Vladimir Putin’s plans of achieving total Ukrainian capitulation have not changed despite his initial claims of interest in engaging in negotiations with Donald Trump, the incoming US president, a war monitor has claimed.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its latest update that the Kremlin does not appear “more willing to make concessions” to Mr Trump compared with the outgoing Joe Biden administration.
“The manner in which the Kremlin is trying to set its terms for negotiations strongly signals that Russia’s objectives remain unchanged and still amount to full Ukrainian capitulation,” ISW wrote.
It comes as Ukraine has responded to media reports that it been advised it could develop an atomic bomb in months by saying that it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry was responding to reports on a briefing document, apparently prepared by a non-government think tank for the Ukrainian defence ministry, detailing how Kyiv could develop a rudimentary atomic bomb if the US withdraws its military assistance.
“Ukraine is committed to the NPT (the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons); we do not possess, develop or intend to acquire nuclear weapons,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on X.
Key Points
- Putin’s plan’s to destroy Ukraine have not changed, says ISW
- Ukraine responds to nuclear bomb reports
- Here are the latest maps of the frontline
- Vladimir Putin’s forces ‘ready to launch large missile attack’ on Ukraine
- Blasts in Kyiv as Russia stages first missile attack since August, Ukraine says
Ukraine PM meets with IMF ahead of loan
16:35 , Tom WatlingHeld a meeting with the IMF mission. We successfully completed the 5th review of the EFF Arrangement. We have fulfilled all structural benchmarks for the 6th review. Based on the results of the current mission, we expect to receive the next tranche of $1.1 billion at the end of… pic.twitter.com/NN7qnslfDc
— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) November 14, 2024
European foreign ministers to meet next week in Poland, sources say
16:15 , Tom WatlingForeign ministers of Poland, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Ukraine will meet on 19 November in Poland's capital Warsaw to discuss topics including the re-election of Donald Trump as US president, two sources said on Thursday.
The sources, who declined to be named, said the war in Ukraine and politics in Europe would also be among the topics of the gathering.
Ukrainian forces conduct missions behind Russian lines in Kursk
15:52 , Tom WatlingOperators from Ukrainian SOF 73rd Naval Center are conducting sabotage behind enemy lines in russia's Kursk region. pic.twitter.com/PYCJ8AdFZl
— 73centreuasof (@73centreuasof) November 14, 2024
NATO and the EU press China to help stop North Korea's support for the war on Ukraine
15:34 , Tom Watling
NATO and the EU press China to help stop North Korea's support for the war on Ukraine
In Cyprus, Ukrainians learn how to dispose of landmines that kill and maim hundreds
15:20 , Tom Watling
In Cyprus, Ukrainians learn how to dispose of landmines that kill and maim hundreds
Mapped: Russian mounts counteroffensive in Kursk
15:09 , Tom WatlingIn pictures: Kharkiv residents face first snowfall of winter
14:55 , Tom Watling
Mapped: Russian forces advance in Dontesk
14:43 , Tom WatlingUkraine is facing a ‘hammer blow’ of 50,000 Russian troops in Kursk – can they hold out?
14:31 , Tom Watling
Analysis: Ukraine is facing 50,000 Russian troops in Kursk – can they hold out?
Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump's White House victory
14:20 , Tom Watling
Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump's White House victory
Putin’s plan’s to destroy Ukraine have not changed, says ISW
14:06 , Tom WatlingVladimir Putin’s plans to achieve the total capitulation of Ukraine have not changed despite signals of intention to engage in negotiations with incoming US president Donald Trump, the Institute for the Study of War has said.
You can read their full comments below.
The manner in which the Kremlin is trying to set its terms for negotiations strongly signals that Russia's objectives remain unchanged and still amount to full Ukrainian capitulation. The Kremlin does not appear any more willing to make concessions to the incoming Trump… https://t.co/2gNofrNo1f pic.twitter.com/APA8IclXa5
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) November 14, 2024
Putin and Saudi crown prince discussed Ukraine conflict, Kremlin says
13:54 , Tom WatlingRussian president Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed developments in the conflict in Ukraine when they spoke this week, the Kremlin said on Thursday, declining to provide further details.
