Meet Ukraine’s top fighting unit — at least that’s what their ad says
The machine-gunner gripped his weapon — body taut, eyes focused, finger on the trigger.
Atop the hood of his Humvee, a model in cutoff shorts and cherry-red stilettos leaned back on her elbows, bare legs dripping with bubbles. The soldier took aim with his weapon — a power-washer.
Cameras flashed.
This was no battlefield, but the front lines of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade’s next advertising campaign — a modern take on World War II-style pinup girls, complete with scantily-clad models gripping pistols and straddling soldiers. The brigade hopes this campaign will attract recruits, which are increasingly in short supply as the war with Russia drags toward its third year.
Read the full story here.
The machine-gunner gripped his weapon — body taut, eyes focused, finger on the trigger.
Atop the hood of his Humvee, a model in cutoff shorts and cherry-red stilettos leaned back on her elbows, bare legs dripping with bubbles. The soldier took aim with his weapon — a power-washer.
Cameras flashed.
This was no battlefield, but the front lines of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade’s next advertising campaign — a modern take on World War II-style pinup girls, complete with scantily-clad models gripping pistols and straddling soldiers. The brigade hopes this campaign will attract recruits, which are increasingly in short supply as the war with Russia drags toward its third year.
Read the full story here.
Zelensky reveals Victory Plan, calls for NATO membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a broad description of his five-point Victory Plan to Ukraine’s lawmakers on Wednesday, describing the first step as an immediate and unconditional NATO invitation and the last an offer to replace U.S. troops in Europe with Ukrainian units after the war — suggestions sure to incense the Kremlin.
The second point in the plan, Zelensky said, is a permanent strengthening of Ukraine’s security through guarantees from partners that their weapons can be used for strikes inside of Russia and that Ukraine’s neighbors will conduct joint air defense operations to protect Ukraine’s skies. It will also allow for continued operations inside sovereign Russian territory to ensure buffer zones that protect Ukraine, he said.
The third is a nonnuclear deterrence plan, and the fourth guarantees economic security and protection of Ukrainian natural resources.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a broad description of his five-point Victory Plan to Ukraine’s lawmakers on Wednesday, describing the first step as an immediate and unconditional NATO invitation and the last an offer to replace U.S. troops in Europe with Ukrainian units after the war — suggestions sure to incense the Kremlin.
The second point in the plan, Zelensky said, is a permanent strengthening of Ukraine’s security through guarantees from partners that their weapons can be used for strikes inside of Russia and that Ukraine’s neighbors will conduct joint air defense operations to protect Ukraine’s skies. It will also allow for continued operations inside sovereign Russian territory to ensure buffer zones that protect Ukraine, he said.
The third is a nonnuclear deterrence plan, and the fourth guarantees economic security and protection of Ukrainian natural resources.
Read the full story here.
Zelensky brings Victory Plan to Brussels, but NATO invite still elusive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky journeyed to Brussels on Thursday to drum up more support for his Victory Plan, but an invitation to join the Western military NATO alliance, a key part of it, appears elusive.
Zelensky has presented the plan in his parliament, describing the first step as an immediate and unconditional invitation to join NATO, a suggestion sure to incense the Kremlin. But NATO officials said they did not expect an invitation to Ukraine anytime soon, especially with the United States absorbed by the last weeks of the presidential race and many European leaders watching to see how the imminent election could change the transatlantic relationship.
Zelensky has visited the United States and toured European capitals in recent weeks to seek their backing, but the visits have drawn limited public comments of support and made little apparent progress.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky journeyed to Brussels on Thursday to drum up more support for his Victory Plan, but an invitation to join the Western military NATO alliance, a key part of it, appears elusive.
Zelensky has presented the plan in his parliament, describing the first step as an immediate and unconditional invitation to join NATO, a suggestion sure to incense the Kremlin. But NATO officials said they did not expect an invitation to Ukraine anytime soon, especially with the United States absorbed by the last weeks of the presidential race and many European leaders watching to see how the imminent election could change the transatlantic relationship.
Zelensky has visited the United States and toured European capitals in recent weeks to seek their backing, but the visits have drawn limited public comments of support and made little apparent progress.
Read the full story here.
