After invasion of Ukraine, a reckoning on Russian influence in Austria
VIENNA — “Polizei!” barked the officers who stormed a third-floor apartment in the Austrian capital, moving to intercept a thickset man standing near a kitchen nook. The suspect — a long-serving official in Austria’s security services — sprang toward his cellphone and tried to break it in two, according to Austrian police reports.
The phone data from last year’s raid, along with a laptop, USB sticks and a mother lode of documents, is now proving critical to the explosive Ott case, in which an agent in the Austrian domestic security service is suspected of having sold state secrets to Russia.
The case is also fueling questions about the extent to which Moscow’s influence came to permeate this European nation.
Read the full story here.
VIENNA — “Polizei!” barked the officers who stormed a third-floor apartment in the Austrian capital, moving to intercept a thickset man standing near a kitchen nook. The suspect — a long-serving official in Austria’s security services — sprang toward his cellphone and tried to break it in two, according to Austrian police reports.
The phone data from last year’s raid, along with a laptop, USB sticks and a mother lode of documents, is now proving critical to the explosive Ott case, in which an agent in the Austrian domestic security service is suspected of having sold state secrets to Russia.
The case is also fueling questions about the extent to which Moscow’s influence came to permeate this European nation.
Read the full story here.
Wary of China threat, Taiwanese join Ukraine’s fight against Russia
When Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky called in February for foreign volunteers to help repulse invading Russian forces, Chuang Yu-wei, a Taiwanese tour guide, signed up the next day.
“Taiwan can’t be a giant baby that cries for help but isn’t willing to help others,” said the 51-year-old from Taoyuan, near Taipei. Since arriving in Ukraine in March, he has joined patrols, helped cook, moved supplies and dug trenches near the front lines in Kharkiv.
For many in Taiwan, the Russian assault on Ukraine hits close to home because of parallels with their own situation. The island’s people live under constant threat from a powerful authoritarian neighbor, China, which claims sovereignty over democratic Taiwan and vows to seize it by force if necessary.
Read the full story here.
When Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky called in February for foreign volunteers to help repulse invading Russian forces, Chuang Yu-wei, a Taiwanese tour guide, signed up the next day.
“Taiwan can’t be a giant baby that cries for help but isn’t willing to help others,” said the 51-year-old from Taoyuan, near Taipei. Since arriving in Ukraine in March, he has joined patrols, helped cook, moved supplies and dug trenches near the front lines in Kharkiv.
For many in Taiwan, the Russian assault on Ukraine hits close to home because of parallels with their own situation. The island’s people live under constant threat from a powerful authoritarian neighbor, China, which claims sovereignty over democratic Taiwan and vows to seize it by force if necessary.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China’s “alignment” with Russia, following talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Blinken accused China of regurgitating Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine, and questioned how any country could be neutral in the face of Moscow’s aggression.
The Group of 20 summit ended without a traditional communique, or even a group photo, in a sign of the deep divisions among the world’s largest economies caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Western diplomats condemned Moscow’s blockade of millions of tons of grain held in Ukrainian ports, the catalyst for rising global food prices. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who walked out of Friday’s G-20 sessions twice, accused his Western counterparts of “rabid Russophobia.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that further Western sanctions could be “catastrophic” for global energy markets and consumers.
More live updates here.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China’s “alignment” with Russia, following talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Blinken accused China of regurgitating Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine, and questioned how any country could be neutral in the face of Moscow’s aggression.
The Group of 20 summit ended without a traditional communique, or even a group photo, in a sign of the deep divisions among the world’s largest economies caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Western diplomats condemned Moscow’s blockade of millions of tons of grain held in Ukrainian ports, the catalyst for rising global food prices. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who walked out of Friday’s G-20 sessions twice, accused his Western counterparts of “rabid Russophobia.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that further Western sanctions could be “catastrophic” for global energy markets and consumers.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian forces continue to focus offensive operations in the eastern Donetsk region, with unsuccessful assaults northwest of the city of Slovyansk, according to analysts. Residential areas in the city were hit on Saturday, the regional governor said.
- Russia in recent weeks has seized the nearby cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in its campaign to capture the country’s east, informing fears that Slovyansk could be next. The city was a focal point during conflict in 2014, when pro-Russian separatists gained control of Slovyansk, leaving behind a complex web of conflicted loyalties.
- Ukrainian officials also appear to be preparing for conflict in the south. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Friday told residents of the Russian-held Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that they needed to evacuate because Ukrainian forces were set to “de-occupy” the territory. “It will be a huge fight,” she said, according to local media.
More live updates here.
