Ukraine military chief says ‘limited’ nuclear war cannot be ruled out
Ukraine’s top military chief warned Wednesday that a “limited” nuclear war between Russia and the West cannot be discounted, a scenario with grave global implications.
“There is a direct threat of the use, under certain circumstances, of tactical nuclear weapons by the Russian Armed forces,” commander in chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in an article published by Ukrinform, a state-run media outlet. “It is also impossible to completely rule out the possibility of the direct involvement of the world’s leading countries in a ‘limited’ nuclear conflict, in which the prospect of World War III is already directly visible.”
Zaluzhnyi also acknowledged for the first time that Kyiv was behind strikes deep inside the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula in August.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s top military chief warned Wednesday that a “limited” nuclear war between Russia and the West cannot be discounted, a scenario with grave global implications.
“There is a direct threat of the use, under certain circumstances, of tactical nuclear weapons by the Russian Armed forces,” commander in chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in an article published by Ukrinform, a state-run media outlet. “It is also impossible to completely rule out the possibility of the direct involvement of the world’s leading countries in a ‘limited’ nuclear conflict, in which the prospect of World War III is already directly visible.”
Zaluzhnyi also acknowledged for the first time that Kyiv was behind strikes deep inside the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula in August.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $675 million in new weapons transfers to Kyiv at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during a meeting of allied defense ministers supporting Ukraine. The delivery will deploy arms and munitions to Kyiv from the U.S.
- The package includes more rounds for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, a U.S. official told The Washington Post earlier, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce $2 billion more in “security assistance” to bolster Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO allies and regional partners “who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression,” the State Department added.
- Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians including children have been interrogated, detained or forcibly deported to Russia, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the Security Council Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $675 million in new weapons transfers to Kyiv at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during a meeting of allied defense ministers supporting Ukraine. The delivery will deploy arms and munitions to Kyiv from the U.S.
- The package includes more rounds for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, a U.S. official told The Washington Post earlier, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce $2 billion more in “security assistance” to bolster Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO allies and regional partners “who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression,” the State Department added.
- Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians including children have been interrogated, detained or forcibly deported to Russia, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the Security Council Wednesday.
More live updates here.
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Europe mulls drastic moves to control prices as Russia energy war heats up
Faced with an “astronomic” rise in energy prices, European Union ministers will meet Friday to discuss emergency measures to get their nations through the cold months ahead without additional social and economic upheavals.
The European Commission has asked countries to consider five immediate moves including a plan to redistribute some energy producers’ windfall revenue to businesses and households (in stark contrast to Britain), a price cap on Russian pipeline gas, and mandatory targets for reducing electricity use during peak hours, among other possible steps.
The potential plan underscores the widespread sense of alarm across Europe as the fallout from the war continues to weigh on European economies. The European Central Bank on Thursday raised interest rates for the second time this year in a bid to cool off inflation without driving Europe into recession.
Read the full story here.
Faced with an “astronomic” rise in energy prices, European Union ministers will meet Friday to discuss emergency measures to get their nations through the cold months ahead without additional social and economic upheavals.
The European Commission has asked countries to consider five immediate moves including a plan to redistribute some energy producers’ windfall revenue to businesses and households (in stark contrast to Britain), a price cap on Russian pipeline gas, and mandatory targets for reducing electricity use during peak hours, among other possible steps.
The potential plan underscores the widespread sense of alarm across Europe as the fallout from the war continues to weigh on European economies. The European Central Bank on Thursday raised interest rates for the second time this year in a bid to cool off inflation without driving Europe into recession.
Read the full story here.
Putin, in defiant speech, threatens Western gas and grain supplies
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called Western sanctions “stupid” and threatened to halt all energy sales to Russia’s critics if they move forward with a cap on oil prices proposed by the Group of Seven industrialized economic powers.
“We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything,” Putin said in a defiant speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, which was being held in the city of Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. Putin added that Moscow will let “the wolf’s tail freeze” in reference to a famous Russian fairy tale.
