Russia recently captured Ukraine Luhansk Oblast. With Ukraine’s war ongoing, questions grow about who could lead next if President Zelenskyy steps down. Key figures include Zaluzhnyi, Budanov, Poroshenko, Stefanchuk, and Tymoshenko, each with different strengths and public support.

5 leaders who could replace Zelenskyy if Ukraine loses the war

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (June 27) said that the peace demands of Russia and Ukraine were "absolutely contradictory", following two rounds of peace negotiations which have been unable to move the parties closer to a sought-after ceasefire. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators exchanged memorandums setting out their respective blueprints for how the three-year-old conflict should end at peace negotiations in Istanbul earlier this month.&nbsp;But apart from massive prisoner swaps, the negotiations have not led to any movement towards calling off the conflict, spurred by Russia's military campaign in February 2022."As for the memorandums, naturally, nothing unexpected occurred. these are two completely opposite memorandums," Putin said during a press conference in Minsk, Belarus. "That's why negotiations are being organised and conducted, in order to find a path to bringing them closer together," he said.&nbsp;Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Russia's offensive, which has forced millions from their homes and devastated much of eastern Ukraine. At negotiations, Russia has insisted that Ukraine surrender even more territory and relinquish Western weapons aid as a pre-requisite to a peace agreement -- conditions Kyiv calls unacceptable. Putin has repeatedly rejected the appeals for a standstill ceasefire and has stepped up his air raids as his troops push forward across the front lines, taking yet more territory beyond the five Ukrainian territories Russia says it has already annexed.&nbsp;He indicated that the two parties would "continue further contact" once exchanges of prisoners agreed upon at the talks on June 2 had been finalised. The two parties have had several exchanges since they came to an agreement to free over 1,000 detained soldiers each -- all wounded, sick or below 25 years. Russia is also willing to transfer the remains of 3,000 slain Ukrainian soldiers, Putin added.&nbsp;He also recognised some fiscal stress from the military operation, which has seen Russia heavily ramp up its weapons and soldier expenditure. "6.3 percent of Russia's GDP is spent on defence requirements. That's 13.5 trillion rubles ($172 billion)," Putin said.&nbsp;"It's a lot," Putin said, admitting it had the potential to cause headaches for the government budget. "We paid for it through inflation, but now we are struggling with this inflation," he added. During a press conference after a meeting with allies in Belarus, Putin also criticized the "brash" commitment by NATO members to boost their defence expenditure to five percent of GDP.

Russia is ready for new round of talks in Istanbul, says Putin 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (June 27) said that the peace demands of Russia and Ukraine were "absolutely contradictory", following two rounds of peace negotiations which have been unable to move the parties closer to a sought-after ceasefire. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators exchanged memorandums setting out their respective blueprints for how the three-year-old conflict should end at peace negotiations in Istanbul earlier this month. But apart from massive prisoner swaps, the negotiations have not led to any movement towards calling off the conflict, spurred by Russia's military campaign in February 2022. "As for the memorandums, naturally, nothing unexpected occurred. these are two completely opposite memorandums," Putin said during a press conference in Minsk, Belarus. "That's why negotiations are being organised and conducted, in order to find a path to bringing them closer together," he said. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Russia's offensive, which has forced millions from their homes and devastated much of eastern Ukraine. At negotiations, Russia has insisted that Ukraine surrender even more territory and relinquish Western weapons aid as a pre-requisite to a peace agreement -- conditions Kyiv calls unacceptable. Putin has repeatedly rejected the appeals for a standstill ceasefire and has stepped up his air raids as his troops push forward across the front lines, taking yet more territory beyond the five Ukrainian territories Russia says it has already annexed. He indicated that the two parties would "continue further contact" once exchanges of prisoners agreed upon at the talks on June 2 had been finalised. The two parties have had several exchanges since they came to an agreement to free over 1,000 detained soldiers each -- all wounded, sick or below 25 years. Russia is also willing to transfer the remains of 3,000 slain Ukrainian soldiers, Putin added. He also recognised some fiscal stress from the military operation, which has seen Russia heavily ramp up its weapons and soldier expenditure. "6.3 percent of Russia's GDP is spent on defence requirements. That's 13.5 trillion rubles ($172 billion)," Putin said. "It's a lot," Putin said, admitting it had the potential to cause headaches for the government budget. "We paid for it through inflation, but now we are struggling with this inflation," he added. During a press conference after a meeting with allies in Belarus, Putin also criticized the "brash" commitment by NATO members to boost their defence expenditure to five percent of GDP.

Putin also said that Russia is ready to hand over another 3,000 bodies of soldiers to Ukraine

Russia is ready for new round of talks in Istanbul, says Putin

After more than three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine's military has now come up with its first-ever military recruiting campaign, targeting women, to take them in tech roles in Ukraine's Army, to fight against Russia.Ukraine’s 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade shared a message across all social media accounts. "Her strength is her mind. Her choice is Khartiia," the message written in a sleek neon green script read.The brigade launched its first-ever women's military campaign, to attract them to tech roles in Ukraine's military.As of 2025, around 70,000 women are serving in Ukraine's nearly million-strong military, according to defence. However, it still lacks a welcoming environment for female soldiers, as the military service faces Soviet-rooted prejudice, limitations on education, career growth and access to combat positions.However, some units like Khartiia, which are comparatively progressive, are working to change the situation. Particularly, they are moderately changing internal practices to better integrate women into units.<h2>What is Khartiia brigade?</h2>The 13th Khartiia Brigade is a combat brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, formed in 2022, to fight against Russia's war. It was founded by volunteers to defend the country against Russia's aggression from the Kharkiv region.Khartiia hopes to make women feel they are welcomed and can thrive in different positions in the Ukrainian army.As the war worsens, the Ukrainian military needs all the help it can get in attracting new recruits to face Russia in the brutal war.Ukraine's army doesn't conscript women, hence female volunteers represent a highly motivated and under-utilised category in the army, as per the activists."Motivated women are better at any job than unmotivated men," said Alina Andreieva, a drone operator in Khartiia’s reconnaissance unit.She was obsessed with the idea of recruiting women since she joined the Ukraine army about a year and a half ago, Andreieva told the Kyiv Independent.Another key example of a woman in the Ukrainian army is of a 21-year-old nurse, who requested to be identified only by her callsign "Jess". She is a part of Khartiaa and quickly became a key operator of ground robotic systems within months of joining the brigade."I quickly learned basic things like soldering and assembling communication kits for our drones and figured out how the drones worked (and was then able to) propose new ideas — different flight controllers and what we could connect to them to make it informative," she told the Kyiv Independent.&nbsp;

Some units like Khartiia, which are comparatively progressive, are working to change the situation. Particularly, they are moderately changing internal practices to better integrate women into units.

After more than three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine's military has now come up with its first-ever military recruiting campaign, targeting women, to take them in tech roles in Ukraine's Army, to fight against Russia. Ukraine’s 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade shared a message across all social media accounts. "Her strength is her mind. Her choice is Khartiia," the message written in a sleek neon green script read. The brigade launched its first-ever women's military campaign, to attract them to tech roles in Ukraine's military. As of 2025, around 70,000 women are serving in Ukraine's nearly million-strong military, according to defence. However, it still lacks a welcoming environment for female soldiers, as the military service faces Soviet-rooted prejudice, limitations on education, career growth and access to combat positions. However, some units like Khartiia, which are comparatively progressive, are working to change the situation. Particularly, they are moderately changing internal practices to better integrate women into units. What is Khartiia brigade? The 13th Khartiia Brigade is a combat brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, formed in 2022, to fight against Russia's war. It was founded by volunteers to defend the country against Russia's aggression from the Kharkiv region. Khartiia hopes to make women feel they are welcomed and can thrive in different positions in the Ukrainian army. As the war worsens, the Ukrainian military needs all the help it can get in attracting new recruits to face Russia in the brutal war. Ukraine's army doesn't conscript women, hence female volunteers represent a highly motivated and under-utilised category in the army, as per the activists. "Motivated women are better at any job than unmotivated men," said Alina Andreieva, a drone operator in Khartiia’s reconnaissance unit. She was obsessed with the idea of recruiting women since she joined the Ukraine army about a year and a half ago, Andreieva told the Kyiv Independent. Another key example of a woman in the Ukrainian army is of a 21-year-old nurse, who requested to be identified only by her callsign "Jess". She is a part of Khartiaa and quickly became a key operator of ground robotic systems within months of joining the brigade. "I quickly learned basic things like soldering and assembling communication kits for our drones and figured out how the drones worked (and was then able to) propose new ideas — different flight controllers and what we could connect to them to make it informative," she told the Kyiv Independent.

Some units like Khartiia, which are comparatively progressive, are working to change the situation. Particularly, they are moderately changing internal practices to better integrate women into units.

Manpower shortage? Ukraine begins 'FIRST-EVER' female recruiting campaign to fight against Russia's aggression

Drones has proved to be a key tool in Ukraine's war against Moscow earlier this year. President Volodymr Zelensky announced the appointment of Vadym Sukharevskyi as his first-ever commander of drone forces.

Ukraine's drone army gets stronger; Kyiv appoints Commander of drone forces'

In his first remarks as the Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky stated on Friday that the Ukrainian Army must alter its methods in order to defeat Russia.

In the largest change to Ukraine's military leadership since Russia's invasion started almost two years ago, the 58-year-old Oleksandr Syrsky took commander Valery Zaluzhny's position this week.

The seasoned general has a long list of issues to deal with, not the least of which is a 1,000-kilometre frontline that has not shifted much in more than a year of battle. In a social media post, he stated that the Army needs "clear and precise planning," "taking into account the needs of the frontline for the latest weapons given by international partners."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-zelensky-says-trump-presidency-could-have-strong-impact-on-war-671508">Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky says Trump presidency could have 'strong impact' on war</a>

Washington and Brussels in particular are finding it difficult to maintain the aid programmes that have so far helped Kyiv resist Russia.

