Pentagon discloses it’s paying for Elon Musk’s Starlink internet in Ukraine
The U.S. Pentagon disclosed on Thursday that it has signed a contract to provide SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, nearly eight months after Elon Musk, the company’s owner, threatened to terminate access unless the U.S. government paid for it.
The Defense Department acknowledged the decision but withheld virtually all details about the agreement, including how much it will cost U.S. taxpayers and when the contract was signed. U.S. defense officials had previously estimated that the annual cost for Starlink in Ukraine, which Musk mostly had been donating, will be hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
The U.S. Pentagon disclosed on Thursday that it has signed a contract to provide SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, nearly eight months after Elon Musk, the company’s owner, threatened to terminate access unless the U.S. government paid for it.
The Defense Department acknowledged the decision but withheld virtually all details about the agreement, including how much it will cost U.S. taxpayers and when the contract was signed. U.S. defense officials had previously estimated that the annual cost for Starlink in Ukraine, which Musk mostly had been donating, will be hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Fighting is intensifying in Russia’s Belgorod region, where opposition forces have attacked government facilities and taken prisoners in support of Ukraine. The governor of the region said Sunday that he was willing to meet an opposition group that has taken his forces as prisoners, but the militia said he was a no-show.
- NASA images show numerous “fire” activities along the Russia-Ukraine border, where the Russian Defense Ministry reported an artillery strike Sunday. The images show fires near Novaya Tavolzhanka and Shebekino, both in the Belgorod region.
- About 100 people were detained in 20 Russian cities during demonstrations supporting Navalny, according to the independent OVD-Info news outlet. He was jailed in 2021 on charges widely viewed as trumped up because of his opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More live updates here.
- Fighting is intensifying in Russia’s Belgorod region, where opposition forces have attacked government facilities and taken prisoners in support of Ukraine. The governor of the region said Sunday that he was willing to meet an opposition group that has taken his forces as prisoners, but the militia said he was a no-show.
- NASA images show numerous “fire” activities along the Russia-Ukraine border, where the Russian Defense Ministry reported an artillery strike Sunday. The images show fires near Novaya Tavolzhanka and Shebekino, both in the Belgorod region.
- About 100 people were detained in 20 Russian cities during demonstrations supporting Navalny, according to the independent OVD-Info news outlet. He was jailed in 2021 on charges widely viewed as trumped up because of his opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Russia thwarted a Ukrainian attack in the eastern Donetsk region, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said in a video published Monday by the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency. The Sunday attack targeted Russian positions along five sections of the front line in southern Donetsk, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. His claims could not be verified.
- A Ukrainian official dismissed the “delusional” suggestion that Russian forces had blocked Kyiv’s long-anticipated counteroffensive in Donetsk. “In reality, when this starts, everyone will know about it,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, the spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command, told The Post. Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
- Tensions remain high in Russia’s western Belgorod region, where anti-Kremlin militias have carried out drone attacks and shelling in recent days, with the governor reporting a fresh attack overnight.
More live updates here.
- Russia thwarted a Ukrainian attack in the eastern Donetsk region, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said in a video published Monday by the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency. The Sunday attack targeted Russian positions along five sections of the front line in southern Donetsk, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. His claims could not be verified.
- A Ukrainian official dismissed the “delusional” suggestion that Russian forces had blocked Kyiv’s long-anticipated counteroffensive in Donetsk. “In reality, when this starts, everyone will know about it,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, the spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern command, told The Post. Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
- Tensions remain high in Russia’s western Belgorod region, where anti-Kremlin militias have carried out drone attacks and shelling in recent days, with the governor reporting a fresh attack overnight.
More live updates here.
NATO-trained units will serve as tip of spear in Ukraine’s counteroffensive
When Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive finally begins, the fight will be led by brigades armed not only with Western weapons but also Western know-how, gleaned from months of training aimed at transforming Ukraine’s military into a modern force skilled in NATO’s most advanced warfare tactics.
As other Ukrainian units were fighting to expel the Russian occupiers from the country’s east and south, the brand-new 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade was preparing for the next phase of war from a classroom at a NATO base in Germany.
Read the full story here.
When Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive finally begins, the fight will be led by brigades armed not only with Western weapons but also Western know-how, gleaned from months of training aimed at transforming Ukraine’s military into a modern force skilled in NATO’s most advanced warfare tactics.
As other Ukrainian units were fighting to expel the Russian occupiers from the country’s east and south, the brand-new 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade was preparing for the next phase of war from a classroom at a NATO base in Germany.
Read the full story here.
