One month into the Ukraine war, a defiant nation is forever changed but adapting
A month has passed since blasts woke Ukrainians at 5:07 a.m. on Feb. 24. The sounds of explosions still scare but don’t surprise. Each day since has brought the sound of air-raid sirens, of breaking glass and numbingly frequent moments of silence for the dead.
A month of war with Russia has forced 1 in every 4 Ukrainians out of their homes. It has shown that Moscow’s forces fire indiscriminately on civilians in their apartments, businesses, hospitals and schools. It has exposed weaknesses in Vladimir Putin’s military, which seems stunned and disoriented by the month-long fight.
And it has focused the world’s attention on the unexpected ferocity and power of ordinary people uniting to defend their homes and nation.
Read the full story here.
A month has passed since blasts woke Ukrainians at 5:07 a.m. on Feb. 24. The sounds of explosions still scare but don’t surprise. Each day since has brought the sound of air-raid sirens, of breaking glass and numbingly frequent moments of silence for the dead.
A month of war with Russia has forced 1 in every 4 Ukrainians out of their homes. It has shown that Moscow’s forces fire indiscriminately on civilians in their apartments, businesses, hospitals and schools. It has exposed weaknesses in Vladimir Putin’s military, which seems stunned and disoriented by the month-long fight.
And it has focused the world’s attention on the unexpected ferocity and power of ordinary people uniting to defend their homes and nation.
Read the full story here.
Biden expresses support for expelling Russia from G-20; U.S. to accept 100,000 refugees
President Biden voiced support for expelling Russia from the Group of 20, remarks he made in Brussels as he announced that the United States will take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and will commit more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance.
The United States, along with the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, also announced Thursday a new round of sanctions targeting more than 400 Russian individuals and entities, including lawmakers and defense companies.
Separately, G-7 leaders warned Putin against using chemical or nuclear weapons.
Read the full story here.
President Biden voiced support for expelling Russia from the Group of 20, remarks he made in Brussels as he announced that the United States will take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and will commit more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance.
The United States, along with the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, also announced Thursday a new round of sanctions targeting more than 400 Russian individuals and entities, including lawmakers and defense companies.
Separately, G-7 leaders warned Putin against using chemical or nuclear weapons.
Read the full story here.
Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to NATO leaders via videoconference Thursday, urging the alliance to provide Ukraine with unrestricted military help. He did not explicitly call for a no-fly zone, a request he has made on numerous other occasions.
- Repeated attempts by top U.S. defense and military leaders to speak with their Russian counterparts have been rejected by Moscow for the last month, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear powers in the dark about explanations for military movements and raising fears of a major miscalculation or battlefield accident.
- The U.S. government has accused Russia’s military of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Here’s what you should know about war crimes and how perpetrators are prosecuted.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to NATO leaders via videoconference Thursday, urging the alliance to provide Ukraine with unrestricted military help. He did not explicitly call for a no-fly zone, a request he has made on numerous other occasions.
- Repeated attempts by top U.S. defense and military leaders to speak with their Russian counterparts have been rejected by Moscow for the last month, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear powers in the dark about explanations for military movements and raising fears of a major miscalculation or battlefield accident.
- The U.S. government has accused Russia’s military of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Here’s what you should know about war crimes and how perpetrators are prosecuted.
More live updates here.
In photos: The war in Ukraine one month on
One month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the loss and destruction is hard to put into words.
Traumatized soldiers have returned to the front lines; ordinary citizens have taken up arms for the first time. Millions of women and children have boarded trains west, bidding painful goodbyes; others have taken shelter in underground subway stations.
There are no definitive counts of the dead or wounded, no official tally of what has been destroyed, but the pain of war is on the faces of the people from this embattled nation, their resilience etched into their brows.
Washington Post photographers have been on the ground from the very beginning — here’s some of their most powerful work.
Read the full story here.
One month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the loss and destruction is hard to put into words.
Traumatized soldiers have returned to the front lines; ordinary citizens have taken up arms for the first time. Millions of women and children have boarded trains west, bidding painful goodbyes; others have taken shelter in underground subway stations.
