Zelensky hails advances as open recriminations intensify in Russian media
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the full recovery of a strategic town in eastern Ukraine on Sunday as a public brawl intensified in Russia over responsibility for the latest setback to the Kremlin’s goal of conquering wide swaths of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s Western backers hailed the advance of Ukrainian forces into areas Moscow has declared will soon constitute part of Russia.
Zelensky said the town of Lyman, which Russian troops used as a key logistics hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region since their arrival this spring, was completely “cleared of the Russian occupiers” as of midday local time, the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
The president’s statement came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged it had been forced to withdraw troops from Lyman “to more advantageous lines.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the full recovery of a strategic town in eastern Ukraine on Sunday as a public brawl intensified in Russia over responsibility for the latest setback to the Kremlin’s goal of conquering wide swaths of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s Western backers hailed the advance of Ukrainian forces into areas Moscow has declared will soon constitute part of Russia.
Zelensky said the town of Lyman, which Russian troops used as a key logistics hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region since their arrival this spring, was completely “cleared of the Russian occupiers” as of midday local time, the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
The president’s statement came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged it had been forced to withdraw troops from Lyman “to more advantageous lines.”
Read the full story here.
In two more staged votes, Russian parliament moves to ratify annexation
Russia’s rubber-stamp lower house of parliament, the State Duma, unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s bills on Monday, according to speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, formalizing the illegal seizure of four regions of Ukraine in a vote that was never in doubt.
The upper house, Russia’s Federation Council, is expected to formalize the annexations, which violate international law, on Tuesday, and the measures will then be signed by Putin. The moves signal to Ukraine and its supporters that Moscow sees the seizures as irreversible.
The votes took place as video emerged of Ukrainian forces planting their flag in Myrolyubivka, a settlement in the Kherson region, after Ukraine gained more ground overnight in counteroffensives. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry later published video of Ukrainian forces raising the national flag in another settlement, Zolota Balka, in the Kherson region.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s rubber-stamp lower house of parliament, the State Duma, unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s bills on Monday, according to speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, formalizing the illegal seizure of four regions of Ukraine in a vote that was never in doubt.
The upper house, Russia’s Federation Council, is expected to formalize the annexations, which violate international law, on Tuesday, and the measures will then be signed by Putin. The moves signal to Ukraine and its supporters that Moscow sees the seizures as irreversible.
The votes took place as video emerged of Ukrainian forces planting their flag in Myrolyubivka, a settlement in the Kherson region, after Ukraine gained more ground overnight in counteroffensives. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry later published video of Ukrainian forces raising the national flag in another settlement, Zolota Balka, in the Kherson region.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russia’s so-called annexation treaties unanimously passed the rubber-stamp lower house, the State Duma, on Monday.
- The Kremlin said Russia would “consult” with the populations of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to determine the exact borders of the territories Moscow hopes to absorb as its own.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the “successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman,” referencing other liberated settlements without naming them in his Sunday night address.
- Russian officials are probably struggling to provide training and find officers to lead new units amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization, the British Defense Ministry said Monday.
- In his Monday briefing, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, “With numerically superior tank units in the direction of Zolota Balka and Oleksandrivka, the enemy managed to forge deep into our defenses,” the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
- Russia’s so-called annexation treaties unanimously passed the rubber-stamp lower house, the State Duma, on Monday.
- The Kremlin said Russia would “consult” with the populations of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to determine the exact borders of the territories Moscow hopes to absorb as its own.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the “successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman,” referencing other liberated settlements without naming them in his Sunday night address.
- Russian officials are probably struggling to provide training and find officers to lead new units amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization, the British Defense Ministry said Monday.
- In his Monday briefing, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, “With numerically superior tank units in the direction of Zolota Balka and Oleksandrivka, the enemy managed to forge deep into our defenses,” the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- After Ukrainian victories near Kherson, the Kremlin’s forces in the strategically key southern city are “in a defensive crouch,” a senior U.S. military official told reporters Monday. Kherson sits by the Dnieper River and serves as a gateway to Ukraine’s western Black Sea ports and Russian-held Crimea to its south.
- Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, is expected to formalize illegal annexations of four regions in Ukraine’s east and south on Tuesday. The lower house, the State Duma, approved the annexations Monday. The moves signal that Moscow sees the seizures as irreversible.
