Putin's Strategy: President Vladimir Putin of Russia looks like a . A local Mariupol Telegram channel posted an image of a strike on Mariupol, which CNN has geolocated to the site of the Azovstal steel plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the Dnipro attack in his daily address Friday: "It is a pure atrocity: a Russian missile, ballistics against a hospital and a veterinary clinic. Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Ivan Nechepurenko. SHAPIRO: OK, let's take the wider view and bring in NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman who's here in the studio. Conditions for workers at the plant have been strained because of the presence of Russian troops and by a long-running effort by Russias state nuclear agency, Rosatom, to assume management. The commander of Ukraines ground forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, conceded over the weekend that only a small contingent of Ukrainian soldiers is now inside Bakhmut, a tacit acknowledgment that Russia had prevailed in its nearly yearlong campaign to seize the city. Kyiv has employed swarms of loitering munitions airborne drones that locate and then attack targets alongside a mix of anti-tank guided missiles as well as traditional armored formations and artillery to pressure Russian ground forces. So today, Mykhailo Podolyak, who is an adviser to the head of President Zelenskyy's office, he said, you know, don't expect this big announcement at a specific time with a ribbon cutting to say, hey, the counteroffensive is here because he said, like, attacking Russian positions, ammunition stockpiles and infrastructure like rail lines or oil depots - he sees these as counteroffensive actions. The net result is that Russian forces have had to confront multiple dilemmas and have struggled to build up sufficient combat power to counterattack and halt the Ukrainian advance. It is now nearly empty of all civilians. Ukrainian forces retreated from the town of Soledar, northeast of Bakhmut, enabling Russian forces to tighten their grip near the city. It is unclear exactly what caused the explosions. While many of Kyivs battlefield claims could not be verified, it is clear that Ukrainian forces have made minor gains in recent weeks to the north and south of Bakhmut, breaking through a Russian defensive position in a key battle that started on May 6. In making decisions about reconstruction, the Ukrainian people and their government will face trade-offs regarding timelines, prioritization of efforts, leadership, and funding. Similarly, we know how the Russians define victory: a Ukraine broken and severed from the West, much of its territory annexed; a Europe in disarray that resumes its addiction to cheap natural resources and business opportunities in Moscow; and the reconstruction of much of the old Russian imperial state. An image taken from video released by the press service of Wagner founder Yevgeny V. Prigozhin purports to show him with his fighters in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Saturday. Our goal, as I've said so many times, is make sure that we're providing them what they need to defend their sovereign territory. Watch on General (ret.) Employees are in shock after digging animals out from the rubble of a veterinary clinic that was hit by a Russian rocket in the city of Dnipro Friday, according to the clinic's owner. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that the transfer of some tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus has begun, according to state news agency Belta. Sergeant Shargorodskyi had fought in the Bakhmut area since late last year. It was not immediately possible to know who the people are, where they are going and how they survived. Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. As a result, Russian pilots are often firing their missiles long distance from the skies over Russia or the Black Sea rather than venturing into Ukrainian air space. Residents, fellow soldiers and friends knelt and bowed their heads in honor of the 29-year-old Ukrainian service member who died on May 17 in Bakhmut. A Russian victory would, as well, teach the world that the Westincluding the United Stateslacks the resolve, despite its wealth, to follow through on its commitments, offering Beijing an encouraging lesson. Russians will see they have problems between their own citizens, so the idea of unified Russia is seriously damaged, Mr. Zagorodnyuk said. The Ukrainians have stressed basic measures, like digging deeper trenches to defend against Russian artillery, as well as high-tech methods, like using computer tablets on the battlefield to. We asked nearly 30 RAND experts to highlight takeaways from the first year of Russia's all-out warand share what they're watching as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on. The 80th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces firing a barrage of rockets in the direction of Bakhmut during a night operation, last week. From the June 2023 issue: The counteroffensive. Many military analysts have suggested that Bakhmut would have more symbolic than strategic value for Russia. Key events in the battle for Bakhmut, the wars longest-running sustained fight. Russian shelling again briefly knocked out power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which switched to backup diesel generators to keep critical cooling equipment running, Ukrainian nuclear officials said on Monday. Ukraine knows how it defines victory: the pre-2014 borders cleansed of the invader, its exiles and refugees returned, its society and economy rebuilt, membership in the European Union and NATO attained, and some measure of justice for Russian rapists, torturers, and murderers secured. Now, as far as victory, what does that look like? Russia was expected to establish air superiority in the first days of the war. But Kyiv might still achieve some of its key objectives by blockading the peninsula. But Ukraine's air defenses have been so effective that Russian pilots often fire their weapons while over Russia and never enter Ukrainian airspace. Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the Wagner groups founder, said: The pincers are closing.. SHAPIRO: Joanna, what are you hearing from Ukrainian officials about the ultimate goal here? More than 1,500 people in Belarus are considered to be political prisoners by rights groups and many are said to serve their sentences in dire conditions. But our expectations today should be measured. As a result, Russia moved forces to the south to bolster its fighting positions in Kherson. But the Russians have . Russia must be convinced that the military instrument, and its deployment in large-scale war, will inevitably fail, and it must realize that Ukraine is permanently and completely lost. But to achieve it, the West must not only aid in the defeat of Russiait must convince Russia that it has been defeated. SHAPIRO: Provide them what they need. What Ukrainian officials are saying: Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the city's Ukrainian mayor, chimed in about Friday's blast in a series of Telegram posts. The Gorbachev upheaval was in part the result of this realization. Mr. Protasevich was forced to collaborate, Mr. Viacorka wrote in a Twitter post on Monday, adding, Pardoning doesnt mean freedom: he is under the hood.. Russia says Crimea. Understanding Russia's Hostile Measures and How to Counter Them, Countering Russia's Malign and Subversive Information Efforts, Why Blockading Rather Than Retaking Crimea Might Be Kyiv's Best Option. The Russian Military's Looming Personnel Crises of Retention and Veteran Mental Heath, Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change, Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive, Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research, >Russias War in Ukraine: Insights from RAND, One Year After Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Experts React, Stalled in Ukraine, Kremlin Increasingly Turns to Political Theater, Russian Troops Know How Little They Mean to Putin, Russia's Appetite May Extend Beyond Ukraine. Doing so likely hollowed out Moscows forces in the east and compromised its ability to deploy reserves. Here is an aerial look at the wars destruction. "I quickly discovered that radar is better than I realized," said Hodges. War in Ukraine Ukraine live briefing: Explosions heard in Kyiv; Russia has used hundreds o. Europe Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine's. Tourists would come from afar to tour the renowned winery on Bakhmuts eastern reaches, where 50 million bottles of bubbly were aging deep underground in gypsum caves. President Volodymyr Zelensky who once vowed that the city he called a fortress would not fall cited Bakhmut in a high-profile appearance before the U.S. Congress in December, when he presented the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, with a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers fighting there. Why Russia Hasn't Defeated Ukraine A quick victory has eluded President Vladimir V. Putin, but now he is changing strategy. Hanna Maliar, a deputy Ukrainian minister of defense, said on Monday that while the enemy is mopping up the areas of the city under his control, Ukraine is continuing the struggle for dominant heights around the city. Two years later, the governmentin Kyiv jettisoned the Soviet name in favor of Bakhmut. The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. President Biden's decision last month to help Ukraine obtain F-16 fighter jets marked another crossing of a Russian red line that Vladimir Putin has said would transform the war and draw . At that time, however, few expected the city, which was also the site of fierce fighting in 2014, to become the longest-running sustained battle of the war. WASHINGTON When Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III declared Monday at the end of a stealth visit to Ukraine that America's goal is to see Russia so "weakened" that it would no longer have. How might the conflict evolve? Ukraine Should Not Close Off Routes to the Negotiating Table, Why Understanding 'Will to Fight' Is Crucial, Deterring Russian Aggression in the Baltic States, With the Ukrainians, Avoid the Mistakes of Other Refugee Crises, For Ukrainian Refugees in Poland, Livelihood Needs Will Follow Humanitarian Ones, New Solutions Are Urgently Needed for Displaced Populations, Syrian Refugees Can Add Value to Middle Eastern Labor Markets, How Technology Could Better Serve Refugees and Those Who Help Them, Win-Win Solutions for Syrian Refugeesand Their Hosts, Urgent Attention Is Needed to Improve Education for Syrian Refugee Children, Colombia's Trailblazing Model for Refugees, Countering Russia's Nuclear Threat in Europe, India Can Bridge the U.S.