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Ukrainian servicemen firing toward Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on March 21, 2023.
Opinion

Why Ukraine needs Russia's terminal defeat – not just deterrence

by Lesia Ogryzko

Five years into the full-scale conflict, it has become clear that the model of strategic deterrence – the "steel porcupine" that Ursula von der Leyen often invokes when speaking about Ukraine –  offers no guarantee of resilience and long-term peace. The "steel porcupine" model assumes that, given Russia's significant resource advantage, Ukraine's only realistic strategy is to build a defense so strong that continued aggression becomes prohibitively costly for Russia. However, as of 2026, this

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Sunday, May 3

The oil spill in Tuapse and the lessons Russia didn't learn

While the human toll of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine remains its most devastating consequence, another aspect of Russia’s onslaught is often overlooked: Moscow’s war on ecology. Responding to Russia's growing air attacks against Ukraine, over the past 10 days, Ukrainian forces carried out a multitude of drone strikes targeting an oil refinery in Russia's port city of Tuapse. Tuapse, on the Black Sea, has served as a primary point for Russia's oil exports, the proceeds of which are then

Sunday, May 3

Russia slams Kyiv with mass drone attack

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions and urged residents to take shelter as Russia launched groups of drones at the capital late in the evening of May 2.

A bright orange fire burns behind dark smoke, the silhouette of a tree, and a house.

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