Ukraine News

The latest breaking news updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in a live news feed aggregated from mainstream, alternative and independent sources, by NewsNow.

The war in Ukraine was launched by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on 23 February 2022. Within the first month of the conflict an estimated 3.6 million Ukrainians had fled the country, as cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson and Kharkiv came under attack. The invasion was widely criticised as a war of aggression, and the United Nations General Assembly demanded a full withdrawal of Russian forces. The International Court of Justice ordered Russia to suspend military operations and the Council of Europe expelled Russia. The war resulted in a massive refugee crisis, with over seven million refugees, and the United Nations described it as the fastest-growing such crisis since World War II.

Despite initial losses and strong resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russia's advance stalled in the north and by April, its troops had retreated. However, a renewed attack was launched in April, extending from Kharkiv to Donetsk and Luhansk, resulting in the fall of Mariupol. Despite counteroffensives launched by Ukrainian forces, Russia claimed the annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts in September, leading to international condemnation and the imposition of new sanctions by many countries. In September, Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive in the northeast, which resulted in the successful recapture of the majority of the Kharkiv Oblast. During the southern counteroffensive, Ukraine was able to reclaim the city of Kherson in November, forcing Russian troops to withdraw to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.

According to The New York Times, as of February 2023, the number of Russian troops killed and wounded in Ukraine is approaching 200,000. The conflict continues to have far-reaching consequences, including widespread economic and political impacts, and a lasting impact on the lives of millions of people.

Between February 2023 and October 2023, the conflict saw continued military engagements including deadly rocket strikes by Russia on Ukrainian towns, causing civilian casualties. Russia notably targeted energy facilities, disrupting power in various regions. Ukrainian forces achieved minor victories, reclaiming some territories. Ukrainian forces were reported to have made some headway in both the eastern and southern theaters of the ongoing counteroffensive as of October. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces suffered significant casualties during this period. Ukrainian forces particularly endured heavy losses during the early stages of the counteroffensive, necessitating a change in tactics to more attrition-based artillery and missile strikes against Russian positions to reduce the rate of loss.

Ukrainian forces conducted a series of strikes targeting critical Russian military assets. For instance, on 23 August, Ukrainian missiles destroyed a Russian S-400 missile system in Crimea. Subsequently, on 24 August, a special operation involving an amphibious landing and airborne deployment of Ukrainian personnel in Crimea was conducted, leading to the Ukrainian state flag being raised over the Crimean peninsula once more​. Further strikes included Ukrainian forces launching missiles at the Sevmorzavod dry dock in Sevastopol on 13 September, severely damaging a Russian Kilo class submarine and destroying a Ropucha-class landing ship. On 14 September, a Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile battery was destroyed near Yevpatoria in Crimea​.

International reactions included heightened support from European leaders for Ukraine, with discussions on further aid and defense support. U.S. also pledged new military aid packages for Ukraine.

Analysts projected that the hardening ground during the winter freeze would likely allow for an increase in the tempo of combat operations, and Ukrainian officials expressed their intent to continue counteroffensive operations into late 2023, exploiting the cold weather conditions.