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Russia boosts Kh-101 cruise missile for more precise strikes in Ukraine

Russia has improved the performance of its main air-launched cruise missile Kh-101 by fielding it with a second warhead. missile with a new warhead, stated British Defense Ministry intelligence report on X on May 8.

Intelligence indicates that the Russian Airspace Forces sought to adapt its systems and tactics during the war with Ukraine in order to:

Read also: Ukrainian command reports Russian drones camouflaged for night warfare

enhance survivability, responding to numerous missile interceptions by Ukrainian air defense systems;

expand capabilities for more impactful targeting;

utilize older missiles, conserving more modern systems depleted in the war's initial stages.

Read also: Advanced Russian bomb wipes out Kharkiv street, kills elderly woman

The recent modification likely halved the range of the Kh-101 missile, as the Russian RAF doesn't require maximum range to target all of Ukraine, according to a report. Meanwhile, the new warhead is designed to increase fragmentation damage to targets, potentially enhancing the system's effectiveness against unprotected targets.

Advanced Russian bomb wipes out Kharkiv street, kills elderly woman

Kyiv downs all missiles as Russia attacks Ukrainian capital from different directions in latest mass attack

In January, Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (HUR), stated in Davos that the Russians were deploying different Kh-101 cruise missiles compared to those used in 2022. He highlighted that the new missiles are outfitted with an active electronic warfare system and heat traps.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets; Ukraine says 29 were shot down

Kremlin-installed authorities in Crimea said eight train cars had derailed on Thursday due to an explosion. Russian state media reported the train was carrying grain. (May 18)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Police Press Office, fragments of a Russian rocket which was shot down by Ukraine’s air defence system are seen after the night rocket attack in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Ukrainian Police Press Office via AP)

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In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, May 18, 2023, Russian soldiers prepare a 152 mm self-propelled gun Giatsint-S to fire toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Emergency workers load a body of a local resident, who was killed during a rocket attack, into a car in the village of Tsyrkuny, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Andrii Marienko)

A damaged private house and car are seen in the village of Tsyrkuny, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Andrii Marienko)

Investigators stand at derailed train cars carrying grain next to the railroad track, Crimea, Thursday, May 18, 2023. Quoting a source within the emergency services, state news agency RIA Novosti said that the incident occurred not far from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway reported that the derailment was caused by “the interference of unauthorized persons” and that there were no casualties. (AP Photo)

Derailed train cars carrying grain are seen next to the railroad track, Crimea, Thursday, May 18, 2023. Quoting a source within the emergency services, state news agency RIA Novosti said that the incident occurred not far from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway reported that the derailment was caused by “the interference of unauthorized persons” and that there were no casualties. (AP Photo)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.

One person was killed and two were wounded by a Russian missile that got through and struck an industrial building in the southern region of Odesa, according to Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the region’s military administration.

Amid the recently intensified Russian air assaults, China said its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv earlier this week with Ukraine’s chief diplomat.

Beijing’s peace proposal has so far yielded no apparent breakthrough in the war . Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday that the warring parties needed to “accumulate mutual trust” for progress to be made.

Ukrainian officials sought during the talks to recruit China’s support for Kyiv’s own peace plan, according to Ukraine’s presidential office. Zelenskyy’s proposal includes the restoration of his country’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian forces and holding Russian President Vladimir Putin legally accountable for the invasion in February 2022.

Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations gathering in Japan on Thursday were expected to denounce Russia’s war and vow to keep helping Ukraine fight Moscow. They were to hold “discussions about the battlefield” in Ukraine, according to Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

A Western official said Russia had built “potentially formidable” defensive lines on Ukrainian territory, including extensive minefields, and had more than 200,000 troops along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, though it is unlikely to possess credible reserves.

As Ukraine receives sophisticated weapons systems from its Western allies, the Kremlin has started losing warplanes in areas previously deemed as safe, the official said, while Kyiv has proven able to shoot down Russia’s hypersonic ballistic missiles — the most advanced weapons in Moscow’s arsenal.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military intelligence.

Meanwhile, Kremlin-installed authorities in occupied Crimea reported the derailment of eight train cars Thursday because of an explosion, prompting renewed suspicions about possible Ukrainian saboteur activity behind Russian lines. Russian state media reported that the train was carrying grain.

The state news agency RIA Novosti, quoting a source within the emergency services, said the incident occurred not far from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway company said the derailment was caused by “the interference of unauthorized persons” and that there were no casualties.

Ukraine officials refuse to comment on possible acts of sabotage. Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, noted on Ukrainian television that Russian train lines “are also used to transport weapons, ammunition, armored vehicles.”

Overnight, loud explosions were heard in Kyiv as the Kremlin’s forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month. It was a clear escalation after weeks of lull and before a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons.

