Missile strike kills at least 3 people in Kramatorsk
1 min agoUkraine expects Russia to mark invasion anniversary with renewed offensive, defense minister saysFrom CNN's Mick Krever, Arnaud Siad and Yulia KesaievaOleksii Reznikov addresses a news conference in Paris on January 31. (Julie Sebadelha/AFP/Getty Images)Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday that Kyiv believes Russia will mark the first anniversary of its invasion next month with a renewed offensive.“We think since they believe in symbols, they will attempt something around Feb. 24,” OleksiiReznikov said in an interview with French channel BFM.“They can attempt a push on two axes,” Reznikov said. “It can be the Donbas, it can be in the south. And we tell our partners we must also ourselves be ready as soon as possible, and that's why we need weapons, to contain the enemy. Wars are all about initiative, and we can't lose the initiative.”Reznikov was echoing repeated warnings from Ukrainian officials in recent weeks about an anticipated spring offensive from Moscow's forces. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Tuesday that the coming months of the war will be “defining.” Ukraine’s General Staff, in its daily morning update on Thursday, said Russian forces were “active in reconnaissance and preparing for an offensive.”11 min agoEuropean Commission president arrives in Kyiv ahead of Ukraine summitFrom CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in KyivUrsula von der Leyen holds a press conference in Brussels on February 1. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv ahead of a “EU-Ukraine Summit” on Friday.“Good to be back in Kyiv, my 4th time since Russia‘s invasion,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. “This time, with my team of Commissioners. We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation.”Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the meeting on Tuesday but provided no details on who would attend. He told Politico in an interview published Monday that Ukraine, which was granted European Union candidate status in June last year, has an "ambitious plan" to join the bloc within the next two years.Some context: Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian authorities conducted a series of anti-corruption raids across the country, uncovering stashes of cash as well as luxury watches and cars.President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his government is working on “new reforms” that will make the country “more human, transparent and effective” as he prepares to meet EU officials Friday.Anti-corruption measures are “an important dimension of the EU accession process,” said Ana Pisonero, a spokesperson for the European Commission, on Jan. 24.8 min agoRescue workers search for victims after Russian missile attack on Kramatorsk From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in KyivRescuers work at a site of a residential building destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kramatorsk on February 2. (Vitalii Hnidyi/Reuters)A rescue operation in Kramatorsk is continuing Thursday morning after a Russian missile hit a residential neighborhood in the eastern Ukrainian city Wednesday night, killing at least three people according to a local military official. Eight people were wounded and at least two more may be in the rubble from the attack, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said on Telegram.“According to operational information, there may be at least two more people under the rubble,” Kyrylenko said.“This crime of the Russian occupiers against the civilian population is yet another evidence that it is extremely dangerous to stay in the Donetsk region, or for those who have left for other regions of Ukraine to return.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier condemned the strike and expressed condolences to the victims.1 hr 30 min agoRescue operation underway in Kramatorsk after missile strike kills at least 3 people, police sayFrom CNN's Olga VoitovychA residential building was destroyed by a Russian missile strike on February 1. (Pavlo Kyrylenko/Telegram)More than 100 police officers are working to rescue people from the rubble after a missile attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, according to Donetsk region police. The strike killed at least three people, police said."Russian troops targeted the residential area of the city with an 'Iskander-K' missile. At least 8 apartment buildings were damaged, one of them was completely destroyed. Preliminarily, it is known about 3 dead civilians and 20 wounded. People may remain under the rubble," the police said on Telegram.The attack happened at 9:45 p.m. local time Wednesday. A search and rescue operation is underway. Authorities are evacuating people to a local school for shelter.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike and expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims."This is not a repetition of history; this is the daily r
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Ukraine expects Russia to mark invasion anniversary with renewed offensive, defense minister says
From CNN's Mick Krever, Arnaud Siad and Yulia Kesaieva
Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday that Kyiv believes Russia will mark the first anniversary of its invasion next month with a renewed offensive.
“We think since they believe in symbols, they will attempt something around Feb. 24,” OleksiiReznikov said in an interview with French channel BFM.
“They can attempt a push on two axes,” Reznikov said. “It can be the Donbas, it can be in the south. And we tell our partners we must also ourselves be ready as soon as possible, and that's why we need weapons, to contain the enemy. Wars are all about initiative, and we can't lose the initiative.”
