Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Economic tensions between Russia and the West are approaching boiling point after the Kremlin deployed arguably its mightiest economic weapon in cutting off the delivery of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria, which are both NATO members. Germany said Tuesday that it hopes in the coming days to find an alternative to Russian oil imports.
- Top U.S. defense officials on Tuesday made an urgent case for sending more weapons to Ukraine, telling delegations from more than 40 countries that the coming weeks of war will be “so crucial.”
- Amid fears that Russia’s ambitions could spill over Ukraine’s borders into neighboring Moldova, the U.N. urged involved parties to “refrain from any statements or actions that could escalate tensions.
- Some Western analysts say a successful power grab in Moldova could provide President Putin with “a cheap ‘win’” — though others doubt the Kremlin has the capacity while it is also bogged down in eastern Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- Economic tensions between Russia and the West are approaching boiling point after the Kremlin deployed arguably its mightiest economic weapon in cutting off the delivery of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria, which are both NATO members. Germany said Tuesday that it hopes in the coming days to find an alternative to Russian oil imports.
- Top U.S. defense officials on Tuesday made an urgent case for sending more weapons to Ukraine, telling delegations from more than 40 countries that the coming weeks of war will be “so crucial.”
- Amid fears that Russia’s ambitions could spill over Ukraine’s borders into neighboring Moldova, the U.N. urged involved parties to “refrain from any statements or actions that could escalate tensions.
- Some Western analysts say a successful power grab in Moldova could provide President Putin with “a cheap ‘win’” — though others doubt the Kremlin has the capacity while it is also bogged down in eastern Ukraine.
More live updates here.
E.U. accuses Russia of ‘blackmail’ after gas cut to Poland, Bulgaria
The European Union accused Russia Wednesday of “blackmail” after a state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, said it had shut off the supply of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria.
“The announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “This is unjustified and unacceptable.”
The move escalates the standoff between Moscow and the West over the war in Ukraine and could complicate a roiling E.U. debate about weaning off Russian energy. It is the first supply disruption since Russian President Vladimir Putin said “unfriendly countries” would have to pay for natural gas in rubles instead of other currencies.
European leaders had rejected Putin’s demand and accused Gazprom of violating its contracts.
Read the full story here.
The European Union accused Russia Wednesday of “blackmail” after a state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, said it had shut off the supply of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria.
“The announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “This is unjustified and unacceptable.”
The move escalates the standoff between Moscow and the West over the war in Ukraine and could complicate a roiling E.U. debate about weaning off Russian energy. It is the first supply disruption since Russian President Vladimir Putin said “unfriendly countries” would have to pay for natural gas in rubles instead of other currencies.
European leaders had rejected Putin’s demand and accused Gazprom of violating its contracts.
Read the full story here.
Mystery fires at sensitive facilities compound Russia’s war challenge
Unexplained fires at strategic locations in Russia, including a sensitive defense research site and the country’s largest chemical plant, have raised suspicions of some kind of sabotage despite no evidence that most were not accidental.
The latest fire, at two oil storage depots in the Russian city of Bryansk near the Ukrainian border, was triggered Monday by explosions, Russian media reported. The site’s loss could disrupt vital oil supplies to the Ukraine war’s northeastern front, where Russian troops are pressing ahead with an attempt to seize territory in the Donbas region.
Footage shared on social media of one of the blasts suggested it was caused by “an air or missile strike,” according to a tweet by Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The depots are less than 100 miles from Ukraine, within range of that country’s Tochka tactical ballistic missiles, Lee noted.
Read the full story here.
Unexplained fires at strategic locations in Russia, including a sensitive defense research site and the country’s largest chemical plant, have raised suspicions of some kind of sabotage despite no evidence that most were not accidental.
The latest fire, at two oil storage depots in the Russian city of Bryansk near the Ukrainian border, was triggered Monday by explosions, Russian media reported. The site’s loss could disrupt vital oil supplies to the Ukraine war’s northeastern front, where Russian troops are pressing ahead with an attempt to seize territory in the Donbas region.