Debris fell on two Kyiv districts, starting a fire at a garage complex. There was no immediate word about any victims, Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said in a Telegram post.

Ukraine also shot down two Russian exploding drones and two reconnaissance drones, according to the authorities.

The missiles were launched from Russian sea, air and ground bases, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian commander in chief, wrote on Telegram.

Several waves of missiles were aimed at areas of Ukraine between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 5:30 a.m. Thursday, he said.

Russian forces used strategic bombers from the Caspian region and apparently fired X-101 and X-55-type missiles developed during Soviet times, Kyiv authorities said. Russia then deployed reconnaissance drones over the capital.

In the last major air attack on Kyiv, on Tuesday, Ukrainian air defenses bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems shot down all the incoming missiles, officials said.

That attack used hypersonic missiles, which repeatedly have been touted by Putin as providing a key strategic advantage. The missiles, which are among the most advanced weapons in Russia’s arsenal, are difficult to detect and intercept because of their hypersonic speed and maneuverability.

But sophisticated Western air defense systems, including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country’s east and south.

While the ground fighting is largely deadlocked along that front line, both sides are targeting each other’s territory with long-range weapons.

The most intense fighting has focused on the battle for the city of Bakhmut and the surrounding area, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, with a Ukrainian military official claiming Thursday that the army advanced up to 1.7 kilometers (more than a mile) there over the previous day.

At the same time, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the millionaire owner of Russia’s private military contractor Wagner whose troops have spearheaded the battle, claimed that Russian army units had retreated from their positions north of the city. Prigozhin is a frequent critic of the Russian military.

At least seven Ukrainian civilians were killed, including a 5-year-old boy, and 18 people were wounded over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said.

Also, two people were wounded in a drone attack in Russia’s southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor reported Thursday.

In a Telegram post, Roman Starovoit claimed Ukrainian forces dropped an explosive device from a drone on a sports and recreation complex.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, two people were killed in Ukrainian shelling of the village of Nizhnee Berezovo, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border, according to Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Jill Lawless in London and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Russian Missile Barrage Staggers Ukraine’s Air Defenses

Cruise missiles and exploding drones from Iran swept across the skies of Ukraine, wreaking havoc and once again knocking out power.

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By Andrew E. Kramer

KYIV, Ukraine — A swarm of drones and a volley of cruise missiles rocked towns and cities across Ukraine on Thursday, the biggest assault in weeks and the latest in a wave of ever more sophisticated aerial duels pitting Russia’s evolving tactics against Ukraine’s growing arsenal of air defense weapons.

At dawn in Kyiv, the capital, puffy contrails from missiles or air defense weapons lingered in the sky and fragments from successful intercepts rained down on a playground and on private homes.

Russia, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, had been “saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year.” Ukraine’s air defenses were at times overwhelmed.

Iranian-made exploding drones , which Russia began acquiring last summer, were launched in a first wave, apparently to bog down air defenses before the cruise missile strikes, the Ukrainian air force said. It said its defense forces had shot down 54 of 69 cruise missiles and had also knocked out drones.

The attack appeared likely to prompt new calls from Ukrainian officials for more Western air-defense systems, given that the growing arsenal of advanced weapons sent by Kyiv’s allies has failed to stop Moscow’s debilitating attacks on energy infrastructure that have caused widespread power outages as the country faces freezing winter temperatures.

After the strikes, Russia’s Defense Ministry released a picture on its official channel on Telegram, the social messaging app, showing a Kalibr cruise missile and a message: “Kalibrs will never run out.”

The White House condemned the strikes as part of Russia’s “barbaric war” and pledged to continue to help Ukraine defend itself. “This is another example of Putin’s brutality, attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, which provides light and heat to Ukrainian civilians,” Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement.

The new wave of strikes frustrated anew the work of crews trying to repair Ukraine’s power grid and raised the prospect that many Ukrainians would be without power for the New Year holidays.

For three months, Russia has launched volleys of cruise missiles and drones at Ukraine’s energy grid, in what military analysts say is a strategy of plunging the country into cold and darkness to lower morale.

The latest bombardment killed two people and wounded four others, including a 14-year-old girl hit by falling debris, the authorities said.

Air-defense weapons shot down four of six cruise missiles near the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, but the two that got through hit power plants, knocking out 90 percent of the city’s electricity, the mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, said in an interview.

“Putin uses the scenario of demoralizing the Ukrainian people,” Mr. Sadovyi said.

But Lviv will hold out, he said. Diesel generators switched on in hospitals so operations could continue, he said, and the city is well stocked with firewood for emergency heating shelters.

