Rumors are making the rounds in Kiev that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will fire the head of his armed forces, General Valerii Zaluzhny.  Zelensky and Zaluzhny have been at odds for some time. The excuse is likely to be losses in and around Avdeevka, which is a Ukrainian military stronghold just north of Donetsk. The rumor […]

The post Ukraine: Zelensky may soon oust military chief Zaluzhny appeared first on Asia Times.

Analysis suggests that Russia may be in the early stages of a new offensive in Ukraine. On the ground, Moscow’s forces have intensified their attacks along major sections of the frontline. They have made small territorial gains over the past few weeks, taking new territory or reclaiming territory liberated by Kiev’s forces during last year’s […]

The post A Russian spring offensive would wrongfoot Ukraine appeared first on Asia Times.

In recent days, the Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed or irretrievably damaged two Russian aircraft over the contested ground of Zaporizhzhia oblast. The role of these aircraft is to provide the Russian military – particularly its ground force – with certain capabilities. These include the ability to coordinate air and ground forces, observe and […]

The post Downing Russian AWACS planes, Ukraine is triumphant appeared first on Asia Times.

Update: Today Russia’s RT reports that the Norwegian NASAMS system won’t arrive anytime soon in Ukraine. On January 8 Ukraine was hit by the second massive missile and drone attack in ten days.  The Russians struck at locations in cities including Kiev, Odesa, Kharkiv and L’viv —altogether, 10 Ukrainian cities. The Russian attacks used a […]

The post Ukraine in dire need of new air defenses appeared first on Asia Times.

After the failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, Kiev finds itself at a major crossroads with no easy options. The demand late last year by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the mobilization of an additional 500,000 troops over the next few months signals both resolve and desperation. It will likely make Ukrainian domestic politics more […]

The post Zelensky’s war increasingly seen as ‘fought by the poor’ appeared first on Asia Times.

Almost two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there are no signs of a military victory for either side. Nor are there clear prospects of a ceasefire, let alone a negotiated settlement. Neither Kiev nor Moscow is willing to compromise on their stated war aims – but neither has a clear path […]

The post Kiev digging in for a long and bleak 2024 appeared first on Asia Times.

Recent articles in several leading US newspapers followed a statement from National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson saying that Russia had suffered “staggeringly high losses” in the Ukraine war. The casualties are a vital part of understanding the war not only because the subject speaks to the future of Ukraine and Russia, but it also, […]

The post Exclusive: 150,000 Ukraine soldiers killed in action through October appeared first on Asia Times.

The British are about to sign a Naval Security Pact with Ukraine, doubling down on their support for the sinking Volodymyr Zelensky-led country. Meanwhile, Germany is upping its arms commitment to Ukraine, even though its arms stockpile is practically empty. Both the UK and Germany are emptying their wallets and their arsenals while the US is trying to do the […]

The post NATO is a mess and the Russians are winning appeared first on Asia Times.

From the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US government has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s war effort. The Biden administration has repeatedly produced emergency spending packages to support the Ukrainian government and military. That funding has so far amounted to US$113 billion. But public opinion polls suggest […]

The post Five crucial points on US aid to Ukraine appeared first on Asia Times.

President Joe Biden is pushing hard for more Ukraine money and resisting, at least so far, Republican efforts to put strong border security provisions into the aid bill.  There are negotiations between the White House and Republicans on the border issue, but so far there has been no breakthrough. It looks more and more as […]

The post More good money after bad for Ukraine? appeared first on Asia Times.

After many months of diplomatic wrangling, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was granted another lease of life at the annual ministerial council meeting last week in a messy compromise between Russia and the West. But rather than ushering in a period of renewed efforts to mend Europe’s broken security order, existing […]

The post OSCE inflaming, not cooling, Ukraine tensions appeared first on Asia Times.

As the attention of the world centers on the war in Gaza, many commentators believe that the war in Ukraine is becoming a stalemate. To date, Ukraine’s highly anticipated summer counteroffensive has not resulted in any substantial territorial gain, and Russia has not made any progress either. In military terms, a stalemate is not necessarily […]

The post Ukraine war a stalemate on land but not at sea appeared first on Asia Times.

US President Joe Biden took to the pages of The Washington Post last week to assure the American people that continuing economic and military support to Ukraine is an investment in US security. On October 20, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kiev to give the Ukrainian leadership a similar assurance together with the promise […]

The post Preparing for a Russia-Ukraine stalemate appeared first on Asia Times.

Volodymir Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, is at war – with his generals. He has admonished the head of the Ukrainian armed services, Valery Zaluzhny, who last week told The Economist that “just like in the First World War, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate. There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough.” Even The […]

The post Zelensky is at war – with his generals appeared first on Asia Times.

While the world is focused on Israel and the Gaza war, the war in Ukraine grinds on.  Russian leader Vladimir Putin gave a brief press conference during his China trip and from that we can conclude the following: firstly that the Russians are concerned about the use of the US ATACMS missile against Russian forces, […]

The post Battle for Avdiivka could decide the Ukraine war appeared first on Asia Times.

When Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Joe Biden, on September 21, 2023, the topic of weapons supply was on the agenda. That same issue almost certainly came up between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when the pair met earlier in September. The fact is, with the conflict in Ukraine […]

The post Ukraine a disaster for lethal weapons nonproliferation appeared first on Asia Times.

Noises from Washington indicate that US President Joe Biden may be about to overcome his reluctance to supply Ukraine with the longer-range missiles it desperately needs. According to a report from CNN on September 11, which quoted “an official familiar with the discussions”, a final decision about the supply of army tactical missile systems (ATACMS) […]

The post US and allies dangle long-range missiles for Ukraine appeared first on Asia Times.

There have been reports that Ukrainian units have crossed the Dnipro River and established bridgeheads on the eastern side – which could be an important moment in Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive push in the south. How many troops made the crossing and how secure their bridgehead really is remains unclear. Ukraine’s counteroffensive push has thus far […]

The post Dnipro River bridgehead could be game-changer for Ukraine appeared first on Asia Times.

It is still too early to say whether the direction of the Ukraine war has changed, but there is increasing evidence that Ukraine’s inability to penetrate Russian defenses along the southern line, and challenges in the directions of Kupyansk, Lyman and Bakhmut suggests the entire war could be reaching a decisive conclusion. It is, for that […]

The post Ground softening for big Russian offensive appeared first on Asia Times.

Even as Ukraine’s counteroffensive pushes slowly forward, some observers are calling for the warring sides to negotiate a ceasefire. This would create a de facto demarcation line separating areas held by Ukrainian forces from those under Russian control at the moment the fighting stops. Others argue, however, that a ceasefire is unlikely to lead to […]

The post Partition-based ceasefire won’t work in Ukraine appeared first on Asia Times.