The announcement bolsters a Wall Street Journal report on March 6 that Putin was recruiting Syrians skilled in urban combat to fight in Ukraine. Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said he had no information on the numbers or caliber of the Syrian fighters.
Russia launched yet another wide-ranging attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on Nov. 8, using a combination of drone and missiles to strike targets across the country.
Russian forces launched 69 drones at Ukraine overnight, with 32 hitting nine locations across the country, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur reports on a deadly Russian strike that killed Ukrainian soldiers and civilians allegedly during a military ceremony, prompting outrage and an internal investigation into security lapses.
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has restored access to backup power for the first time in six months after its second power line was repaired, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Nov. 8.
"The threat of drones was a constant, heavy presence. You hear a low hum in the sky," Jolie wrote on Instagram on Nov. 9.
A thermal power plant in Voronezh, Russia was reportedly attacked overnight on Nov. 9. Residents said they heard explosions and experienced power outages after authorities warned of possible missile and drone threats.
"It is important for discussing the Ukrainian issue and advancing the bilateral agenda," Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RIA Novosti.
The number includes 970 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Russian forces targeted energy substations that power the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants overnight on Nov. 7-8, amid its large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
A local power plant was reportedly damaged, causing widespread blackouts in the city of Belgorod and the surrounding region.
The Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant produces equipment for Russian Sukhoi and MiG aircraft and has been sanctioned for its role in the war against Ukraine.
The recent Russian attack destroyed all restored capacity, leaving the plants generating no power, the state-owned energy company Centrenergo said on Nov. 8.