Amid the barrage, two provinces — Dnipropetrovsk, in central Ukraine, and Odesa in the south — pre-emptively switched off electricity to limit damage in case the grid short-circuited in a strike, a utility company said in a statement. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the strikes had left 40 percent of the capital without electricity.

Amid the mayhem in the sky, as missiles and drones streaked in and Ukraine fired air defense missiles in response, a Ukrainian S-300 interceptor missile flew into Belarus and was shot down by that country’s military, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said. There was no immediate information about casualties and no indication that Belarus, a close Russian ally, would treat the incident as anything other than a mishap. In November, an errant Ukrainian air-defense missile landed in Poland, killing two people and briefly raising fears that the conflict might expand.

In Ukraine, the attack began with air-raid sirens sounding at about 5:30 a.m. The Ukrainian military’s southern command said two Russian ships in the Black Sea had shown signs that they were preparing to launch missiles, setting off the alarms.

As the sun rose, reports of strikes came in from cities around the country, and seven or eight explosions rang out in Kyiv. One rattled windows and set off car alarms in the city center.

Leonid Fatkulin, 79, was still in bed on the first floor of his two-story brick home in an outlying district when the missiles struck. “I was going to get up and shave when the explosion shook the house,” he said.

A natural gas pipeline caught fire.

“It’s not a war,” Mr. Fatkulin said, standing beside the remains of his house, a coat thrown over his bathrobe. “It’s a crime against humanity.”

In Kyiv, Mayor Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app that Ukrainian air defenses had shot down 16 missiles over the city but that falling debris had wounded three people, including the teenage girl.

The Ukrainian general staff headquarters said in a statement that Russia had launched 13 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones at energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, and that air defense systems had shot down all but two. Another five Shahed drones were shot down around the city of Dnipro in southeastern Ukraine, the military said.

The cruise missiles followed, striking after Ukraine’s air defense forces had been firing at the drones. The Russian military launched the missiles from several directions, firing from airplanes and ships at sea, the air force statement said.

But Ukraine is now able to fight back with a growing and increasingly sophisticated arsenal of air defense weapons.

The Pentagon has delivered the first two of eight National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems , which are equipped with radar-guided missiles capable of hitting drones and cruise missiles. Germany supplied the first of four ultramodern Iris-T systems , which are so new that they had never been used on the battlefield, while France and the Netherlands also pledged additional air-defense missiles.

Visiting Washington last week, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was offered a battery of Patriot missiles, the United States’ most advanced ground-based missile defense system. But it is likely to be several months before Ukrainian crews are trained and it is deployed.

Ukraine’s air defense capability has been one of the surprise successes of the war, as improved coordination between early-warning systems and the ground-based units responsible for shooting down rockets has helped Kyiv’s forces stop a large percentage of Russian strikes.

But Russia’s barrages are often so overwhelming — about 75 missiles are launched in a typical barrage, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has said — that plenty still get through. And Russia appears to have more weapons in its stockpile, due in part to the growing supply of exploding drones from Iran .

And even successful shoot-downs pose risks as the twisted, silvery metallic debris rains down on cities.

On Thursday, two fragments landed in a playground in the Pechersk neighborhood of Kyiv.

“It was a first for us that it was so close,” said Galina Khomina, a graphic designer who was pushing her 3-year-old daughter, Nastya, on a swing set in the playground a few hours after the strikes. She said she couldn’t stay home in fear, despite the near miss.

“We hope it will end soon,” Ms. Khomina said. “We are used to it, and we are not afraid. Life goes on. You only have one life.”

Reporting was contributed by Oleksandr Chubko , Carly Olson , Shashank Bengali , Ivan Nechepurenko and Eric Schmitt .

Andrew E. Kramer is a reporter covering the countries of the former Soviet Union. He was part of a team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for a series on Russia’s covert projection of power. More about Andrew E. Kramer

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International Edition

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June 13, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo , Rob Picheta , Schams Elwazer, Aditi Sangal , Mike Hayes and Elise Hammond , CNN

Russia launched 14 cruise missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian military says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 10 of 14 cruise missiles fired by Russia in deadly strikes overnight, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Tuesday.

Air defenses also intercepted one of four Iran-made Shahed drones launched by Russia, officials said.

In the central city of Kryvyi Rih, at least six people were killed, dozens were wounded and rescue teams were working to free people still trapped under the rubble.

“One apartment building, a warehouse with food. [...] We are currently dismantling the rubble and extinguishing the fire. Many people lost their apartments. We are now engaged in resettlement,” said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih city military administration, on Telegram.

More Russian attacks: Elsewhere, Russian shelling hit Ukraine's northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, three bombs hit the town of Orikhiv, killing one civilian and destroying homes, it added. 

