Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared martial law across four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. The move came even as his forces were losing ground in those same territories, which Moscow illegally annexed following staged referendums last month.
- The fight for Kherson could begin in the “very near future,” a pro-Russian separatist official said. Residents were ordered to leave Wednesday morning in anticipation of a major Ukrainian push to retake the city; at least 50,000 inhabitants will be transported out in an operation that pro-Moscow authorities say will take about a week.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with advisers about the country’s energy system as Russian attacks cause “massive blackouts.”
- The United States, Britain and France will raise the issue of Iran transferring weapons to Russia at a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council, according to diplomats familiar with the situation.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared martial law across four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. The move came even as his forces were losing ground in those same territories, which Moscow illegally annexed following staged referendums last month.
- The fight for Kherson could begin in the “very near future,” a pro-Russian separatist official said. Residents were ordered to leave Wednesday morning in anticipation of a major Ukrainian push to retake the city; at least 50,000 inhabitants will be transported out in an operation that pro-Moscow authorities say will take about a week.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with advisers about the country’s energy system as Russian attacks cause “massive blackouts.”
- The United States, Britain and France will raise the issue of Iran transferring weapons to Russia at a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council, according to diplomats familiar with the situation.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Russian strikes destroyed three more energy facilities in Ukraine on Wednesday, President Zelensky said, as officials warned residents to expect rolling blackouts.
- Beginning Thursday, Ukrainians should limit their electricity consumption, Zelensky said, adding that local officials would confirm the scheduled outages.
- U.S. federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged seven people — including five Russian nationals — in an alleged sanctions evasion scheme that spanned several countries.
- Russia’s warnings of a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson are likely attempts to set the conditions for a full retreat across the Dnieper River and Russia’s ceding of the city, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
- Putin’s move to declare martial law in four regions of Ukraine “is null and void,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Russian strikes destroyed three more energy facilities in Ukraine on Wednesday, President Zelensky said, as officials warned residents to expect rolling blackouts.
- Beginning Thursday, Ukrainians should limit their electricity consumption, Zelensky said, adding that local officials would confirm the scheduled outages.
- U.S. federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged seven people — including five Russian nationals — in an alleged sanctions evasion scheme that spanned several countries.
- Russia’s warnings of a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson are likely attempts to set the conditions for a full retreat across the Dnieper River and Russia’s ceding of the city, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
- Putin’s move to declare martial law in four regions of Ukraine “is null and void,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
U.S. charges Russian nationals with smuggling oil, military tech
The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday charged five Russian nationals in an alleged global sanctions evasion scheme that involved millions of barrels of smuggled oil from Venezuela and U.S. military technology that was traced to the battlefield in Ukraine.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Yury Orekhov and Svetlana Kuzurgasheva of purchasing “sensitive” military and dual-use technologies from the United States and shipping them to Russian companies, including some that service the country’s defense sector.
Orekhov and Kuzurgasheva are accused of helping Russians acquire items including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors, which can be used in fighter aircraft, missile systems and other military technology, the Justice Department said. In some cases, the electronic components were found in Russian weapons platforms seized from the battlefield in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday charged five Russian nationals in an alleged global sanctions evasion scheme that involved millions of barrels of smuggled oil from Venezuela and U.S. military technology that was traced to the battlefield in Ukraine.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Yury Orekhov and Svetlana Kuzurgasheva of purchasing “sensitive” military and dual-use technologies from the United States and shipping them to Russian companies, including some that service the country’s defense sector.
Orekhov and Kuzurgasheva are accused of helping Russians acquire items including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors, which can be used in fighter aircraft, missile systems and other military technology, the Justice Department said. In some cases, the electronic components were found in Russian weapons platforms seized from the battlefield in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
E.U. to sanction Iran for supplying Russia with drones to attack Ukraine
BRUSSELS — The European Union is preparing to sanction Iran for supplying Russia with drones used to strike targets in Ukraine, according to two E.U. diplomats, in yet another sign of deteriorating ties between Brussels and Tehran.
