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.
Russians flee by boat to Alaska after Putin’s military mobilization
Two Russian nationals fleeing President Vladimir Putin’s call-up of military reservists landed by boat on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea and are seeking asylum in the United States, the state’s two senators and U.S. government officials said Thursday.
The unusual incident highlights the lengths some Russians have gone to avoid a mobilization of up to 300,000 as Putin’s military, having suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, has made multiple retreats in recent weeks amid an aggressive offensive push by Ukrainian forces. An estimated 200,000 Russians have fled since the call-up.
The two appeared this week at a beach near Gambell, a tiny community on the northwest tip of St. Lawrence Island about 40 miles from mainland Russia, where they reported having fled “to avoid compulsory military service,” a spokesperson for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told the Associated Press.
Read the full story here.
Two Russian nationals fleeing President Vladimir Putin’s call-up of military reservists landed by boat on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea and are seeking asylum in the United States, the state’s two senators and U.S. government officials said Thursday.
The unusual incident highlights the lengths some Russians have gone to avoid a mobilization of up to 300,000 as Putin’s military, having suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, has made multiple retreats in recent weeks amid an aggressive offensive push by Ukrainian forces. An estimated 200,000 Russians have fled since the call-up.
The two appeared this week at a beach near Gambell, a tiny community on the northwest tip of St. Lawrence Island about 40 miles from mainland Russia, where they reported having fled “to avoid compulsory military service,” a spokesperson for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told the Associated Press.
Read the full story here.
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Belarusian Ales Bialiatski and Russian and Ukrainian human rights organizations
The Norwegian Nobel Committee focused on organizations documenting war crimes and human rights abuses. It is the second consecutive year a Russian entity was celebrated with the prize.
“They have for many years promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens.” The awardees include Alias Bialiatski who is imprisoned in Belarus, Russia’s Memorial and Ukraine Center for Civil Liberties.
The prize is a gold medal and an award of $1.14 million dollars.
Read the full story here.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee focused on organizations documenting war crimes and human rights abuses. It is the second consecutive year a Russian entity was celebrated with the prize.
“They have for many years promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens.” The awardees include Alias Bialiatski who is imprisoned in Belarus, Russia’s Memorial and Ukraine Center for Civil Liberties.
The prize is a gold medal and an award of $1.14 million dollars.
Read the full story here.
Putin confronted by insider over Ukraine war, U.S. intelligence finds
A member of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle has voiced disagreement directly to the Russian president in recent weeks over his handling of the war in Ukraine, according to information obtained by U.S. intelligence.
The criticism marks the clearest indication yet of turmoil within Russia’s leadership over the stewardship of a war that has gone disastrously wrong for Moscow, forcing Putin last month to order the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops in a desperate bid to reverse recent battlefield losses.
The information was deemed significant enough that it was included in President Biden’s daily intelligence briefing and shared with other U.S. officials, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.
Read the full story here.
A member of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle has voiced disagreement directly to the Russian president in recent weeks over his handling of the war in Ukraine, according to information obtained by U.S. intelligence.
The criticism marks the clearest indication yet of turmoil within Russia’s leadership over the stewardship of a war that has gone disastrously wrong for Moscow, forcing Putin last month to order the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops in a desperate bid to reverse recent battlefield losses.
The information was deemed significant enough that it was included in President Biden’s daily intelligence briefing and shared with other U.S. officials, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.
Read the full story here.
Biden suggests Putin’s nuclear threats mean a ‘prospect of Armageddon’
President Biden warned on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons amounted to the most serious “prospect of Armageddon” in 60 years.
Biden’s comments came during a Democratic fundraiser in New York City, where he spent much of the time warning about the threats he said are posed by Republicans but also brought up Putin and Russia’s war on Ukraine. The president told attendees that he knows Putin “fairly well” and said that the Russian president was “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons.”
He added, “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis. I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily [use] a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”
Read the full story here.
President Biden warned on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons amounted to the most serious “prospect of Armageddon” in 60 years.
Biden’s comments came during a Democratic fundraiser in New York City, where he spent much of the time warning about the threats he said are posed by Republicans but also brought up Putin and Russia’s war on Ukraine. The president told attendees that he knows Putin “fairly well” and said that the Russian president was “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons.”
He added, “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis. I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily [use] a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The chair of the Nobel committee said it wished “to honor three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the neighbor countries of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.”
- The awarding of the peace prize to a Russian group and a Belarusian activist generated immediate criticism in Ukraine, where many politicians and activists view ordinary Russians as complicit in Putin’s war, The Washington Post reported.
- Russia is moving ahead with plans to incorporate the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into Russia’s energy system, although the process could take months, according to officials cited in Russian media on Friday.
- A specialist team from the International Atomic Energy Agency is due to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant on Friday, Reuters reports.
- A top Russian official has voiced disagreement directly to in recent weeks, according to U.S. intelligence.
More live updates here.
- The chair of the Nobel committee said it wished “to honor three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the neighbor countries of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.”
- The awarding of the peace prize to a Russian group and a Belarusian activist generated immediate criticism in Ukraine, where many politicians and activists view ordinary Russians as complicit in Putin’s war, The Washington Post reported.