Footage shared on social media of one of the blasts suggested it was caused by “an air or missile strike,” according to a tweet by Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The depots are less than 100 miles from Ukraine, within range of that country’s Tochka tactical ballistic missiles, Lee noted.
Read the full story here.
Poland long wanted to quit Russian gas. Now it has no choice.
WARSAW — Poland’s energy czar has spent much of his adult life preparing to break the country’s dependence on Russian natural gas. The coming weeks will bring a sudden and dramatic test of his efforts.
Piotr Naimski and his colleagues in Poland’s energy ministry had been racing to fully cut Russian gas imports late this year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. But Russia’s abrupt decision to stop deliveries this week is forcing Poland to go it alone months ahead of schedule.
Poland’s success or failure in coping without Russian gas will help guide other European nations that are facing similar breaks with Russian energy — either by their own choice or the Kremlin’s.
“We are prepared,” Naimski said in a Polish radio interview Wednesday morning, hours after Russia informed Poland it was ceasing deliveries. “We have the ability to bring enough gas to Poland, so that there is enough for everyone. We can remain calm.”
Read the full story here.
WARSAW — Poland’s energy czar has spent much of his adult life preparing to break the country’s dependence on Russian natural gas. The coming weeks will bring a sudden and dramatic test of his efforts.
Piotr Naimski and his colleagues in Poland’s energy ministry had been racing to fully cut Russian gas imports late this year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. But Russia’s abrupt decision to stop deliveries this week is forcing Poland to go it alone months ahead of schedule.
Poland’s success or failure in coping without Russian gas will help guide other European nations that are facing similar breaks with Russian energy — either by their own choice or the Kremlin’s.
“We are prepared,” Naimski said in a Polish radio interview Wednesday morning, hours after Russia informed Poland it was ceasing deliveries. “We have the ability to bring enough gas to Poland, so that there is enough for everyone. We can remain calm.”
Read the full story here.
Chinese drone-maker DJI suspends operations in Russia, Ukraine over war use
Chinese drone-maker DJI, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial drones, has suspended operations in Ukraine and Russia, becoming the first major Chinese company to openly quit the markets over a war that the leadership in Beijing refuses to condemn.
The privately owned Shenzhen-based company said in a statement on Tuesday that it was undergoing an internal compliance assessment and would temporarily halt activity in both countries pending an outcome. It was unclear what triggered the decision, which a company spokesperson told Chinese media was “not a statement targeting any particular country but rather a statement about our principles.”
Russia’s assault on Ukraine has increased scrutiny on DJI over fears that Beijing’s close geopolitical partnership with Moscow might hamper the company’s efforts to prevent its products from being used by the Russian army.
Read the full story here.
Chinese drone-maker DJI, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial drones, has suspended operations in Ukraine and Russia, becoming the first major Chinese company to openly quit the markets over a war that the leadership in Beijing refuses to condemn.
The privately owned Shenzhen-based company said in a statement on Tuesday that it was undergoing an internal compliance assessment and would temporarily halt activity in both countries pending an outcome. It was unclear what triggered the decision, which a company spokesperson told Chinese media was “not a statement targeting any particular country but rather a statement about our principles.”
Russia’s assault on Ukraine has increased scrutiny on DJI over fears that Beijing’s close geopolitical partnership with Moscow might hamper the company’s efforts to prevent its products from being used by the Russian army.
Read the full story here.
Biden administration announces $670 million in global food aid
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development will provide $670 million in food assistance to countries affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The World Food Programme has estimated the increase in acute hunger following the Ukraine conflict, largely due to price increases on global grain and energy markets, could result in as many as an additional 47 million people becoming acutely food insecure in 2022.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power said that in Ukraine, which provides 10 percent of the world’s wheat, farmers are struggling to plant and harvest their crops for fear of shelling and Russian land mines, and their path to exporting is severely restricted by Russia’s invasion, which caused the closure of Ukraine’s ports.
