Category Archives: Ukraine

What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news and analysis  The Guardian

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What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news and analysis - The Guardian

In war of narratives, where does Southeast Asia stand in Ukraine-Russia conflict?  South China Morning Post

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In war of narratives, where does Southeast Asia stand in Ukraine-Russia conflict? - South China Morning Post

Russia-Ukraine war live: Russia lacking munitions and units for successful offensives, says UK  The Guardian

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Russia-Ukraine war live: Russia lacking munitions and units for successful offensives, says UK - The Guardian

Wed, Jan 18 20239:43 PM EST

A Twitter account operated by the Russian Embassy in Sweden on Wednesday posted an image of Europe which identifies Crimeashown at the lower rightas part of Ukraine.

Twitter / Russian Embassy, SWE / Forum Mapping HU.

A Twitter account operated by the Russian Embassy in Swedenposted a map identifying Crimea as part of Ukraine.

Officially, Moscow claims Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that extends into the Black Sea, as part of Russia. Crimea was seized from Ukraine when Russia invaded the region in March 2014.

Ted Kemp

Wed, Jan 18 20235:29 PM EST

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on "Department of Defense's Budget Requests for FY2023", on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 7, 2022.

Sarah Silbiger | Reuters

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Berlin, where he will meet with his new German counterpart Boris Pistorius.

The two are expected to hold a joint press conference.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholznamed Pistorius as Germany's next defense minister on Tuesday after Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday. Lambrecht had previously faced criticism for her handling of the slow supply of offensive weapons to Ukraine.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20234:43 PM EST

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi talks to media in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 18, 2023. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) finalized the stationing of permanent missions at 3 Ukrainian nuclear power plants: Rivne, Chornobyl and Pivdennoukrainska NPPs.

Sergii Kharchenko | Nurphoto | Getty Images

The International Atomic Energy Agency is placing teams of experts at all four of Ukraine's nuclear power plants to reduce the risk of severe accidents as Russia's war against the country rages on, agency head Rafael Grossi said Wednesday.

The IAEA, which is affiliated with the United Nations, already has a permanent presence at Ukraine's and Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia that is held by Russian forces.

The IAEA's permanent presence at all of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, with at least 11 staff in total, marks an unprecedented expansion for the agency. IAEA technicians will also be at Chernobyl, the now-closed nuclear plant that was the site of a deadly nuclear accident in 1986 that spread fallout over much of Europe.

"From tomorrow, there will be two flags at all of the nuclear facilities in Ukraine; one of Ukraine and the second of the international nuclear agency," Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a joint press conference with Grossi at the government headquarters in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Associated Press

Wed, Jan 18 20234:07 PM EST

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that his company's segment in Kyiv was not concerned with profitability because the popular ride sharing app was helping to save lives.

"They are risking their lives there getting doctors to hospitals, teachers getting to school transporting refugees and getting winter supplies to families in need," Khosrowshahi told CNBC during an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Khosrowshahi said that he recently visited Kyiv to see how Uber, which has been operating in the country since 2016, was contributing to Ukrainians' daily lives as Russia's war continues.

"There is a lot more work to be done," he added.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20233:16 PM EST

A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain, and another originating from Ukraine, sail at the entrance of Bosphorus, in the Black Sea off the coast off Kumkoy, north of Istanbul, on November 2, 2022.

Ozan Kose | AFP | Getty Images

Two vessels carrying 64,200 metric tons of grain and other food products have left Ukrainian ports, the organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from the country said.

One ship is destined for Germany and is carrying rapeseed. The other vessel is headed to Libya with corn.

TheBlack Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia's naval blockade and saw three key Ukrainian ports reopen.

So far, more than 660 ships have sailed from Ukrainian ports.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20232:37 PM EST

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson waits for the arrival of US Secretary of State John Kerry for a meeting on the situation in Syria at Lancaster House on October 16, 2016 in London, England.

Justin Tallis | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko presented former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with an "honorary citizen of the city of Kyiv" award.

"Boris repeatedly visited the Ukrainian capital - both in peace and in the most dramatic time of our struggle against the Russian aggressor.As Prime Minister of Great Britain, Johnson did everything possible to help Ukraine," Klitschko said.

Johnson, who was one of the first world leaders to visit Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv following Russia's invasion, quickly became one of the most visible Western supporters of Ukraine. He resigned from the prime minister post in July.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20231:53 PM EST

The helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in Brovary, Kyiv.

Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expressed their condolences to the families of those killed in the helicopter crash in Ukraine.

"Our hearts are also with the dozens of civilians who were killed or injured, including precious children, and their families," the first couple wrote in a statement.

The Bidens highlighted the work of Denys Monastyrsky, Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, who was killed in the crash along with several other Ukrainian officials.

The Bidens called him a "reformer and patriot," and said he "championed the will of the Ukrainian people."

"We will continue to honor that legacy through efforts to strengthen Ukraine's institutions, and in our unfailing partnership with the people of Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom bright," the Bidens wrote.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20231:19 PM EST

A fire engulfed a CHP power station hit by Russian missile on October 10, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Russia is preparing for an extended war so NATO must get ready "for the long haul" and support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the alliance's deputy secretary general told top military chiefs from across Europe.

Speaking at the opening of the military chiefs' meeting in Brussels, Mircea Geoana said NATO nations must invest more in defense, ramp up military industrial manufacturing and harness new technologies to prepare for future wars.

As Russia's war on Ukraine nears the one-year mark, NATO chiefs are expected to discuss how allies can expand the delivery of weapons, training and support to Ukraine in the coming months, and how they can further shore up their own defenses.

"We have no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin's goals have changed," said Geoana, adding that Russia has mobilized more than 200,000 additional troops. "So we must be prepared for the long haul. 2023 will be a difficult year and we need to support Ukraine for as long as it takes."

Associated Press

Wed, Jan 18 202312:26 PM EST

"Mobilization of the world must outpace a next military mobilization of our joint enemy," Zelenskyy said via videoconference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that Western countries should send tanks before Russia's next offensive.

His comments come as analysts fear the Kremlin could soon launch a new mobilization drive and once again pile the pressure on the country's Western allies to deliver heavily armored vehicles to Kyiv.

Speaking via videoconference, Zelenskyy said, "Mobilization of the world must outpace a next military mobilization of our joint enemy."

"The supplying of Ukraine with air defense systems must outpace Russia's next missile attacks. The supplies of Western tanks must outpace another invasion of Russian tanks," he added.