Reznikov was echoing repeated warnings from Ukrainian officials in recent weeks about an anticipated spring offensive from Moscow's forces. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Tuesday that the coming months of the war will be “defining.”
Ukraine’s General Staff, in its daily morning update on Thursday, said Russian forces were “active in reconnaissance and preparing for an offensive.”
European Commission president arrives in Kyiv ahead of Ukraine summit
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv ahead of a “EU-Ukraine Summit” on Friday.
“Good to be back in Kyiv, my 4th time since Russia‘s invasion,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. “This time, with my team of Commissioners. We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation.”
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the meeting on Tuesday but provided no details on who would attend. He told Politico in an interview published Monday that Ukraine, which was granted European Union candidate status in June last year, has an "ambitious plan" to join the bloc within the next two years.
Some context: Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian authorities conducted a series of anti-corruption raids across the country, uncovering stashes of cash as well as luxury watches and cars.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his government is working on “new reforms” that will make the country “more human, transparent and effective” as he prepares to meet EU officials Friday.
Anti-corruption measures are “an important dimension of the EU accession process,” said Ana Pisonero, a spokesperson for the European Commission, on Jan. 24.
Rescue workers search for victims after Russian missile attack on Kramatorsk
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv
A rescue operation in Kramatorsk is continuing Thursday morning after a Russian missile hit a residential neighborhood in the eastern Ukrainian city Wednesday night, killing at least three people according to a local military official.
Eight people were wounded and at least two more may be in the rubble from the attack, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said on Telegram.
“According to operational information, there may be at least two more people under the rubble,” Kyrylenko said.
“This crime of the Russian occupiers against the civilian population is yet another evidence that it is extremely dangerous to stay in the Donetsk region, or for those who have left for other regions of Ukraine to return.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier condemned the strike and expressed condolences to the victims.
Rescue operation underway in Kramatorsk after missile strike kills at least 3 people, police say
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
More than 100 police officers are working to rescue people from the rubble after a missile attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, according to Donetsk region police. The strike killed at least three people, police said.
"Russian troops targeted the residential area of the city with an 'Iskander-K' missile. At least 8 apartment buildings were damaged, one of them was completely destroyed. Preliminarily, it is known about 3 dead civilians and 20 wounded. People may remain under the rubble," the police said on Telegram.
The attack happened at 9:45 p.m. local time Wednesday. A search and rescue operation is underway.
Authorities are evacuating people to a local school for shelter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike and expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
"This is not a repetition of history; this is the daily reality of our country," he said on his official Telegram channel. "A country bordering absolute evil. And a country that has to overcome it in order to reduce to zero the likelihood of such tragedies happening again. We will definitely find and punish all the perpetrators. They do not deserve mercy."
Far from Bakhmut, an intense fight in trenches and minefields
From CNN's Tim Lister, Frederik Pleitgen and Konstantyn Hak in Krasnohorivka, Ukraine
In the town of Krasnohorivka, grim Soviet-era apartment buildings stand nearly but not quite empty, with only a few residents remaining. Blocks on the southern edges of town are burned shells, windows shattered and awnings dangling in the winter breeze. Houses are largely shuttered; their tenants long gone. The central square is abandoned and eerie.
On Wednesday, a few civilians moved gingerly along icy pavements to a small store that seemed still to be open. A man cycled past with a load of firewood. Then a Russian rocket propelled grenade burst in the ice-gray sky above — a reminder of the potent threat carried by the enemy.
While the world’s attention has been focused on the city of Bakhmut as the vortex of the conflict in Ukraine, fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has been as relentless elsewhere.
Areas south and west of the city of Donetsk — particularly the towns of Krasnohorivka and Vuhledar — have seen combat for much of the war: a punishing mix of trench warfare and longer-range rocket fire as each side probes for weaknesses. Progress here for the Russians is vital if they are to realize President Vladimir Putin’s goal of winning all of Donetsk region.
At the moment, they are going nowhere.
Read the full story:
Ukraine's anti-corruption searches reveal luxury watches, cars and thousands of dollars in cash
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva, Mick Krever and Jack Guy
Ukrainian authorities have conducted a series of anti-corruption raids across the country, uncovering stashes of cash as well as luxury watches and cars.
