Military operation in Ukraine

15 Jan 2023, 17:24

Some two weeks will be needed for Russian forces to mop up Soledar - LPR officer

Ukrainian troops intensify shelling attacks on Kremennaya after defeat in Soledar

LUGANSK, January 15. /TASS/. About two weeks will be needed for the Russian army to mop up the city of Soledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and its environs from Ukrainian troops, Vladimir Novikov (codenamed Alabay), commander of the Troy volunteer special forces unit, told TASS on Sunday.

"I think that it will take about a week to mop up Soledar. After that, it will be necessary to mop up its suburbs, which will also take some time. <…> At least two weeks will be needed," he said.

According to Novikov, Russian troops continue "certain artillery pressure" on Ukrainian forces in Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine). He told TASS earlier that while mopping up Soledar Russian soldiers find Ukrainian troops hiding in technical premises.

Ukrainian troops have intensified shelling attacks on civil infrastructure of the city of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) after their defeat in Soledar, Novikov told. "Now, the intensity of their shelling attacks on Kremennaya’s civil infrastructure has increased. I think it is because of the defeat of Ukrainian forces in Soledar. It is a kind of revenge for the defeat on the frontline on civilians," he said.

According to Novikov, Ukraine’s attacks on civilians "shifted from Svatovo to Kremennaya" after Ukraine redeployed the bulk of its forces in the Kremennaya direction.

The LPR’s mission to the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) for issues related to Ukraine’s war crimes said earlier on Sunday that Ukrainian troops had fired three 155mm artillery shells, used in NATO countries, at Kremennaya. The Russian defense ministry said on Friday that in the evening on January 12 Russian troops had liberated Soledar after days of fierce fighting. According to the ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, control over Soledar will make it possible to block channels of supplies to Ukrainian forces in Artyomovsk located southwest of Soledar and later encircle them there.

Tags

Military operation in Ukraine

Kremlin aide reminds Finland it must adhere to international maritime law

According to Nikolay Patrushev, this is also true from a historical perspective

Yesterday, 15:51

Operation Pipeline in Sudzha in focus of foreign special services — anti-terror veteran

Sergey Goncharov compared Operation Pipeline to the 1979 assault on Amin's palace in Afghanistan, during which Soviet special forces faced significantly greater numbers of enemy fighters

Protesters set fire to police cruiser in Buenos Aires

The crowd at the rally numbers several thousand people

Deficiency of military personnel becomes Ukraine's biggest challenge — paper

"It is very hard for Ukraine to meet the recruitment targets," one of the officials said

Yesterday, 08:13

Lavrov views NATO troops in any capacity in Ukraine as a threat to Russia

According to the foreign minister, under no conditions will Russia tolerate the presence of NATO troops as peacekeepers on Ukrainian soil

It is becoming impossible for Kiev troops to break out of encirclement near Kursk — Putin

"They are leaving their military equipment behind, because there is no way to evacuate it," the president added

Ukraine to eventually come back to Russia, Belarus — Lukashenko

"They will take both black soil and rare earth materials, and God willing, they will not take away everything else," the Belarusian leader emphasized

Yesterday, 13:03

Some Ukrainian army units flee Russia’s Kursk Region — media

According to the media outlet, service members from the most combat-ready Ukrainian brigades have fled the Kursk Region

Putin certain it was Ukraine that should have been the one to ask for ceasefire

On March 11, delegations from the US and Ukraine convened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

NATO to increase military drills near Russia's northern borders — Foreign Ministry

According to the statement, the US is intensifying military cooperation in the Arctic with both new and long-standing NATO members

Yesterday, 23:18

PREVIEW: Putin to meet with Lukashenko on Thursday

This will be the Belarusian leader’s first foreign visit after his re-election in January

Hamas reacts positively to change in Trump’s stance on Gaza

According to the spokesman, the White House host should not support "right-wing politicians" in Israel over the future of Gaza

Yesterday, 18:21

Trump declines to say whether he has plans to contact Putin

On March 11, the Saudi city of Jeddah hosted talks between the United States and Ukraine, which lasted for almost nine and a half hours

Press review: Russia, US eye stability as Moscow upholds preconditions for Kiev talks