Read the full story here.

Sam Meredith

Wed, Jan 18 202311:39 AM EST

In this file photo an Australian Open branded tennis ball is seen on court ahead of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 11, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.

Graham Denholm | Getty Images

Flags fromRussia and Belaruswere banned from the site of theAustralian Openafter more than one was brought into the stands by spectators on Day 1 of the year's first Grand Slam tournament.

Normally, flags can be displayed during matches at Melbourne Park. But Tennis Australia reversed that policy for thetwo countries involved in the invasion of Ukrainethat began nearly a year ago.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing at Wimbledon and team events such as the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup last year because of the war in Ukraine.

Associated Press

Wed, Jan 18 202310:50 AM EST

Rescuers carry the body of a dead person during a missile attack by the Russian army in Dnipro.

Sergei Chuzavkov | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Mayor of Dnipro Borys Filatov said the death toll from a Russian missile strike on a residential building has risen to 45 people.

Filatov said that at least 17 people remain missing in Dnipro and 12 bodies have not been identified, according to an NBC News translation. Another 25 people are recovering in the hospital.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 202310:11 AM EST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for announcing a new security package for his country, which includes armored personnel carriers.

"Today the Ukrainian army needs 200 Senator APCs more than ever. Together we are moving towards victory," Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet.

Anita Anand, Canada's defense minister, during a news conference with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, during a news conference at the Military Press Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

Ethan Swope | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand met with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv and said that Ottawa would buy a U.S. air defense system and donate it to Ukraine.

Amanda Macias

Wed, Jan 18 20239:30 AM EST

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that victory in the war in Ukraine was "inevitable" while NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Putin must realize he cannot win on the battlefield.

Speaking to workers at a weapons factory in St. Petersburg, Putin said "victory is assured, I have no doubt about it," state news agency Tass reported. Putin made the comments on the same day on which he commemorated the 80th anniversary of Soviet forces breaking the Nazi siege of Leningrad (modern-day St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown).

In this screen shot made on Ocober 12, 2022 French president Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks during an interview in front of pictures of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ludovic Marin | Afp | Getty Images

Meanwhile, NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commented Wednesday that we have reached a "pivotal moment" in the war.

"President Putin has shown no sign of preparing for peace and therefore he must realize he cannot win on battlefield. This is a pivotal moment in the war and the need for a significant increase in support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"If we want a negotiated peaceful solution tomorrow we need to provide more weapons today."

Holly Ellyatt

Wed, Jan 18 20239:17 AM EST

The IEA's Birol said that prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, "Russia was the number one energy exporter to the world."

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty Images

More:

Russia-Ukraine war updates for Jan.18, 2023 - cnbc.com

Demonstrators wave Ukrainian flags as they gather in central Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, on Oct. 6, 2019, to protest against broader autonomy for separatist territories. Protesters chanted, "No to surrender!" and some held placards critical of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Police said the crowd swelled to around 10,000 people. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Demonstrators wave Ukrainian flags as they gather in central Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, on Oct. 6, 2019, to protest against broader autonomy for separatist territories. Protesters chanted, "No to surrender!" and some held placards critical of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Police said the crowd swelled to around 10,000 people.

As Russian forces begin an all-out assault on Ukraine after months of troop buildup and failed diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and its European allies to head off conflict, the situation for Kyiv is the most high-stakes in the country's 30-year history.

Since breaking from the Soviet Union, Ukraine has wavered between the influences of Moscow and the West, surviving scandal and conflict with its democracy intact.

Now it faces its biggest test as Russia threatens its very existence as an independent country.

Since the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, many Ukrainians have turned away from Moscow and toward the West, with popular support on the rise for joining Western alliances such as NATO and the European Union.

But along the country's eastern border with Russia, separatists backed by Moscow took control of two regions in 2014. Violence in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 14,000 people in the years since, according to International Crisis Group research. Russia's recognition of the two regions' independence set the stage for moving its troops into Ukraine.

Read on to understand how Ukraine came to where it is today.

1989 and 1990

Anti-communist protests sweep central and Eastern Europe, starting in Poland and spreading throughout the Soviet bloc. In Ukraine, January 1990 sees more than 400,000 people joining hands in a human chain stretching some 400 miles from the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk to Kyiv, the capital, in the north-central part of Ukraine. Many wave the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag that had been banned under Soviet rule.

Representatives of the Ukrainian Catholic Church protest the visit of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexi II to Kyiv on Oct. 29, 1990. Efrem Lucatsky/AP hide caption

July 16, 1990

The Rada, the new Ukrainian parliament formed out of the previous Soviet legislature, votes to declare independence from the Soviet Union. Authorities recall Ukrainian soldiers from other parts of the USSR and vote to shut down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine.

1991

Following a failed coup in Moscow, the Ukrainian parliament declares independence a second time on Aug. 24, a date that is still celebrated as Ukraine's official Independence Day. In December, Ukrainians vote to make their independence official when they approve the declaration by a landslide 92% of votes in favor. The Soviet Union officially dissolves on Dec. 26.

Ukrainians demonstrate in front of the Communist Party's Central Committee headquarters in Kyiv on Aug. 25, 1991, the day after Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Anatoly Sapronenko/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

1992

As NATO allies contemplate adding central and Eastern European members for the first time, Ukraine formally establishes relations with the alliance, though it does not join. NATO's secretary-general visits Kyiv, and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk visits NATO headquarters in Brussels.

December 1994

After the Soviet Union's collapse, Ukraine is left with the world's third-largest nuclear stockpile. In a treaty called the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agrees to trade away its intercontinental ballistic missiles, warheads and other nuclear infrastructure in exchange for guarantees that the three other treaty signatories the U.S., the U.K. and Russia will "respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine."

President Bill Clinton (from left), Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk join hands in 1994 after signing a nuclear disarmament agreement. Under the agreement, Ukraine, the world's third-largest nuclear power at the time, said it would turn all its strategic nuclear arms over to Russia for destruction. Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

1994 to 2004

In 10 years as president, Leonid Kuchma helps transition Ukraine from a Soviet republic to a capitalist society, privatizing businesses and working to improve international economic opportunities. But in 2000, his presidency is rocked by scandal over audio recordings that reveal he ordered the death of a journalist. He remains in power about four more years.

2004

The presidential election pits Kuchma's incumbent party led by his hand-picked successor, Viktor Yanukovych, and supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin against a popular pro-democracy opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko.