- Russian forces continue to focus offensive operations in the eastern Donetsk region, with unsuccessful assaults northwest of the city of Slovyansk, according to analysts. Residential areas in the city were hit on Saturday, the regional governor said.
- Russia in recent weeks has seized the nearby cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in its campaign to capture the country’s east, informing fears that Slovyansk could be next. The city was a focal point during conflict in 2014, when pro-Russian separatists gained control of Slovyansk, leaving behind a complex web of conflicted loyalties.
- Ukrainian officials also appear to be preparing for conflict in the south. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Friday told residents of the Russian-held Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that they needed to evacuate because Ukrainian forces were set to “de-occupy” the territory. “It will be a huge fight,” she said, according to local media.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine:
Slovyansk: Russian assaults northwest of Slovyansk, the new focal point of the battle for control of the eastern Donbas region, were unsuccessful in recent days, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Chasiv Yar: At least 30 people were trapped in the rubble of a five-story building hit by Russian missiles in this city southeast of Slovyansk, Kyrylenko said Sunday. Six dead and five injured had so far been recovered, he said.
Kharkiv: Russian forces were attacking areas northwest of the city of Kharkiv, the ISW said, as Russian-aligned occupiers in the larger Kharkiv area have set conditions for an annexation of the region, it added.
Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions: Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has urged residents of these southern regions to evacuate immediately, ahead of planned efforts by Ukrainian forces to “de-occupy” the area.
More live updates here.
Slovyansk: Russian assaults northwest of Slovyansk, the new focal point of the battle for control of the eastern Donbas region, were unsuccessful in recent days, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Chasiv Yar: At least 30 people were trapped in the rubble of a five-story building hit by Russian missiles in this city southeast of Slovyansk, Kyrylenko said Sunday. Six dead and five injured had so far been recovered, he said.
Kharkiv: Russian forces were attacking areas northwest of the city of Kharkiv, the ISW said, as Russian-aligned occupiers in the larger Kharkiv area have set conditions for an annexation of the region, it added.
Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions: Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has urged residents of these southern regions to evacuate immediately, ahead of planned efforts by Ukrainian forces to “de-occupy” the area.
More live updates here.
As war nears 5th month, Blinken keeps Russian diplomats at arm’s length
In the nearly five months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has maintained the same posture toward Moscow: Do not engage.
The top U.S. diplomat has not held a single meeting or phone call with a senior Russian official throughout the conflict — a cold-shoulder strategy he continued over the weekend at a gathering of foreign ministers of the world’s 20 biggest economies in Indonesia, where his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, was sometimes in the same room with him.
“The problem is this,” Blinken told reporters at a news conference on Saturday. “We see no signs whatsoever that Russia is prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy.”
Read the full story here.
In the nearly five months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has maintained the same posture toward Moscow: Do not engage.
The top U.S. diplomat has not held a single meeting or phone call with a senior Russian official throughout the conflict — a cold-shoulder strategy he continued over the weekend at a gathering of foreign ministers of the world’s 20 biggest economies in Indonesia, where his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, was sometimes in the same room with him.
“The problem is this,” Blinken told reporters at a news conference on Saturday. “We see no signs whatsoever that Russia is prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Rescuers on Sunday are searching for more than 24 people feared trapped under rubble, after Russian missiles hit a residential block in the eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, the regional governor says. Fifteen people are so far confirmed dead from the Saturday evening strike, in what Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak called “another terrorist attack by the terrorist country.”
- Kharkiv province is probably a target for annexation by Russia, according to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, citing Moscow’s declaration of the area as an “inalienable” part of Russia.
- Following the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday criticized China’s “alignment” with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, questioning how any country could be neutral in the face of such aggression.
More live updates here.
- Rescuers on Sunday are searching for more than 24 people feared trapped under rubble, after Russian missiles hit a residential block in the eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, the regional governor says. Fifteen people are so far confirmed dead from the Saturday evening strike, in what Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak called “another terrorist attack by the terrorist country.”
- Kharkiv province is probably a target for annexation by Russia, according to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, citing Moscow’s declaration of the area as an “inalienable” part of Russia.
- Following the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday criticized China’s “alignment” with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, questioning how any country could be neutral in the face of such aggression.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian officials expect the death toll from an attack in the eastern city of Chasiv Yar to rise, as two dozen people remain trapped under the rubble of two high-rise apartment buildings they say were struck by Russian missiles. Six people have been pulled out of the rubble alive, and 18 people have died.
- Russia carried out dozens of airstrikes across the country this weekend, Ukrainian officials said, with an intensifying focus on the Donetsk region, whose governor called the attacks “true hell.”