Syrsky is assuming command of the armed forces during a period of uncertain resource availability and as Russia prepares for war by increasing production and recruiting.

The Kremlin earlier on Friday downplayed the impact Ukraine's military shake-up would have on the battlefield.

Spokesman for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov stated, "We don't think it's a factor that will influence the trajectory of the special military operation," using the word Moscow prefers to refer to its invasion. 
 
Soon after Syrsky was appointed, Russia and Ukraine began firing drones at one another, hoping to hit locations far behind the immobile front line.

According to an AFP source in Kyiv's security services, Ukraine claimed responsibility for attacks on two different Russian oil refineries overnight that resulted in at least one significant fire.

The last two months have seen strikes on Russian oil and gas installations as part of what Kyiv has described as "fair" response against the infrastructure that Russia has used to fuel its conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)

In his first remarks as the Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky stated on Friday that the Ukrainian Army must alter its methods in order to defeat Russia.

In his first remarks as the Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky stated on Friday that the Ukrainian Army must alter its methods in order to defeat Russia. In the largest change to Ukraine's military leadership since Russia's invasion started almost two years ago, the 58-year-old Oleksandr Syrsky took commander Valery Zaluzhny's position this week. The seasoned general has a long list of issues to deal with, not the least of which is a 1,000-kilometre frontline that has not shifted much in more than a year of battle. In a social media post, he stated that the Army needs "clear and precise planning," "taking into account the needs of the frontline for the latest weapons given by international partners." Also Read: Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky says Trump presidency could have 'strong impact' on war Washington and Brussels in particular are finding it difficult to maintain the aid programmes that have so far helped Kyiv resist Russia. Syrsky is assuming command of the armed forces during a period of uncertain resource availability and as Russia prepares for war by increasing production and recruiting. The Kremlin earlier on Friday downplayed the impact Ukraine's military shake-up would have on the battlefield. Spokesman for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov stated, "We don't think it's a factor that will influence the trajectory of the special military operation," using the word Moscow prefers to refer to its invasion. Soon after Syrsky was appointed, Russia and Ukraine began firing drones at one another, hoping to hit locations far behind the immobile front line. According to an AFP source in Kyiv's security services, Ukraine claimed responsibility for attacks on two different Russian oil refineries overnight that resulted in at least one significant fire. The last two months have seen strikes on Russian oil and gas installations as part of what Kyiv has described as "fair" response against the infrastructure that Russia has used to fuel its conflict. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine needs to come up with new strategies to battle, says new army chief

The Ukraine war appears&nbsp;to have taken a backseat in global perception as Israel-Hamas war started in the month of October last year. But this has not lessened the suffering of Ukrainians, effort of Ukrainian army to drive Russian army out and resolve of the latter to stand ground and repel Ukrainian attacks. The war continues to resemble a stalemate with neither side gaining decisively in the ongoing conflict. A major news related to war has come from the Ukrainian camp. There are media reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unhappy with Ukraine army chief Valery Zaluzhny and is in a mind to replace him.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. After some major battlefield&nbsp;advances in the initial months of the conflict, Russian forces had to retreat from large swathes of Ukrainian land and there were some major gains for the Ukrainian side. Meanwhile, the Western nations, particularly led by the United States poured billions and billions of dollars in humanitarian as well as military help to Ukraine. Nations provided arms, ammunition and even tanks to Ukraine and this did help Ukrainian soldiers to be better equipped than their Russian adversaries. It was hence expected that Ukraine would launch a major counter-offensive and push Russians back.

Despite high anticipation, the decisive counter-offensive has not taken place. Excluding minor gains, the Ukrainian armed forces have not been able to push Russians back. The Russians remain dug in.

Multiple media reports now say that Zelensky now wants to replace army chief Zaluzhny and has already broached the subject with him.

Financial Times has reported that earlier this week, on Monday, Zelensky had a discussion with Zaluzhny on this matter and offered him another position in Ukraine's security apparatus. The four-star-general has reportedly refused to step down from the position of army chief and take up another post. Zelensky has reportedly told Zaluzhny that irrespective of his decision about taking the post being offered to him, he would be sacked as army chief.

<h2>The popular general</h2>

General Valery Zaluzhny remains popular in Ukraine as under him Ukrainian forces retook almost half of Russia-occupied regions in Ukraine in 2022. His assurances of major counteroffensive lifted morale of the Ukrainian people and projected an image globally that Ukraine was about to decisively fight back. This resulted in greater confidence among Western nations that helping Ukraine was indeed going to turn things around, helping the aid trickle.

<h2>So what's the feud between Zelensky and General Zaluzhny?</h2>

It is being reported that President Zelensky is not very happy with the situation of Ukraine army under General Zaluzhny, especially after the latter's promises of major counter-offensive were not fulfilled. The situation of Russia-Ukraine war has come to resemble World War I-style stagnant trench warfare with neither side making any decisive advance.

Although Ukraine received substantial help from the Western countries, Russia used the lull in hostilities to considerably fortify its position in Ukraine, as a result of which, its army has been able to repel Ukrainian attacks and even stage offensives elsewhere.

Zaluzhny was blamed by many in Ukraine's political circles for tactical mistakes.

Watch | Russia and Ukraine exchange PoWs after plane crash prevented last swap

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The general has not come up with a plan for 2024. Al-Jazeera has even reported that Zelensky has, at times, bypassed the army in some decisions to manage the armed forces and the war.

Ukraine was not able to gain advantage of brief but major chaos on the Russian side due to the rebellion of Wagner Group forces which were instrumental in some of Russia's gains in Ukraine.

Also, with no signs of major Ukrainian success on the battlefield, prominent voices in the Western camp, including from within US lawmaking circles have started doubting continuing to spend billions of dollars to help Ukraine. US President Joe Biden himself had to support the continued aid to Ukraine. But with US Presidential Election 2024 slated to take place later this year, there is, at least in theory, uncertainty about Biden's continued presence in the Oval Office.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/endgame-joe-biden-donald-trump-leads-over-serving-us-president-in-7-battleground-states-key-poll-finds-685746">Endgame Joe Biden? Donald Trump leads serving US president in 7 battleground states, key poll finds</a>

The clock appears to be ticking for Ukraine in spite of the European Union striking a deal for 50 billion euro aid for Kyiv. European Council president Charles Michel has made an announcement of the deal on social media platform X (formerly Twitter)

"All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget," said Michel.

"This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-unlocks-50-bln-euros-financial-aid-for-ukraine-amid-shifting-focus-on-gaza-red-sea-685938">EU unlock 50bn Euros financial aid for Ukraine amid shifting focus on Gaza, Red Sea</a>

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We have a deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unity</a> 
 
All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget. 
 
This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>. 
 
EU is taking leadership &amp; responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is…
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlesMichel/status/1753001809268920719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Ukraine welcomed the development.

"EU Member States one more time show their solidarity and unity in the actions to Ukrainian people to withstand the war," wrote Ukraine's Prime Minister Denis Shmygal.&nbsp;

"Each of your votes is a significant contribution to our joint victory."

However, sustained support for Ukraine will likely depend on actual, tangible gains on the battlefield. Zelensky knows this and with increasing global pressure for him to deliver, General Zaluzhny's position looks shaky, irrespective of his massive popularity among Ukrainians.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Ukraine war appears to have taken a backseat in global perception as Israel-Hamas war started in the month of October last year. But this has not lessened the suffering of Ukrainians, effort of Ukrainian army to drive Russian army out and resolve of the latter to stand ground and repel Ukrainian attacks.

The Ukraine war appears to have taken a backseat in global perception as Israel-Hamas war started in the month of October last year. But this has not lessened the suffering of Ukrainians, effort of Ukrainian army to drive Russian army out and resolve of the latter to stand ground and repel Ukrainian attacks. The war continues to resemble a stalemate with neither side gaining decisively in the ongoing conflict. A major news related to war has come from the Ukrainian camp. There are media reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unhappy with Ukraine army chief Valery Zaluzhny and is in a mind to replace him. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. After some major battlefield advances in the initial months of the conflict, Russian forces had to retreat from large swathes of Ukrainian land and there were some major gains for the Ukrainian side. Meanwhile, the Western nations, particularly led by the United States poured billions and billions of dollars in humanitarian as well as military help to Ukraine. Nations provided arms, ammunition and even tanks to Ukraine and this did help Ukrainian soldiers to be better equipped than their Russian adversaries. It was hence expected that Ukraine would launch a major counter-offensive and push Russians back. Despite high anticipation, the decisive counter-offensive has not taken place. Excluding minor gains, the Ukrainian armed forces have not been able to push Russians back. The Russians remain dug in. Multiple media reports now say that Zelensky now wants to replace army chief Zaluzhny and has already broached the subject with him. Financial Times has reported that earlier this week, on Monday, Zelensky had a discussion with Zaluzhny on this matter and offered him another position in Ukraine's security apparatus. The four-star-general has reportedly refused to step down from the position of army chief and take up another post. Zelensky has reportedly told Zaluzhny that irrespective of his decision about taking the post being offered to him, he would be sacked as army chief. The popular general General Valery Zaluzhny remains popular in Ukraine as under him Ukrainian forces retook almost half of Russia-occupied regions in Ukraine in 2022. His assurances of major counteroffensive lifted morale of the Ukrainian people and projected an image globally that Ukraine was about to decisively fight back. This resulted in greater confidence among Western nations that helping Ukraine was indeed going to turn things around, helping the aid trickle. So what's the feud between Zelensky and General Zaluzhny? It is being reported that President Zelensky is not very happy with the situation of Ukraine army under General Zaluzhny, especially after the latter's promises of major counter-offensive were not fulfilled. The situation of Russia-Ukraine war has come to resemble World War I-style stagnant trench warfare with neither side making any decisive advance. Although Ukraine received substantial help from the Western countries, Russia used the lull in hostilities to considerably fortify its position in Ukraine, as a result of which, its army has been able to repel Ukrainian attacks and even stage offensives elsewhere. Zaluzhny was blamed by many in Ukraine's political circles for tactical mistakes. Watch | Russia and Ukraine exchange PoWs after plane crash prevented last swap × The general has not come up with a plan for 2024. Al-Jazeera has even reported that Zelensky has, at times, bypassed the army in some decisions to manage the armed forces and the war. Ukraine was not able to gain advantage of brief but major chaos on the Russian side due to the rebellion of Wagner Group forces which were instrumental in some of Russia's gains in Ukraine. Also, with no signs of major Ukrainian success on the battlefield, prominent voices in the Western camp, including from within US lawmaking circles have started doubting continuing to spend billions of dollars to help Ukraine. US President Joe Biden himself had to support the continued aid to Ukraine. But with US Presidential Election 2024 slated to take place later this year, there is, at least in theory, uncertainty about Biden's continued presence in the Oval Office. Also Read | Endgame Joe Biden? Donald Trump leads serving US president in 7 battleground states, key poll finds The clock appears to be ticking for Ukraine in spite of the European Union striking a deal for 50 billion euro aid for Kyiv. European Council president Charles Michel has made an announcement of the deal on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) "All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget," said Michel. "This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine." Also Read | EU unlock 50bn Euros financial aid for Ukraine amid shifting focus on Gaza, Red Sea We have a deal. #Unity All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget. This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for #Ukraine. EU is taking leadership & responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is… — Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) February 1, 2024 × Ukraine welcomed the development. "EU Member States one more time show their solidarity and unity in the actions to Ukrainian people to withstand the war," wrote Ukraine's Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. "Each of your votes is a significant contribution to our joint victory." However, sustained support for Ukraine will likely depend on actual, tangible gains on the battlefield. Zelensky knows this and with increasing global pressure for him to deliver, General Zaluzhny's position looks shaky, irrespective of his massive popularity among Ukrainians. (With inputs from agencies)