It had previously said the two men discussed the importance of continuing “close coordination” within the OPEC+ group of oil producers during Wednesday’s call.
A military court in Moscow sentenced a 43-year-old woman to eight years in a penal colony on Thursday for posting anti-war comments online, including several calling for the assassination of President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported.
Anastasia Berezhinskaya, a Moscow-based theatre director and mother of two young children, was found guilty of two wartime censorship laws - discrediting the Russian army and spreading false information about it --as well as justifying terrorism.
In the first months following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Berezhinskaya published dozens of posts online against the conflict. The Russian army, the Interior Ministry and Putin himself, she said, were waging a "genocide" against the Ukrainian people.
On May 14, 2022, she posted over three dozen times on VKontakte, a social network, hurling insults at Putin and saying he bore personal responsibility for the deaths of men, women and children whose bodies were being pulled from under the rubble of Ukrainian apartment blocks.
As Berezhinskaya continued to post that day in May, she began to call for the death of Putin.
“Shoot that stupid bastard Putin, how many more murders of civilians do we have to bear?” she wrote. “Wipe him off the face of the earth.”
Berezhinskaya admitted guilt under the charges of spreading "fakes" and discrediting the army, independent news outlet Mediazona reported, but only partially admitted guilt under the justifying terrorism charge.
Berezhinskaya suffers from a mixed personality disorder, independent Russian news site Mediazona said, citing the case materials. She has two children, aged eight and ten, and a husband who has epilepsy, the outlet reported.
Москвичке Анастасии Бережинской запросили 10 лет колонии по делу о постах про Бучу и призывах к убийству Путина
— Медиазона (@mediazzzona) November 14, 2024
У Бережинской хронический панкреатит и смешанное расстройство личности. Ее муж Владимир Лубягин страдает эпилепсией. У Владимира с Анастасией двое детей — 8 и 10 лет.… pic.twitter.com/p3eNiyijom
Zelensky says Ukraine’s forces face 50,000 troops in Russia’s Kursk
13:29 , Tom Watling
Zelensky says Ukraine’s forces face 50,000 troops in Russia’s Kursk
Ukrainian soldier inspect equipment near frontline
13:14 , Tom Watling
EU top diplomat nominee strongly backs Ukraine and underlines China's links to the war
13:00 , Tom Watling
EU top diplomat nominee strongly backs Ukraine and underlines China's links to the war
Boris Johnson says UK troops may have to be deployed in Ukraine
12:48 , Tom Watling
Johnson says UK troops may have to be deployed in Ukraine if Trump drops support
Russian doctor jailed for 5 years for ‘anti-war comments’
12:35 , Tom Watling
Russian doctor jailed for 5 years for ‘anti-war comments to patient’s family’
Russian drones fly into allied Belarus airspace
12:26 , Tom WatlingOn the night of November 13-14, at least 2 Shahed drones flew into Belarus. The first one entered the “Belarusian corridor” in the area of Asarevichy at around 05:00. Another one passed the same route at 05:45. pic.twitter.com/Fkinyqj4iB
— Belarusian Hajun project (@Hajun_BY) November 14, 2024
Europe is in grave danger if Trump hands victory to Putin in Ukraine
12:15 , Tom Watling
Europe is in immense danger if Trump hands any kind of victory to Putin on Ukraine
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers hold ground near frontline town of Chasiv Yar
12:05 , Tom Watling
Trump election offers new possibility for US-Russian dialogue, Russian envoy says
11:56 , Tom WatlingThe election of Donald Trump opens a possibility for new dialogue between Russia and the United States although Washington’s aim remains to contain Moscow, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva told reporters on Thursday.
“Regardless of domestic political shifts, (Washington) consistently pursues a sense of containing Moscow ... the change of administration does little to alter it,” said Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
“The only shift might be possible is dialogue between our countries, something that has been lacking during the last several years,” he added.
Ukraine investigating Russian killing of civilian in occupied Donetsk
11:45 , Tom WatlingUkraine has announced it is investigating the reported killing of a civilian by Russian forces in occupied Donetsk.
The prosecutor general’s office reported on Telegram, a messenger platform, that they were looking into the killing of a woman in the village of Terny, in the Lyman district sitting on the frontline.