Trump says Ukraine’s Zelensky should ‘never have let that war start’
Former president Donald Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for allowing the war in Ukraine to start, even though Russia was the aggressor, during an interview with a podcaster that was published Thursday.
“I think Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever seen. Every time he comes in we give him $100 billion,” Trump said in the interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David. “Who else got that kind of money in history? There’s never been. And that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him because I feel very badly for those people. But he should never have let that war start. That war is a loser.”
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Former president Donald Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for allowing the war in Ukraine to start, even though Russia was the aggressor, during an interview with a podcaster that was published Thursday.
“I think Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever seen. Every time he comes in we give him $100 billion,” Trump said in the interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David. “Who else got that kind of money in history? There’s never been. And that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him because I feel very badly for those people. But he should never have let that war start. That war is a loser.”
Read the full story here.
South Korea says at least 1,500 North Korean special forces in Russia
South Korea’s spy agency reported Friday that at least 1,500 North Korean Special Forces are training in far eastern Russia, and it showed satellite photos tracking their movements. Ukrainian officials have accused North Korea of preparing to send as many as 10,000 troops to fight on Russia’s side against Ukrainian forces, a move that could significantly exacerbate tensions between Pyongyang and the West.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it had first tracked a top Pyongyang missile development official visiting Russian front lines in August with dozens of other North Korean officers. They were providing “on-site guidance” to Russian forces using North Korean weapons, the agency said.
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South Korea’s spy agency reported Friday that at least 1,500 North Korean Special Forces are training in far eastern Russia, and it showed satellite photos tracking their movements. Ukrainian officials have accused North Korea of preparing to send as many as 10,000 troops to fight on Russia’s side against Ukrainian forces, a move that could significantly exacerbate tensions between Pyongyang and the West.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it had first tracked a top Pyongyang missile development official visiting Russian front lines in August with dozens of other North Korean officers. They were providing “on-site guidance” to Russian forces using North Korean weapons, the agency said.
Read the full story here.
Zelensky sees NATO momentum on Ukraine joining, but not yet from U.S.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky projected careful confidence over the Western reception to his proposed “victory plan,” including his hopes for an eventual invitation to join NATO, but said that decision will ultimately depend on the U.S. position, which probably won’t be announced until after November’s presidential election.
Ukraine has framed the invitation to join NATO as a key security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe — and one of the only ways to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from continuing his violent campaign to annex the country.
“Today, we see the consensus of the majority of the allied countries and the restrained position of a few countries,” he said in a conversation with journalists on Monday. “We will work with it.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky projected careful confidence over the Western reception to his proposed “victory plan,” including his hopes for an eventual invitation to join NATO, but said that decision will ultimately depend on the U.S. position, which probably won’t be announced until after November’s presidential election.
Ukraine has framed the invitation to join NATO as a key security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe — and one of the only ways to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from continuing his violent campaign to annex the country.
“Today, we see the consensus of the majority of the allied countries and the restrained position of a few countries,” he said in a conversation with journalists on Monday. “We will work with it.”
Read the full story here.
U.S., allies finalize $50 billion Ukraine loan backed by Russian assets
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko held a signing ceremony Wednesday advancing plans to provide Ukraine with $50 billion in loans, breaking a months-long logjam and providing Kyiv with cash it urgently needs before the end of the year.
The plan relies on the interest accruing on roughly $280 billion in Russian central bank assets kept in Western accounts but frozen since the start of the war in 2022. That interest, estimated at several billion dollars each year, would go to repay the loans over time. The United States will lend $20 billion before the end of this year, and European and other Western allies are expected to provide more than $30 billion.
Read the full story here.
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko held a signing ceremony Wednesday advancing plans to provide Ukraine with $50 billion in loans, breaking a months-long logjam and providing Kyiv with cash it urgently needs before the end of the year.
The plan relies on the interest accruing on roughly $280 billion in Russian central bank assets kept in Western accounts but frozen since the start of the war in 2022. That interest, estimated at several billion dollars each year, would go to repay the loans over time. The United States will lend $20 billion before the end of this year, and European and other Western allies are expected to provide more than $30 billion.
Read the full story here.