Explained | The feud between Zelensky and Ukraine Army chief he wants to sack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired chiefs of all local military recruitment centres amid corruption allegations.

Zelensky on Friday (August 11) said a review of Ukraine’s military recruitment centres revealed signs of massive abuse of power, including taking bribes to let military-age men cross the border despite a wartime ban.

In a statement issued on Friday, Zelensky said, “This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is treason," an awakening that seems to have hit him 18 months into the war.

<h2>Filling vacancies now topmost priority</h2>

It was not known how many officials were fired but Zelensky instructed his top general Valery Zaluzhny to fill vacancies as soon as possible and implement the decisions.

Also, new candidates for the posts will be first vetted by Ukrainian intelligence agency SBU, to keep Russian moles at bay.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas | Ukraine war: The battle reaches the skies &amp; the seas

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The embattled president of Ukraine has made tackling graft the topmost priority as the country’s counteroffensive against Russia falters.

The move is also aimed at pleasing officials in US and Europe as they debate whether or not the warring nation should be admitted into NATO and the European Union (EU).

<h2>Move comes amidst faltering counteroffensive</h2>

Over the course of 18 months since Russia's invasion, Ukrainians have primarily maintained a defensive stance, thwarting Moscow's attempts to capture additional territories.&nbsp;

However, this summer, Ukraine decided to take the offensive way, aided by substantial Western military support. Ukraine attempted to reclaim the eastern and southern regions previously seized by the Russians.&nbsp;

Despite this, a glance at a comprehensive map of these areas indicates minimal change during the two months of the counter-offensive.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-minister-vows-to-go-after-army-commanders-accused-of-sexual-harassment-624483">Also read:&nbsp;Ukraine minister vows to go after army commanders accused of sexual harassment</a>

Currently, Russia continues to occupy nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, which includes strategic cities like Donetsk in the east and Mariupol, captured after a prolonged siege.&nbsp;

Their forces remain deeply entrenched. Notably, the situation has remained relatively static since November 2022, when Ukraine last made significant gains by reclaiming Kherson in the south along with substantial portions of the northeast.

<h2>Silver lining for Ukraine</h2>

But Ukraine has reported small successes too, including the retaking of Staromaiorske village in Donetsk, as reported by BBC.

The village lies in the eastern region near Bakhmut, where fierce clashes have occurred.&nbsp;

Additionally, Ukraine has managed to regain control over some small areas previously lost earlier in the summer.

Additional progress has been made in the Zaporizhzhia region to the south, a crucial area where Ukraine's decisive efforts are essential.

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&nbsp;

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired chiefs of all local military recruitment centres amid corruption allegations. Zelensky on Friday (August 11) said a review of Ukraine’s military recruitment centres revealed signs of massive abuse of power, including taking bribes to let military-age men cross the border despite a wartime ban.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired chiefs of all local military recruitment centres amid corruption allegations. Zelensky on Friday (August 11) said a review of Ukraine’s military recruitment centres revealed signs of massive abuse of power, including taking bribes to let military-age men cross the border despite a wartime ban. In a statement issued on Friday, Zelensky said, “This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is treason," an awakening that seems to have hit him 18 months into the war. Filling vacancies now topmost priority It was not known how many officials were fired but Zelensky instructed his top general Valery Zaluzhny to fill vacancies as soon as possible and implement the decisions. Also, new candidates for the posts will be first vetted by Ukrainian intelligence agency SBU, to keep Russian moles at bay. Watch: Gravitas | Ukraine war: The battle reaches the skies & the seas × The embattled president of Ukraine has made tackling graft the topmost priority as the country’s counteroffensive against Russia falters. The move is also aimed at pleasing officials in US and Europe as they debate whether or not the warring nation should be admitted into NATO and the European Union (EU). Move comes amidst faltering counteroffensive Over the course of 18 months since Russia's invasion, Ukrainians have primarily maintained a defensive stance, thwarting Moscow's attempts to capture additional territories. However, this summer, Ukraine decided to take the offensive way, aided by substantial Western military support. Ukraine attempted to reclaim the eastern and southern regions previously seized by the Russians. Despite this, a glance at a comprehensive map of these areas indicates minimal change during the two months of the counter-offensive. Also read: Ukraine minister vows to go after army commanders accused of sexual harassment Currently, Russia continues to occupy nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, which includes strategic cities like Donetsk in the east and Mariupol, captured after a prolonged siege. Their forces remain deeply entrenched. Notably, the situation has remained relatively static since November 2022, when Ukraine last made significant gains by reclaiming Kherson in the south along with substantial portions of the northeast. Silver lining for Ukraine But Ukraine has reported small successes too, including the retaking of Staromaiorske village in Donetsk, as reported by BBC. The village lies in the eastern region near Bakhmut, where fierce clashes have occurred. Additionally, Ukraine has managed to regain control over some small areas previously lost earlier in the summer. Additional progress has been made in the Zaporizhzhia region to the south, a crucial area where Ukraine's decisive efforts are essential. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ukraine fires chiefs of local military recruitment centres amid corruption allegations

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has said that she would help to punish commanders in the Ukrainian army who have been credibly accused of sexual harassment by female soldiers. The Guardian has reported that a 27-year-old female soldier told the news outlet about sexual harassment she had faced from a senior military commander.

Maliar has appealed to all those who say they were targeted to contact her. According to The Guardian report, a whistleblower had alleged that a commander in a unit ordered female soldiers to have sex with him or risk their husbands being sent to the frontlines where they could be killed in combat.

Maliar has also said she will look into accusations that women in the Ukrainian Army were threatened that they would be sent to psychiatric units if they raised complaints of sexual harassment. Maliar has said that she would personally take such cases to the police.

Watch | Russia roars: Ukraine orders evacuation of Kharkiv areas | Region central to Putin's war plans

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The Guardian reported that allegations of sexual harassment were raised by a 27-year-old platoon sergeant who said she was forced to seek transfer from her unit after being told to "shut up" by senior officers after raising cases.

“I left [my brigade] because there was this person high up the food chain who would harass women and I know these women,” she had said.&nbsp;

“Some of them are my subordinates who I’m responsible for. They were harassed by the same person who basically told them if they refuse to have sex with him, he’s sending their husbands who were also in the brigade to their deaths. I was told to shut up because he did not harass me personally.”

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/woman-fired-after-her-company-uses-tech-to-monitor-her-wfh-performance-report-624197">Woman fired after her company uses tech to monitor her WFH performance: Report</a>

Maliar has now said that she would protect this soldier and other women soldiers who come forward.

“I tell all women in the armed forces to write me a statement. I will contact the police and bring the police by the hand to investigate this. Give me all the information, I will personally contact the police. These things are unacceptable; a woman cannot be treated like this. I will protect them,” said Maliar, as quoted by The Guardian.

The news outlet, which quoted the female soldier, said that she had expressed readiness to speak with the minister.