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, March 13th

Finland, as in 1930s, becomes springboard for aggression against Russia — Patrushev

Nikolay Patrushev pointed out that Moscow had not taken any aggressive actions towards Helsinki in the late 1930s until the very end, even offering a territorial swap

Yesterday, 14:49

No plans to acknowledge loss of territory in talks on resolving Ukraine issue — Zelensky

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier that Washington had touched upon the issue of Ukraine’s territorial concessions during the March 11 talks in Saudi Arabia

Recapture of Sudzha to let Russian forces create buffer zone in Sumy Region — expert

Andrey Marochko explained that with the liberation of the Kursk Region some Russian troops may be redeployed to various areas within the special military operation zone

Yesterday, 11:46

IN BRIEF: Nuclear security, EU militarization: what Lavrov told US bloggers

The new US administration, to put it mildly, "is concerned about the irregularities committed by the Joe Biden administration with Pentagon supplies to Ukraine"

Yesterday, 14:34

Satellites could monitor ceasefire in Ukraine, US state secretary says

A joint statement, published after March 11 US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah, said that the countries have agreed to sign a comprehensive agreement on the development of critically important mineral resources soon

Yesterday, 10:00

Press review: US forced Kiev to concede to peace and Russia repelled massive drone attack

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, March 12th

Operation to liberate Kursk Region from Ukrainian troops enters final stage — Kremlin

"During his visit to one of the command centers in the Kursk Region, the head of state heard the reports of the commander and the deputy commander of the battlegroup North, who reported to the supreme commander-in-chief on the progress of the operation," Dmitry Peskov said

Putin considers possible Ukraine ceasefire control as very complex

"Who will determine where and who has violated a potential ceasefire agreement along 2,000 km?" the Russian leader remarked

Yesterday, 02:55

Russian commander says Sudzha operation becomes one of most effective during special op

Alaudinov spoke in detail about the actions of the Russian servicemen during the operation

Militarization of Europe may not suit US, alternative needed — Lukashenko

The Belarusian president urged to "coexist amicably and pursue a more stable policy"

Kiev tried to pass off Ukrainian army’s panic escape from Sudzha as regrouping — expert

"And, naturally, after such slaughter, they would hardly want to continue their service under the direction of the Ukrainian military command and Zelensky," Andrey Marochko said

Putin to formulate Russia’s position on temporary ceasefire in Ukraine — Kremlin aide

Negotiations between the delegations of the United States and Ukraine took place in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on March 11

With liberation of Sudzha Kiev’s forces lose main hub in Kursk region — military

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, units from the battle group North have successfully liberated the villages of Melovoy, Podol, and Sudzha

US not to catch Russia with truce proposal for Ukraine — Lukashenko

"There are many matters besides the 30-day truce, and this should be considered as a whole and an appropriate decision should be made," the Belarusian president said

Russia's interests, pursuit of sustainable peace: Moscow's reaction to truce offer

According to Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, the proposal does not give Russia anything and is only a chance for Ukraine to regroup its forces

Yesterday, 12:32

Zelensky's fate will be worse than Saakashvili's — Russian legislator

Saakashvili, who is now a citizen of Ukraine, left Georgia in 2013, after which the country initiated four criminal cases against him

Trump says his special envoy Witkoff engages in serious discussions on Ukraine

"We have people talking in Russia," the US president said

UK failed to notify Russia one of collided ships had Russian crew members, embassy says

Reuters earlier reported, citing the German company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, that the captain of the container ship was a Russian citizen. He has been detained by UK authorities

EU is neither at war, nor at peace, says Kallas

"Russia, Iran, the DPRK, and China "are working together," so we need to strengthen our relations with diplomatic counterparts, including the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Australia," Kaja Kallas said

Yesterday, 08:01

Russia-China tensions due to Western sanctions, but parties have nowhere to rush — Lavrov

Some of the very promising logistical, infrastructural projects in Siberia are being delayed, the Russian top diplomat noted

Russian strikes on logistics, not US, behind halt in Ukrainian ATACMS attacks — politician

Agreement on in Ukraine to materialize when Russia plays its cards — Lukashenko

"They have strong cards, as [US President Donald] Trump once said, in their hands," the Belarusian president asserted