Read the full story here.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development will provide $670 million in food assistance to countries affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The World Food Programme has estimated the increase in acute hunger following the Ukraine conflict, largely due to price increases on global grain and energy markets, could result in as many as an additional 47 million people becoming acutely food insecure in 2022.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power said that in Ukraine, which provides 10 percent of the world’s wheat, farmers are struggling to plant and harvest their crops for fear of shelling and Russian land mines, and their path to exporting is severely restricted by Russia’s invasion, which caused the closure of Ukraine’s ports.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- The United States and the United Nations said they were monitoring reports of explosions in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova backed by Moscow. The United Nations urged involved parties to “refrain from any statements or actions that could escalate tensions.”
- In the eastern town of Slovyansk, some Ukrainians who remain say they have no funds to flee.
- In Kherson, Ukrainian officials said the Kremlin has installed a pro-Moscow administration in the city, a day after Russian forces seized the city council building.
More live updates here.
- The United States and the United Nations said they were monitoring reports of explosions in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova backed by Moscow. The United Nations urged involved parties to “refrain from any statements or actions that could escalate tensions.”
- In the eastern town of Slovyansk, some Ukrainians who remain say they have no funds to flee.
- In Kherson, Ukrainian officials said the Kremlin has installed a pro-Moscow administration in the city, a day after Russian forces seized the city council building.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Donbas: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian troops seized a village near Izyum. “Virtually the entire territory of Luhansk” was shelled Tuesday in attacks that set homes on fire, a Ukrainian human rights ombudsman said.
Kharkiv: Russia continues to shell residential areas here and its northern region, the Ukrainian government said Wednesday, reporting three new deaths and 15 people injured. The Sumy region has also suffered shelling for several days, an official said.
Kherson: Ukrainian leaders said Russian forces used tear gas to break up protesters Wednesday here. Gennady Laguta, the Ukrainian head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, said Tuesday that Russian forces are installing their own government, appointing a municipal leader and a replacement for Laguta.
Mariupol: A Red Cross spokesperson said Wednesday that it has “no confirmation” of any “functional agreement” to get people out of Mariupol.
More live updates here.
Donbas: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian troops seized a village near Izyum. “Virtually the entire territory of Luhansk” was shelled Tuesday in attacks that set homes on fire, a Ukrainian human rights ombudsman said.
Kharkiv: Russia continues to shell residential areas here and its northern region, the Ukrainian government said Wednesday, reporting three new deaths and 15 people injured. The Sumy region has also suffered shelling for several days, an official said.
Kherson: Ukrainian leaders said Russian forces used tear gas to break up protesters Wednesday here. Gennady Laguta, the Ukrainian head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, said Tuesday that Russian forces are installing their own government, appointing a municipal leader and a replacement for Laguta.
Mariupol: A Red Cross spokesperson said Wednesday that it has “no confirmation” of any “functional agreement” to get people out of Mariupol.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Two days after meeting with Putin at the Kremlin, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres is in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky. Guterres had secured an “in principle” agreement to allow civilians trapped inside a Mariupol steel plant to leave, though Kyiv said Wednesday that Russian forces have stepped up strikes on the facility. The U.N. chief said he would persist with efforts to facilitate civilian evacuations.
- As brutal fighting continues in Ukraine’s east, Biden will speak Thursday morning about Washington’s support for Kyiv. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that Ukraine had the prerogative to launch attacks on Russia in addition to defending its own territory.
- The E.U. is bracing for further retaliation after Russia cut off gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday. Putin warned other nations against interfering in Moscow’s war efforts and pledged “lightning fast” counterstrikes.
More live updates here.
- Two days after meeting with Putin at the Kremlin, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres is in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky. Guterres had secured an “in principle” agreement to allow civilians trapped inside a Mariupol steel plant to leave, though Kyiv said Wednesday that Russian forces have stepped up strikes on the facility. The U.N. chief said he would persist with efforts to facilitate civilian evacuations.
