Ukraine running out of options to retake significant territory
Ukraine appears to be running out of options in a counteroffensive that officials originally framed as Kyiv’s crucial operation to retake significant territory from occupying Russian forces this year.
More than two months into the fight, the counteroffensive shows signs of stalling. Kyiv’s advances remain isolated to a handful of villages, Russian troops are pushing forward in the north and a plan to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16s is delayed.
Ukraine’s inability to demonstrate decisive success on the battlefield is stoking fears that the conflict is becoming a stalemate and international support could erode. A new, classified U.S. intelligence report has predicted that the counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol this year.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine appears to be running out of options in a counteroffensive that officials originally framed as Kyiv’s crucial operation to retake significant territory from occupying Russian forces this year.
More than two months into the fight, the counteroffensive shows signs of stalling. Kyiv’s advances remain isolated to a handful of villages, Russian troops are pushing forward in the north and a plan to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16s is delayed.
Ukraine’s inability to demonstrate decisive success on the battlefield is stoking fears that the conflict is becoming a stalemate and international support could erode. A new, classified U.S. intelligence report has predicted that the counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol this year.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called a pledge by the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “powerful” and “historic” as he continued his diplomatic tour of several European countries.
- Russian officials said two people were injured after drones flew over the Moscow region early Monday and were destroyed by air defense systems.
- Dozens of Ukrainian pilots, engineers and others will be trained to use F-16 fighter jets in Denmark, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry said it is “highly likely” that Russia will form a new military unit “to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine.”
- Russian attacks in the Kherson region killed at least two people and injured three others, its governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said.
- Rescue operations for a deadly Saturday attack on Chernihiv have ended, with seven dead and 156 injured, Ukraine’s operational armed forces said.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called a pledge by the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “powerful” and “historic” as he continued his diplomatic tour of several European countries.
- Russian officials said two people were injured after drones flew over the Moscow region early Monday and were destroyed by air defense systems.
- Dozens of Ukrainian pilots, engineers and others will be trained to use F-16 fighter jets in Denmark, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry said it is “highly likely” that Russia will form a new military unit “to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine.”
- Russian attacks in the Kherson region killed at least two people and injured three others, its governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said.
- Rescue operations for a deadly Saturday attack on Chernihiv have ended, with seven dead and 156 injured, Ukraine’s operational armed forces said.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a news conference in Athens that Greece would take part in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, although he did not offer details.
- Russian officials said two people were injured after drones flew over the Moscow region early Monday and were destroyed by air defense systems.
- The U.S. Embassy in Belarus urged Americans to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine, including a buildup of Russian troops in Belarus.
- The U.S. is ready to authorize the third-party transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine when “certain criteria” are met, including English-language training and logistics, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a Monday briefing.
- Russian air defense forces intercepted two drones near Moscow on Tuesday, Moscow regional Gov. Andrey Vorobyov wrote on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a news conference in Athens that Greece would take part in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, although he did not offer details.
- Russian officials said two people were injured after drones flew over the Moscow region early Monday and were destroyed by air defense systems.
- The U.S. Embassy in Belarus urged Americans to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine, including a buildup of Russian troops in Belarus.
- The U.S. is ready to authorize the third-party transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine when “certain criteria” are met, including English-language training and logistics, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a Monday briefing.
- Russian air defense forces intercepted two drones near Moscow on Tuesday, Moscow regional Gov. Andrey Vorobyov wrote on Telegram.
More live updates here.
How Ukraine is exploiting Biden’s cluster bomb gamble
KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine — A few feet away from a pile of U.S.-made cluster bombs, an earsplitting boom goes off 50 times a day, marking the latest volley from a Ukrainian artillery crew seeking to hold back advancing Russian forces.
“When we start firing the cluster munitions, the Russians disappear under hard cover. They won’t even poke their noses out,” said Stanislav, a Ukrainian military official standing a few miles from the front line in a blackened forest still smoldering from Russian shelling.
The artillery crew first received U.S.-made cluster munitions a few weeks ago following President Biden’s decision to send the weapon in the most controversial arms transfer of his presidency. The bombs are outlawed in more than 120 countries under a 2008 international treaty, but not in the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine — A few feet away from a pile of U.S.-made cluster bombs, an earsplitting boom goes off 50 times a day, marking the latest volley from a Ukrainian artillery crew seeking to hold back advancing Russian forces.
“When we start firing the cluster munitions, the Russians disappear under hard cover. They won’t even poke their noses out,” said Stanislav, a Ukrainian military official standing a few miles from the front line in a blackened forest still smoldering from Russian shelling.
