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Ukraine Daily Summary - Wednesday, November 6 2024
Wednesday, November 6
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Military and police members inspect the remains of a Russian drone in the Shevchenkivskyi district after the Nov. 5 attack in Kharkiv. As a result of the strike, two women were injured. (Oleksandr Manchenko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Umerov confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast. The clashes were small-scale, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russia launches record number of drones in October, General Staff reports. Russia launched at least 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and similar UAVs imitating Shaheds against Ukraine between August and October 2024 — a sharp increase compared to earlier months — according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Ukrainian Legion in Poland reportedly receives over 500 applications in a month. The recruitment center of the Ukrainian Legion in Poland has received over 500 applications in a month from Ukrainians living in 30 countries, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 5, citing the center's officials.
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Ukrainian GPS spoofing for repelling drone attacks could indirectly affect smartphone clocks, General Staff says. Users in Ukraine have begun to experience more frequent automatic time changes on their smartphones due to the activation of electronic warfare systems during air raid alarms.
Google responds to claims map images revealed locations of Ukrainian weapons. "These satellite images were taken more than a year ago and come from publicly available sources — we deliberately do not publish the latest images of war zones," Google said.
Putin appoints Ukraine war veteran as governor of Tambov region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a Ukraine war veteran to govern one of Russia’s regions, marking the highest position awarded to a participant in the full-scale invasion so far.
The Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) — one of the largest international forums in Eastern Europe — will take place on Nov. 7, with the Kyiv Independent as a media partner.
KIEF brings together representatives of business, government, and society to promote Ukraine's integration into the global community.
Register here: **forumkyiv.org/en/**
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Zelensky used talk with Trump about nuclear weapons as leverage before crucial US election, analysts say
With Ukraine's future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventional weaponry to Kyiv.
Photo: Uliana Boichuk/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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Ukraine war latest: Kyiv confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast
The first clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers have already taken place in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed on Nov. 5 in an interview with South Korean TV channel KBS.
Photo: Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images
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Ukraine struggles to contain Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as US elections loom
As U.S. voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 for presidential elections likely to shape the course of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the situation on the battlefield is beginning to unravel for Kyiv.
Photo: Gaelle Girbes/Getty Images
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‘Trump wants to do everything he can to help Putin,’ McCain Institute head says
Evelyn Farkas, head of the McCain Institute—a U.S.-based think tank named after the late Republican Senator John McCain—fears that Donald Trump's return as president would be the worst-case scenario for Ukraine.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Harris or Trump — Ukraine braces for best, worst-case scenarios as US elects new president
The two candidates' pre-election positions on continuing to support Ukraine with weaponry are in such stark contrast that some experts estimate whoever emerges victorious will impact whether Kyiv stays in the fight or is choked of supplies to the point of capitulation.
Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Russian military shoots 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast, Prosecutor General's Office says. Russian troops shoot six captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the Pokrovsk sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office reported on Nov. 5.
Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills 6, injures 23. Russian forces reportedly targeted an infrastructure facility, starting a fire. The full extent of damage is being determined.
Russia strikes near residential area in Kharkiv**, injuring at least 2.** Moscow struck the Shevchenskyi district with a Shahed-type drone at nearly 5 p.m. local time, according to the preliminary data.
McFaul on Ukraine's future with Trump vs. Harris
International response
Sweden unveils new aid package for Ukraine worth over $9 million. Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new aid package valued at nine million euros ($9.8 million), which includes two vessels designed to enhance maritime security. The country will also supply 40,000 protective masks and respirators to Ukraine's Emergency Service personnel.
Estonia wants to bar Russian, Belarusian citizens from voting in local elections. Estonia aims to narrow voting eligibility in local elections to exclude Russian and Belarusian citizens in order to counter Russian influence, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told state broadcaster ERR on Nov. 4.
North Korean military involvement in Russia's war to be met with 'coordinated response,' G7 foreign ministers say. Besides the G7 members, including the U.S., Japan, Italy, the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, and the High Representative of the European Union, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
U.S. presidential election
Republicans take back US Senate. The Republican party has won control of the U.S. Senate, according to projected election results on Nov. 5.
