Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The delivery of the first F-16 fighter jet to Ukraine will be “one of the strongest signals from the world that Russia will only lose,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Wednesday.
- The United States is looking into reports that U.S. equipment and vehicles could have been used in the Russian region of Belgorod, White House spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.
- A fire was alleged to have broken out on a balcony at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass reported on Thursday. However, it later reported that the Ministry of Emergency Situations did not detect a fire.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Thursday. The group includes dozens of countries that provide weapons and military support to Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- The delivery of the first F-16 fighter jet to Ukraine will be “one of the strongest signals from the world that Russia will only lose,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Wednesday.
- The United States is looking into reports that U.S. equipment and vehicles could have been used in the Russian region of Belgorod, White House spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.
- A fire was alleged to have broken out on a balcony at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass reported on Thursday. However, it later reported that the Ministry of Emergency Situations did not detect a fire.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Thursday. The group includes dozens of countries that provide weapons and military support to Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Ukraine found an unlikely tool to resist Russia: Solar panels
Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s power grid plunged many parts of the country into darkness in the fall, but one water company was able to keep its pumps going. Its field of solar panels, installed as an environmentally friendly measure before the war, turned into a tool to resist the Kremlin’s attacks.
Now a growing number of Ukrainian hospitals, schools, police stations and other critical buildings are racing to install solar panels ahead of what many expect will be another hard winter.
A less carbon-intense, decentralized energy system is emerging as a key element of Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Seven months of Russian attacks on the energy grid have left it severely damaged. Ukrainian doctors, teachers and others have discovered that efforts to boost sustainability can also improve security by making it harder to knock power offline.
Read the full story here.
Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s power grid plunged many parts of the country into darkness in the fall, but one water company was able to keep its pumps going. Its field of solar panels, installed as an environmentally friendly measure before the war, turned into a tool to resist the Kremlin’s attacks.
Now a growing number of Ukrainian hospitals, schools, police stations and other critical buildings are racing to install solar panels ahead of what many expect will be another hard winter.
A less carbon-intense, decentralized energy system is emerging as a key element of Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Seven months of Russian attacks on the energy grid have left it severely damaged. Ukrainian doctors, teachers and others have discovered that efforts to boost sustainability can also improve security by making it harder to knock power offline.
Read the full story here.
Prigozhin says war in Ukraine has backfired, warns of Russian revolution
RIGA, Latvia — Fresh off his claim of victory in capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russian mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin warned that Moscow’s brutal war could plunge Russia into turmoil similar to the 1917 revolution unless its detached, wealthy elite become more directly committed to the conflict.
In a lengthy interview with Konstantin Dolgov, a political operative and pro-war blogger, Prigozhin, the founder and leader of the Wagner mercenary group, also asserted that the war had backfired spectacularly by failing to “demilitarize” Ukraine, one of President Vladimir Putin’s stated aims of the invasion. He also called for totalitarian policies going forward.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Fresh off his claim of victory in capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russian mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin warned that Moscow’s brutal war could plunge Russia into turmoil similar to the 1917 revolution unless its detached, wealthy elite become more directly committed to the conflict.
In a lengthy interview with Konstantin Dolgov, a political operative and pro-war blogger, Prigozhin, the founder and leader of the Wagner mercenary group, also asserted that the war had backfired spectacularly by failing to “demilitarize” Ukraine, one of President Vladimir Putin’s stated aims of the invasion. He also called for totalitarian policies going forward.
Read the full story here.
Russian blogger says he was fired over interview with mercenary boss
RIGA, Latvia — A pro-Kremlin political operative and blogger claimed Thursday that he was fired from an online media company after he published an interview in which the head of the Wagner mercenary group warned of a potential revolution in Russia and said Moscow’s war in Ukraine had backfired.
The blogger, Konstantin Dolgov, worked for the Telega Online video project, which live-streams discussions of news and politics with a pro-Russian slant on RuTube, an online video-hosting website. The Russian government tries to promote the site as an alternative to what it considers “unfriendly” YouTube. YouTube is one of the few Western internet services still available in the country.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — A pro-Kremlin political operative and blogger claimed Thursday that he was fired from an online media company after he published an interview in which the head of the Wagner mercenary group warned of a potential revolution in Russia and said Moscow’s war in Ukraine had backfired.
The blogger, Konstantin Dolgov, worked for the Telega Online video project, which live-streams discussions of news and politics with a pro-Russian slant on RuTube, an online video-hosting website. The Russian government tries to promote the site as an alternative to what it considers “unfriendly” YouTube. YouTube is one of the few Western internet services still available in the country.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Denmark and the Netherlands are set to head a new European coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 pilot training, maintenance and sustainment capabilities as the allies prepare to supply Kyiv with fighter jets, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Thursday.
- Russia’s Wagner Group began a planned withdrawal Thursday from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, according to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary force.
- Regular Russian army units replaced Wagner forces in Bakhmut’s outer suburbs, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a Telegram message Thursday.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an agreement Thursday with his Belarusian counterpart, allowing for the storage of tactical nuclear weapons on the Russian ally’s territory.
