Bohdan Khmelnytsky - The Kyiv Independent

Explaining Ukraine

Pereiaslav, the treaty that started modern Russo-Ukrainian history

by Martin Fornusek May 14, 2024

In late April 2024, in central Kyiv, heavy cranes began dismantling a sculpture erected to commemorate 17th-century Pereiaslav Treaty between the Cossacks and Muscovites, symbolically closing a chapter of a shared history. It was the very same agreement lauded by Russian President Vladimir Putin as supposed evidence of Ukraine's historical

Explaining Ukraine

Who were the Ukrainian Cossacks?

by Alexandra Keeler March 28, 2024

The word Cossack comes from the Turkic word meaning “free man” or “outlaw.” True to this moniker, Ukraine’s Cossacks — a semi-nomadic militaristic group originating somewhere in the 15th century — are renowned as sovereign warriors and pioneers of independence in Ukraine. Deeply ingrained in Ukrainian national mythology, particularly through the

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3:12 AM

Ukraine developing guided aerial bombs domestically, Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff says.

Ukraine is actively working on developing its own guided aerial bombs, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatolii Barhylevych reported on Nov. 24.

1:18 AM

Lithuania delivers new military aid package to Ukraine.

Lithuania has delivered another aid package to Ukraine, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense reported on Nov. 24.

11:33 PM

UK businessman faces no charges after admitting to violating Russia sanctions.

Luxury perfume seller David Crisp is alleged to have hidden over $2.1 million in illegal sales to Russia. He admitted on camera to "ignoring government edicts."

10:36 PM

Russia preparing to break through to southern Donetsk Oblast, military says.

"The enemy is trying to break through to the south of Donetsk region, where Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts meet," Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, said on Nov. 24.

9:27 PM

Air defense systems can counter Russia's Oreshnik missile, Zelensky says.

"The world has air defense systems capable of countering such threats," Zelensky said, referring to Russia's new Oreshnik ballistic missile. Experts are currently analyzing the wreckage of the weapon, he said.

8:44 PM

Trump's top security pick calls for end to escalation in Ukraine.

"We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it," Mike Waltz, Trump's nominee for national security adviser, said on Nov. 24.

8:07 PM

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Russia’s ballistic missile test and Musk’s mockery of Zelensky | Ukraine This Week.

7:39 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine has lost over 40% of territory previously gained in Kursk incursion, Reuters reports

7:29 PM

Business

The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets

7:01 PM

150,000 Ukrainian IDPs have returned to occupied regions, MP says.

Inadequate support from the state is part of what prompts people to return to Russian-occupied areas, lawmaker Maksym Tkachenko said.

5:01 PM

Russian troops kill 2 civilian women, injure man in Donetsk Oblast's Toretsk, prosecutors say.

According to the report, at around 6 p.m. on Nov. 21, Russian soldiers entered an apartment in a residential area of Toretsk and "deliberately" opened fire with automatic weapons on three civilians.

2:30 PM

Russia recruits hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, FT reports.

Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to fight in its war against Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Nov. 24.

12:00 PM

Russia attacked Ukraine with over 800 KAB bombs, 460 drones, 20 missiles this week, Zelensky says.

Over the past week, Russia has launched over 800 KAB-guided aerial bombs, nearly 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 24.

10:20 AM

Ukraine downs 50 of 73 Russian drones in overnight attack, Air Force says.

Ukraine shot down 50 of the 73 drones launched by Russia overnight on Nov. 24, the Air Force reported. There have been no reports of casualties or damage.

10:10 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 730,740 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,423 tanks, 19,209 armored fighting vehicles, 29,864 vehicles and fuel tanks, 20,765 artillery systems, 1,254 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,004 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 19,366 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

7:50 AM

Nearly 22,000 civilians have been evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast in 6 months, governor says.

"We are continuing evacuation efforts, bringing both children and adults to safety," Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on air.

6:37 AM

Taiwan’s former president urges US to prioritize aiding Ukraine over Taiwan, Politico reports.

"A Ukrainian victory will serve as the most effective deterrent to future aggression," former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said during the Halifax International Security Forum on Nov. 23.

4:58 AM

Mediazona confirms identities of almost 80,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

As Vladimir Putin boasted the new Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, sparking renewed fears of nuclear escalation, an independent Russian outlet, Mediazona, reported nearly 2,700 additional Russian military deaths in Ukraine over the past two weeks.

2:48 AM

North Korean missiles with Western parts fuel Russian attacks on Ukraine, CNN reports.

In 2024, Russia launched around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles, accounting for nearly one-third of the 194 ballistic missile strikes tracked by Ukraine’s Air Force.

1:00 AM

Zelensky criticizes Brazil, G20 leaders for showing 'weak position on war.'

President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Group of 20 (G20) leaders on Nov. 23 following the most recent summit in Brazil, adding that Brazilian President Lula da Silva, the current holder of the G20 Presidency, showed a "weak position" on Russia's war in Ukraine.

10:36 PM

Russia damaged over 300 port facilities, 20 foreign vessels in the past year, Zelensky says.

Russia has damaged 321 port infrastructure facilities, as well as 20 foreign merchant vessels since July 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 23 at the International Conference on Food Security in Kyiv.

9:22 PM

West should 'not set red lines' on providing military support for Ukraine, French foreign minister says.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC in an excerpt of an interview published on Nov. 23 that Western allies should "not set and express red lines" on providing Ukraine with military support against Russian aggression.

7:48 PM

Ukraine has lost over 40% of territory previously gained in Kursk incursion, Reuters reports.

Ukraine has lost over 40 per cent of the territory it previously gained in Russia's Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing a source in Ukraine's General Staff.

7:15 PM

Russia's Oreshnik missile likely had no explosives and didn't cause much damage, Bild analyst claims.

The Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile was likely a modification of Russia's RS-26 Rubezh missile, he said.

6:43 PM

Zaluzhnyi: Use of technological advancements will prevent 'serious' front line breakthrough until 2027.

"When robots began to appear massively on the battlefield, they made any movement of soldiers impossible. The inability to fight robots led to a standstill. We couldn’t move forward towards the Russians, and the Russians, accordingly, couldn’t move forward either," Zaluzhnyi said.

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