But in the West’s own defiant rejoinder, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday reiterated that the European Union intends to break Russia’s grip on global energy markets and would press ahead with caps on both oil and natural gas prices.
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called Western sanctions “stupid” and threatened to halt all energy sales to Russia’s critics if they move forward with a cap on oil prices proposed by the Group of Seven industrialized economic powers.
“We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything,” Putin said in a defiant speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, which was being held in the city of Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. Putin added that Moscow will let “the wolf’s tail freeze” in reference to a famous Russian fairy tale.
But in the West’s own defiant rejoinder, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday reiterated that the European Union intends to break Russia’s grip on global energy markets and would press ahead with caps on both oil and natural gas prices.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $675 million in new weapons transfers to Kyiv at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during a trip for the latest meeting of allied defense ministers supporting Ukraine.
- In the Ukrainian capital, Blinken pledged U.S. support for Ukraine, as the Biden administration seeks to help Ukrainian troops recapture territory from Russian forces.
- Blinken will announce $2 billion more in “security assistance” to bolster Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO allies and regional partners “who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression,” the State Department said.
- Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Ukrainians have struck over 400 Russian targets with HIMARS rocket systems.
More live updates here.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $675 million in new weapons transfers to Kyiv at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during a trip for the latest meeting of allied defense ministers supporting Ukraine.
- In the Ukrainian capital, Blinken pledged U.S. support for Ukraine, as the Biden administration seeks to help Ukrainian troops recapture territory from Russian forces.
- Blinken will announce $2 billion more in “security assistance” to bolster Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO allies and regional partners “who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression,” the State Department said.
- Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Ukrainians have struck over 400 Russian targets with HIMARS rocket systems.
More live updates here.
Europe’s unity will help it weather the winter, says top U.S. diplomat
BRUSSELS — The Biden administration believes European nations can navigate a looming energy crisis accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without eroding continentwide support for the war, a top official said on Friday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who touched down in Brussels for talks with European and NATO officials, touted European unity as a key factor in Ukraine’s success to date in countering the offensive launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February. But he also acknowledged the campaign to isolate Russia was now taking a toll on the finances of ordinary Europeans, potentially testing resolve.
Blinken expressed confidence that new measures being considered by the European Union and steps being taken by the United States would prove effective in mitigating rising energy prices — and that Europeans would understand that the costs of inaction would be greater.
Read the full story here.
BRUSSELS — The Biden administration believes European nations can navigate a looming energy crisis accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without eroding continentwide support for the war, a top official said on Friday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who touched down in Brussels for talks with European and NATO officials, touted European unity as a key factor in Ukraine’s success to date in countering the offensive launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February. But he also acknowledged the campaign to isolate Russia was now taking a toll on the finances of ordinary Europeans, potentially testing resolve.
Blinken expressed confidence that new measures being considered by the European Union and steps being taken by the United States would prove effective in mitigating rising energy prices — and that Europeans would understand that the costs of inaction would be greater.
Read the full story here.
U.S. dials up shipments of radar-hunting missiles for Ukraine
The Biden administration is sending the Ukrainian military more radar-hunting missiles, U.S. officials said Thursday, a move intended to bolster its aerial-attack capabilities against invading Russian forces.
The weapons, known as high-speed, antiradiation missiles, or HARMs, are part of a $675 million arms package that President Biden has newly approved for transfer to the government in Kyiv. The military aid also includes additional rounds for rocket artillery systems that Ukraine has used against Russian positions hundreds of times, remote-detonated antitank mines and 105mm howitzer cannons and rounds for them.
“Ukraine is fighting for its life,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he announced the latest weapons transfer at a meeting of several countries supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
Read the full story here.
The Biden administration is sending the Ukrainian military more radar-hunting missiles, U.S. officials said Thursday, a move intended to bolster its aerial-attack capabilities against invading Russian forces.