- A Russian court set Oct. 25 as the appeal date for Brittney Griner, the WNBA star being held in Russia for drug possession, the Associated Press reported. In August, she was sentenced to nine years for having vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
More live updates here.
- After Ukrainian victories near Kherson, the Kremlin’s forces in the strategically key southern city are “in a defensive crouch,” a senior U.S. military official told reporters Monday. Kherson sits by the Dnieper River and serves as a gateway to Ukraine’s western Black Sea ports and Russian-held Crimea to its south.
- Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, is expected to formalize illegal annexations of four regions in Ukraine’s east and south on Tuesday. The lower house, the State Duma, approved the annexations Monday. The moves signal that Moscow sees the seizures as irreversible.
- A Russian court set Oct. 25 as the appeal date for Brittney Griner, the WNBA star being held in Russia for drug possession, the Associated Press reported. In August, she was sentenced to nine years for having vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
More live updates here.
Refuting annexation, Ukrainian forces push on from Lyman toward Luhansk
LYMAN, Ukraine — The Ukrainian soldiers waved, hooted and raised their fists in triumph as they drove out of the strategic eastern city of Lyman on Monday, riding M113 armored personnel vehicles provided by Western countries. They passed eight corpses of enemy Russian soldiers who died trying to run from a Ukrainian counteroffensive that swept through the area and is still going, putting the lie to President Vladimir Putin’s annexation claims.
The bodies were bloated, and some had open mouths, as if still wearing an expression of shock. At the moment the Ukrainian troops were driving by, the dead Russians were being unceremoniously placed into black bags.
Sitting atop a tank several yards away, Leonid, a soldier with Ukraine’s National Guard, pondered Russia’s plans to send more 300,000 more men to Ukraine. “They’re going to need a bigger grave,” Leonid said.
Read the full story here.
LYMAN, Ukraine — The Ukrainian soldiers waved, hooted and raised their fists in triumph as they drove out of the strategic eastern city of Lyman on Monday, riding M113 armored personnel vehicles provided by Western countries. They passed eight corpses of enemy Russian soldiers who died trying to run from a Ukrainian counteroffensive that swept through the area and is still going, putting the lie to President Vladimir Putin’s annexation claims.
The bodies were bloated, and some had open mouths, as if still wearing an expression of shock. At the moment the Ukrainian troops were driving by, the dead Russians were being unceremoniously placed into black bags.
Sitting atop a tank several yards away, Leonid, a soldier with Ukraine’s National Guard, pondered Russia’s plans to send more 300,000 more men to Ukraine. “They’re going to need a bigger grave,” Leonid said.
Read the full story here.
Elon Musk tweets ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine. Chaos ensues.
Elon Musk, as he often does, fired off some tweets on Monday. This time, he took aim at the Russia-Ukraine war — asking via a Twitter poll if his followers approved of a four-point peace plan to end the conflict.
The internet was not impressed.
Musk’s proposal set off a firestorm online, drawing in Ukrainian diplomats, Russian officials, fans of the billionaire entrepreneur and even a couple of presidents. It came the same day as Russia’s parliament voted to formalize Moscow’s illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine, following staged referendums in the territories last week.
Read the full story here.
Elon Musk, as he often does, fired off some tweets on Monday. This time, he took aim at the Russia-Ukraine war — asking via a Twitter poll if his followers approved of a four-point peace plan to end the conflict.
The internet was not impressed.
Musk’s proposal set off a firestorm online, drawing in Ukrainian diplomats, Russian officials, fans of the billionaire entrepreneur and even a couple of presidents. It came the same day as Russia’s parliament voted to formalize Moscow’s illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine, following staged referendums in the territories last week.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine hammers Russian forces into retreat on east and south fronts
Ukrainian troops on Tuesday accelerated their military advances on two fronts, pushing Russian forces into retreat in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the east and Kherson region to the south.
The gains showed Kyiv continuing to recapture occupied territory on the same day that President Vladimir Putin and his rubber-stamp parliament sought to formalize their increasingly far-fetched annexation claims of four Ukrainian regions.
“The Ukrainian armed forces commanders in the south and east are throwing problems at the Russian chain of command faster than the Russians can effectively respond,” said a Western official who requested anonymity to brief reporters about sensitive security information. “And this is compounding the existing dysfunction within the Russian invasion force.”
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian troops on Tuesday accelerated their military advances on two fronts, pushing Russian forces into retreat in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the east and Kherson region to the south.
