Avdiivka - The Kyiv Independent

Field report

Ukraine holds back Russian assault on Avdiivka as long winter battle looms

by Francis Farrell December 5, 2023

DONETSK OBLAST – “Our working hours are as follows: first you do a 12-hour shift, then another one, until you’ve done seven of these 24-hour-shifts, and that’s your week” said Oleksandr Kolesnikov, a 47-year-old surgeon, sitting hunched over on a bench-turned-overflow hospital bed at a Ukrainian stabilization point in

War analysis

Record Russian armor, personnel losses in failed attempt to take Avdiivka by storm

by Francis Farrell October 25, 2023

Starting on Oct. 9, Russian forces launched an offensive at the flanks of the city of Avdiivka. It has been an undisputed failure so far.

War

Ukraine faces onslaught at Avdiivka as Russia launches new offensive

by Martin Fornusek October 12, 2023

After months of a relatively static siege, Russian forces launched a heavy assault in the direction of the front-line town of Avdiivka, backed up by armor, artillery, and air strikes. The Ukrainian military has reported unusually heavy fighting over the past three days as Russia encroaches on the mostly destroyed

Field report

When dying ‘stops being scary’: Worn out Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas hold off Russian assaults

by Asami Terajima May 16, 2023

Editor’s Note: This story is based on interviews with Ukrainian soldiers, conducted in Donetsk Oblast, near the eastern front line, in late March. Some of the soldiers declined to give their last names for security reasons, and are identified by first names and callsigns instead. DONETSK OBLAST – Under the

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4:06 PM

Authorities: Russian attack on Kherson injures 2.

One of the victims, a 58-year-old woman, was hospitalized with an explosive wound and a head injury, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported.

3:33 PM

European Parliament members urge Duda, EU leaders to take action on Polish border blockade.

A group of European Parliament members called on Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and EU leaders “to act decisively" to end the blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border.

2:16 PM

US, South Korea, Japan pledge to increase cooperation, pressure on North Korea.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the three countries planned to increase their trilateral cooperation to create a united front against the spectrum of North Korean hostile actions towards its neighbors in the region and the larger world. In particular, the officials said that North Korea was using cyber activities to fund its nuclear program.

12:44 PM

Russian drone strike in Kherson Oblast kills 1, injures 1.

A Russian drone dropped explosives on the city of Beryslav, Kherson Oblast, on the morning of Dec. 9, killing one and injuring another, the regional prosecutor's office reported.

12:23 PM

Warsaw denies claim that border blockade prevents delivery of military aid to Ukraine.

Polish Vice Minister of National Defense Marcin Ociepa was responding to a Dec. 7 story by The New York Times in which a Ukrainian soldier, known only as Oleksandr, said that the blockade had prevented his unit from receiving much-needed night vision devices.

11:47 AM

Poll: Nearly 50% of Republicans think US provides too much aid to Ukraine.

As with other polls gauging Americans' support for Ukraine, there was a significant partisan divide. Only 16% of Democrats thought the U.S. was providing too much aid, while 39% thought it was about right, and 24% said it was not enough.

11:15 AM

Up to 800,000 Russians have reportedly moved to Crimea since occupation in 2014.

Up to 800,000 Russians have moved to occupied Crimea since its illegal annexation in 2014, and around 100,000 Ukrainians have left, in what amounts to a larger Russian project of remaking the peninsula's demography, said Vladyslav Miroshnychenko, an analyst for the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union on Dec. 6.

10:15 AM

Kyiv authorities begin dismantling prominent Soviet-era statue in city center.

Authorities in Kyiv have begun dismantling a statue of Red Army commander Mykola Shchors located on one of the main streets in the center of the capital, the Kyiv City State Administration announced on Dec. 9.

9:14 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 338,120 troops in Ukraine.

According to the report, this figure includes 900 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:40 AM

White House: Costs of not supporting Ukraine too high to pay.

"If you think the cost of supporting Ukraine is high now, think about how high it’s going to be in national treasure and in American blood if we have to start acting on our Article Five commitments," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

6:23 AM

German drone manufacturer joins Diia City to produce drones in Ukraine.

Quantum Systems hopes its residency in Diia City will help it establish drone production facilities in Ukraine and launch a research and development center.

5:35 AM

Russian cities cancel New Year celebrations to save money for war.

Various officials have pledged to scale back traditional holiday festivities and fireworks displays in order to purchase military equipment to supply Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

4:21 AM

Hackers impersonated Ukrainian agencies in emails to Polish officials.

Government employees in Poland and Ukraine received emails with subject lines related to "debts" and "legal claims," according to an investigation carried out by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine.

3:43 AM

Russia shells 4 communities in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces attacked four communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Dec. 8, firing 6 times over the course of the day, the Sumy Oblast military administration reported.

2:23 AM

Estonia, Lithuania condemn IOC decision to let Russian athletes compete in Paris.

"Allowing Russian athletes participate in the Olympics without a flag will not wash away the blood on their hands," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

1:33 AM

Zelensky urges Ukrainians to remain resilient amid anticipated attacks on energy infrastructure.

"The role of our state now — no matter how difficult it may be — is to not lose strength and not allow the enemy to seize the initiative," Zelensky said.

1:13 AM

RFE/RL: Russian intelligence may receive data from Ukrainian surveillance cameras.

A Schemes investigation found that footage from surveillance cameras with Russian software goes directly to servers in Moscow with ties to the FSB.

11:51 PM

Zelensky: Nearly 40 more Ukrainians evacuated from Gaza.

Ukraine evacuated another group of its citizens from the Gaza Strip amid increasing Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 8.

11:00 PM

Zelensky signs 4 laws required for EU accession.

However, the law on reforming the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) signed by Zelensky failed to fully repeal the so-called Lozovyi's amendments, which are thought to help those suspected or accused of corruption to avoid responsibility.

10:47 PM

Bulgarian parliament overrides presidential veto to approve more military aid to Ukraine.

The agreement to provide Kyiv with over 100 previously written-off Soviet-era armored vehicles, already signed by both Sofia and Kyiv, had been initially sent back by Rumen Radev on Dec. 4 to parliament, which now approved the transfer again, with 162 votes in favor and 55 against.

10:35 PM

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