In the final months of the campaign, Yushchenko falls mysteriously ill, is disfigured and is confirmed by doctors to have been poisoned.

Yanukovych wins the election amid accusations of rigging. Massive protests follow, and the public outcry becomes known as the Orange Revolution. After a third vote, Yushchenko prevails.

Viktor Yushchenko, the pro-Western hero of the Orange Revolution, became the third president of an independent Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko (left) became prime minister. Maxim Marmur/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

January 2005

Yushchenko takes office as president, with Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister.

2008

Following efforts by Yushchenko and Tymoshenko to bring Ukraine into NATO, the two formally request in January that Ukraine be granted a "membership action plan," the first step in the process of joining the alliance.

U.S. President George W. Bush supports Ukraine's membership, but France and Germany oppose it after Russia voices displeasure.

In April, NATO responds with a compromise: It promises that Ukraine will one day be a member of the alliance but does not put it on a specific path for how to do so.

An employee of the state-owned Russian natural gas company Gazprom works at the central control room of the company's headquarters in Moscow on Jan. 14, 2009. Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

January 2009

On Jan. 1, Gazprom, the state-owned Russian gas company, suddenly stops pumping natural gas to Ukraine, following months of politically fraught negotiations over gas prices. Because Eastern and central European countries rely on pipelines through Ukraine to receive gas imports from Russia, the gas crisis quickly spreads beyond Ukraine's borders.

Under international pressure to resolve the crisis, Tymoshenko negotiates a new deal with Putin, and gas flows resume on Jan. 20. Much of Europe still relies on Russian gas today.

2010

Yanukovych is elected president in February. He says Ukraine should be a "neutral state," cooperating with both Russia and Western alliances like NATO.

2011

Ukrainian prosecutors open criminal investigations into Tymoshenko, alleging corruption and misuse of government resources. In October, a court finds her guilty of "abuse of power" during the 2009 negotiations with Russia over the gas crisis and sentences her to seven years in prison, prompting concerns in the West that Ukrainian leaders are persecuting political opponents.

Anti-government protesters guard the perimeter of Independence Square, known as Maidan, in Kyiv on Feb. 19, 2014. Protesters were calling for the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych over corruption and an abandoned trade agreement with the European Union. Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images hide caption

November 2013 through February 2014

Just days before it is to be signed, Yanukovych announces that he will refuse to sign an association agreement with the European Union to bring Ukraine into a free trade agreement. He cites pressure from Russia as a reason for his decision.

The announcement sparks huge protests across Ukraine the largest since the Orange Revolution calling for Yanukovych to resign. Protesters begin camping out in Kyiv's Maidan, also known as Independence Square, and occupy government buildings, including Kyiv's city hall and the justice ministry.

In late February, violence between police and protesters leaves more than 100 dead in the single bloodiest week in Ukraine's post-Soviet history.

Ahead of a scheduled impeachment vote on Feb. 22, Yanukovych flees, eventually arriving in Russia. Ukraine's parliament votes unanimously to remove Yanukovych and install an interim government, which announces it will sign the EU agreement and votes to free Tymoshenko from prison.

The new government charges Yanukovych with mass murder of the Maidan protesters and issues a warrant for his arrest.

Russia declares that the change in Ukraine's government is an illegal coup. Almost immediately, armed men appear at checkpoints and facilities in the Crimean Peninsula. Putin at first denies they are Russian soldiers but later admits it.

Anti-government protesters clash with police in Kyiv's Maidan despite a truce agreed between the Ukrainian president and opposition leaders on Feb. 20, 2014. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

March 2014

With Russian troops in control of the peninsula, the Crimean parliament votes to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. A public referendum follows, with 97% of voters favoring secession, although the results are disputed.

Putin finalizes the Russian annexation of Crimea in a March 18 announcement to Russia's parliament. In response, the U.S. and allies in Europe impose sanctions on Russia. They have never recognized Russia's annexation. It remains the only time that a European nation has used military force to seize the territory of another since World War II.

April 2014

With some 40,000 Russian troops gathered on Ukraine's eastern border, violence breaks out in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas violence that continues to this day. Russian-supported separatist forces storm government buildings in two eastern regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. They declare independence from Ukraine as the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, though they remain internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. Russia denies that its troops are on Ukrainian soil, but Ukrainian officials insist otherwise.

A man holds a Crimean flag in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol, Ukraine, on March 17, 2014. People in Crimea overwhelmingly voted to secede from Ukraine during a referendum vote on March 16, 2014, and the Crimean parliament declared independence and formally asked Russia to annex Crimea. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images hide caption

May 2014

The pro-West politician Petro Poroshenko, a former government minister and head of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine, is elected Ukraine's president. He promotes reform, including measures to address corruption and lessen Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy and financial support.

Sept. 5, 2014

Representatives from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany meet in Belarus to attempt to negotiate an end to the violence in the Donbas. They sign the first Minsk agreement, a deal between Ukraine and Russia to quiet the violence under a fragile cease-fire. The cease-fire soon breaks, and fighting continues into the new year.

Ukrainian troops train with small arms on March 13, 2015, outside Mariupol, Ukraine. The Minsk II cease-fire agreement, which continued to hold despite being violated more than 1,000 times, was nearing the one-month mark. Andrew Burton/Getty Images hide caption

February 2015

The Minsk group meets again in Belarus to find a more successful agreement to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the Minsk II agreement. It too has been unsuccessful at ending the violence. From 2014 through today, more than 14,000 people have been killed, tens of thousands wounded and more than a million displaced.

Together, the annexation of Crimea and the Russian-backed violence in the east have pushed Ukrainian public sentiment toward the West, strengthening interest in joining NATO and the EU.

2016 and 2017

As fighting in the Donbas continues, Russia repeatedly strikes at Ukraine in a series of cyberattacks, including a 2016 attack on Kyiv's power grid that causes a major blackout. In 2017, a large-scale assault affects key Ukrainian infrastructure, including the National Bank of Ukraine and the country's electrical grid. (Cyberattacks from Russia have continued through the present; the latest major attack targeted government websites in January 2022.)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greets lawmakers during the solemn opening and first sitting of the new parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, in Kyiv on Aug. 29, 2019. Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

2019

In April, comedian and actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy is elected president in a landslide rebuke of Poroshenko and the status quo, which includes a stagnating economy and the conflict with Russia.

During his campaign, Zelenskyy vowed to make peace with Russia and end the war in the Donbas.

