Zelensky visits Bakhmut venturing close to bloodiest fighting on frontline
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday made an unexpected visit to Bakhmut, currently the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the war, as his forces try to hold off a desperate Russian assault on the city in the eastern Donetsk region.
Zelensky’s trip, which was confirmed by his office on his Facebook page, highlighted the carnage in Bakhmut, where Russian forces, including mercenaries, have been pushing for months to claim a battlefield victory after a string of defeats and retreats in the south and east of Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear where in Bakhmut the president had visited, or how close he had ventured to front line positions. Amid heavy fighting in recent days, some military analysts said that the Russians were making incremental advances, and had warned that Ukrainian troops were at risk of being encircled.
Read the full story here.
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday made an unexpected visit to Bakhmut, currently the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the war, as his forces try to hold off a desperate Russian assault on the city in the eastern Donetsk region.
Zelensky’s trip, which was confirmed by his office on his Facebook page, highlighted the carnage in Bakhmut, where Russian forces, including mercenaries, have been pushing for months to claim a battlefield victory after a string of defeats and retreats in the south and east of Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear where in Bakhmut the president had visited, or how close he had ventured to front line positions. Amid heavy fighting in recent days, some military analysts said that the Russians were making incremental advances, and had warned that Ukrainian troops were at risk of being encircled.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian fears grow of a new Russian invasion from Belarus
Concerns are rising in Kyiv that Russia is preparing to launch a new offensive against Ukraine from Belarus amid a spate of high level visits and a slow but steady buildup of Russian troops and military equipment.
A rare visit to the Belarusian capital Minsk by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday fueled the speculation that Russia is seeking acquiescence in Belarus for a second incursion into northern Ukraine after the dismal failure of the initial Russian effort to seize Kyiv last winter.
Putin’s talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko focused on economic cooperation, according to readouts from their offices. But this was Putin’s first visit to Belarus in three years and he was accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, suggesting the talks were more far more expansive.
Read the full story here.
Concerns are rising in Kyiv that Russia is preparing to launch a new offensive against Ukraine from Belarus amid a spate of high level visits and a slow but steady buildup of Russian troops and military equipment.
A rare visit to the Belarusian capital Minsk by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday fueled the speculation that Russia is seeking acquiescence in Belarus for a second incursion into northern Ukraine after the dismal failure of the initial Russian effort to seize Kyiv last winter.
Putin’s talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko focused on economic cooperation, according to readouts from their offices. But this was Putin’s first visit to Belarus in three years and he was accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, suggesting the talks were more far more expansive.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday made an unexpected trip to Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region where some of the bloodiest fighting is taking place.
- Ukrainian officials have warned repeatedly that Russian forces could be preparing a new assault after their failure to seize Kyiv last winter.
- A gas pipeline explosion in Russia on Tuesday killed three workers and put the pipeline, which supplies Ukraine, out of service, according to a local official and Russian media reports.
- Engineers were once again working to restore heat and power for millions of Ukrainians, after Russia attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday morning with a barrage of self-detonating drones.
- Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Monday, in a rare visit to the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Putin said Belarus was “not only a good neighbor,” but “certainly our ally in the truest sense of the word.”
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday made an unexpected trip to Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region where some of the bloodiest fighting is taking place.
- Ukrainian officials have warned repeatedly that Russian forces could be preparing a new assault after their failure to seize Kyiv last winter.
- A gas pipeline explosion in Russia on Tuesday killed three workers and put the pipeline, which supplies Ukraine, out of service, according to a local official and Russian media reports.
- Engineers were once again working to restore heat and power for millions of Ukrainians, after Russia attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday morning with a barrage of self-detonating drones.
- Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Monday, in a rare visit to the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Putin said Belarus was “not only a good neighbor,” but “certainly our ally in the truest sense of the word.”
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet Wednesday with President Biden at the White House and with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The trip to Washington will be his first public international appearance since Russia invaded in February.
- Biden is expected to announce a new $1.85 billion security assistance package at the meeting, which people familiar with the plans say includes the Patriot missile system.
