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War analysis
Can Russia afford to commit to a years-long war?
When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out war against Ukraine, U.S. intelligence claimed that Russian forces planned to sweep Kyiv within days. More than 13 months on, Ukraine's defenses still stand firm. But Ukrainians are now faced with a different threat – the Kremlin appears to be trying to
What is happening in Bakhmut and what does it mean for Russian-Ukrainian war? (VIDEO)
Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell speaks to John Spencer, U.S. veteran and chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. A leading expert in the study of warfare in and around cities, Spencer shares his unique insight into the bloodiest engagement of Russia’s
What will the war bring in 2023? Illia Ponomarenko interviews Michael Kofman and Rob Lee
The Kyiv Independent's Illia Ponomarenko sits down with military analysts Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at CNA, and Rob Lee, senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program, to discuss the current situation on the battlefields, Ukraine's planned counteroffensive and Russia's attempts to stop it,
Can Ukraine maintain and optimally use its modern Western tanks?
Future Ukrainian counterattacks using modern Western combat vehicles are being discussed everywhere, from Washington news conferences to Ukrainian military expert circles. Ukraine hopes to receive up to two brigades of tanks, on top of many infantry vehicles from Western allies. But there are two main obstacles to using the tanks
One year later: How Russia came to fail in Ukraine, battle after battle
Feb. 24, 2022, was supposed to bring the existence of a 40-million European nation to an end. Long before the dawn of light, Ukrainian cities were set alight in blazes of burning airfields and the scattering of artillery impacts. Endless armored convoys broke into highways, and helicopters roared over the
With the loss of Soledar, Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut jeopardized
The dramatic fight for Soledar, part of the Battle of Bakhmut, is over — although Ukraine's leadership is still reluctant to acknowledge the loss. As a result of a localized offensive operation in January, Russian forces managed to gnaw through Ukrainian defenses and, after fierce urban fighting, seize what's left of
As Battle of Bakhmut nears culmination, Ukraine’s artillery gasps for more ammo
BAKHMUT, Donetsk Oblast — It’s the last days of December and the heat of the holiday season. But an artillery battalion with Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Infantry just couldn’t care less. For them, it’s like Groundhog Day – just another day of war that keeps repeating over and over.
Ukraine's Christmas wish list: What is needed to end the war quickly
This holiday season, as people celebrate with their families and stroll brightly-decorated streets across the world, Russia's war against Ukraine has reached a crucial point. Ukraine's autumn campaign has been a resounding success, with counteroffensives in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson oblasts liberating thousands of square kilometers of territory. More importantly,
Ukraine enters 2023 with frail upper hand over Russia
In December 2021, most forecasts voiced in the media did not give Ukraine much of a chance in case of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ten months after it started on Feb. 24, 2022, experts and media discuss where Ukraine will strike next, and what else Russia can do to save
Russia's chaotic mobilization unlikely to change Ukraine war's course
The first week of Russia's earth-quaking mobilization campaign has topped all expectations — in terms of its harshness, hastiness, and chaos. With the Russian positions in Ukraine rapidly deteriorating, the Kremlin upped the ante and risked announcing a draft. The regime aims to draft between 300,000 and over 1.2
Russia’s sham referendums, mobilization, nuclear threats: What it all means
Humiliated on the battlefield, the Kremlin now wants to quickly annex occupied Ukrainian territories and add them to the Russian Federation. Russian proxies in the occupied parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts have announced that between Sept. 23 and 27, they will rush sham “referendums” on these areas
Retired US General Ben Hodges: ‘We’ve reached irreversible momentum for Ukraine’
Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast has changed how the world thinks about the war, according to U.S. Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges. Hodges, who served as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2014-2017 and has helped train Ukrainian soldiers, said the operation ended “the mythology of
With successful Kharkiv operation, Ukraine turns the war in its favor
KHARKIV – In warfare, there's no such thing as a miracle. Yet what happened in early September in the east of Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast may ascend in history as the Miracle on the Oskil River. Within a few days, a Ukrainian strike prompted the collapse of the Russian front in the
General Marchenko: ‘Mykolaiv was to be next city to fall, but Russia terribly failed’
MYKOLAIV – After quickly occupying Kherson in the first days of the full-scale invasion, Russia turned its sight towards Mykolaiv, Ukraine’s shipbuilding center. Many expected the regional capital of 480,000 people to fall next. On Feb. 25, one day after Russia began its invasion and southern offensive, Major General
6 months of war: How Russia got derailed in Ukraine
Shock and awe roared over Kyiv Oblast in the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022. Dozens of Russian Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters rushed south at low altitude over the Dnipro River, carrying 200-300 elite stormtroopers with the 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade. Some of the helicopters were downed and fell
Why is Russia so vulnerable to HIMARS in Ukraine?
It’s been nearly a month since U.S.-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, had their long-awaited debut in Ukraine, but their combat record is already extensive. Using all the heavy and long-range weaponry available to it, including HIMARS, Ukraine began a campaign that has destroyed dozens
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Editors' Picks
War from above: A day with drone unit defending Ukraine's south
‘I work, then I cry’: Exhausted medics near Bakhmut fight for every life
Belarus Weekly: European Parliament resolution urges more sanctions against Belarus
Ukraine war latest: Japanese PM visits Kyiv; US to speed up Patriot, Abrams delivery
Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly – Issue 80
Ukraine war latest: Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinka under heavy fire