His early efforts to reach a solution to the violence are slowed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who briefly blocks U.S. military aid to Ukraine and suggests to Zelenskyy that he should instead work with Putin to resolve the crisis.

In a phone call with Trump in July 2019, Zelenskyy requests a visit to the White House to meet with Trump about U.S. backing of Ukraine's efforts to push off Russia. Trump asks Zelenskyy for "a favor": an investigation into energy company Burisma and the Bidens. A White House whistleblower complains, leading to Trump's first impeachment in December 2019.

Several U.S. officials later testify that Zelenskyy was close to announcing such an investigation, though he ultimately demurs, saying Ukrainians are "tired" of Burisma.

Russian troops take part in drills at the Kadamovskiy firing range in the Rostov region of southern Russia on Dec. 14, 2021. AP hide caption

April

Russia sends about 100,000 troops to Ukraine's borders, ostensibly for military exercises. Although few analysts believe an invasion is imminent, Zelenskyy urges NATO leadership to put Ukraine on a timeline for membership. Later that month, Russia says it will withdraw the troops, but tens of thousands remain.

August

Two years after his entanglement with Trump, Zelenskyy visits the White House to meet with President Biden. Biden emphasizes that the U.S. is committed to "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression" but repeats that Ukraine has not yet met the conditions necessary to join NATO.

November

Russia renews its troop presence near the Ukraine-Russia border, alarming U.S. intelligence officials, who travel to Brussels to brief NATO allies on the situation. "We're not sure exactly what Mr. Putin is up to, but these movements certainly have our attention," says U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Russian troops take part in drills at the Kadamovskiy firing range in the Rostov region of southern Russia on Dec. 14, 2021. AP hide caption

December

Biden, speaking with Putin on a phone call, urges Russia not to invade Ukraine, warning of "real costs" if Russia does so.

Putin issues a contentious set of security demands. Among them, he asks NATO to permanently bar Ukraine from membership and withdraw forces stationed in countries that joined the alliance after 1997, including Romania and Balkan countries. Putin also demands a written response from the U.S. and NATO.

January

Leaders and diplomats from the U.S., Russia and European countries meet repeatedly to avert a crisis. In early January, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov tells U.S. officials that Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine.

The State Department orders the families of embassy staff to leave Ukraine on Jan. 23. NATO places forces on standby the next day, including the U.S. ordering 8,500 troops in the United States to be ready to deploy.

Representatives from the U.S. and NATO deliver their written responses to Putin's demands on Jan. 26. In the responses, officials say they cannot bar Ukraine from joining NATO, but they signal a willingness to negotiate over smaller issues like arms control.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Feb. 7, 2022, for talks in an effort to find common ground on Ukraine and NATO. Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

February

Diplomatic efforts pick up pace across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travel between Moscow and Kyiv. Biden orders the movement of 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Romania and the deployment of 2,000 additional U.S. troops to Poland and Germany.

Russia and Belarus begin joint military exercises on Feb. 10, with some 30,000 Russian troops stationed in the country along Ukraine's northern border.

The U.S. and the U.K. urge their citizens to leave Ukraine on Feb. 11. Biden announces the deployment of another 2,000 troops from the U.S. to Poland.

In mid-February, the fighting escalates between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in the two eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Separatist leaders call for evacuations. "In our view, what is happening in Donbas today is, in fact, genocide," says Putin on Feb. 15 a false claim that Western officials say Putin is using to create a pretext for an invasion.

Russia continues to build its troop presence on its border with Ukraine. Estimates range from 150,000 to 190,000 troops. U.S. officials, including Biden, increase the urgency of their warnings, saying that Russia has decided to invade.

On Feb. 21, Putin formally recognizes the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic including territory claimed by separatists but controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces. He orders Russia's military to deploy troops there under the guise of a "peacekeeping" mission.

In response, Biden declares the move "the beginning of a Russian invasion." Together, the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union enact a broad set of sanctions targeting Russian banks and oligarchs.

On Feb. 24, Russian forces launch a devastating assault on Ukrainian territory the largest such military operation in Europe since the end of World War II. Missiles rain down on Ukraine's cities and columns of Russian troops from neighboring Belarus and from Russian-held Crimea reportedly begin streaming into the countryside. Ukrainian forces reportedly try to hold back the Russian advance on several fronts.

Link:

A timeline of Ukraine's history : NPR

Prehistory

From prehistoric times, migration and settlement patterns in the territories of present-day Ukraine varied fundamentally along the lines of three geographic zones. The Black Sea coast was for centuries in the sphere of the contemporary Mediterranean maritime powers. The open steppe, funneling from the east across southern Ukraine and toward the mouth of the Danube River, formed a natural gateway to Europe for successive waves of nomadic horsemen from Central Asia. And the mixed forest-steppe and forest belt of north-central and western Ukraine supported an agricultural population (most notably the Trypillya culture of the mid-5th to 3rd millennia bce), linked by waterways to northern and central Europe. The marshlands of these zones were frequent areas of both military conflict and cultural transmission.

Beginning in the 7th6th centuries bce, numerous Greek colonies were founded on the northern coast of the Black Sea, on the Crimean Peninsula, and along the Sea of Azov; these Hellenic outposts later came under the hegemony of the Roman Empire (see ancient Greek civilization; ancient Rome). During the 1st millennium bce the steppe hinterland was occupied successively by the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Sarmatians. These peoples, all of Iranian stock, maintained commercial and cultural relations with the Greek colonies.

A period of great migrations began with the descent of the Goths from the Baltic region into Ukraine about 200 ce. They displaced the Sarmatians, but their own power was broken about 375 by the invading Huns from the east, who were followed in the 5th6th centuries by the Bulgars and Avars. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, the Ukrainian steppe formed part of the Turkic Khazar mercantile empire, which was centred on the lower Volga River. Khazar control of the steppe was breached in the late 9th century by the Magyars (Hungarians). The Pechenegs, who followed, dominated much of southern Ukraine in the 10th and 11th centuries, and they were in turn succeeded by the Polovtsians (Cumans). Throughout this period of nomadic invasions, only a few of the Greek settlements on the Crimean Peninsula, notably Chersonesus (see Tauric Chersonese), maintained a precarious existence, relying on the support of the Byzantine Empire.