-Russia Divide over Ukraine, Responding to a Russian Attack on NATO During the Ukraine War, Potential Pathways to Russian Escalation Against NATO, The Chinese-Russian Relationship and Its Risks to U.S. At the cemetery, surrounded by soldiers, his family embraced his coffin as his two children looked on. By Simone McCarthy, Andrew Raine, Sana Noor Haq, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Matt Meyer and Elise Hammond, CNN. The paltering of the administration about giving our superabundant F-16s to Ukraine is foolish and shortsighted. A U.S. intelligence assessment from the time, leaked online in April, said that as of Feb. 25, Ukrainian forces in the city were almost operationally encircled.. Combined with Ukraines central position, this clever ruse meant that Kyiv set the conditions for the large-scale rout of Putins army in the east and future operations to retake Kherson. Andrey Borodulin/Agence France-Presse Getty Images, breaking through a Russian defensive position, in two gatherings of leaders from Europe and North America, is increasingly emphasizing patriotism and the heroism of their countrys military, with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it., claimed over the weekend to have captured, leafy streets and brick apartment buildings. Bureaucratic mental fog is masquerading as artful policy, and it is dangerous. These jets might not make a difference on the battlefield two months from now, but the knowledge that several hundred of them are in the pipeline for the next five years would have profound symbolic importance. September 2, 2022, 1:44 PM By Anders Fogh Rasmussen,. A close look at Ukraine's successes illuminates a strategy that has allowed a smaller state toso faroutlast a larger and much more powerful one. When it's launched, probably in the south, it will mark a pivotal moment in the conflict. (Kremlin via Reuters: Alexei Druzhinin) And they have suggested that these gains are related to the counteroffensive. Ukrainian forces have been defending Bakhmut for more than 10 months, but the Kremlin says its forces, along with private mercenaries - they've now captured all of it. Follow him @gregmyre1. The Free Russia Legion said it had liberated the border village of Kozinka the location of the border crossing in the verified videos along with another pro-Ukraine group known as the Russian Volunteer Corps. SHAPIRO: Explain what that counteroffensive actually is. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect the views or positions of the U.S. Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, or any part of the U.S. government. And that saves lives," said Korshak. Speaking during a visit to Ukrainian soldiers on the eastern front on Sunday, General Syrsky claimed on Sunday that Ukrainian forces were continuing to make advances in the suburbs of Bakhmut and were close to tactically encircling the city. But the Ukrainian military did not provide details about where it was advancing. The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep. Information operations compounded this effect by circulating images of retreating soldiers, thus making defection and surrender contagious. The deposed Mariupol City Council said in a post on Telegram that there were strikes at the steel plant Azovstal that is now under Russian control. In the air war, Russia has far more fighter jets, which are a generation more advanced than the aging, Soviet-era MiG planes the Ukrainians are flying. How do we interpret Putin's statements? While there have been numerous reports of Ukrainians shelling targets across the border over the course of the 15-month conflict, ground assaults are rare. Family members of Sgt. As fighting around the city in eastern Ukraine rages on, drone footage taken by The New York Times on Friday captured the scorched buildings, destroyed schools, and cratered parks that now define Bakhmut. Here's what he came home with. At the same time, Putin was likely trying to consolidate territorial gains before using the looming threat of winter to divide Western support for Kyiv. We must be strategic and shrewd, but nothing can be accomplished without courage. NATO and Allies continue to provide Ukraine with unprecedented levels of support, helping to uphold its fundamental right to self-defence. Instead, Ukraine says it's shot down 200 Russian aircraft. Russia's invasion has also led the European Union to do more - and more together with the United States and with NATO - than ever before. And that's why he keeps flying around the world saying we need these advanced weapons as soon as possible so we can win this and hopefully end this conflict on terms favorable to Ukraine. This gave Ukraine the ability to fix Russian forces along one front while attacking on another. U.S. and Ukrainian officials came up with a plan. Oleksandr Shargorodskyi, a Ukrainian service member who was killed in Bakhmut, during his funeral in Trebukhiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. Meanwhile, there was shelling coming from the Ukrainian-held side Friday evening, according to the Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) Joint Center for Control and Coordination. Some context: In the five years since the last Pentagon cyber strategy, the US military has been more public about its willingness to use offensive and defense cyber operations to defend US interests. On March 8, the Pentagon estimated, albeit with "low confidence," that the war had claimed the lives of 2,000 to 4,000 Russians soldiers. They employed a variant of the 19th-century military concept of central position. This concept is associated with Napoleon, who when confronted with two armies, positioned his forces between them to split the enemy. ALEX: (Through interpreter) We're waiting at any time