As per the news report, about 60,000 women are working in the Ukrainian military. Out of these, 42,000 are soldiers and 5,000 of them are fighting battles on the frontlines.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has said that she would help to punish commanders in the Ukrainian army who have been credibly accused of sexual harassment by female soldiers.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has said that she would help to punish commanders in the Ukrainian army who have been credibly accused of sexual harassment by female soldiers. The Guardian has reported that a 27-year-old female soldier told the news outlet about sexual harassment she had faced from a senior military commander. Maliar has appealed to all those who say they were targeted to contact her. According to The Guardian report, a whistleblower had alleged that a commander in a unit ordered female soldiers to have sex with him or risk their husbands being sent to the frontlines where they could be killed in combat. Maliar has also said she will look into accusations that women in the Ukrainian Army were threatened that they would be sent to psychiatric units if they raised complaints of sexual harassment. Maliar has said that she would personally take such cases to the police. Watch | Russia roars: Ukraine orders evacuation of Kharkiv areas | Region central to Putin's war plans × The Guardian reported that allegations of sexual harassment were raised by a 27-year-old platoon sergeant who said she was forced to seek transfer from her unit after being told to "shut up" by senior officers after raising cases. “I left [my brigade] because there was this person high up the food chain who would harass women and I know these women,” she had said. “Some of them are my subordinates who I’m responsible for. They were harassed by the same person who basically told them if they refuse to have sex with him, he’s sending their husbands who were also in the brigade to their deaths. I was told to shut up because he did not harass me personally.” Also Read | Woman fired after her company uses tech to monitor her WFH performance: Report Maliar has now said that she would protect this soldier and other women soldiers who come forward. “I tell all women in the armed forces to write me a statement. I will contact the police and bring the police by the hand to investigate this. Give me all the information, I will personally contact the police. These things are unacceptable; a woman cannot be treated like this. I will protect them,” said Maliar, as quoted by The Guardian. The news outlet, which quoted the female soldier, said that she had expressed readiness to speak with the minister. As per the news report, about 60,000 women are working in the Ukrainian military. Out of these, 42,000 are soldiers and 5,000 of them are fighting battles on the frontlines. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ukraine minister vows to go after army commanders accused of sexual harassment

A Brazilian model who volunteered to fight with Ukraine was killed in a Russian missile strike, local media has reported. Thalita do Valle, a 39-year-old former model, had just been in Ukraine for three weeks. She had joined the sniper squad. On June 30, a Russian missile struck the Kharkiv region when Valle, along with other Ukrainian forces, was on a mission to rescue Ukrainians from a village that Russian troops had vacated. The missile hit her bunker, The Sun reported.

The missile strike also killed former Brazilian&nbsp;Army soldier Douglas Burigo, 40, who had returned to the bunker to find Thalito.

She was the only person left behind after the first missile strike, the other fighters said.

"She was a hero, and her calling was to save lives, running after humanitarian missions," her brother Theo Rodrigo Viera told Brazilian news outlet UOL

He said her role was as a rescuer, but she also provided cover for advancing troops.

Do Valle, a resident of Sao Paulo, was a former child actress and worked as a model after turning 18.

She also studied law and was passionate about animal activism, her family said, and she worked with NGOs to defend animal rights.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/even-as-ukraine-war-leaves-thousand-dead-russia-warns-humanity-at-risk-if-west-seeks-to-punish-it-495168">Even as Ukraine war leaves thousand dead, Russia warns humanity at risk if West seeks to punish it</a>

Do Valle received sniper training after joining Pashmergas, the armed military forces of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, according to&nbsp;news.com.au.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-parliament-gives-initial-approval-to-laws-for-a-war-economy-494678" hreflang="en">Russian parliament gives initial approval to laws for a war economy</a>

The 39-year-old woman had been on humanitarian missions around the world and previously fought against ISIS in Iraq.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Brazilian model who volunteered to fight with Ukraine was killed in a Russian missile strike, local media has reported. Thalita do Valle, a 39-year-old former model, had just been in Ukraine for three weeks.

A Brazilian model who volunteered to fight with Ukraine was killed in a Russian missile strike, local media has reported. Thalita do Valle, a 39-year-old former model, had just been in Ukraine for three weeks. She had joined the sniper squad. On June 30, a Russian missile struck the Kharkiv region when Valle, along with other Ukrainian forces, was on a mission to rescue Ukrainians from a village that Russian troops had vacated. The missile hit her bunker, The Sun reported. The missile strike also killed former Brazilian Army soldier Douglas Burigo, 40, who had returned to the bunker to find Thalito. She was the only person left behind after the first missile strike, the other fighters said. "She was a hero, and her calling was to save lives, running after humanitarian missions," her brother Theo Rodrigo Viera told Brazilian news outlet UOL He said her role was as a rescuer, but she also provided cover for advancing troops. Do Valle, a resident of Sao Paulo, was a former child actress and worked as a model after turning 18. She also studied law and was passionate about animal activism, her family said, and she worked with NGOs to defend animal rights. Also read | Even as Ukraine war leaves thousand dead, Russia warns humanity at risk if West seeks to punish it Do Valle received sniper training after joining Pashmergas, the armed military forces of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, according to news.com.au. Also read | Russian parliament gives initial approval to laws for a war economy The 39-year-old woman had been on humanitarian missions around the world and previously fought against ISIS in Iraq. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Brazilian model who volunteered for Ukrainian Army as sniper killed in Russian missile strike

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian investigators would look into a video circulated on social media that purported to show Ukrainian forces mistreating captured Russian soldiers.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the video, which he said contained "monstrous images", needed to be legally assessed and for those who took part in what he described as torture to be held responsible.

"Currently, no one can confirm or deny the veracity of this video. It's not known where it's happening, or who the participants are," military spokesperson Oleksander Motuzyanyk said.

"The enemy produces and shares videos with the inhuman treatment of alleged 'Russian prisoners' by 'Ukrainian soldiers' in order to discredit the Ukrainian Defence Forces," Zaluzhny said.

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Ukraine's armed forces respect international norms, Zaluzhny said, accusing Russia of producing such videos in order to discredit Ukrainian soldiers. He did not provide any evidence to support his accusation.

Sergii Nykyforov, press spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the video must be assessed "in the context of both real and information wars."

The killing in action of several Russian generals and senior military figures in Ukraine has revealed the extent of the heavy losses and logistical problems encountered by Moscow's invading army.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/retaliatory-visa-measures-russia-set-to-restrict-entry-of-nationals-from-unfriendly-countries-466435" hreflang="en">Russia set to restrict entry of nationals from 'unfriendly' countries</a>

According to Kyiv, seven Russian generals have been killed since the invasion was launched on February 24, in what Western officials say would be an unusually high casualty rate among military top brass.

It is not possible to independently verify this figure and official Russian sources have so far confirmed only the death of one general and another senior naval commander.

According to the Ukraine defence ministry on Friday, the seventh Russian general to lose his life was Lieutenant General Yakov Rezantsev who was killed in fighting in Chornobaivka outside the southern city of Kherson.

With its aspirations for a quick victory dashed by a stiff Ukrainian resistance, Russia has increasingly focused on grinding down Ukraine’s military in the east in the hope of forcing Kyiv into surrendering part of the country’s territory to possibly end the war.

The bulk of the Ukrainian army is concentrated in eastern Ukraine, where it has been locked up in fighting with Moscow-backed separatists in a nearly eight-year conflict. If Russia succeeds in encircling and destroying the Ukrainian forces in the country’s industrial heartland called Donbas, it could try to dictate its terms to Kyiv and, possibly, attempt to split the country in two.

The Russian military declared that the “first stage of the operation” had been largely accomplished, allowing Russian troops to concentrate on their “top goal — the liberation of Donbas.”

Many observers say the shift in strategy could reflect President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgment that his plan for a blitz in Ukraine has failed, forcing him to narrow his goals and change tactics amid a disastrous war that has turned Russia into a pariah and decimated its economy.

In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser Mykhailo Podoliak described an "extraordinary" death rate among Russian generals and senior military figures. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian investigators would look into a video circulated on social media that purported to show Ukrainian forces mistreating captured Russian soldiers. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the video, which he said contained "monstrous images", needed to be legally assessed and for those who took part in what he described as torture to be held responsible. "Currently, no one can confirm or deny the veracity of this video. It's not known where it's happening, or who the participants are," military spokesperson Oleksander Motuzyanyk said. "The enemy produces and shares videos with the inhuman treatment of alleged 'Russian prisoners' by 'Ukrainian soldiers' in order to discredit the Ukrainian Defence Forces," Zaluzhny said. Ukraine's armed forces respect international norms, Zaluzhny said, accusing Russia of producing such videos in order to discredit Ukrainian soldiers. He did not provide any evidence to support his accusation. Sergii Nykyforov, press spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the video must be assessed "in the context of both real and information wars." The killing in action of several Russian generals and senior military figures in Ukraine has revealed the extent of the heavy losses and logistical problems encountered by Moscow's invading army. Also read | Russia set to restrict entry of nationals from 'unfriendly' countries According to Kyiv, seven Russian generals have been killed since the invasion was launched on February 24, in what Western officials say would be an unusually high casualty rate among military top brass. It is not possible to independently verify this figure and official Russian sources have so far confirmed only the death of one general and another senior naval commander. According to the Ukraine defence ministry on Friday, the seventh Russian general to lose his life was Lieutenant General Yakov Rezantsev who was killed in fighting in Chornobaivka outside the southern city of Kherson. With its aspirations for a quick victory dashed by a stiff Ukrainian resistance, Russia has increasingly focused on grinding down Ukraine’s military in the east in the hope of forcing Kyiv into surrendering part of the country’s territory to possibly end the war. The bulk of the Ukrainian army is concentrated in eastern Ukraine, where it has been locked up in fighting with Moscow-backed separatists in a nearly eight-year conflict. If Russia succeeds in encircling and destroying the Ukrainian forces in the country’s industrial heartland called Donbas, it could try to dictate its terms to Kyiv and, possibly, attempt to split the country in two. The Russian military declared that the “first stage of the operation” had been largely accomplished, allowing Russian troops to concentrate on their “top goal — the liberation of Donbas.” Many observers say the shift in strategy could reflect President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgment that his plan for a blitz in Ukraine has failed, forcing him to narrow his goals and change tactics amid a disastrous war that has turned Russia into a pariah and decimated its economy. In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser Mykhailo Podoliak described an "extraordinary" death rate among Russian generals and senior military figures. (With inputs from agencies)

Kremlin to investigate alleged video that shows Ukrainian forces mistreating captured Russian soldiers

When Ukrainian forces hit a Russian tank with an American-made Javelin missile on a highway on the northern reaches of the capital, Kyiv, the explosion was so huge that it tossed the turret 10 yards down the road and shredded the rest of the vehicle and the men inside.