In the meantime, under the impact of Germanic migrations, the movement of Slavic tribes from their primordial homeland north of the Carpathians began in the 5th and 6th centuries. While some Slavs migrated westward and others south into the Balkans, the East Slavs occupied the forest and forest-steppe regions of what are now western and north-central Ukraine and southern Belarus; they expanded farther north and to the northeast into territories of the future Russian state centred on Moscow. The East Slavs practiced agriculture and animal husbandry, engaged in such domestic industries as cloth making and ceramics, and built fortified settlements, many of which later developed into important commercial and political centres. Among such early settlements was Kyiv (Kiev), on the high right (western) bank of the Dnieper River.

The formation of the Kyivan state that began in the mid-9th century, the role of the Varangians (Vikings) in this process, and the name Rus by which this state came to be known are all matters of controversy among historians. It is clear, however, that this formation was connected with developments in international trade and the new prominence of the Dnieper route from the Baltic to Byzantium, on which Kyiv was strategically sited. Trade along this route was controlled by Varangian merchant-warriors, and from their ranks came the progenitors of the Kyivan princes, who were, however, soon Slavicized. In the early chronicles the Varangians were also called Rus, and this corporate name became a territorial designation for the Kyivan regionthe basic territory of the Rus; later, by extension, it was applied to the entire territory ruled by members of the Kyivan dynasty.

By the end of the 10th century, the Kyivan domain covered a vast area from the edge of the open steppe in Ukraine as far north as Lake Ladoga and the upper Volga basin. Like other medieval states, it did not develop central political institutions but remained a loose aggregation of principalities ruling what was a dynastic clan enterprise. Kyiv reached its apogee in the reigns of Volodymyr the Great (Vladimir I) and his son Yaroslav I (the Wise). In 988 Volodymyr adopted Christianity as the religion of his realm and had the inhabitants of Kyiv baptized. Rus entered the orbit of Byzantine (later, Orthodox) Christianity and culture. A church hierarchy was established, headed (at least since 1037) by the metropolitan of Kyiv, who was usually appointed by the patriarch of Constantinople. With the new religion came new forms of architecture, art, and music, a written language (Old Church Slavonic), and the beginnings of a literary culture. All these were vigorously promoted by Yaroslav, who also promulgated a code of laws, the first in Slavdom. Although Byzantium and the steppe remained his main preoccupations in external policy, Yaroslav maintained friendly relations with European rulers, with whom he established marital alliances for his progeny.

Following Yaroslavs death, Kyiv entered a long period of decline, only briefly stemmed in the 12th century under Volodymyr II Monomakh (Vladimir II Monomakh). Shifts in trade routes undermined Kyivs economic importance, while warfare with the Polovtsians in the steppe sapped its wealth and energies. Succession struggles and princely rivalries eroded Kyivs political hegemony. The ascendancy of new centres and the clustering of principalities around them reflected regional cleavageshistorical, economic, and tribal ethnicthat had persisted even in the period of Kyivs predominance. These differences were accentuated by the Mongol-Tatar invasions that began in the 1220s and culminated in the devastating sack of Kyiv in 1240.

The territory that largely coincides with modern Belarus, with Polotsk as the most important centre, was one such emerging region. The land of Novgorod to its north was another. In the northeast, Vladimir-Suzdal (and later Moscow) formed the core from which developed the future Russian state (see also Grand Principality of Moscow). On Ukrainian territory, in the southwestern part of Rus, Galicia-Volhynia emerged as the leading principality.

Volodymyr (modern Volodymyr-Volynskyy) in Volhynia had been an important princely seat in Kyivan Rus, and Galicia, with its seat at Halych, on the Dniester River, became a principality in the 12th century. In 1199 the two principalities were united by Prince Roman Mstyslavych to form a powerful and rich state that at times included the domains of Kyiv. Galicia-Volhynia reached its highest eminence under Romans son Danylo (Daniel Romanovich). New cities were founded, most importantly Lviv; tradeespecially with Poland and Hungary, as well as Byzantiumbrought considerable prosperity; and culture flourished, with marked new influences from the West. In 1253 Danylo (in a bid for aid from the West) even accepted the royal crown from Pope Innocent IV and recognized him as head of the church, although nothing substantial came from this. Danylos reign also witnessed the rise of boyar-magnate unrest, debilitating dynastic involvements with Poland and Hungary, and the Mongol invasion of 124041. These marked the onset of Galicia-Volhynias decline, which continued until the extinction of Romans dynasty in 1340.

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Ukraine - History | Britannica

Ukraine, country located in eastern Europe, the second largest on the continent after Russia. The capital is Kyiv, located on the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine.

A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland-Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ukraine had experienced a brief period of independence in 191820, but portions of western Ukraine were ruled by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia in the period between the two World Wars, and Ukraine thereafter became part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.). When the Soviet Union began to unravel in 199091, the legislature of the Ukrainian S.S.R. declared sovereignty (July 16, 1990) and then outright independence (August 24, 1991), a move that was confirmed by popular approval in a plebiscite (December 1, 1991). With the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. in December 1991, Ukraine gained full independence. The country changed its official name to Ukraine, and it helped to found the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an association of countries that were formerly republics of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine is bordered by Belarus to the north, Russia to the east, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea to the south, Moldova and Romania to the southwest, and Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland to the west. In the far southeast, Ukraine is separated from Russia by the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

Ukraine occupies the southwestern portion of the Russian Plain (East European Plain). The country consists almost entirely of level plains at an average elevation of 574 feet (175 metres) above sea level. Mountainous areas such as the Ukrainian Carpathians and Crimean Mountains occur only on the countrys borders and account for barely 5 percent of its area. The Ukrainian landscape nevertheless has some diversity: its plains are broken by highlandsrunning in a continuous belt from northwest to southeastas well as by lowlands.

The rolling plain of the Dnieper Upland, which lies between the middle reaches of the Dnieper (Dnipro) and Southern Buh (Pivdennyy Buh, or the Boh) rivers in west-central Ukraine, is the largest highland area; it is dissected by many river valleys, ravines, and gorges, some more than 1,000 feet (300 metres) deep. On the west the Dnieper Upland is abutted by the rugged Volyn-Podilsk Upland, which rises to 1,545 feet (471 metres) at its highest point, Mount Kamula. West of the Volyn-Podilsk Upland, in extreme western Ukraine, the parallel ranges of the Carpathian Mountainsone of the most picturesque areas in the countryextend for more than 150 miles (240 km). The mountains range in height from about 2,000 feet (600 metres) to about 6,500 feet (2,000 metres), rising to 6,762 feet (2,061 metres) at Mount Hoverla, the highest point in the country. The northeastern and southeastern portions of Ukraine are occupied by low uplands rarely reaching an elevation of 1,000 feet (300 metres).