Russian military bloggers claimed Monday that Ukrainian efforts to advance south of  Orikhiv have been resisted and geolocated video appears to show Ukrainian armor losses in this area.

Death toll rises to 6 after Russian strikes on Kryvyi Rih, official says

At least six people have now been confirmed dead after Russian missile strikes hit the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine overnight, as rescue teams work to free people still trapped under the rubble, Ukrainian officials said.

Vilkul said earlier that at least three people had died, dozens of others were wounded and rescuers were working to free at least seven people trapped in the rubble.

Their exact location remains unclear; rescue operations were taking place at a five-story apartment building that caught fire and at a warehouse hit in the strikes, authorities said.

"Three of the victims work at a private enterprise. They were hospitalized. There are probably people under the rubble of the destroyed warehouse, and rescuers are looking for them," Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration, said in a Telegram post earlier Tuesday.

Air defenses shot down three cruise missiles over the city but there were also “incomings,” that hit civilian infrastructure, Lysak said earlier.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the attacks and offered condolences to the victims.

At least 3 dead, 25 wounded in Russian missile attacks on Kryvyi Rih

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv, Ukraine and Josh Pennington

At least three people were killed and 25 others wounded after Russian missile attacks on central Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih early Tuesday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration, said on Telegram that air defenses shot down three cruise missiles over the city but there were also "incomings."

"Civilian facilities were damaged," he said, adding that 19 of the wounded were hospitalized.

"There was a massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. The Russians carried out another terrorist attack on the residential sector — overnight. This was insidious. Cruel," Lysak said earlier on Telegram. 

Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said earlier that a five-story apartment building was hit and victims were likely trapped under the rubble.

"Apartments from the first to the fifth floors are on fire. The fire has covered 700 square meters. Rescuers are extinguishing it," the mayor said in an update.

Four people were also injured at another location in the city where a building and a car had caught fire, he added.

The mayor also reported Russian shelling of the nearby Nikopol district overnight.

Zelensky on attacks: In a Telegram post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to the victims.

"More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities, and people," he said. "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. The rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih continues. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones! Terrorists will never be forgiven, and they will be held accountable for every missile they launch."

Russian missiles target Ukraine as intense fighting rages on the battlefield. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Russian strikes hit Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih early Tuesday, leaving victims in "extremely critical condition," the mayor said. Meanwhile, Kyiv's air defenses shot down all Russian missiles launched at the capital, officials said.

The latest Russian airstrikes come after both Russian and Ukrainian forces  reported intense clashes  on the battlefield Monday. Ukrainian forces have  recaptured seven villages  within the last week, according to��Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar.

Here are the latest developments in the war:

• Heavy fighting: Russia-backed officials and military bloggers are reporting  intense fighting along the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions , in an area where  Ukrainian forces have made gains in recent days . The fighting is taking place south of the town of Velyka Novosilka along both sides of the Mokri Yaly River, an area where the Ukrainians appear to have had greater success than elsewhere in the initial stages of their counteroffensive. Several Russian accounts have admitted Kyiv's forces were making some gains.
• Zelensky on gains: In his nightly address Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fighting in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia border region is tough but Ukrainian forces are recapturing territory. "The battles are fierce, but we are moving forward, and this is very important. The enemy's losses are exactly what we need," he said.
• Elsewhere in Donetsk:  Ukrainian troops have made  incremental gains in the eastern city of Bakhmut, according to the army and Maliar. The deputy defense minister said Monday that within the past week,  Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area had recaptured 16 square kilometers .
• "Ultimate goal":  Zelensky's chief diplomatic adviser told CNN Monday that the "ultimate goal of the counteroffensive campaign is to win back all the territories, including Crimea." Adviser Igor Zhovkva would not give details on the actions underway and sought to tamp down any expectations that the counteroffensive would achieve rapid results.
• Putin visits wounded soldiers:  Russia's Vladimir Putin told wounded soldiers their country needs them during a visit to the central Ministry of Defense Hospital in Moscow  on Monday — one of several public appearances by the president to mark Russia Day. He bestowed state awards on fighters wounded in Ukraine and said he understood the conflict is "not some movie, it's all happening in reality."
• Dam "catastrophe": The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine last week was the "largest catastrophe by Russian invaders" since the war began, Ukraine’s environment minister told CNN on Monday. "The Russian act of terrorism has catastrophic consequences for the environment, not only in Ukraine but also in the entire region," minister Ruslan Strilets said. Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each another for the breach, although  it is unclear  whether the collapse resulted from structural failure or a deliberate attack.

