All articles tagged with #ukraine russia war
A Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galati, Romania, a NATO member near Ukraine, injuring two as Moscow attacked a nearby Ukrainian port, Izmail. The incident marks the 28th time Russian drones breached Romanian airspace since Moscow began targeting Danube ports. Romania scrambled fighter jets and engaged targets amid rising tensions with NATO members.
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was struck by a large missile and drone attack early Sunday, following a warning that Russia could launch the hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Explosions shook the city, at least three people were injured and several residential buildings damaged, with debris burning near a central school as Kyiv braces for potential retaliation.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) says its Alpha Center struck the Russian FSB HQ in occupied Kherson, destroying the building and a Pantsir-S1 system; President Zelenskyy says roughly 100 Russian personnel were killed or wounded, and Kyiv vows to continue precision strikes on enemy rear targets as the war drags on; exact location and officer identities are still being verified.
Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes hit Russia’s Tuapse oil terminal, sparking fires and exposing gaps in Moscow’s air defenses as the country braces for Victory Day; Kyiv uses a ceasefire precondition to pressure Moscow while Western support and Ukraine’s rapid military adaptation reshape Europe’s security balance, with Russia facing oil revenue losses and GDP contraction even as Ukraine emerges as a regional security actor.
Israel refused to unload a Russian wheat shipment amid Ukrainian pressure, saying the cargo may originate from occupied Ukrainian territories; a second Russian vessel with suspected stolen Ukrainian grain is nearing Haifa, prompting Ukraine to warn that such actions could hurt bilateral ties, while Israel emphasizes adherence to the rule of law and will review the issue.
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.