Among the countrys lowlands are the Pripet Marshes (Polissya), which lie in the northern part of Ukraine and are crossed by numerous river valleys. In east-central Ukraine is the Dnieper Lowland, which is flat in the west and gently rolling in the east. To the south, another lowland extends along the shores of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; its level surface, broken only by low rises and shallow depressions, slopes gradually toward the Black Sea. The shores of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are characterized by narrow, sandy spits of land that jut out into the water; one of these, the Arabat Spit, is about 70 miles (113 km) long but averages less than 5 miles (8 km) in width.

The southern lowland continues in the Crimean Peninsula as the North Crimean Lowland. The peninsulaa large protrusion into the Black Seais connected to the mainland by the Perekop Isthmus. The Crimean Mountains form the southern coast of the peninsula. Mount Roman-Kosh, at 5,069 feet (1,545 metres), is the mountains highest point.

Almost all the major rivers in Ukraine flow northwest to southeast through the plains to empty into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Dnieper River, with its hydroelectric dams, huge reservoirs, and many tributaries, dominates the entire central part of Ukraine. Of the total course of the Dnieper, 609 miles (980 km) are in Ukraine, making it by far the longest river in the country, of which it drains more than half. Like the Dnieper, the Southern Buh, with its major tributary, the Inhul, flows into the Black Sea. To the west and southwest, partly draining Ukrainian territory, the Dniester (Dnistro) also flows into the Black Sea; among its numerous tributaries, the largest in Ukraine are the Stryy and the Zbruch. The middle course of the Donets River, a tributary of the Don, flows through southeastern Ukraine and is an important source of water for the Donets Basin (Donbas). The Danube River flows along the southwestern frontier of Ukraine. Marshland, covering almost 3 percent of Ukraine, is found primarily in the northern river valleys and in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Danube, and other rivers.

The rivers are most important as a water supply, and for this purpose a series of canals has been built, such as the DonetsDonets Basin, the DnieperKryvyy Rih, and the North Crimea. Several of the larger rivers are navigable, including the Dnieper, Danube, Dniester, Pripet (Prypyat), Donets, and Southern Buh (in its lower course). Dams and hydroelectric plants are situated on all the larger rivers.

Ukraine has a few natural lakes, all of them small and most of them scattered over the river floodplains. One of the largest is Lake Svityaz, 11 square miles (28 square km) in area, in the northwest. Small saltwater lakes occur in the Black Sea Lowland and in Crimea. Larger saline lakes occur along the coast. Known as limans, these bodies of water form at the mouths of rivers or ephemeral streams and are blocked off by sandbars from the sea. Some artificial lakes have been formed, the largest of which are reservoirs at hydroelectric damse.g., the reservoir on the Dnieper upstream from Kremenchuk. The Kakhovka, Dnieper, Dniprodzerzhynsk, Kaniv, and Kyiv reservoirs make up the rest of the Dnieper cascade. Smaller reservoirs are located on the Dniester and Southern Buh rivers and on tributaries of the Donets River. Small reservoirs for water supply also are found near Kryvyy Rih, Kharkiv, and other industrial cities. Three large artesian basinsthe Volyn-Podilsk, the Dnieper, and the Black Seaare exceptionally important for municipal needs and agriculture as well.

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Ukraine | History, Flag, Population, President, Map, Language, & Facts ...

Ukraine - United States Department of State Skip to contentCurrent Travel Advisories

Level 4: Do Not Travel

Since July, 2021 the United States has shared 6,486,990safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Ukraine free of cost. This includes 4,486,950 Pfizer and 2,000,040 Moderna doses. Of the 6,486,990 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX.

President Biden committed the United States to be the worlds arsenal for vaccines, leading an international and coordinated vaccination effort, and announced that the United States will provide 1.2 billion doses of safe, effective vaccines free of cost to meet global needs and save lives now. The United States is working with other governments, global initiatives including COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), and other partners to get COVID-19 vaccines to where they are needed most.

Learn more about our work Delivering Vaccines and on COVID-19 Recovery.

The United States established diplomatic relations with Ukraine in 1991, following its independence from the Soviet Union. The United States attaches great importance to the success of Ukraine as a free and democratic state with a flourishing market economy. U.S. policy is centered on supporting Ukraine in the face of continued Russian aggression as it advances reforms to strengthen democratic institutions, fight corruption, and promote conditions for economic growth and competition. The United States does not recognize Russias attempted annexation of Crimea, and continues seek a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in eastern Ukraine. The U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership highlights the importance of the bilateral relationship and the continued commitment of the United States to support enhanced engagement between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukraine.

U.S. Government assistance to Ukraine aims to support the development of a secure, democratic, prosperous, and free Ukraine, fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community.

The United States has granted Ukraine market economy status and terminated the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Ukraine, giving Ukraine permanent normal trade relations status. The United States and Ukraine have a bilateral investment treaty. U.S. exports to Ukraine include coal, machinery, vehicles, agricultural products, fish and seafood, and aircraft. U.S. imports from Ukraine include iron and steel, inorganic chemicals, oil, iron and steel products, aircraft, and agricultural products. The U.S.-Ukraine Council on Trade and Investment was established under the countries agreement on trade and investment cooperation and works to increase commercial and investment opportunities by identifying and removing impediments to bilateral trade and investment flows.

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Ukraine - United States Department of State

Moscow on Thursday claimed the town that houses its Engels Air Base, located deep inside Russia some 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. was attacked by a drone for the third time this month and the second time this week.

However, satellite images obtained by The War Zone on Thursday show no clear damage to the base that's home to the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, which operates one squadron of Bear-Hs and another squadron of supersonic Tu-160 Blackjack bombers. While both types have been employed in the conflict in Ukraine and especially in recent months as Russia stepped up its standoff strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the satellite images show a significant reduction in Russian ling-range aviation activity at Engels.

You can see our complete analysis of the satellite image from our Downlink team below.