The charred body parts of Russian soldiers were still decomposing on the asphalt three weeks later, alongside scattered metal debris and ammunition. A single felt boot, favorite footwear for centuries in Russia’s frozen villages, lay blackened among the detritus.

“Good shot,” the Ukrainian commander said with elation, surveying the wreck. A deputy commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which controlled the area, he asked that he be identified only by his nom de guerre, Sulim. He pointed to blackened chunks of human flesh and bone on the road from Russian soldiers killed in the strike, and added, “It was all humane, it was all very quick.”

“They came four times,” Sulim, 40, said. “Let them come again. I am waiting.”

The Russian army has come, again and again, trying to penetrate villages and suburbs around Kyiv for weeks, in what has become a seesaw battle for the critical areas that could be used to enter or encircle and eventually shell the capital.

Ukrainian media officers escorted several teams of journalists on a rare visit through villages close to Russian lines in the countryside of greater Kyiv on Friday to show some of the damage from early fighting, as well as the success of the Ukrainian resistance and the counterattacks that Ukraine’s military has mounted.

The villages visited were not among those recently liberated by the continuing Ukrainian counteroffensive, but they had come under attack as Russian forces had tried to seize them two weeks ago. Similar battles are now being waged daily.

This spot on the edge of a village, on a highway leading into Kyiv, marked the limit of the Russian advance in the area under Sulim’s watch. Two tanks — a T-90 that was hit by the Javelin and a T-72 — according to the commander, were ambushed on the road March 2 during the first week of the war. A half-dozen burned-out armored vehicles lay nearby — beside a cluster of houses and in a gully — wrecks from several skirmishes over the period of a week.

Russian forces were still just 4 miles away, but the commander asked that the village names not be published to safeguard his positions.

The villages on the front line were mostly deserted, with just a few men and women guarding houses and looking after their livestock. The first line of houses facing the road where the tank battle happened were badly damaged from artillery or tank shells.

A farmer, Valerii, 62, who kept cows and sheep in a property below the road said he had lost half of his animals in the fighting. “Everything is destroyed,” he said forlornly. “It was in the morning. I had just fed the animals when the tank came. It was about 100 yards from me. I hid.” He gave only his first name so as not to be further identified.

Later he ran into some Russian scouts in the woods and they had let him go, he said, but he was close to tears at the state of his farm.

“They come to our house and are trying to impose their orders,” he said of the Russians. “How can they? They should not do that. How can I go into your house and tell you what to do? I come to you, and I should behave according to your rules.”

The commander said they had found 10 bodies of Russian soldiers from the battle. “There were no prisoners,” he said. Ukrainian forces took away five of the bodies, and the local villagers buried the other five, he said.

Their armored vehicles had exploded with such force that the heavy steel hatches and doors had been sheared off and hurled in separate directions. In the gully where two armored personnel carriers had crashed and burned, a military sleeping bag and jacket lay beside one wreck, along with discarded rations and scattered ammunition.

As he walked through the wreckage, the commander picked up a soldier’s silver dog tag. It bore the number 785 000 and the imprint of the Soviet Army — VS USSR. He picked up an empty army satchel, with a tag with the name A.G. Gagarin on it and his unit number, 666. “They did not succeed,” he said grimly. “Gagarin is OK, he is dead.”

Several soldiers at the scene voiced thanks to the United States for providing Javelin portable antitank missiles and to Britain for sending NLAWs, next generation light anti-tank weapons. Yet despite their success in ambushing the Russian armored vehicles and tanks, the Ukrainian troops were wary of the firepower of the Russian army and kept the visit to their positions short.

Ukrainian artillery sounded close by as it fired at Russian positions to the north. Black smoke rose beyond nearby woods where the shells had fallen.

“Personally, we want to close the skies,” Sulim said, repeating a call by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over the country to save its cities from punishing airstrikes.

“The Russians are bombing civilians, women and children,” he said. “Would you want us to bomb you?” he asked of the Russian population.

The commander, who served in Iraq on several tours as part of a Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent, said he was from a region of Ukraine that is close to the Russian border. He said he had often interacted with Russian officers after fighting began in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He told them that if Russia had offered a better life, he would have readily supported a union between the two countries. “But it’s not good,” he said. “The officers agreed with me. They are not living well there. They live in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but everywhere else they just survive.”

At a second village, two powerful Russian missiles had gouged yards-wide craters beside the road, smashing houses and farm buildings in a wide arc. Two Iskander ballistic missiles had struck the village in the first week of the war, Ukrainian military officers said. The missiles were possibly aimed at Ukrainian military positions in the village, but they primarily damaged people’s homes and farms.

Yuriy Yunevich, 51, and his family had been asleep at home when the missiles hit at 3 a.m., one just yards from their house. “Everything was thrown like a wave,” he said. The walls of his house were buckled and his roof shorn off. His greenhouses were ripped apart, and the cows were lying down amid the broken bricks of their stalls.

He sent his wife and children away after that but said he could not leave, because his cows had to be milked and fed, and his German shepherd was expecting puppies soon. He was giving the milk and curd to the soldiers, he said. It was not the time to sell his produce, he added.

As he spoke, a sniper rifle shot rang out from a Ukrainian position nearby. Russian positions were barely 1 mile away, soldiers said.

“I think we will not let them in,” Yunevich said of the Russian army. He rejected any thought of living in peace under the Russians. “This is our land,” he said.

When Ukrainian forces hit a Russian tank with an American-made Javelin missile on a highway on the northern reaches of the capital, Kyiv, the explosion was so huge that it tossed the turret 10 yards down the road and shredded the rest of the vehicle and the men inside.

When Ukrainian forces hit a Russian tank with an American-made Javelin missile on a highway on the northern reaches of the capital, Kyiv, the explosion was so huge that it tossed the turret 10 yards down the road and shredded the rest of the vehicle and the men inside. The charred body parts of Russian soldiers were still decomposing on the asphalt three weeks later, alongside scattered metal debris and ammunition. A single felt boot, favorite footwear for centuries in Russia’s frozen villages, lay blackened among the detritus. “Good shot,” the Ukrainian commander said with elation, surveying the wreck. A deputy commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which controlled the area, he asked that he be identified only by his nom de guerre, Sulim. He pointed to blackened chunks of human flesh and bone on the road from Russian soldiers killed in the strike, and added, “It was all humane, it was all very quick.” “They came four times,” Sulim, 40, said. “Let them come again. I am waiting.” The Russian army has come, again and again, trying to penetrate villages and suburbs around Kyiv for weeks, in what has become a seesaw battle for the critical areas that could be used to enter or encircle and eventually shell the capital. Ukrainian media officers escorted several teams of journalists on a rare visit through villages close to Russian lines in the countryside of greater Kyiv on Friday to show some of the damage from early fighting, as well as the success of the Ukrainian resistance and the counterattacks that Ukraine’s military has mounted. The villages visited were not among those recently liberated by the continuing Ukrainian counteroffensive, but they had come under attack as Russian forces had tried to seize them two weeks ago. Similar battles are now being waged daily. This spot on the edge of a village, on a highway leading into Kyiv, marked the limit of the Russian advance in the area under Sulim’s watch. Two tanks — a T-90 that was hit by the Javelin and a T-72 — according to the commander, were ambushed on the road March 2 during the first week of the war. A half-dozen burned-out armored vehicles lay nearby — beside a cluster of houses and in a gully — wrecks from several skirmishes over the period of a week. Russian forces were still just 4 miles away, but the commander asked that the village names not be published to safeguard his positions. The villages on the front line were mostly deserted, with just a few men and women guarding houses and looking after their livestock. The first line of houses facing the road where the tank battle happened were badly damaged from artillery or tank shells. A farmer, Valerii, 62, who kept cows and sheep in a property below the road said he had lost half of his animals in the fighting. “Everything is destroyed,” he said forlornly. “It was in the morning. I had just fed the animals when the tank came. It was about 100 yards from me. I hid.” He gave only his first name so as not to be further identified. Later he ran into some Russian scouts in the woods and they had let him go, he said, but he was close to tears at the state of his farm. “They come to our house and are trying to impose their orders,” he said of the Russians. “How can they? They should not do that. How can I go into your house and tell you what to do? I come to you, and I should behave according to your rules.” The commander said they had found 10 bodies of Russian soldiers from the battle. “There were no prisoners,” he said. Ukrainian forces took away five of the bodies, and the local villagers buried the other five, he said. Their armored vehicles had exploded with such force that the heavy steel hatches and doors had been sheared off and hurled in separate directions. In the gully where two armored personnel carriers had crashed and burned, a military sleeping bag and jacket lay beside one wreck, along with discarded rations and scattered ammunition. As he walked through the wreckage, the commander picked up a soldier’s silver dog tag. It bore the number 785 000 and the imprint of the Soviet Army — VS USSR. He picked up an empty army satchel, with a tag with the name A.G. Gagarin on it and his unit number, 666. “They did not succeed,” he said grimly. “Gagarin is OK, he is dead.” Several soldiers at the scene voiced thanks to the United States for providing Javelin portable antitank missiles and to Britain for sending NLAWs, next generation light anti-tank weapons. Yet despite their success in ambushing the Russian armored vehicles and tanks, the Ukrainian troops were wary of the firepower of the Russian army and kept the visit to their positions short. Ukrainian artillery sounded close by as it fired at Russian positions to the north. Black smoke rose beyond nearby woods where the shells had fallen. “Personally, we want to close the skies,” Sulim said, repeating a call by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over the country to save its cities from punishing airstrikes. “The Russians are bombing civilians, women and children,” he said. “Would you want us to bomb you?” he asked of the Russian population. The commander, who served in Iraq on several tours as part of a Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent, said he was from a region of Ukraine that is close to the Russian border. He said he had often interacted with Russian officers after fighting began in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He told them that if Russia had offered a better life, he would have readily supported a union between the two countries. “But it’s not good,” he said. “The officers agreed with me. They are not living well there. They live in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but everywhere else they just survive.” At a second village, two powerful Russian missiles had gouged yards-wide craters beside the road, smashing houses and farm buildings in a wide arc. Two Iskander ballistic missiles had struck the village in the first week of the war, Ukrainian military officers said. The missiles were possibly aimed at Ukrainian military positions in the village, but they primarily damaged people’s homes and farms. Yuriy Yunevich, 51, and his family had been asleep at home when the missiles hit at 3 a.m., one just yards from their house. “Everything was thrown like a wave,” he said. The walls of his house were buckled and his roof shorn off. His greenhouses were ripped apart, and the cows were lying down amid the broken bricks of their stalls. He sent his wife and children away after that but said he could not leave, because his cows had to be milked and fed, and his German shepherd was expecting puppies soon. He was giving the milk and curd to the soldiers, he said. It was not the time to sell his produce, he added. As he spoke, a sniper rifle shot rang out from a Ukrainian position nearby. Russian positions were barely 1 mile away, soldiers said. “I think we will not let them in,” Yunevich said of the Russian army. He rejected any thought of living in peace under the Russians. “This is our land,” he said.

