Ukraine Monitor Articles
Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Continues At the War Chessboard
Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive somewhat lost momentum after two weeks of heavy fighting. The command ordered a pause to add some updates to the tactics to neutralize a Russian advantage.
A Prelude to Massive Ukrainian Counteroffensive?
Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive to retake territory from Russia’s occupying forces has begun, with the first ten days of offensive operations in many spots along the frontline. Ukrainian troops are seeking to explore some vulnerabilities in the Russian defense and mislead the enemy to discover where to break the frontline most successfully.
Reasons and Effects of Ukraine’s Dam Collapse
Ukraine has been aware of Russian plans to destroy the Kakhovka dam that upheld Ukraine’s largest reservoir since last autumn. Back then, however, Russian troops retreated from the western section of Kherson province while the Dnieper River became a hundreds-long barrier between the Russian and Ukrainian positions.
Ukraine Shocked By New Courtroom Corruption Scandals
A reportedly drunk judge fatally killed a National Guard serviceman at the checkpoint in a new scandal that involved the Ukrainian courtroom. A few days earlier, Ukrainian media reported that Kniaziev was caught receiving a few million dollars in bribe.
Russian Crackdown on Crimean Tatar Activists Continue
Crimean Tatar activists are being sentenced to long prison terms after being detained, moved to Russia, and tried by military courts in Russia. A court in Russia’s southwestern city of Rostov-on-Don has sentenced four Crimean Tatar activists to prison sentences ranging from 12 to 17 years for organizing and participating in the activities of the Islamic political organization Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Kyiv Is Playing Information Game As Its Counteroffensive Is Drawing Near
Ukraine’s highly anticipated spring offensive appears imminent, according to several indicators from the battlefield, as Ukrainian forces are boldly striking Russian targets including Moscow’s logistics and facilities. Ukraine has launched an assault near Bakhmut. However, Kyiv has not announced the beginning of its operation and thus Russian troops have no clue when and where to expect a new strike.
Ukraine Hails Offensive Success Near Bakhmut
After a months-long defensive operation, Ukraine launched an operation to retake Bakhmut–– much to a surprise to Russian forces that believed to seize the eastern Ukrainian city within days. Bakhmut had been in a Russian grip from the north and south while Ukrainian forces tried to repel the enemy in the west, with just one supply line. The recent attack again took the Russians by surprise.
Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Agency Detains Odesa Mayor
Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov has been detained in a corruption case. Investigators accuse Trukhanov of embezzling money from the city budget. Both he and his deputy were detained at Kyiv airport. The mayor’s problems with law enforcement agencies began several years ago. Perhaps the authorities in Kyiv seek to demonstrate they are capable of tackling corruption proactively.
Ukraine’s SBU Seeks to Rebuild its Reputation
Ukraine is deepening a purge of double agents in its spy service, a Russian spy ring that has been formed in the country for the past thirty years, the chief of Ukraine’s SBU Vasyl Malyuk told journalists. Ukraine’s SBU Security Service has exposed over 300 traitors since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. With Malyuk appointed as its new chief, the SBU has finally made a domestic crackdown on spies. But will the cleanout allow the agency to rebuild its reputation after being hit so hard recently?
Would China Mediate in Ukraine-Russia War?
After French President Emmanuel Macron returned from a trip to Beijing, sources said that he tasked a top foreign policy adviser to work with China on a “framework” for future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The increasingly supporting stance is noticeable in other Western countries that so far have offered more aid to Ukraine than Germany and France.
Ukrainian Cabinet Appoints New Anti-Corruption Chief
The Ukrainian government has named a new director of the country’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) from among three candidates in a live-streamed meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers that met all the requirements set by both the European Union and financial institutions worldwide. It is to tackle corruption, which is a Western condition for its assistance to Ukraine. Despite that, Ukrainian media outlets and NGOs claim that a new head of the anti-corruption agency has links to Andriy Yermak, a powerful presidential aide.
How Long Will Russia-Ukraine War Last?
Russia is ready to continue the war in Ukraine for another two years, the chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence said, adding sanctions could make put an end to the war earlier than expected. A similar forecast had been delivered by Lithuania’s military intelligence outlet.
IMF Approves Loan Package for Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund said its executive board had approved a four-year $15.6 billion loan program for Ukraine, the IMF said in a statement on March 21. The loan is the first major conventional financing program approved by the IMF for a country involved in a large-scale war.
Ukraine Expels Pro-Russian Clergy from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Orthodox monks who had been ordered out of a monastery in Kyiv refused to leave as a deadline to vacate the complex expired back on March 29. Metropolitan Pavlo, an abbot of the monastery, said that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) would not leave the site pending the outcome of a lawsuit to stop the eviction. Force will not be used to evict representatives of the UOC from the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian authorities. But they have more tools––as they can ban the church.
Warsaw Institute