Kyiv's air defenses shoot down Russian cruise missiles, Ukrainian military says

From CNN’s Josh Pennington and Eyad Kourdi

Ukraine's air defenses shot down all missiles launched by Russia at Kyiv early Tuesday, according to initial reports cited by a senior Ukrainian military official.

Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said Russia launched an unspecified number of X-101/555 cruise missiles at Ukraine's capital from Tu-95MS strategic bombers over the Caspian Sea.

No casualties or damage have yet been reported following the attack, he added.

Earlier Tuesday, the administration warned residents in the Kyiv region to take immediate precautions due to missile danger.

Civilians in "critical condition" after strike on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih, mayor says

From CNN’s Josh Pennington

"High precision" Russian strikes hit central Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih early Tuesday, leaving civilian victims in “extremely critical condition,” the city's mayor said.

Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram that "high-precision monsters" struck several civilian targets in various parts of the city, including a five-story residential building.

Some victims were likely still under the rubble, he said, adding that response teams were working at the scene.

Russian accounts report heavy fighting in Zaporizhzhia and acknowledge Ukrainian gains

From CNN's Tim Lister, Josh Pennington and Maria Kostenko

Russia-backed officials and military bloggers are reporting  intense fighting along the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions , in an area where  Ukrainian forces have made gains in recent days . 

The fighting is taking place south of the town of Velyka Novosilka along both sides of the Mokri Yaly river, an area where the Ukrainians appear to have had greater success than elsewhere in the initial stages of their counteroffensive. 

Late Monday, a senior Moscow-appointed official, Vladimir Rogov, spoke of heavy fighting in an area known as the Vremivka ridge, claiming that higher ground remained under Russian control. 

Rogov, a member of the Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia administration, said on Telegram that Russian attack helicopters were in action, and that "reciprocal shelling and heavy fighting of ultra-high intensity continues" in the vicinity of the village of Urozhaine.

Rogov conceded that Ukrainian forces were "holding their positions on the northern and eastern outskirts of the village." 

He also claimed that in the nearby village of Makarivka, "the enemy has already been driven out by the quick and effective counterattack of the 127th Division," although other accounts paint a gloomier picture for Russian forces around Makarivka.

Rogov said heavy fighting about 10 kilometers to the west had turned the area into a "gray zone," but that Ukrainian units had dispersed from the area — around the village of Levadne. 

Bloggers' reports: Russian military bloggers have also been reporting intense combat in the area, with one Telegram channel (Our Donetsk) saying "the enemy managed to deepen and advance through the wooded areas, threatening with further advance to encircle" nearby Russian units. 

There is no way to verify these unofficial reports, but they are consistent with a pattern in the fighting that has evolved in the last week. 

"Our Donetsk" acknowledged that Russian troops had been forced to abandon Neskuchne — just south of Velyka Novosilka — for a second time, "retreating to positions where they would not be encircled." 

It said the Ukrainians were "accumulating forces" in the area, and heavy fighting continued. 

Also late on Monday,  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky  commented on the fighting in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia border region, saying "the enemy's losses are exactly what we need." 

By contrast, Russian military bloggers are claiming that Ukrainian efforts to advance south of Orikhiv, in another part of the southern front, have been resisted, with several saying the Ukrainians had lost a significant number of de-mining tanks in an area known to have been heavily fortified by the Russians with minefields and tank traps. 

Geolocated video appears to show Ukrainian armor losses in this area. 

Zelensky says battles are fierce but Ukraine is moving forward and recapturing territory

From CNN's Maria Kostenko

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Monday that fighting is tough but Ukrainian forces are "moving forward" and recapturing territory.  

"The battles are fierce, but we are moving forward, and this is very important. The enemy's losses are exactly what we need," Zelensky said. "Although the weather is unfavorable these days — the rains make our task more difficult — the strength of our warriors still yields results, and I thank everyone who is in combat now, everyone who supports our combat brigades in the relevant areas."

Zelensky also said "the most important and hottest" operational areas are in the Tavria and the Khortytsia directions in southern Ukraine, and he received reports from the commanders in those areas during his staff meeting on Monday. 

The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces and the general of the Tavria operational-strategic group reported "on the success we have achieved, on the front areas where we need to reinforce and on the actions we can take to break more Russian positions," Zelensky said. 

"We are maintaining and strengthening our operational dominance," Zelensky said. "I am particularly grateful for Bakhmut as we are increasing our control in this area."

Some more context:  Earlier on Monday, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said that within the past week,  Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area recaptured 16 square kilometers . On the left flank in Bakhmut, Ukrainian troops advanced 1.5 kilometers, and on the right flank, they advanced 3.5 kilometers, according to Maliar.