E.U. officials are working up a list of individuals and entities with an eye to reaching an agreement quickly, possibly as early as Wednesday. The new penalties would come less than a week after the bloc sanctioned Iran’s “morality police” and information minister over the country’s recent crackdown on protesters.
With attacks ongoing, there is broad support for the sanctions, the diplomats said, despite some fears that taking a tough stand could push Tehran closer to Moscow or further diminish hopes of resurrecting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran has denied it is supplying Russia with drones for use in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
BRUSSELS — The European Union is preparing to sanction Iran for supplying Russia with drones used to strike targets in Ukraine, according to two E.U. diplomats, in yet another sign of deteriorating ties between Brussels and Tehran.
E.U. officials are working up a list of individuals and entities with an eye to reaching an agreement quickly, possibly as early as Wednesday. The new penalties would come less than a week after the bloc sanctioned Iran’s “morality police” and information minister over the country’s recent crackdown on protesters.
With attacks ongoing, there is broad support for the sanctions, the diplomats said, despite some fears that taking a tough stand could push Tehran closer to Moscow or further diminish hopes of resurrecting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran has denied it is supplying Russia with drones for use in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The European Council had signed a “unanimous commitment” to lower prices, guarantee supply and reduce demand, European Council President Charles Michel said. But E.U. countries still need to agree on details on how to achieve those goals.
- Both the E.U. and Britain announced further sanctions against Tehran over Russia’s use of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine on Thursday. In a phone call with the EU’s top diplomat, Iran’s foreign minister denied sending arms to either side.
- President Biden said he’s worried that Republicans may cut aid to Ukraine if they win back the House.
- Zelensky said “Russian terrorists” had mined the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, one of the Ukraine’s largest power facilities, in preparation for a “false flag” attack.
More live updates here.
- The European Council had signed a “unanimous commitment” to lower prices, guarantee supply and reduce demand, European Council President Charles Michel said. But E.U. countries still need to agree on details on how to achieve those goals.
- Both the E.U. and Britain announced further sanctions against Tehran over Russia’s use of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine on Thursday. In a phone call with the EU’s top diplomat, Iran’s foreign minister denied sending arms to either side.
- President Biden said he’s worried that Republicans may cut aid to Ukraine if they win back the House.
- Zelensky said “Russian terrorists” had mined the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, one of the Ukraine’s largest power facilities, in preparation for a “false flag” attack.
More live updates here.
Ukraine urges citizens to turn off appliances, save power after airstrikes
KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukraine braced for severe power shortages following an extensive bombing campaign by Russia of civilian infrastructure, the governor of Kyiv on Thursday urged residents of the capital region to shut electrical appliances between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., including electric heaters, washing machines, boilers and other devices, like refrigerators and WiFi routers, considered essential to modern life.
“This applies to everyone,” the governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, tweeted. “Today, even one saved kilowatt is a help to our energy system.”
Ukrenergo, the national electric transmission company, said that short-term shutdowns of electric service had begun on Thursday in parts of the capital city, where the system was weakest after consumption reached unacceptably high levels. Similar planned outages have also been imposed in other cities across the country, including Kharkiv, Dnipro and Sumy.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukraine braced for severe power shortages following an extensive bombing campaign by Russia of civilian infrastructure, the governor of Kyiv on Thursday urged residents of the capital region to shut electrical appliances between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., including electric heaters, washing machines, boilers and other devices, like refrigerators and WiFi routers, considered essential to modern life.
“This applies to everyone,” the governor, Oleksiy Kuleba, tweeted. “Today, even one saved kilowatt is a help to our energy system.”
Ukrenergo, the national electric transmission company, said that short-term shutdowns of electric service had begun on Thursday in parts of the capital city, where the system was weakest after consumption reached unacceptably high levels. Similar planned outages have also been imposed in other cities across the country, including Kharkiv, Dnipro and Sumy.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Friday for the first time since May. Russian and American officials offered few details, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Austin “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing conflict.”
-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a bipartisan delegation from Congress in Kyiv the same day. The U.S. officials discussed military aid, antimissile defense and “Iranian supplies for Russian terror,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.
More live updates here.