- Meanwhile, France’s finance minister is warning that Europe should be prepared for the Kremlin to completely shut off gas shipments to Europe as tensions escalate over sanctions and energy.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian officials expect the death toll from an attack in the eastern city of Chasiv Yar to rise, as two dozen people remain trapped under the rubble of two high-rise apartment buildings they say were struck by Russian missiles. Six people have been pulled out of the rubble alive, and 18 people have died.
- Russia carried out dozens of airstrikes across the country this weekend, Ukrainian officials said, with an intensifying focus on the Donetsk region, whose governor called the attacks “true hell.”
- Meanwhile, France’s finance minister is warning that Europe should be prepared for the Kremlin to completely shut off gas shipments to Europe as tensions escalate over sanctions and energy.
More live updates here.
Europe braces for gas ‘nightmare’ as pipeline from Russia shuts off
The main natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany shut down for scheduled maintenance Monday, raising concerns that Moscow could use the repairs as a pretext for a longer shutdown as it wields energy supplies as leverage in the Ukraine war.
European ministers warned that it was unclear whether Moscow would turn the taps on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline back on after the 10 days of scheduled work. Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, said Berlin was concerned about a “nightmare scenario” this winter if Russia decides against doing so.
“Everything is possible, everything can happen,” he told Deutschlandfunk radio on Sunday. “We have to prepare for the worst.”
Speaking at a business conference in southern France, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire went further, saying that a total cutoff was “the most likely scenario.” He said that “it would be totally irresponsible to ignore this scenario.”
Read the full story here.
The main natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany shut down for scheduled maintenance Monday, raising concerns that Moscow could use the repairs as a pretext for a longer shutdown as it wields energy supplies as leverage in the Ukraine war.
European ministers warned that it was unclear whether Moscow would turn the taps on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline back on after the 10 days of scheduled work. Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, said Berlin was concerned about a “nightmare scenario” this winter if Russia decides against doing so.
“Everything is possible, everything can happen,” he told Deutschlandfunk radio on Sunday. “We have to prepare for the worst.”
Speaking at a business conference in southern France, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire went further, saying that a total cutoff was “the most likely scenario.” He said that “it would be totally irresponsible to ignore this scenario.”
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Video from the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency claimed to show workers freeing a man from the rubble of a destroyed apartment on July 10 in Chasiv Yar.
- Ukraine is readying a force of 1 million with Western weapons to attempt to retake southern territory from Russian troops, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Britain’s Times newspaper.
- Players in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Sunday all wore jerseys bearing the name and number of Brittney Griner, the basketball star detained in Russia on drug charges.
- The Uber Files: A trove of documents obtained by the Guardian and shared with The Washington Post as well as other newsrooms and nonprofits reveal that Uber viewed Russia as among the company’s most important foreign markets — but failed to gain a foothold there.
More live updates here.
- Video from the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency claimed to show workers freeing a man from the rubble of a destroyed apartment on July 10 in Chasiv Yar.
- Ukraine is readying a force of 1 million with Western weapons to attempt to retake southern territory from Russian troops, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Britain’s Times newspaper.
- Players in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Sunday all wore jerseys bearing the name and number of Brittney Griner, the basketball star detained in Russia on drug charges.
- The Uber Files: A trove of documents obtained by the Guardian and shared with The Washington Post as well as other newsrooms and nonprofits reveal that Uber viewed Russia as among the company’s most important foreign markets — but failed to gain a foothold there.
More live updates here.
Iran to send hundreds of drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, U.S. says
Iran is preparing to supply Russia with hundreds of drone aircraft, including advanced models capable of firing missiles, the Biden administration said Monday, publicly revealing what U.S. officials say is a secret effort by Tehran to provide military assistance for Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
The planned delivery of unmanned aerial aircraft, or UAVs, disclosed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at a White House briefing, could provide a significant boost to Moscow’s efforts to find and destroy Western-supplied artillery and other weapons systems that have slowed the advance of Russian troops in recent weeks.
Sullivan said Iran is also preparing to train the Russians on how to use the weapons, with initial training sessions set to begin as soon as this month.
Read the full story here.
Iran is preparing to supply Russia with hundreds of drone aircraft, including advanced models capable of firing missiles, the Biden administration said Monday, publicly revealing what U.S. officials say is a secret effort by Tehran to provide military assistance for Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
The planned delivery of unmanned aerial aircraft, or UAVs, disclosed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at a White House briefing, could provide a significant boost to Moscow’s efforts to find and destroy Western-supplied artillery and other weapons systems that have slowed the advance of Russian troops in recent weeks.
Sullivan said Iran is also preparing to train the Russians on how to use the weapons, with initial training sessions set to begin as soon as this month.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- Iran plans to provide Russia with “up to several hundred” drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The move indicates Moscow is running out of precision weapons, according to U.S.-based military analysts.