At the edge of Kyiv, Ukrainians show off their counteroffensive

Anatomy of attack: How Ukraine soldiers are battling Russians

The soldiers live in dugout bunkers, and cook all their own meals. They dry their wet socks on clotheslines underground. Many of their weapons are remnants of the Soviet era, half a century old.

In the icy trenches of eastern Ukraine, where government troops are fighting Russian-backed separatists, one of the critical issues in the standoff between Russia and the West — should Ukraine be allowed to join NATO? — seems hardly pressing or even relevant: Little about the day-to-day activities of Ukrainian soldiers suggests the kind of sophisticated, contemporary military that distinguishes NATO members.

“You dig a hole, then you sleep in that damned hole,” said Pvt. Yuri Todorchuk, who is 53, summing up service in the Ukrainian army in the east. “Even younger men have sore backs” from all the digging, he said.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has massed about 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, stoking fears of an imminent invasion by an upgraded and lethal Russian fighting force. And he has insisted to the United States and Western Europe that Ukraine must never be allowed to join NATO, a demand the West has rejected.

But several days of observation at the front lines last week showed the grinding, relatively low-tech tactics of the Ukrainian army. Hard-pressed for soldiers, the military now admits enlisted men up to age 57 on three-year contracts. It has been reforming and re-arming but remains almost wholly focused on the manpower-intensive trench fighting in the east, a decidedly old-fashioned form of war.

The eight men in one small unit, Lima squad, part of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, arrived at their position in June and set about digging, soldiers said.

They burrowed out their underground homes — two sleeping quarters, each with four bunks; a subterranean kitchen; and a room for steam baths — and have lived in these cavelike spaces since.

Above ground, plastic sheeting claps in a freezing wind. With separatist trenches close by, in a tree line across a snowy field, the only truly safe place is underground.

Nothing about the unit suggests a connection to NATO other than the name, Lima, which is the NATO phonetic alphabet designation for the letter L. Under an overhaul as part of Ukraine’s aspiration to join the alliance, military units were renamed according to NATO standards.

The conflict is fought mostly with rifles, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, mortars and artillery systems dating to the 1970s or earlier. The United States has sold Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine since 2018, but they are intended mainly to repel a broad Russian attack, not for use on the front. Turkey provides another of the country’s newer weapons, the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone, but the Ukrainian military has acknowledged using it only once in combat, last October.

Still, military analysts say the force is in far better shape than in 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and fomented the war in the east. The United States has provided $2.7 billion in military assistance in the years since. In recent weeks, it authorized Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, and Britain has provided guided anti-tank missiles.

And the Ukrainian army is battle hardened. About 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including about 13,000 women, have gone through rotations along the eastern front, providing a pool of veteran fighters who might be called up in the event of war. On Tuesday President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an order declaring his intention to add 100,000 troops to Ukraine’s military over three years, and increase soldiers’ pay.

But multiple rotations have also taken a heavy toll, soldiers in this position, who range in age from 25 to 59, said. Pvt. Volodymyr Murdza, 53, is halfway through his second three-year contract. His son is also serving in the war and his wife worries terribly, he said. “She calls and says, ‘I worry because you don’t call me,’” Murdza said. “And I say, ‘Dearest, sunshine, I call whenever I can.’”

The closeness of the lines is a continual source of unease, Murdza said. Just two days earlier, a soldier from another unit serving in a position 100 or so yards away was wounded from shrapnel from a mortar, after the Russian-backed separatists apparently ascertained its location.

So, in the pre-dawn, three soldiers in Lima squad awoke for an operation to prevent a similar setback in their small maze of trenches.

The orders were to fire a heavy machine gun from a position where it is not typically stationed. The soldiers described opening up with the gun as a routine necessity, to mislead the other side about the location of their positions, and prevent an attack. Neither side observed repeated political announcements of cease-fires. The most recent cease-fire announcement came last week, after diplomatic talks between Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Paris.

“Are you ready?” one of the soldiers asked, pulling back a lever to load the gun. “It’s happening now.” It was 3 a.m.

With that, a small, log-framed dugout filled with the roar of the 50-calber machine gun, muzzle flashes and acrid smoke. A few bursts of a dozen or so bullets each were fired.

In the distance, across the pitch-black, fallow farm field that separates the two sides, answering volleys rang out. But the shots went wide, flying overhead dozens of yards from the Ukrainian dugout. A radio crackled. Then it was silent again, except for the crunch of Ukrainian soldiers’ footsteps in the snow as they returned to their usual position.

The level of violence has ebbed and flowed over the eight years of war in eastern Ukraine, but it has mostly been a low-intensity conflict.

Deployments that last six to eight months are hard, but so are leaves at home, said Pvt. Roman Leskiv, 30, the commander of Lima squad, who has been serving in the east since the war started.

“It feels stifling; people don’t understand me,” said Leskiv, explaining that after so many years at the front he has trouble assimilating to life away from it. “Vacation is the hardest part of the year for me.”

But seeing only the faces of the same half-dozen other men, for months on end, also grates on his nerves.

A few years ago, he married a nurse who had treated him in hospital after a shrapnel wound, but they divorced.

“She asked, ‘When will you come home?’” said Leskiv, sitting by the wood fire in the unit’s kitchen, running a hand over a scar on his scalp underneath his buzz-cut hair. “And I said, ‘Soon, soon, soon.’ But soon never happened.”

Dr. Oleksandr Astrakhantsev, the doctor assigned to the larger unit that Lima squad reports to, treats battle wounds, mostly from shrapnel, but also everyday ailments of men in their 50s living in rough circumstances. “In these conditions, any problem becomes more acute,” from stress to lack of sleep, he said.

Psychological difficulties also arise. “When you see the same faces every day, and every day nothing changes, it can get you down,” Astrakhantsev said. Soldiers recede into themselves, stop talking.

“We used to call it Afghan syndrome,” he said. “Everybody out here has it. Even if a soldier goes home, a part of him stays out here in the east.” 
&nbsp;

The soldiers live in dugout bunkers, and cook all their own meals. They dry their wet socks on clotheslines underground. Many of their weapons are remnants of the Soviet era, half a century old.

