Ukraine flood victims ferried to safety; shelling intensifies after dark
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Ukrainian military’s long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces has begun, opening a phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and retaining Western support in the war.
- The Ukrainian troops include specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. The attacks on the country’s southeast mark a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukrainian forces tried to break through the lines of the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region, using up to 1,500 troops and 150 armored vehicles. Shoigu’s claim could not be immediately verified.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited parts of the southern region of Kherson on Thursday, touring disaster-hit areas and speaking with evacuated people after damage to the Kakhovka dam caused devastating floods and left many homeless.
More live updates here.
- The Ukrainian military’s long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces has begun, opening a phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and retaining Western support in the war.
- The Ukrainian troops include specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. The attacks on the country’s southeast mark a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukrainian forces tried to break through the lines of the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region, using up to 1,500 troops and 150 armored vehicles. Shoigu’s claim could not be immediately verified.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited parts of the southern region of Kherson on Thursday, touring disaster-hit areas and speaking with evacuated people after damage to the Kakhovka dam caused devastating floods and left many homeless.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “very tough battles” were occurring in the eastern Donetsk region. “But there is a result, and I am grateful to everyone who ensures this result!” he said in the address released early Friday, without elaborating.
- His remarks come after Ukraine launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive, armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. Ukrainian troops intensified strikes in the southeast this week, according to four military personnel, The Post reported.
- The offensive is expected to unfold over months and serve as a test of a U.S.-led strategy to prepare Ukrainian forces with increasingly advanced weapons and tactics.
-Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley fighting vehicles.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “very tough battles” were occurring in the eastern Donetsk region. “But there is a result, and I am grateful to everyone who ensures this result!” he said in the address released early Friday, without elaborating.
- His remarks come after Ukraine launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive, armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. Ukrainian troops intensified strikes in the southeast this week, according to four military personnel, The Post reported.
- The offensive is expected to unfold over months and serve as a test of a U.S.-led strategy to prepare Ukrainian forces with increasingly advanced weapons and tactics.
-Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley fighting vehicles.
More live updates here.
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Satellite images show the devastation from the Kakhovka dam collapse
The massive flooding that swept southern Ukraine this week after the breach of a major dam on the war’s front line could be seen from space. Before-and-after images from Maxar Technologies satellites show that entire cities and villages were affected. Thousands of people in Kherson region were evacuated from their homes, many of which were submerged by the rushing water from one of Ukraine’s largest reservoirs.
Kherson city, located right on the Dnieper River, was completely flooded. Rescue volunteers on paddle boats and small dinghies cruised through neighborhoods that had turned into rivers to rescue families and pets.
Korsunka, a Russian-occupied village about 10 miles from the Kakovkha dam, was also submerged. Flood victims in Russian-seized areas said Wednesday that Russia was not sending help.
Read the full story here.
The massive flooding that swept southern Ukraine this week after the breach of a major dam on the war’s front line could be seen from space. Before-and-after images from Maxar Technologies satellites show that entire cities and villages were affected. Thousands of people in Kherson region were evacuated from their homes, many of which were submerged by the rushing water from one of Ukraine’s largest reservoirs.
Kherson city, located right on the Dnieper River, was completely flooded. Rescue volunteers on paddle boats and small dinghies cruised through neighborhoods that had turned into rivers to rescue families and pets.
Korsunka, a Russian-occupied village about 10 miles from the Kakovkha dam, was also submerged. Flood victims in Russian-seized areas said Wednesday that Russia was not sending help.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine presses counteroffensive as flood evacuations continue in south
KYIV, Ukraine — Heavy fighting continued Friday in southeast Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces pressed on with a major counteroffensive near Orikhiv, in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Velyka Novosilka, a town just over the border in the neighboring Donetsk region. But they appeared to be meeting stiff resistance from Russian units dug into heavily fortified positions.
In the 36 hours since the start of Ukraine’s counterattack, no significant gains have been reported by the country’s political or military leadership, indicating that this phase of the war is likely to be far more difficult than similar campaigns last fall, in which Kyiv exploited Russian weaknesses to reclaim territory in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said early Friday that “very tough battles were underway” in Donetsk, including in the hotly contested city of Bakhmut, which Russia seized last month.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Heavy fighting continued Friday in southeast Ukraine, as Kyiv’s forces pressed on with a major counteroffensive near Orikhiv, in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Velyka Novosilka, a town just over the border in the neighboring Donetsk region. But they appeared to be meeting stiff resistance from Russian units dug into heavily fortified positions.
In the 36 hours since the start of Ukraine’s counterattack, no significant gains have been reported by the country’s political or military leadership, indicating that this phase of the war is likely to be far more difficult than similar campaigns last fall, in which Kyiv exploited Russian weaknesses to reclaim territory in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said early Friday that “very tough battles were underway” in Donetsk, including in the hotly contested city of Bakhmut, which Russia seized last month.
Read the full story here.