- Russia is moving ahead with plans to incorporate the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into Russia’s energy system, although the process could take months, according to officials cited in Russian media on Friday.
- A specialist team from the International Atomic Energy Agency is due to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant on Friday, Reuters reports.
- A top Russian official has voiced disagreement directly to in recent weeks, according to U.S. intelligence.
More live updates here.
Kremlin, shifting blame for war failures, axes military commanders
Far from bestowing glory on Russia’s military brass, the war in Ukraine is proving toxic for top commanders, with at least eight generals fired, reassigned or otherwise sidelined since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Western governments have said that at least 10 others were killed in battle, a remarkably high number that military analysts say is evidence of grievous strategic errors.
The upheaval in the upper ranks of uniformed officers highlights Russia’s fundamental mistakes in war planning, and the dysfunctional chain of command that resulted first in Moscow’s failure to achieve its primary military objective — the quick capture of Kyiv, and toppling of the Ukrainian government — and more recently in the retreats on the eastern and southern fronts.
Read the full story here.
Far from bestowing glory on Russia’s military brass, the war in Ukraine is proving toxic for top commanders, with at least eight generals fired, reassigned or otherwise sidelined since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Western governments have said that at least 10 others were killed in battle, a remarkably high number that military analysts say is evidence of grievous strategic errors.
The upheaval in the upper ranks of uniformed officers highlights Russia’s fundamental mistakes in war planning, and the dysfunctional chain of command that resulted first in Moscow’s failure to achieve its primary military objective — the quick capture of Kyiv, and toppling of the Ukrainian government — and more recently in the retreats on the eastern and southern fronts.
Read the full story here.
Explosion hits Crimean Bridge, damaging Russian supply route to Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — A giant explosion ripped across the Crimean Bridge, a strategic link between mainland Russia and Crimea, in what appeared to be a stunning blow early Saturday morning to a symbol of President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to control Ukraine.
The damage to the bridge, which provided a road and rail connection from Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014, marks another serious setback to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by disrupting a crucial supply route.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the government had no timeline for repairing the 12-mile bridge.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — A giant explosion ripped across the Crimean Bridge, a strategic link between mainland Russia and Crimea, in what appeared to be a stunning blow early Saturday morning to a symbol of President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to control Ukraine.
The damage to the bridge, which provided a road and rail connection from Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014, marks another serious setback to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by disrupting a crucial supply route.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the government had no timeline for repairing the 12-mile bridge.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Annexations show the depth of Putin’s imperial delusion
On the ground, Russia’s war effort is reeling. Ukrainian forces accelerated their advances on territories occupied by Russian troops and their separatist proxies, liberating towns in the southern Kherson region while also moving toward Luhansk in the east.
After taking back Russian-controlled areas in the northeast Kharkiv region in a lightning campaign last month, Ukraine is hoping to remove Russia’s last footholds north and west of the Dnieper River, which will cripple the Kremlin’s already-waning ability to mount its own campaign on the strategic Ukrainian port of Odesa.
“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 briefed my colleagues about sensitive security information on the condition of anonymity.
Read the full analysis here.
On the ground, Russia’s war effort is reeling. Ukrainian forces accelerated their advances on territories occupied by Russian troops and their separatist proxies, liberating towns in the southern Kherson region while also moving toward Luhansk in the east.
After taking back Russian-controlled areas in the northeast Kharkiv region in a lightning campaign last month, Ukraine is hoping to remove Russia’s last footholds north and west of the Dnieper River, which will cripple the Kremlin’s already-waning ability to mount its own campaign on the strategic Ukrainian port of Odesa.
“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 briefed my colleagues about sensitive security information on the condition of anonymity.
Read the full analysis here.
After Russian retreat in east Ukraine, police find dozens of torture sites
PISKY RADKIVSKY, Ukraine — It wasn’t the sort of house that neighbors gave much thought to in peacetime. With its white brick walls and metal gate, it looked much like the others.
But when Russian forces arrived in the springtime, it turned into a place that residents looked away from as they hurried past. Asking questions might lead them to be the ones whose screams rang out at night, locals said.
Civilians and soldiers were tortured on Parkova Street, according to the Ukrainian police investigators now combing the towns and villages from which Russian forces beat a hasty retreat last month. But what is stark about this place is how unremarkable its horrors have become.
Across at least five different provinces, Russian troops left the remnants of an archipelago of torture in their wake, often in buildings where families had lived or children had played.
Read the full story here.
PISKY RADKIVSKY, Ukraine — It wasn’t the sort of house that neighbors gave much thought to in peacetime. With its white brick walls and metal gate, it looked much like the others.
But when Russian forces arrived in the springtime, it turned into a place that residents looked away from as they hurried past. Asking questions might lead them to be the ones whose screams rang out at night, locals said.
Civilians and soldiers were tortured on Parkova Street, according to the Ukrainian police investigators now combing the towns and villages from which Russian forces beat a hasty retreat last month. But what is stark about this place is how unremarkable its horrors have become.
Across at least five different provinces, Russian troops left the remnants of an archipelago of torture in their wake, often in buildings where families had lived or children had played.
Read the full story here.