Along front-line river, this deadly road shows toll of Russia’s war
ALONG THE SOUTHERN DNIEPER RIVER, Ukraine — Only the water keeps them apart.
Russian soldiers — pushed into retreat by a counteroffensive late last year — control the east bank of the mighty Dnieper River. Ukrainians control the west.
As Ukraine awaits new tanks from the United States and Europe, and fighting rages over strategic towns in the east, a war of attrition is underway in this southern battleground. The river limits territorial advances, permitting — for now at least — only destruction from a distance.
Read the full story here.
ALONG THE SOUTHERN DNIEPER RIVER, Ukraine — Only the water keeps them apart.
Russian soldiers — pushed into retreat by a counteroffensive late last year — control the east bank of the mighty Dnieper River. Ukrainians control the west.
As Ukraine awaits new tanks from the United States and Europe, and fighting rages over strategic towns in the east, a war of attrition is underway in this southern battleground. The river limits territorial advances, permitting — for now at least — only destruction from a distance.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, undertook "a series of large-scale and investigative measures aimed at fighting the internal enemy,” which included dozens of searches across the country, it said in a news release Wednesday.
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Russia is preparing to hold elections in the Ukrainian territories it occupies, Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko told reporters Wednesday.
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said.
- Russian shelling in Kherson resulted in civilian casualties, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged in Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported early Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, undertook "a series of large-scale and investigative measures aimed at fighting the internal enemy,” which included dozens of searches across the country, it said in a news release Wednesday.
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Russia is preparing to hold elections in the Ukrainian territories it occupies, Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko told reporters Wednesday.
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said.
- Russian shelling in Kherson resulted in civilian casualties, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged in Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported early Wednesday.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- President Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive after Ukrainian authorities raided multiple locations tied to incumbent and past members of government. The push comes days ahead of a summit in Kyiv between Ukraine and the E.U.
- The former head of procurement at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was charged with embezzlement for allegedly buying nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests of inadequate quality for more than $2.7 million.
- Russia may launch an offensive on or around Feb. 24, the anniversary of the start of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
- At least three were killed in Kramatorsk in a missile strike on a residential building, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The building was “completely destroyed” by a Russian missile, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
- France is supplying Ukraine with air defense radar systems to track incoming missiles and drones in the area around Kyiv.
More live updates here.
- President Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive after Ukrainian authorities raided multiple locations tied to incumbent and past members of government. The push comes days ahead of a summit in Kyiv between Ukraine and the E.U.
- The former head of procurement at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was charged with embezzlement for allegedly buying nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests of inadequate quality for more than $2.7 million.
- Russia may launch an offensive on or around Feb. 24, the anniversary of the start of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
- At least three were killed in Kramatorsk in a missile strike on a residential building, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The building was “completely destroyed” by a Russian missile, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
- France is supplying Ukraine with air defense radar systems to track incoming missiles and drones in the area around Kyiv.
More live updates here.
In visit to wartime Kyiv, E.U. sells ‘European dream’ that remains distant
Ukrainian officials have a long list of requests for their European allies this week: fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to fend off a looming Russian offensive, E.U. membership within a few years, legal mechanisms to hold Russians to account, and a plan to use seized Russian assets for reconstruction.
But a group of senior E.U. officials trekking to Kyiv, Ukraine, this week are unlikely to offer concrete promises on any of these. Instead, an unusual, wartime summit in Kyiv is expected to just yield a statement lauding Ukraine’s efforts and urging the country to continue reforms, as well progress on issues like roaming-free mobile access. That, and photo ops.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian officials have a long list of requests for their European allies this week: fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to fend off a looming Russian offensive, E.U. membership within a few years, legal mechanisms to hold Russians to account, and a plan to use seized Russian assets for reconstruction.