There are no definitive counts of the dead or wounded, no official tally of what has been destroyed, but the pain of war is on the faces of the people from this embattled nation, their resilience etched into their brows.
Washington Post photographers have been on the ground from the very beginning — here’s some of their most powerful work.
Read the full story here.
Here's the status of Ukrainian cities under Russian attack.
Kyiv: While Ukrainian forces didn't regain control of any territory on the northwestern outskirts of the capital, they managed to force their Russian counterparts into defensive positions.
Mariupol: Local authorities accused Russian forces that have entered Mariupol of spreading misinformation on evacuation corridors to confuse and intimidate residents. In a Telegram channel, Russian soldiers wrote that Zaporizhzhia will no longer accept refugees and that Odessa had already fallen, leaving Ukrainians with the sole option of heading to Russia for safety.
Chernihiv: Russian forces bombed and destroyed a bridge connecting this northern city with Kyiv Wednesday evening.
Berdyansk: The Ukrainian navy claimed it destroyed a Russian landing ship, the Orsk, docked at Berdyansk. According to video clips verified by The Post, fires and heavy smoke columns could be seen rising from a vessel that matched the description of the Orsk.
More live updates here.
Kyiv: While Ukrainian forces didn't regain control of any territory on the northwestern outskirts of the capital, they managed to force their Russian counterparts into defensive positions.
Mariupol: Local authorities accused Russian forces that have entered Mariupol of spreading misinformation on evacuation corridors to confuse and intimidate residents. In a Telegram channel, Russian soldiers wrote that Zaporizhzhia will no longer accept refugees and that Odessa had already fallen, leaving Ukrainians with the sole option of heading to Russia for safety.
Chernihiv: Russian forces bombed and destroyed a bridge connecting this northern city with Kyiv Wednesday evening.
Berdyansk: The Ukrainian navy claimed it destroyed a Russian landing ship, the Orsk, docked at Berdyansk. According to video clips verified by The Post, fires and heavy smoke columns could be seen rising from a vessel that matched the description of the Orsk.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- President Biden is headed for NATO’s eastern flank on Friday, where he will meet with his Polish counterpart in Rzeszow. The visit comes as the U.S. pledged to open its borders to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and said it would respond “in kind” if Russia uses chemical weapons in its invasion.
- The battle for Kyiv rages on as the war enters its second month, with counterattacks forcing Russian troops into defensive positions. Ukrainian forces are likely to continue striking logistical assets in territory held by Russia, which would stretch the Kremlin’s supply lines and dampen morale among Russian forces, Britain said in a Thursday intelligence update.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency is negotiating a deal to ensure the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. The U.N. watchdog also said Thursday that Ukraine had informed it that Russian shelling in a city near the Chernobyl plant was preventing personnel from rotating shifts.
More live updates here.
- President Biden is headed for NATO’s eastern flank on Friday, where he will meet with his Polish counterpart in Rzeszow. The visit comes as the U.S. pledged to open its borders to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and said it would respond “in kind” if Russia uses chemical weapons in its invasion.
- The battle for Kyiv rages on as the war enters its second month, with counterattacks forcing Russian troops into defensive positions. Ukrainian forces are likely to continue striking logistical assets in territory held by Russia, which would stretch the Kremlin’s supply lines and dampen morale among Russian forces, Britain said in a Thursday intelligence update.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency is negotiating a deal to ensure the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. The U.N. watchdog also said Thursday that Ukraine had informed it that Russian shelling in a city near the Chernobyl plant was preventing personnel from rotating shifts.
More live updates here.
Biden, E.U. announce partnership to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy
The United States and the European Commission announced Friday a joint task force to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels, as the West looks to further punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the task force will work to ensure energy security for Ukraine and the European Union ahead of the next two winters while also assisting in reducing Europe’s dependence in the long term.
As part of the effort, the United States will increase liquefied natural gas exports to Europe by at least 15 billion cubic meters this year with the aim of providing larger shipments in the future, the White House said.
About 40 percent of E.U. gas comes from Russia, as well as more than a quarter of its oil. Europe imports over six times more oil from Russia than the United States does, according to the White House.
