Video of alleged POW killing angers and inspires Ukrainians
A weary man in combat fatigues, a Ukrainian flag on his arm, smokes a cigarette. He stands over a ditch in the woods, looking toward the camera.
“Well, start taking the video now,” an off-screen voice says in Russian.
“Glory to Ukraine!” the smoker responds, in Ukrainian.
A split-second later: gunshots. The smoker drops to the ground, dead. Two off-camera voices curse him in Russian.
This pixelated clip, just 12 seconds long, appears to show the execution of a Ukrainian prisoner of war. As it spread on social media, going viral on Monday, it ignited fierce anger in Ukraine, where officials and other public figures have said it shows the cruelty of invading Russian forces and reinforces the need for a war crimes investigation for flagrant violations of the Geneva Conventions.
Read the full story here.
A weary man in combat fatigues, a Ukrainian flag on his arm, smokes a cigarette. He stands over a ditch in the woods, looking toward the camera.
“Well, start taking the video now,” an off-screen voice says in Russian.
“Glory to Ukraine!” the smoker responds, in Ukrainian.
A split-second later: gunshots. The smoker drops to the ground, dead. Two off-camera voices curse him in Russian.
This pixelated clip, just 12 seconds long, appears to show the execution of a Ukrainian prisoner of war. As it spread on social media, going viral on Monday, it ignited fierce anger in Ukraine, where officials and other public figures have said it shows the cruelty of invading Russian forces and reinforces the need for a war crimes investigation for flagrant violations of the Geneva Conventions.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Kyiv denied involvement in the September explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, after Western diplomats and intelligence officials said they suspect that pro-Ukraine saboteurs may have been behind the blasts.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Washington of commenting on the blasts while refusing to carry out a full investigation.
- European Union defense ministers gathered Wednesday in Sweden for talks over support for Kyiv.
- The E.U. military assistance mission to Ukraine will have trained more than 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of this month, Borrell told reporters, and expects to train 30,000 by the end of this year.
- Stoltenberg said Moscow could soon take control of Bakhmut.
- The head of the Wagner mercenary group claimed that his forces have taken control of the “entire eastern part” of Bakhmut, which has been at the center of intense fighting.
More live updates here.
- Kyiv denied involvement in the September explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, after Western diplomats and intelligence officials said they suspect that pro-Ukraine saboteurs may have been behind the blasts.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Washington of commenting on the blasts while refusing to carry out a full investigation.
- European Union defense ministers gathered Wednesday in Sweden for talks over support for Kyiv.
- The E.U. military assistance mission to Ukraine will have trained more than 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of this month, Borrell told reporters, and expects to train 30,000 by the end of this year.
- Stoltenberg said Moscow could soon take control of Bakhmut.
- The head of the Wagner mercenary group claimed that his forces have taken control of the “entire eastern part” of Bakhmut, which has been at the center of intense fighting.
More live updates here.
Breaking news: Missile attacks hit cities across Ukraine
- Missiles rained down and blasts went off across Ukraine early Thursday. Russian missiles struck the Kharkiv region 15 times, the governor said on Telegram, while officials in Odessa said that they were experiencing a “massive” missile attack, with no casualties reported so far.
- In Kyiv, air raid alerts blared for more than four hours, the Kyiv regional military administration said on Telegram.
- There were strikes on critical infrastructure and residential buildings in both Kharkiv and Odessa. Officials in Kharkiv are working to determine whether there were casualties. In Odessa, the government said they’ve intercepted missiles but cautioned residents to stay in shelters ahead of a second wave of attacks.
More live updates here.
- Missiles rained down and blasts went off across Ukraine early Thursday. Russian missiles struck the Kharkiv region 15 times, the governor said on Telegram, while officials in Odessa said that they were experiencing a “massive” missile attack, with no casualties reported so far.
- In Kyiv, air raid alerts blared for more than four hours, the Kyiv regional military administration said on Telegram.
- There were strikes on critical infrastructure and residential buildings in both Kharkiv and Odessa. Officials in Kharkiv are working to determine whether there were casualties. In Odessa, the government said they’ve intercepted missiles but cautioned residents to stay in shelters ahead of a second wave of attacks.
More live updates here.