- As brutal fighting continues in Ukraine’s east, Biden will speak Thursday morning about Washington’s support for Kyiv. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that Ukraine had the prerogative to launch attacks on Russia in addition to defending its own territory.
- The E.U. is bracing for further retaliation after Russia cut off gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday. Putin warned other nations against interfering in Moscow’s war efforts and pledged “lightning fast” counterstrikes.
More live updates here.
Kremlin slams West for backing Ukraine’s right to strike Russia back
In an escalating war of words, Russia warned Western countries not to “test our patience” after the United States and Britain publicly backed Ukraine’s right to strike Russian territory following a spate of mysterious fires.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the West of openly encouraging Ukraine to attack Russia — and said Thursday that countries should take seriously Moscow’s warnings that any attack will lead to a “tough response.”
“The West openly calls on Kyiv to attack Russia, using, among other things, weapons received from NATO countries,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. “We advise you not to further test our patience,” she said.
The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was Ukraine’s prerogative to strike back on Russian soil.
Read the full story here.
In an escalating war of words, Russia warned Western countries not to “test our patience” after the United States and Britain publicly backed Ukraine’s right to strike Russian territory following a spate of mysterious fires.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the West of openly encouraging Ukraine to attack Russia — and said Thursday that countries should take seriously Moscow’s warnings that any attack will lead to a “tough response.”
“The West openly calls on Kyiv to attack Russia, using, among other things, weapons received from NATO countries,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. “We advise you not to further test our patience,” she said.
The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was Ukraine’s prerogative to strike back on Russian soil.
Read the full story here.
Russia is using dolphins to protect Black Sea naval base, satellite photos suggest
Satellite photos show Russia has placed trained dolphins at the entrance to a key Black Sea port, in a move that may be designed to help protect a significant Kremlin naval base there, according to a naval analyst.
The images, provided to The Washington Post by Maxar Technologies, show two dolphin pens at the entrance to Sevastopol harbor in Crimea — which Russian forces annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
H I Sutton, a submarine analyst who first reported on the dolphins for the U.S. Naval Institute on Wednesday, said the pens were moved there in February, around the time of the invasion of Ukraine.
He said the dolphins could be used to counter specialist Ukrainian divers attempting to enter the port to sabotage Russian warships — a role he said the United States and Russia have previously trained marine mammals for.
Read the full story here.
Satellite photos show Russia has placed trained dolphins at the entrance to a key Black Sea port, in a move that may be designed to help protect a significant Kremlin naval base there, according to a naval analyst.
The images, provided to The Washington Post by Maxar Technologies, show two dolphin pens at the entrance to Sevastopol harbor in Crimea — which Russian forces annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
H I Sutton, a submarine analyst who first reported on the dolphins for the U.S. Naval Institute on Wednesday, said the pens were moved there in February, around the time of the invasion of Ukraine.
He said the dolphins could be used to counter specialist Ukrainian divers attempting to enter the port to sabotage Russian warships — a role he said the United States and Russia have previously trained marine mammals for.
Read the full story here.
Biden seeks $33 billion for Ukraine, powers to liquidate Russian assets
President Biden on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new $33 billion spending package that would provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, asking Congress to swiftly approve the spending.
“We either back Ukrainian people as they defend their country,” he added, “or we stand by as the Russians continue their atrocities.”
The spending is far higher than the commitment the United States has made to date, and it is meant to not only defend Ukraine but to weaken and deter Russia in a conflict that shows few signs of ending. U.S. leaders are increasingly open about their hopes that the conflict will result not just in Ukraine’s survival, but also in a significantly weakened Russia.
Read the full story here.
President Biden on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new $33 billion spending package that would provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, asking Congress to swiftly approve the spending.
“We either back Ukrainian people as they defend their country,” he added, “or we stand by as the Russians continue their atrocities.”
