Parliament passes bills on military service, including draft deferral for civilians released from captivity
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed several bills on Nov. 20 considering mobilization and demobilization.
Ukrainian military
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine reportedly uses ATACMS on Russian territory for first time; Zelensky presents resilience plan
Key developments on Nov. 19: * Ukraine used ATACMS on Russian territory for first time, according to Moscow, media * Russia claims to capture village near Kurakhove, Kyiv hasn't confirmed * Putin approves Russia's updated nuclear doctrine * Over 50,000 Ukrainian recruits have received training in UK * Denmark to provide over $137 million
Ukraine war latest: Scholz calls Putin, discusses war in Ukraine; Drone attack reported in Russia's Krasnodar region
Key developments on Nov. 15: * Scholz condemns war, urges Russia to negotiate with Ukraine in first call with Putin in nearly 2 years * Drone attack reported in Russia's Krasnodar region, explosions heard near military airfield * Russian troops plant flag at border in Chernihiv Oblast, Border Guard says no major offensive
Ukrainian military fighting in Russia to receive additional financial rewards
The update applies primarily to those currently involved in combat in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine repels Russian attempt to enter Kupiansk, military says
Key developments on Nov. 14: * Ukraine repels Russian attempt to enter Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, military says * Defense Ministry pledges to draft bill on demobilization by Dec. 18, official says * European officials opening up to 'land-for-security' deal in Ukraine, WP reports * Trump's nominee for UN envoy dodges question on earlier
Defense Ministry pledges to draft bill on demobilization by Dec. 18, official says
It is not yet clear what conditions the Defense Ministry will propose for discharging military personnel from service, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee Roman Kostenko said.
Ukrainian volunteers in Poland sign contracts with Armed Forces
After signing the contracts, the volunteers went to a Polish Armed Forces military training ground to undergo 35-day basic training.
Ukraine war latest: Russian forces damage Kurakhove Reservoir dam in Donetsk Oblast, Kyiv says
Key developments on Nov. 11: * Russian forces damage Kurakhove Reservoir dam in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine says * Russian missile hits high-rise building in Kryvyi Rih, at least 14 injured including two children * Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast expected 'any day,' military says * Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter set ablaze at Moscow
Google removed photos of Ukraine's military sites from its map, Ukrainian official says
The locations of military sites in Ukraine are no longer displayed on Google Maps, said Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Counter-Disinformation Center under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, on Nov. 7.
Ukraine struggles to contain Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as US elections loom
As voters in the U.S. head to the polls in presidential elections set to decisively steer the trajectory of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the situation on the battlefield is beginning to unravel for Kyiv. After two years of brutal attritional warfare across southern and eastern Ukraine, dynamism
Locations of Ukrainian weapons systems revealed on Google Maps, official says
After "a public reaction," Google representatives contacted the Ukrainian side, and the company is already working on fixing the issue, Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in a later update on social media.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry's chief inspector fired
The Main Inspectorate of the Defense Ministry audits the ministry's activities, including monitoring the quality of military training and staffing, overseeing military aviation safety, and conducting technical investigations, among other functions.
Ukraine war latest: First North Korean troops arrive in Kursk Oblast to participate in Russia's war against Ukraine
Key developments on Oct. 24: * First North Korean troops deployed to front line in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence says * North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine for Russia would be 'fair game,' White House says * South Korea could 'review' ban on supply of lethal arms to Ukraine, President Yoon
Meet the Ukrainian prisoner soldiers entering the fray in the Battle of Donbas
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
UK prepares another group of future Ukrainian F-16 pilots, bringing total number of trainees to 200
"The next step is advanced fast jet training and conversion to F-16 with partner nations," the statement read.
The Counteroffensive: Why doesn’t Ukraine have a national military cemetery?
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,
Zelensky signs law to increase state budget by $12 billion for defense expenditures
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.
New military app is set to revolutionize how Ukraine runs its army
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 war latest: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 7 people, injures over 90
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,
EU to train additional 15,000 Ukrainian troops by end of 2024, Borrell says
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.
Ukrainian Valkyries: Women embrace military training to learn to defend their homeland (Photos)
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Kyiv announced a general mobilization, thousands of Ukrainians have been called up to defend their homeland. In Ukraine, conscription is mandatory only for men. Despite that, more than 45,000 women have voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Opinion: 6 ways Ukraine’s Kursk incursion is changing the tide of war
As becomes clearer with each passing day, the Ukrainian foray into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which began on Aug. 6, is no minor incident. Kyiv’s unexpected operation on Russian territory could fundamentally change the character of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s attack represents a novel development in
Poland and Ukraine to form a military unit from Ukrainians in Europe. Will it be effective?
Kyiv and Warsaw have agreed to form and jointly train a new army brigade on Polish soil, betting the initiative could help recruit some of the scores of Ukrainian men living in Poland and other EU countries. The so-called Ukrainian Legion, a fresh initiative to boost Ukraine’s military manpower
6 detained in Odesa for allegedly setting fire to military vehicles on Russia's orders
A group of Odesa residents, aged 18 to 24, allegedly acted on the order of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). The suspects made contact with Russia via Telegram channels while looking for "easy money," according to the SBU.
PTSD accounts for 29% of neuralgic diseases suffered by military, Defense Ministry says
The share of PTSD from neuralgic diseases among the military will only increase, according to Oksana Sukhorukova, head of the Healthcare Department of the Defense Ministry.
Demobilization could repeat Ukraine's 'mistake' in 1918, parliament speaker says
Adopting demobilization law now could repeat the "mistake" of the Ukrainian People's Republic during its war against the Bolsheviks in 1918, said Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, on national television on July 25.
General Staff: Ukrainian forces hit command post in Russia’s Belgorod region
Ukraine’s military struck a command post of a Russian motorized rifle regiment in Nekhoteyevka in the Belgorod region, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported early on June 23.
Generation of fighters: An intimate look at Ukraine's fearless youth (Photos)
In the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the resilience of the Ukrainian people shines in the photographer Brett Lloyd's photo essay, "Ukraine Today." Commissioned by Vogue Ukraine, this series captures the vibrancy of life persisting amid war, offering an intimate look into the lives of Ukrainians. “'Ukraine
Military aid for Ukraine will allow for troop rotations, Zelensky says
Recently approved military aid funding will allow for additional troop rotations on Ukraine's eastern front, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 13.
‘We set a precedent.’ Ukraine officially presents Unmanned Systems Forces
Ukraine officially presented its Unmanned Systems Forces on June 11, four months after President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree ordering the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces tasked with improving drone operations. The announcement comes a day after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov appointed Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, the
Lithuania open to training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, Lithuanian PM says
"This is a long-standing exercise in which we train Ukrainian soldiers. We trained them before this invasion, and this is a long-lasting cooperation between our military forces and the Ukrainian military forces," Ingrida Simonyte said.
Ukraine is digitalizing its military ahead of a new mobilization wave
After the new law on mobilization came into force in Ukraine on May 18, military-aged men were given 60 days to update their personal data so that the state knew how to find them. One unusual way to do it is through the new online application Rezerv+ (Reserve+), which the
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