“A woman was walking down the street when Russian soldiers opened fire on her,” they wrote. “As a result of a shot from a small weapon, she died on the spot.”
They also attached two pictures, one of the woman walking down a street and the second showing her body after being shot on that road.
We have decided not to include that second photo.
Russian defense official visits China's premier military showcase in a sign of unity
11:32 , Tom Watling
Russian defense official visits China's premier military showcase in a sign of unity
If Trump oversees the collapse of Ukraine, it would be a humiliation for the US, says Hague
11:21 , Tom WatlingFormer Conservative Party leader and foreign minister William Hague has said that if Donald Trump oversees the collapse of Ukraine, it will be a “humiliation”.
Speaking to the Telegraph’s Daily T podcast, William Hague said Mr Trump was at risk of hypocrisy over his stance on Ukraine.
“(Donald) Trump highlighted (Joe) Biden’s humiliation over Afghanistan… but if he ends up with the collapse of Ukraine, that’ll be a far bigger humiliation for the US and the power of the US in the world,” he said.
A Russian man stands treason trial on charges he filmed military equipment for Ukraine
11:09 , Tom WatlingA Russian man faced trial on Thursday on charges of high treason for a video he had allegedly sent to Ukraine's security services, the latest in a growing series of espionage cases amid the fighting in Ukraine.
The Volgograd District Court began hearing a new case against Nikita Zhuravel, who is currently serving a 3.5-year sentence for publicly burning a Quran in front of a mosque.
The new charges against Zhuravel are based on allegations that he filmed a trainload of military equipment and warplanes in 2023 and sent the video to a representative of Ukraine's security agency. He could be sentenced for life if convicted.
Rights activists say Zhuravel is a political prisoner and condemned violence against him in custody.
While in pretrial custody before his first sentence, Zhuravel was beaten by the 15-year-old son of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed strongman leader of the mostly Muslim region of Chechnya.
The elder Kadyrov posted the video on social media and praised his son, causing public outrage. He later awarded his son with the medal of “Hero of the Republic of Chechnya.”
Federal authorities have refrained from any criticism of the Chechen strongman.
US and Polish officials open missile defense site that Russia has long protested
11:00 , Tom Watling
US and Polish officials open missile defense site that Russia has long protested
Video resurfaces of Trump’s nominee for national intelligence director calling for Ukrainian neutrality
10:44 , Tom WatlingFootage has surfaced of Donald Trump’s appointee for director of national intelligence calling for Ukraine to accept neutrality as Russian forces marched through the country.
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman, was nominated for the role yesterday. If approved by Congress, she would be in charge of an office created in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and tasked with leading and synthesizing intelligence collected from around the world.
But Ms Gabbard has come under criticism before for peddling Russian conspiracy theories, including falsely claiming that the US has funded “biolabs” in Ukraine.
And in the footage below, posted just three days after the Russian invasion, she can be seen calling for Ukraine to be declared a neutral state away from both the West and Russia, as well as urging everyone to say “aloha” to one another.
Ukrainian neutrality has been a key aim of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Dear Presidents Putin, Zelensky, and Biden. It’s time to put geopolitics aside and embrace the spirit of aloha, respect and love, for the Ukrainian people by coming to an agreement that Ukraine will be a neutral country—i.e. no military alliance with NATO or Russia—thus... pic.twitter.com/Xh2RvMNWVk
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) February 27, 2022
Ukraine says its forces fully control Kupiansk, deny Russian foothold
10:31 , Tom WatlingUkraine‘s military said on Thursday its troops were in full control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk and that their forces had stopped a Russian advance towards the rail hub.
A Russian-installed official said earlier that Russian forces had gained a foothold on the outskirts of the city.
The Independent cannot verify either claim.
Senior Russian naval officer killed in Crimea car bombing
10:23 , Tom Watling
Here are the latest maps of the frontline
10:12 , Tom WatlingBelow you can find a link to updated maps showing the frontline in Ukraine.
Russia made confirmed advances in eastern Ukraine, including int the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
🔄 Мапу оновлено!
— DeepState UA (@Deepstate_UA) November 14, 2024
⚔ Ворог окупував Іллінку, а також просунувся у Дальньому, біля Новодонецького, Трудового та Куп'янська.
