Key developments on May 23: * Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap since start of Russia's war * Ukraine confirms strike on Russian factory making parts for Iskander ballistic missiles, glide bombs * Russian military helicopter crashes in Oryol Oblast * Zelensky slams Russia's delay on peace memorandum as 'mockery of the whole world'
According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office, the incident occurred on May 22 during an attack on Ukrainian positions in one of the most active combat zones of the front line.
Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Shevchuk was dismissed as the commander of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces and replaced by Colonel Oleksandr Sak, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing its sources in the brigade.
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with one of Ukraine's most effective drone units, "Peaky Blinders." As Russian forces continue to push across the front line, Peaky Blinders are tasked with stopping Russian assaults near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.
Key developments on May 6: * Ukraine brings home 205 POWs in prisoner exchange with Russia * Russian soldiers executed 3 unarmed Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast, prosecutors say * Russia allegedly downs 3 drones approaching Moscow as Putin prepares Victory Day parade * Ukraine stabilizes Pokrovsk front, seizes tactical initiative in some areas,
Pokrovsk, located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk, remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front, where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March.
Key developments on April 17: * China provides weapons to Russia, Zelensky says * Ukraine repels Russian offensive near Pokrovsk, killing 200 Russian soldiers, Zelensky says * Ukrainian forces liberate 16 square kilometers near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukrainian drones attack Russian brigade linked to Sumy strike for second day in
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian forces killed around 200 Russian soldiers and injured 30 others, as well as destroyed 115 units of Russian military equipment.
The recently recaptured territory by Ukrainian troops includes areas near the settlements of Udachne, Kotlyne, and Shevchenko, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The U.S. supplies are meant to offset the loss of coking coal from the mine near Pokrovsk, which has suspended operations as Russian forces are closing in on the Donetsk Oblast town.
In a way unseen since the start of the full-scale invasion, the daily grind of the front line in Russia's war against Ukraine has taken the back seat in world headlines. The dizzying U.S. President Donald Trump-led attempts to negotiate peace in the world arena dominate the news cycle
“The most intense situation is in Pokrovsk, Lyman, Toretsk, and Kursk directions,” the General Staff wrote. Sixty-five clashes were reported near Pokrovsk alone.
Despite the slowdown, Russian forces continue offensive operations, particularly in Donetsk Oblast's Pokrovsk sector, where fighting intensified at the end of March.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine's main tasks are holding defensive lines and stabilizing threats, which have been partially achieved, particularly in the Pokrovsk direction.
"Recently, they (Russian soldiers) have become more active. We have successfully repelled the assaults, we are holding the line, but the enemy is trying to break through our defense line and reach our positions and gain a foothold in some positions daily," said Mykola Koval, the spokesperson of Ukraine's National Guard's Chervona Kalyna brigade.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited front-line troops and held a military command meeting in Kharkiv Oblast on March 22, as Ukraine prepares for a meeting with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 23.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram that Ukraine has observed areas along its eastern border where the Russian army is amassing force. "This speaks to a desire to deliver a strike to our Sumy Oblast," Zelensky wrote.
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg
"I am not saying that Ukrainian forces caught some second, third, or 100th and 500th breath... But Russian troops have indeed begun to show some physical, moral, and material exhaustion," said Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.
Russian troops are actively pushing on the Novopavlivka sector in eastern Donetsk Oblast, trying to break through Ukraine's defense and capture three settlements, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Kotlyne and Pokrovsk are connected by the T 0406 highway, which also leads to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. DONETSK OBLAST – Scanning an array of nine video feeds from a command point in an abandoned summer, mortar battery commander Tymur “Babai” searches for
It could have been a tragic story costing British volunteer Edward Scott his life. As a humanitarian aid worker with the Ukrainian NGO "Baza UA" (the "Base UA" in Ukrainian), 28-year-old Scott has made multiple trips to the front-line areas to evacuate civilian Ukrainians. But the mission on Jan. 30
"The Second Chechen War for the Russians for the entire period — 6,000 dead," military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said. "That is, under Pokrovsk alone in January the Russians have more dead than in the entire Second Chechen War."
Ukraine’s steel producers are now looking abroad to stay alive after the closure of the country's last operating coking coal mine in Pokrovsk last month. Miners were working up until Jan. 13 when the Metinvest Group, the mine’s owner, halted production completely and evacuated employees as Russian troops
Key developments on Feb. 1-2: * Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on high alert during Russian missile attack on Ukraine * Russia’s new naval base raises fears of Georgia’s involvement in Ukraine war, WSJ reports * Massive fire breaks out at Kharkiv warehouse after Russian drone attack * 15,000 Russian
In a post that included a video of combat footage, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the area "remains one of the hottest" on the front.
A Russian drone attack in Pokrovsk struck an evacuation vehicle on Jan. 30, injuring the driver and two passengers. The Kyiv Independent has confirmed that the driver is a British volunteer.
Key developments on Jan. 29: * Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile arsenal, oil pumping station in Tver Oblast, SBU source claims * '4 out of 4' — Russian Lukoil oil refinery struck by multiple Ukrainian drones, military intelligence source claims * Russian assault intensity declines, focuses on Pokrovsk sector, monitoring group reports * Australian POW
Despite suffering heavy losses, Russian forces have reportedly been able to replenish their combat strength.
Russian forces have intensified their assaults near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, deploying small groups in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops, Victor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, said on Jan. 27.
Russian forces are trying to bypass the city from the north and south, but so far without success, a military spokesperson said.
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