The artillery crew first received U.S.-made cluster munitions a few weeks ago following President Biden’s decision to send the weapon in the most controversial arms transfer of his presidency. The bombs are outlawed in more than 120 countries under a 2008 international treaty, but not in the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine evacuates civilians as Russia tries to retake liberated city
KUPYANSK, Ukraine — The government order was clear: Everyone still here should leave.
For weeks, Russia has ramped up its attacks on Kupyansk, trying to win back a city it lost last year when Ukrainian forces retook control after more than six months of Russian occupation.
With Kyiv now focusing its latest counterattack largely in the country’s south, Moscow is trying to gain ground elsewhere — and Ukrainian soldiers positioned in this enclave 25 miles from the Russian border are working urgently to repel their advance.
As Russian forces target troop locations and strike civilian infrastructure with artillery, mortars and aerial bombs, the Ukrainians are digging into positions in the woods and on the sides of roads — and striking back. At stake is control of a strategic military resupply route and a rail hub.
Read the full story here.
KUPYANSK, Ukraine — The government order was clear: Everyone still here should leave.
For weeks, Russia has ramped up its attacks on Kupyansk, trying to win back a city it lost last year when Ukrainian forces retook control after more than six months of Russian occupation.
With Kyiv now focusing its latest counterattack largely in the country’s south, Moscow is trying to gain ground elsewhere — and Ukrainian soldiers positioned in this enclave 25 miles from the Russian border are working urgently to repel their advance.
As Russian forces target troop locations and strike civilian infrastructure with artillery, mortars and aerial bombs, the Ukrainians are digging into positions in the woods and on the sides of roads — and striking back. At stake is control of a strategic military resupply route and a rail hub.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Kyiv claimed that its forces entered Robotyne, a strategic village in the Zaporizhzhia region that Ukrainian and Russian troops have been fighting over for weeks as part of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
- The U.S. Embassy in Belarus urged Americans to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine.
- The region around Russia’s capital was targeted by drones overnight for the fifth consecutive day.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had an “open, honest and fruitful meeting” with his Serbian counterpart at a summit of Balkan nations and Ukraine.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems detected two drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia overnight.
- Russian shelling damaged four multistory buildings in the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Anatolii Kurtiev said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- Kyiv claimed that its forces entered Robotyne, a strategic village in the Zaporizhzhia region that Ukrainian and Russian troops have been fighting over for weeks as part of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
- The U.S. Embassy in Belarus urged Americans to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine.
- The region around Russia’s capital was targeted by drones overnight for the fifth consecutive day.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had an “open, honest and fruitful meeting” with his Serbian counterpart at a summit of Balkan nations and Ukraine.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems detected two drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia overnight.
- Russian shelling damaged four multistory buildings in the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Anatolii Kurtiev said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to curry favor at this week’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg, claiming Russia could fill Ukraine’s role as a grain supplier and calling sanctions on his country for the war in Ukraine “illegitimate.”
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan defended Ukraine’s battlefield performance, saying U.S. officials “do not assess that the conflict is a stalemate” and pledging continued aid to Kyiv despite disappointment about Ukraine’s progress retaking territory.
- The Moscow region was targeted with drones for the sixth consecutive night. Two drones were shot down, while another struck a building under construction in the Russian capital without causing casualties, the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on social media.
- A drone appears to have destroyed a Russian long-range bomber at an air base near St. Petersburg, Ukrainian media reported.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to curry favor at this week’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg, claiming Russia could fill Ukraine’s role as a grain supplier and calling sanctions on his country for the war in Ukraine “illegitimate.”
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan defended Ukraine’s battlefield performance, saying U.S. officials “do not assess that the conflict is a stalemate” and pledging continued aid to Kyiv despite disappointment about Ukraine’s progress retaking territory.
- The Moscow region was targeted with drones for the sixth consecutive night. Two drones were shot down, while another struck a building under construction in the Russian capital without causing casualties, the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on social media.
- A drone appears to have destroyed a Russian long-range bomber at an air base near St. Petersburg, Ukrainian media reported.
More live updates here.
U.S. tells Americans to leave Belarus immediately
The United States is urging Americans in Belarus to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine, including a buildup of Russian troops in Belarus.
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, said in an advisory on Monday that Americans should avoid traveling to Belarus because of the country’s “continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws” and the risk of detention and civil unrest.
It noted that Lithuania closed two border crossings last week, potentially limiting ways out of Belarus. Lithuania, Poland and Latvia — all members of the European Union — were considering closing more border crossings, the embassy warned.
Read the full story here.