Trump wins key US state of North Carolina. With 90% of votes tallied, Trump led Democratic challenger Vice President Kamala Harris 50.8% to 48%. The projection marks the first call of a major swing state in the U.S. presidential election.
Chinese accounts linked to Russian election disinformation. Analysts at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found that accounts originating in China helped amplify Russian disinformation videos targeting U.S. voters.
Russia stepping up election interference as US citizens head to polls, intelligence agencies warn. Russia is expected to intensify attempts to undermine the U.S. vote on election day with a focus on swing states, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a statement on the eve of the election on Nov. 4.
Bomb threats across multiple states traced to Russian email domains**, FBI says.** As Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, the FBI has announced that bomb threats targeting polling sites in multiple states appear to have originated from Russian email domains. The agency clarified that none of these threats have been deemed credible.
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Zelensky used talk with Trump about nuclear weapons as leverage before crucial US election, analysts say
With Ukraine's future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventio…Oleg Sukhov (The Kyiv Independent)
Ukraine Daily Summary - Wednesday, July 10 2024
Wednesday, July 10
Russia’s war against Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivers remarks during the opening of the NATO 75th anniversary celebratory event at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
US, NATO allies to deliver 'dozens' of air defense systems in coming months, including 4 Patriots. The U.S. and at least nine other NATO allies have agreed to send dozens of air defense systems in the coming months to Ukraine, including at least four Patriot batteries, according to a joint agreement issued on July 9.
US supplies Ukraine with Metal Shark high-speed boats. The boats are equipped with modern navigation and control systems, automatic fire extinguishing, as well as a video surveillance system, making them maneuverable, fast, and ergonomic, the State Border Guard Service said.
F-16s in Ukraine may 'create conditions for counterattack,' Polish general says. "Ukrainian aviation should receive long-range missiles to destroy Russia's infrastructure, including airfields. When this happens, the logistics of the Russian army will be cut off from the main forces. If this is done, Ukraine's army command should form a strike group and strike back," Kraszewski said.
NATO summit communique to describe Ukraine's path to alliance as 'irreversible,' CNN reports. The question of how strong guarantees to give Ukraine regarding its future membership in NATO has become a key source of debate inside the alliance, CNN reported. The final version of the document may contain changes, CNN wrote, but the presence of the "irreversible" Ukraine's accession to NATO would be "a significant signal to Kyiv and Moscow."
Ukraine struck airbase, oil depot, and energy facility in Russia overnight, source says. Ukrainian intelligence agencies carried out an attack against a Russian military airfield, an energy substation, and an oil depot in three different regions overnight on July 9, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
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UN assessment suggests Kyiv children's hospital suffered direct hit by Russian missile. Evidence from the scene of the children's hospital in Kyiv indicates "a high likelihood" of a direct hit by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile on July 8, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMUN) said on July 9.
Republican Party committee approves 2024 platform, makes no mention of Ukraine, Russia. The 16-page document, which must be still approved at the upcoming Republican National Convention, focuses primarily on domestic issues.
Zelensky says Indian PM's embrace with Putin a 'huge disappointment' after Russian mass attack on Ukraine. "It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.
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Ukraine war latest: Rescue operations end at Kyiv children's hospital, at least 33 killed in capital overall
Search and rescue operations at the site of a Russian missile attack on Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv concluded on July 9, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Anadolu via Getty Images
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F-16s, multi-billion pledge, more Patriots, 'irreversible' membership – what Ukraine will and won't get at the NATO Summit
While 75th birthdays are usually a cause for joy and celebration, NATO's marking of this milestone at a three-day summit in Washington from 9-11 July is likely to be a rather more muted affair.
Photo: Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images
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Russia probes for air defense gaps to wreak havoc on Kyiv
Rather than evidence of some technological edge on Russia's side, experts linked the destruction wrought by the attack to Moscow's consistent probing for weaknesses in Ukrainian air defenses.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
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Russian propagandists spin conflicting disinformation in bid to evade responsibility for missile strike on children’s hospital
As some Russian talking heads call for more Ukrainians to be killed, Zelensky’s top aide urges more Western help to stop a war of ‘genocide.’