Yesterday, 11:57

US wants to hand over to UK the lead in pumping Ukraine with weapons — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat drew attention to the fact that "the Europeans do not stop their efforts"

Russia not to let NATO encroach on its interests in Baltic Region — Kremlin aide

Nikolay Patrushev noted that the Baltic Fleet is currently undergoing extensive combat training and is capable of operating effectively both in the Baltic Sea and far from its bases during long-range missions

London knows NATO presence in Ukraine unacceptable for Moscow — Russian ambassador

Britain, as Kelin pointed out, has made significant investments in its confrontation with Russia over the past few years and continues to actively support the "Ukrainian project," which is "beginning to capsize"

Russia seeks long-term solution to Ukraine conflict rather than respite — Kremlin aide

"We don’t want a respite," Yury Ushakov noted

Yesterday, 15:23

Chechen leader says Operation Pipeline near Sudzha was daring, incredibly effective

Kadyrov also shared a video featuring the Akhmat units’ commandos moving through the gas pipeline as they advanced into enemy territory

EU's militarization strategy aims at inciting war — Zakharova

"Armament of countries that are clearly losing their ability to operate effectively is progressing rapidly and excessively. Historically, this has always been referred to as provoking war," Maria Zakharova stated

Kiev may use ceasefire to obtain weapons, mobilize troops — Putin

"Maybe, to get weapons. Or, maybe, to train the newly mobilized personnel," the president said

Jeddah talks fail to take into account Russian security demands — newspaper

According to the media outlet, the ceasefire between the parties is only a "first aid measure," but a real settlement of the Ukrainian crisis requires a systematic "treatment plan," which includes, among other things, putting into practice a new vision of security

Yesterday, 11:27

Macron's intention to protect everyone with France's '3-4 nuclear bombs' is funny — Lavrov

The minister also noted that Macron is now trying to present the situation as if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements

Yesterday, 22:18

Trump concedes NATO at war against Russia in Ukraine

US president made the statement at a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin

Russian forces to clear Kursk Region of Ukrainian troops in next few days — commander

Chief of Russia’s General Staff, First Deputy Defense Minister Army General Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin on March 12 that Russian troops had liberated more than 1,100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk Region

Yesterday, 21:45

Security zone and Ukrainian army’s terrorists: Putin visits Kursk Region

The Russian president initially planned to take part in an economic meeting in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, but Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS later that the meeting had been postponed due to changes in the president’s work schedule

Russian forces to clear Sudzha of Ukrainian army remnants 'within 10 days' — commander

Chief of Russia’s General Staff, First Deputy Defense Minister Army General Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin on March 12 that Russian troops had liberated more than 1,100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk Region in an offensive operation or over 86% of the area occupied by the Ukrainian army

FACTBOX: Russian army liberates Sudzha: news from Kursk Region

In total, Ukraine lost over 67,000 soldiers in the Kursk direction

Kremlin aide reminds Finland it must adhere to international maritime law

According to Nikolay Patrushev, this is also true from a historical perspective

Yesterday, 19:07

430 Ukrainian servicemen captured in Kursk Region — Russian General Staff

"Four hundred and thirty fighters were captured," Valery Gerasimov said

IN BRIEF: Russia for truce, but 'nuances' remain — highlights of Putin's remarks to media

Russia will determine the next steps to resolve the conflict in Ukraine "based on how the situation on the ground evolves," the Russian president said

Russian forces strike Ukrainian army’s UAV assembly, storage sites in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 475 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed five enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported

Yesterday, 17:50

No new sanctions for Russia, Trump says

"I don't want to do that because I want to get peace," the US leader told reporters

Yesterday, 09:48

No Ukrainian troops to be left in Kursk Region in two days — Ukrainian expert

Officially the fighting is still going on there, Mikhail Zhirokhov said

Witkoff to be invited to Kremlin after signal from Putin — presidential aide

Yury Ushakov declined to predict the exact duration of the meeting

Yesterday, 17:14

Russian army creates several kill zones for Ukrainian forces near Sudzha — Marochko

According to the expert, it is "quite heated now" in the battlefields near the city