The weapons, known as high-speed, antiradiation missiles, or HARMs, are part of a $675 million arms package that President Biden has newly approved for transfer to the government in Kyiv. The military aid also includes additional rounds for rocket artillery systems that Ukraine has used against Russian positions hundreds of times, remote-detonated antitank mines and 105mm howitzer cannons and rounds for them.
“Ukraine is fighting for its life,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he announced the latest weapons transfer at a meeting of several countries supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian hit squads target Russian occupiers and collaborators
KYIV, Ukraine — For anyone contemplating a top administrative position in the Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, Kyiv authorities have a message: Be afraid. Very afraid.
Since Russian forces invaded in late February and began seizing Ukrainian cities and towns, close to 20 Kremlin-backed officials or their local Ukrainian collaborators have been killed or injured in a wave of assassinations and attempted killings.
They have been gunned down, blown up, hanged and poisoned — an array of methods that reflects the determination of the Ukrainian hit squads and saboteurs often operating deep inside enemy-controlled territory. The unpredictability of the attacks is meant to terrify anyone who might agree to serve in the puppet governments Russia has been creating with an eye toward staging sham referendums and ultimately annexing the occupied lands.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — For anyone contemplating a top administrative position in the Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, Kyiv authorities have a message: Be afraid. Very afraid.
Since Russian forces invaded in late February and began seizing Ukrainian cities and towns, close to 20 Kremlin-backed officials or their local Ukrainian collaborators have been killed or injured in a wave of assassinations and attempted killings.
They have been gunned down, blown up, hanged and poisoned — an array of methods that reflects the determination of the Ukrainian hit squads and saboteurs often operating deep inside enemy-controlled territory. The unpredictability of the attacks is meant to terrify anyone who might agree to serve in the puppet governments Russia has been creating with an eye toward staging sham referendums and ultimately annexing the occupied lands.
Read the full story here.
Police pursue local Russian lawmakers who urged charging Putin with treason
A group of district council members in St. Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin’s hometown, called for the Russian leader to be charged with treason and removed from office in a rare but brazen protest against the war in Ukraine.
The brave move by the Smolninsky District Council drew a predictably swift and unfriendly reaction. A day after the resolution against Putin was made public, a local police station told the lawmakers they were facing legal charges “due to actions aimed at discrediting the current Russian government.”
The district council’s statement came in the form of a request to the Russian parliament, the State Duma, and asserted that Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24 led to a massive loss of life, turned countless Russian men into disabled veterans, hindered the national economy, and fast-tracked NATO’s eastward expansion.
Read the full story here.
A group of district council members in St. Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin’s hometown, called for the Russian leader to be charged with treason and removed from office in a rare but brazen protest against the war in Ukraine.
The brave move by the Smolninsky District Council drew a predictably swift and unfriendly reaction. A day after the resolution against Putin was made public, a local police station told the lawmakers they were facing legal charges “due to actions aimed at discrediting the current Russian government.”
The district council’s statement came in the form of a request to the Russian parliament, the State Duma, and asserted that Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24 led to a massive loss of life, turned countless Russian men into disabled veterans, hindered the national economy, and fast-tracked NATO’s eastward expansion.
Read the full story here.
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‘Ammo! Ammo!’ Video shows close combat in Ukraine offensive
Ukrainian forces have mobilized fleets of Western-provided armored vehicles to conduct daring offensive assaults using machine guns and antitank weapons, according to video circulating on social media and verified by The Washington Post, striking imagery that provides a rare glimpse of close combat in a war largely defined by long-range artillery.
A set of first-person videos filmed in southern Ukraine shows a gunner mounted atop an armored Humvee, furiously firing a .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun and raking nearby buildings with rounds roughly the size of cigars. The vehicle then stops and the gunner swings his barrel toward apparent muzzle flashes, squeezing the last few rounds from the ammunition belt.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian forces have mobilized fleets of Western-provided armored vehicles to conduct daring offensive assaults using machine guns and antitank weapons, according to video circulating on social media and verified by The Washington Post, striking imagery that provides a rare glimpse of close combat in a war largely defined by long-range artillery.