🗺 https://t.co/b61S7oSGpd
UN opens shelters for domestic abuse survivors in central Ukraine
10:02 , Tom WatlingUNHCR together w/ partner @INTERSOSUkraine opened a child-friendly space in a shelter for gender-based violence survivors in Poltava🇺🇦.
— UNHCR Ukraine (@UNHCRUkraine) November 14, 2024
It will serve as a safe environment with social workers where children can have online studying & group activities. pic.twitter.com/L4agWLTFcl
Trump wants to end war, confirms nominee national security advisor
09:53 , Tom WatlingDonald Trump’s recently-nominated national security advisor has confirmed that the incoming US president wants to bring an end to the war in Ukraine and bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
⚡️ Trump wants to bring Ukraine, Russia to negotiating table, national security advisor nominee says.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) November 14, 2024
Speaking to Voice of America, Mike Waltz said that Donald Trump is interested in ending the war instead of continuing it.https://t.co/6WWqlCTCdQ
Russia claims capture of town in eastern Ukraine
09:43 , Tom WatlingRussia’s defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured another Ukrainian village north of Kurakhove in the eastern Donetsk region.
The Kremlin MoD said troops had captured the village of Voznesenka, as reported by Russian state news agency RIA.
Ukrainian war tracker DeepState, known to have close ties to the Ukrainian defence ministry, suggests the town remains in the grey zone, which means it is not controlled by either military.
But they reported this morning that the town of Illinka, directly above Kurakhove, had been taken.
Russian forces have made swift gains in that region, south of their main objective of the city of Pokrovsk and north of the smaller city of Kurakhove.
In pictures: Russain soldiers in Ukraine
09:32 , Tom Watling
Taiwan does not rule out US taking island’s old missiles for Ukraine
09:07 , Tom Watling
Taiwan does not rule out US taking island’s old missiles and sending them to Ukraine
Russian defense official visits China's premier military showcase in a sign of unity
08:45 , Tom WatlingRussian defense official visits China's premier military showcase in a sign of unity
Ukraine says Russia has lost 716,070 troops since invasion in February 2022
08:26 , Arpan RaiRussia’s losses in Ukraine have soared above 716,000, according to the latest data from Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces.
The latest tally shared this morning said 716,070 Russian troops have been killed or injured in combat in Ukraine. Of these, 1,690 Russian casualties were suffered just over the past day, it added.
Russian daily losses on the front line in Ukraine are the highest they have been since Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion nearly three years ago, the UK army chief claimed.
Sir Tony Radakin told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that Russian forces were suffering 1,500 casualties a day and were nearing the 700,000 mark for the total killed and wounded since February 2022. He described the cost of the war on the Russian people as “extraordinary”.
“[This is] the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of Putin’s ambition,” said Sir Tony.
Russia suffering highest frontline losses since start of war, says UK army chief
Ukrainian soldiers bunk down near Kharkiv frontline
08:18 , Tom Watling
Two killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine in past day
07:57 , Arpan RaiAt least two civilians were killed and 28 others were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine yesterday, regional authorities said.
Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with a sophisticated combination of missiles and drones for the first time in 73 days yesterday.
Air raid warnings blared for hours as Russia targeted eight regions of Ukraine, firing six ballistic and cruise missiles and 90 drones, the Ukrainian air force said.
Air defences downed four missiles and 37 drones, and another 47 drones were stopped by electronic jamming, the statement said. The damage was being assessed.
Ukraine’s military shoots down 21 Russian drones overnight
07:44 , Arpan RaiThe Ukrainian military shot down 21 out of 59 Russian drones launched during an overnight attack, its air force said on Telegram.
The air force said 38 of the drones were lost from its radar. In total almost “Shahed” type drones were fired by Russia, all from the Kursk region, it said.
Another air raid warning was issued for Kyiv at around 8.45am local time, with the air force saying it was countering the threat.
Russian power creeps across West Africa with Equatorial Guinea mission
07:00 , Tara CobhamRussia has deployed up to 200 military instructors to Equatorial Guinea in recent weeks to protect the presidency, sources told Reuters, showing Moscow is expanding its footprint in West Africa despite a recent defeat in Mali.
The sources said the Russians were training elite guards in the two main cities of the tiny oil-exporting country of 1.7 million people, where US energy firms invested billions of dollars in the first decade of the century before scaling down.