Among those caught up in the investigations is the acting head of the Kyiv tax authority, who was allegedly part of a scheme to overlook 45 billion Ukrainian hryvnia ($1.2 billion) in unpaid taxes.
On Wednesday, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said it had found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, as well as luxury watches and cars, at the tax chief’s residence. CNN is attempting to reach that individual for comment.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said the raids were part of an effort to combat what they described as “the internal enemy” in the country.
“Every criminal who has the audacity to harm Ukraine, especially in times of war, must clearly understand that we will handcuff his hands,” said Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, in a statement.
The raids come as President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government is working on “new reforms” that will make the country “more human, transparent and effective” as he prepares to meet European Union officials on Friday for talks on Ukraine’s possible accession to the bloc.
Anti-corruption measures are “an important dimension of the EU accession process,” said Ana Pisonero, a spokesperson for the European Commission, on Jan. 24.
Read the full story:
Putin says eliminating possibility of Ukraine shelling Russia is a "priority"
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he has ordered his Defense Ministry to prioritize protecting Russian territory from shelling by Ukrainian forces.
Speaking at a video conference regarding the restoration of residential infrastructure, Putin said homes in Russia's Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions — as well as Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 — were “damaged or destroyed” by the Ukrainian army referring to it as to “shelling by neo-Nazi formations.”
“Of course, the priority task is to eliminate the very possibility of shelling, but this is the business of the military department,” Putin said.
Many people found themselves in a difficult situation, “they lost their homes, were forced to move to relatives or to temporary places of residence, faced interruptions in the supply of water, heat, and electricity,” he added.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have not officially acknowledged any shelling of Russian territory.
Fighting Wagner is like a "zombie movie," says Ukrainian soldier
From CNN's Tim Lister, Frederik Pleitgen and Konstantin Hak near Bakhmut, Ukraine
Southwest of the city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian soldiers Andriy and Borisych live in a candle-lit bunker cut into the frozen earth. For several weeks they have been confronting hundreds of fighters belonging to the Russian private military contractor Wagner throwing themselves against Ukrainian defenses.
Disguised in a balaclava, Andriy recounts one seemingly endless firefight when they came under attack by a flood of Wagner fighters.
“We were fighting for about 10 hours in a row. And it wasn’t like just waves, it was uninterrupted. So it was just like they didn’t stop coming.”
Their AK-47 rifles became so hot from constant firing, Andriy says, that they had to keep changing them.
“It was about 20 soldiers on our side. And let’s say 200 from their side,” he says.
The Wagner way of war is to send a first wave of attackers that mainly comprises raw recruits straight out of Russian prisons. They know little of military tactics and are poorly equipped. Most just hope that if they survive their six-month contract they can go home rather than back to a cell.
Read more here.
Top Ukrainian security official says Russia is preparing for "maximum escalation" in the war
From CNN's Jack Guy, Yulia Kesaieva, Mick Krever, Jonny Hallam and Josh Pennington
Russia is gearing up for a “maximum escalation” of the war in Ukraine, potentially as soon as the next few weeks, according to a top Ukrainian national security official.
“These will be defining months in the war,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Sky News in an interview broadcast Tuesday.
“I’m conscious the main fights are yet to come and they will happen this year, within two to three months,” he said.
“Russia is preparing for maximum escalation. It is gathering everything possible, doing drills and training. When it comes to an offensive from different directions, as of now, I can say that we are not excluding any scenario in the next two to three weeks.”
Ukrainian officials have warned for some time of a renewed Russian offensive and have asked for more powerful weaponry from Western allies to counter the threat.
Following Danilov’s comments, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said Wednesday that there are signs Russia is preparing for a renewed offensive in southern Ukraine.
“Not just on land, but on the sea and in air as well,” Natalia Humeniuk, head of the United Coordinating Press Center of Security and Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine, said on national television.
Ukrainian intelligence had noted changes to activity of Russian naval forces in the Black Sea, she added.
“It increases and decreases rapidly, and the missile carriers are moving back and forth,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian Defense Ministry on Tuesday said it would hold a further week of joint military drills with Russia.
“During the week, military representatives from the two countries will practice joint planning of the use of troops based on the prior experience of armed conflicts in recent years,” the ministry said in a statement.
Read more here.