Russia eyes pressure tactics to lure fleeing tech workers home
RIGA, Latvia — The bank worker logs into work each day around noon — 8 a.m. in Moscow — from his rental in Southeast Asia, where he enjoys tropical greenery, warm, humid air and, most important, more than 2,000 of miles of physical distance from the nearest Russian military enlistment office.
His employer, Sberbank, thinks he is home in the Russian capital, thanks to a reprogrammed router blinking in the corner, which always assigns his laptop a Russian IP address to trick the corporate systems.
The bank worker, who is in his late-20s, is one of thousands of highly skilled workers who sought safer havens in response to the war in Ukraine, and whom Russia is trying to coax home with a mix of incentives and threats. More and more the emphasis is on the threats, including potential dismissal for unauthorized remote work abroad.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — The bank worker logs into work each day around noon — 8 a.m. in Moscow — from his rental in Southeast Asia, where he enjoys tropical greenery, warm, humid air and, most important, more than 2,000 of miles of physical distance from the nearest Russian military enlistment office.
His employer, Sberbank, thinks he is home in the Russian capital, thanks to a reprogrammed router blinking in the corner, which always assigns his laptop a Russian IP address to trick the corporate systems.
The bank worker, who is in his late-20s, is one of thousands of highly skilled workers who sought safer havens in response to the war in Ukraine, and whom Russia is trying to coax home with a mix of incentives and threats. More and more the emphasis is on the threats, including potential dismissal for unauthorized remote work abroad.
Read the full story here.
Russia fires barrage of hypersonic missiles, piercing Ukrainian air defenses
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine early Thursday — including hypersonic missiles that Ukrainian air defense cannot intercept — killing at least six people and damaging critical infrastructure or residential buildings in 10 regions, including the capital.
At least five of the dead were killed at home in a village in the western Lviv region, far from the front line combat zones in the east. Two people were wounded in Kyiv, the capital.
Ukrainian officials also said the strikes cut off the last remaining external power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is located in territory occupied by Russia, forcing the plant, Europe’s largest, to rely on generator power.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine early Thursday — including hypersonic missiles that Ukrainian air defense cannot intercept — killing at least six people and damaging critical infrastructure or residential buildings in 10 regions, including the capital.
At least five of the dead were killed at home in a village in the western Lviv region, far from the front line combat zones in the east. Two people were wounded in Kyiv, the capital.
Ukrainian officials also said the strikes cut off the last remaining external power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is located in territory occupied by Russia, forcing the plant, Europe’s largest, to rely on generator power.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Russian strikes killed five people in the region of Lviv and another in the Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.
- The strikes plunged the homes of tens of thousands of Ukrainians into darkness.
- Russia used Kinzhal hypersonic weapons in the missile attack, Ukraine’s armed forces said and Russia’s defense ministry confirmed.
- The strikes forced the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to run on emergency power for the sixth time since Russia’s invasion, prompting the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency to urge immediate action.
- The U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on five Chinese companies and one Chinese individual for their roles in supplying aerospace parts that could be used in Iranian drones, which Russia has deployed in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- The Russian strikes killed five people in the region of Lviv and another in the Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.
- The strikes plunged the homes of tens of thousands of Ukrainians into darkness.
- Russia used Kinzhal hypersonic weapons in the missile attack, Ukraine’s armed forces said and Russia’s defense ministry confirmed.
- The strikes forced the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to run on emergency power for the sixth time since Russia’s invasion, prompting the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency to urge immediate action.
- The U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on five Chinese companies and one Chinese individual for their roles in supplying aerospace parts that could be used in Iranian drones, which Russia has deployed in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s military warned early Friday that the threat of a Russian missile attack remained high, a day after the Kremlin launched a barrage of missiles and confirmed its use of hypersonic weapons.
- Repair crews are working to restore power and water supply in parts of the country after the attack hit critical infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
- The Kremlin described Thursday’s assault as retaliation against an attack in Russia near the border, which Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed on Ukraine last week. Kyiv denied responsibility for what Russian authorities described as an incursion in which fighters crossed from Ukraine, killing two people.
- The missile strikes cut off power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for 11 hours, forcing the facility to rely on emergency diesel power and again raising the risk of a nuclear meltdown, the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s military warned early Friday that the threat of a Russian missile attack remained high, a day after the Kremlin launched a barrage of missiles and confirmed its use of hypersonic weapons.