for the commanders to tell us what will happen. Here is a look at how the battle unfolded: When two Ukrainian cities in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine fell to Russian forces in quick succession last summer, Bakhmut, a city about 30 miles to the southwest, became the next target of Russias campaign to secure the whole of the Donbas. Russia's has a far larger air force than Ukraine, but the Ukrainians have used drones effectively in the current conflict. Europe Ukraine intercepts missiles as Russia steps up strikes on Kyiv Europe Zelensky toured Europe seeking new weapons. A sports complex, school, surrounding homes and cars were also damaged. Ukrainian forces had deemed it key to Bakhmuts defense because the village lies on high ground east of roads into the city that were crucial for resupplying the forces defending the city. This is all doable. But Russian literature, art, culture, and political practice are rooted in its relationship with Europe. KAKISSIS: And from Alex's perspective, the wheels of the counteroffensive have already started turning. And how can the West continue to hold Putin accountable while mitigating the risks of a wider war between Russia and NATO? The city of Bakhmut was renamed Artemivsk in 1924 by the Soviet leadership in honor of the Bolshevik revolutionary Fyodor Artem Sergeyev, a friend of Stalins. Its ad-hoc approach to replacing personnel and equipment risks overcommitting its remaining forces to missions it could struggle to bear. June 10, 2022 A Ukrainian soldier near the Donbas region, June 2022 Gleb Garanich / Reuters Play Download Article With Russia's war against Ukraine having passed the 100-day mark, calls for the conflict to be brought to an end are multiplying in the United States and Europe. Chinese Next-Generation Psychological Warfare, America Is Winning Against China in Oceania, Arming Teachers, F-16s in Ukraine, Commercial Spaceflight: RAND Weekly Recap. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. Residents of Bakhmut trying to extinguish a fire using buckets of water after rockets hit homes in the area in July. Where were you before it got this dire?, With Bakhmut in Ruins, Ukraine Shifts Focus to Citys Outskirts. CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv contributed to this report. Ukraine says its preparations for a spring counter-offensive are almost complete. The addition of both well-armed Nordic nations will represent an asset to NATO as it seeks to harden Europe's eastern edges against Russia and signal its readiness to rebuff any future attack. Security operations continue in Russias border region, an official says. One video showed several soldiers and three armored vehicles, including one bearing an insignia previously seen on Ukrainian equipment, around a damaged building. Rather, it will be achieved inside the heads of Russias leaders and population. Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms. The command has also conducted an increasing number of so-called hunt forward missions in which officials travel to allied countries and, with permission, investigate hacking threats from Russia or other countries. At that time, Mr. Grossi said that the evacuation of the town closest to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had made the situation at the facility increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous and had added to the risk of an accident. The time may comeyears or, more likely, decades from nowwhen a postimperial Russia will turn westward again. Russian forces will likely need additional reinforcements to hold Bakhmut city and its flanks at the expense of operations in other directions, the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its latest analysis on Sunday. In the fall, the two sides fought nearby, and the shelling of the city intensified. BOWMAN: Right. The Russian Volunteer Corps is led by a Russian nationalist in exile, and is part of a miscellaneous collection of groups of Russian citizens who oppose President Vladimir V. Putins rule and have taken up arms for the Ukrainian cause. Russians need to be reminded that their faltering economy is only a tenth the size of the EUs; that they cannot build and deploy a modern tank; that their latest high-performance jet, the Su-57, will be outnumbered by the F-35s of the four small Nordic states; that their generals are superannuated and incompetent; that their high command is indifferent to their mens lives; that their equipment is inferior to that of Ukraine; and that their logistics are rotted by graft and corruption. There was nothing left to burn, the area already shelled to what seemed like oblivion. ET), causing a fire, according to clinic owner Dr. Andrii Malyshko. "So we have to use what we have with maximal effectiveness. Today, as the fighting continues, casualties mount, and the humanitarian crisis worsens, it's unclear what will happen next. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, American University School of International Service, recaptured over 2,000 square miles of land, increasingly difficult, if not impossible, positioned his forces between them to split the enemy, Russia to hold an illegitimate referendum, threat of winter to divide Western support, Research Officer - Structural Biology of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases, Lecturer in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Senior Lecturer/ Associate Professor, Economics. Modern war takes place during an open-source intelligence revolution in which commercial satellite photos and a constant stream of social media facts and fiction bombard politicians, soldiers and citizens. KAKISSIS: The Ukrainians' biggest goal is very simple and very ambitious. The men of Sergeant Shargorodskyis unit carried his portrait and the flags of the Azov Regiment, of which he was a commander of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. "The Belarusian regime is an accomplice in Russia's illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine," the European External Action Service said in a statement, calling on Belarus to . Even President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a rare public rumination over strategy, acknowledged the high costs in lives of trying to hold ground against the brunt of Russia's army in the mostly . Again, Ukraine wants all Russians out. But the military strategists we spoke to, they say Ukraine's military is taking each battle one step at a time. Kyiv says. The loss of power, even for a few hours, increased risk at the plant, which is occupied by Russian troops and operated by Ukrainian engineers. The key to this strategy is courage. In the words of John Paul IIthe unarmed, lone old man who did so much to bring Soviet communism to its kneesNever doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. He and his men were working on their next operation when he stepped on one of the thousands of mines hidden in the earth of war-ravaged eastern Ukraine. SHAPIRO: So if Ukraine would like to see Russia out of all of its territory, including the Donbas and Crimea, Tom, what do U.S. officials say? Feasibility planning goes in beforehand. And if so, then what are the potential implications of such an agreement? Second, the deeper they are, the safer they are. It could also erode Russian unity, he said. Oleksandr Shargorodskyi wound through the village streets of Trebukhiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. An honor guard carried Sergeant Shargorodskyis coffin. Energoatom said last week that Moscow had increased the number troops stationed at the plant to more than 2,500 which is more than the number of workers. In Ukraine, it led to a quiet city in the east. The Ukrainians have stressed basic measures, like digging deeper trenches to defend against Russian artillery, as well as high-tech methods, like using computer tablets on the battlefield to coordinate their artillery fire. That does not mean, however, that Russias grip on the city is assured. He continued to be impressed by Ukrainian ingenuity in the years that followed. Russia is muddling through. Russia was also expected to dominate the information war. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. He became the commander of U.S. Army Europe shortly after that first Russian incursion. All rights reserved. Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, Residents flee from the town of Irpin, Ukraine, after heavy shelling by Russia destroyed the only escape route used by locals, March 6, 2022. Russians must, moreover, conclude that Ukraineformerly, in their view, a pseudo-state containing cousins or little brothersis gone forever. Loss of power, even for a few hours, increases risk at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is occupied by Russian troops and operated by Ukrainian engineers. Belarus pardons an opposition activist who was hauled off a Ryanair flight, state media says. The United States has suffered from a deliberate fuzziness in formulating its objectives in the Russian war in Ukraine. Here's why. The local government also established a territorial defense unit to train citizens in military tactics. Moscow wanted to use the referendum to justify annexing Ukrainian territory and show progress to a weary Russian public. The Ukrainians have used shoulder-held Stinger missiles to take down low-flying helicopters, and the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to take down higher flying aircraft. Don't expect some World War II scene, like millions of soldiers swimming across the Dnipro River. And Lloyd Austin and others have said this is Ukraine's war. Even if Russia does have full control of Bakhmut, military analysts say the Ukrainian resistance tied up Moscows forces for months, killing or wounding thousands, and posing a significant obstacle to President Vladimir V. Putins goal of conquering all of the eastern Donbas region. Given the widely reported tensions between Wagner and Russias military leadership, and communication problems within the Russian ranks, analysts say Ukraine will be watching for fissures to exploit. But Franak Viacorka, another Belarusian opposition activist, said that the pardon had come at a cost. Russia stepped up its attacks on Bakhmut with artillery and airstrikes, Ukraine said, even as Kyivs forces fought to keep a grip on vital roads leading west out of the city, their last major resupply and evacuation route. Russia was expected to destroy the Ukrainian air force within days. The Critical Moment Behind Ukraine's Rapid Advance. This allowed the French leader to concentrate his forces in one location, even when they were outnumbered overall. in organizing mass protests against President Aleksandr G . While sanctions may increase domestic discontent, they may also produce a rally around the flag effect as Russians blame the Westrather than Putinfor their predicament. Even if they did, it would probably take up to a year to see any benefit because their mobilization base has been dormant for so long. Instead, the Ukrainians