The deployment fits into a wider pattern of waning Western influence and increasing Russian interventions in West and Central Africa, where Moscow has sent thousands of mercenaries to protect military regimes and help them fight insurgents.
For Russia, the assignments are a way to make money from government fees and economic opportunities in mining or energy, while defying the West as part of a global geopolitical confrontation playing out most dramatically in Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers aim to keep Russian advances at bay after Trump’s return
06:22 , Arpan RaiThe unit commander who goes by the callsign Kit, or “cat,” pilots the tiny uncrewed aircraft from a basement room he jokingly calls their Airbnb.
Guided by the drone’s night-vision camera, he drops the 10kg (22-pound) packages one by one as close as he can to the position where as many as five infantrymen battle Russian forces in the late autumn chill. The delivery will hold them for two or three days.
That’s about as far as Kit dares look into the future. He knows that the reelection of Donald Trump will change something in his life, but as far as he and other Ukrainian soldiers on the front are concerned, trying to figure out how is a game for politicians.
For him, all that matters is the distance he measures in the meters (yards) that Russian forces advance or retreat in the front-line sector that is his responsibility.
Ukrainian soldiers focus on keeping Russian advances at bay and brace for storm to come from US
Trump may look to rekindle dialogue with North Korea ‘sooner rather than later’, analyst says
06:00 , Tara CobhamDonald Trump may look to rekindle a conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “sooner rather than later”, an analyst has suggested.
With reports of 10,000 North Korean troops being deployed to Russia, as both nations ratified a new military pact, Bulent Gokay, professor of international relations at Keele University, suggested the US president-elect could also soon look to reopen a dialogue with the pariah state.
Professor Gokay said: “Since Trump last met with Kim, the North has greatly expanded its military arsenal, in particular massive intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic and short-range weapons that could deliver nuclear warheads against the US mainland or military bases in the region.
“Despite this, Trump may feel that his engagement worked well during his first presidency in that he feels that he can ‘solve’ the North Korean nuclear issue without any violent encounter. So, he may look to rekindle a conversation with Kim sooner or later.”
Trump to appoint envoy tasked with ending Ukraine war, Fox News reports
05:52 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump is expected to appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy tasked with negotiating an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, reported Fox News.
One of the sources aware of the matter said the diplomatic appointment will happen “in short order”.
“You’re going to see a very senior special envoy, someone with a lot of credibility, who will be given a task to find a resolution, to get to a peace settlement,” the sources said.
During his campaign, the US president-elect repeatedly said he could quickly end the fighting in Ukraine but did not offer details of how he would accomplish that. The Kremlin earlier welcomed Mr Trump’s claim that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in 24 hours” but emphasised that it will wait for concrete policy steps.
Ukraine responds to nuclear bomb reports
05:17 , Arpan RaiUkraine has denied media reports suggesting it is “months away” from developing a nuclear bomb, saying that it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Ukraine is committed to the NPT (the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons); we do not possess, develop or intend to acquire nuclear weapons,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on X.
His remarks come after The Times reported on a briefing document apparently prepared for the Ukrainian defence ministry, detailing how Kyiv could develop a rudimentary atomic bomb, similar to those used against Japan in 1945, if US military assistance under the incoming Trump administration were to stop.
Mr Tykhyi added that Ukraine “works closely with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and is fully transparent to its monitoring, which rules out the use of nuclear materials for military purposes”.
Wacth: Britain’s chief of defence staff ‘confident’ that the UK could fight full-scale war
05:00 , Tara CobhamBiden is sending aid to help Ukraine keep fighting next year, Blinken says
04:35 , Arpan RaiThe Biden administration is determined in its final months to help ensure that Ukraine can keep fighting off Russia’s full-scale invasion next year, sending it as much aid as possible so that it might hold Russian forces at bay and possess a strong hand in any potential peace negotiations, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said.
“President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and 20 January,” when president-elect Donald Trump is due to be sworn in, Mr Blinken said.
Nato countries must focus their efforts on “ensuring that Ukraine has the money, munitions and mobilized forces to fight effectively in 2025, or to be able to negotiate a peace from a position of strength,” Mr Blinken said during a visit to Brussels.