But a group of senior E.U. officials trekking to Kyiv, Ukraine, this week are unlikely to offer concrete promises on any of these. Instead, an unusual, wartime summit in Kyiv is expected to just yield a statement lauding Ukraine’s efforts and urging the country to continue reforms, as well progress on issues like roaming-free mobile access. That, and photo ops.
Read the full story here.
Russia defies pariah image with diplomatic blitz ahead of war anniversary
Russia has launched a broad diplomatic blitz to counter its image as a pariah state in the run-up to the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, which severed Moscow’s ties with the West and even alarmed some of the Kremlin’s traditional allies.
In the past week, President Vladimir Putin phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to coordinate goals for Wednesday’s OPEC Plus meeting of oil producers, showing it’s still a player in oil markets. The government also said it was expecting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with counterparts from Egypt and Pakistan, after returning from diplomatic trip crisscrossing Africa.
Read the full story here.
Russia has launched a broad diplomatic blitz to counter its image as a pariah state in the run-up to the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, which severed Moscow’s ties with the West and even alarmed some of the Kremlin’s traditional allies.
In the past week, President Vladimir Putin phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to coordinate goals for Wednesday’s OPEC Plus meeting of oil producers, showing it’s still a player in oil markets. The government also said it was expecting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with counterparts from Egypt and Pakistan, after returning from diplomatic trip crisscrossing Africa.
Read the full story here.
Kramatorsk strike kills three
Senior European officials arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, in what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted was a demonstration “that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever.” The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced that the bloc would double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it trains, and it pledged around $27 million to fund demining efforts.
E.U. leaders will take part in a wartime summit with Ukraine on Friday, which Kyiv hopes will help its bid to become a member of the bloc. However, E.U. officials are unlikely to offer Ukraine any concrete promises during the meeting, and full membership is likely to be years, if not decades, away.
Two more Russian missiles hit a residential area of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, according to a local official. At least three people were killed Wednesday night in a missile strike that destroyed a residential building, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
Read the full story here.
Senior European officials arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, in what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted was a demonstration “that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever.” The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced that the bloc would double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it trains, and it pledged around $27 million to fund demining efforts.
E.U. leaders will take part in a wartime summit with Ukraine on Friday, which Kyiv hopes will help its bid to become a member of the bloc. However, E.U. officials are unlikely to offer Ukraine any concrete promises during the meeting, and full membership is likely to be years, if not decades, away.
Two more Russian missiles hit a residential area of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, according to a local official. At least three people were killed Wednesday night in a missile strike that destroyed a residential building, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while noting that it was the fourth time she has visited Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
- Von der Leyen said an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive as “movement toward justice,” after the home of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and construction companies were raided in Kyiv and top officials were investigated and dismissed Wednesday.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets during his visit to the Philippines.
- Russia’s foreign minister appeared to suggest that Moscow would need to launch an offensive in response to the Western supply of weapons in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while noting that it was the fourth time she has visited Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
- Von der Leyen said an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive as “movement toward justice,” after the home of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and construction companies were raided in Kyiv and top officials were investigated and dismissed Wednesday.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets during his visit to the Philippines.
- Russia’s foreign minister appeared to suggest that Moscow would need to launch an offensive in response to the Western supply of weapons in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday in his nightly address that Russia’s strategic defeat is “already clear,” though he acknowledged it could still launch offensive operations.
- The same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin described his invasion of Ukraine as akin to the Soviet Union’s struggle against Nazi Germany in World War II. He made the comment during a speech in Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, the site of a Soviet victory over invading German forces that marked a turning point in that war.
- Russian forces have intensified ground attacks on Ukrainian positions near Kreminna, an eastern Ukrainian town about 60 miles from the Russian border, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, citing reports from the Ukrainian military.
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday in his nightly address that Russia’s strategic defeat is “already clear,” though he acknowledged it could still launch offensive operations.
- The same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin described his invasion of Ukraine as akin to the Soviet Union’s struggle against Nazi Germany in World War II. He made the comment during a speech in Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, the site of a Soviet victory over invading German forces that marked a turning point in that war.