The potent U.S. arsenal for Ukraine’s counteroffensive
Armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics, Ukrainian troops have begun a push into Russian-occupied territory in southeastern Ukraine.
Since November, the front lines have been largely stagnant as both sides dug in for a cold winter and muddy spring. But as Russian forces have reinforced their positions, at least one factor may have tipped the state of play in Ukraine’s favor: the provision by Western allies of increasingly sophisticated, highly coveted weapons, some of which could provide serious advantages on the battlefield.
Some of those systems, however, take time and complex logistics to deliver and require lengthy training, meaning they could play more of a role in the months ahead. Here are some of the key weapons the United States has committed in the run-up to the counterattack.
Read the full story here.
Armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics, Ukrainian troops have begun a push into Russian-occupied territory in southeastern Ukraine.
Since November, the front lines have been largely stagnant as both sides dug in for a cold winter and muddy spring. But as Russian forces have reinforced their positions, at least one factor may have tipped the state of play in Ukraine’s favor: the provision by Western allies of increasingly sophisticated, highly coveted weapons, some of which could provide serious advantages on the battlefield.
Some of those systems, however, take time and complex logistics to deliver and require lengthy training, meaning they could play more of a role in the months ahead. Here are some of the key weapons the United States has committed in the run-up to the counterattack.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine
- Intense fighting has been reported in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, long seen as the likely focal point for Ukraine’s counterattack.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to the use of “strategic reserves” as evidence that the counteroffensive had begun. “On none of the sectors of the front line did the Ukrainian troops achieve the tasks assigned to them,” he said at a meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Sochi, Russia.
- A senior Western intelligence official told The Post that, for now, Ukraine appeared to be holding back its most significant firepower, noting that the larger blow “hasn’t landed yet.”
- Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
More live updates here.
- Intense fighting has been reported in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, long seen as the likely focal point for Ukraine’s counterattack.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to the use of “strategic reserves” as evidence that the counteroffensive had begun. “On none of the sectors of the front line did the Ukrainian troops achieve the tasks assigned to them,” he said at a meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Sochi, Russia.
- A senior Western intelligence official told The Post that, for now, Ukraine appeared to be holding back its most significant firepower, noting that the larger blow “hasn’t landed yet.”
- Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian forces advanced near Bakhmut by about three-quarters of a mile, or 1.2 kilometers, Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraine’s military in the east, told Ukrainian media.
- There were also marginal gains about three miles south of Velyka Novosilka, a town in southeastern Ukraine, the Washington think tank Institute for the Study of War reported, citing geolocated footage.
- “Significant” Ukrainian operations have taken place in the last 48 hours in the eastern and southern parts of the country, the British Ministry of Defense said in an update on Saturday.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had “failed to achieve their goals in all combat sectors.”
- The port city of Odesa was hit by a combined rocket and drone attack, killing three people and injuring a further 36, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command, told national news.
More live updates here
- Ukrainian forces advanced near Bakhmut by about three-quarters of a mile, or 1.2 kilometers, Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraine’s military in the east, told Ukrainian media.
- There were also marginal gains about three miles south of Velyka Novosilka, a town in southeastern Ukraine, the Washington think tank Institute for the Study of War reported, citing geolocated footage.
- “Significant” Ukrainian operations have taken place in the last 48 hours in the eastern and southern parts of the country, the British Ministry of Defense said in an update on Saturday.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had “failed to achieve their goals in all combat sectors.”
- The port city of Odesa was hit by a combined rocket and drone attack, killing three people and injuring a further 36, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command, told national news.
More live updates here
Ukraine flood victims ferried to safety; shelling intensifies after dark
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
A Ukrainian zoo survived through war. The Kakhovka flood ended it.
Over the past year, the keepers at the Kazkova Dibrova zoo in southern Ukraine battled to safeguard their charges under Russian occupation.
The park surrounding the zoo was mined and access routes blocked, making evacuating the animals impossible. Workers braved bullets from troops firing across the Dnieper River to make their daily trek to feed the animals.
In winter, one of the volunteers took home many animals that couldn’t otherwise survive the cold. Farmers and other residents brought vegetables — cabbage, apples, pears and pumpkins — and hay to feed a menagerie that included two monkeys, Anfisa and Charlie, a pony named Malish, a mule, a parrot, a crow, a groundhog, guinea pigs and ferrets.
Now, the sole survivors after a nearby dam burst on Tuesday are a couple of swans and ducks, the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Read the full story here.
Over the past year, the keepers at the Kazkova Dibrova zoo in southern Ukraine battled to safeguard their charges under Russian occupation.
The park surrounding the zoo was mined and access routes blocked, making evacuating the animals impossible. Workers braved bullets from troops firing across the Dnieper River to make their daily trek to feed the animals.