are saying, look, we are actually making gains outside and around the city. An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Kyiv was watching the events in Belgorod with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it.. Andriushchenko went on to mock the Russian-backed officials' handling of the strikes. Advancing deep into Ukrainian territory seized by Moscow earlier in its invasion, a counteroffensive launched in September 2022 has forced back the invading Russian army. Specifically in the southern Kherson and eastern Kharkiv regions, Podolyak said Russia destroys "residential areas every day with artillery, in the same way.". Guest General (ret.) Across the border, the Ukrainian army. Members of his unit rushed to evacuate him from the battlefield, but his wounds were too severe. What Drives Russia's Military Interventions? In a Telegram post, Morgun said emergency services were at the scene but there were no deaths, injuries or damage to the citys infrastructure, according to preliminary reports. But pressure from Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, NATO allies, and some on Capitol Hill, as well as the Russian brutality against civilians, have all served to ramp up aid with artillery and then tanks and now, of course, F-16s. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. At the same time, Moscow, which broadly held territory east of the city, cut off supply routes into Bakhmut that Ukrainian forces were using. "Their army has developed the discipline to make the soldiers dig holes, the moment they stop, wherever they are, anytime they could potentially be hit by Russian artillery. Russia is mopping up inside Bakhmut as Ukraine seeks to advance outside the city. The situation grew dire for the Ukrainians, with their main remaining supply route which one general called the last breathing tube coming under increasing attack from Russian forces. Ukraine knows how it defines victory: the pre-2014 borders cleansed of the invader, its exiles and refugees returned, its society and economy rebuilt, membership in the European Union and NATO . The presidential adviser said attacks on Ukraine's civilian population constitute war crimes. Mariupol has become an important staging point for Russian forces in southern Ukraine, and Russian military convoys frequently pass through. KAKISSIS: So, you know, Ukrainian leaders are feeling a lot of pressure right now, Ari. JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: I'm in the eastern city of Kramatorsk. There was also a nearly 100-year-old house of culture: a grandiose concert hall with an entryway lined with Corinthian columns. In Dnipro, the mayor said one strike hit the city's centre. Such things have happened before. The Ukrainians have stressed basic measures, like digging deeper trenches to defend against Russian artillery, as well as high-tech methods, like using computer tablets on the battlefield to coordinate their artillery fire. President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to make a dramatic move in the war against Russia. It was May 17, not May 7. Ukrainian officials say strikes on the city, which also hit a hospital and damaged surrounding buildings, killed two people and wounded at least 31 others, including two young children. CNN cannot independently verify this claim. Share. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience. A woman named Yulia Honcharova said her dog Leia is from the clinic. But let's face it, it is being supplied totally by the U.S. and NATO. Now it is mainly strikes on civilians deliberately on facilities such as the hospital in Dnipro, with the intention to inflict a psychological (blow) and obviously kill as many people as possible,"Podolyak said in an interview with CNN's senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen. It's right now not much of a city because it's just block after block of burning destroyed buildings. A top Ukrainian official said today that it has begun. If the Kremlin was surprised by the underperformance . Sonia wailed Baba daddy while clutching her grief-stricken mother. The battle below played out in muted ferocity. "I saw a great comment. To be out in the open, especially if you're not technologically more advanced, it . But by the evening, he said that he was putting the region on a counterterrorism footing, which gives the authorities wide power to establish temporary restrictions on movement, step up identity verifications and control telephone communications. A soldier crossing the remnants of one of the main bridges in Bakhmut in September. In war it is easy to become obsessed with action rather than purpose, and thereby to fall into Nietzsches famous description of the most common human stupidity: forgetting what one intended to do in the first place. That's a huge challenge for the United States and like-minded democratic partners. Flaccid phrases like helping Ukraine defend itself or, even worse, putting Ukraine in the best possible position for negotiations are either meaningless or insipid. And without progress on the battlefield, you know, Ukrainians themselves see a future of uncertainty in daily airstrikes and a lot of danger. KYIV, Ukraine Russian forces are engaged in mopping up operations to clear the remaining Ukrainian soldiers from the ruins of Bakhmut, a senior Ukrainian official said on Monday, as Kyivs military commanders seek to shift the focus from their apparent loss of the city to the battle for its outskirts. The Belarusian regime is an accomplice in