A set of first-person videos filmed in southern Ukraine shows a gunner mounted atop an armored Humvee, furiously firing a .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun and raking nearby buildings with rounds roughly the size of cigars. The vehicle then stops and the gunner swings his barrel toward apparent muzzle flashes, squeezing the last few rounds from the ammunition belt.
Read the full story here.
Russia confirms big retreat near Kharkiv as Ukraine offensive advances
Russia’s defense ministry on Saturday admitted its forces had retreated from key towns in northeastern Ukraine after a stunning advance by Ukrainian troops.
The Defense Ministry said it had pulled forces out of the village of Balakliya and the strategically crucial city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, after a decision to “regroup” and transfer them to Donetsk in the south.”
The retreat represents one of the biggest setbacks for Russia since President Vladimir V. Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.
Read more here.
Russia’s defense ministry on Saturday admitted its forces had retreated from key towns in northeastern Ukraine after a stunning advance by Ukrainian troops.
The Defense Ministry said it had pulled forces out of the village of Balakliya and the strategically crucial city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, after a decision to “regroup” and transfer them to Donetsk in the south.”
The retreat represents one of the biggest setbacks for Russia since President Vladimir V. Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.
Read more here.
First and only responders: Ukrainian firefighters at the front
SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday, Serhii Moskalets woke to the sound of a boom. Moments later his phone rang, as he knew it would. For the fire chief of a city being bombarded by Russian artillery, restful nights were an early casualty of war.
“I usually wake up about that hour even when it is quiet,” Moskalets said. “That is when they tend to hit us.”
This time it was a rocket, said the dispatcher. A building on Torska Street was struck: multiple floors on fire; massive structural damage. People were inside.
In peacetime, the Slovyansk fire department’s work was largely limited to grass fires in the surrounding countryside and the kitchen and trash blazes typical for a city of 100,000.
Now, Moskalets began to suit up for his new normal: burning blocks, collapsing building, mass casualties.
Read the full story here.
SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday, Serhii Moskalets woke to the sound of a boom. Moments later his phone rang, as he knew it would. For the fire chief of a city being bombarded by Russian artillery, restful nights were an early casualty of war.
“I usually wake up about that hour even when it is quiet,” Moskalets said. “That is when they tend to hit us.”
This time it was a rocket, said the dispatcher. A building on Torska Street was struck: multiple floors on fire; massive structural damage. People were inside.
In peacetime, the Slovyansk fire department’s work was largely limited to grass fires in the surrounding countryside and the kitchen and trash blazes typical for a city of 100,000.
Now, Moskalets began to suit up for his new normal: burning blocks, collapsing building, mass casualties.
Read the full story here.
Amid Ukraine’s startling gains, liberated villages describe Russian troops dropping rifles and fleeing
ZALIZNYCHNE, Ukraine — In the end, the Russians fled any way they could on Friday, on stolen bicycles, disguised as locals. Hours after Ukrainian soldiers poured into the area, hundreds of Russian soldiers encamped in this village were gone, many after their units abandoned them, leaving behind stunned residents to face the ruins of 28 weeks of occupation.
“They just dropped rifles on the ground,” Olena Matvienko said Sunday as she stood, still disoriented, in a village littered with ammo crates and torched vehicles, including a Russian tank loaded on a flatbed. The first investigators from Kharkiv had just pulled in to collect the bodies of civilians shot by Russians, some that have been lying exposed for months.
“I can’t believe that we went through something like this in the 21st century,” Matvienko said, tears welling.
Read the full story here.
ZALIZNYCHNE, Ukraine — In the end, the Russians fled any way they could on Friday, on stolen bicycles, disguised as locals. Hours after Ukrainian soldiers poured into the area, hundreds of Russian soldiers encamped in this village were gone, many after their units abandoned them, leaving behind stunned residents to face the ruins of 28 weeks of occupation.
“They just dropped rifles on the ground,” Olena Matvienko said Sunday as she stood, still disoriented, in a village littered with ammo crates and torched vehicles, including a Russian tank loaded on a flatbed. The first investigators from Kharkiv had just pulled in to collect the bodies of civilians shot by Russians, some that have been lying exposed for months.
