LA Times Today: Senators demand return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia prior to peace agreement
Doctor Kristina Hook is an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University and an expert in the Ukraine-Russia war. She joined Lisa McRee from Ukraine.
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Forbes
28 minutes ago
- Forbes
Tuesday, August 5. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,259. Attacks and Counterstrikes Lozova, Kharkiv region. One person was killed and 10 people, including two children, were wounded early on Tuesday, August 5, in Russia's largest air attack on Lozova, Kharkiv region. Russia struck civilian infrastructure in Lozova -- a town of an estimated 153,000 population -- with more than 25 drones. Russian daytime attacks across Ukrainian-controlled territories killed at least 16 civilians and injured nearly 100 people between Aug. 1-3. In eastern Donetsk oblast, or province, 10 civilians lost their lives in attacks by Russian forces, which also left 46 injured. Russian strikes killed one resident in each of the northeastern provinces of Kharkiv and Sumy, with a total of 22 residents injured across both regions. In southern Kherson province, on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River, Russian drone attacks killed four civilians and injured 30 others. Meanwhile, the death toll from Russia's July 31 overnight strike on Kyiv has increased to 31 victims, including five children, making it one of the deadliest attacks on the capital this year. More than 150 people were also wounded in the massive bombardment that saw a direct hit on a high-rise apartment building as residents slept. Ukraine has retaliated against relentless Russian airstrikes by targeting an enemy airbase in occupied Crimea in the early hours of Aug. 4. The drone attack destroyed a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet and damaged several other aircraft. Ukrainian forces had systematically degraded the Russian air base's defenses in previous attacks, including one that destroyed an air defense unit. On Aug. 3, Ukrainian drones struck a fuel depot at Sochi Airport in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. In addition to trying to weaken Russia's aviation capabilities and, in turn, its attack capabilities, Ukraine is also seeking to compromise the Kremlin's energy infrastructure. Following a Ukrainian drone attack on Aug 2, Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, located 130 miles southeast of Moscow and operated by state oil company Rosneft, was forced to reduce its production capacity by half. In 2023, Ryazan processed 13.1 million tons of crude oil, yielding significant volumes of gasoline and jet fuel. This year, Ukraine has scaled back its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure relative to 2024, when it launched a series of strikes targeting refineries and oil depots starting last winter. While those strikes forced temporary shutdowns at several facilities, most Russian plants eventually resumed operations after brief interruptions. Humanitarian Fallout in Donetsk and Donbas Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, as water supplies in its Russian-occupied areas dwindle. Most residents of the eponymous regional capital now receive water only once every three days; Mariupol, the region's second-largest city, which was devastated in early days of the war, experiences even more sporadic deliveries. Smaller towns around the regional center of Donetsk have reportedly gone without water for weeks. The severity of the shortages has prompted desperate public appeals, even from activists loyal to the Kremlin. In one widely-shared video, children pleaded directly to President Vladimir Putin for relief: 'We children should be running and laughing, not waiting for water to be delivered to us. Uncle Vova, help us,' said a girl from Donbas. Adults are voicing frustrations as well. One man posted footage of murky gray water in a metal flask, asking Moscow-installed officials: 'Why do you hate us so much? Where are you all? What are you trying to do, poison us all as soon as possible?' The crisis was precipitated by the destruction of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal during Russia's 2022 invasion, which cut off the region's main water source. Moscow has since built a pipeline to channel water into occupied areas from its territories; its capacity, however, cannot meet the regions' civilian or industrial needs. Some residents also accuse local authorities of corruption during the building of the facility. Even occupation officials have acknowledged the scale of the problem. Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-appointed head of Donetsk region of Ukraine, admitted that workers must fix 'a hundred leaks a day' in the pipeline system and that up to 60 percent of piped water is being lost. In Mariupol, he said, water flows only for a few hours every two days; elsewhere, deliveries occur every three to four days at best. Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Purchases of Russian Oil On Aug. 4, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to 'substantially' raise tariffs on Indian goods due to the country's imports of Russian oil. In a post on his networking platform Truth Social, President Trump accused India, which increased its purchases of Russian oil after the country's invasion of Ukraine, of profiteering from the resulting disruption in global energy markets. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits,' he wrote. Currently, Indian goods are subject to a minimum 10% tariff in the U.S., but Trump has already threatened to increase that rate to at least 25% by the end of the week. President Trump's tariff threat comes as he has begun pressuring Russian leadership to end the war in Ukraine. His special envoy Steve Witkoff will arrive in Moscow later this week, just days ahead of the August 8 deadline set by Trump for the Kremlin to show progress toward peace. The visit was confirmed by both Washington and Moscow and could include a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following his trip to Russia, Witkoff might visit Ukraine. These diplomatic efforts come amid escalating nuclear rhetoric between the U.S. and Russia. On Friday, President Trump announced he had ordered two nuclear submarines deployed 'in the region' following provocative comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev had warned that Russia has at its disposal a Soviet-era doomsday device capable of launching a nuclear strike even if the country's leadership is neutralized, after Trump threatened additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia over its war on Ukraine. The Kremlin urged caution in response. 