Territorial Defense Force - The Kyiv Independent

Field report

Trained in the heat of battle: The journey of Kharkiv Oblast’s Territorial Defense

by Francis Farrell May 3, 2023

Editor’s Note: Some of the soldiers interviewed in this piece declined to give their last names for security reasons or because they had relatives in occupied territory, and are identified by first names and callsigns instead. KHARKIV OBLAST – At an undisclosed part of the front line in Ukraine’s

National

Government to create 150 Territorial Defense battalions

by Max Hunder January 19, 2022

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 18 that it was speeding up the formation of 25 Territorial Defense Force brigades, which will be made up of over 150 battalions in total. The announcement was made in a statement summarizing a meeting held between Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and the

News Feed

12:43 AM

Poll: 64% of Ukrainians believe democracy best form of government.

Ukraine ranks sixth among countries surveyed, with a significant majority supporting the statement: "Democracy may have its flaws, but it is the best system of government."

12:12 AM

Macron on Europe's defense: 'We are not equipped to face the risks.'

"There is a risk our Europe could die. We are not equipped to face the risks," the French president said in his April 25 speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

11:43 PM

Human story

PTSD crisis looms as troop shortages take toll on Ukrainian soldiers’ mental health

11:29 PM

Zelensky: Ukraine to discuss problems created by delayed US aid during Ramstein summit.

Ukraine is planning to discuss how to overcome problems that accumulated over the past six months while waiting for the passing of the U.S. aid package at the next Ramstein summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on April 25.

11:11 PM

Ukraine passes list of 561 Ukrainian children held in Russia to Qatar, ombudsman says.

The list is already being processed by the Russian authorities, according to Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

10:39 PM

70% of energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks in Kyiv has been restored, authorities say.

More than 1,000 units of electrical equipment damaged due to Russian attacks have been restored in Kyiv, amounting to 70% of the damage caused by drones and missiles, the Kyiv City Military Administration announced on April 25.

10:11 PM

Russia threatens to decrease diplomatic relations with US in response to REPO Act.

Russia could lower its level of diplomatic relations with the U.S. if confiscated frozen Russian assets are transferred to Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state-controlled media on April 25.

9:56 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: US secretly provides Ukraine with 100 ATACMS; Denmark announces additional military aid for Kyiv.

9:43 PM

US aid

When and how will US aid impact the front lines in Ukraine?

9:03 PM

Sumy Oblast fortifies amid looming threat of Kharkiv attack

8:44 PM

Denmark announces additional $633 million in military support to Ukraine.

The Danish parliament agreed to add 4.4 billion Danish kroner ($633 million) in military support to the country's Ukraine Fund in 2024, the Danish Foreign Ministry announced on April 25.

8:32 PM

Agriculture minister, accused of illegal acquisition of state-owned land, resigns.

Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, suspected of illegal acquisition of state-owned land, submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on April 25, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk announced on Facebook.

8:06 PM

Zelensky: Ukraine hopes to continue cooperation with US regardless of election results.

Ukraine hopes to continue working with Washington regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this coming November, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Fox News on April 25.

7:41 PM

Ukrainians with terminated passports will be allowed to stay in Germany, Berlin Senate says.

Ukrainian refugees can get a temporary residence permit or prolong a valid one in Germany even if their passports are terminated, Deutsche Welle reported on April 25, citing a representative of the Berlin Senate.

7:07 PM

Russian spy sentenced to 2.5 years in Poland.

The District Court in the Polish city of Gdansk sentenced a Russian citizen accused of espionage on behalf of Russia to two and a half years in prison, local media reported.

6:45 PM

Shortage of personnel in Ukrainian labor market increased significantly since last year.

Seventy-four percent of surveyed companies in Ukraine are experiencing a personnel shortage, according to a new study published by the European Business Association (EBA) on April 24.

5:50 PM

Chinese officials separately met with US, Russian counterparts at Western Pacific Naval Symposium.

Senior Chinese military officials separately met U.S. and Russian naval counterparts at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said during a press briefing on April 25.

5:35 PM

UPDATE: Russian attack on city in Kharkiv Oblast injures at least 11.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that Russia struck the area near the railway station in Balakliia.

5:28 PM

European Parliament condemns Putin's election as illegitimate.

The European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's March presidential election as illegitimate, Ukrinform reported on April 25.

4:02 PM

European Parliament adopts resolution condemning Georgia's foreign agents law.

EU officials have previously strongly suggested that the law's passage would hurt Georgia's chances of becoming a member of the EU.

3:58 PM

Russia uses KAB guided bomb to strike infrastructure in Sumy.

In the previous 24 hours, Russian forces struck four communities in Sumy Oblast in six separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on April 24.

3:43 PM

Russian shelling of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injures 2.

A Russian artillery attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on April 25 injured a 74-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

3:24 PM

Media: Number of Russian drones on front lines has doubled in 3 months.

The sources in the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces told the outlet that Ukrainian efforts to counter drones by electronic means were becoming less effective as Moscow's forces adapted to changes in technology.

3:21 PM

Lithuania ridicules Belarusian claim of thwarted drone attack.

Major Gintautas Ciunis, a representative of the Strategic Communications Department of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, promptly denied the unsupported allegations soon after.

3:11 PM

Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 3, injure 1.

Udachne, a village in the western part of the Pokrovsk district, was most likely hit by a Russian missile. Two people were killed and one injured, the governor reported.

MORE NEWS

News Feed

Most popular

Editors' Picks

Subscribe

Subscribe