-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Friday for the first time since May. Russian and American officials offered few details, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Austin “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing conflict.”
-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a bipartisan delegation from Congress in Kyiv the same day. The U.S. officials discussed military aid, antimissile defense and “Iranian supplies for Russian terror,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
—Kremlin-backed authorities have stepped up efforts to relocate civilians from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson, transporting them into Crimea and other occupied areas. The weekend order for all citizens to immediately leave the city is illegal, Ukrainian officials say, and part of an attempt by Moscow to “depopulate” areas of Ukraine that Kyiv is poised to recapture.
— Additionally, concern is growing that Moscow will seek to destroy the dam at a major hydroelectric plant in the area — flooding and widening the Dnieper River to delay any Ukrainian advances — in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned would be a “false flag” attack.
Read more updates here.
—Kremlin-backed authorities have stepped up efforts to relocate civilians from the Russian-controlled city of Kherson, transporting them into Crimea and other occupied areas. The weekend order for all citizens to immediately leave the city is illegal, Ukrainian officials say, and part of an attempt by Moscow to “depopulate” areas of Ukraine that Kyiv is poised to recapture.
— Additionally, concern is growing that Moscow will seek to destroy the dam at a major hydroelectric plant in the area — flooding and widening the Dnieper River to delay any Ukrainian advances — in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned would be a “false flag” attack.
Read more updates here.
‘Total darkness and cold are coming’: Massive strikes hit Ukraine electrical grid
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia unleashed a “barrage” of missiles across Ukraine early Saturday morning, Ukrainian officials said — targeting the country’s electrical grid and blacking out large areas — while the Kyiv government increased its calls for Western governments to urgently provide antiaircraft systems as a defense against the airstrikes.
As Ukrainians braced themselves for the high probability of even more attacks — and prepare for what could be a winter without heating, water and electricity in parts of the country — officials said that they had managed to impede the assault in some places, while in others the rockets “completely” destroyed electrical facilities.
Along the front line, Ukrainian officials said their forces were holding their positions or making small but consistent advances. Russian forces appeared to be staging a tactical withdrawal in the southern Kherson region.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia unleashed a “barrage” of missiles across Ukraine early Saturday morning, Ukrainian officials said — targeting the country’s electrical grid and blacking out large areas — while the Kyiv government increased its calls for Western governments to urgently provide antiaircraft systems as a defense against the airstrikes.
As Ukrainians braced themselves for the high probability of even more attacks — and prepare for what could be a winter without heating, water and electricity in parts of the country — officials said that they had managed to impede the assault in some places, while in others the rockets “completely” destroyed electrical facilities.
Along the front line, Ukrainian officials said their forces were holding their positions or making small but consistent advances. Russian forces appeared to be staging a tactical withdrawal in the southern Kherson region.
Read the full story here.
Cyprus, a haven for Russian expats, welcomes techies fleeing Ukraine war
Cyprus, a small, sunny island in the Mediterranean divided by its own historical territorial dispute between Turks and Greeks, remains one of the last few havens for Russians running away from the uncertainty and doom Putin’s war in Ukraine has created back home.
As the E.U.’s most easterly member, Cyprus has long been a go-to destination for Russian companies and wealthy individuals due to its relatively easy immigration process, low taxes, and openness to attracting as much foreign business as possible. Its beaches are also a plus.
So after the tanks rolled into Ukraine, a significant part of Russia’s highly educated, middle- to upper-class workforce — mostly IT workers — flocked to Cyprus, triggering a new migration wave.
Read the full story here.
Cyprus, a small, sunny island in the Mediterranean divided by its own historical territorial dispute between Turks and Greeks, remains one of the last few havens for Russians running away from the uncertainty and doom Putin’s war in Ukraine has created back home.
As the E.U.’s most easterly member, Cyprus has long been a go-to destination for Russian companies and wealthy individuals due to its relatively easy immigration process, low taxes, and openness to attracting as much foreign business as possible. Its beaches are also a plus.
So after the tanks rolled into Ukraine, a significant part of Russia’s highly educated, middle- to upper-class workforce — mostly IT workers — flocked to Cyprus, triggering a new migration wave.