Russia to choose special negotiators for dialogue with US on Ukraine — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov noted that he will also continue contacts with the US on the subject via his "own channels of communication"

News about absence of ATACMS missiles in Ukraine may be disinformation — analyst

Igor Korotchenko also suggested that such reports in foreign media might be part of a strategic disinformation campaign

Kiev always lied during previous ceasefires in Ukraine — top Russian diplomat

Lavrov emphasized that Russia "needs a sustainable, lasting peace based on the fact that the root causes of the current situation are eliminated"

Desertion in Ukraine surges 11-fold in 2024, continues to rise — diplomat

Maria Zakharova stressed that "in reality, according to expert estimates, there are more than 150,000 people on the run in Ukraine today"

Proposal on 30-day ceasefire needs adjustments to reflect Russian interests — Kremlin aide

Previously, the Kremlin official said the 30-day ceasefire initiative will not benefit Russia in any way, and will only provide Ukraine with an opportunity to regroup its forces

ECHR finds Ukraine guilty of failing to take steps to prevent 2014 tragedy in Odessa

Also, it is said that the Kiev authorities did not conduct a proper investigation of the events

Yesterday, 20:00

Putin visits Kursk Region for the first time since Ukrainian army’s incursion

Russia’s borderline Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine on August 6, 2024

Yesterday, 20:24

Russian troops enter Sumy Region in certain border areas — General Staff chief

Russian units continue to destroy enemy reserves and expand the security zone, Army General Valery Gerasimov said

Yesterday, 11:17

Hundreds of Ukrainian troops occupy Sudzha, Russian security official reveals

While some Ukrainian troops have attempted to flee toward the bordering Ukrainian region of Sumy, all roads remain under Russia’s fire control, he said

Yesterday, 14:15

Any agreements on Ukraine to be implemented on Russian terms — Russian senator

Konstantin Kosachev said that Vladimir Zelensky is "on the back foot"

Tensions in Baltic area to increase due to Europe’s stance, says Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev believes that the worsening situation is being orchestrated by London, which is "interested in undermining efforts to normalize US-Russian relations"

Acts of bestial cruelty committed by Ukrainian military were systemic, Kursk governor says

Alexander Khinshtein further revealed that nearly every evacuated resident had a harrowing story to share about the Ukrainian military's atrocities

US Secretary of Treasury threatens Russia with the toughest sanctions ever — CNBC

Trump is willing to apply maximum pressure on both sides, Scott Bessent said

Yesterday, 20:29

Ukrainian service members in Kursk are legally considered terrorists — Putin

This is how the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office classifies their actions, Russian president noted

Belarus President Lukashenko says talks with Putin were substantial; to continue next day

"The talks with the Russian president were, as usually, substantial and productive," Lukashenko said at a news conference following his meeting with Putin in Moscow on Thursday

US special envoy Steve Witkoff's plane lands in Moscow — Flightradar

The plane entered Russian airspace from the direction of Latvia

US realizes what sending 'peacekeepers' to Ukraine may provoke — Foreign Ministry

According to Maria Zakharova, citizens of NATO member states "support and maintain equipment supplied to the Ukrainian army from the West and offer advisory support in conducting and planning operations by the Banderites and terrorist attacks against Russia and its citizens"

Zelensky, some European nations aim for escalation instead of peace — Russian diplomat

According to Maria Zakharova, Zelensky and the EU leaders backing him are accountable for the ongoing conflict

Yesterday, 17:26

Plane carrying ex-Philippine president lands in Netherlands — International Criminal Court

It is noted that Duterte will be taken to a prison in The Hague where he is expected to be placed in pre-trial detention

NATO plans new attacks on Russian pipelines — Patrushev

According to Chairman of the Russia's Maritime Board, NATO is simulating cyberattacks on the navigation equipment of Russian ships in the Baltic region to organize emergency situations

Kursk situation under Russia’s control, Ukrainian battlegroup blocked — Putin

"This is full isolation and full gunfire control," the Russian leader stressed

Ukrainians unlikely to agree to ceasefire — Belarusian president

Talks between US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah on Tuesday