'We approach any statements related to nuclear issues with great caution,' said spokesman Dmitry Peskov and called on all parties to exercise 'utmost restraint' in their rhetoric. He further downplayed the submarine movements as standard U.S. operations. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Russia's Medvedev warns enemies of 'new reality' as Kremlin ditches nuclear treaty
Former Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the country's rivals now faced a 'new reality' as the Kremlin formally announced it was no longer bound by a treaty limiting the use of short and medium-range nuclear missiles. Medvedev, who today serves as the deputy chairman of the country's Security Council and is known for issuing frequent apocalyptic threats on social media, was continuing a war of words that prompted President Donald Trump to redeploy two nuclear submarines last week. His latest warning came after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced it would no longer abide by the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, an agreement banning Washington and Moscow from deploying ground-based missiles with ranges between 500 to 5,500 kilometers (311 to 3,418 miles). It also comes days before the expiration of Trump's deadline ultimatum for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face additional tariffs. The INF was already obsolete, with the United States accusing Russia of violating the pact for decades and i tself withdrawing from the agreement in 2019, and Russia has made little secret of its use of these missiles during its war with Ukraine. On Monday the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was formally abandoning any 'efforts to maintain restraint in this area' because the U.S. was moving to deploy similarly ranged weapons systems to Europe and Asia. Russia 'no longer considers itself bound by the corresponding previously adopted self-restrictions,' it said. Medvedev said the withdrawal from the INF was 'the result of NATO countries' anti-Russian policy' — a reference to Moscow's longstanding claim that the Western military alliance is aggressively encircling Russia. 'This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps.' NBC News has contacted NATO for comment on his remarks. Last week the former Russian leader became involved in a social media spat with Trump. While in Scotland, Trump reduced his initial 50-day deadline for Russia to cease fighting, instead giving it 10-12 days. Medvedev responded by saying that 'each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war' between Russia and the U.S. On Friday Trump reacted by ordering two nuclear submarines to be deployed to 'appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' This social media back-and-forth is playing out as Russia makes slow, grinding gains on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. From the skies, Ukrainian civilians endured another hellish night of Russian drone and missile attacks, as well as shelling on the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson and Donetsk regions. Over the past 24 hours at least 15 civilians were killed, officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for putting pressure on the Kremlin. 'Russia is dragging out the war against Ukraine for one reason only — it has the money to keep the war going,' he said in his nightly address Monday. 'All sanctions that restrict Russia help bring peace. All weapons that strengthen Ukraine help bring peace. All political actions that isolate Russia help bring peace.' Vocing an opinion common among Western experts on Russia, Mark Galeotti, warned against reading too much into comments by Medvedev. 'Medvedev is a professional troll these days. Trying to dig too much meaning into his various iterations is a fool's errand,' said Galeotti, the British-based director of the consultancy Mayak Intelligence. 'Indeed, sometimes I wonder if his statements are precisely intended to tie us into knots as we try to interpret them!'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Putin doubts potency of Trump's ultimatum to end the war, sources say
By Darya Korsunskaya, Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to bow to a sanctions ultimatum expiring this Friday from U.S. President Donald Trump, and retains the goal of capturing four regions of Ukraine in their entirety, sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters. Trump has threatened to hit Russia with new sanctions and impose 100% tariffs on countries that buy its oil - of which the biggest are China and India - unless Putin agrees to a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine. Putin's determination to keep going is prompted by his belief that Russia is winning and by scepticism that yet more U.S. sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during 3-1/2 years of war, according to three sources familiar with discussions in the Kremlin. The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals take precedence, two of the sources said. Putin's goal is to fully capture the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Russia has claimed as its own, and then to talk about a peace agreement, one of the sources said. "If Putin were able to fully occupy those four regions which he has claimed for Russia he could claim that his war in Ukraine had reached his objectives," said James Rodgers, author of the forthcoming book "The Return of Russia". The current talks process, in which Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have met three times since May, was an attempt by Moscow to convince Trump that Putin was