Putin relishes role on stage, but Ukraine war looms over BRICS summit
With the hosting of the annual BRICS summit fortuitously falling on Russia’s shoulders this year, President Vladimir Putin has been handed an opportunity to flaunt his nation’s standing on the world stage, despite Western efforts to ostracize him since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The three-day summit is the largest geopolitical event in Russia since the war and saw the first formal talks between the estranged leaders of China and India in five years, as well as discussions on alternative global financial systems — but there was little focus on the war in Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest ongoing crises.
Leaders and delegations from 36 nations descended on Kazan, one of Russia’s largest and most affluent cities, to discuss their grievances about widely perceived Western hypocrisy over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the dysfunction of the global institutions created since World War II.
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With the hosting of the annual BRICS summit fortuitously falling on Russia’s shoulders this year, President Vladimir Putin has been handed an opportunity to flaunt his nation’s standing on the world stage, despite Western efforts to ostracize him since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The three-day summit is the largest geopolitical event in Russia since the war and saw the first formal talks between the estranged leaders of China and India in five years, as well as discussions on alternative global financial systems — but there was little focus on the war in Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest ongoing crises.
Leaders and delegations from 36 nations descended on Kazan, one of Russia’s largest and most affluent cities, to discuss their grievances about widely perceived Western hypocrisy over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the dysfunction of the global institutions created since World War II.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian incursion in Kursk struggles as Russians retake territory
KYIV — As President Volodymyr Zelensky toured Europe and the United States to pitch his “victory plan” for how to end the war with Russia, Ukrainian forces suffered new setbacks on the battlefield — including, analysts say, ceding up to half of the territory Kyiv claimed during its cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk region this summer.
The surprise incursion into Russia had been hailed as a success by Ukrainian officials because it led to the capture of hundreds of Russian troops who could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners. But recent Russian counterattacks in Kursk have cast doubt on how long Kyiv will be able to continue holding the territory.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — As President Volodymyr Zelensky toured Europe and the United States to pitch his “victory plan” for how to end the war with Russia, Ukrainian forces suffered new setbacks on the battlefield — including, analysts say, ceding up to half of the territory Kyiv claimed during its cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk region this summer.
The surprise incursion into Russia had been hailed as a success by Ukrainian officials because it led to the capture of hundreds of Russian troops who could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners. But recent Russian counterattacks in Kursk have cast doubt on how long Kyiv will be able to continue holding the territory.
Read the full story here.
How Soviet farm planning gave Ukrainian troops vital battlefield real estate
In a modern fight across the Ukrainian steppe, where it is nearly impossible to hide from the digital eyes of day and night drone surveillance, windbreaks have become one of the most valuable terrain features that Russian and Ukrainian troops fight over. They provide a refuge for soldiers to gather for assaults, take cover from enemy fire or, in the quiet moments, listen to the wind blow through the branches.
Control over strategic windbreaks can make a difference in winning a fight or losing one, soldiers said.
“The tree line is life,” said a member of the gun team in the National Guard’s 15th Brigade. He provided only his first name, Oleksandr, in line with Ukrainian military protocols.
Read the full story here.
In a modern fight across the Ukrainian steppe, where it is nearly impossible to hide from the digital eyes of day and night drone surveillance, windbreaks have become one of the most valuable terrain features that Russian and Ukrainian troops fight over. They provide a refuge for soldiers to gather for assaults, take cover from enemy fire or, in the quiet moments, listen to the wind blow through the branches.
Control over strategic windbreaks can make a difference in winning a fight or losing one, soldiers said.
“The tree line is life,” said a member of the gun team in the National Guard’s 15th Brigade. He provided only his first name, Oleksandr, in line with Ukrainian military protocols.
Read the full story here.
NATO says North Korean troops already deployed to Russia’s Kursk region
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Monday that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Kursk, the Russian region where Ukrainian forces seized territory in a surprise attack over the summer.
The United States said last week that at least 3,000 North Korean personnel were undergoing combat training in Russia, though it was not yet clear if they would join the war. The U.S. announcement, which officials said was based on newly declassified intelligence, followed similar disclosures from Kyiv and Seoul.
“Today I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” Rutte told reporters, describing it as an escalation in North Korea’s “growing involvement” in Russia’s war and a “dangerous expansion” of the conflict. The move means North Korean troops could now be in direct combat with Ukrainian forces.