More live updates here.
- Denmark and the Netherlands are set to head a new European coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 pilot training, maintenance and sustainment capabilities as the allies prepare to supply Kyiv with fighter jets, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Thursday.
- Russia’s Wagner Group began a planned withdrawal Thursday from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, according to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary force.
- Regular Russian army units replaced Wagner forces in Bakhmut’s outer suburbs, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a Telegram message Thursday.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an agreement Thursday with his Belarusian counterpart, allowing for the storage of tactical nuclear weapons on the Russian ally’s territory.
More live updates here.
Despite war, Ukraine allows Russian oil and gas to cross its territory
KYIV, Ukraine — Despite a brutal Russian invasion that has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and laid waste to swaths of the country, Ukraine continues to allow Russian oil and gas to cross its territory to serve its European neighbors — generating revenue for Kyiv and Moscow and illustrating how hard it is for the bitter enemies to cut ties.
Senior Ukrainian officials have demanded that their Western partners impose tougher sanctions and cut virtually all economic ties to Russia, saying “more must be done” to cripple Moscow’s war machine. But as surreal as it might seem, Ukraine insists that it has virtually no choice but to maintain its own commercial deals and has lobbied to preserve them, arguing that they provide some leverage over the Kremlin and help constrain where the Russian military carries out airstrikes.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Despite a brutal Russian invasion that has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and laid waste to swaths of the country, Ukraine continues to allow Russian oil and gas to cross its territory to serve its European neighbors — generating revenue for Kyiv and Moscow and illustrating how hard it is for the bitter enemies to cut ties.
Senior Ukrainian officials have demanded that their Western partners impose tougher sanctions and cut virtually all economic ties to Russia, saying “more must be done” to cripple Moscow’s war machine. But as surreal as it might seem, Ukraine insists that it has virtually no choice but to maintain its own commercial deals and has lobbied to preserve them, arguing that they provide some leverage over the Kremlin and help constrain where the Russian military carries out airstrikes.
Read the full story here.
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Russian missile strike wrecks Dnipro hospital, Zelensky says; Kyiv faces barrage
A Russian missile strike wrecked a hospital in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement. Rescue operations were ongoing, he added, and emergency services were at the scene.
The strike killed at least two people and injured 23, including two children, Dnipro regional governor Serhi Lysak said on Telegram. He said the three-story hospital was partially destroyed, with flames engulfing a neighboring building.
More live updates here.
A Russian missile strike wrecked a hospital in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement. Rescue operations were ongoing, he added, and emergency services were at the scene.
The strike killed at least two people and injured 23, including two children, Dnipro regional governor Serhi Lysak said on Telegram. He said the three-story hospital was partially destroyed, with flames engulfing a neighboring building.
More live updates here.
Sunny weather in southern Ukraine suggests new fighting season has begun
ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine — Spring has finally sprung in southern Ukraine. And with temperatures hitting a high of 78 degrees Fahrenheit last weekend, expectations of a long-awaited counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces are in full bloom.
An unusually rainy few months had left the ground muddy, sticky and unsuitable for heavy vehicles. But with the recent patch of dry weather, conditions are nearly optimal for the much-anticipated counterattack, which President Volodymyr Zelensky and others have described as a make-or-break chance to show Western backers that Ukraine is capable of taking back its land.
Read the full story here.
ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine — Spring has finally sprung in southern Ukraine. And with temperatures hitting a high of 78 degrees Fahrenheit last weekend, expectations of a long-awaited counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces are in full bloom.
An unusually rainy few months had left the ground muddy, sticky and unsuitable for heavy vehicles. But with the recent patch of dry weather, conditions are nearly optimal for the much-anticipated counterattack, which President Volodymyr Zelensky and others have described as a make-or-break chance to show Western backers that Ukraine is capable of taking back its land.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A Russian missile strike wrecked a hospital in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.
- Ukraine’s capital also faced a barrage of missile strikes early Friday — the 13th such attack since the start of May — regional officials said.
- Lawyers for U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday appealed a Moscow court’s decision earlier this week to extend his pretrial detention by three months.
- The war could go on for “decades,” said outspoken Kremlin supporter Dmitry Medvedev.
- Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement allowing for the storage of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
- Ukraine’s interior minister said the country is preparing legislation to punish Ukrainian men eligible for military service who have left the country illegally, local media reported.
More live updates here.
- A Russian missile strike wrecked a hospital in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.
- Ukraine’s capital also faced a barrage of missile strikes early Friday — the 13th such attack since the start of May — regional officials said.
- Lawyers for U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday appealed a Moscow court’s decision earlier this week to extend his pretrial detention by three months.
- The war could go on for “decades,” said outspoken Kremlin supporter Dmitry Medvedev.
- Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement allowing for the storage of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
- Ukraine’s interior minister said the country is preparing legislation to punish Ukrainian men eligible for military service who have left the country illegally, local media reported.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s defense ministry alleged that Russia is planning “large-scale provocations” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Lawyers for U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday appealed a three month extension of his pretrial detention in Russia. Gershkovich was detained in March and accused of spying, which he, rights groups and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, have strongly denied.
- Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian prime minister and president, said the war in Ukraine could go on for “decades.”
- Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov, producer of the AK-47 assault rifle, is ramping up production of kamikaze drones for the war in Ukraine.
More live updates here
- Ukraine’s defense ministry alleged that Russia is planning “large-scale provocations” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Lawyers for U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday appealed a three month extension of his pretrial detention in Russia. Gershkovich was detained in March and accused of spying, which he, rights groups and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, have strongly denied.
- Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian prime minister and president, said the war in Ukraine could go on for “decades.”
- Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov, producer of the AK-47 assault rifle, is ramping up production of kamikaze drones for the war in Ukraine.
More live updates here
In wartime Russia, a farm-to-table evangelist finds refuge in a village
KNYAZHEVO, Russia — Russia’s season of war brought a harvest of bad news, as the nation launched a bloody invasion of Ukraine, slammed its door on the West, and tens of thousands of people fled the country. But while many of his artistic Moscow friends emigrated in droves, farm-to-table producer Boris Akimov has stayed, escaping into the peace of a tiny Russian village, reviving old culinary traditions and building up his small country restaurant.
For Akimov and his family, who are now based outside Pereslavl-Zalessky, a town northeast of Moscow founded in the 12th century, it is still the season when soft, young nettle and dandelion leaves are collected for the table, delicate clusters of morel mushrooms are found in the forest, and goats on the farm are birthing kids.
Read the full story here.
KNYAZHEVO, Russia — Russia’s season of war brought a harvest of bad news, as the nation launched a bloody invasion of Ukraine, slammed its door on the West, and tens of thousands of people fled the country. But while many of his artistic Moscow friends emigrated in droves, farm-to-table producer Boris Akimov has stayed, escaping into the peace of a tiny Russian village, reviving old culinary traditions and building up his small country restaurant.
For Akimov and his family, who are now based outside Pereslavl-Zalessky, a town northeast of Moscow founded in the 12th century, it is still the season when soft, young nettle and dandelion leaves are collected for the table, delicate clusters of morel mushrooms are found in the forest, and goats on the farm are birthing kids.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- At least one person was killed and several were injured as attack drones swarmed Kyiv, according to city officials. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was hit by falling wreckage near a gas station. A 41-year-old man died.
- Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed more than 40 drones in Kyiv’s airspace, according to the city’s military administration.
- Overnight, 54 Iranian-made strike drones attacked Ukraine — a record, according to Ukraine’s armed forces. The country’s air force destroyed 52 of those.
- Ukrainians fighting outside Bakhmut have reported seeing Russian mercenaries withdrawing from the eastern city.
- There were no active battles in Bakhmut on Saturday, but Russian forces continued to shell the city’s outskirts and the approach to it, according to Ukraine’s deputy defense minister.
Read here for more updates
- At least one person was killed and several were injured as attack drones swarmed Kyiv, according to city officials. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was hit by falling wreckage near a gas station. A 41-year-old man died.
- Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed more than 40 drones in Kyiv’s airspace, according to the city’s military administration.
- Overnight, 54 Iranian-made strike drones attacked Ukraine — a record, according to Ukraine’s armed forces. The country’s air force destroyed 52 of those.
- Ukrainians fighting outside Bakhmut have reported seeing Russian mercenaries withdrawing from the eastern city.
- There were no active battles in Bakhmut on Saturday, but Russian forces continued to shell the city’s outskirts and the approach to it, according to Ukraine’s deputy defense minister.
Read here for more updates
Russians snitch on Russians who oppose war with Soviet-style denunciations
MOSCOW — Parishioners have denounced Russian priests who advocated peace instead of victory in the war on Ukraine. Teachers lost their jobs after children tattled that they opposed the war. Neighbors who bore some trivial grudge for years have snitched on longtime foes. Workers rat on one another to their bosses or directly to the police or the Federal Security Service.
This is the hostile, paranoid atmosphere of Russians at war with Ukraine and with one another. As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime cracks down on critics of the war and other political dissenters, citizens are policing one another in an echo of the darkest years of Joseph Stalin’s repression, triggering investigations, criminal charges, prosecutions and dismissals from work.
Read the full story here.
MOSCOW — Parishioners have denounced Russian priests who advocated peace instead of victory in the war on Ukraine. Teachers lost their jobs after children tattled that they opposed the war. Neighbors who bore some trivial grudge for years have snitched on longtime foes. Workers rat on one another to their bosses or directly to the police or the Federal Security Service.
This is the hostile, paranoid atmosphere of Russians at war with Ukraine and with one another. As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime cracks down on critics of the war and other political dissenters, citizens are policing one another in an echo of the darkest years of Joseph Stalin’s repression, triggering investigations, criminal charges, prosecutions and dismissals from work.
Read the full story here.