- President Zelensky criticized Canada for carving out an exemption to Russian sanctions, saying it could be perceived by Moscow as a sign of “weakness” that the Kremlin could exploit. Under pressure from Europe, Ottawa agreed to allow a gas turbine used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been undergoing repairs in Canada to be returned to Germany.
- The death toll continues to rise after Russian strikes in eastern and northern Ukraine. At least 31 were killed in Chasiv Yar, after a Russian missile hit a residential complex over the weekend. Three others were also killed Monday in Kharkiv after Russian airstrikes damaged a shopping center and residences.
More live updates here.
- Iran plans to provide Russia with “up to several hundred” drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The move indicates Moscow is running out of precision weapons, according to U.S.-based military analysts.
- President Zelensky criticized Canada for carving out an exemption to Russian sanctions, saying it could be perceived by Moscow as a sign of “weakness” that the Kremlin could exploit. Under pressure from Europe, Ottawa agreed to allow a gas turbine used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been undergoing repairs in Canada to be returned to Germany.
- The death toll continues to rise after Russian strikes in eastern and northern Ukraine. At least 31 were killed in Chasiv Yar, after a Russian missile hit a residential complex over the weekend. Three others were also killed Monday in Kharkiv after Russian airstrikes damaged a shopping center and residences.
More live updates here.
Recording reveals life in captivity for American held by Russian group
An American military veteran captured by Russian forces in Ukraine is being held in solitary confinement but appears hopeful the U.S. government is pursuing his release, according to a phone call with his mother recorded last week and provided to The Washington Post by his family.
Friday’s call between Alexander Drueke and his mother, Lois Drueke, offers new insight into the Biden administration’s efforts in what’s become a high-stakes showdown with Moscow over U.S. involvement in the war. It was their fifth conversation since Drueke and another U.S. military veteran, Andy Tai Huynh, were taken into custody in June, his family said.
Both men are from Alabama and traveled overseas as volunteers. A third U.S. citizen, Grady Kurpasi, is missing in Ukraine and feared captured or killed, his family has said. At least two Americans are believed to have died in the fighting.
Read the full story here.
An American military veteran captured by Russian forces in Ukraine is being held in solitary confinement but appears hopeful the U.S. government is pursuing his release, according to a phone call with his mother recorded last week and provided to The Washington Post by his family.
Friday’s call between Alexander Drueke and his mother, Lois Drueke, offers new insight into the Biden administration’s efforts in what’s become a high-stakes showdown with Moscow over U.S. involvement in the war. It was their fifth conversation since Drueke and another U.S. military veteran, Andy Tai Huynh, were taken into custody in June, his family said.
Both men are from Alabama and traveled overseas as volunteers. A third U.S. citizen, Grady Kurpasi, is missing in Ukraine and feared captured or killed, his family has said. At least two Americans are believed to have died in the fighting.
Read the full story here.
Russia, Ukraine to discuss Black Sea ‘grain corridor,’ Turkey says
Turkey’s defense minister said Tuesday that military delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey would meet in Istanbul for talks aimed at restarting grain shipments from Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia.
The minister, Hulusi Akar, said in a statement that the meeting would take place Wednesday and include a delegation from the United Nations.
The announcement of the meeting followed calls by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on Monday that were focused in part on a U.N. plan to establish a maritime “safe corridor” that would allow the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine, according to Turkish readouts. Turkey maintains close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow and has tried to act as a mediator between the two sides since the Russian invasion.
Read the full story here.
Turkey’s defense minister said Tuesday that military delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey would meet in Istanbul for talks aimed at restarting grain shipments from Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia.
The minister, Hulusi Akar, said in a statement that the meeting would take place Wednesday and include a delegation from the United Nations.
The announcement of the meeting followed calls by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on Monday that were focused in part on a U.N. plan to establish a maritime “safe corridor” that would allow the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine, according to Turkish readouts. Turkey maintains close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow and has tried to act as a mediator between the two sides since the Russian invasion.
Read the full story here.
Within the war between Russia and Ukraine, a war between Chechens
The long table was set with sliced vegetables, bottles of Coca-Cola and juice, boiled lamb hearts, and kebabs cooked over a fire. Sitting at the head was the man of the hour — the birthday boy. His arms were crossed in front of his broad chest as he leaned back in his chair and observed the rare party.
Joining him at the table were soldiers with beards that matched his. Some were the sons of men he’d fought alongside in a different war that felt very much like this one. Now he was their commander.