"New satellite imagery of Engels Air Base, located deep within Russia, from December 29 shows that repeated Ukrainian attempts to strike the air base, as well as the arrival of cold weather conditions, appears to have led to a significant reduction in activity. Only 11 bombers are present, down from 26 on Nov. 29. Recent snowfall at Engels also betrays the inactivity of some aircraft. While five Tu-95 Bears are visibly de-iced and parked on cleared aprons and taxiways, four others remain covered in snow. The two remaining Tu-160 Blackjack bombers appear covered in snow as well, though at least one of them shows signs of having its apron cleared of snow possibly to provide safe access to the taxiways. No clear damage is observed following alleged Ukrainian attacks against the facility on Dec. 26 and 29, but between reducing aircraft presence and installing new protective barriers, it appears Russia is trying to mitigate the persistent threat against its bombers deployed to the base."

In the latest incident, air defense systems in the Engels region shot down a drone, Saratov Oblast Gov. Roman Busargin reported Thursday on his Telegram channel. Streaks from surface-to-air missiles were seen reaching into the sky near the base on social media.

As a result of falling fragments, the fence of a private house, a car and a garage were damaged, and a window on the balcony was knocked out in one of the houses," Busargin said. "There are no other damages. People were not hurt. Emergency services are on site.

Busargin did not say where the drone came from, but Russians have attributed two prior attacks this month to Ukrainian drones.

On Dec. 26, a Ukrainian drone attack on the base resulted in three people killed and four injured, according to Russian media.

Several weeks earlier, on Dec. 5, Engels and Dyagilevo Air Base were struck by what the Russian MoD said were Soviet-made jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles modified by Ukraine to carry explosives. The Russian MoD was referring to the jet-powered Tu-141 Strizh, originally built as a reconnaissance UAV. Smaller Tu-143s have also likely been used. You can read about that here.

Russian bombers have been widely used to launch cruise missiles against targets in Ukraine since the start of the war.Just today, Ukraine was hit by just such a barrage, which we will get to in a moment.

The British Defense Ministry on Thursday suggested that one reason Ukrainian drones have been able to fly so deep into Russian airspace is that Moscow has moved a lot of its air defenses into Ukraine, leaving the Motherland itself vulnerable.

Before we go into the latest news from Ukraine,The War Zonereaders can get caught up on our previous rolling coverage here.

Ukrainian cities again lost power, buildings were damaged and civilians were injured as Russia launched another massive wave of missile and drone attacks Thursday.

At least three people were injured, and more than a dozen residential buildings and nearly a dozen power infrastructure sites were destroyed, officials said.

Ukrainian officials claimed that its air defenses shot down 54 of 69 missiles and all 11 drones launched on Thursday in an attack that Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said had been planned for two weeks.

Video emerged on social media claiming to show one of those missiles being down by an Igla man portable air defense system (MANPADS). The War Zone could not verify that claim but the video is compelling. While cruise missiles are hard to hit using MANPADS, there have been multiple kills like this during the conflict.

Russia attacked with Kh-101/Kh-555, Kalibr, Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missiles, Kh-31P anti-radar missiles, and Shahed-131/136 drones, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (MoD). The missiles were launched from Tu-95MS Bear-H bombers, Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bombers and ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In addition, S-300 anti-aircraft missiles were in a crude land-attack role against Ukrainian cities in the front-line zone.

Russia also launched missile strikes from S-400 air defense systems, Brig. Gen. Alexei Gromov, Deputy Chief of the Chief Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Thursday during a media briefing, according to the Ukrainian Media Center Telegram channel. It's worth noting that the S-400 system can fire some of the same missiles that the S-300 can.

While Ukraine once again claimed a high degree of success shooting down incoming missiles and drones, officials said the damage was widespread nonetheless.

More than 18 residential buildings and 10 objects of critical infrastructure in 10 regions were destroyed as a result of barbaric rocket attacks, Ukraines Defense Ministry said. The worst thing is that peaceful people have suffered again.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv criticized the Kremlin for "cruelly wielding cold & dark against" Ukraine as families "are again hunkering down as critical infrastructure & other targets across the country are attacked."

In the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, a two-story residential building with an area of 100 square meters caught fire as a result of a falling fragment of a downed enemy missile, a spokesman for Ukraines State Emergency Services said at a press briefing. In the Pecherskyi district, fragments of the rocket fell on a playground, in the Holosiivskyi district, the fragments fell next to a car. In the Solomyansk district, the fragments of the rocket fell on the roof of a 5-story residential building.

At least three people in Kyiv were injured as a result of the attack, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the office of the president.

Images also emerged on social media of a spent missile fragment that landed in a house in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Critical infrastructure in the Kharkiv region came under attack from at least four Russian missiles, most likely from S-300 air defense systems, Oleg Syniegubov, Head of Regional State Administration said, according to the United24 Telegram channel. Images also emerged of the remnants of Iranian drones that were shot down.

Power outages were reported there and the Kharkiv Metro stopped running.

There was also damage reported in Odesa.

The damage was nationwide.

"Unfortunately, there is some damage to generation facilities and power grids, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said, according to the Telegram channel of Energoatom, Ukraines National Nuclear Energy Generating Company. As of 11 a.m., the situation is difficult in the west of the country, in the Odesa and Kyiv regions. Therefore, there will be emergency power outages."

As Ukraine was digging out from those attacks, the Belarusian Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile landed on Belarusian territory. No one was hurt in this situation. Similar incidents occurred in Poland - where two people were killed - and in Moldova. In response, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it has the right to defend itself from ongoing Russian attacks.

Belarus claimed it detected a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile that entered its airspace and shot it down near the agricultural community of Gorbakha, according to the Belarusian Defense Ministry (MoD) Telegram channel.

In a protest of that incident, the Ukrainian ambassador was summed by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, according to the Telegram channel of the RIA Novosti official Russian state news agency.

However, the military commissar of the Brest region seemed to downplay the incident, according to RIA Novosti.

"There is absolutely no reason for residents to worry, that official said, likening Thursdays incident to the Nov. 15 event in Poland. Such cases, unfortunately, happen."

Responding to complaints from Belarus, the Ukrainian MoD said it was not ruling out the possibility of a so-called false flag attack from Russia.

The Ukrainian side is aware of the Kremlin's desperate and persistent efforts to involve Belarus in its aggressive war against Ukraine, Ukraines MoD said in a statement. In this regard, the Ukrainian side does not rule out a deliberate provocation by the terrorist state of Russia, which laid such a route for its cruise missiles in order to provoke their interception in the airspace over the territory of Belarus.

Regardless, Ukraines MoD said while it has the unconditional right to defense and protection of its own sky, it is ready to conduct an objective investigation in Ukraine of the incident that occurred on December 29 in the sky over the territory of Belarus as a result of repelling a massive Russian missile attack. Ukraine is ready to invite authoritative experts from among the states that are not associated with supporting the terrorist state of Russia in any form to participate in such an investigation.

