Quality of Russian troops is now lower than beginning of war, says Nato Chief
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Ukraine has launched a massive drone attack on the occupied Crimean peninsula and across Russia as Vladimir Putin’s forces expanded its frontline attack in the northeast Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.
The Russian defence ministry claimed air defences had downed 51 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, another 44 over the Krasnodar region and six over the Belgorod region. It said Russian warplanes and patrol boats also destroyed six sea drones in the Black Sea.
But footage on social media showed fires blazing in the coastal town of Tuapse in the southern Krasnodar region after two drones hit an oil refinery.
The Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, meanwhile, said the Crimean city had suffered a “partial blackout” after debris from downed drones fell on an electrical substation.
A Ukrainian intelligence source confirmed that Kyiv attacked that substation and oil depot, as well as a railway station in Russia’s port of Novorossiysk.
It comes as Ukraine’s military chief said Putin’s forces had expanded the already-600 mile frontline by around 43 miles following its surprise attack on the Kharkiv region, launched a week today.
1715948448UK is a de facto participant in Ukraine war, says Russian ambassadorRussia’s ambassador to Britain has said that London is a de facto participant in the Ukraine war because of the weapons it was supplying to Kyiv and said it was also sharing real-time intelligence too.
Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to Britain, made the comments to Russia’s Rossiya-24 state TV channel.
Tom Watling17 May 2024 13:20
1715947848Zelensky signs law allowing some convicts to serve in Ukraine’s armyUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law allowing some categories of convicts to serve in the army, parliament’s database shows.
A separate law enhancing fines for those not abiding by army mobilization rules was signed as well, its entry on the parliament’s website showed.
Tom Watling17 May 2024 13:10
1715947248We have some more photos from the Ukrainian battle in Kharkiv 1Below we have some photos showing the Ukrainian battle with advancing Russian forces in the northeast Kharkiv region.
A Ukrainian drone pilot prepares a first-person view (FPV) attack drone for a combat flight in the Kharkiv region, less than five miles from the Russian border (Getty Images)A pilot of the ‘Sharp Kartuza’ division of FPV kamikaze drones mans a dugout filled with explosives near the Russian border (Getty Images)Ukrainian drone pilots inspect Russian positions via a satellite connect near the frontline in Kharkiv (Getty Images)Tom Watling17 May 2024 13:00
1715946048Russia expels British defense attaché in a tit-for-tat moveTom Watling17 May 2024 12:40
1715944854How Ukraine’s war changed Oleksandr Usyk – and how it didn’tTom Watling17 May 2024 12:20
1715943192More information on the Ukrainian long-range strikes across Russia and occupied Ukraine We have some more information on the long-range Ukrainian strikes across Russia and occupied Crimea overnight.
A Kyiv intelligence source told Reuters that one of the attacks, on an oil refinery in the coastal Russian village of Tuapse, has caused damage that will require repairs. Another strike on a power station in Sevastopol has also caused power cuts.
Tom Watling17 May 2024 11:53
1715941772Capturing Ukraine’s Kharkiv is not part of Russia’s current plan, says PutinPresident Vladimir Putin has said that capturing the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is not part of Russia’s current plan and that Russian forces operating nearby are creating a “buffer zone” for Russia’s own security.
Putin, who said that all of the military operations were proceeding according to plan, was speaking at a new conference in China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting with officials and students of Harbin Institute of Technology in the city of Harbin, China (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Tom Watling17 May 2024 11:29
1715940965Photos show Ukrainian soldiers defending against the Russian attack in the northeast Kharkiv region Some photos have just dropped on the wires showing Ukrainian soldiers fighting against the Russian advance in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
The images are a rare insight into what life is like on the frontlines for Ukrainian soldiers.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade place steel wire net on a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer to protect it from Russian drones (REUTERS)Ukrainian servicemen of the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops in the Kharkiv region (REUTERS)Ukrainian serviceman of the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade with the call sign ‘Maestro’ pets dog with the name ‘Senator’ at a position near the border in Kharkiv (REUTERS)Tom Watling17 May 2024 11:16
1715938854Zelensky seeks to boost troop morale with visit to Kharkiv as soldiers battle Putin’s advancing forcesTom Watling17 May 2024 10:40
1715937654Russian forces expanded area of active combat by almost 70 km, Ukraine’s army chief saysRussian forces have expanded the area of active combat by almost 43 miles (70 km) by launching their offensive in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday
“The enemy expanded the zone of active hostilities by almost 70 kilometers, thus trying to force us to use an additional number of brigades from the reserve,” he wrote on Telegram.
He added that he expected fighting to intensify as Kyiv troops are also preparing to defend in northern region of Sumy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Army chief Oleksandr Syrski and defence minister Rustem Umerov walk together in Kyiv last month (via REUTERS)Tom Watling17 May 2024 10:20
