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Straits Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukraine struggles to contain Russian summer advances as US aid stalls
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian service members of the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade fire a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launch system towards Russian troops near the frontline town of Pokrovsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov/File Photo KYIV - Russia has made incursions near two towns key to army supply routes in eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said on Wednesday, as Moscow seeks a breakthrough in a summer offensive at a time of uncertainty over U.S. support for Kyiv. In recent weeks, Russia has amassed forces and despite heavy losses has advanced in rural areas either side of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, which both sit on crossroads running to the frontline from larger cities in Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russia's advances on the front are matched by an intensification of drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities, following signs that Washington's support for Ukraine's war effort is faltering. So far, the efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump have failed to achieve a ceasefire in the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in 2022. One of the aims of the Russian offensive is to occupy the rest of the Donetsk region. Now, they are using small assault groups, light vehicles, and drones to push towards the neighbouring region, said Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces. "There are constant attacks with the intent of breaking through" to the border of the Dnipropetrovsk region at any cost, Trehubov said in written comments to Reuters. Russia now has 111,000 soldiers in the Pokrovsk area, which it has been trying to seize since early last year, Ukraine's top armed forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said last week, describing dozens of battles in the area every day. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat Singapore The romance continues: Former 'Singapore girl', 77, returns to Osaka Expo after 55 years Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home Singapore 3 weeks' jail for man who touched himself on train, flicked bodily fluid on female passenger A decision by Washington to halt some deliveries of various weapons including precision rocket artillery to Kyiv will worsen the situation on the ground for Ukraine's forces, said Jack Watling, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, a think-tank. "The loss of these supplies will significantly degrade Ukraine's ability to strike Russian forces beyond 30 km (19 miles) from the front line and therefore allow Russia to improve its logistics," Watling said. RUSSIAN GAINS Ukrainian blog DeepState, which uses open-source data to map the frontline, said the Russian military in June had seized 556 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, which it said was the largest monthly loss of ground since November. Russian forces, which have numerical superiority, cut the main road linking Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in May, complicating Ukrainian movements and resupply efforts. "The Russian advance is being contained, but their crossing of the Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka highway is a strategic and logistical setback," Trehubov said. Heavy Russian losses have prevented Russian advances toward Kostiantynivka via Chasiv Yar, or along the western Pokrovsk front. "Now they are attempting (to advance) further away from populated areas," Trehubov said. DeepState also reported that Russian advances in June near Pokrovsk and nearby Novopavlivka accounted for more than half of all Russian gains along the entire frontline in all of Ukraine. Trehubov said Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka remain Ukrainian logistical hubs, despite setbacks and drone activity which make some defensive fortifications less effective. "(Drones) hinder logistics for both sides but don't make it impossible. Drones after all are not invulnerable," he said. REUTERS
ABC News
17-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
At least 10 killed in 'horrific' Russian attack on Kyiv
Rescuers with service dogs are looking for residents who could still be under the rubble of a destroyed apartment building that was hit by a Russian missile strike. ( Reuters: Anatolii Stepanov )
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia demanded Kyiv pull back troops before ceasefire, Ukrainian source says
FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 43rd Hetman Taras Triasylo Separate Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stands near an Archer self-propelled howitzer as it is fired towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a position in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov/File Photo ISTANBUL - Russian negotiators at peace talks in Istanbul demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of all the Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks told Reuters. The Kremlin declined to comment on the terms that Russia had put forward at Friday's meeting in Turkey - the first time the warring sides had held face-to-face talks since March 2022, weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion. The talks lasted only one hour and 40 minutes, and yielded an agreement to trade 1,000 prisoners of war on each side. The two countries have not specified when that will happen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Saturday for stronger sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine. "This was a deliberate killing of civilians," he said. "Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy." Russia, which denies targeting civilians, said it struck a military target in Sumy. Its defence ministry said Russian troops had captured another settlement in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and Western governments, including the U.S., have demanded that Russia agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days. But the Ukrainian source said Moscow's negotiators had demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, with a ceasefire to take place only after that. The source said that and other demands went beyond the terms of a draft peace deal that the United States proposed last month after consultations with Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainian account, saying talks should be conducted "absolutely behind closed doors". He said the next steps would be to carry out the prisoner exchange and conduct further work between the two sides. Peskov said it was possible that President Vladimir Putin could meet Zelenskiy, but only if "certain agreements" were reached, which he did not specify. Zelenskiy had challenged Putin earlier in the week to meet him in person, an offer the Russian leader ignored. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country, after hosting the talks, was determined to continue its mediation role. PRESSURE FROM TRUMP Both Ukraine and Russia are under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end what he calls "this stupid war". He has threatened to abandon U.S. efforts to broker an agreement unless they demonstrate clear progress. After Friday's meeting, Ukraine began rallying support from its allies to take tougher action against Moscow. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Reuters: "Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine." "Once again Russia is not serious," he said during a visit to Pakistan. "At what point do we say to Putin enough is enough?" French President Emmanuel Macron also said the talks in Istanbul had been fruitless. "Today, what do we have? Nothing. And so I tell you, faced with President Putin's cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was working on a new package of sanctions against Moscow, which France said this week should aim to "suffocate" the Russian economy. But after ratcheting up sanctions for more than three years already, it is unclear how much more they can achieve. In their efforts to forge a united front and make Putin accept a ceasefire, Ukrainian and its European leaders have been repeatedly thrown off balance by interventions from Trump. Having publicly told Zelenskiy to accept Russia's offer of direct talks in Turkey, Trump declared on the eve of the meeting that there could be no movement on peace until he had met with Putin. The Kremlin says Putin is ready to meet Trump, but such a summit must be carefully prepared in order to get results. It said there been no contact between Russia and the U.S. since Friday's talks. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Russia demanded Kyiv pull back troops before ceasefire, Ukrainian source says
FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 43rd Hetman Taras Triasylo Separate Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stands near an Archer self-propelled howitzer as it is fired towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a position in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov/File Photo ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Russian negotiators at peace talks in Istanbul demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of all the Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks told Reuters. The Kremlin declined to comment on the terms that Russia had put forward at Friday's meeting in Turkey - the first time the warring sides had held face-to-face talks since March 2022, weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion. The talks lasted only one hour and 40 minutes, and yielded an agreement to trade 1,000 prisoners of war on each side. The two countries have not specified when that will happen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Saturday for stronger sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine. "This was a deliberate killing of civilians," he said. "Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy." Russia, which denies targeting civilians, said it struck a military target in Sumy. Its defence ministry said Russian troops had captured another settlement in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and Western governments, including the U.S., have demanded that Russia agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days. But the Ukrainian source said Moscow's negotiators had demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, with a ceasefire to take place only after that. The source said that and other demands went beyond the terms of a draft peace deal that the United States proposed last month after consultations with Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainian account, saying talks should be conducted "absolutely behind closed doors". He said the next steps would be to carry out the prisoner exchange and conduct further work between the two sides. Peskov said it was possible that President Vladimir Putin could meet Zelenskiy, but only if "certain agreements" were reached, which he did not specify. Zelenskiy had challenged Putin earlier in the week to meet him in person, an offer the Russian leader ignored. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country, after hosting the talks, was determined to continue its mediation role. PRESSURE FROM TRUMP Both Ukraine and Russia are under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end what he calls "this stupid war". He has threatened to abandon U.S. efforts to broker an agreement unless they demonstrate clear progress. After Friday's meeting, Ukraine began rallying support from its allies to take tougher action against Moscow. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Reuters: "Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine." "Once again Russia is not serious," he said during a visit to Pakistan. "At what point do we say to Putin enough is enough?" French President Emmanuel Macron also said the talks in Istanbul had been fruitless. "Today, what do we have? Nothing. And so I tell you, faced with President Putin's cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was working on a new package of sanctions against Moscow, which France said this week should aim to "suffocate" the Russian economy. But after ratcheting up sanctions for more than three years already, it is unclear how much more they can achieve. In their efforts to forge a united front and make Putin accept a ceasefire, Ukrainian and its European leaders have been repeatedly thrown off balance by interventions from Trump. Having publicly told Zelenskiy to accept Russia's offer of direct talks in Turkey, Trump declared on the eve of the meeting that there could be no movement on peace until he had met with Putin. The Kremlin says Putin is ready to meet Trump, but such a summit must be carefully prepared in order to get results. It said there been no contact between Russia and the U.S. since Friday's talks. (Additional reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad, Pavel Polityuk and Christian Lowe in Kyiv, Dmitry Antonov in Moscow, Jonathan Spicer and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukraine peace deal proposals set out by US at talks in Paris
A serviceman of the 43rd Hetman Taras Triasylo Separate Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stands near an Archer self-propelled howitzer as it is fired towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a position in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov Ukraine peace deal proposals set out by US at talks in Paris LONDON - Reuters has seen the text of a set of proposals to end Russia's war in Ukraine that were presented to European officials by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff at talks in Paris on April 17. The text of the document is published in full with no changes. Russia-Ukraine Deal Framework Transmit verbally Overview: These terms represent the final offer from the United States to both sides. Ceasefire * Permanent ceasefire * Both sides immediately engage in technical implementationnegotiations Ukraine security guarantee * Ukraine receives robust security guarantee * Guarantor states will be an ad hoc grouping of Europeanstates plus willing non-European states * Ukraine will not seek to join NATO * Ukraine may pursue EU membership Territory * US provides de jure recognition of Russian control ofCrimea * US provides de facto recognition of Russian control ofLuhansk * US provides de facto recognition of Russian-controlledparts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson * Ukraine regains territory in Kharkiv Oblast * Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear PowerPlant through US control and administration of the plant, withelectricity distributed to both sides, and also the Kakhovka Dam * Ukraine enjoys unhindered passage on Dnieper River andcontrol of the Kinburn Spit Economics * United States and Ukraine will implement economiccooperation/minerals agreement * Ukraine to be fully reconstructed and compensatedfinancially * Sanctions on Russia resulting from this conflict since2014 will be removed * U.S.-Russian economic cooperation on energy and otherindustrial sectors REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