No matter how the investigations into this latest incident pan out, one thing is virtually certain. With Russia launching massive missile and drone attacks, this wont be the last time a neighboring country is directly affected.

Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), told the BBC there is a deadlock in fighting.

"The situation is just stuck," Budanov told the BBC. "It doesn't move."

"We can't defeat them in all directions comprehensively. Neither can they," he said. "We're very much looking forward to new weapons supplies, and to the arrival of more advanced weapons."

Ukrainian mobile fire teams continue to play whack-a-mole with Iranian drones. These videos reportedly show them engaging the targets with machine guns.

But still some drones apparently manage to get through Ukrainian defense.

More than 1,100 bodies of civilians killed by Russian invaders were found in areas liberated by Ukraine in all four regions: Donetsk, Mykolayiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv Oblasts, the head of the Department of Organizational Analytical Support and Operational Response of the National Police, Police General Oleksiy Sergeev duringa press brief Thursday. Of those victims, 31 were children, he said.

"This reconstruction of the Kharkiv and Kherson counteroffensives is based on interviews with more than 35 people, including Ukrainian commanders, officials in Kyiv and combat troops, as well as senior U.S. and European military and political officials," the Post reported.

"What emerges is a story of how deepening cooperation with NATO powers, especially the United States, enabled Ukrainian forces backed with weapons, intelligence and advice to seize the initiative on the battlefield, expose Putins annexation claims as a fantasy, and build faith at home and abroad that Russia could be defeated."

Ukraine World, an English-language multimedia project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine, recently spoke with Nataliya Sad, spokeswoman for Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian defense industry, about the state of weapons production in Ukraine.

"Western weapons received by Ukraine after the full-scale invasion is less than 50% of the country's arsenal," Ukraine World reported. "This indicates that Ukraine's defenders are still fighting mostly with Soviet weapons which were inherited from the time of Ukrainian independence. It is a matter of keeping this entire arsenal in combat-ready condition. Many have the impression that creating a new combat unit is more difficult than repairing a damaged one. In fact, everything is the other way around."

Production "had to be moved due to the high probability of missile strikes and had to be carried out of the country. All this slows down the production process. Despite this, over 9 months this year, we have produced seven times more than we did in all of last year, and for some types of military equipment 10-12 times more. We are keeping up the pace because it is clear that enough equipment can turn the tide of the war."

Speaking of weapons provided to Ukraine, the first images of at least 12 Panthera T6 armored vehicles have emerged being delivered to Ukraine, according to the Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group.

"The US government is considering sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine as part of a further package of military support, according to people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg reported. "A final decision hasnt yet been made, one of the people said. When the vehicles would be operational is also unclear, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue."

"Alexander Kovalenko, a military-political observer for the Information Resistance group, believes that the Russian occupiers have a suicidal stalemate on the Kinburn Spit. Soon there may be another 'gesture of goodwill' from the Russian invaders," the newspaper reported. "A gesture of goodwill" is a reference to previous Russian retreats.

With millions of Ukrainians living without power in frigid weather thanks to continuing Russian attacks on its power infrastructure, donations have poured in to help, like these nearly three dozen generators provided by a Portuguese soccer team.

Throughout this conflict, iconography has been factor for Ukraine, which is removing vestiges of Russian rule from its territory. The latest example is the removal of a statue of Catherine the Great from Odesa.

And finally, Ukrainians continue to show a sense of humor, in this case comparing Vincent van Gogh's 1889 painting "Irises" with the 2022 arrival of German-provided IRIS-T SLM air defense systems that have helped protect the skies over Ukraine.

That's it for now. We will update this story when there is anything major to add.

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Ukraine Situation Report: No Damage Seen At Russian Bomber Base After ...

President JoeBidens reactionary "just enough" strategy is inadequatefor Ukraine's defense. Hundreds of Iraniandrones and Russian missiles descended upon civilian targets in Ukraine this week. The single Patriot battery allocated to Ukraine in the last trancheof U.S. aid, which could be operational in six months with a fully trained crew,will havea minimal impact against this Russian onslaught. Patriots area superb weapon system to counter Russian cruise missiles and aircraft but will be ineffective against droneslaunched en masse.

The United States and NATOmustdevelop strategiesto go after Iranian-made Shahed-136drones before they take flight. They must also assistKyivin building an integrated air defense system, one that enables Ukraine to destroy a greater percentage of inbound missiles and drones. And Ukraine must be empowered to strike launch points, storage facilities, and command and control headquarters beyond its borders. Equally critical, the U.S. and NATO must interdict the delivery of drones before they can be put intooperationalservice.

To emphasize:OnePatriot battery will not be nearly enough here, nor is it cost-effective.Oneline batteryin a Patriot battalion consists of six launchers, and each launcher hasfour missiles, or24 total.At a cost of$3 million per missile,thats $72 million dollars, which will only defend a small sector of a battlefield or critical civilian or military infrastructure.

EachShahed-136drone, by comparison, costs between $20,000and$60,000 dollars. Ukraine cannot afford to wait for them to be airborne to destroy them. Nonkinetic approaches capable of jammingnavigational systems used to guide drones and missiles to targetsare a viable option as well. Ukraine also needs alternativeair defense capabilities against cruise missiles, including additionalshoulder-fired man-portable air defense systems,theNorwegianNational Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, and the Israeli Iron Dome.

Attacking drone and missilesitelaunch pointswould be the best solution. However, the Russians have adapted to theHigh Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS,risk and moved their vital military assets beyond the U.S.-imposed munitions'50-milerange limit. This defensive countermeasure is similar to when the U.S. permitted the North Vietnamese to transverse Laos and Cambodia unopposed to position forces to fight in South Vietnam. Equipping Ukraine with advanced fighter bombers would also help eliminate this void.

Put simply, Russian forces must be made vulnerable everywhere they threaten Ukraine. Mr. President, take the gloves off. Neither Ukraine norRussia is invested in atie. It is time to follow your own mantra and "get on the right side of history."

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Jonathan Sweet, a retired Army colonel, served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. Follow him on Twitter@JESweet2022.

Mark Toth is a retired economist, historian, and entrepreneur who has worked in banking, insurance, publishing, and global commerce. Follow him on Twitter@MCTothSTL.

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On Ukraine, Biden should take off the gloves