The spending is far higher than the commitment the United States has made to date, and it is meant to not only defend Ukraine but to weaken and deter Russia in a conflict that shows few signs of ending. U.S. leaders are increasingly open about their hopes that the conflict will result not just in Ukraine’s survival, but also in a significantly weakened Russia.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Putin warned other nations against interfering in the war after Russia cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. The move put the European Union on alert for further retaliation and prompted Zelensky to accuse Moscow of weaponizing energy, as battles raged in Donbas.
- Ukrainian officials accused Russia of preventing civilians trapped in the Azovstal steel plant from leaving, while the CEO of the company that owns the facility said it had kept bomb shelters there stocked with food and water in preparation for a Russian assault.
- The European Union said Poland and Bulgaria secured gas from other countries in the bloc, which has made “contingency plans.” Here’s why Russia cut gas to Bulgaria and Poland.
More live updates here.
- Putin warned other nations against interfering in the war after Russia cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. The move put the European Union on alert for further retaliation and prompted Zelensky to accuse Moscow of weaponizing energy, as battles raged in Donbas.
- Ukrainian officials accused Russia of preventing civilians trapped in the Azovstal steel plant from leaving, while the CEO of the company that owns the facility said it had kept bomb shelters there stocked with food and water in preparation for a Russian assault.
- The European Union said Poland and Bulgaria secured gas from other countries in the bloc, which has made “contingency plans.” Here’s why Russia cut gas to Bulgaria and Poland.
More live updates here.
U.S. says Russian intelligence orchestrated attack on Nobel laureate
The U.S. government has assessed that Russian intelligence was behind an attack earlier this month on a Nobel Prize winner and prominent Russian editor who had criticized the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.
Dmitry Muratov, the editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was about to travel on a train from Moscow to Samara, Russia, on April 7 when an assailant attacked him with a mixture of red paint and acetone, leaving his eyes with a chemical burn. The assailant yelled, “Muratov, here’s one for our boys” — a reference to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
U.S. intelligence has concluded the incident was the handiwork of Russian intelligence, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Biden administration.
Read the full story here.
The U.S. government has assessed that Russian intelligence was behind an attack earlier this month on a Nobel Prize winner and prominent Russian editor who had criticized the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.
Dmitry Muratov, the editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was about to travel on a train from Moscow to Samara, Russia, on April 7 when an assailant attacked him with a mixture of red paint and acetone, leaving his eyes with a chemical burn. The assailant yelled, “Muratov, here’s one for our boys” — a reference to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
U.S. intelligence has concluded the incident was the handiwork of Russian intelligence, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Biden administration.
Read the full story here.
U.S. will 'strongly support’ NATO bids of Sweden and Finland, Blinken says
The United States will “strongly support” NATO membership for Sweden and Finland if they choose to join the military alliance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
The top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow, which recently threatened to move nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles closer to the borders of Sweden and Finland should they choose to join the military alliance.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken said. “We, of course, look to them to make that decision. If that’s what they decide, we will strongly support it.”
Read the full story here.
The United States will “strongly support” NATO membership for Sweden and Finland if they choose to join the military alliance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
The top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow, which recently threatened to move nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles closer to the borders of Sweden and Finland should they choose to join the military alliance.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken said. “We, of course, look to them to make that decision. If that’s what they decide, we will strongly support it.”
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Mariupol: A Ukrainian official told The Post on Thursday that Russian forces hit the Azovstal steel plant with the heaviest strikes to date. Another official said the plan to evacuate citizens from the facility has begun.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russian shelling continued here, with Moscow’s troops making some minor advances, the Institute for the Study of War reported. Luhansk’s governor said Thursday that a string of Russian attacks had destroyed houses and burned entire neighborhoods, killing four and leaving about 7,000 without electricity.
Kyiv: Several Russian cruise missiles struck the capital Thursday within hours of a visit by U.N. Secretary General António Guterres and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
Kherson: Moscow has installed a pro-Kremlin local government and will begin using Russia’s ruble currency this weekend, Russian media reported Thursday.