"This week, as always, will be very meaningful," Zelensky added in his address. "First, we are preparing new weapons support from our partners for our warriors. Second, we are preparing to involve more global actors in the implementation of the Peace Formula. Third, we are working to make the [NATO] Vilnius Summit truly meaningful."

Ultimate goal of counteroffensive is to win back all territories, including Crimea, presidential adviser says

From CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite in London and Andrew Carey in Kyiv

Ukraine's "ultimate goal of the counteroffensive campaign is to win back all the territories, including Crimea," the chief diplomatic adviser to President Volodomyr Zelensky said Monday.

During an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, adviser Igor Zhovkva said some counteroffensive actions were underway, but would not give details. 

He also sought to tamp down any expectations the campaign would achieve rapid results, saying it could take many months for Ukraine to achieve its aims. 

In the same vein, he reminded Amanpour this was not Ukraine’s first counteroffensive — a reference to the Ukrainian army's successful advances in September and October when Russian forces were pushed out of the Kharkiv region and the northern part of the Kherson region. 

The current push would “probably would not be the last counteroffensive operation,” he said. 

He also said that if Ukraine was going to be successful it needed Western partners to supply more artillery and ammunition. 

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Russia hits Ukraine’s power grid with ‘massive’ attack

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Russian forces unleashed a nighttime barrage of more than 50 cruise missiles and explosive drones at Ukraine’s power grid Wednesday, targeting a wide area in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called a “massive” attack on the day the country celebrates the defeat of Nazism in World War II.

The bombardment blasted targets in seven Ukrainian regions, including the Kyiv area and parts of the south and west, damaging homes and the country’s rail network, authorities said. Three people, including an 8-year-old girl, were injured, according to officials.

Russia has repeatedly pounded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the war that is stretching into its third year and has claimed thousands of lives. By taking out the power, the Kremlin’s forces aim to rob Ukrainian manufacturing of its energy supply, especially military plants, and crush public morale.

Russian attacks have damaged nearly half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure since the start of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, officials say. The damage is estimated at $12.5 billion, with $1 billion inflicted during the last two weeks, according to the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Energy and Housing Services, Andrii Herus.

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The mass barrages also drain Ukrainian air defenses of ammunition as Kyiv’s depleted forces await delivery of the latest batch of promised Western military support. Ukrainian officials have been pleading for more NATO-standard air defense systems, such as Patriots.

Zelensky noted that Wednesday’s attacks occurred on the day that Ukraine observes the end of European fighting in World War II and equated Ukraine’s current struggle with that conflict, saying on social platform X that “only a united free world” can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine last year changed the date of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism to avoid it coinciding with Russia’s own Victory Day commemorations on May 9.

Russia pummeled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the “blackout winter” of 2022-23. In March, it launched a new wave of attacks, one of which completely destroyed the Trypilska power plant near Kyiv, one of the country’s biggest.

Putin has framed the attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries. On Wednesday, a Ukrainian attack hit an oil terminal, injuring five workers and starting a fire, Russia-appointed authorities in the partially occupied Luhansk region said.

Russia launches barrage of 99 drones and missiles on Ukraine’s energy system, officials say

Ukraine’s armed forces say Moscow launched a large-scale attack on energy infrastructure, with a barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting the country.

March 29, 2024

Russian bombardments, though frequent, have become less regular in recent weeks, and Ukrainian officials suspect Moscow is stockpiling resources ahead of a major battlefield offensive that could come within weeks.

The 600-mile front line has changed little since the early months of the war, but Russia has recently made small but steady gains in some areas as Ukraine battles with a lack of manpower and a shortage of weapons.

National electrical grid operator Ukrenergo said facilities were hit in the Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

Two energy facilities were hit in the Lviv region, which is in the country’s far west and distant from the fighting’s front lines, according to regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi.

DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest private energy supplier, said the attack “seriously damaged” equipment at three of its thermal power plants.

Russia launches sweeping attack on Ukraine’s power sector, a sign of possible escalation

Russia attacks power facilities across Ukraine, including the largest hydroelectric plant, causing widespread outages and killing at least five people.

March 22, 2024

The attack was the fifth in the last six weeks targeting the company’s facilities, DTEK said. Overall, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the company’s assets have come under attack nearly 180 times, injuring 51 workers and killing three, it said.

Russia launched 55 missiles and 21 Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Air defenses downed 39 of the missiles and 20 of the drones, Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said.

Russian forces also damaged the railway station building and train tracks in Kherson, national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said.

Also Wednesday, five people, including three children, were injured in an attack that struck an educational facility in northeastern Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on social media. City Mayor Ihor Terekhov said one of the children was in critical condition.

Novikov writes for the Associated Press.