- Following his visit, Zelensky called Bakhmut “tattered yet unconquered,” describing the cities and villages he passed on the way to the front line as “literally fighting for life.” Ukraine's military said that troops had repelled Russian assaults on Bakhmut.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Wednesday with the board of the Defense Ministry to “review the Russian Armed Forces’ performance in 2022 and set objectives for 2023.” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is expected to report on the progress of the invasion.
Follow our live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet Wednesday with President Biden at the White House and with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The trip to Washington will be his first public international appearance since Russia invaded in February.
- Biden is expected to announce a new $1.85 billion security assistance package at the meeting, which people familiar with the plans say includes the Patriot missile system.
- Following his visit, Zelensky called Bakhmut “tattered yet unconquered,” describing the cities and villages he passed on the way to the front line as “literally fighting for life.” Ukraine's military said that troops had repelled Russian assaults on Bakhmut.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Wednesday with the board of the Defense Ministry to “review the Russian Armed Forces’ performance in 2022 and set objectives for 2023.” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is expected to report on the progress of the invasion.
Follow our live updates here.
No conclusive evidence Russia is behind Nord Stream attack
After explosions in late September severely damaged undersea pipelines built to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe, world leaders quickly blamed Moscow for a brazen and dangerous act of sabotage. With winter approaching, it appeared the Kremlin intended to strangle the flow of energy to millions across the continent, an act of “blackmail,” some leaders said, designed to threaten countries into withdrawing their financial and military support for Ukraine.
But now, after months of investigation, numerous officials privately say that Russia may not be to blame after all for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“There is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage,” said one European official, echoing the assessment of 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed in recent weeks.
Read the full story here.
After explosions in late September severely damaged undersea pipelines built to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe, world leaders quickly blamed Moscow for a brazen and dangerous act of sabotage. With winter approaching, it appeared the Kremlin intended to strangle the flow of energy to millions across the continent, an act of “blackmail,” some leaders said, designed to threaten countries into withdrawing their financial and military support for Ukraine.
But now, after months of investigation, numerous officials privately say that Russia may not be to blame after all for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“There is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage,” said one European official, echoing the assessment of 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed in recent weeks.
Read the full story here.
Biden administration to send Patriot missile system to Ukraine
The Biden administration will send to Ukraine the most advanced air defense weapon in its arsenal, the Patriot missile system, a senior administration official said late Tuesday, marking the most significant addition to American military support for the government in Kyiv in months.
The Patriot is to be included in a new $2 billion package of weapons that President Biden plans to unveil Wednesday, marking the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington, said the official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity in advance of a formal announcement.
The visit, during which Zelensky will visit Biden at the White House and address a joint session of Congress, comes as Russia carries out a relentless campaign of airstrikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and electrical grid, which has plunged much of the country into darkness.
Read the full story here.
The Biden administration will send to Ukraine the most advanced air defense weapon in its arsenal, the Patriot missile system, a senior administration official said late Tuesday, marking the most significant addition to American military support for the government in Kyiv in months.
The Patriot is to be included in a new $2 billion package of weapons that President Biden plans to unveil Wednesday, marking the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington, said the official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity in advance of a formal announcement.
The visit, during which Zelensky will visit Biden at the White House and address a joint session of Congress, comes as Russia carries out a relentless campaign of airstrikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and electrical grid, which has plunged much of the country into darkness.
Read the full story here.
Nearly 1,000 faith leaders call for Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine
Nearly 1,000 U.S. faith leaders are calling for a Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington on Wednesday, 10 months after Russia’s invasion.
The leaders, who represent a broad range of faiths, said in a statement that they hoped a temporary truce could lead to the negotiation of permanent peace.
“As people of faith and conscience, believing in the sanctity of all life on this planet, we call for a Christmas Truce in Ukraine,” the statement reads. “In the spirit of the truce that occurred in 1914 during the First World War, we urge our government to take a leadership role in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end through supporting calls for a ceasefire and negotiated settlement, before the conflict results in a nuclear war that could devastate the world’s ecosystems and annihilate all of God’s creation.”