More live updates here.
Mariupol: A Ukrainian official told The Post on Thursday that Russian forces hit the Azovstal steel plant with the heaviest strikes to date. Another official said the plan to evacuate citizens from the facility has begun.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russian shelling continued here, with Moscow’s troops making some minor advances, the Institute for the Study of War reported. Luhansk’s governor said Thursday that a string of Russian attacks had destroyed houses and burned entire neighborhoods, killing four and leaving about 7,000 without electricity.
Kyiv: Several Russian cruise missiles struck the capital Thursday within hours of a visit by U.N. Secretary General António Guterres and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
Kherson: Moscow has installed a pro-Kremlin local government and will begin using Russia’s ruble currency this weekend, Russian media reported Thursday.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Five Russian missiles hit Kyiv as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres wrapped up his Thursday visit to the Ukrainian capital, President Zelensky said. The strike was an apparent show of force by the Kremlin toward the U.N. chief, who met with Zelensky.
- Senior U.S. officials are laying the groundwork for a potential protracted conflict in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers the world had changed dramatically since the invasion and declared Washington’s support for Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership. President Biden the same day asked Congress for another $33 billion to assist Ukraine.
- Russian forces in eastern Ukraine are moving forward at a pace of just several kilometers a day, the Pentagon said, adding that they were still hampered by logistical challenges. Moscow has also shifted a significant number of troops from Mariupol to other combat zones, a senior U.S. defense official said.
More live updates here.
- Five Russian missiles hit Kyiv as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres wrapped up his Thursday visit to the Ukrainian capital, President Zelensky said. The strike was an apparent show of force by the Kremlin toward the U.N. chief, who met with Zelensky.
- Senior U.S. officials are laying the groundwork for a potential protracted conflict in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers the world had changed dramatically since the invasion and declared Washington’s support for Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership. President Biden the same day asked Congress for another $33 billion to assist Ukraine.
- Russian forces in eastern Ukraine are moving forward at a pace of just several kilometers a day, the Pentagon said, adding that they were still hampered by logistical challenges. Moscow has also shifted a significant number of troops from Mariupol to other combat zones, a senior U.S. defense official said.
More live updates here.
Ukraine names 10 Russians it accuses of war crimes in Bucha
Ukrainian authorities have pushed ahead with efforts to investigate and prosecute potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledges the alleged perpetrators may never face justice.
Prosecutors filed their first war crimes charges Thursday against 10 Russian service members accused of torturing and taking civilians hostage on the outskirts of the capital. The Russians are not in custody, and the charges were filed in absentia to Ukrainian courts.
This decision signals Kyiv’s resolve to hold Moscow accountable and its determination to ensure that the voices of the victims and their families are heard, said Mervyn Cheong, a law professor at the National University of Singapore who also serves as counsel before the International Criminal Court.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian authorities have pushed ahead with efforts to investigate and prosecute potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledges the alleged perpetrators may never face justice.
Prosecutors filed their first war crimes charges Thursday against 10 Russian service members accused of torturing and taking civilians hostage on the outskirts of the capital. The Russians are not in custody, and the charges were filed in absentia to Ukrainian courts.
This decision signals Kyiv’s resolve to hold Moscow accountable and its determination to ensure that the voices of the victims and their families are heard, said Mervyn Cheong, a law professor at the National University of Singapore who also serves as counsel before the International Criminal Court.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian attacks bring war home to Russia, fraying civilian nerves
The Kremlin has sought to minimize discussion of Russian war losses inside Ukraine. But apparent Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil in the past week highlight how the conflict has spilled across the border, unsettling residents of regions near the border and threatening to upend President Vladimir Putin’s effort to insulate his citizens from the fighting he started.
In the wake of the shellings and strikes, local authorities are sounding alarms — as well as calling for revenge and in some cases evacuations — as they contend with the growing peril.