Read the full story here.
The United States and the European Commission announced Friday a joint task force to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels, as the West looks to further punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the task force will work to ensure energy security for Ukraine and the European Union ahead of the next two winters while also assisting in reducing Europe’s dependence in the long term.
As part of the effort, the United States will increase liquefied natural gas exports to Europe by at least 15 billion cubic meters this year with the aim of providing larger shipments in the future, the White House said.
About 40 percent of E.U. gas comes from Russia, as well as more than a quarter of its oil. Europe imports over six times more oil from Russia than the United States does, according to the White House.
Read the full story here.
Mariupol says it appears that about 300 people died in the Drama Theater attack, based on eyewitness accounts
The Mariupol City Council has condemned the “inhuman cruelty” of a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol earlier this month, adding that “there will never be forgiveness for those who brought devastation, pain and suffering to our home.”
The council’s statement, posted Friday in an update on Telegram, said that based on eyewitness accounts, it appeared that about 300 people died in the attack. It did not provide further details on how the council arrived at the figure.
However, a Mariupol news site published an interview Thursday with two eyewitnesses who survived the blast, including one who estimated that at least 300 people were killed. The Washington Post could not independently verify the figure.
Read the full story here.
The Mariupol City Council has condemned the “inhuman cruelty” of a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol earlier this month, adding that “there will never be forgiveness for those who brought devastation, pain and suffering to our home.”
The council’s statement, posted Friday in an update on Telegram, said that based on eyewitness accounts, it appeared that about 300 people died in the attack. It did not provide further details on how the council arrived at the figure.
However, a Mariupol news site published an interview Thursday with two eyewitnesses who survived the blast, including one who estimated that at least 300 people were killed. The Washington Post could not independently verify the figure.
Read the full story here.
Biden arrives in Poland as refugee crisis intensifies
President Biden landed in Rzeszow, 60 miles from the Ukraine border, for his starkest confrontation yet with the intensifying refugee crisis, saying he was disappointed he could not cross the border into Ukraine to see the effects of the war being waged by Russia firsthand.
Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke before Biden and other top U.S. officials received a briefing on the humanitarian efforts to address the suffering of civilians inside Ukraine and respond to the growing flow of refugees leaving the country.
Biden lauded the Polish efforts in playing a leading role in the humanitarian response, just a day after the U.S. significantly stepped up its commitments. Biden pledged Thursday to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and providing $1 billion in new humanitarian aid.
Read the full story here.
President Biden landed in Rzeszow, 60 miles from the Ukraine border, for his starkest confrontation yet with the intensifying refugee crisis, saying he was disappointed he could not cross the border into Ukraine to see the effects of the war being waged by Russia firsthand.
Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke before Biden and other top U.S. officials received a briefing on the humanitarian efforts to address the suffering of civilians inside Ukraine and respond to the growing flow of refugees leaving the country.
Biden lauded the Polish efforts in playing a leading role in the humanitarian response, just a day after the U.S. significantly stepped up its commitments. Biden pledged Thursday to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and providing $1 billion in new humanitarian aid.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- President Biden, in Warsaw on the final leg of his European trip, will spend Saturday focusing on the humanitarian crisis triggered by the Russian invasion. After talks with his Polish counterpart, Biden will meet with the mayor of Warsaw — who has warned that the capital is struggling to cope with the refugee influx — as well as displaced Ukrainians.
- The Pentagon said Russia has halted ground operations toward Kyiv and is instead focusing attacks on the eastern Donbas region. The move has been seen as a sign Moscow might be paring back its ambitions for the invasion, but air attacks continue.
- A senior U.S. defense official confirmed that Ukraine has destroyed a Russian landing ship docked in the occupied port city Russia has been using for resupplies. Ukraine's president lauded the attack and also mockingly speculated about the whereabouts of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who has only briefly been seen in public in the past month.
More live updates here.
- President Biden, in Warsaw on the final leg of his European trip, will spend Saturday focusing on the humanitarian crisis triggered by the Russian invasion. After talks with his Polish counterpart, Biden will meet with the mayor of Warsaw — who has warned that the capital is struggling to cope with the refugee influx — as well as displaced Ukrainians.