More to Read

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Ukraine air attack on Belgorod injures 8, governor says

A Ukrainian air attack on Russia's Belgorod region injured eight people and damaged scores of residential buildings and cars, the governor of the region bordering with Ukraine said on Thursday.

A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire and damaged several storage tanks at a fuel depot in Russia's Krasnodar region, the region's crisis administration said on Thursday.

Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets, Ukraine says most intercepted

Officials in crimea report train derailment due to an explosion.

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Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defences, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.

One person was killed and two were wounded by a Russian missile that got through and struck an industrial building in the southern region of Odesa, according to Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the region's military administration.

Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv as the Kremlin's forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month in a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons.

Debris fell on two Kyiv districts, starting a fire at a garage complex. There was no immediate word about any victims, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration, said in a Telegram post.

Ukraine also shot down two Russian exploding drones and two reconnaissance drones, according to authorities.

The bombardment across Ukraine included six Russian Kinzhal aero-ballistic hypersonic missiles — the most fired in a single attack in the war so far, according to Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat.

The missiles were launched from Russian sea, air and ground bases, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian commander in chief, wrote on Telegram.

Several waves of missiles were aimed at areas of Ukraine between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 5.30 a.m. Thursday, he said.

Russian forces used strategic bombers from the Caspian region and apparently fired X-101 and X-55-type missiles developed during Soviet times, Kyiv authorities said. Russia then deployed reconnaissance drones over the capital.

Fighting focus of G7 meeting

Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries gathering in Japan on Thursday were expected to denounce Russia's war and vow to keep helping Ukraine fight Moscow.

They were to hold "discussions about the battlefield" in Ukraine, according to Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

A Western official said Russia had built "potentially formidable" defensive lines on Ukrainian territory, including extensive minefields, and had more than 200,000 troops along the 1,000-kilometre front line, although it is unlikely to possess credible reserves.

Missiles also shot down earlier in the week

In the last major air attack on Kyiv, on Tuesday, Ukrainian air defences bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems shot down all the incoming missiles, officials said.

That attack used hypersonic missiles, which repeatedly have been touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a key strategic advantage. The missiles, which are among the most advanced weapons in Russia's arsenal, are difficult to detect and intercept because of their hypersonic speed and manoeuvrability.

• CBC Explains Ukraine says it shot down Russian Kinzhal missiles. What is the hypersonic weapon?

But sophisticated Western air defence systems, including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country's east and south.

While the ground fighting is largely deadlocked along that front line, both sides are targeting each other's territory with long-range weapons.

Advancement on Bakhmut continues

The most intense fighting has focused on the battle for the city of Bakhmut and the surrounding area, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, with a Ukrainian military official claiming Thursday that the army advanced up to 1.7 kilometres there over the previous day.

Meanwhile, Kremlin-installed authorities in occupied Crimea reported the derailment of eight train cars Thursday due to an explosion.

Russian state media reported the train was carrying grain.

Quoting a source within the emergency services, state news agency RIA Novosti said that the incident occurred not far from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway reported that the derailment was caused by "the interference of unauthorized persons" and that there were no casualties.

The Russia-installed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that train services on the affected section of the line were suspended.

Ukraine officials have refused to comment on possible acts of sabotage. Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, noted on Ukrainian television that Russian train lines "are also used to transport weapons, ammunition, armoured vehicles."

• Ukraine counteroffensive does not aim to attack Russian territory, Zelenskyy says

Elsewhere, two people were wounded in a drone attack in Russia's southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor reported Thursday.

In a Telegram post, Roman Starovoit claimed Ukrainian forces dropped an explosive device from a drone on a sports and recreation complex.

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• After month-long siege, Russia retreats from Bakhmut amid Ukrainian counteroffensive

Russia hits Ukraine's power grid with a 'massive' attack on a day marking the WWII defeat of Nazism

Ukraine’s president says Russia has launched a massive nighttime attack on energy facilities across Ukraine, targeting seven regions with more than 50 missiles and drones

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces unleashed a nighttime barrage of more than 50 cruise missiles and explosive drones at Ukraine’s power grid Wednesday, targeting a wide area in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a “massive” attack on the day the country celebrates the defeat of Nazism in World War II.

The bombardment blasted targets in seven Ukrainian regions, including the Kyiv area and parts of the south and west, damaging homes and the country’s rail network, authorities said. Three people, including an 8-year-old girl, were injured, according to officials.

Large-scale air alert announced in Ukraine: Reports of cruise missile launches

Air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Around midnight on May 8, Russia attacked Ukraine with several groups of Shahed-type attack drones. Explosions were heard in Kharkiv and Poltava regions.

At 03:59, the Ukrainian Air Force reported a missile in the area of Bilopillia, Sumy region, heading southwest; and later a cruise missile in Mykolaiv region heading toward Kirovohrad region.

