Russia Invades Ukraine

[phkrause]

On their own front line, Ukrainian surgeons treat waves of soldiers since the counteroffensive began

DNIPRO, Ukraine (AP) — The horrors of war arrive through the night at a hospital in eastern Ukraine, a procession of stretchers bearing limp bodies whisked from the front line.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-wounded-hospital-counteroffensive-917675c1ac2ffff421675b930f565fb1?

Why this matters: The surge of wounded soldiers coincides with the major counteroffensive Ukraine launched in June to try to recapture its land, nearly one-fifth of which is now under Russian control. Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in multiple combat zones along the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line, but any initial momentum from the opening phase of Ukraine’s counteroffensive has given way to sluggish advances. In a war where casualty counts are treated as state secrets, the hospital serves as a measurement of distant battles. When they intensify, so does the doctors’ workload, which these days consists of 50 to 100 operations per night. Wounded soldiers are typically cared for in hospitals closer to the front line and then, once stabilized, they are brought to Mechnikov, a journey that can sometimes take half a day.

Related coverage ➤  Land mines are in place around a Russian-occupied nuclear plant in Ukraine, UN watchdog warns On tour in hell': Wounded Ukrainian soldiers evacuated US to send up to $400 million in additional military aid to Ukraine

[phkrause]

Hillel center in Odessa, Ukraine, damaged by Russian strike

(JTA) — A Russian missile strike caused “significant damage” to Hillel International’s offices in Odessa, Ukraine on Sunday, the organization said.

https://www.jta.org/2023/07/25/global/hillel-center-in-odessa-ukraine-damaged-by-russian-strike?

[phkrause]

Bluffing or not, Putin’s declared deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus raises tensions

Sometime this summer, if President Vladimir Putin can be believed, Russia moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus, closer to Ukraine and onto NATO’s doorstep.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-belarus-putin-nuclear-3bc2aefef4ee6b4478c81ae76bebdd4e?

Why this matters: The U.S. and NATO have not confirmed the move - while some experts doubt the claims by Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, others note that Western intelligence might be unable to monitor such movement. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s rhetoric as “dangerous and reckless,” but said earlier this month the alliance hasn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.   Unlike nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons for use against troops on the battlefield have a smaller yield. The devices are compact: Used on bombs, missiles and artillery shells, they could be discreetly carried on a truck or plane. Aliaksandr Alesin, an independent Minsk-based military analyst, said the weapons use containers that emit no radiation and could have been flown into Belarus without Western intelligence seeing it.   The political opposition to Lukashenko warns that such a deployment turns Belarus into a hostage of the Kremlin. While Lukashenko sees such weapons as a “nuclear umbrella” protecting the country, “they turn Belarus into a target,” said exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who tried to unseat the authoritarian leader in a 2020 election widely viewed as fraudulent.

Related coverage ➤ Kyiv is said to have launched a major push against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine Why does Russia want tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus? Angry Russia refuses to speak at UN meeting on its attacks on Ukraine’s key port city of Odesa

[phkrause]

Fighting intensifies in southeastern Ukraine with Kyiv claiming gains in its counteroffensive

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Fierce fighting raged Thursday in southeastern Ukraine, where a Western official said Kyiv has launched a major push and Russian President Vladimir Putin said “hostilities have intensified significantly.”

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-major-push-12334bbee83b608221dafced4727369e?

[phkrause]

? Russian forces pummeled

a Ukrainian village in a counteroffensive today — Ukrainian Statehood Day. Moscow earlier accused Kyiv of firing missiles at southern Russia that wounded 20 people. More from AP.

[phkrause]

Medvedev Says 'No Other Option' But Nuclear War if Ukrainian Counteroffensive Succeeds

The former Russian president and current deputy Security Council chair warned of "global nuclear fire" should Ukraine take back regions illegally annexed by Moscow.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/dmitry-medvedev-nuclear-threat?

[phkrause]

Russian missiles kill six, including girl of 10, in Kryvyi Rih, officials say

KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine, July 31 (Reuters) - A Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday killed at least six people, including a 10-year-old girl and her mother, and wounded dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-missile-strike-hits-kryvyi-rih-ukraine-interior-ministry-2023-07-31/?

[phkrause]

The Crimean Peninsula is both a playground and a battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Its balmy beaches have been vacation spots for Russian czars and Soviet general secretaries. It has hosted history-shaking meetings of world leaders and boasts a strategic naval base. And it has been the site of ethnic persecutions, forced deportations and political repression.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-crimea-peninsula-dff3484da824e11afc92c83ecf19f71b?

Why this matters: Crimea was home to Turkic-speaking Tatars when the Russian empire first annexed it in the 18th century. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the unification of Moscow and Kyiv. But that symbolic move backfired in 1991 when the USSR collapsed and the peninsula became part of newly independent Ukraine. Russia, however, kept its Black Sea Fleet at the Crimean city of Sevastopol.   Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was quick and his popularity soared. Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of independent Ukraine, said Kyiv had invested some $100 billion into the peninsula between 1991 and 2014. It also has become part of Ukraine’s identity as well.