- Russian forces have intensified ground attacks on Ukrainian positions near Kreminna, an eastern Ukrainian town about 60 miles from the Russian border, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, citing reports from the Ukrainian military.
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
More live updates here.
Celebrating Stalingrad, Putin tries to justify his Ukraine war
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday evoked Red Army glory in World War II in an attempt to justify his war in Ukraine. In a fiery speech, Putin drew false parallels, claiming that Russia was once again in a military conflict with Germany and would again triumph over its enemies.
“Unfortunately, we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country,” Putin told a group of soldiers and members of local patriotic groups.
The Battle of Stalingrad is regarded as the most crucial standoff between the Soviet army and Nazi Germany, one that is credited with turning the tide of the war.
Putin insisted that Russia would win its current war. “Russia is confident in itself, in its rightness and victory,” he said.
Read the full story here.
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday evoked Red Army glory in World War II in an attempt to justify his war in Ukraine. In a fiery speech, Putin drew false parallels, claiming that Russia was once again in a military conflict with Germany and would again triumph over its enemies.
“Unfortunately, we see that the ideology of Nazism in its modern form and manifestation again directly threatens the security of our country,” Putin told a group of soldiers and members of local patriotic groups.
The Battle of Stalingrad is regarded as the most crucial standoff between the Soviet army and Nazi Germany, one that is credited with turning the tide of the war.
Putin insisted that Russia would win its current war. “Russia is confident in itself, in its rightness and victory,” he said.
Read the full story here.
Biden’s ‘no’ on F-16s for Ukraine met with skepticism in Pentagon
President Biden’s brusque refusal to fulfill Ukraine’s request for F-16 jets has been greeted with skepticism at the Pentagon, where some officials, citing the administration’s pattern of reversal after first rejecting other pleas from Kyiv, foresee eventual approval or a scenario where American allies provide the aircraft with administration approval.
The conjecture among U.S. defense officials follows the commander in chief’s one-word response on Monday when a reporter asked if he would send F-16s to Ukraine.
One senior defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that while the Pentagon’s calculus was unlikely to shift soon, there remains a possibility that the discussion could be “M1-ed,” a reference to Biden’s recent commitment of M1 Abrams tanks after administration officials suggested for months that the arms would be too complex for Ukraine to maintain.
Read the full story here.
President Biden’s brusque refusal to fulfill Ukraine’s request for F-16 jets has been greeted with skepticism at the Pentagon, where some officials, citing the administration’s pattern of reversal after first rejecting other pleas from Kyiv, foresee eventual approval or a scenario where American allies provide the aircraft with administration approval.
The conjecture among U.S. defense officials follows the commander in chief’s one-word response on Monday when a reporter asked if he would send F-16s to Ukraine.
One senior defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that while the Pentagon’s calculus was unlikely to shift soon, there remains a possibility that the discussion could be “M1-ed,” a reference to Biden’s recent commitment of M1 Abrams tanks after administration officials suggested for months that the arms would be too complex for Ukraine to maintain.
Read the full story here.
Who’s sending what to Ukraine: A new wave of Western weapons explained
A new surge of increasingly elaborate weapons from Western countries could change the balance on the battlefield in Ukraine as Kyiv’s major backers agree to successive requests that once made them balk.
Control of terrain and fighting conditions have shifted in recent months, with Ukraine’s allies recalibrating their concerns of broader escalation with Russia. Ukraine has ramped up its calls for aid, building on the trust it gained in fighting with the Western weapons that dominated its requests earlier in the war. Those weapons include Javelin antitank missiles, drones and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.
U.S.- and European-made weapons including tanks and air defense systems are expected to complement or replace largely Soviet-era technology in use by Ukrainian forces and allow them to use ammunition manufactured in the West.
Read the full list of what allies sent to Ukraine here.
