Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- More than 1,300 people in the Kherson area have been evacuated, Ukrainian officials said, after damage to the Kakhovka dam triggered devastating floods in the region.
- The U.S. cannot conclusively say what led to the breach of the dam, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.
- Russians have a greater and clearer interest in flooding the lower Dnieper River, the Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday.
- Ukraine’s government will allocate more than $40 million for the construction of two new water mains to supply drinking water in the areas affected by the flooding, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency will visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant next week to assess the state of the plant after widespread damage to the nearby dam.
More live updates here.
- More than 1,300 people in the Kherson area have been evacuated, Ukrainian officials said, after damage to the Kakhovka dam triggered devastating floods in the region.
- The U.S. cannot conclusively say what led to the breach of the dam, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.
- Russians have a greater and clearer interest in flooding the lower Dnieper River, the Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday.
- Ukraine’s government will allocate more than $40 million for the construction of two new water mains to supply drinking water in the areas affected by the flooding, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency will visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant next week to assess the state of the plant after widespread damage to the nearby dam.
More live updates here.
Defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory? New strategy is a work in progress.
VIITNA, Estonia — The French paratroopers who floated into the fields of Estonia in May were part of a stepped-up rehearsal of what it would take to reinforce a battle group if the country — and NATO — were attacked.
Before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, the multinational troops stationed in the Baltics and Poland were intended as a “tripwire” — a presence just large enough to signal that any aggression would be met with a collective response, and just capable enough to hope to slow down enemy forces until reinforcements arrived.
Now, as part of what NATO bills as its “biggest overhaul” since the Cold War, the alliance claims that it intends to defend “every inch” of its territory from Day One. That is meant as a message to Moscow, as well as reassurance for countries that feared being left to languish under Russian occupation.
Read the full story here.
VIITNA, Estonia — The French paratroopers who floated into the fields of Estonia in May were part of a stepped-up rehearsal of what it would take to reinforce a battle group if the country — and NATO — were attacked.
Before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, the multinational troops stationed in the Baltics and Poland were intended as a “tripwire” — a presence just large enough to signal that any aggression would be met with a collective response, and just capable enough to hope to slow down enemy forces until reinforcements arrived.
Now, as part of what NATO bills as its “biggest overhaul” since the Cold War, the alliance claims that it intends to defend “every inch” of its territory from Day One. That is meant as a message to Moscow, as well as reassurance for countries that feared being left to languish under Russian occupation.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine dam’s destruction could ‘forever’ change ecosystems, officials say
The destruction of a major dam and hydroelectric power plant on the front lines of the war in Ukraine may dry up the rich agricultural region of southern Ukraine, sweep pollutants into waterways and upend ecosystems that had developed around the massive reservoir whose waters are now rapidly flooding downstream, although the full impact could take months or even years to understand, officials and experts said.
The escape of the huge store of water from the reservoir will reshape Ukraine’s map, its habitats and its livelihood, endangering communities that depend on the water for drinking and growing crops, forcing farmers out of business, pushing towns to relocate and unsettling delicate ecological balances. Ukrainian officials warned that at least 150 tons of oil stored inside the hydroelectric power plant in the dam were washed into the waterway.
Read the full story here.
The destruction of a major dam and hydroelectric power plant on the front lines of the war in Ukraine may dry up the rich agricultural region of southern Ukraine, sweep pollutants into waterways and upend ecosystems that had developed around the massive reservoir whose waters are now rapidly flooding downstream, although the full impact could take months or even years to understand, officials and experts said.
The escape of the huge store of water from the reservoir will reshape Ukraine’s map, its habitats and its livelihood, endangering communities that depend on the water for drinking and growing crops, forcing farmers out of business, pushing towns to relocate and unsettling delicate ecological balances. Ukrainian officials warned that at least 150 tons of oil stored inside the hydroelectric power plant in the dam were washed into the waterway.
Read the full story here.
As flood engulfs Kherson combat zone, Ukraine claims troop advances in east
KYIV, Ukraine — Waters continued to rise in southern Ukraine, flooding war-torn neighborhoods and trapping thousands of residents on Wednesday, after a catastrophic dam collapse triggered a humanitarian disaster at a pivotal moment of fighting on the front lines of Russia’s 15-month-long war.
Nearly 2,000 homes had flooded by Wednesday morning in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the southern Kherson region, the regional administration said, after the destruction of the Russian-controlled Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant sent water rushing over the banks of the Dnieper River.
With the floodwaters not expected to peak until at least Wednesday night, the scale of the disaster was almost certain to rise. In some inundated towns and villages, residents described calling in vain to the Russian occupying authorities for emergency assistance but said they got no help.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Waters continued to rise in southern Ukraine, flooding war-torn neighborhoods and trapping thousands of residents on Wednesday, after a catastrophic dam collapse triggered a humanitarian disaster at a pivotal moment of fighting on the front lines of Russia’s 15-month-long war.
Nearly 2,000 homes had flooded by Wednesday morning in Ukrainian-controlled parts of the southern Kherson region, the regional administration said, after the destruction of the Russian-controlled Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant sent water rushing over the banks of the Dnieper River.