The US will “adapt and adjust” with the latest equipment it is sending, Mr Blinken said, without providing details.The almost three-year war has shown no signs of winding down.
Kyiv ‘cautiously optimistic’ after discussing strikes on Russia with US
04:12 , Arpan RaiUkrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said he was “cautiously optimistic” after discussing with US secretary of state Antony Blinken the possibility of conducting strikes deep inside Russia as well as Euro-Atlantic integration.
“We discussed issues of long-range strikes and Euro-Atlantic integration. And here we also are cautiously optimistic,” Mr Sybiha said in televised comments.
His talks with Mr Blinken in Brussels come at a turbulent time, just one week after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
Trump has long criticised the scale of US financial and military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how.
Kyiv has long been lobbying for Western allies to allow long-range attacks on military targets inside Russia, while also pressing for an invitation to join the Nato alliance.
Allies including the US have been unwilling to permit long-range attacks for fear of further escalating the conflict, and some are opposed to inviting Ukraine to join Nato.
Mr Sybiha said his talks in Brussels had also touched on military aid. “We have a clear picture - a clear timeframe, clear volumes – of what will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year. This helps us strategically to plan our actions on the battlefield,” he said.
The assistance, he added, would include weapons and funds for arms production deals.
Recap: EU top diplomat nominee strongly backs Ukraine and underlines China’s links to the war
04:00 , Tara CobhamThe European Union must back Ukraine against Russia for as a long as it takes and persuade the United States that its strategic interests in China are tied up in the outcome of the war, the woman nominated as the bloc’s top diplomat for the next five years said Tuesday.
Questions have been raised about whether the 27-nation EU’s commitment to Ukraine would remain firm with Russia appearing to have an edge in the war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, and following the reelection of Donald Trump, who has vowed to end the conflict as U.S. president.
“Ukraine’s victory is a priority for us all. The situation on the battlefield is very difficult,” Estonia ex-Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told EU lawmakers during a hearing she must pass to be appointed as foreign policy chief.
Read the full report here:
EU top diplomat nominee strongly backs Ukraine and underlines China's links to the war
Senior Russian naval officer killed in car bombing claimed by Kyiv
03:20 , Arpan RaiA senior Russian naval officer was killed in a bomb attack claimed by Kyiv in occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol.
According to a Kyiv security source, the bomb attack was a Ukrainian hit on one of its highest-ranking targets to date.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told Reuters that the explosion had killed Valery Trankovsky, a Russian naval captain and the chief of staff of the 41st brigade of Russia’s missile ships in the Black Sea.
The operation was carried out by the SBU, which saw him as a “legitimate” target in line with the laws of war because of “war crimes” he committed, the source said.
The source said he had ordered missile attacks that hit civilian targets in Ukraine, including a deadly strike on the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022.
Russia’s state Investigative Committee, which handles probes into serious crimes, said in a statement that an improvised explosive device had detonated in an act of terrorism, killing a serviceman whom it did not identify.
Several pro-war Russian figures have been assassinated since the start of the war in operations blamed by Moscow on Ukraine, including journalist Darya Dugina, war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and former submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky.
Ukraine repel Russian bid to pierce defences in northeast, General Staff says
03:06 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces repelled an attempt by Russian troops to pierce defences near the northeastern city of Kupiansk, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
The city of Kupiansk was seized by Russian troops in the early days of their February 2022 invasion and recaptured by Ukrainian troops in a lightning counter-offensive months later. Russian forces have returned in the area and caused an upsurge in combat activity.
The General Staff report said Russian forces attacked in four waves and deployed about 15 pieces of equipment, including tanks, armoured vehicles and a mine-clearing system.
“With skilful and decisive actions, our defenders stopped the enemy, destroyed all of its armoured vehicles and eliminated a significant portion of its personnel,” the report said last night.
Some of the Russian forces, it said, had, donned uniforms resembling those of the Ukrainian military, a practice it characterised as amounting to a war crime.
DeepState, a popular Ukrainian military blog, said two columns of Russian men and equipment had entered Kupiansk after dark. Russian servicemen scattered through the town, but Ukrainian forces struck armoured vehicles in the town and in surrounding forests and destroyed part of the group.