He was presented a cake covered in chocolate frosting and decorated with the images of two flags — one for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the home to which he and his comrades hope to return one day, and one for Ukraine, the country they are fighting for now. What the two have in common is their enemy: Russia.
Read the full story here.
The long table was set with sliced vegetables, bottles of Coca-Cola and juice, boiled lamb hearts, and kebabs cooked over a fire. Sitting at the head was the man of the hour — the birthday boy. His arms were crossed in front of his broad chest as he leaned back in his chair and observed the rare party.
Joining him at the table were soldiers with beards that matched his. Some were the sons of men he’d fought alongside in a different war that felt very much like this one. Now he was their commander.
He was presented a cake covered in chocolate frosting and decorated with the images of two flags — one for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the home to which he and his comrades hope to return one day, and one for Ukraine, the country they are fighting for now. What the two have in common is their enemy: Russia.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian rescue workers clear debris after a Russian strike on a residential building in Chasiv Yar, a city in the eastern Donetsk region.
- Turkey’s defense minister said Tuesday that military delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey would meet in Istanbul for talks aimed at restarting grain shipments from Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Canada for carving out an exemption to Russian sanctions by agreeing to allow a gas turbine used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been undergoing repairs in Canada to be returned to Germany.
- A former Olympic official told the Guardian that a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in global sporting events due to Russia’s invasion could continue, preventing those athletes from competing in qualifying events for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian rescue workers clear debris after a Russian strike on a residential building in Chasiv Yar, a city in the eastern Donetsk region.
- Turkey’s defense minister said Tuesday that military delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey would meet in Istanbul for talks aimed at restarting grain shipments from Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Canada for carving out an exemption to Russian sanctions by agreeing to allow a gas turbine used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been undergoing repairs in Canada to be returned to Germany.
- A former Olympic official told the Guardian that a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in global sporting events due to Russia’s invasion could continue, preventing those athletes from competing in qualifying events for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Chasiv Yar: As of Wednesday evening, at least 45 people have been found dead after a Russian missile strike over the weekend on a residential complex in this eastern city, including one child, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Nine survivors have been found so far, the agency said.
Kharkiv: Russian shells injured five after hitting “four enterprises and private households” on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office.
Novaya Kakhovka: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video early Tuesday of footage that it said showed an explosion at a Russian weapons depot in this city.
Kyiv: Some degree of normalcy appears to have returned to the Ukrainian capital, despite occasional Russian bombardments. About 3.4 million passengers used the city’s metro last week, the municipal government said Monday. Before the war, the daily average of metro users was more than 1 million people.
More live updates here.
Chasiv Yar: As of Wednesday evening, at least 45 people have been found dead after a Russian missile strike over the weekend on a residential complex in this eastern city, including one child, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Nine survivors have been found so far, the agency said.
Kharkiv: Russian shells injured five after hitting “four enterprises and private households” on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office.
Novaya Kakhovka: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video early Tuesday of footage that it said showed an explosion at a Russian weapons depot in this city.
Kyiv: Some degree of normalcy appears to have returned to the Ukrainian capital, despite occasional Russian bombardments. About 3.4 million passengers used the city’s metro last week, the municipal government said Monday. Before the war, the daily average of metro users was more than 1 million people.
More live updates here.
The man who has Putin’s ear — and may want his job
When Russian President Vladimir Putin held the final meeting of his Security Council before launching the invasion of Ukraine, one Kremlin hawk seemed to dominate the room.
Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful Security Council secretary and close Putin ally from their days together at the KGB in St. Petersburg, told the Russian president that the United States was behind tensions in eastern Ukraine and seeking to orchestrate Russia’s collapse. “Our task is to defend the territorial integrity of our country and defend its sovereignty,” Patrushev said in broadcast remarks.
Patrushev, whose position is equivalent to the U.S. national security adviser, was expressing a Cold War view that has driven Putin’s war. Ever since Putin ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, blindsiding much of the country’s elite, Patrushev has become a hard-line avatar for a militaristic Russia.
Read the full story here.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin held the final meeting of his Security Council before launching the invasion of Ukraine, one Kremlin hawk seemed to dominate the room.
Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful Security Council secretary and close Putin ally from their days together at the KGB in St. Petersburg, told the Russian president that the United States was behind tensions in eastern Ukraine and seeking to orchestrate Russia’s collapse. “Our task is to defend the territorial integrity of our country and defend its sovereignty,” Patrushev said in broadcast remarks.
Patrushev, whose position is equivalent to the U.S. national security adviser, was expressing a Cold War view that has driven Putin’s war. Ever since Putin ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, blindsiding much of the country’s elite, Patrushev has become a hard-line avatar for a militaristic Russia.
Read the full story here.