Shelling hits Russia’s Belgorod region as militias mount cross-border attack
KYIV, Ukraine — Anti-Russian fighters attacked at least 10 villages in Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday with heavy shelling, its governor said, in the latest sign of escalating cross-border fighting, as Moscow claimed to block the beginning of a large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Ukrainian forces had started a much-awaited counteroffensive by trying to pus through five areas of the front line in Ukraine’s Donetsk region but that Russian forces had repelled the attacks.
Konashenkov’s statement, in a video published by Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, could not be verified and was swiftly denied by Ukraine. Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesman for the Ukrainian army’s eastern command, called the Russian claim “delusional.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Anti-Russian fighters attacked at least 10 villages in Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday with heavy shelling, its governor said, in the latest sign of escalating cross-border fighting, as Moscow claimed to block the beginning of a large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Ukrainian forces had started a much-awaited counteroffensive by trying to pus through five areas of the front line in Ukraine’s Donetsk region but that Russian forces had repelled the attacks.
Konashenkov’s statement, in a video published by Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, could not be verified and was swiftly denied by Ukraine. Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesman for the Ukrainian army’s eastern command, called the Russian claim “delusional.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian troops carried out “offensive actions” in multiple locations on the eastern front, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram, despite “stiff resistance and the enemy’s attempts to hold the occupied lines and positions.”
- Ukraine’s forces advanced between 200 and 1,600 meters in the Donetsk region, near the town of Orikhovo-Vasylivka.
- A Ukrainian official dismissed as “delusional” Russia’s claim that its forces have blocked Kyiv’s long-anticipated counteroffensive in Donetsk.
- In Belgorod, a power facility caught fire after a drone attack, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Monday on Telegram.
- Belgium has launched an investigation into the use of its donated military equipment by anti-Kremlin militias in Belgorod, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced Monday.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian troops carried out “offensive actions” in multiple locations on the eastern front, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram, despite “stiff resistance and the enemy’s attempts to hold the occupied lines and positions.”
- Ukraine’s forces advanced between 200 and 1,600 meters in the Donetsk region, near the town of Orikhovo-Vasylivka.
- A Ukrainian official dismissed as “delusional” Russia’s claim that its forces have blocked Kyiv’s long-anticipated counteroffensive in Donetsk.
- In Belgorod, a power facility caught fire after a drone attack, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Monday on Telegram.
- Belgium has launched an investigation into the use of its donated military equipment by anti-Kremlin militias in Belgorod, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced Monday.
More live updates here.
Critical dam, power plant destroyed on Ukraine front lines; flooding prompts evacuations
Ukraine said a major dam and hydroelectric power plant near the front line in the country’s south have been destroyed, unleashing flooding out of a reservoir on Tuesday as officials ordered residents to evacuate. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia and called for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. Ukraine’s main intelligence agency accused Russian forces of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river, threatening the safety of a nearby nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.
The governor of nearby Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, said the water will reach “critical levels” within hours and urged residents in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region to evacuate immediately.
More live updates here.
Ukraine said a major dam and hydroelectric power plant near the front line in the country’s south have been destroyed, unleashing flooding out of a reservoir on Tuesday as officials ordered residents to evacuate. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia and called for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. Ukraine’s main intelligence agency accused Russian forces of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river, threatening the safety of a nearby nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.
The governor of nearby Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, said the water will reach “critical levels” within hours and urged residents in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region to evacuate immediately.
More live updates here.
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Blast damages Russian-occupied hydro-electric plant, flooding south Ukraine
A critical dam in southern Ukraine was heavily damaged early Tuesday, apparently by an explosion, sending water gushing toward dozens of communities, including some occupied by Russia, and prompting officials to evacuate thousands of people at risk of catastrophic flooding.
Russia seized the dam, which is part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, on the first day of its invasion in February 2022 because of its crucial role in supplying fresh water to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that was invaded and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
It was not clear who was responsible for the explosion, which occurred as Kyiv is stepping up offensive operations on the eastern and southern fronts as part of what is expected to be a major counterattack over coming weeks. Ukraine and Russia quickly traded blame for the blast.
Read the full story here.
A critical dam in southern Ukraine was heavily damaged early Tuesday, apparently by an explosion, sending water gushing toward dozens of communities, including some occupied by Russia, and prompting officials to evacuate thousands of people at risk of catastrophic flooding.
Russia seized the dam, which is part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, on the first day of its invasion in February 2022 because of its crucial role in supplying fresh water to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that was invaded and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
It was not clear who was responsible for the explosion, which occurred as Kyiv is stepping up offensive operations on the eastern and southern fronts as part of what is expected to be a major counterattack over coming weeks. Ukraine and Russia quickly traded blame for the blast.
Read the full story here.