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Rescue operations end at Kyiv children's hospital, at least 33 killed in capital overall. In total, at least 33 people, including four children, were killed in Kyiv as a result of the July 8 attack, officials said the following day. Another 10 children are among the 117 injured.
International response
Saudi Arabia issued vague threats to G7 against seizing frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg reports. Saudi officials reportedly made "veiled threats" to Group of Seven (G7) nations hinting that the kingdom would sell some European debt holdings if Western allies seized about $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg reported on July 9, citing its sources.
North Korean military trainers travel to Russia weeks after signing of partnership agreement. A delegation of North Korean military trainers led by the head of a prestigious military academy in Pyongyang has begun a trip to Russia, North Korean state media reported on July 9.
'When innocent children killed, the heart bleeds,' Modi comments on Russian July 8 attack after meeting with Putin. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow on July 8 in what was his first trip to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Threat of Russian sabotage led to heightened security at US military bases in Europe, CNN reports. The heightened security alert was first reported earlier in July as being connected to a possible terrorist threat directed at several U.S. military installations across Europe, including the facility in Germany where the U.S. European Command is based.
US announces moves against Russia-linked bot farm aimed at spreading disinformation. According to the Justice Department, the bot farm was organized by a Russian national who worked as the deputy editor-in-chief of RT in 2022, and expanded with funding from the Kremlin and collaboration with an official from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Moscow court orders arrest in absentia of Yulia Navalnaya. A Moscow court said that it had "approved the request of the investigators and decided a preventive measure in the form of detention for two months." Yulia Navalnaya currently lives outside of Russia, but would face jail time if she returns.
Bulgaria sues Russian Gazprom, seeking compensation of more than $430 million. In 2023, the Russian gas giant suspended Bulgargaz's long-term contract, which covered 90% of the quantities of natural gas delivered by Bulgargaz to customers.
Switzerland announces new sanctions against Russia. Switzerland announced new sanctions against Russia on July 8, bringing the country further in line with the EU's 14th round of sanctions adopted in response to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow agrees to discharge all Indians recruited into Russian army, Indian outlet reports. Moscow agreed to release all Indians serving in the Russian army and facilitate their return after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Vladimir Putin, Indian news publication NDTV reported on July 9, citing unnamed sources.
US provides Poland with $2 billion for financing of F-35s, Patriots, Abrams. The U.S. will provide Poland with a second $2 billion Foreign Military Financing loan to purchase defense equipment from the U.S., the State Department announced on July 8.
In other news
Ukrainian state defense company opens office in US. Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukrainian Defense Industry, also known as Ukroboronprom, has opened a representative office in Washington as Kyiv seeks to strengthen defense partnerships abroad amid Russia's war.
Nearly $37,000 stolen from bank accounts of fallen soldiers in Dnipro. The suspects, with the help of an employee of the Regional Bureau of Forensic Medicine, stole payment cards and mobile phones registered in the online banking system from dead soldiers in a morgue.
Ukraine to be represented at 2024 Olympics by smallest number of athletes in history. Only 140 Ukrainian athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this year, the smallest number in the history of the country's participation in the games, as Russia's war has damaged or destroyed sports' facilities and frequent air raid alerts interrupt training.
EU freezes $32 million in defense funds for Georgia, halts accession process amid ‘low point’ in relations. Brussels has frozen 30 million euros ($32 million) in defense sector funding for Georgia after halting its EU accession process in June, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski said on July 9.
Bloomberg names 12 oligarchs who earn billions in payouts from Russia's war economy. Russia's wartime economy has earned a dozen oligarchs $11 billion in dividends as Russian natural resource and finance giants earn record profits during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 9.
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Bloomberg names 12 oligarchs who earn billions in payouts from Russia's war economy
Russia's wartime economy has earned a dozen oligarchs $11 billion in dividends as Russian natural resource and finance giants earn record profits during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 9.Elsa Court (The Kyiv Independent)
Ukraine Daily Summary - Thursday, January 25
Thursday, January 25
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A woman stands near a crater left by a missile in the yard of an educational institution in Kharkiv on Jan. 24, 2024. Russian forces shelled Kharkiv three times in 24 hours on Jan. 23 as part of a mass missile strike against Ukraine. Mayor Ihor Terekhov declared Jan. 25 a day of mourning for the victims of the attack. (Ivan Samoilov for Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Zelensky on Il-76 crash: Ukraine to demand international investigation, fate of POWs unknown. President Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly address on Jan. 24 said Ukraine will insist on an international investigation into the crash of the Russian Il-76 transport plane in Belgorod Oblast.