Read the full story here.
In bloody battle for Bakhmut, Russian mercenaries eye a symbolic prize
BAKHMUT, Ukraine — The crash and roar of artillery rarely stops in this eastern Ukrainian city. In the cold and broken houses, residents huddle by candlelight and pray that they have safety in numbers. On the battlefield, soldiers on both sides are dying in droves.
While Ukrainian advances have redrawn the battlefield map elsewhere, the front line in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region some 10 miles from the border of Luhansk, has barely moved in four months of heavy fighting.
Of all the battles in the east, President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week, the “most difficult” is here. Yet in this fight for control of a shattered city, military experts say the ambitions of a Russian oligarch, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, may have eclipsed all strategic logic.
Read the full story here.
BAKHMUT, Ukraine — The crash and roar of artillery rarely stops in this eastern Ukrainian city. In the cold and broken houses, residents huddle by candlelight and pray that they have safety in numbers. On the battlefield, soldiers on both sides are dying in droves.
While Ukrainian advances have redrawn the battlefield map elsewhere, the front line in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region some 10 miles from the border of Luhansk, has barely moved in four months of heavy fighting.
Of all the battles in the east, President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week, the “most difficult” is here. Yet in this fight for control of a shattered city, military experts say the ambitions of a Russian oligarch, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, may have eclipsed all strategic logic.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- The U.S., Britain and France have rejected as “transparently false” Russian claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory, with Western help. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the claims during talks with top defense officials on Sunday.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Sunday evening that she will represent the U.S. this week at a Crimea Platform summit. She said she and other leaders will “deliver an unmistakable statement of our solidarity with Ukraine in its fight for freedom.”
- Russia is preparing to defend parts of the Donbas area it has invaded from any Ukrainian counteroffensive, Britain’s Defense Ministry said, citing the head of the Wagner Group.
- French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that Ukraine should decide on the timing and terms of any peace deal with Russia, adding that peace cannot be “captured by Russian power’."
More live updates here.
- The U.S., Britain and France have rejected as “transparently false” Russian claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory, with Western help. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the claims during talks with top defense officials on Sunday.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Sunday evening that she will represent the U.S. this week at a Crimea Platform summit. She said she and other leaders will “deliver an unmistakable statement of our solidarity with Ukraine in its fight for freedom.”
- Russia is preparing to defend parts of the Donbas area it has invaded from any Ukrainian counteroffensive, Britain’s Defense Ministry said, citing the head of the Wagner Group.
- French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that Ukraine should decide on the timing and terms of any peace deal with Russia, adding that peace cannot be “captured by Russian power’."
More live updates here.
Western powers warn Russia could use ‘dirty bomb’ claim to escalate war
Officials in Kyiv and several Western countries rejected claims made without evidence by the Kremlin that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” — an explosive weapon designed to scatter radioactive material — on its own territory, characterizing them as an attempt by Russia to create a pretext for escalating the conflict.
“We all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory,” foreign ministers from the United States, France and the United Kingdom said in a Sunday joint statement, after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the unfounded claim in conversations with the countries’ defense ministers.
“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the Western diplomats added.
Read the full story here.
Officials in Kyiv and several Western countries rejected claims made without evidence by the Kremlin that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” — an explosive weapon designed to scatter radioactive material — on its own territory, characterizing them as an attempt by Russia to create a pretext for escalating the conflict.
“We all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory,” foreign ministers from the United States, France and the United Kingdom said in a Sunday joint statement, after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the unfounded claim in conversations with the countries’ defense ministers.
“The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation,” the Western diplomats added.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Russia apparently intends to raise at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday its accusation that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” on its own soil. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya urged Western nations “to exert their influence” on Kyiv to prevent what he called a potential “act of nuclear terrorism.”
- The unsubstantiated allegation has heightened fears that Russia is planning a false-flag attack. Britain’s U.N. mission posted a message on Monday: “Reminder: Ukraine has no nuclear weapons.” The International Atomic Energy Agency is set to inspect two key nuclear sites at Kyiv’s request.