In Dnipro, deadly missile attacks prove there is no escaping Russia’s war
PIDHORODNE, Ukraine — Natalia Hafykina, 60, was so close to her next-door neighbors, Vladislav and Natalya Prykhodko, that they celebrated the young couple’s pregnancy together and then, just over one year ago, the birth of their daughter, Liza.
Until now, their small, suburban town, seven miles north of the bustling city of Dnipro, had been peaceful. But on Saturday night, a Russian missile struck their two-story apartment building, cracking slabs of concrete and shattering walls and windows.
The blast left little Liza dead under the rubble and her mother in an intensive care ward. When Vladislav Prykhodko briefly came home from the hospital on Sunday, Hafykina could not bear to speak to him.
Read the full story here.
PIDHORODNE, Ukraine — Natalia Hafykina, 60, was so close to her next-door neighbors, Vladislav and Natalya Prykhodko, that they celebrated the young couple’s pregnancy together and then, just over one year ago, the birth of their daughter, Liza.
Until now, their small, suburban town, seven miles north of the bustling city of Dnipro, had been peaceful. But on Saturday night, a Russian missile struck their two-story apartment building, cracking slabs of concrete and shattering walls and windows.
The blast left little Liza dead under the rubble and her mother in an intensive care ward. When Vladislav Prykhodko briefly came home from the hospital on Sunday, Hafykina could not bear to speak to him.
Read the full story here.
Exclusive: U.S. had intelligence of detailed Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream pipeline
Three months before saboteurs bombed the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, the Biden administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a covert attack on the undersea network, using a small team of divers who reported directly to the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Details about the plan, which have not been previously reported, were collected by a European intelligence service and shared with the CIA in June 2022. They provide some of the most specific evidence to date linking the government of Ukraine to the eventual attack in the Baltic Sea, which U.S. and Western officials have called a brazen and dangerous act of sabotage on Europe’s energy infrastructure.
Read the full story here.
Three months before saboteurs bombed the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, the Biden administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a covert attack on the undersea network, using a small team of divers who reported directly to the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Details about the plan, which have not been previously reported, were collected by a European intelligence service and shared with the CIA in June 2022. They provide some of the most specific evidence to date linking the government of Ukraine to the eventual attack in the Baltic Sea, which U.S. and Western officials have called a brazen and dangerous act of sabotage on Europe’s energy infrastructure.
Read the full story here.
Maps show how damaged Kakhovka dam hurts both Ukraine and Russia
Significant damage to the dam and hydroelectric power plant on Ukraine’s front line early Tuesday poses strategic challenges for both sides ahead of Ukraine’s much-anticipated counteroffensive.
The Kakhovka dam, which supplies water to parts of southern Ukraine, was one of the last remaining crossings over the Dnieper River that separates Ukrainian and Russian forces in the south. Both sides blamed the other for the destruction and ordered residents to evacuate amid massive flooding.
The damage to the Russian-controlled dam would make it difficult for Ukrainian troops to cross into Crimea and other Russian-occupied cities in the south. On the other hand, it could eventually cut water off from Crimea and other parts of Russian-held territory. Flooding in the region could also affect Russian defenses and supply routes.
Read more about the Kakhovka dam here.
Significant damage to the dam and hydroelectric power plant on Ukraine’s front line early Tuesday poses strategic challenges for both sides ahead of Ukraine’s much-anticipated counteroffensive.
The Kakhovka dam, which supplies water to parts of southern Ukraine, was one of the last remaining crossings over the Dnieper River that separates Ukrainian and Russian forces in the south. Both sides blamed the other for the destruction and ordered residents to evacuate amid massive flooding.
The damage to the Russian-controlled dam would make it difficult for Ukrainian troops to cross into Crimea and other Russian-occupied cities in the south. On the other hand, it could eventually cut water off from Crimea and other parts of Russian-held territory. Flooding in the region could also affect Russian defenses and supply routes.
Read more about the Kakhovka dam here.
What to know about the explosion at Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam
A major dam and a hydroelectric power plant close to the front lines in the south of Ukraine were damaged in a blast early Tuesday.
Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as officials warn of a risk of catastrophic flooding, while Ukraine and Russia have both blamed each other for the attack.
It remains unclear how the Nova Kakhovka dam was breeched and who is responsible, but both Kyiv and Moscow have much to lose from the resulting damage.
Read more about the explosion here.
A major dam and a hydroelectric power plant close to the front lines in the south of Ukraine were damaged in a blast early Tuesday.
Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as officials warn of a risk of catastrophic flooding, while Ukraine and Russia have both blamed each other for the attack.
It remains unclear how the Nova Kakhovka dam was breeched and who is responsible, but both Kyiv and Moscow have much to lose from the resulting damage.
Read more about the explosion here.