Monitoring publics reported the launch of cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft.

In addition, at night, Russian media reported explosions in the temporarily occupied Luhansk. According to them, a missile attack was launched on an oil depot. Part of the city was left without electricity due to damaged power lines.

A Russian helicopter fought an unusual Ukrainian drone armed with heat-seeking missiles, war watchers say

• Ukraine used exploding drone boats to attack Russian naval assets on Monday.
• Footage and imagery from the attack appeared to show drones with an unusual adaptation.
• The unmanned systems could be seen armed with what were identified as heat-seeking missiles. 

Ukraine appears to be arming its naval drones with heat-seeking missiles to defend against air attacks, an unusual innovation for Kyiv's growing arsenal of explosive unmanned systems.

The newly upgraded drone boats were first observed in combat on Monday during a Ukrainian attack that resulted in a hit on a Russian military speedboat in the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Russia's defense ministry published footage of a helicopter defending against one of the Ukrainian drones during the attack. In the video, the unmanned boat can be seen evading heavy fire slightly above the waterline while carrying a white object that appears to resemble a missile. Eventually, there's an explosion. Moscow claims it destroyed five drones during the engagement.

/3. Russian Ka-29 helicopter destroys one of Ukrainian naval drones that took part in todays attack on Crimea. Objects which look like air to air missile La can be seen installed on the drone. pic.twitter.com/Ts5TDVdUBE — Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 6, 2024

After the attack, various open-source intelligence accounts, Russian military bloggers, and other observers began to point out on social media that the Ukrainian drone boats had been outfitted with R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles.

Photos circulating online showed at least one drone with two launching rails and a single missile, and additional video footage that surfaced online appeared to capture the engagement from inside a Russian helicopter.

Footage from Russian Ka-29 helicopter engaging Ukrainian USV with R-73 air-to-air heat-seeking missiles. https://t.co/ONS0uacMKB pic.twitter.com/E6zGjmCbuv — Clash Report (@clashreport) May 6, 2024

Business Insider was unable to immediately verify the footage and images published from the attack, nor could it independently confirm that the Ukrainian drones were outfitted with R-73 missiles.

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Called the AA-11 Archer by NATO, the Soviet-era R-73 missile is equipped with infrared homing technology and is typically carried by fighter aircraft like the MiG-29 or Su-35. Equipping the Ukrainian drones with this kind of air-combat munition could help them defend against aerial attacks, war watchers suspect.

Wreckage of aR-73 air-to-air missile on the remains of a destroyed Ukrainian USV. pic.twitter.com/vMZwgNDc0L — Clash Report (@clashreport) May 7, 2024

"Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had adapted the drones to defend against Russian strikes, particularly from helicopters, with heat-seeking missiles and to break through containment booms," conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote in a Monday assessment .

They added that "several prominent Russian milbloggers expressed anger that the Russian military bureaucracy is causing Russian forces to respond too slowly to Ukrainian maritime drone adaptations."

One milblogger affiliated with Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper noted on Telegram that the Ukrainian missile innovation for sea drones came in response to increased Russian helicopter patrols around the Black Sea.

"From the air they are easier to detect and quickly destroy," they said of the drones, noting that the Ukrainian uncrewed vessel managed to fire a missile at the helicopter but missed. They said these drones might be used to provide cover for other uncrewed vessels.

In the Black Sea, Russian forces spotted a Ukrainian USV armed with a twin rail launcher for R-73 all-aspect IR homing air-to-air missiles. Based on the footage, some Ukrainian USVs now possess a nascent SAM capability, likely able to target low and slow Russian helicopters. pic.twitter.com/eEsCuuh1Wv — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) May 6, 2024

A general in the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, previously told BI that Russia constantly has planes and combat helicopters patrolling around the western Black Sea as it struggles to protect its naval assets from Kyiv's fleet of exploding drone boats.

Ukraine doesn't have a proper navy, so it has relied heavily on exploding drone boats and long-range cruise missiles to wreak havoc on Russia's Black Sea Fleet . Kyiv has damaged and destroyed scores of warships and forced Moscow to relocate many of its vulnerable capabilities away from the fleet headquarters in Crimea to positions across the Black Sea to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk.

Monday's naval drone attack marked the latest strike on a Russian naval asset. A Ukrainian Magura V5 drone boat struck a smaller, $3 million Russian combat vessel.

Kyiv's military intelligence agency said after the attack that "since the fear of Ukrainian attacks forces the occupiers to hide large ships of the Black Sea Fleet away from the peninsula, combat work continues against the high-speed maneuverable military vessels of the Russians."

Watch: Ukraine sends 'army of drones' to fight Russian troops

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