RFE/RL Schemes project identifies crew members’ names of crashed IL-76, confirms 3 deaths. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's investigation project Schemes identified the names of the crew members of the Russian Il-76 transport plane that crashed in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 24 that was allegedly carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war.
White House cannot confirm claims that Ukrainian POWs were in Belgorod Oblast plane crash. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the White House was aware of the reports and was "obviously doing the best we can to try to get more clarity and more information on it.”
Ukraine says it was not informed about need to ensure safety of airspace before plane crash in Belgorod Oblast. The Russian side did not notify Ukraine about the necessity to ensure the safety of the airspace around Belgorod, Ukraine's military intelligence said, which has been done "repeatedly" in the past.
Lavrov calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting over plane crash. Speaking at the UN, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the plane crash a "terrorist attack" and held Ukraine responsible.
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Kharkiv mayor declares day of mourning, proposes renaming Pushkinska Street following Russian missile attacks. January 25 will be a day of mourning for the victims of Russia's mass missile attacks against Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced via Telegram. He also proposed renaming the city's Pushkinska Street in the wake of the Russian attack.
Military intelligence: Cyberattack on Russian scientific research center deals 'devastating' damage. Ukraine's military intelligence agency confirmed the media reports on the attack, saying that the hackers allegedly destroyed 280 servers and two petabytes of data.
Fire breaks out at oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. A fire broke out at an oil depot in the town of Tuapse in Russia's southern Krasnodar Krai the night of Jan. 25. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.
Deputy minister: Foreign investors want to buy two Ukrainian state-owned banks. Foreign investors expressed interest in purchasing two Ukrainian state-owned banks, Ukrgasbank and Sense Bank, Deputy Finance Minister Yurii Drahanchuk told Ukrainska Pravda.
Military intelligence names fallen officer behind August sabotage of Russian bombers. A Ukrainian reconnaissance unit, led by fallen Colonel Oleh Babii, was responsible for the destruction or disabling of three Russian Tu-22M3 bombers in August 2023, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) revealed.
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Ukraine war latest: Russia says Ukrainian POWs were in crashed II-76 aircraft, Kyiv calls for investigation
A Russian Il-76 transport aircraft allegedly carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 24 at around 11 a.m. local time. Ukrainska Pravda initially claimed that Ukrainian forces downed the plane, but the information was later retracted.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 65 Ukrainian POWs were aboard the fatally crashed plane on its way for a prisoner exchange, as well as six crew members and three accompanying people.
Photo: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles not a sign of Moscow's depleted domestic capacity
Russia’s missile campaign against Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure is no longer limited by the rate of domestic production as North Korea becomes its top weapons supplier. Pyongyang has allegedly sent Moscow more than 1 million artillery rounds and the mass strikes on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 provided the first direct evidence that Russia used North Korean missiles to attack a Ukrainian city, specifically Kharkiv. Experts say this will allow Russia to intensify its attacks on civilian targets.
Photo: Vladimir Smirnov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Death toll of Russian Jan. 23 strike on Kharkiv rises to 10. The two Kharkiv residents found the ruins of a five-story building today were a 56-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man.
Police: 2 killed**, 9 wounded in Russian attack on Hirnyk, Donetsk Oblast.** Russian troops launched an attack against the town of Hirnyk in Donetsk Oblast, targeting a residential area, the Donetsk Oblast police said on Jan. 24.
Russian forces Kherson hospital, injure 3 medical workers. Russian forces launched an attack against Kherson on Jan. 24, hitting a hospital and injuring at least three medical workers, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 378,660 troops in Ukraine. Russia has lost 378,660 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Jan. 24. This number includes 840 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
International response
Shmyhal meets Fico in Uzhhorod, says Slovakia will not block EU aid for Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Uzhhorod for a meeting to discuss bilateral relations between Ukraine and Slovakia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Jan. 24.