In winter, one of the volunteers took home many animals that couldn’t otherwise survive the cold. Farmers and other residents brought vegetables — cabbage, apples, pears and pumpkins — and hay to feed a menagerie that included two monkeys, Anfisa and Charlie, a pony named Malish, a mule, a parrot, a crow, a groundhog, guinea pigs and ferrets.
Now, the sole survivors after a nearby dam burst on Tuesday are a couple of swans and ducks, the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his country’s counteroffensive during a previously unannounced visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv on Saturday, according to news reports from Ukraine.
- Zelensky said Ukraine’s top generals were in a positive mood as the counteroffensive began, Interfax reported, in the president’s first public confirmation that the effort had begun.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had “absolute certainty” that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had begun, and that the Ukrainian army had started using its “strategic reserves.”
- In Kyiv, Trudeau announced $375 million (500 million Canadian) in “new funding for military assistance,” along with $7.5 million (10 million Canadian) in new funding to help with the humanitarian response to the collapse of the Kakhovka dam.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his country’s counteroffensive during a previously unannounced visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv on Saturday, according to news reports from Ukraine.
- Zelensky said Ukraine’s top generals were in a positive mood as the counteroffensive began, Interfax reported, in the president’s first public confirmation that the effort had begun.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had “absolute certainty” that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had begun, and that the Ukrainian army had started using its “strategic reserves.”
- In Kyiv, Trudeau announced $375 million (500 million Canadian) in “new funding for military assistance,” along with $7.5 million (10 million Canadian) in new funding to help with the humanitarian response to the collapse of the Kakhovka dam.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Zelensky on Saturday publicly confirmed for the first time the start of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but he would not reveal details about what stage the fight is in.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has called on his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, to put an end to drone deliveries that are supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- The last reactor still operating at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine has been put into a “cold shutdown” as a precaution after the collapse last week of the Kakhovka dam, Ukrainian energy officials said.
- Three people were killed in airstrikes in the Black Sea city of Odessa on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Ukraine’s military appeared to be carrying out attacks on at least four fronts on Saturday, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
More live updates here.
- Zelensky on Saturday publicly confirmed for the first time the start of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but he would not reveal details about what stage the fight is in.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has called on his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, to put an end to drone deliveries that are supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- The last reactor still operating at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine has been put into a “cold shutdown” as a precaution after the collapse last week of the Kakhovka dam, Ukrainian energy officials said.
- Three people were killed in airstrikes in the Black Sea city of Odessa on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Ukraine’s military appeared to be carrying out attacks on at least four fronts on Saturday, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
More live updates here.
Iran seeks ‘billions’ worth of Russian aircraft and weapons in exchange for drones, U.S. says
Iran is seeking to acquire large numbers of Russian attack helicopters, war planes and air-defense systems in repayment for its support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, U.S. officials say. The White House warned that these weapons could substantially increase Tehran’s ability to threaten its neighbors or repel future attacks.
of dollars of Russian military hardware, an infusion of aid that, if delivered, could further destabilize a Middle East that already appears to be inching closer to armed conflict.
Details of Iran’s request were released by the Biden administration on Friday as part of an intelligence assessment describing deepening military ties between Moscow and Tehran.
Read the full story here.
Iran is seeking to acquire large numbers of Russian attack helicopters, war planes and air-defense systems in repayment for its support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, U.S. officials say. The White House warned that these weapons could substantially increase Tehran’s ability to threaten its neighbors or repel future attacks.
of dollars of Russian military hardware, an infusion of aid that, if delivered, could further destabilize a Middle East that already appears to be inching closer to armed conflict.
Details of Iran’s request were released by the Biden administration on Friday as part of an intelligence assessment describing deepening military ties between Moscow and Tehran.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Ukraine’s counteroffensive won’t be an easy retread of last year’s wins
Has Ukraine’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive finally begun? Even now, as the calendar ticks firmly into summer, the answer still very much depends on whom you ask. Russian officials say yes, it has — a view shared by some U.S. officials, too. But the Ukrainians have directly rejected these claims. “When we start the counteroffensive, everyone will know about it, they will see it,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Reuters on Wednesday.
Ultimately, the wins of last year’s counteroffensives were easy to spot. After Ukraine stealthily maneuvered its forces to the Kharkiv region in September, they were able to displace invading Russian forces who had been expecting the counteroffensive to begin hundreds of miles south in the Kherson region. The Russians were flummoxed.
Read the full analysis here.
Has Ukraine’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive finally begun? Even now, as the calendar ticks firmly into summer, the answer still very much depends on whom you ask. Russian officials say yes, it has — a view shared by some U.S. officials, too. But the Ukrainians have directly rejected these claims. “When we start the counteroffensive, everyone will know about it, they will see it,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Reuters on Wednesday.
Ultimately, the wins of last year’s counteroffensives were easy to spot. After Ukraine stealthily maneuvered its forces to the Kharkiv region in September, they were able to displace invading Russian forces who had been expecting the counteroffensive to begin hundreds of miles south in the Kherson region. The Russians were flummoxed.
Read the full analysis here.