not rejecting peace, the first source said, adding that the talks were devoid of real substance apart from discussions on humanitarian exchanges. Russia says it is serious about agreeing a long-term peace in the negotiations but that the process is complicated because the two sides' stances are so far apart. Putin last week described the talks as positive. Moscow's stated demands include a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the four regions and acceptance by Kyiv of neutral status and limits on the size of its military – demands rejected by Ukraine. In a sign that there may yet be an opportunity to strike a deal before the deadline, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Russia this week, following an escalation in rhetoric between Trump and Moscow over risks of nuclear war. "President Trump wants to stop the killing, which is why he is selling American-made weapons to NATO members and threatening Putin with biting tariffs and sanctions if he does not agree to a ceasefire," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in response to a request for comment. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. All the sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Trump, who in the past has praised Putin and held out the prospect of lucrative business deals between their two countries, has lately expressed growing impatience with the Russian president. He has complained about what he called Putin's "bullshit" and described Russia's relentless bombing of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as "disgusting". The Kremlin has said it noted Trump's statements but it has declined to respond to them. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko last week called on the world to respond with "maximum pressure" after the worst Russian air strike of the year killed 31 people in Kyiv, including five children, in what she called Russia's response to Trump's deadline. FORCES ADVANCE The first source said Putin was privately concerned about the recent deterioration of U.S. ties. Putin still retains the hope that Russia can again befriend America and trade with the West, and "he is worried" about Trump's irritation, this person said. But with Moscow's forces advancing on the battlefield and Ukraine under heavy military pressure, Putin does not believe now is the time to end the war, the source said, adding that neither the Russian people nor the army would understand if he stops now. Rodgers, the author, said Putin has invested his political reputation and legacy in the war in Ukraine. "We know from his previous writings and statements that he sees himself as part of a strong tradition of standing up to the West and the rest of world to defend Russia's interests," he said. The Kremlin leader values the relationship with Trump and does not want to anger him, however, "he simply has a top priority - Putin cannot afford to end the war just because Trump wants it," the second Russian source said. A third person familiar with Kremlin thinking also said Russia wanted to take all four regions and did not see the logic in stopping at a time of battlefield gains during Russia's summer offensive. Ukraine has suffered some of its biggest territorial losses of 2025 in the past three months, including 502 square kilometres in July, according to Black Bird Group, a Finland-based military analysis centre. In total, Russia has occupied around a fifth of Ukraine. Russia's military General Staff has told Putin that the Ukrainian front will crumble in two or three months, the first person said. However, Russia's recent gains remain relatively minor in purely territorial terms, with only 5,000 square kilometres (1,930 square miles) of Ukraine taken since the start of last year, less than 1% of the country's overall territory, according to a June report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Ukrainian and Western military sources, acknowledge that Russia is making gains, but only gradually and with heavy casualties. Russian war bloggers say Moscow's forces have been bogged down during its current summer offensive in areas where the terrain and dense urban landscape favoured Ukraine, but assess that other areas should be faster to take. 'HE'S MADE THREATS BEFORE' Trump's sanctions threat was "painful and unpleasant," but not a catastrophe, the second source said. The third source said there was a feeling in Moscow that "there's not much more that they can do to us". It was also not clear if Trump would follow through on his ultimatum, this person said, adding that "he's made threats before" and then not acted, or changed his mind. The source also said it was hard to imagine that China would stop buying Russian oil on instructions from Trump, and that his actions risked backfiring by driving oil prices higher. As a consequence of previous rounds of sanctions, Russian oil and gas exporters have taken big hits to their revenues, and foreign direct investment in the country fell by 63% last year, according to U.N. trade data. Around $300 billion of central bank assets have been frozen in foreign jurisdictions. But Russia's ability to wage war has been unimpeded, thanks in part to ammunition supplies from North Korea and imports from China of dual-use components that have sustained a massive rise in weapons production. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that Russia has some "immunity" to sanctions. Trump has acknowledged Russia's skill in skirting the measures. "They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens," he told reporters at the weekend, when asked what his response would be if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire. The first Russian source noted that Putin, in pursuing the conflict, was turning his back on a U.S. offer made in March that Washington, in return for his agreement to a full ceasefire, would remove U.S. sanctions, recognise Russian possession of Crimea - annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and acknowledge de facto Russian control of the territory captured by its forces since 2022. The source called the offer a "fantastic chance," but said stopping a war was much more difficult than starting it.