- The Pentagon said Russia has halted ground operations toward Kyiv and is instead focusing attacks on the eastern Donbas region. The move has been seen as a sign Moscow might be paring back its ambitions for the invasion, but air attacks continue.
- A senior U.S. defense official confirmed that Ukraine has destroyed a Russian landing ship docked in the occupied port city Russia has been using for resupplies. Ukraine's president lauded the attack and also mockingly speculated about the whereabouts of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who has only briefly been seen in public in the past month.
More live updates here.
Inside the terror at Mariupol’s bombed theater: ‘I heard screams constantly’
The theater in Mariupol was supposed to be safe. Its walls were thick and sturdy. People had packed into the basement, foyer and the dressing rooms backstage in the hope of escaping Russia’s bombardment of Mariupol.
“We thought maybe they’d see there were kids there and not bomb it,” said Alexiy, 34, who left with his wife and 7-year-old son the day before an apparent Russian attack March 16 left parts of the building in ruin.
The Post spoke to seven people who were in the theater building in the 24 hours before it was hit.
Two of the three people present at the time of the blast said that the basement, crammed with families with young children, was unscathed and people were able to flee afterward. They also said that those in the three-level foyer at the front of the building survived. But concerns remain for those in the backstage, the main hall and the kitchen, which were all heavily damaged.
Read the full story here.
The theater in Mariupol was supposed to be safe. Its walls were thick and sturdy. People had packed into the basement, foyer and the dressing rooms backstage in the hope of escaping Russia’s bombardment of Mariupol.
“We thought maybe they’d see there were kids there and not bomb it,” said Alexiy, 34, who left with his wife and 7-year-old son the day before an apparent Russian attack March 16 left parts of the building in ruin.
The Post spoke to seven people who were in the theater building in the 24 hours before it was hit.
Two of the three people present at the time of the blast said that the basement, crammed with families with young children, was unscathed and people were able to flee afterward. They also said that those in the three-level foyer at the front of the building survived. But concerns remain for those in the backstage, the main hall and the kitchen, which were all heavily damaged.
Read the full story here.
Biden says Putin ‘cannot remain in power’ as he ends European trip
President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” in a forceful speech Saturday wrapping up a trip to Europe meant to bolster NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The president’s remark initially seemed to suggest support for regime change — something the Biden administration has taken pains to avoid — though the White House later said Biden only meant Putin should not be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.
His words capped a fiery speech in which Biden also called Putin a “dictator,” warning him not to encroach on NATO territory and urging Ukrainians to steel themselves for a long battle. He framed the Kremlin’s invasion as the “test of all time” for democracy.
Read the full story here.
President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” in a forceful speech Saturday wrapping up a trip to Europe meant to bolster NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The president’s remark initially seemed to suggest support for regime change — something the Biden administration has taken pains to avoid — though the White House later said Biden only meant Putin should not be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.
His words capped a fiery speech in which Biden also called Putin a “dictator,” warning him not to encroach on NATO territory and urging Ukrainians to steel themselves for a long battle. He framed the Kremlin’s invasion as the “test of all time” for democracy.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- In a fiery speech marking the end of his European tour, President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “dictator,” saying, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The unscripted remark at the end of a 27-minute speech on Saturday reverberated around the world and sparked a terse response from the Kremlin.
- The White House later clarified that Biden wasn’t calling for a regime change — which would be a major reversal of U.S. policy — and meant only that Putin should not be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.
- The Russian onslaught continued with two powerful rockets striking Lviv. The western Ukrainian city had been largely spared from attacks during the first month of the war, making it something of a haven for Western diplomats and others. Russian forces also entered Slavutych, a northern city of about 25,000 people that houses workers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Read the full story here.
- In a fiery speech marking the end of his European tour, President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “dictator,” saying, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The unscripted remark at the end of a 27-minute speech on Saturday reverberated around the world and sparked a terse response from the Kremlin.