The soldiers live in dugout bunkers, and cook all their own meals. They dry their wet socks on clotheslines underground. Many of their weapons are remnants of the Soviet era, half a century old. In the icy trenches of eastern Ukraine, where government troops are fighting Russian-backed separatists, one of the critical issues in the standoff between Russia and the West — should Ukraine be allowed to join NATO? — seems hardly pressing or even relevant: Little about the day-to-day activities of Ukrainian soldiers suggests the kind of sophisticated, contemporary military that distinguishes NATO members. “You dig a hole, then you sleep in that damned hole,” said Pvt. Yuri Todorchuk, who is 53, summing up service in the Ukrainian army in the east. “Even younger men have sore backs” from all the digging, he said. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has massed about 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, stoking fears of an imminent invasion by an upgraded and lethal Russian fighting force. And he has insisted to the United States and Western Europe that Ukraine must never be allowed to join NATO, a demand the West has rejected. But several days of observation at the front lines last week showed the grinding, relatively low-tech tactics of the Ukrainian army. Hard-pressed for soldiers, the military now admits enlisted men up to age 57 on three-year contracts. It has been reforming and re-arming but remains almost wholly focused on the manpower-intensive trench fighting in the east, a decidedly old-fashioned form of war. The eight men in one small unit, Lima squad, part of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, arrived at their position in June and set about digging, soldiers said. They burrowed out their underground homes — two sleeping quarters, each with four bunks; a subterranean kitchen; and a room for steam baths — and have lived in these cavelike spaces since. Above ground, plastic sheeting claps in a freezing wind. With separatist trenches close by, in a tree line across a snowy field, the only truly safe place is underground. Nothing about the unit suggests a connection to NATO other than the name, Lima, which is the NATO phonetic alphabet designation for the letter L. Under an overhaul as part of Ukraine’s aspiration to join the alliance, military units were renamed according to NATO standards. The conflict is fought mostly with rifles, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, mortars and artillery systems dating to the 1970s or earlier. The United States has sold Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine since 2018, but they are intended mainly to repel a broad Russian attack, not for use on the front. Turkey provides another of the country’s newer weapons, the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone, but the Ukrainian military has acknowledged using it only once in combat, last October. Still, military analysts say the force is in far better shape than in 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and fomented the war in the east. The United States has provided $2.7 billion in military assistance in the years since. In recent weeks, it authorized Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, and Britain has provided guided anti-tank missiles. And the Ukrainian army is battle hardened. About 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including about 13,000 women, have gone through rotations along the eastern front, providing a pool of veteran fighters who might be called up in the event of war. On Tuesday President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an order declaring his intention to add 100,000 troops to Ukraine’s military over three years, and increase soldiers’ pay. But multiple rotations have also taken a heavy toll, soldiers in this position, who range in age from 25 to 59, said. Pvt. Volodymyr Murdza, 53, is halfway through his second three-year contract. His son is also serving in the war and his wife worries terribly, he said. “She calls and says, ‘I worry because you don’t call me,’” Murdza said. “And I say, ‘Dearest, sunshine, I call whenever I can.’” The closeness of the lines is a continual source of unease, Murdza said. Just two days earlier, a soldier from another unit serving in a position 100 or so yards away was wounded from shrapnel from a mortar, after the Russian-backed separatists apparently ascertained its location. So, in the pre-dawn, three soldiers in Lima squad awoke for an operation to prevent a similar setback in their small maze of trenches. The orders were to fire a heavy machine gun from a position where it is not typically stationed. The soldiers described opening up with the gun as a routine necessity, to mislead the other side about the location of their positions, and prevent an attack. Neither side observed repeated political announcements of cease-fires. The most recent cease-fire announcement came last week, after diplomatic talks between Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Paris. “Are you ready?” one of the soldiers asked, pulling back a lever to load the gun. “It’s happening now.” It was 3 a.m. With that, a small, log-framed dugout filled with the roar of the 50-calber machine gun, muzzle flashes and acrid smoke. A few bursts of a dozen or so bullets each were fired. In the distance, across the pitch-black, fallow farm field that separates the two sides, answering volleys rang out. But the shots went wide, flying overhead dozens of yards from the Ukrainian dugout. A radio crackled. Then it was silent again, except for the crunch of Ukrainian soldiers’ footsteps in the snow as they returned to their usual position. The level of violence has ebbed and flowed over the eight years of war in eastern Ukraine, but it has mostly been a low-intensity conflict. Deployments that last six to eight months are hard, but so are leaves at home, said Pvt. Roman Leskiv, 30, the commander of Lima squad, who has been serving in the east since the war started. “It feels stifling; people don’t understand me,” said Leskiv, explaining that after so many years at the front he has trouble assimilating to life away from it. “Vacation is the hardest part of the year for me.” But seeing only the faces of the same half-dozen other men, for months on end, also grates on his nerves. A few years ago, he married a nurse who had treated him in hospital after a shrapnel wound, but they divorced. “She asked, ‘When will you come home?’” said Leskiv, sitting by the wood fire in the unit’s kitchen, running a hand over a scar on his scalp underneath his buzz-cut hair. “And I said, ‘Soon, soon, soon.’ But soon never happened.” Dr. Oleksandr Astrakhantsev, the doctor assigned to the larger unit that Lima squad reports to, treats battle wounds, mostly from shrapnel, but also everyday ailments of men in their 50s living in rough circumstances. “In these conditions, any problem becomes more acute,” from stress to lack of sleep, he said. Psychological difficulties also arise. “When you see the same faces every day, and every day nothing changes, it can get you down,” Astrakhantsev said. Soldiers recede into themselves, stop talking. “We used to call it Afghan syndrome,” he said. “Everybody out here has it. Even if a soldier goes home, a part of him stays out here in the east.”

With low-tech, trench warfare, Ukraine's army isn’t NATO caliber

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree which allows the increase of the army by 100,000 in addition to the current troops over the next three years.

Ukraine President Zelensky signs decree to increase army strength by 100,000 troops in 3 years

According to reports, women have joined Ukraine's army in large numbers including thousands of civilians as threat of war with Russia looms over the country.

The women have been drafted into the army reserves and have been receiving basic training. In December last year, Ukraine's defence ministry had declared women between 18 and 60 were "fit for military service".

The move is being seen as a "powerful signal to Moscow", Ukraine's lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova said it was not about conscription but was "logical, timely and sensible” with thousands of Russian troops massed at Ukraine's border.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-dagger-on-ukraine-kinzhal-hypersonic-missiles-can-degrade-high-value-targets-447431">Also Read in Pics |&nbsp;Russia's 'Dagger' on Ukraine: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles&nbsp;</a>

Over 31,000 women reportedly serve in Ukraine's&nbsp;defence&nbsp;forces with women from various professions asked to register for possible military service. The professions include musicians, veterinarians, librarians and journalists,&nbsp;

The new law states that women between the ages of 20 and 40 can be mobilised as regular soldiers and those between &nbsp;20 to 50 can become officers. However, there are exceptions for women with children including full-time students and graduates.

Women have been serving in Ukraine's army since 1993 including in combat roles. According to a report, the number of women in the Ukrainian army has more than doubled since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.

Watch:&nbsp;US will soon send a small number of troops to eastern Europe

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-will-soon-send-a-small-number-of-troops-to-eastern-europe-amid-tensions-with-russia-over-ukraine-448673/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

There are 109 women who serve as&nbsp;platoon commanders in Ukraine's armed forces with 900 women officers in command positions with 13,000 women fulfilling the role of combatants.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-checkmate-why-the-orion-combat-drone-is-a-gamechanger-446455">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger</a>

Ukraine has 255,000 soldiers on active duty with 900,000 reservists who are expected to play a key role if hostilities break out with Russia.

Russia has over 1 million personnel on active duty with 378,000 reserve personnel and 250,000 paramilitary troops.&nbsp;

Russia has a gigantic&nbsp;budget to sustain its armed forces. A US congressional report two years ago stated that the country's military expenditures ranged between $60 billion and $65 billion a year which was roughly 4 per cent of its GDP.

(With inputs from Agencies)

According to reports, women have joined Ukraine's army in large numbers including thousands of civilians as threat of war with Russia looms over the country. The women have been drafted into the army reserves and have been receiving basic training.

According to reports, women have joined Ukraine's army in large numbers including thousands of civilians as threat of war with Russia looms over the country. The women have been drafted into the army reserves and have been receiving basic training. In December last year, Ukraine's defence ministry had declared women between 18 and 60 were "fit for military service". The move is being seen as a "powerful signal to Moscow", Ukraine's lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova said it was not about conscription but was "logical, timely and sensible” with thousands of Russian troops massed at Ukraine's border. Also Read in Pics | Russia's 'Dagger' on Ukraine: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles Over 31,000 women reportedly serve in Ukraine's defence forces with women from various professions asked to register for possible military service. The professions include musicians, veterinarians, librarians and journalists, The new law states that women between the ages of 20 and 40 can be mobilised as regular soldiers and those between 20 to 50 can become officers. However, there are exceptions for women with children including full-time students and graduates. Women have been serving in Ukraine's army since 1993 including in combat roles. According to a report, the number of women in the Ukrainian army has more than doubled since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. Watch: US will soon send a small number of troops to eastern Europe There are 109 women who serve as platoon commanders in Ukraine's armed forces with 900 women officers in command positions with 13,000 women fulfilling the role of combatants. Also Read in Pics: Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger Ukraine has 255,000 soldiers on active duty with 900,000 reservists who are expected to play a key role if hostilities break out with Russia. Russia has over 1 million personnel on active duty with 378,000 reserve personnel and 250,000 paramilitary troops. Russia has a gigantic budget to sustain its armed forces. A US congressional report two years ago stated that the country's military expenditures ranged between $60 billion and $65 billion a year which was roughly 4 per cent of its GDP. (With inputs from Agencies)

Women join Ukraine's army in huge numbers as Russian threat looms

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has dismissed Russian demand to "never join" the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as "illegitimate", highlighting "Russian aggression" against his country "as well as Georgia and Moldova".

In&nbsp;response to a WION question, FM Kuleba said, "although we consider Russian demands that Ukraine will never become a member of NATO unacceptable and illegitimate, our country does not stand against a dialogue between Russia and the West as such."

He further added that "during any dialogue, the core principle must be observed: no agreements must be made on Ukraine without Ukraine."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-officials-release-footage-where-man-bursts-into-flames-on-being-tased-by-police-after-using-sanitizer-443052">Also Read |&nbsp;US discussed shipping Stinger missiles to Ukraine: Report</a>

Moscow is worried that Ukraine may join the&nbsp;30-country military alliance NATO fearing Russian security will be impacted, which Kyiv has dismissed. The Russia- Ukraine crisis has worried several western capitals&nbsp;with concerns of a Russian invasion of the country threatening the stability of Europe.

Foreign minister Kuleba pointed that, "Russian Federation has continued to send new troops to the border with Ukraine"&nbsp;and&nbsp;as of "30 December 2021, 52 battalion tactical groups have been deployed in close proximity to Ukrainian territory.".

The minister added that the&nbsp;total number of forces along the "border, and in the occupied Donbas and Crimea reached 126,000 troops, which includes 105,000 troops being present on the ground and 21,000 as naval and air components."

The seeds of the current crisis goes back to the 2014 Russian- Ukraine conflict that led to the Russian annexation of Crimea.

The peninsula internationally is still considered as part of Ukraine&nbsp;and around eight&nbsp;countries only - Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe have recognised the result of the 2014 referendum that led to the region coming under Russian administration.

The response sent by Ukraine foreign ministry said Russia has "developed capabilities to deploy more units in a short period of time, from one to two weeks" even as last year saw the country conducting "2,500 military drills near the border with Ukraine, strengthening the readiness of its forces to be involved in new military operations on Ukrainian soil" which include "use of troops, artillery, anti-tank weapons, reconnaissance and engineering units".

Ties between the two&nbsp;countries&nbsp;which share ethnic ties deteriorated&nbsp;after the 2014 "Revolution of dignity" in Ukraine that toppled pro- Moscow President&nbsp;Viktor Yanukovych. Post-revolution, the country increased its engagement with the West which has perturbed Russia.

The foreign minister, giving data said, "from January 1 to December 30, 2021, Russian forces launched 2,457 attacks against Ukrainian positions, leaving 66 Ukrainian soldiers dead and 273 wounded", while adding, "30 servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces were killed by snipers and&nbsp;14 were wounded."