With the floodwaters not expected to peak until at least Wednesday night, the scale of the disaster was almost certain to rise. In some inundated towns and villages, residents described calling in vain to the Russian occupying authorities for emergency assistance but said they got no help.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A vast stretch of southern Ukraine remained underwater on Wednesday after damage to the Soviet-era Kakhovka dam caused a reservoir to overflow and inundate communities downstream on the Dnieper River.
- Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for the dam’s collapse, which poses strategic challenges to both sides, experts say. The United States said it has not determined what happened.
- More than 1,800 people in the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson region were evacuated from their homes by authorities, with the flood reaching nearly 15,000 homes in the Russia-controlled parts of the Kherson region, local officials said on Wednesday.
- The United States learned of a Ukrainian military plan to carry out a covert attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, leaked military documents say.
- Russian ally Belarus lost its bid for a temporary spot on the U.N. Security Council, the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
- A vast stretch of southern Ukraine remained underwater on Wednesday after damage to the Soviet-era Kakhovka dam caused a reservoir to overflow and inundate communities downstream on the Dnieper River.
- Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for the dam’s collapse, which poses strategic challenges to both sides, experts say. The United States said it has not determined what happened.
- More than 1,800 people in the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson region were evacuated from their homes by authorities, with the flood reaching nearly 15,000 homes in the Russia-controlled parts of the Kherson region, local officials said on Wednesday.
- The United States learned of a Ukrainian military plan to carry out a covert attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, leaked military documents say.
- Russian ally Belarus lost its bid for a temporary spot on the U.N. Security Council, the Associated Press reported.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking international humanitarian agencies to ramp up their response to the flooding that has followed the Kakhovka dam collapse, which inundated swaths of the southern Kherson region.
- Some flood victims in areas occupied by Russian forces say there has been no sign of emergency responders, despite a Kremlin-installed official’s insistence that the situation in the flood zone is “under control.”.
- The head of Kherson’s Russian occupation administration, Vladimir Saldo, said early Thursday that Russian authorities have evacuated about 4,000 people from flood zones and set up temporary accommodation in occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Crimea.
- The destruction of the dam is changing the geography and topography on the front lines in southern Ukraine, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking international humanitarian agencies to ramp up their response to the flooding that has followed the Kakhovka dam collapse, which inundated swaths of the southern Kherson region.
- Some flood victims in areas occupied by Russian forces say there has been no sign of emergency responders, despite a Kremlin-installed official’s insistence that the situation in the flood zone is “under control.”.
- The head of Kherson’s Russian occupation administration, Vladimir Saldo, said early Thursday that Russian authorities have evacuated about 4,000 people from flood zones and set up temporary accommodation in occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Crimea.
- The destruction of the dam is changing the geography and topography on the front lines in southern Ukraine, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.
More live updates here.
Ukraine launches counteroffensive against Russia
The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counterattack against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against Moscow.
Ukrainian troops on Wednesday night intensified their attacks on the front line in the country’s southeast, according to multiple individuals in the country’s armed forces, in a significant push toward Russian-occupied territory. Four members of the military, including multiple officers, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the battlefield developments.
Follow our live updates here.
The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counterattack against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against Moscow.
Ukrainian troops on Wednesday night intensified their attacks on the front line in the country’s southeast, according to multiple individuals in the country’s armed forces, in a significant push toward Russian-occupied territory. Four members of the military, including multiple officers, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the battlefield developments.
Follow our live updates here.
Ukraine flood victims say occupying Russian officials fail to send help
KYIV, Ukraine — Flood victims in Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine described scenes of panic and desperation Wednesday, with residents trapped in their homes and no sign of emergency responders in the area.
“The entire street is sitting on their roofs, begging for help. The animals are drowning and howling,” one woman from Oleshky, an occupied Ukrainian town on the east bank of the Dnieper River, told The Washington Post, communicating via the Telegram messaging app.
In some cases, entire towns and villages were submerged or washed away by the gushing and still-rising floodwaters, which were released by a catastrophic collapse of the Kakhovka dam Tuesday.
“I’m begging you, please, help my parents. They are trapped. I’ll pay, but just save them,” another woman in Oleshky, which has been almost fully submerged, posted in an evacuation chat group set up by volunteers and relatives.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Flood victims in Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine described scenes of panic and desperation Wednesday, with residents trapped in their homes and no sign of emergency responders in the area.
“The entire street is sitting on their roofs, begging for help. The animals are drowning and howling,” one woman from Oleshky, an occupied Ukrainian town on the east bank of the Dnieper River, told The Washington Post, communicating via the Telegram messaging app.
In some cases, entire towns and villages were submerged or washed away by the gushing and still-rising floodwaters, which were released by a catastrophic collapse of the Kakhovka dam Tuesday.
“I’m begging you, please, help my parents. They are trapped. I’ll pay, but just save them,” another woman in Oleshky, which has been almost fully submerged, posted in an evacuation chat group set up by volunteers and relatives.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian military begins counteroffensive to oust Russian occupiers
KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against domination by Moscow.