- The White House later clarified that Biden wasn’t calling for a regime change — which would be a major reversal of U.S. policy — and meant only that Putin should not be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.
- The Russian onslaught continued with two powerful rockets striking Lviv. The western Ukrainian city had been largely spared from attacks during the first month of the war, making it something of a haven for Western diplomats and others. Russian forces also entered Slavutych, a northern city of about 25,000 people that houses workers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Read the full story here.
Rockets strike Lviv, indicating Russia’s unrelenting barrage
Two powerful rockets struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, injuring at least five and leaving an industrial facility where fuel is stored on fire, as Russia ramped up its offensive on a day when President Biden was delivering a forceful speech on democracy in neighboring Poland.
The attacks came as a surprise and were a clear indication of escalation by Russian troops in a city that had been largely spared intense bombardment during the month-long invasion. Although Russian advances have seemingly slowed, the day’s events again proved how the war is just a hair’s breadth away from engulfing NATO nations or global powers in a catastrophic nuclear scenario.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chief of the Russian Security Council, reiterated in an interview on state media on Saturday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if there was any kind of attack that threatened the nation’s existence.
Read the full story here.
Two powerful rockets struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, injuring at least five and leaving an industrial facility where fuel is stored on fire, as Russia ramped up its offensive on a day when President Biden was delivering a forceful speech on democracy in neighboring Poland.
The attacks came as a surprise and were a clear indication of escalation by Russian troops in a city that had been largely spared intense bombardment during the month-long invasion. Although Russian advances have seemingly slowed, the day’s events again proved how the war is just a hair’s breadth away from engulfing NATO nations or global powers in a catastrophic nuclear scenario.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chief of the Russian Security Council, reiterated in an interview on state media on Saturday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if there was any kind of attack that threatened the nation’s existence.
Read the full story here.
Why Russian troops are using tree branches for camouflage in Ukraine
Russian troops in Ukraine have scrambled to avoid detection and attack by using tree branches and straw, even swaths of carpeting, to conceal tanks and other armored vehicles, in what analysts call a surprising lack of sophistication for such an advanced military and further evidence of how ill-prepared some commanders were for the sustained fight that has unfolded.
Camouflage, whether for personnel or equipment, is a fundamental part of warfighting, even as technological advances such as drones, satellite imagery and infrared scopes have made it harder to hide on modern battlefields. It works by distorting shapes and reducing heat signatures, in effect fooling the eye to create doubt and confusion.
Yet to some observers who’ve closely tracked the conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces, despite their military superiority, have exhibited a breathtaking degree of amateurism.
Read the full story here.
Russian troops in Ukraine have scrambled to avoid detection and attack by using tree branches and straw, even swaths of carpeting, to conceal tanks and other armored vehicles, in what analysts call a surprising lack of sophistication for such an advanced military and further evidence of how ill-prepared some commanders were for the sustained fight that has unfolded.
Camouflage, whether for personnel or equipment, is a fundamental part of warfighting, even as technological advances such as drones, satellite imagery and infrared scopes have made it harder to hide on modern battlefields. It works by distorting shapes and reducing heat signatures, in effect fooling the eye to create doubt and confusion.
Yet to some observers who’ve closely tracked the conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces, despite their military superiority, have exhibited a breathtaking degree of amateurism.
Read the full story here.
U.S. official: Putin feels misled by Russian military on Ukraine issues
U.S. intelligence believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin feels misled by the Russian military, a U.S. official said in a statement Wednesday, describing “persistent tension” between Putin and the Russian Defense Ministry’s leadership.
“Putin didn’t even know his military was using and losing conscripts in Ukraine, showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian President,” the U.S. official said in the statement, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Biden administration.
“We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” the U.S. official added.
Read the full story here.
U.S. intelligence believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin feels misled by the Russian military, a U.S. official said in a statement Wednesday, describing “persistent tension” between Putin and the Russian Defense Ministry’s leadership.
“Putin didn’t even know his military was using and losing conscripts in Ukraine, showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian President,” the U.S. official said in the statement, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Biden administration.
“We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” the U.S. official added.
Read the full story here.