- Repair crews are working to restore power and water supply in parts of the country after the attack hit critical infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
- The Kremlin described Thursday’s assault as retaliation against an attack in Russia near the border, which Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed on Ukraine last week. Kyiv denied responsibility for what Russian authorities described as an incursion in which fighters crossed from Ukraine, killing two people.
- The missile strikes cut off power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for 11 hours, forcing the facility to rely on emergency diesel power and again raising the risk of a nuclear meltdown, the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday.
More live updates here.
What you need to know about Russia’s hypersonic missiles
Russia launched six hypersonic missiles in the barrage of missiles and drones it unleashed across Ukraine early Thursday, the Ukrainian military said and Russia’s defense ministry confirmed.
Moscow first fired the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on Ukraine last March and have used them several times since. Ukrainian officials say their air defenses are unable to stop them. In January, Ukrainian officials blamed one of the missiles for the deadly strike on a residential building in Dnipro that killed at least 46 people.
Arms specialists and the U.S. and U.K. governments have downplayed Russia’s hypersonic abilities — and the degree to which their use on the battlefield matters.
What are these missiles? Read more here.
Russia launched six hypersonic missiles in the barrage of missiles and drones it unleashed across Ukraine early Thursday, the Ukrainian military said and Russia’s defense ministry confirmed.
Moscow first fired the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on Ukraine last March and have used them several times since. Ukrainian officials say their air defenses are unable to stop them. In January, Ukrainian officials blamed one of the missiles for the deadly strike on a residential building in Dnipro that killed at least 46 people.
Arms specialists and the U.S. and U.K. governments have downplayed Russia’s hypersonic abilities — and the degree to which their use on the battlefield matters.
What are these missiles? Read more here.
Traumatic stress, an invisible wound, hobbles Ukrainian soldiers
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — After more than a year of war, Ukrainian soldiers are experiencing intense symptoms of psychological stress, including nightmares, poor sleep, guilt, anxiety and panic attacks, according to interviews with troops across Ukraine and psychologists treating them. Some soldiers have turned their weapons on themselves, dying by suicide. Others are suffering quietly in hospitals and on military bases, during visits home and on the front lines, where they face a constant threat of Russian attacks even as their symptoms are triggered or worsened by concussions from artillery shelling.
The problem is debilitating, widespread and excruciatingly difficult to treat in a country that is under constant threat of attack. Although often invisible, widespread fatigue and mental trauma among soldiers is yet another difficult challenge Ukraine’s military must confront.
Read the full story here.
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — After more than a year of war, Ukrainian soldiers are experiencing intense symptoms of psychological stress, including nightmares, poor sleep, guilt, anxiety and panic attacks, according to interviews with troops across Ukraine and psychologists treating them. Some soldiers have turned their weapons on themselves, dying by suicide. Others are suffering quietly in hospitals and on military bases, during visits home and on the front lines, where they face a constant threat of Russian attacks even as their symptoms are triggered or worsened by concussions from artillery shelling.
The problem is debilitating, widespread and excruciatingly difficult to treat in a country that is under constant threat of attack. Although often invisible, widespread fatigue and mental trauma among soldiers is yet another difficult challenge Ukraine’s military must confront.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s military warned Friday that the threat of a Russian missile attack remains high, a day after the Kremlin launched a barrage of missiles and confirmed its use of hypersonic weapons.
- Ukraine’s battle for Bakhmut is “exceeding its key tasks,” including draining Russian resources ahead of a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive, said an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- The United States believes Russia is seeking to weaken Moldova’s government with the “eventual goal” of producing a pro-Moscow administration, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told reporters in a briefing Friday.
- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin made a surprise visit Friday to Kyiv, where she met with Zelensky and visited a military hospital. “Ukraine needs both humanitarian and financial support, and above all, weapons and heavier armament,” she said at a news conference.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s military warned Friday that the threat of a Russian missile attack remains high, a day after the Kremlin launched a barrage of missiles and confirmed its use of hypersonic weapons.
- Ukraine’s battle for Bakhmut is “exceeding its key tasks,” including draining Russian resources ahead of a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive, said an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- The United States believes Russia is seeking to weaken Moldova’s government with the “eventual goal” of producing a pro-Moscow administration, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told reporters in a briefing Friday.
- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin made a surprise visit Friday to Kyiv, where she met with Zelensky and visited a military hospital. “Ukraine needs both humanitarian and financial support, and above all, weapons and heavier armament,” she said at a news conference.
More live updates here.
Russia’s hypersonic missile attack on Ukraine highlights Western vulnerability
Russia fired a half-dozen of its rare Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, part of a broader barrage that killed six people and which the Russian Defense Ministry described as revenge for an incursion into western Russia last week by a far-right Russian nationalist group fighting for Ukraine.
The use of the Kinzhals raised questions about the potential waste of some of Russia’s most expensive weaponry in an attack that appeared to make no difference in the trajectory of the war.
“The electricity was lost for several hours in a number of Ukrainian cities and trains were late,” Grey Zone, a Telegram channel associated with Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, noted sardonically.
Russia’s use of the hypersonic missiles renewed alarm over the Kremlin’s arsenal, and it highlighted that Putin has difficult-to-intercept, nuclear-capable weapons that the United States and its allies do not possess.
Read the full story here.
Russia fired a half-dozen of its rare Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, part of a broader barrage that killed six people and which the Russian Defense Ministry described as revenge for an incursion into western Russia last week by a far-right Russian nationalist group fighting for Ukraine.
The use of the Kinzhals raised questions about the potential waste of some of Russia’s most expensive weaponry in an attack that appeared to make no difference in the trajectory of the war.
“The electricity was lost for several hours in a number of Ukrainian cities and trains were late,” Grey Zone, a Telegram channel associated with Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, noted sardonically.
Russia’s use of the hypersonic missiles renewed alarm over the Kremlin’s arsenal, and it highlighted that Putin has difficult-to-intercept, nuclear-capable weapons that the United States and its allies do not possess.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
In Kharkiv, power has been returned to critical infrastructure and 65 percent of consumers have electricity, the regional governor said Friday. But in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr, things are “still not easy,” Zelensky noted in his nightly address.
Zelensky and thousands of Ukrainians on Friday mourned Jr. Lt. Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo, who was killed by Russians near Bakhmut this week. The 27-year-old was the youngest battalion commander in the Ukrainian army and had fought Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Kyiv ordered the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave a monastery where its headquarters is located. Ukraine’s culture minister said on Telegram that the church — which only recently declared independence from the pro-war Moscow Patriarch — “violated the terms of the agreement regarding the use of state property.”
Read more updates
In Kharkiv, power has been returned to critical infrastructure and 65 percent of consumers have electricity, the regional governor said Friday. But in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr, things are “still not easy,” Zelensky noted in his nightly address.
Zelensky and thousands of Ukrainians on Friday mourned Jr. Lt. Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo, who was killed by Russians near Bakhmut this week. The 27-year-old was the youngest battalion commander in the Ukrainian army and had fought Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Kyiv ordered the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave a monastery where its headquarters is located. Ukraine’s culture minister said on Telegram that the church — which only recently declared independence from the pro-war Moscow Patriarch — “violated the terms of the agreement regarding the use of state property.”
Read more updates
In race to arm Ukraine, U.S. faces cracks in its manufacturing might
The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, one of a network of facilities involved in producing the U.S. Army’s 155-mm artillery round, is ground zero for the Biden administration’s scramble to accelerate the supply of weapons that Ukraine needs if its military is to prevail in the war with Russia.
The Pentagon’s plan for scaling up production of the shells over the next two years marks a breakthrough in the effort to quench Ukraine’s thirst for weapons. But the conflict has laid bare deep-seated problems that the United States must surmount to effectively manufacture the arms required not just to aid its allies but also for America’s self-defense should conflict erupt with Russia, China or another major power.
Read the full story here.
The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, one of a network of facilities involved in producing the U.S. Army’s 155-mm artillery round, is ground zero for the Biden administration’s scramble to accelerate the supply of weapons that Ukraine needs if its military is to prevail in the war with Russia.
The Pentagon’s plan for scaling up production of the shells over the next two years marks a breakthrough in the effort to quench Ukraine’s thirst for weapons. But the conflict has laid bare deep-seated problems that the United States must surmount to effectively manufacture the arms required not just to aid its allies but also for America’s self-defense should conflict erupt with Russia, China or another major power.
Read the full story here.