Ukrainian troops, including specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics, intensified their strikes on front-line positions in the country’s southeast Wednesday night, according to four people in the country’s armed forces, beginning a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
The four military personnel, including officers, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the battlefield developments.
Russian military bloggers also reported heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces, opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against domination by Moscow.
Ukrainian troops, including specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics, intensified their strikes on front-line positions in the country’s southeast Wednesday night, according to four people in the country’s armed forces, beginning a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
The four military personnel, including officers, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the battlefield developments.
Russian military bloggers also reported heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine flood victims ferried to safety; shelling intensifies after dark
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
KHERSON, Ukraine — All day Wednesday, rescue crews in paddle boats, motorized rubber rafts and enormous amphibious vehicles ferried passengers across the waist-deep pond that filled what had been an open-air plaza in this riverside city before the dam Kakhovka collapsed.
The families were deposited on a cobblestone ramp, where they put down bundles of salvaged clothing and mementos while police checked their identification. Volunteers waited to escort them to evacuation buses or relatives’ homes. But their expressions were those of loss, bewilderment and uncertainty. Women looked back across the water and wept.
“I have never, ever experienced anything like this,” said Natalya Kabuka, 77, a retired accountant. She stood barefoot on the ramp, keeping watch over a mesh bag containing a neighbor’s cat. She said the house in which she had lived since 1984 filled rapidly with water after the dam was breached.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Ukrainian military’s long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces has begun, opening a phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and retaining Western support in the war.
- The Ukrainian troops include specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. The attacks on the country’s southeast mark a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukrainian forces tried to break through the lines of the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region, using up to 1,500 troops and 150 armored vehicles. Shoigu’s claim could not be immediately verified.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited parts of the southern region of Kherson on Thursday, touring disaster-hit areas and speaking with evacuated people after damage to the Kakhovka dam caused devastating floods and left many homeless.
More live updates here.
- The Ukrainian military’s long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces has begun, opening a phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and retaining Western support in the war.
- The Ukrainian troops include specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. The attacks on the country’s southeast mark a significant push into Russian-occupied territory.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukrainian forces tried to break through the lines of the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region, using up to 1,500 troops and 150 armored vehicles. Shoigu’s claim could not be immediately verified.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited parts of the southern region of Kherson on Thursday, touring disaster-hit areas and speaking with evacuated people after damage to the Kakhovka dam caused devastating floods and left many homeless.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “very tough battles” were occurring in the eastern Donetsk region. “But there is a result, and I am grateful to everyone who ensures this result!” he said in the address released early Friday, without elaborating.
- His remarks come after Ukraine launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive, armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. Ukrainian troops intensified strikes in the southeast this week, according to four military personnel, The Post reported.
- The offensive is expected to unfold over months and serve as a test of a U.S.-led strategy to prepare Ukrainian forces with increasingly advanced weapons and tactics.
-Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley fighting vehicles.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “very tough battles” were occurring in the eastern Donetsk region. “But there is a result, and I am grateful to everyone who ensures this result!” he said in the address released early Friday, without elaborating.
- His remarks come after Ukraine launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive, armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics. Ukrainian troops intensified strikes in the southeast this week, according to four military personnel, The Post reported.
- The offensive is expected to unfold over months and serve as a test of a U.S.-led strategy to prepare Ukrainian forces with increasingly advanced weapons and tactics.
-Ukraine’s military is armed with a potent U.S. arsenal. Washington has committed 90 Stryker personnel carriers and more than 100 Bradley fighting vehicles.
More live updates here.
This media is not supported in your browser
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Satellite images show the devastation from the Kakhovka dam collapse
The massive flooding that swept southern Ukraine this week after the breach of a major dam on the war’s front line could be seen from space. Before-and-after images from Maxar Technologies satellites show that entire cities and villages were affected. Thousands of people in Kherson region were evacuated from their homes, many of which were submerged by the rushing water from one of Ukraine’s largest reservoirs.
Kherson city, located right on the Dnieper River, was completely flooded. Rescue volunteers on paddle boats and small dinghies cruised through neighborhoods that had turned into rivers to rescue families and pets.
Korsunka, a Russian-occupied village about 10 miles from the Kakovkha dam, was also submerged. Flood victims in Russian-seized areas said Wednesday that Russia was not sending help.
Read the full story here.
The massive flooding that swept southern Ukraine this week after the breach of a major dam on the war’s front line could be seen from space. Before-and-after images from Maxar Technologies satellites show that entire cities and villages were affected. Thousands of people in Kherson region were evacuated from their homes, many of which were submerged by the rushing water from one of Ukraine’s largest reservoirs.
Kherson city, located right on the Dnieper River, was completely flooded. Rescue volunteers on paddle boats and small dinghies cruised through neighborhoods that had turned into rivers to rescue families and pets.
Korsunka, a Russian-occupied village about 10 miles from the Kakovkha dam, was also submerged. Flood victims in Russian-seized areas said Wednesday that Russia was not sending help.
Read the full story here.