Sudzha liberation shows that Russia is achieving its goals — MFA

Maria Zakharova also noted President Vladimir Putin's remarks during his visit to the Kursk Region

Yesterday, 17:44

Serbia withdraws vote in favor of anti-Russian UN resolution on Ukraine — top diplomat

Marko Djuric stressed that all responsibility regarding the country’s vote on the resolution "lies primarily" with him

Yesterday, 22:51

Syrsky says he ordered withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Sudzha

The commander-in-chief did not directly announce a Ukrainian withdrawal from the city, but stated that active combat operations are taking place 'in the suburbs of Sudzha and the surrounding areas'

FACTBOX: Ukrainian drones strike Russian regions once again

According to the report, 30 UAVs were shot down over the Bryansk Region, 25 over the Kaluga Region, six each over the Kursk and Voronezh regions, and five each over the Rostov and Belgorod regions.

New bellicism sweeps up European elites, goes into cataclysmic overdrive — US expert

Almuth Rochowanski emphasizes that the mindset of European elites, which she characterizes as "militarism on steroids," undermines its democratic institutions and laws, and the new European "security strategy" consists of "a spending spree to reach some arbitrary share of GDP or random number of billions of euros, to buy weapons systems favored by lobbyists but of dubious relevance"

Situation on ground rapidly changing in Russia’s favor — Putin

The Russian president especially thanked Russian forces for liberating the town of Sudzha in the Kursk Region

Lukashenko comes to Moscow for official visit

Alexander Lukashenko will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin

Russian troops liberate Sudzha settlement in borderline Kursk area — top brass

"Battlegroup North units liberated the settlements of Melovoi, Podol and Sudzha through offensive operations," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement

Yesterday, 18:44

Putin holds meeting at one of command posts of Kursk group of forces — Kremlin spokesman

According to Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential press service will soon release the relevant footage

Yesterday, 20:48

Putin sets task to defeat enemy in the Kursk Region as soon as possible

The Russian Armed Forces continue their operation to wipe out Ukrainian troops in the Kursk Region; five settlements were liberated in the past 24 hours

Russia works with well-thought-out options for conflict settlement in Ukraine — Kremlin

According to the newspaper, the document allegedly says that Moscow needs to weaken Washington's negotiating position on a settlement in Ukraine by aggravating US relations with other countries

Yesterday, 11:42

Lavrov calls European Commission Chief von der Leyen ‘Fuhrer Ursula’

The Russian foreign minister noted that the EC head is mobilizing everybody to re-militarize Europe

There is no doubt about Russia’s imminent victory over Ukrainian forces in Kursk region

"We have not only defeated the enemy, liberated the territory, become stronger, but we will also restore and rebuild our villages and towns," acting governor Alexander Khinshtein added

Up to 20,000 militants join Syria's police, security forces — Kyrgyz Security Council

Marat Imankulov emphasized that this situation was a cause for concern among many states, including Syria's neighbors

Putin could speak on Ukraine at news conference after Belarus talks on Thursday — Kremlin

The Russian president is scheduled to take questions jointly with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko

Trump’s special envoy Witkoff’s plane crosses Russian border — Flightradar data

The Gulfstream G650 aircraft took off earlier from Hamad International Airport in Doha

Russia says battlegroup West destroyed 22 drone operating posts

With the support of artillery, heavy flame-throwing systems and aviation, units have improved their tactical position

Russian commander points to mass civilian killings by Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region

According to Apty Alaudinov, after liberating the settlement of Russkoye Porechnoye from Ukrainian troops, Russian service members saw "dozens of mangled bodies"

Top Russian diplomat says not interested in EU stance on Ukrainian settlement

Previously, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that instead of searching for peaceful ways of resolving the crisis, the European Union has been declaring plans to boost military and financial assistance to the Kiev government, thus deliberately fueling escalation

Duda urges US to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland — newspaper

The Polish president had already proposed a similar project to the Joe Biden administration in 2022, but the initiative failed then

France stealing Russian assets for sake of continuing conflict in Ukraine — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova emphasized that Russia’s position on attempts "to illegally seize, or simply steal" Russian assets that are "frozen" on the territory of the EU as part of unlawful restrictive measures, remains unchanged