He said, "Russia is also trying to undermine the energy security of Ukraine, including through decreasing gas transit, blocking the export of coal and forcing Belarus to ban electricity supplies. "

Even as the situation remains precarious, security talks will take place between Russia and the US on January 10 in Geneva&nbsp;and Russia and NATO will meet&nbsp;on January 12 in Brussels.

Ukraine's foriegn minister Dmytro Kuleba listed key things that are required from Russia which includes&nbsp;"immediately withdraw its forces from the border with Ukraine and from the occupied territories", "de-occupy parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as the Crimean peninsula", "withdraw forces and mercenaries from the occupied parts of Georgia and Moldova"&nbsp;and&nbsp;"recognise the right of any nation to decide its future, including joining international blocs and alliances."

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has dismissed Russian demand to "never join" the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as "illegitimate", highlighting "Russian aggression" against his country "as well as Georgia and Moldova".

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has dismissed Russian demand to "never join" the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as "illegitimate", highlighting "Russian aggression" against his country "as well as Georgia and Moldova". In response to a WION question, FM Kuleba said, "although we consider Russian demands that Ukraine will never become a member of NATO unacceptable and illegitimate, our country does not stand against a dialogue between Russia and the West as such." He further added that "during any dialogue, the core principle must be observed: no agreements must be made on Ukraine without Ukraine." Also Read | US discussed shipping Stinger missiles to Ukraine: Report Moscow is worried that Ukraine may join the 30-country military alliance NATO fearing Russian security will be impacted, which Kyiv has dismissed. The Russia- Ukraine crisis has worried several western capitals with concerns of a Russian invasion of the country threatening the stability of Europe. Foreign minister Kuleba pointed that, "Russian Federation has continued to send new troops to the border with Ukraine" and as of "30 December 2021, 52 battalion tactical groups have been deployed in close proximity to Ukrainian territory.". The minister added that the total number of forces along the "border, and in the occupied Donbas and Crimea reached 126,000 troops, which includes 105,000 troops being present on the ground and 21,000 as naval and air components." The seeds of the current crisis goes back to the 2014 Russian- Ukraine conflict that led to the Russian annexation of Crimea. The peninsula internationally is still considered as part of Ukraine and around eight countries only - Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe have recognised the result of the 2014 referendum that led to the region coming under Russian administration. The response sent by Ukraine foreign ministry said Russia has "developed capabilities to deploy more units in a short period of time, from one to two weeks" even as last year saw the country conducting "2,500 military drills near the border with Ukraine, strengthening the readiness of its forces to be involved in new military operations on Ukrainian soil" which include "use of troops, artillery, anti-tank weapons, reconnaissance and engineering units". Ties between the two countries which share ethnic ties deteriorated after the 2014 "Revolution of dignity" in Ukraine that toppled pro- Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. Post-revolution, the country increased its engagement with the West which has perturbed Russia. The foreign minister, giving data said, "from January 1 to December 30, 2021, Russian forces launched 2,457 attacks against Ukrainian positions, leaving 66 Ukrainian soldiers dead and 273 wounded", while adding, "30 servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces were killed by snipers and 14 were wounded." He said, "Russia is also trying to undermine the energy security of Ukraine, including through decreasing gas transit, blocking the export of coal and forcing Belarus to ban electricity supplies. " Even as the situation remains precarious, security talks will take place between Russia and the US on January 10 in Geneva and Russia and NATO will meet on January 12 in Brussels. Ukraine's foriegn minister Dmytro Kuleba listed key things that are required from Russia which includes "immediately withdraw its forces from the border with Ukraine and from the occupied territories", "de-occupy parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as the Crimean peninsula", "withdraw forces and mercenaries from the occupied parts of Georgia and Moldova" and "recognise the right of any nation to decide its future, including joining international blocs and alliances."

Russian demand that we never become NATO member illegitimate: Ukraine foreign minister to WION

Amid tensions with Russia at the border, Boris Johnson's government said it has begun supplying anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid reports of an imminent Russian invasion.

British defence secretary Ben Wallace told parliament that the government was sending "short-range" weapons which pose no threat to Russia but it is for Ukraine's "self-defence".

"If tanks were to roll into Ukraine, invade it, then they would be part of the defence mechanism," Wallace told parliamentarians.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/to-deter-russian-aggression-canada-sends-special-forces-operators-small-contingent-to-ukraine-says-report-445569">Also Read:&nbsp;Canada sends special forces operators’ small contingent to Ukraine</a>

Meanwhile, Russian soldiers took part in a military exercise near the Ukrainian border amid tensions in the&nbsp;Kamensk-Shakhtinsky region as the soldiers reportedly carried out fortification and mining exercises.

The US and Ukraine have warned that Putin's regime is ready to launch an attack on Kyiv with over 100,000 troops amassed at the border with tanks and heavy artillery.

Watch:&nbsp;US, Russia harden stance over Ukraine crisis

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-russia-harden-stance-over-ukraine-crisis-445566/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Russia has dismissed claims it is about to invade Ukraine however it has insisted that Russian troops have the right to move about freely anywhere inside the country.

Russia had recently submitted a security document to the US and NATO in which it said the European security alliance should not induct ex-Soviet countries into its fold, referring to Ukraine. NATO has however rejected Russia's demand.

European countries including Germany have demanded Russia "de-escalate the situation" at the border warning that an invasion could lead to "serious political as well as economic consequences" for Russia.

However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that the country's leadership "is capable of protecting its interests both in terms of security and in terms of ensuring the rights of Russian citizens".

(With inputs from Agencies)&nbsp;

Amid tensions with Russia at the border, Boris Johnson's government said it has begun supplying anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid reports of an imminent Russian invasion.

Amid tensions with Russia at the border, Boris Johnson's government said it has begun supplying anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid reports of an imminent Russian invasion. British defence secretary Ben Wallace told parliament that the government was sending "short-range" weapons which pose no threat to Russia but it is for Ukraine's "self-defence". "If tanks were to roll into Ukraine, invade it, then they would be part of the defence mechanism," Wallace told parliamentarians. Also Read: Canada sends special forces operators’ small contingent to Ukraine Meanwhile, Russian soldiers took part in a military exercise near the Ukrainian border amid tensions in the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky region as the soldiers reportedly carried out fortification and mining exercises. The US and Ukraine have warned that Putin's regime is ready to launch an attack on Kyiv with over 100,000 troops amassed at the border with tanks and heavy artillery. Watch: US, Russia harden stance over Ukraine crisis Russia has dismissed claims it is about to invade Ukraine however it has insisted that Russian troops have the right to move about freely anywhere inside the country. Russia had recently submitted a security document to the US and NATO in which it said the European security alliance should not induct ex-Soviet countries into its fold, referring to Ukraine. NATO has however rejected Russia's demand. European countries including Germany have demanded Russia "de-escalate the situation" at the border warning that an invasion could lead to "serious political as well as economic consequences" for Russia. However, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that the country's leadership "is capable of protecting its interests both in terms of security and in terms of ensuring the rights of Russian citizens". (With inputs from Agencies)

UK supplies anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia

Ukrainian soldiers gearing up to repel Russian attack, if any, along the border. Although international pressure is increasing on Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say that they ready to counter any situation.

"We should only count on ourselves," Taras Mykytsey, a 52-year-old soldier, told AFP in the frontline village of Zaytseve north of the separatist stronghold Donetsk.

The separatists, who have carved out two "People's Republics" in eastern Ukraine, are backed by Russia.

"While we are waiting for something to be sent to us, Putin will not wait," added Mykytsey, sporting a helmet and a bulletproof vest.

Yuriy, a 29-year-old senior sergeant based near the town of Shchastya in the neighbouring Lugansk region, struck a similar note, saying he did not expect Western boots on the ground any time soon.

"What foreign country would want to send its people to their death?" he said.

Yuriy, who declined to give his last name, added that the Russian president would not buckle.

Faced with the largest deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders since 2014, President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more tangible help from the West, but many Ukrainian troops say they know they are on their own. The soldiers are sceptical that US sanctions and NATO warnings would have any effect on Russia.

US President Joe Biden has pledged his "unwavering support" to Zelensky, and Washington this week hit Moscow with new sanctions over US election interference and other hostile activity.

After talks in Paris on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Ukranian leader called for a four-way summit with Putin and the resumption of a ceasefire upended by a recent spate of clashes between Kiev troops and the separatists.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian soldiers gearing up to repel Russian attack, if any, along the border. Although international pressure is increasing on Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say that they ready to counter any situation.

Ukrainian soldiers gearing up to repel Russian attack, if any, along the border. Although international pressure is increasing on Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say that they ready to counter any situation. "We should only count on ourselves," Taras Mykytsey, a 52-year-old soldier, told AFP in the frontline village of Zaytseve north of the separatist stronghold Donetsk. The separatists, who have carved out two "People's Republics" in eastern Ukraine, are backed by Russia. "While we are waiting for something to be sent to us, Putin will not wait," added Mykytsey, sporting a helmet and a bulletproof vest. Yuriy, a 29-year-old senior sergeant based near the town of Shchastya in the neighbouring Lugansk region, struck a similar note, saying he did not expect Western boots on the ground any time soon. "What foreign country would want to send its people to their death?" he said. Yuriy, who declined to give his last name, added that the Russian president would not buckle. Faced with the largest deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders since 2014, President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more tangible help from the West, but many Ukrainian troops say they know they are on their own. The soldiers are sceptical that US sanctions and NATO warnings would have any effect on Russia. US President Joe Biden has pledged his "unwavering support" to Zelensky, and Washington this week hit Moscow with new sanctions over US election interference and other hostile activity. After talks in Paris on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Ukranian leader called for a four-way summit with Putin and the resumption of a ceasefire upended by a recent spate of clashes between Kiev troops and the separatists. (With inputs from agencies)

Ready to repel Russia, say Ukrainian troops

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Ready to repel Russia, say Ukrainian troops