Read the full story here.
Nearly 1,000 U.S. faith leaders are calling for a Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington on Wednesday, 10 months after Russia’s invasion.
The leaders, who represent a broad range of faiths, said in a statement that they hoped a temporary truce could lead to the negotiation of permanent peace.
“As people of faith and conscience, believing in the sanctity of all life on this planet, we call for a Christmas Truce in Ukraine,” the statement reads. “In the spirit of the truce that occurred in 1914 during the First World War, we urge our government to take a leadership role in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end through supporting calls for a ceasefire and negotiated settlement, before the conflict results in a nuclear war that could devastate the world’s ecosystems and annihilate all of God’s creation.”
Read the full story here.
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Zelensky presents Biden with medal in Oval Office meeting
President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky entered the Oval Office around 2.15 p.m., according to a White House pool report.
“I’m delighted you could make the trip,” Biden told Zelensky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “escalating his assaults on civilians” and trying to “use winter as a weapon,” Biden added. “We will support Ukraine pursuing a just peace.”
Zelensky told Biden he had wanted to visit the United States earlier and expressed “all my appreciations from my heart and from the heart of all Ukrainians” to Biden, the U.S. Congress and “ordinary people” in the United States for their support.
Zelensky also awarded Biden a medal from a Ukrainian soldier who had asked Zelensky to give it to “a very brave president.”
More live updates here.
President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky entered the Oval Office around 2.15 p.m., according to a White House pool report.
“I’m delighted you could make the trip,” Biden told Zelensky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “escalating his assaults on civilians” and trying to “use winter as a weapon,” Biden added. “We will support Ukraine pursuing a just peace.”
Zelensky told Biden he had wanted to visit the United States earlier and expressed “all my appreciations from my heart and from the heart of all Ukrainians” to Biden, the U.S. Congress and “ordinary people” in the United States for their support.
Zelensky also awarded Biden a medal from a Ukrainian soldier who had asked Zelensky to give it to “a very brave president.”
More live updates here.
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In Washington, Zelensky seeks to rally support for grueling war with Russia
President Zelensky made an impassioned and emotional plea to Congress on Wednesday for continued American support against Russia’s unrelenting assault, speaking personally and passionately about why Ukraine needed more aid and weapons to lawmakers whose ranks include some vocal skeptics of future reinforcements.
Watch highlights from the address.
President Zelensky made an impassioned and emotional plea to Congress on Wednesday for continued American support against Russia’s unrelenting assault, speaking personally and passionately about why Ukraine needed more aid and weapons to lawmakers whose ranks include some vocal skeptics of future reinforcements.
Watch highlights from the address.
In Washington, Zelensky seeks to rally support for grueling war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned and emotional plea to Congress on Wednesday for continued American support against Russia’s unrelenting assault, speaking personally and passionately about why Ukraine needed more aid and weapons to lawmakers whose ranks include some vocal skeptics of future reinforcements.
Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress came after he met with President Biden during an extraordinary day in Washington that marked the Ukrainian leader’s first international trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. The two projected a united front at the White House, and both men issued blistering rebukes of Russia as they sought to rally support for a long and grueling war.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an impassioned and emotional plea to Congress on Wednesday for continued American support against Russia’s unrelenting assault, speaking personally and passionately about why Ukraine needed more aid and weapons to lawmakers whose ranks include some vocal skeptics of future reinforcements.
Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress came after he met with President Biden during an extraordinary day in Washington that marked the Ukrainian leader’s first international trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. The two projected a united front at the White House, and both men issued blistering rebukes of Russia as they sought to rally support for a long and grueling war.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Both Biden and Zelensky cast Ukraine’s fight as a broader one that was important for democracies around the world.
- Biden announced a new $1.85 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that will include the Patriot missile system, the most advanced air-defense weapon in the American arsenal and one of Ukraine’s top requests.