The gains showed Kyiv continuing to recapture occupied territory on the same day that President Vladimir Putin and his rubber-stamp parliament sought to formalize their increasingly far-fetched annexation claims of four Ukrainian regions.
“The Ukrainian armed forces commanders in the south and east are throwing problems at the Russian chain of command faster than the Russians can effectively respond,” said a Western official who requested anonymity to brief reporters about sensitive security information. “And this is compounding the existing dysfunction within the Russian invasion force.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian forces “are in a defensive crouch” after Ukrainian victories near Kherson, a senior U.S. military official told reporters Monday.
- The U.S. State Department on Tuesday authorized $625 million in new military assistance to Ukraine.
- Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, ratified the illegal annexations of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine’s east and south Tuesday.
- Zelensky hailed “new liberated settlements in several regions,” saying recent wins reflect a “growing understanding that Russia made a mistake by starting a war against Ukraine.”
- A Russian court set Oct. 25 as the appeal date for Brittney Griner, the WNBA star held in Russia for drug possession, the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
- Russian forces “are in a defensive crouch” after Ukrainian victories near Kherson, a senior U.S. military official told reporters Monday.
- The U.S. State Department on Tuesday authorized $625 million in new military assistance to Ukraine.
- Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, ratified the illegal annexations of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine’s east and south Tuesday.
- Zelensky hailed “new liberated settlements in several regions,” saying recent wins reflect a “growing understanding that Russia made a mistake by starting a war against Ukraine.”
- A Russian court set Oct. 25 as the appeal date for Brittney Griner, the WNBA star held in Russia for drug possession, the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
OPEC and its allies move to slash oil production by 2 million barrels a day
A coalition of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday it would slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day, a move that could push up gas prices worldwide and worsen fears of a global recession.
The coalition said the cut in production would take effect in November. This would be the first time the group cut oil production targets since the beginning of the pandemic.
Wednesday’s move was much more aggressive than most analysts had expected and reflects the oil producing nations’ desire to stem the recent drop in global prices. By sending energy prices higher, the cut could also help Russia — which relies on gas and oil sales for a large portion of its budget — finance its war on Ukraine, which the U.S. has sought to undercut. Higher energy prices could also weaken the resolve of other countries, which have supported Ukraine in trying to repel Russia after the invasion.
Read the full story here.
A coalition of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday it would slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day, a move that could push up gas prices worldwide and worsen fears of a global recession.
The coalition said the cut in production would take effect in November. This would be the first time the group cut oil production targets since the beginning of the pandemic.
Wednesday’s move was much more aggressive than most analysts had expected and reflects the oil producing nations’ desire to stem the recent drop in global prices. By sending energy prices higher, the cut could also help Russia — which relies on gas and oil sales for a large portion of its budget — finance its war on Ukraine, which the U.S. has sought to undercut. Higher energy prices could also weaken the resolve of other countries, which have supported Ukraine in trying to repel Russia after the invasion.
Read the full story here.
‘I refuse to comply,’ says Russian journalist, days after escaping house arrest
In her first remarks since fleeing pretrial house arrest earlier this week, Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova said she considers herself “completely innocent” and issued a call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be isolated from society and put on trial.
“Since our state refuses to comply with its own laws, I refuse to comply with the measure of restraint imposed on me in the form of house arrest, and I release myself from it as of September 30, 2022,” Ovsyannikova posted to Telegram from an undisclosed location Wednesday.
“Respected employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, put such a bracelet on Putin,” she said in a video, referring to the electronic tracking device she has been forced to wear on her ankle by Russian officials.
Read the full story here.
In her first remarks since fleeing pretrial house arrest earlier this week, Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova said she considers herself “completely innocent” and issued a call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be isolated from society and put on trial.
“Since our state refuses to comply with its own laws, I refuse to comply with the measure of restraint imposed on me in the form of house arrest, and I release myself from it as of September 30, 2022,” Ovsyannikova posted to Telegram from an undisclosed location Wednesday.
“Respected employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, put such a bracelet on Putin,” she said in a video, referring to the electronic tracking device she has been forced to wear on her ankle by Russian officials.
Read the full story here.
Putin faces limits of his military power as Ukraine recaptures land
Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that an impending infusion of drafted troops can change the dynamic on the battlefield in Ukraine, but analysts say he is losing time, as his military operation succumbs further to Ukrainian advances and shows signs that it needs more than just raw personnel to regain the initiative.
