Author: RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy rejected the possibility of a cease-fire with Russia, saying it would not lead to substantive progress in the war and only favor Moscow by giving it time to boost supplies to its military as the conflict nears its second anniversary. “A pause on the Ukrainian battlefield will not mean a pause...

Poland says West needs to respond to Russian attacks ‘in a language that Putin understands’ Amid the trading of heavy aerial attacks, Russia and Ukraine completed an exchange of hundreds of prisoners of war under a deal sponsored by the United Arab Emi­rates (U.A.E.). Authorities in Kyiv said on January 3 that 230 Ukrainian nationals...

KYIV – When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainians lined up to join the armed forces in an outburst of patriotism that both inspired the Western world and defied Moscow’s expectations. Now, two years later, amid horrific trench warfare, lack of recent progress on the battlefield and with tens of...

As Russian drones blast infrastructure sites in north, south KYIV – Ukrainian forces looked to build on bridgeheads on the east bank of the Dnipro River on November 18 after a night in which Russian drone attacks blasted Ukrainian infrastructure and residential sites and caused at least two deaths in northern and southern Ukraine. Kyiv’s...

Ukraine and its allies were expected to hold a meeting on November 22 to discuss ways to enhance protection against an expected uptick in Russian attacks on the war-torn country’s energy and civilian infrastructure during the upcoming cold season. The virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group brings together representatives from some 50 countries...

KYIV – Kyiv’s first counteroffensive against Russia’s influence occurred a decade ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on November 21 as Ukraine marked the 10th anniversary of the Day of Dignity and Freedom – the start of the Euro-Maidan protest movement that culminated with the ouster of Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovych. “Ten years ago, we opened...

As air-raid sirens blare over Kyiv The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on Ukraine’s allies to continue giving Kyiv all the necessary military support it needs in its war against Russia’s aggression and warned that they have to be prepared for a protracted battle, even as air-raid sirens blared...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy on November 9 signed laws extending martial law and a general mobilization by 90 days as Russia launched two missile strikes at Ukrainian civilian targets. The laws, which passed the Verkhovna Rada on November 8, extend martial law and the general mobilization until February 14, 2024. Martial law was introduced in...

Ukraine on November 6 confirmed that its forces had inflicted “significant” damage to a Russian missile carrier in Kremlin-occupied Crimea two days earlier, identifying the vessel as the Askold and saying it might not be repairable. “Confirmed. The Russian missile carrier Askold, the latest ship of the Karakurt class with stealth technology, was damaged as...

The operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine “remains complex,” the Ukrainian military said on November 1, as the commander of Ukrainian forces said the war is moving into a new phase that puts the opposing forces into a stalemate. The General Staff of the Armed Forces said in its evening briefing that...

Trip comes as Moscow launches major aerial attacks throughout Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy, in the midst of a major diplomatic push, met privately with leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on September 21, seeking to shore up support with some reluctant politicians – mainly on the right – for his country’s...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy told the United Nations Security Council that the world can no longer rely on the organization to defend the “sovereign borders of nations,” specifically pointing to Russia’s veto power in the Security Council as blocking progress to any “real solutions” to global crises. He called Russia’s invasion of his country “criminal”...