Contents tagged with War in Ukraine

  • Ukraine's Defense Ministry under scrutiny: corruption risks, mismanagement and diplomatic shortcomings under Rustem Umerov

    Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, has shown insufficient progress in critical areas like procurement, international cooperation, and restructuring military operations since assuming office more than a year ago, reports the Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli.

    According to journalists, Ukraine continues to confront inflated costs for military equipment due to corrupt schemes involving intermediary entities like Spetstechnoexport, which the Defense Ministry vowed to dismantle.

    "Yet, …

  • Russia prepares 300 boats for Dnipro River assault amid escalating Kherson offensive

    Russian troops are gearing up for an offensive in the Kherson direction, amassing a fleet of boats to forge the river crossing. Leading up to this, Russian forces conducted intensified drone strikes on Kherson and other regional settlements, reports the Financial Times, citing Kherson regional Head Oleksandr Prokudin.

    Prokudin believes that Russian forces are readying a Dnipro crossing as a new phase in their campaign. "Russia aims to launch a new offensive here, gathering 300 boats for …

  • Ukraine anticipates Russian offensive in Zaporizhzhia region

    Russian armed forces are reportedly planning offensive actions in certain areas of the Zaporizhzhia region, but there is no immediate threat to Zaporizhzhia city, according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the NSDC.

    Kovalenko emphasized the importance of distinguishing between the Zaporizhzhia region and the city itself. He stated that while Russian forces are indeed stepping up activity in certain regional directions, Ukraine's defense …

  • Ukrainian Defense Minister summoned to Parliament over procurement scandal involving faulty mines

    Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has been summoned to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine amid a scandal involving defense procurement, specifically related to substandard mines for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A total of 153 members of parliament voted in favor of the motion, according to Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a Ukrainian MP from the "Holos" party, on Telegram.

    "This is a procedural decision! Umerov must come to Parliament and report. What's going on with the mines? What's happening with the …

  • Kremlin condemns new $725 million U.S. military aid package for Ukraine, accuses Washington of escalating conflict

    The Kremlin has expressed outrage over the new U.S. defense package for Ukraine, which will include Stinger missiles, HIMARS ammunition, drones, and anti-personnel mines, according to reports.

    The decision by the U.S. to send an additional $725 million in military aid to Ukraine signifies the Biden administration’s intent to "fuel the flames" of the conflict, the Kremlin stated.

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday that the aid package would feature Stinger missiles, …

  • Ukrainian Forces reclaim Novomlynsk in Kharkiv region

    Ukrainian defense forces have successfully liberated one of the settlements in the Kharkiv region, as reported by monitoring project DeepState.

    According to the report, Ukrainian defenders managed to free Novomlynsk in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region. In this area, near the village of Novomlynsk, the Russians had attempted to secure and hold a foothold on the right bank of the Oskil River, even crossing the water obstacle thanks to their manpower advantage. However, with backing …

  • Ukraine insists on NATO membership, dismisses alternative security proposals

    Ukraine has pre-emptively rejected any alternative security guarantees that might be proposed instead of the country's full NATO membership.

    This announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, is set to present this declaration during the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting that begins on December 3 in Brussels.

    The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Kyiv perceives the Budapest Memorandum as …

  • Kremlin directs Russian officials to frame war's conclusion as a 'victory'

    According to sources from Russian media, the Kremlin has instructed regional officials to brace for the conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine war and to promote a specific "image of victory" among the populace.

    In preparation for the war's end, Russian regional officials are reportedly being briefed by the presidential administration. During a seminar for deputy governors hosted by Vladimir Putin's administration in the Senezh Management Workshop near Moscow from November 27 to 30, discussions …

  • North Korea's arms support: KN-23 missiles and artillery shells fuel Russia's offensive in Ukraine

    Russia has been utilizing missiles sourced from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), specifically the KN-23 model, in its assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate spokesperson, Andriy Chernyak, revealed in an interview with Radio Svoboda. As of now, approximately 60 such missiles have been used, he confirmed.

    According to Chernyak, the KN-23 missiles are developed using outdated technology, which significantly affects their precision.

    In …

  • European Council President António Costa: only Ukraine can define just peace in war with Russia

    António Costa, the newly appointed President of the European Council, has emphasized in an interview with Ukrinform that only Ukraine can decide when and how to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. He stressed that a ceasefire alone will not bring peace. Costa insists that the European Union must steadfastly support Kyiv financially, politically, diplomatically, and militarily.

    Costa pointed out that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine does not mean peace will automatically follow. He asserted …