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 – Sitting around in the long, dry grass outside an abandoned village house, two dozen men in summer military fatigues listen attentively to
Ukrainian military, lawmakers, and experts discussed the creation of a separate branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces dedicated to cyberspace operations, the General Staff said on Oct. 24.
"The next step is advanced fast jet training and conversion to F-16 with partner nations," the statement read.
Ukraine had to change its approach to mobilization as it carries Soviet influences, but much more time is needed for a proper reform, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluzhyni said at an event on Oct. 17 in response to a Kyiv Independent reporter.
Several months ago, most of these infantrymen were serving their sentences behind bars. Now, they are part of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion, known as "Da Vinci."
Administration head Vasyl Chynchyk said that roughly 1,150 people remain in the ruined town.
Ukraine carried out a successful strike against Russia's Khanskaya military airfield in the Adygea Republic, the military said.
Until now, volunteers could оnly fight as privates or sergeants.
Soldiers received inedible cans of food on the front line, according to a serviceman who turned to NGL media to raise leadership’s concern after unsuccessful attempts to communicate directly with decision-makers, NGL Media wrote on Oct. 7.
Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade managed to regain positions and free a group of captive Ukrainian soldiers during an engagement with a Russian sabotage group in Kharkiv Oblast, the unit said on Oct. 7.
Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko was appointed the new commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade after the transfer of his predecessor, Ivan Vinnik, the unit said.
"The results of the strikes are being clarified," the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Oct. 5.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Poland was prepared to begin the training of Ukrainian volunteers in September, but a shortage of volunteers delayed the start.
Over the past week, the average number of Russian attacks on the frontline has been 167 per day, with 50% of them targeting the Donetsk direction of the front line, according to Estonian military intelligence.
During the first days of the recruitment center's opening in Lublin, 138 applications for interviews were received through the website and another 58 through consular offices, according to the Defense Ministry.
Ukraine will have the second-strongest military in NATO on the European continent once it joins the alliance, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said on Oct. 1.
Commanders of Ukrainian military units will now be able to directly select soldiers who enlist voluntarily, bypassing the standard process of involving enlistment offices, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Oct. 1.
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Sept. 28, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. Vira Lytvynenko hasn’t been able to bury her son since March 2022,
The law aims to finance "urgent measures in the field of security and defense to counter the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine," according to an explanatory note on the Ukrainian parliament's website.
Key developments on Sept. 20: * Russian commanders warned of plans for Ukraine's Kursk incursion months in advance, seized documents show * Ghanaian men lured to fight for Russia appeal for help from inside occupied Ukraine * First group of Ukrainian pilots complete French jet training * Ukraine's strike on Russian arms depot destroyed
Russia is placing explosives at dams in its own Belgorod Oblast, possibly preparing provocations to accuse Ukraine of causing environmental damage, a spokesperson of Ukraine's Kharkiv group of forces said on Sept. 19.
Ukraine's parliament voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to dismiss the controversial lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla from her position as deputy head of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 16 signed a bill on the formation of a separate branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces dedicated to unmanned systems.
It's been a bumper week for deadly drone innovation, with Ukraine's Armed Forces revealing two new developments in the technological field that continues to redefine the boundaries of modern warfare. The first emerged on Sept. 2, when videos began circulating on social media of a drone spraying what appeared to
"At the time the brigade was deployed to the area, the situation on the front line was catastrophic," the Azov Brigade said on X.
Ukraine’s fight for survival with a bigger and better-equipped enemy is forcing the country’s army to swiftly seek innovations. The latest modern solution being used to substitute bureaucratic Soviet army operations is the recently launched Army+ app, which aims to make the armed forces “paperless.” Presented with fanfare
Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 2 that it has approved a new armored personnel carrier (APC) for use by its armed forces. The Khorunzhyi – which means "standard-bearer" and was a military rank in Cossack armies – has been in development for some time, and a lone experimental model was spotted
Both Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels have claimed responsibility for the terrifying new drone innovation.
Key developments on Aug. 30: * Russian attack on Kharkiv kills at least 7, including child, injures over 90 * Ukrainian forces advance 2 kilometers into Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Russia claims downing of 18 drones overnight, Kaluga airport reportedly attacked * Zelensky dismisses Air Force Commander Oleshchuk * EU to train additional 15,
Captain Roman Hladkyi, who was previously dismissed from the Navy amid controversy, has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on Aug. 30, citing USF communication specialist Vitalii Medvediev.
Defense ministers of European Union states agreed to increase the number of Ukrainian military personnel trained under the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM) program, the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Aug. 30.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that Ukraine had "received a preliminary report" from the U.S., which he said "has already joined the investigation into the causes (of the crash)."
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are comprised of the Ground Forces, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, the Air Assault Forces, the Special Operations Forces, and the Territorial Defense Forces. A new branch that focuses on drone warfare, the Unmanned Systems Forces, was officially launched in June 2024. Due to the ongoing war, information on Ukraine’s exact troop numbers is not publicly known.