Reuters: EU unlikely to confiscate Russian central bank assets. European officials believe it is unlikely that the EU will seize Russian central bank assets, partly due to the legal risks, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.
EU Commission wants to continue liberalization of food trade with Ukraine. "The European Commission will soon announce a proposal to extend liberalization measures for Ukraine. Member states hope to receive information about such an extension, as well as a vision of long-term trade relations," Belgian Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium David Clarinval said.
Pentagon: Lack of funding prevents US from meeting Ukraine's most urgent battlefield needs. The U.S. government has not provided any military aid to Ukraine for the first time since the Ramstein-format meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) was established in April 2022, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said during the briefing on Jan. 23.
US Treasury Secretary reassures Ukrainian PM on $11.8 billion of budget support. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated in a video call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Jan. 23 that the Biden administration is committed to securing $11.8 billion in direct budget support to Ukraine as part of the national security supplemental request before Congress.
Polish farmers begin protest against Ukrainian agricultural imports. The protests have occurred in over 200 places throughout Poland, the Polish media outlet RMF24 reported.
Estonia joins UK-led training operation for Ukrainian soldiers. According to Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, the Estonian instructors will train Ukrainian volunteers at the U.K.’s military bases and continue cooperating with Ukrainian soldiers under the EU’s EUMAM training mission in Estonia.
Bank of Cyprus leaves Russia. The Bank of Cyprus, the biggest Cypriot bank, closed its representative offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Jan. 22, the data posted by the Central Bank of Russia revealed.
In other news
Ukraine's Yastremska reaches Grand Slam semifinals, repeating national record. Dayana Yastremska ousted Linda Noskova in two sets, 6-3 and 6-4, to reach the Grand Slam semifinal for the first time.
Orban: Hungary supports Sweden's NATO accession. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that he "will continue to urge" Hungary's parliament to "to vote in favor of Sweden’s accession and conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity."
General: UK must train 'civilian army,' prepare for land war. Britain's recent cuts to its army indicate it is not taking the threat from Russia and other countries seriously enough, said the U.K.'s Chief of the General Staff, General Patrick Sanders.
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Ukraine Daily Summary - Tuesday, January 24
Ukraine Daily
Tuesday, January 24
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian emergency service workers extinguish a fire in a garage after Russian shelling in Chasiv Yar, 23 Jan. 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Poll: Record 86% of Ukrainians support joining NATO. Meanwhile, 87% of Ukrainians are currently in favor of their country's aspiration to join the European Union, according to a new poll by the Rating Group.
Foreign minister: Western tanks are coming to Ukraine soon. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Jan. 23 that Ukraine is in the final stages of convincing allies to provide Western main battle tanks, including German-made Leopard 2s.
NGO: Most convicts recruited by Wagner killed, wounded or deserted. Of the 50,000 convicts recruited by mercenary company Wagner Group from the Russian prison system, only 10,000 remain in the ranks of the military, according to Olga Romanova, head of Russia Behind Bars, an NGO that protects the rights of convicts.
General Staff: Ukraine downs two Russian aircrafts, helicopter over past day. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Jan. 24 that Ukraine's military shoot down two Russian Su-25 aircrafts, one Ka-52 helicopter, an Orlan-10 drone, and two guided air missiles Kh-59.
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Zelensky: Security council bans state officials from leaving Ukraine, except for business trips. Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country during the war, except for cases when they obtain special permits from the government. Some Ukrainian state officials and businesspeople have routinely abused this system and bypassed the restrictions.
Anti-Corruption Court seizes assets of Russian billionaire. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine seized the Ukrainian assets of Russian billionaire Mikhail Shelkov. The assets include multiple apartments, vehicles, company shares, and money in Ukrainian bank accounts.
Zelensky's deputy chief of staff Tymoshenko resigns. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Kyrylo Tymoshenko on Jan. 23.
Ukrenergo: Emergency blackouts introduced in 5 Ukrainian regions on Jan. 23. The power deficit in Ukraine's energy system has increased as the consumption rises, the country's state grid operator Ukrenergo reported on Jan. 23. Emergency power outages have been introduced in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, and Volyn oblasts where consumption limits have been exceeded.
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‘They were real beasts’: A farming couple describes what occupation looked like in their village.
