prolonged disruption. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that emergency generators were needed to maintain operation of the plant’s crucial functions while the power station was temporarily cut off from the grid.
The giant nuclear plant has become a source of acute worry over a potential civilian disaster but also a pawn in the military conflict, a six-month war in which Russia is seeking to seize Ukrainian land.
Read the full story here.
Facebook, Twitter dismantle a U.S. influence campaign about Ukraine
Facebook and Twitter disrupted a web of accounts that were covertly seeking to influence users in the Middle East and Asia with pro-Western perspectives about international politics, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new report from social media analytics firm Graphika and Stanford University.
The covert influence operation used accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media giants to promote narratives supporting the interests of the United States and its allies while opposing countries including Russia, China and Iran, according to the report.
Covert influence campaigns run out of Russia and Iran repeatedly have been targeted by social media platforms over the years. This crackdown is the rare instance in which a U.S.-sponsored campaign targeting foreign audiences was found to violate the companies’ rules.
Read the full story here.
Facebook and Twitter disrupted a web of accounts that were covertly seeking to influence users in the Middle East and Asia with pro-Western perspectives about international politics, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new report from social media analytics firm Graphika and Stanford University.
The covert influence operation used accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media giants to promote narratives supporting the interests of the United States and its allies while opposing countries including Russia, China and Iran, according to the report.
Covert influence campaigns run out of Russia and Iran repeatedly have been targeted by social media platforms over the years. This crackdown is the rare instance in which a U.S.-sponsored campaign targeting foreign audiences was found to violate the companies’ rules.
Read the full story here.
A Russian soldier’s journal: ‘I will not participate in this madness’
RIGA, Latvia — Russian paratrooper Pavel Filatyev spent more than a month fighting in Ukraine after his poorly equipped unit was ordered to march from its base in Crimea for what commanders called a routine exercise.
In early April, the 34-year-old Filatyev was evacuated after being wounded. Over the next five weeks, deeply troubled by the devastation caused by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion, he wrote down his recollections in hopes that telling his country the truth about the war could help stop it.
His damning 141-page journal, posted this month on Vkontakte, Russia’s equivalent of Facebook, is the most detailed day-by-day account to date of the attacks on Kherson and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine as seen through the eyes of a Russian soldier.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Russian paratrooper Pavel Filatyev spent more than a month fighting in Ukraine after his poorly equipped unit was ordered to march from its base in Crimea for what commanders called a routine exercise.
In early April, the 34-year-old Filatyev was evacuated after being wounded. Over the next five weeks, deeply troubled by the devastation caused by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion, he wrote down his recollections in hopes that telling his country the truth about the war could help stop it.
His damning 141-page journal, posted this month on Vkontakte, Russia’s equivalent of Facebook, is the most detailed day-by-day account to date of the attacks on Kherson and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine as seen through the eyes of a Russian soldier.
Read the full story here.