A new surge of increasingly elaborate weapons from Western countries could change the balance on the battlefield in Ukraine as Kyiv’s major backers agree to successive requests that once made them balk.
Control of terrain and fighting conditions have shifted in recent months, with Ukraine’s allies recalibrating their concerns of broader escalation with Russia. Ukraine has ramped up its calls for aid, building on the trust it gained in fighting with the Western weapons that dominated its requests earlier in the war. Those weapons include Javelin antitank missiles, drones and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.
U.S.- and European-made weapons including tanks and air defense systems are expected to complement or replace largely Soviet-era technology in use by Ukrainian forces and allow them to use ammunition manufactured in the West.
Read the full list of what allies sent to Ukraine here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- European Union leaders are in the Ukrainian capital for a summit meant to express solidarity with Ukraine and send a message to Moscow.
- A center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague, von der Leyen also said.
- Germany has issued an export license for Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Friday, without providing further details.
- Ukraine’s prosecutor general is pressing criminal charges against the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, whose private military forces are fighting alongside the Russian army.
More live updates here.
- European Union leaders are in the Ukrainian capital for a summit meant to express solidarity with Ukraine and send a message to Moscow.
- A center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague, von der Leyen also said.
- Germany has issued an export license for Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Friday, without providing further details.
- Ukraine’s prosecutor general is pressing criminal charges against the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, whose private military forces are fighting alongside the Russian army.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
—The Pentagon said Friday that it would give Ukraine longer-range rocket artillery, doubling the reach of its current munitions, amid expectations that fighting will intensify in the next few months. Ukraine will receive the ground-launched, small diameter bombs (GLSDB) as part of a new aid package worth more than $2 billion.
— Pete Reed, 33, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and medical volunteer, was killed in a front-line explosion in Bakhmut, according to his wife and Global Outreach Doctors, where he served as the country director for Ukraine.
—Hopes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s summit with European Union leaders in Kyiv would deliver fast-track E.U. accession were dashed Friday. In a joint statement, the leaders in attendance offered a “commitment to further deepening our relationship” but no further action.
Read more updates here.
—The Pentagon said Friday that it would give Ukraine longer-range rocket artillery, doubling the reach of its current munitions, amid expectations that fighting will intensify in the next few months. Ukraine will receive the ground-launched, small diameter bombs (GLSDB) as part of a new aid package worth more than $2 billion.
— Pete Reed, 33, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and medical volunteer, was killed in a front-line explosion in Bakhmut, according to his wife and Global Outreach Doctors, where he served as the country director for Ukraine.
—Hopes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s summit with European Union leaders in Kyiv would deliver fast-track E.U. accession were dashed Friday. In a joint statement, the leaders in attendance offered a “commitment to further deepening our relationship” but no further action.
Read more updates here.
Opinion | Boris Johnson: Putin has paved the way for Ukrainian membership in NATO
Well, we tried creative ambiguity, and see where it got us. For decades, we have used diplomatic doublespeak on the subject of NATO and Ukraine — and it has ended in total disaster.
We spent years telling Ukrainians that we have an “open door” policy in NATO, and that they have the right to “choose their own destiny,” and that Russia should not be able to exercise a veto.
And all that time we have overtly signaled to Moscow that Ukraine is never going to join the alliance — because so many NATO members will simply exercise their veto themselves.
In principle, yes; in practice, no. That has been the message.
Read the full opinion here.
Well, we tried creative ambiguity, and see where it got us. For decades, we have used diplomatic doublespeak on the subject of NATO and Ukraine — and it has ended in total disaster.
We spent years telling Ukrainians that we have an “open door” policy in NATO, and that they have the right to “choose their own destiny,” and that Russia should not be able to exercise a veto.
And all that time we have overtly signaled to Moscow that Ukraine is never going to join the alliance — because so many NATO members will simply exercise their veto themselves.
In principle, yes; in practice, no. That has been the message.
Read the full opinion here.