“Fierce battles” raged in central Bakhmut as Ukrainian forces desperately fought on the west side of the Donetsk region city against relentless breakthrough attempts by Russian mercenary fighters and as many observers said they expect Kyiv’s forces to mount a counteroffensive in the coming weeks. “The Wagner assault groups are attacking from …
Read More »Hand-to-Hand Fighting Rages in Bakhmut as Russian, Ukrainian Forces Clash Using Shovels and Firearms
Much of Russia’s yearlong invasion in Ukraine has devolved into infantry fighting in the eastern regions of the country, in part because Moscow’s forces are short on artillery munitions, the British Ministry of Defense said Sunday. In its latest assessment, London said, “Recent evidence suggests an increase in close combat …
Read More »An Inside Look at Russia’s ‘Zombie Wave’ Tactics in Ukraine
So-called ‘zombie wave’ tactics deployed on the frontline in Ukraine are, in effect, suicidal attacks that are allowing Russia to only make small advances and failing to hold territory, a security expert said. Ed Arnold, a European security specialist at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defence think tank, suggests …
Read More »Man Bursts From Russian Consulate in Brazil, Attacks Anti-War Protester
Weekend protests outside Moscow’s embassies around the world reportedly have been peaceful – until a Russian diplomatic employee in Brazil apparently snapped, bursting from his consulate to chase down and smack a protester. A YouTube video appears to show an employee of the Russian consulate in Rio de Janeiro on …
Read More »The Brutal Battle of Vuhledar, Where Russian Infantry Clashed With Ukrainian Forces
by Mike Eckel, RFE/RL By one account, nearly three dozen Russian tanks and armored vehicles were reduced to smoldering rubble. By another, as many as 500 Russian troops may have been killed. Relatives of soldiers from one unit are frantically trading text messages and social-media posts trying to locate their …
Read More »War in Ukraine: A Year That Defied Expectations
In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the war has taken unexpected turns, with both countries now entrenched in heavy fighting in Ukraine’s east and south, with no easy end in sight. At the star of the war, Ukraine defied many Western intelligence assessments that predicted …
Read More »Prigozhin Slams Russian Officials for Not Giving Ammo to His Wagner Group Fighters
In his latest outburst over the handling of Moscow’s war against Ukraine, an angry Yevgeny Prigozhin accused Russian officials of withholding ammunition from his Wagner Group fighters. Prigozhin made the comments during a seven-minute long audio message published on Monday, when he said he was required to “apologise and obey” …
Read More »Wagner’s Prigozhin Predicts Indefinite War in Ukraine
Russia’s war against Ukraine could continue indefinitely, according to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group. Russian forces could take two years to capture the Donbas heartland, and would likely spend another three years taking control of wider territories east of the Dnieper River. Prigozhin made his comments …
Read More »Russia Aims to Regain Momentum in Yearlong War, as Ukraine Ramps Up Resistance
by Mike Eckel/ RFE-RL For weeks if not months, Ukrainian military and political leaders, along with some Western intelligence officials, have warned that Russia is preparing for a major new offensive. Cold temperatures had dialed down the tempo of fighting while both sides replenished their manpower and materiel, positioning equipment, digging …
Read More »‘Free Russia Legion’: These Defectors Are Fighting Putin’s Forces in Ukraine
For weeks, some of the most intense fighting in the war in Ukraine has centered on the Donetsk region city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces seem determined to capture even at enormous cost. The nearly deserted city is being held by Ukrainian forces, including Russian volunteers serving in the Free Russia legion …
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