- Both Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on their colleagues to approve additional aid to Ukraine.
- Russia’s ambassador to Washington said the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington D.C. “showed that neither the administration nor Zelensky are ready for peace.”
Follow our live updates here.
- Both Biden and Zelensky cast Ukraine’s fight as a broader one that was important for democracies around the world.
- Biden announced a new $1.85 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that will include the Patriot missile system, the most advanced air-defense weapon in the American arsenal and one of Ukraine’s top requests.
- Both Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on their colleagues to approve additional aid to Ukraine.
- Russia’s ambassador to Washington said the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington D.C. “showed that neither the administration nor Zelensky are ready for peace.”
Follow our live updates here.
Amid a show of unity, Zelensky and Biden differ on some war needs
Beyond the sincere expressions of Ukrainian gratitude and firm pledges of ongoing American support, President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Biden came together Wednesday with specific, and sometimes differing, goals for their meeting.
With a $47 billion U.S. aid package requested by Biden for 2023, both were keen to solidify support from the new, Republican-led House that takes over next month. It was important, a senior administration official said, for Zelensky to use his considerable in-person charisma in making the case to lawmakers “about how this really is a struggle for democracy.”
For Zelensky himself, the objective centered on appeals for more powerful weapons to enhance Ukraine’s ability to launch major offensives against entrenched Russian forces in the coming year. There was little indication that he succeeded, at least in the short term.
Read the full story here.
Beyond the sincere expressions of Ukrainian gratitude and firm pledges of ongoing American support, President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Biden came together Wednesday with specific, and sometimes differing, goals for their meeting.
With a $47 billion U.S. aid package requested by Biden for 2023, both were keen to solidify support from the new, Republican-led House that takes over next month. It was important, a senior administration official said, for Zelensky to use his considerable in-person charisma in making the case to lawmakers “about how this really is a struggle for democracy.”
For Zelensky himself, the objective centered on appeals for more powerful weapons to enhance Ukraine’s ability to launch major offensives against entrenched Russian forces in the coming year. There was little indication that he succeeded, at least in the short term.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- After nearly 10 months of war, but referring to the brutal invasion of Ukraine instead as “a special military operation,” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday finally called it a “war” for the first time, setting off an uproar among antiwar Russians who have been prosecuted for challenging the Kremlin-approved euphemism.
- “Our goal is not to spin this flywheel of a military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war,” Putin said during a televised news conference on Thursday.
- In his remarks on Thursday, Putin dismissed the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with its most advanced air defense weapon, the Patriot missile system.
- Putin described the move as an insignificant development. “Patriot is a rather old system and does not work like our S-300,” He said, referring to Russia’s mainstay air defense system. “We’lll just keep it in mind and there will be an antidote,” Putin said. “We’ll knock down Patriots.”
Read the full story here.
- After nearly 10 months of war, but referring to the brutal invasion of Ukraine instead as “a special military operation,” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday finally called it a “war” for the first time, setting off an uproar among antiwar Russians who have been prosecuted for challenging the Kremlin-approved euphemism.
- “Our goal is not to spin this flywheel of a military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war,” Putin said during a televised news conference on Thursday.
- In his remarks on Thursday, Putin dismissed the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with its most advanced air defense weapon, the Patriot missile system.
- Putin described the move as an insignificant development. “Patriot is a rather old system and does not work like our S-300,” He said, referring to Russia’s mainstay air defense system. “We’lll just keep it in mind and there will be an antidote,” Putin said. “We’ll knock down Patriots.”
Read the full story here.
Here are the latest battleground updates from Ukraine:
- North Korea has sold, and delivered, infantry rockets and missiles directly to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, a private army controlled by a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin’s that is playing an increasingly critical role in the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration said Thursday.
- The capital Kyiv is still seeing the worst power supply issues in Ukraine, the head of the local grid operator said overnight.
- Russia launched attacks in 16 settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of southeastern Ukraine, the general staff of the country’s armed forces said in its daily update Thursday. According to its spokesman, Russia also launched six missile and 15 airstrikes over the past day, including on civilian “objects” in the Zaporizhzhia region. The Post is unable to verify the reports.