Read the full story here.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Monday that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Kursk, the Russian region where Ukrainian forces seized territory in a surprise attack over the summer.
The United States said last week that at least 3,000 North Korean personnel were undergoing combat training in Russia, though it was not yet clear if they would join the war. The U.S. announcement, which officials said was based on newly declassified intelligence, followed similar disclosures from Kyiv and Seoul.
“Today I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” Rutte told reporters, describing it as an escalation in North Korea’s “growing involvement” in Russia’s war and a “dangerous expansion” of the conflict. The move means North Korean troops could now be in direct combat with Ukrainian forces.
Read the full story here.
North Korea’s elite troops are in Russia to fight Ukraine: What we know
As many as 10,000 North Korean soldiers are being trained in Russia and some have already been deployed in the war against Ukraine, an unprecedented move by Pyongyang to send its people into danger in a combat zone far from the Korean Peninsula.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have dispatched some of his best soldiers to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort, including the elite “Storms Corps” unit that had long been training to infiltrate the South, according to South Korean intelligence officials.
U.S. and NATO officials have warned that the infusion of North Korean troops could be a “dangerous expansion” of the war in Ukraine and a “very, very serious issue” that could have reverberations in both Europe and the Pacific. The deployment of North Korean forces is the latest sign of the deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as they join forces against the West.
Read the full story here,
As many as 10,000 North Korean soldiers are being trained in Russia and some have already been deployed in the war against Ukraine, an unprecedented move by Pyongyang to send its people into danger in a combat zone far from the Korean Peninsula.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have dispatched some of his best soldiers to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort, including the elite “Storms Corps” unit that had long been training to infiltrate the South, according to South Korean intelligence officials.
U.S. and NATO officials have warned that the infusion of North Korean troops could be a “dangerous expansion” of the war in Ukraine and a “very, very serious issue” that could have reverberations in both Europe and the Pacific. The deployment of North Korean forces is the latest sign of the deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as they join forces against the West.
Read the full story here,
Ukraine accuses Russia of sudden spike in POW killings
KYIV — Russian forces are summarily killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in increasing numbers on the battlefield, often shooting them point blank just after they have been taken prisoner, Ukrainian officials say.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, authorities have opened 43 criminal investigations into 113 possible arbitrary killings, with more than a third of those cases registered since the beginning of the year, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general office. But that does not take into account the more recent spike.
“Since the end of last year, the number of such crimes has been steadily increasing,” the prosecutor general’s office said in written comments to The Washington Post. “We receive reports of such killings almost every week.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV — Russian forces are summarily killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in increasing numbers on the battlefield, often shooting them point blank just after they have been taken prisoner, Ukrainian officials say.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, authorities have opened 43 criminal investigations into 113 possible arbitrary killings, with more than a third of those cases registered since the beginning of the year, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general office. But that does not take into account the more recent spike.
“Since the end of last year, the number of such crimes has been steadily increasing,” the prosecutor general’s office said in written comments to The Washington Post. “We receive reports of such killings almost every week.”
Read the full story here.
Russian drones hunt civilians in streets of southern Ukrainian city
Russian forces have escalated indiscriminate drone attacks against civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing and maiming scores of people in what locals have described as a “human safari.”
Unlike elsewhere on the 600-mile-long front, Russian forces in Kherson are just across the river from the city and are using small drones to harass the population, either by crashing into targets and exploding or by dropping grenades and small camouflaged mines. The situation is fairly unique compared with the rest of Ukraine, where Russian troops must use longer-range weapons to reach civilians.
Humanitarian operations and city services such as fire trucks and buses seem to be under particular threat, officials said, though children on bicycles and older people gathering at markets have also been struck.
Read the full story here.
Russian forces have escalated indiscriminate drone attacks against civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing and maiming scores of people in what locals have described as a “human safari.”
Unlike elsewhere on the 600-mile-long front, Russian forces in Kherson are just across the river from the city and are using small drones to harass the population, either by crashing into targets and exploding or by dropping grenades and small camouflaged mines. The situation is fairly unique compared with the rest of Ukraine, where Russian troops must use longer-range weapons to reach civilians.
Humanitarian operations and city services such as fire trucks and buses seem to be under particular threat, officials said, though children on bicycles and older people gathering at markets have also been struck.
Read the full story here.