The United States is urging Americans in Belarus to leave the country “immediately,” citing spillover risks from the war in Ukraine, including a buildup of Russian troops in Belarus.
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, said in an advisory on Monday that Americans should avoid traveling to Belarus because of the country’s “continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws” and the risk of detention and civil unrest.
It noted that Lithuania closed two border crossings last week, potentially limiting ways out of Belarus. Lithuania, Poland and Latvia — all members of the European Union — were considering closing more border crossings, the embassy warned.
Read the full story here.
Wagner mercenary group to focus on Africa, Prigozhin says in new video
In his first video address since sending mercenary fighters toward Moscow during a short-lived mutiny in June, Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin indicated that his guns-for-hire group, once a key fighting force in Ukraine, is now focusing its operations on Africa.
Standing in an unidentified location in the desert, wearing a camouflage bucket hat and holding a rifle, the 62-year-old business executive said Wagner continues “to work and is looking for real bogatyrs” — Russian folklore heroes famed for their strength — to advance Russia’s goals on the continent.
“The temperature is 50-plus degrees Celsius, everything as we like,” Prigozhin said, with armed men on a truck waiting in the distance. “PMC Wagner is conducting a reconnaissance operation, making Russia even greater on all continents and Africa more free … We continue to fulfill the tasks we promised to succeed at.”
Read the full story here.
In his first video address since sending mercenary fighters toward Moscow during a short-lived mutiny in June, Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin indicated that his guns-for-hire group, once a key fighting force in Ukraine, is now focusing its operations on Africa.
Standing in an unidentified location in the desert, wearing a camouflage bucket hat and holding a rifle, the 62-year-old business executive said Wagner continues “to work and is looking for real bogatyrs” — Russian folklore heroes famed for their strength — to advance Russia’s goals on the continent.
“The temperature is 50-plus degrees Celsius, everything as we like,” Prigozhin said, with armed men on a truck waiting in the distance. “PMC Wagner is conducting a reconnaissance operation, making Russia even greater on all continents and Africa more free … We continue to fulfill the tasks we promised to succeed at.”
Read the full story here.
Plane believed to be carrying Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin crashes in Russia, according to Russian state media
At least 10 people died in the crash of a Wagner-linked private plane outside Moscow, according to Russia’s emergency services. Prighozin, who led a failed mutiny in June, was on the plane’s manifest, according to state-run outlet RIA, citing the country’s aviation authority.
Prigozhin had largely disappeared from the public eye after leading the short-lived rebellion, which saw his mercenary fighters briefly occupy a military headquarters in southern Russia and march on the capital, shocking President Vladimir Putin and the country’s military leadership.
Under a deal brokered with Putin by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to call off the mutiny in exchange for pardons and the ability to relocate his fighters to Belarus.
Read the full story here.
At least 10 people died in the crash of a Wagner-linked private plane outside Moscow, according to Russia’s emergency services. Prighozin, who led a failed mutiny in June, was on the plane’s manifest, according to state-run outlet RIA, citing the country’s aviation authority.
Prigozhin had largely disappeared from the public eye after leading the short-lived rebellion, which saw his mercenary fighters briefly occupy a military headquarters in southern Russia and march on the capital, shocking President Vladimir Putin and the country’s military leadership.
Under a deal brokered with Putin by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to call off the mutiny in exchange for pardons and the ability to relocate his fighters to Belarus.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Wagner Group mercenary chief who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin in June, was listed as a passenger on a plane that crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, including three pilots and seven passengers, according to Russian state news agency Tass, which cites the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
- In Russia, theories swirled on the cause of the explosions that brought down the private jet associated with Wagner founder Yevgeniy Prigozhin, with some speculating it was a “terrorist” attack and others claiming the plane was struck by Russian air defenses.
- In a video posted to Telegram on Wednesday, a plane can be seen falling out of the sky. Seconds later, black smoke billows in the distance. The video, along with others showing a plane falling, was shared shortly after news broke that a jet linked to Wagner leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin crashed in Russia.
More live updates here.
- Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Wagner Group mercenary chief who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin in June, was listed as a passenger on a plane that crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, including three pilots and seven passengers, according to Russian state news agency Tass, which cites the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
- In Russia, theories swirled on the cause of the explosions that brought down the private jet associated with Wagner founder Yevgeniy Prigozhin, with some speculating it was a “terrorist” attack and others claiming the plane was struck by Russian air defenses.
- In a video posted to Telegram on Wednesday, a plane can be seen falling out of the sky. Seconds later, black smoke billows in the distance. The video, along with others showing a plane falling, was shared shortly after news broke that a jet linked to Wagner leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin crashed in Russia.
More live updates here.