The darkness setting over the muddy street of the small hamlet in Kharkiv Oblast did little to hide the destruction Russian soldiers left behind.
Photo: Alexander Query/Kyiv Independent
How kindergarten morning in Kyiv suburb turned into tragedy.
The crash in Brovary, a city just east of Kyiv, killed 14 people, including one child and several parents of preschoolers, turning what was supposed to be an ordinary day for the kindergarten into a nightmare.
Photo: Ed Ram/Getty Images
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv expects battle for Donbas to intensify in February-March amid Russia's desperate attempt to capture the region.
Russian forces will likely intensify their offensive in eastern Ukraine in the coming months, Deputy Military Intelligence Chief Vadym Skibitsky said on Jan. 23.
Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images
The human cost of Russia’s war
Russian attacks across 7 Ukrainian oblasts kill 1, injure 8 over past 24 hours. Russian attacks were reported in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts in the east, south, and north of Ukraine.
Russian artillery kills 1 civilian**, wounds 2 others in Sumy Oblast.** Russian artillery shelled a residential building in Sumy Oblast on Jan. 23, killing a woman and wounding two other people, Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said on Telegram.
Russian Jan. 23 attack on Kherson Oblast kills 1. Russian forces struck Kherson Oblast’s village of Antonivka, killing one person, Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych reported on Jan. 23. The killed man was in the yard of the building when Russian projectiles fell there, according to Yanushevych.
Russian shelling of Chasiv Yar kills 1, wounds 2. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported late on Jan. 23 that Russian shelling killed one person and injured two others in Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut in Donestk Oblast.
Russian attacks injure 4 civilians in Donetsk Oblast over past day. Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast injured four civilians over the past day, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Jan. 23 on Telegram. Three people were injured in Bakhmut and one in Avdiivka, the governor said.
UN: At least 18,483 civilian casualties in Ukraine due to Russia’s war. According to the United Nations human rights agency, Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed at least 7,068 civilians and wounded at least 11,415 from Feb. 24 to Jan. 22. The agency reported that the actual figures are likely considerably higher since the information from places with ongoing hostilities is delayed, and many reports of civilian casualties still need to be confirmed.
General Staff: Russia has lost 121,480 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine's General Staff reported on Jan. 23 that Russia had also lost 3,150 tanks, 6,276 armored fighting vehicles, 4,936 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,146 artillery systems, 447 multiple launch rocket systems, 220 air defense systems, 287 airplanes, 277 helicopters, 1,894 drones, and 18 boats.
International response
Reuters: EU approves 542 million euro military aid package to Ukraine. The European Union on Jan. 23 approved another 500 million euro military aid package to Ukraine, along with an additional 45 million euros earmarked for non-lethal equipment for the EU's training mission in the country, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
Russia, Estonia expel each other’s ambassadors due to ‘destroyed relations.’ Russia has summoned Estonian Ambassador Margus Laidre, ordering him to leave the country by Feb. 7, followed by Estonia making the same move under "the principle of parity," the AP reported, citing the countries' foreign ministries.
Estonia to give Ukraine all its 155-mm howitzers in largest aid package so far. "We want to create a precedent so that other countries will not have any excuses why they cannot provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons to win the war," said Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine Kaimo Kuusk.
Sweden to provide Ukraine with equipment to restore energy supply. The Swedish government allowed the state-owned grid operator Svenska Kraftnat to transfer the materials that can be used to restore Ukraine's power system.
VOA: Bradley fighting vehicles to arrive in Ukraine within few weeks. U.S. Bradley infantry fighting vehicles will arrive in Ukraine within the next few weeks, Voice of America reported, citing an anonymous Pentagon official.
PM: Poland to apply for Germany's approval to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. “Even if we did not get this approval, we would still transfer our tanks together with others to Ukraine," Morawiecki said at a news conference, saying that Germany's consent is "of secondary importance."
German defense minister: Decision on Leopard tanks for Ukraine to be made 'soon.' German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told ARD that a decision on supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine will be made "soon" but called for patience in this matter. "The 'Leopard' is a heavy, armored weapon that can also be used for offensive purposes. And you have to think very carefully about when you bring them," said Pistorius.
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