All articles tagged with #ukraine russia war
Russia launched a large drone and missile attack overnight, killing at least seven people in Kharkiv (including two children) and damaging energy, railway and port infrastructure across Ukraine; Ukrainian air defences claimed to have shot down hundreds of drones and missiles, though several strikes hit multiple sites, prompting Zelenskiy to urge partners to boost air defence and weapons supplies.
President Zelensky said all Ukrainian-made Flamingo long-range missiles launched on Feb. 21 hit the sanctioned Votkinsk missile plant in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, claiming a 1,400-km strike and calling it a success for Ukraine’s defense program. The Votkinsk facility manufactures missiles such as Iskander-M and Topol-M and is under Western sanctions; Ukraine’s assertion follows reports of drone activity and flight disruptions in the region.
Ukraine says it has regained about 400 square kilometers of territory along the southern frontline since late January, including eight settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region—a rare gain amid a two-year war. Oleksandr Syrskyi did not specify how much was previously Russian-held or in grey zones. Kyiv did not immediately clarify with its General Staff. The report comes as domestic and international actors, including Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, commented on Kyiv’s gains and broader negotiations.
Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between the US, Ukraine, and Russia produced ‘meaningful’ discussions, with Kyiv and Washington signaling progress while Moscow reiterates its war aims and rejects Western security guarantees. The US announced a deal to deliver LNG to Ukraine via the Vertical Gas Corridor to diversify energy supply away from Russia. On the battlefield, Russia intensifies battlefield air interdiction and drone campaigns across eastern and southern fronts, while Ukraine relies more on unmanned systems and continues limited advances near Slovyansk, Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka, Pokrovsk, Hulyaipole, and Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky also appointed Oleh Luhovskyi as acting head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, signaling ongoing leadership changes amid the conflict.
Ukraine says Russia must suffer about 50,000 casualties a month to pressure Moscow toward peace, a stance that signals confidence but also underscores Ukraine’s manpower and drone‑warfare gaps, as experts warn that attrition alone may not yield a decisive breakthrough given Russia’s improved defenses and Kyiv’s ongoing struggle to field enough infantry and drone crews for deeper strikes.
Meduza’s open-source battlefield map shows Russian offensives pressing multiple Donbas fronts as Ukraine withdraws from pockets near Kostiantynivka and Myrnohrad to redeploy toward Hulyaipole and the Pokrovsk–Dnipro axis, while Russian forces push west from Siversk toward Sloviansk, close in on Kupyansk, and capture Hulyaipole, with winter weather slowing but not halting ongoing operations.
Ukraine has criticized a new decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin that expedites Russian citizenship for Ukrainian children who have been moved to Russia, labeling it a violation of children's rights and international law. The decree is seen as part of Russia's forced assimilation policy and an attempt to address its demographic issues. Over 19,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since February 2022, with only 387 returned. The International Criminal Court has previously issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
As 2024 approaches, Ukraine faces the prospect of continued defensive operations against Russia without the hoped-for breakthroughs of early 2023. International support, particularly from the US and EU, is uncertain due to political dynamics, including US domestic politics and Hungary's obstructionism. The Netherlands' offer of F-16 fighters and the UK's maritime defense assistance provide some hope, but the overall picture is one of a protracted conflict with Ukraine adapting to limited resources. The EU's delayed funding and the potential for reduced US support under a possible Trump presidency add to the challenges. Despite these difficulties, Ukraine's innovation and resilience persist, with the country improving its maritime defense capabilities independently. The broader implications for European and global security are significant, with the need for a decisive Western response to Russia's aggression becoming increasingly urgent.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated during a meeting with U.S. leadership that North Korea is involved in the Ukraine-Russia war, both directly and indirectly. He emphasized the importance of a combined defense position against North Korean provocations and mentioned the connection between the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Hamas conflict with North Korea. South Korean military officials have announced that North Korea may have provided Russia with weapons, including short-range ballistic missiles. The South Korean government estimates that Pyongyang shipped around 2,000 containers of weapons and munitions to Russia's Far East. North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their ties as Russia seeks to boost its arms capacities amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Belarusian President Lukashenko stated that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the recent armed rebellion in Russia, is in St. Petersburg or Moscow, contradicting his earlier claims that Prigozhin was in Belarus. Lukashenko's latest claim could not be verified, and Prigozhin has not been seen in public since the rebellion. Lukashenko also mentioned that Wagner troops were not in Belarus and remained in their "permanent camps," but this claim could not be verified either. Meanwhile, in western Ukraine, Russian missiles killed at least four people and destroyed dozens of homes in Lviv, marking the deadliest attack on the city since the war began. Ukrainian President Zelensky warned that the counteroffensive would proceed slowly without the promised weapons and ammunition from Western allies.
Europe is witnessing a surge in arms purchases triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war, with Poland seeing the biggest increase. European arm imports rose by 92% in 2022, the largest year-over-year increase since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The surge is due to the conflict in Ukraine, and most European nations increased their purchases. All European NATO countries have accelerated production and made fresh orders in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Ukraine war has propelled the sale of the Lockheed Martin F-35, especially in NATO and Europe.