Russias illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the European External Action Service said in a statement, calling on Belarus to reverse decisions that can only contribute to heightening tensions in the region, and undermine Belarus sovereignty.. The enemy has suffered huge losses, and we have gained time for certain actions that can be described later.. Advancing deep into Ukrainian territory. Let's begin our coverage with Joanna Kakissis who is in eastern Ukraine. ", A very good article from the head of the SSSCIP on Ukraine's #Mobilenetwork response. I quietly stood next to him. Everything will happen like it's supposed to. Mr. Prigozhin threatened to withdraw his fighters from Bakhmut on May 10 due to a lack of support from Russias Ministry of Defense, but appeared to backtrack two days later in saying he had been promised as much ammunition and weaponry as needed to continue the fight. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Ukrainian military analysts near Bakhmut reviewed videos from drones in January. Saved Stories Russia appears to be revising its strategy in Ukraine. In early March, the Russian Volunteer Corps claimed that it had staged a brief incursion into villages in Bryansk, another Russian region on Ukraines border. When the Ukraine conflict is over and Ukraine has restored its borders, as it must, we will have a damaged, vindictive, and brutal Russia, whose means of harming us is through air attack,. SHAPIRO: NPR's Joanna Kakissis and Tom Bowman. A group called the Free Russia Legion, which says its ranks are made up of Russians, claimed to be behind the attacks. We became convinced that fighting was both futile and painful, that our enemies were implacable and unbeatable, and that the price paid in blood, treasure, and attention was in no way worth the cost and never would be. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of "resorting to the. And Cyber Command, the military unit responsible for hacking operations, has taken on a greater role in defending US critical infrastructure, including elections, from cyber threats. Hein Goemans and Branislav Slantchev: Why Ukraine shouldnt talk to Russiayet. We must agree to protect plant now; this situation cannot continue. Among the injured, 16 people were taken to hospitals and the others are receivingoutpatient treatment,Lukashuk said in a Telegram post. By conducting strikes that isolated Russian forces along the Dnieper River and making public statements that suggested Ukraine would attack Kherson, Ukraine reinforced Russian views that Kherson would be the initial main area of attack during the counteroffensive. Russia later claimed to have seized a handful of villages near Soledar, further imperiling resupply routes into Bakhmut. Reports of cross-border shelling from Ukraine on Monday morning gave way to fighting in the afternoon in several locations between the border and Grayvoron, a local administrative center about six miles from Kozinka, according to accounts published on Telegram. The Wagner mercenary force, which helped lead Russias assault on the city, took control of most of eastern Bakhmut, leaving the Bakhmutka River, which runs north to south through the citys center, as the new front line. Which Working Conditions Could Restore Teacher Well-Being? An earlier version of this post misstated the date of Sgt. A Belarusian court in May sentenced Mr. Protasevich to eight years in prison for crimes including acts of terrorism and insulting the president. Hours after declaring victory over the weekend, Mr. Prigozhin said he would withdraw his fighters beginning on Thursday. A Ukrainian soldier examines a fragment of a Russian Air Force Su-25 jet after a battle at the village of Kolonshchyna, Ukraine, on April 21. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Be not afraid.. We should be talking about how we will rebuild Ukraines armed forces, the Wests largest, most combat-tested, and in some ways most determined army. And so far, you know, Russian aircraft, and there were about a thousand of them, have mostly been firing from Russian territory and over the Black Sea. Moscow has now ordered a mobilization which could unlock a lot of resources for them in a way its shadow/ad-hoc efforts cannot. The number of people injured in Friday's attack on the city of Dnipro has risen to 31 people, including eight doctors and two children, according to the head ofDnipro's regional council,Mykola Lukashuk. They also gave an update on F-16 warplanes in Ukraine. A buildup of troops in the Zaporizhzhia region ahead of a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive in the area has added to concerns about nuclear safety. In June 2021, Mr. Protasevich acknowledged that many people consider me a traitor for helping the Belarusian authorities after his arrest. The previously outgunned Ukrainians now have huge howitzers recently delivered by the U.S., which has helped level the field to some extent. So President Zelenskyy sees that, too. War is a complex system governed more by power laws than linear dynamics. A third video appears to show pro-Ukrainian fighters capturing a Russian armored vehicle. Since then, Ukraine has had to figure out creative ways to defend itself and fight back, from low-tech to high-tech. A tank burned in the distance. TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Well, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley met virtually with a contact group - that's some 50 nations assisting Ukraine. The Russian defeat must be an