“I can’t believe that we went through something like this in the 21st century,” Matvienko said, tears welling.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine extends battlefield gains as Kremlin reels from setback
KYIV, Ukraine — Blue-and-yellow flags were raised in more liberated towns and villages in northeast Ukraine on Monday, as the stunning counteroffensive that pushed Russia into a messy retreat boosted optimism at home and abroad over a potential turning point in the war, and renewed international calls to send Ukraine more weapons in hopes of hastening Russia’s defeat.
The lightning push by Ukrainian forces, in which they recaptured in a matter of days nearly all of the Kharkiv region occupied since the early days of the war last winter, left Moscow reeling. Despite the setback, the Kremlin and its proxies insisted that the war would go on until President Vladimir Putin’s goals are achieved, and they blamed NATO and the United States for Ukraine’s refusal to surrender.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Blue-and-yellow flags were raised in more liberated towns and villages in northeast Ukraine on Monday, as the stunning counteroffensive that pushed Russia into a messy retreat boosted optimism at home and abroad over a potential turning point in the war, and renewed international calls to send Ukraine more weapons in hopes of hastening Russia’s defeat.
The lightning push by Ukrainian forces, in which they recaptured in a matter of days nearly all of the Kharkiv region occupied since the early days of the war last winter, left Moscow reeling. Despite the setback, the Kremlin and its proxies insisted that the war would go on until President Vladimir Putin’s goals are achieved, and they blamed NATO and the United States for Ukraine’s refusal to surrender.
Read the full story here.
Despite setbacks in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman insists war will go on
RIGA, Latvia — After a weekend of steep battlefield setbacks for Russia, the Kremlin’s top spokesman said Monday that the war in Ukraine would continue until President Vladimir Putin’s aims are reached.
“The special military operation is underway and will continue until the goals that have been set are achieved,” the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in a conference call with reporters.
Peskov declined to comment on a threat issued by Russia’s former prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who warned that Ukraine would face new, grave demands for a total surrender.
Some supporters of Putin have warned that Russia could use nuclear weapons, and Ukraine’s top general said last week that the possibility of such a strike remained very real.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — After a weekend of steep battlefield setbacks for Russia, the Kremlin’s top spokesman said Monday that the war in Ukraine would continue until President Vladimir Putin’s aims are reached.
“The special military operation is underway and will continue until the goals that have been set are achieved,” the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in a conference call with reporters.
Peskov declined to comment on a threat issued by Russia’s former prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who warned that Ukraine would face new, grave demands for a total surrender.
Some supporters of Putin have warned that Russia could use nuclear weapons, and Ukraine’s top general said last week that the possibility of such a strike remained very real.
Read the full story here.
Faced with war losses, Russian propagandists retreat to anger and patriotism
Russian state television pundits and officials for months painted Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a well-oiled “special military operation” that is methodically achieving its goals of “demilitarizing” and “denazifying” the Kyiv “regime.”
But the embarrassing rout of Russian forces from northeastern Ukraine in recent days sent a normally harmonious choir of Kremlin-friendly television shows and newspapers into a frenzy, struggling to explain to the audiences that they had been assuring of victory why Ukraine had recaptured more land than Russia took since April.
The result was the broadcast of unusually tense scenes to millions of Russian households, with some uncharacteristically blunt concessions.
Read the full story here.
Russian state television pundits and officials for months painted Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a well-oiled “special military operation” that is methodically achieving its goals of “demilitarizing” and “denazifying” the Kyiv “regime.”
But the embarrassing rout of Russian forces from northeastern Ukraine in recent days sent a normally harmonious choir of Kremlin-friendly television shows and newspapers into a frenzy, struggling to explain to the audiences that they had been assuring of victory why Ukraine had recaptured more land than Russia took since April.
The result was the broadcast of unusually tense scenes to millions of Russian households, with some uncharacteristically blunt concessions.
Read the full story here.