The attacks, which Ukrainian leaders have neither confirmed nor denied but which one senior adviser winkingly described as “karma” on Wednesday, suggest that Kyiv is increasingly able to reach into Russian territory.
Empowered by NATO’s military aid, Ukrainian troops are hitting infrastructure, military targets and, Russian authorities say, at least some villages.
Read the full story here.
The Kremlin has sought to minimize discussion of Russian war losses inside Ukraine. But apparent Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil in the past week highlight how the conflict has spilled across the border, unsettling residents of regions near the border and threatening to upend President Vladimir Putin’s effort to insulate his citizens from the fighting he started.
In the wake of the shellings and strikes, local authorities are sounding alarms — as well as calling for revenge and in some cases evacuations — as they contend with the growing peril.
The attacks, which Ukrainian leaders have neither confirmed nor denied but which one senior adviser winkingly described as “karma” on Wednesday, suggest that Kyiv is increasingly able to reach into Russian territory.
Empowered by NATO’s military aid, Ukrainian troops are hitting infrastructure, military targets and, Russian authorities say, at least some villages.
Read the full story here.
Russians twice targeted Zelensky compound with attacks, Ukraine says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Time magazine that Russia targeted his compound in the early hours of the invasion of Ukraine, and he and his family awoke to explosions as Russian forces moved closer.
Early on Feb. 24, the presidential offices in the Triangle, the central government district in Kyiv, came under attack as the Russians moved in. Zelensky roused his wife, Olena, along with their 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, who were with him in the complex. “We woke them up,” Zelensky said in the interview with Time. “It was loud. There were explosions over there.”
Oleksiy Arestovych, a military intelligence officer, told Time’s Simon Shuster that two attempts were made to storm the compound. “It was an absolute madhouse,” Arestovych said. “Automatics for everyone.”
“The place was wide open,” he added. “We didn’t even have concrete blocks to close the street.”
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Time magazine that Russia targeted his compound in the early hours of the invasion of Ukraine, and he and his family awoke to explosions as Russian forces moved closer.
Early on Feb. 24, the presidential offices in the Triangle, the central government district in Kyiv, came under attack as the Russians moved in. Zelensky roused his wife, Olena, along with their 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, who were with him in the complex. “We woke them up,” Zelensky said in the interview with Time. “It was loud. There were explosions over there.”
Oleksiy Arestovych, a military intelligence officer, told Time’s Simon Shuster that two attempts were made to storm the compound. “It was an absolute madhouse,” Arestovych said. “Automatics for everyone.”
“The place was wide open,” he added. “We didn’t even have concrete blocks to close the street.”
Read the full story here.
Cracks emerge in Russian elite as tycoons start to bemoan invasion
In the two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the silence — and even acquiescence — of the Russian elite has started to fray.
Even as opinion polls report overwhelming public support for the military campaign, amid pervasive state propaganda and new laws outlawing criticism of the war, cracks are starting to show. The dividing lines among factions of the Russian economic elite are becoming more marked, and some of the tycoons — especially those who made their fortunes before President Vladimir Putin came to power — have begun, tentatively, to speak.
For many, the most immediate focus has been their own woes. Sweeping sanctions imposed by the West have brought down a new iron curtain on the Russian economy, freezing tens of billions of dollars of many of the tycoons’ assets along the way.
Read the full story here.
In the two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the silence — and even acquiescence — of the Russian elite has started to fray.
Even as opinion polls report overwhelming public support for the military campaign, amid pervasive state propaganda and new laws outlawing criticism of the war, cracks are starting to show. The dividing lines among factions of the Russian economic elite are becoming more marked, and some of the tycoons — especially those who made their fortunes before President Vladimir Putin came to power — have begun, tentatively, to speak.
For many, the most immediate focus has been their own woes. Sweeping sanctions imposed by the West have brought down a new iron curtain on the Russian economy, freezing tens of billions of dollars of many of the tycoons’ assets along the way.
Read the full story here.