Related coverage ➤ Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack on Moscow, hitting a tower for the second time in 3 days The $3.9 billion UN humanitarian appeal for Ukraine is only 30% funded, UN aid official says EU agriculture officials work on ways to move Ukrainian grain to the world

[phkrause]

Russians forcibly mobilise about 60,000 men from occupied territories – Ukraine's Defence Intelligence

Since early 2022, Russia has forcibly mobilised between 55,000 and 60,000 men into its army in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories.

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/07/31/7413586/

[phkrause]

Drone attacks in Moscow’s glittering business district leave residents on edge

The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district dominate the skyline of the Russian capital. The sleek glass-and-steel buildings -- designed to attract investment amid an economic boom in the early 2000s – are a dramatic, modern contrast to the rest of the more than 800-year-old city.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-moscow-drone-attacks-defense-6abce11e9274c5509737b4ecd337c1fe?

[phkrause]

Russian shelling hits a landmark church in the Ukrainian city of Kherson

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian shelling damaged a landmark church Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Kherson that until last year held the remains of Prince Grigory Potemkin, an 18th-century Russian military commander who encouraged Catherine the Great to expand the Russian Empire into what is now southern Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kherson-cathedral-damaged-88e389198e8d5d087693cecc1971f66f?

[phkrause]

Ukraine says its drones damaged a Russian warship, showing Kyiv’s growing naval capabilities

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine said its sea drones struck a major Russian port Friday and damaged a warship in an attack that underlined Kyiv’s growing naval capabilities as the Black Sea becomes an increasingly important battleground in the war.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-drones-black-sea-407a02ccfb2b1951c5afe9ec2269eed8?

Russian ship hit in Novorossiysk, Black Sea drone attack, Ukraine sources say

The assault reportedly occurred near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which is a major hub for Russian exports.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66402046?

[phkrause]

Ukraine says woman detained in Zelensky assassination plot

Ukraine detained a Russian informant working to gather information on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned trip to Mykolaiv last week, part of an apparent assassination plot, the Secret Service of Ukraine announced Monday. 

https://thehill.com/policy/international/4141344-ukraine-says-woman-detained-in-zelensky-assassination-plot/

Russia’s plot to kill Zelenskyy foiled

Ukraine’s security service says woman was caught ‘red-handed.’

https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-arrests-russia-informant-plot-assassinate-volodymyr-zelenskyy/?

Inside Mykolaiv, the Ukrainian city where the Russians destroyed the water supply

Ludmyla Osadchuk put her foot to the pedal and the rickety red-and-white tram edged forward, exiting the depot with a crunching of wheels and a rattle of the old, loosely fitting doors. On board were three blue canisters, each holding 1,000 litres of water.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/22/defiant-mykolaiv-where-between-russian-shelling-a-citys-water-is-delivered-by-tram

Zelensky compares Russian assassination attempts to "Groundhog Day"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared Russia's repeated attempts to take his life to the film "Groundhog Day" in an interview Monday with Axios' Jonathan Swan.

https://www.axios.com/2022/05/23/zelensky-russia-assassination-attempts-groundhog-day

[phkrause]

Camp Ramah returns to Ukraine after a war-induced exile — now with a bomb shelter

(JTA) — Ramah Yachad, a Ukrainian Jewish summer camp, celebrated its 30th anniversary last year in exile, having relocated to Romania following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that February.

https://www.jta.org/2023/08/08/global/camp-ramah-returns-to-ukraine-after-a-war-induced-exile-now-with-a-bomb-shelter?

[phkrause]

Putin profits off US and European reliance on Russian nuclear fuel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and its European allies are importing vast amounts of nuclear fuel and compounds from Russia, providing Moscow with hundreds of millions of dollars in badly needed revenue as it wages war on Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-europe-nuclear-exports-4129cbea2aaa69b1da5d09a41804f745?

[phkrause]

Russia’s military push on the eastern front prompts Ukraine to evacuate thousands of civilians

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation Thursday of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages in the eastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces reportedly are making a concerted effort to punch through the front line.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-drone-attack-e3279d216761cdecdb515d2514bcf493?

[phkrause]

Ukrainians move to North Dakota for oil field jobs to help families facing war back home

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — Maksym Bunchukov remembers hearing rockets explode in Zaporizhzhia as the war in Ukraine began.

https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-workers-refugees-north-dakota-oil-field-f70399d4bb0af7e043359a45c4cbcf2b?

[phkrause]

Ukraine orders evacuation of parts of north-east

Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of all civilians from 37 settlements in the north-east as Russia steps up its attacks there.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66466050?

[phkrause]

Tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus Poland recently said it will deploy thousands of troops to its border while Lithuania decided to temporarily close two of six checkpoints with Belarus amid growing tensions with the eastern neighbor, an ally of Russia. Read more.