Follow our live updates here.
- North Korea has sold, and delivered, infantry rockets and missiles directly to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, a private army controlled by a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin’s that is playing an increasingly critical role in the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration said Thursday.
- The capital Kyiv is still seeing the worst power supply issues in Ukraine, the head of the local grid operator said overnight.
- Russia launched attacks in 16 settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of southeastern Ukraine, the general staff of the country’s armed forces said in its daily update Thursday. According to its spokesman, Russia also launched six missile and 15 airstrikes over the past day, including on civilian “objects” in the Zaporizhzhia region. The Post is unable to verify the reports.
Follow our live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Wagner forces have been particularly active in and around the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, Kirby said Thursday, adding that 40,000 of the estimated 50,000 Wagner forces fighting in Ukraine are convicts directly recruited from Russian prisons.
- The House of Representatives will on Friday vote on a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, which includes $44.9 billion in emergency military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The package was approved by the Senate on Thursday.
- Zelensky met with President of Poland Andrzej Duda for two hours on his way back from his trip to the United States.
- Putin publicly called his invasion of Ukraine a “war” for the first time on Thursday.
Follow our live updates here.
- Wagner forces have been particularly active in and around the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, Kirby said Thursday, adding that 40,000 of the estimated 50,000 Wagner forces fighting in Ukraine are convicts directly recruited from Russian prisons.
- The House of Representatives will on Friday vote on a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, which includes $44.9 billion in emergency military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The package was approved by the Senate on Thursday.
- Zelensky met with President of Poland Andrzej Duda for two hours on his way back from his trip to the United States.
- Putin publicly called his invasion of Ukraine a “war” for the first time on Thursday.
Follow our live updates here.
She fled Russian occupation by boat. Minutes later, she was shot.
KHERSON, Ukraine — For weeks, Dmytro Matiukha had urged his in-laws to leave their cottage on the east bank of the Dnieper River.
The shelling was getting worse on the Russian-occupied island where they lived, and the couple had lost power in their home. So over the weekend, when Ukrainian officials encouraged residents to flee across the river to the liberated city of Kherson, Matiukha’s in-laws decided to make the trip.
Matiukha told them to be careful, he recalled, and waited in his car to pick them up on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the river. But just minutes after they left on Sunday, Matiukha received a call from his father-in-law.
“Mom was hit,” said Vladyslav Svitlov, 76. “What do I do?”
Read the full story here.
KHERSON, Ukraine — For weeks, Dmytro Matiukha had urged his in-laws to leave their cottage on the east bank of the Dnieper River.
The shelling was getting worse on the Russian-occupied island where they lived, and the couple had lost power in their home. So over the weekend, when Ukrainian officials encouraged residents to flee across the river to the liberated city of Kherson, Matiukha’s in-laws decided to make the trip.
Matiukha told them to be careful, he recalled, and waited in his car to pick them up on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the river. But just minutes after they left on Sunday, Matiukha received a call from his father-in-law.
“Mom was hit,” said Vladyslav Svitlov, 76. “What do I do?”
Read the full story here.
Wagner mercenaries buy North Korean missiles for use in Ukraine war
North Korea has sold, and delivered, infantry rockets and missiles directly to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, a private army controlled by a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin’s that is playing an increasingly critical role in the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration said Thursday.
Wagner forces have been particularly active in and around the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, where the front line has barely moved in months of heavy fighting and where they are suffering heavy casualties, said John Kirby, the communications coordinator for the National Security Council.
Read the full story here.
North Korea has sold, and delivered, infantry rockets and missiles directly to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, a private army controlled by a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin’s that is playing an increasingly critical role in the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration said Thursday.
Wagner forces have been particularly active in and around the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, where the front line has barely moved in months of heavy fighting and where they are suffering heavy casualties, said John Kirby, the communications coordinator for the National Security Council.
Read the full story here.