Putin has distracted attention from the bleak battlefield picture in recent days by orchestrating referendums, declaring annexations and making nuclear threats — all part of an attempt to freeze Russian territorial gains amassed since February that are unraveling by the day.
But those political machinations in Moscow, carried out with great fanfare and bluster, have been unable to mask the reality some 600 miles away in Ukraine: Russia’s force is beleaguered and poorly managed — and in the immediate future, there may not be a silver bullet to fix it.
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that an impending infusion of drafted troops can change the dynamic on the battlefield in Ukraine, but analysts say he is losing time, as his military operation succumbs further to Ukrainian advances and shows signs that it needs more than just raw personnel to regain the initiative.
Putin has distracted attention from the bleak battlefield picture in recent days by orchestrating referendums, declaring annexations and making nuclear threats — all part of an attempt to freeze Russian territorial gains amassed since February that are unraveling by the day.
But those political machinations in Moscow, carried out with great fanfare and bluster, have been unable to mask the reality some 600 miles away in Ukraine: Russia’s force is beleaguered and poorly managed — and in the immediate future, there may not be a silver bullet to fix it.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Putin formalized annexation claims to the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson on Wednesday.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency said that its chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, would consult with authorities regarding the new decree.
- Documents on Russian plans for the regions say Ukrainian offensives to regain territory would be seen as attacks on Russia itself.
- Russian troops have started to withdraw from the southern city of Snihurivka, which was annexed along with the Kherson region, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
- Ukrainian troops are approaching Luhansk, the eastern region that Russia claims to have annexed and that remains largely occupied by Russian and pro-Kremlin forces, the British Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Putin formalized annexation claims to the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson on Wednesday.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency said that its chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, would consult with authorities regarding the new decree.
- Documents on Russian plans for the regions say Ukrainian offensives to regain territory would be seen as attacks on Russia itself.
- Russian troops have started to withdraw from the southern city of Snihurivka, which was annexed along with the Kherson region, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
- Ukrainian troops are approaching Luhansk, the eastern region that Russia claims to have annexed and that remains largely occupied by Russian and pro-Kremlin forces, the British Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- At least seven missiles struck residents “sleeping peacefully at their homes” overnight in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, adding that more attacks came Thursday. “Russian terror must be stopped — by force of weapons, sanctions, and full isolation,” he said on Twitter.
- The attacks came as Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, traveled to Kyiv to discuss a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered this week that Moscow oversee the plant, heightening international concerns about nuclear safety.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the European Political Community, a forum of more than 40 governments, when it meets for the first time in Prague on Thursday.
More live updates here.
- At least seven missiles struck residents “sleeping peacefully at their homes” overnight in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, adding that more attacks came Thursday. “Russian terror must be stopped — by force of weapons, sanctions, and full isolation,” he said on Twitter.
- The attacks came as Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, traveled to Kyiv to discuss a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered this week that Moscow oversee the plant, heightening international concerns about nuclear safety.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the European Political Community, a forum of more than 40 governments, when it meets for the first time in Prague on Thursday.
More live updates here.
A more strategic Russian retreat signals long fight ahead in Kherson
MYKOLAIV REGION, Ukraine — The drone operator ignored the occasional thunder of outgoing artillery in the distance and kept his eyes focused on the computer monitor in front of him, waiting for the burst of smoke to appear. His thumbs pushed the joystick left, then right, before moving to his cellphone screen to report where the artillery should aim next.
Some three miles from Ukraine’s southern front line, U.S.-provided M777 howitzers were pounding the Russian forces who were refusing to yield any more ground.
Another soldier, whose call sign is “Dobriy,” then informed his comrades in this Ukrainian special forces unit that their drone wasn’t the only one in the sky. He had just been told that a Russian Orlan reconnaissance UAV was headed this way, and if they were spotted, shelling would surely follow. The day before, the field behind this short trench line was littered with rockets.
Read the full story here.
MYKOLAIV REGION, Ukraine — The drone operator ignored the occasional thunder of outgoing artillery in the distance and kept his eyes focused on the computer monitor in front of him, waiting for the burst of smoke to appear. His thumbs pushed the joystick left, then right, before moving to his cellphone screen to report where the artillery should aim next.
Some three miles from Ukraine’s southern front line, U.S.-provided M777 howitzers were pounding the Russian forces who were refusing to yield any more ground.