- Imprisoned American basketball star Brittney Griner will appeal her nine-year sentence and conviction on drug charges in Russia on Tuesday.
- Ukraine’s intelligence chief said there is no evidence that Russian troops are readying for a mass withdrawal from Kherson, despite a push by Moscow-backed officials to get residents to leave.
More live updates here.
- Russia apparently intends to raise at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday its accusation that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” on its own soil. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya urged Western nations “to exert their influence” on Kyiv to prevent what he called a potential “act of nuclear terrorism.”
- The unsubstantiated allegation has heightened fears that Russia is planning a false-flag attack. Britain’s U.N. mission posted a message on Monday: “Reminder: Ukraine has no nuclear weapons.” The International Atomic Energy Agency is set to inspect two key nuclear sites at Kyiv’s request.
- Imprisoned American basketball star Brittney Griner will appeal her nine-year sentence and conviction on drug charges in Russia on Tuesday.
- Ukraine’s intelligence chief said there is no evidence that Russian troops are readying for a mass withdrawal from Kherson, despite a push by Moscow-backed officials to get residents to leave.
More live updates here.
Mercenary chief vented to Putin over Ukraine war bungling
The confidant who vented to Russian President Vladimir Putin recently about his military’s handling of the war in Ukraine was Yevgeniy Prigozhin, founder of a Russian mercenary group that is playing a critical role on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Prigozhin’s criticisms echoed what he has been saying publicly for weeks, the officials said. But the revelation that he felt comfortable sharing such a harsh rebuke of the Russian military effort with Putin in a private setting shows how his influence is rising as Moscow’s war falters. It also highlights the shaky standing of the Russian defense establishment’s formal leadership, which has come under fire from Prigozhin and others after months of battlefield errors and losses.
The Post previously reported that a Russian insider confronted Putin personally to spotlight mismanagement of the war effort but did not name him.
Read the full story here.
The confidant who vented to Russian President Vladimir Putin recently about his military’s handling of the war in Ukraine was Yevgeniy Prigozhin, founder of a Russian mercenary group that is playing a critical role on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Prigozhin’s criticisms echoed what he has been saying publicly for weeks, the officials said. But the revelation that he felt comfortable sharing such a harsh rebuke of the Russian military effort with Putin in a private setting shows how his influence is rising as Moscow’s war falters. It also highlights the shaky standing of the Russian defense establishment’s formal leadership, which has come under fire from Prigozhin and others after months of battlefield errors and losses.
The Post previously reported that a Russian insider confronted Putin personally to spotlight mismanagement of the war effort but did not name him.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian forces advance against Russian fighters in Kherson and Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces continued their advance against the Russian military in the southern Kherson region on Tuesday, pushed back Russian mercenaries from Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk, and gained new momentum in Luhansk, where they seized a key highway between the towns of Kreminna and Svatove.
On a day of heavy fighting and fast moving developments across multiple combat zones, the Ukrainians appeared to extend their recent success in recapturing occupied territories and in pushing Moscow’s troops into retreat in areas that Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed now belong to Russia.
Away from the battlefield, the Kremlin continued to push a claim, asserted repeatedly without evidence, that Kyiv was preparing to use a dirty bomb — an accusation that was dismissed by the United States and other Western nations.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian forces continued their advance against the Russian military in the southern Kherson region on Tuesday, pushed back Russian mercenaries from Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk, and gained new momentum in Luhansk, where they seized a key highway between the towns of Kreminna and Svatove.
On a day of heavy fighting and fast moving developments across multiple combat zones, the Ukrainians appeared to extend their recent success in recapturing occupied territories and in pushing Moscow’s troops into retreat in areas that Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed now belong to Russia.
Away from the battlefield, the Kremlin continued to push a claim, asserted repeatedly without evidence, that Kyiv was preparing to use a dirty bomb — an accusation that was dismissed by the United States and other Western nations.
Read the full story here.
WNBA star Brittney Griner's appeal of nine-year prison sentence rejected by Russian court
A Russian court rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence on drug charges Tuesday. The WNBA star has been imprisoned since her Feb. 17 arrest on charges of entering Russia with vape cartridges, which her lawyers said were prescribed to her as part of treatment for chronic pain and other conditions.