Why this matters: Poland’s defense minister Mariusz Blaszczak has insisted the increased military presence is purely a deterrent move, not a hostile act, as Minsk and Moscow are claiming. Just last week, two Belarus military helicopters briefly entered Poland’s airspace, a move considered by Warsaw to be a deliberate provocation.   The Polish border includes the strategically important Suwalki Gap shared with Lithuania, enabling a connection between the Baltic nations, including Latvia and Estonia, to NATO states and the EU. The 60-mile corridor also separates Belarus from Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized Russian exclave without a land connection to Russia. Western military analysts view the gap as a potential flashpoint between Russia and NATO, which Russia might try to seize to cut off the Baltic states.   Lithuania and Poland have grown increasingly concerned about Russia-linked Wagner Group mercenaries believed to be training near their borders. Lithuanian State Border Guard Service Commander Rustamas Liubajevas said there could be up to 4,500 Wagner fighters in Belarus, with some stationed near the Lithuanian and Polish borders.

Related coverage ➤ BREAKING: American imprisoned in Russia faces espionage charges, reports say The Dutch defense minister says the US has approved the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine Article 5: NATO’s common defense pledge that stands in the way of Ukraine’s admission while at war

[phkrause]

Ukrainian drone destroys Russian supersonic bomber

A flagship Russian long-range bomber has been destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to reports.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66573842?

[phkrause]

Russia says Ukraine fired missile towards Moscow, hit Crimea with drones

MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday Ukraine had fired a missile towards Moscow and attacked Crimea with 42 drones, in what would be one of the biggest known coordinated Ukrainian air attacks to date on Russian-held territory.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-destroys-42-ukraine-launched-drones-over-crimea-2023-08-25/?

[phkrause]

Ukraine Update: With new momentum, Ukraine pushes south and east of Robotyne

We already knew Ukraine had liberated Robotyne, the small but strategically important settlement on the advance toward the logistical hub city of Tokmak and, beyond that, Melitopol. But Ukraine hasn’t stopped there. With Russia’s first major defensive line breached, Ukraine’s advance is picking up steam.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/25/2189587/-Ukraine-Update-With-new-momentum-Ukraine-pushes-south-and-east-of-Robotyne?

[phkrause]

Russia accuses Ukraine of biggest drone attack on its soil since fighting began Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting six of its regions in what appeared to be the biggest drone attack on Russian soil since Moscow invaded 18 months ago. This was followed by a Russian attack on Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed two people early Wednesday. Read more.

Why this matters: Drones hit an airport in Russia’s western Pskov region near the border with Estonia and Latvia and started a massive fire, the governor and local media reported. The airport strike, which was first reported minutes before midnight, damaged four Il-76 transport aircraft, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.   In Kyiv, falling debris killed two people and injured another after Russia launched a “massive combined attack” on the Ukrainian capital using drones and missiles, the head of the military administration Sergei Popko wrote on Telegram. In what Popko said was the biggest attack since the spring, Russia launched Shahed drones at Kyiv from various directions and then targeted the capital with missiles.   Drone attacks on Crimea or Russian regions have become increasingly common in recent months, with Moscow being a frequent target, as well as regions that border with Ukraine, such as Bryansk. Fuel depots and airfields have also been hit in drone attacks which Russian officials blamed on Kyiv.

Related coverage ➤ Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is buried in private, ending his tumultuous journey U.S. to send $250 million in weapons to Ukraine How many Russians have died in Ukraine? Data shows what Moscow hides   ps:So this so-called "genius" invades Ukraine and he expects them to not fight back!!!!! Now that he's getting his rear-end handed to him he's going to cry mama mama!! He's practically leveled Ukraine to the point that there is nothing left for people to come home to!!!!!

[phkrause]

White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday said that it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks to North Korea for munitions for the war in Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-north-korea-weapons-munitions-letter-8c48787c798a50beda774a8ac5cc91ba?

[phkrause]

Ukrainian forces make gains on front line, Kyiv says

The breakthrough, if it holds, would be a vindication for Ukraine, which has endured criticism from some of its closest partners about the way it is managing the war.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-breakthough-crimea-rcna102799

What is 'Surovikin Defensive Line' Which Ukrainian Forces Can't Crack?

A hawkish Estonian ex-top spy revealed this week that Russia’s “long defensive lines” have stopped Ukraine’s counteroffensive dead in its tracks, becoming the latest observer of the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine to admit that the Ukrainian military’s Western alliance-trained, equipped, and armed units have failed to reach any strategic objectives ahead of NATO’s summit in Vilnius next month.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/what-is-surovikin-defensive-line-which-ukrainian-forces-cant-crack-1111393818.html

A top Russian general linked to the head of a rebellious mercenary group is reportedly dismissed

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, a former commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine who was linked to the leader of a brief armed rebellion, has been dismissed as chief of the air force, Russian state media reported Wednesday after weeks of uncertainty about his fate.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-general-surovikin-dismissed-ukraine-wagner-036326ed0279a0c85600ef435e59a076