Another soldier, whose call sign is “Dobriy,” then informed his comrades in this Ukrainian special forces unit that their drone wasn’t the only one in the sky. He had just been told that a Russian Orlan reconnaissance UAV was headed this way, and if they were spotted, shelling would surely follow. The day before, the field behind this short trench line was littered with rockets.
Read the full story here.
As Ukraine war falters, Russians ask a risky question: Could Putin fall?
When President Vladimir Putin yelled, “We will win!” at a Red Square concert to celebrate his illegal annexation of Ukrainian lands on Friday, he projected the hubris of a man who cannot accept defeat.
Putin has said Russia will not lose in Ukraine. But multiple battlefield defeats and national fury over a botched military mobilization have broken a taboo in Moscow on discussions about what would happen if Putin did lose — not just the war, but his seeming bid to be leader-for-life, according to four members of Russia’s business elite. Kremlin-watchers, inside and outside the capital, are asking: Who might come next?
The possibilities range from the obvious — Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is legally first in the line of succession — to the utterly unpredictable: Some Putin supporters fear the country could break apart without his authoritarian hand at the helm.
Read the full story here.
When President Vladimir Putin yelled, “We will win!” at a Red Square concert to celebrate his illegal annexation of Ukrainian lands on Friday, he projected the hubris of a man who cannot accept defeat.
Putin has said Russia will not lose in Ukraine. But multiple battlefield defeats and national fury over a botched military mobilization have broken a taboo in Moscow on discussions about what would happen if Putin did lose — not just the war, but his seeming bid to be leader-for-life, according to four members of Russia’s business elite. Kremlin-watchers, inside and outside the capital, are asking: Who might come next?
The possibilities range from the obvious — Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is legally first in the line of succession — to the utterly unpredictable: Some Putin supporters fear the country could break apart without his authoritarian hand at the helm.
Read the full story here.
Macron’s European Political Community brings in skeptical Ukraine and U.K.
PRAGUE — When French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the idea of a “European Political Community,” bridging the European Union and an outer circle of like-minded democracies, he was met with skepticism. Ukrainian leaders said they wanted full E.U. membership and not second-class status. British leaders said they didn’t want to reenter the entanglements they had just extracted themselves from. Political commentators chided Macron for once again seeking to become the leader of Europe.
And yet Macron’s vision was realized on Wednesday, at least symbolically, as the leaders from the 27 E.U. member states joined the delegations from 17 non-E.U. countries at Prague Castle. The gathering included representatives from most countries on the continent, with the exception of Russia and Belarus.
Read the full story here.
PRAGUE — When French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the idea of a “European Political Community,” bridging the European Union and an outer circle of like-minded democracies, he was met with skepticism. Ukrainian leaders said they wanted full E.U. membership and not second-class status. British leaders said they didn’t want to reenter the entanglements they had just extracted themselves from. Political commentators chided Macron for once again seeking to become the leader of Europe.
And yet Macron’s vision was realized on Wednesday, at least symbolically, as the leaders from the 27 E.U. member states joined the delegations from 17 non-E.U. countries at Prague Castle. The gathering included representatives from most countries on the continent, with the exception of Russia and Belarus.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- At least seven missiles struck residents “sleeping peacefully at their homes” overnight in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, adding that more attacks came Thursday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the European Political Community, a forum of more than 40 governments, when it meets for the first time in Prague on Thursday.
- Moscow is pushing for a secret vote for when the U.N. General Assembly considers whether to condemn its illegal annexation of four Ukrainian areas next week, Reuters reported.
- Russia has deployed most of its “severely undermanned” airborne troops to defend the southern Kherson region, the British Defense Ministry said Thursday.
- A lawmaker allied with Putin’s party proposed seizing cars abandoned along the border by men fleeing Russia’s military mobilization, state media said.
More live updates here.
- At least seven missiles struck residents “sleeping peacefully at their homes” overnight in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, adding that more attacks came Thursday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address the European Political Community, a forum of more than 40 governments, when it meets for the first time in Prague on Thursday.
- Moscow is pushing for a secret vote for when the U.N. General Assembly considers whether to condemn its illegal annexation of four Ukrainian areas next week, Reuters reported.
- Russia has deployed most of its “severely undermanned” airborne troops to defend the southern Kherson region, the British Defense Ministry said Thursday.
- A lawmaker allied with Putin’s party proposed seizing cars abandoned along the border by men fleeing Russia’s military mobilization, state media said.
More live updates here.