Read the full story here.
A Russian court rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence on drug charges Tuesday. The WNBA star has been imprisoned since her Feb. 17 arrest on charges of entering Russia with vape cartridges, which her lawyers said were prescribed to her as part of treatment for chronic pain and other conditions.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainians say U.S. Democrats pressuring for peace talks don’t get Putin
KYIV, Ukraine — Members of Ukraine’s political elite rejected demands by some congressional Democrats for negotiations with Russia to end the war, saying this was “not a viable option,” after a group of liberals called on President Biden to push Kyiv for direct talks with Moscow.
The Ukrainians said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had closed off any possibility of negotiations by declaring the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, and that the Russians, who are currently facing repeated setbacks on the battlefield, would use any cease fire to rebuild their strength and then resume Putin’s plan to steal Ukrainian territory and destroy Ukraine as a nation.
In a letter to Biden, 30 members of the liberal wing of the Democrat party called on Biden to pursue a “proactive push, doubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a cease fire.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Members of Ukraine’s political elite rejected demands by some congressional Democrats for negotiations with Russia to end the war, saying this was “not a viable option,” after a group of liberals called on President Biden to push Kyiv for direct talks with Moscow.
The Ukrainians said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had closed off any possibility of negotiations by declaring the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, and that the Russians, who are currently facing repeated setbacks on the battlefield, would use any cease fire to rebuild their strength and then resume Putin’s plan to steal Ukrainian territory and destroy Ukraine as a nation.
In a letter to Biden, 30 members of the liberal wing of the Democrat party called on Biden to pursue a “proactive push, doubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a cease fire.”
Read the full story here.
Russia’s methodical attacks exploit frailty of Ukrainian power system
Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been so methodical and destructive that Ukrainian and Western officials say they are being directed by electricity specialists who know exactly which targets will inflict maximum pain on Ukraine’s grid.
The two-week-old bombing campaign, an effort to plunge Ukrainians into darkness ahead of their country’s bitter winter, has focused less on well-protected power generation plants and more on the network nodes that are key to keeping Ukraine’s electricity grid functioning and providing critical services.
Already, more than a third of Ukraine’s hard-to-replace transmission hubs have been damaged or destroyed, officials said.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been so methodical and destructive that Ukrainian and Western officials say they are being directed by electricity specialists who know exactly which targets will inflict maximum pain on Ukraine’s grid.
The two-week-old bombing campaign, an effort to plunge Ukrainians into darkness ahead of their country’s bitter winter, has focused less on well-protected power generation plants and more on the network nodes that are key to keeping Ukraine’s electricity grid functioning and providing critical services.
Already, more than a third of Ukraine’s hard-to-replace transmission hubs have been damaged or destroyed, officials said.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya, in a letter to the council that was seen by Reuters, urged Western nations “to exert their influence” on Kyiv to prevent what he called a potential “act of nuclear terrorism.”
- A Russian court rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence on drug charges Tuesday.
- Russia would face “consequences” if it used a dirty bomb in Ukraine, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday.
- The U.N. nuclear watchdog is preparing to visit two sites linked to the nuclear industry at Kyiv’s request.
- Germany and the European Union hosted a conference on the massive task of reconstruction that lies ahead for Ukraine.
- Russia has lost over a quarter of its fleet of attack helicopters in the war, Britain’s Defense Ministry said.
More live updates here.
- Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya, in a letter to the council that was seen by Reuters, urged Western nations “to exert their influence” on Kyiv to prevent what he called a potential “act of nuclear terrorism.”
- A Russian court rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence on drug charges Tuesday.
- Russia would face “consequences” if it used a dirty bomb in Ukraine, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday.
- The U.N. nuclear watchdog is preparing to visit two sites linked to the nuclear industry at Kyiv’s request.
- Germany and the European Union hosted a conference on the massive task of reconstruction that lies ahead for Ukraine.
- Russia has lost over a quarter of its fleet of attack helicopters in the war, Britain’s Defense Ministry said.
More live updates here.