unmistakably big, bloody shambles. The new strategy, which could define how the United States military approaches a crucial domain in cyberspace, singles out China as the pacing challenge in the cyber domain.". There was no immediate word on casualties or damage. The offensive potential of the enemy is significantly reduced, she said. In a national address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine accused Russia of turning Bakhmut into burned ruins. Among Ukrainians, the phrase hold Bakhmut became a rallying cry, and the defense of the city increasingly became a national symbol of resistance. The European Union is condemning the agreement between Moscow and Minsk to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, calling it a step which will lead to further extremely dangerous escalation, the bloc said Friday. But Ukraine sent in reinforcements, including a variety of elite units, and managed to push Russian forces back far enough to allow resupply of soldiers in the city and evacuation of the wounded. Professor of Strategic Studies, Marine Corps University; Scholar-in-Residence, American University, American University School of International Service. Yet. Friday also brought reports of explosions on Russian soil and in territories it currently occupies in Ukraine, along with developments in a diplomatic row about foreign fighters. The details of Mr. Protasevichs arrest drew international attention. Ukraines state energy company, Ukrenergo, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelling had hit power infrastructure in the Dnipro region, which is north of Zaporizhzhia, forcing a big power plant there offline and severing high voltage lines. The waterway runs through Bakhmut north to south and, before the war, it was lined by well-kept vegetation and clean walking paths bustling with residents. On Monday, Maj. Rodion Kudriashov, a commander in the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade, said the Ukrainians continued to make small but important gains around the city. It was a ballistic missile that hit Dnipropetrovsk City Hospital No. The United States has a strong interest in avoiding a long war in Ukraine. Putin's invasion of Ukraine isn't going as he planned. Putin began by believing that the country would fall in a week; then that it would succumb to a month or two of hard fighting; then that Europe would abandon it during a cold winter without Russian gas; then that Ukraine could be bludgeoned into submission by attacking its cities. What looks like an early-morning haze spreading across the shattered skyline is the acrid smoke that hung heavy after another night of relentless shelling. The risk of a nuclear and radiation accident has been minimized, the situation is stable, Ukraines state nuclear company, Energoatom, said in a statement later on Telegram. The 1973 war forced the conclusion that even limited conventional conflict was too hazardous to attempt. The Chinese government has made significant investments in military cyber capabilities and empowered a number of proxy organizations to pursue malicious cyber activities against the United States, the summary of the new Defense Department strategy says. In the recent counteroffensive, Ukraine used a central position to confront two concentrations of Russian forces, one in the east around the city of Kharkiv and the Donbas region which includes portions of Donetsk and Luhansk and a second in the south along the Dnieper River and Kherson. Prigozhin Press Service, via Associated Press. Because if that's a long time and the West sees no progress, what happens? There's no alternative but to preserve our equipment and the lives of our pilots.". The cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defense together with law enforcement agencies continues, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the messaging app Telegram. Seems all the vultures are here, one soldier messaged me as throngs of journalists showed up when the city seemed on the brink of falling in March. CNN's Tim Lister contributed reporting to this post. The Russian occupation authorities this month ordered civilians living near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region to leave their homes and businesses, an apparent indication of growing fears about a Ukrainian military push. We are trying to feel the enemys weak spots and gradually, step by step, we are trying to squeeze him out, occupying advantageous positions for us, taking the initiative, he said in an interview with the Ukrainian broadcaster RBC-Ukraine. Some analysts said the Ukrainian claims appeared to be an effort to put a gloss on the setback in Bakhmut. The U.S. isn't willing to say that. And, you know, some Ukrainian officials have an even bigger endgame like Oleksiy Danilov who's the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. A Ukrainian soldier after returning from the front line in southern Bakhmut in April. "Two of the injured are in serious condition, 12 people are in moderate condition, and the rest have minor injuries,"Lukashuk added. Russia, meanwhile, poses an acute threat in cyberspace, the summary says, evidenced by its malign influence efforts against the United States and repeated cyber attacks against Ukrainian civilian critical infrastructure.. A few hours later, Ukrenergo said that it had restored the external power line to the plant and that the system was running smoothly. Ukraine also has limited air defenses on the ground. 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