Ukraine war briefing: Thousands of Ukrainian convicts join fight against Russian forces
More than 3,000 prisoners in Ukraine released on parole to boost military numbers; Hungary’s pro-Russian PM, Viktor Orbán, expected to visit Kyiv. What we know on day 860
Ukraine is turning to its prisoner population to help address battlefield shortages as Russian continues to build up forces in eastern Ukraine. More than 3,000 prisoners have been released on parole and assigned to military units after such recruitment was approved by parliament in a controversial mobilisation bill last month, Ukrainian deputy justice minister Olena Vysotska told the Associated Press. The news agency visited a rural penal colony in south-east Ukraine where several convicts were offered a chance at parole in return for battlefield service. “You can put an end to this and start a new life,” one recruiter, a member of a volunteer assault battalion, told them. Ukraine does not announce details of troop deployment numbers or casualties, but frontline commanders openly acknowledge that they are facing serious personnel shortages.
Viktor Orbán, one of Europe’s most pro-Russian leaders, is expected to head to Kyiv on Tuesday to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy. It is the first visit by the Hungarian prime minister to his neighbouring country since Russia’s full-scale invasion began and comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. In contrast, Orbán’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has made at least five trips to Russia since the start of the war. Hungary has repeatedly questioned the need to support Ukraine militarily, and has instead called for a ceasefire. Last week, EU governments agreed to use €1.4bn (£1.2bn) of profits from frozen Russian assets to supply arms and other aid to Ukraine, bypassing the Hungarian veto that has so frequently held up EU decisions on Ukraine.
A Briton who founded a charity supporting Ukrainian soldiers has died while fighting Russian forces, his organisation has said. Peter Fouché set up Project Konstantin, which provides supplies such as drones and food to Ukrainian soldiers, evacuates civilians and delivers humanitarian aid to conflict zones near the frontline. Fouché had previously helped to build a field hospital in Kyiv before he founded Project Konstantin and later enlisted as a contracted soldier with the armed forces of Ukraine, according to the charity’s website.
Patriotic Russian poetry praising Vladimir Putin and backing his war in Ukraine has turned out to be translations of Nazi verses penned in the 1930s and 1940s. The 18 poems of Gennady Rakitin have attracted quite a following in Russia in the past year and been mentioned in poetry prizes, but pranksters have revealed they invented Rakitin and simply translated poems such as Führer and odes to Nazi stormtroopers, replacing references to Germany with Russia. “We read collections of Z poetry and saw straight-up nazism there. We suspected that they probably wrote exactly the same things in Nazi Germany, and we turned out to be right,” said the group behind the project, in written responses to questions from the Guardian.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces had taken control of two villages in eastern Ukraine. The Russian ministry said its forces were in control of the settlement of Stepova Novoselivka in Kharkiv region, and of Novopokrovske in Donetsk region. Ukrainian military statements partly denied the Russian assertion. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, in an evening report, said its troops had repelled 17 attacks in the Kupiansk sector near Kharkiv, including around Stepova Novoselivka. It said fighting was raging near Synkivka, farther west. Russia has announced a string of incremental gains since capturing the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk region in February. It was the second day in succession that Moscow has announced the capture of new localities.
Continue reading...Date: | |
Tag: | Ukraine |
Filter
-
The Guardian - World
Ukraine war briefing: Day of mourning in Dnipro after Russian attack on schools and hospitals
Mayor of city in south-east Ukraine says kindergartens were among buildings hit in strike that killed at least five people. What we know on day 862. See all our Ukraine war coverageA day of mourning has been announced for Thursday after a Russian ...Ukraine -
Yahoo News - World
‘Chasm’ between how Ukrainians, Europeans view war with Russia ending
Ukraine -
ABC News - World
Russian missiles and drones strike eastern Ukraine's Dnipro in an attack that kills 5
Authorities say a Russian missile and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has killed five civilians and injured 47 othersUkraine -
NBC News - Top stories
Thompson Fire in Northern California forces thousands to evacuate as blaze rages uncontained
More than 28,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to a wildfire in northern California, officials said Wednesday.California -
Yahoo News - World
Scholz gives 'guarantee' Germany won't be party to war in Ukraine
Ukraine -
The Hill - Politics
Zelensky challenges Trump to release plan to end Ukraine war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is challenging former President Trump to release a plan for ending the ongoing war with Russia. “If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today,” Zelensky said in a Bloomberg Television ...Ukraine -
CNBC - Business
Delta goes pasta-only for thousands of international travelers after 'spoiled' food forced a flight to divert
Delta said it was serving pasta only on about 75 international flights on Wednesday after a 'spoiled meal' forced an Amsterdam-bound flight to divert. -
MarketWatch - Business
Two more luxury-fashion players could join forces — with the backing of Amazon, report says
Upscale fashion retail chains Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus could soon join forces and get a financial boost from Amazon.com Inc., according to a report on Wednesday, as luxury brands consolidate amid a slump in demand. -
GameSpot - Tech
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 6: The Power Of Two, A Fight Club Reference, And Everything Else We Learned
Now six episodes deep into the first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte, we're getting close to the end now, with only two more to go. I'm not sure it feels like we're actually that close to wrapping up this story, but that's because we probably ... -
The Hill - Politics
Congress fights nonconsensual deepfakes
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} View Online Technology Technology The Big Story Congress to combat nonconsensual AI porn Political momentum is building to regulate the spread of nonconsensual explicit deepfakes as the ...
More from The Guardian
-
The Guardian - World
Governors admit worries but rally behind Biden after meeting: ‘We have his back’
President meets with Democratic governors for ‘candid’ talks as he seeks to reassure his party and the public. A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to ...Joe Biden -
The Guardian - World
Hurricane Beryl hits Jamaica after leaving ‘Armageddon-like’ trail in Grenada
Jamaican PM says worst is yet to come as category 4 storm hits southern coast after causing at least seven deaths in region. Why Hurricane Beryl foretells a scary storm seasonHurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica after leaving an “Armageddon-like” trail ... -
The Guardian - World
Keir Starmer hails ‘new age of hope’ as Rishi Sunak fears losing seat
Final polls predict unprecedented Labour victory, with Starmer declaring Britain a ‘great nation, with boundless potential’. Keir Starmer has hailed a “new age of hope and opportunity” as millions of people prepare to vote in a general election ... -
The Guardian - World
About 90% of people in Gaza displaced since war began, says UN agency
Many have moved more than once, with estimated 1.9m Palestinians relocating since Israel’s invasion, says OCHA. About 90% of the population of the Gaza Strip have been displaced at least once since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according ... -
The Guardian - World
Gretchen Whitmer wants to meet far-right plotters who tried to kill her, book reveals
Exclusive: Michigan governor and potential Biden replacement writes in memoir True Gretch of desire for ‘face-to-face’ talks. Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan widely spoken of as a possible Democratic candidate for president should Joe ...