Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 08-24-2024

This marks the first exchange since the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an offensive in the Kursk region and the 55th exchange overall.

On Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day, 115 Ukrainian soldiers were released from Russian captivity and returned home. These soldiers, representing the National Guard, Armed Forces, Navy, and State Border Guard Service, were welcomed back as part of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. 

This marks the first exchange since the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in the Kursk region and the 55th exchange overall. This offensive has captured hundreds of enemy soldiers in one of Russia’s worst defeats of the war

The RUGER in .338 caliber rifle will be used in the Mauser sniper platoon of the 27th Pechersk Brigade of the National Guard, led by renowned sniper Serhiy Pozniak.

Volunteers from the Vengeance Guard project, Yury Chornomorets and Dmytro Batishchev, who are dedicated to equipping the Ukrainian military, recently handed over a sniper system named after the hero city of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region, bordering Russia, to the National Guard snipers for Independence Day.

According to the volunteers, the RUGER in .338 caliber rifle will be deployed in the Mauser sniper platoon of the 27th Pechersk Brigade of the National Guard, headed by the well-known Ukrainian sniper Serhiy Pozniak.

Sidebar Stories – In the vein of “literature is news that stays news,” Kyiv Post presents some not necessarily factual narratives that offer added insight into Ukraine’s realities.

In a beachside village-style disco in Mariupol aptly named “Santa Barbara” – which identified itself as a cafe – kids in tracksuits danced to the beats of Rammstein, sharing the same dance moves as their parents beneath red and purple lights diffused by cheap cigarette smoke.

Lining the bar shelves was a wide selection of booze with handwritten price tags glued to the bottles. The only menu provided was a laminated card, faded from years of sunlight exposure and sticky from years of liqueur residues, listing various shots for purchase.

Recently freed Russian opposition figures are wearing blinders with regard to the war against Ukraine. The degree of their support for Ukraine’s fight should be a barometer of their credibility.

The recent prisoner exchange in which foreign citizens and political prisoners imprisoned by Vladimir Putin acquired their freedom ended in a big scandal, which was provoked by the statements of released young Russian politicians.

Some of them immediately rushed into the public sphere, pining for attention, freedom, their favorite journalists, and so forth. They have already made many mistakes, showing, mildly speaking, insufficient respect and gratitude to Ukrainians, Ukrainian civil society, and the Ukrainian leadership.

The Norwegian government announced it was allowing the ammunition manufacturer to transfer the technology Kyiv needs to make its own critically needed artillery ammunition.

The Norwegian government reported through its official website on Friday that it  was “paving the way for the transfer of Norwegian defense technologies to Ukraine,” by licensing the Nordic Ammunition Company (Nammo) to set up a 155mm artillery ammunition production facility in Ukraine.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “Our government has taken several steps to increase the production of artillery ammunition in Norway. At the same time, we recognize the importance of strengthening the capacity of Ukrainians to produce modern ammunition in Ukraine.”

Kyiv Post’s Senior Defense Correspondent Stefan Korshak speaks to Poland’s international station TVP World about Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Western leaders once told Ukrainians that freedom is not the same as independence. This was true, but they failed to point out that without independence there can be no freedom.

In those febrile days of August 1991 when the hard-line communists made their attempt to oust Mikhail Gorbachev and re-impose the Soviet order, Ukraine shuddered. Many of her most vocal freedom-loving politicians, scientists, and artists had already shown their cards.

Seeing the cracks appear in the socialist edifice, they had stridden out into the light and now there was every chance that the brief glimmer of sunshine would be extinguished with horrendous personal consequences.

Zelensky, in the presence of visiting Polish and Lithuanian presidents, greets Ukrainians with a stirring address on the country’s Day of Independence

President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed more “retribution” against Russia Saturday and signed a law banning the Moscow branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the country celebrated its third independence day since the Russian invasion.

Zelensky released a video filmed in a forested border area from where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia on Aug. 6.

The Kremlin’s launch of armed troops across an international border to attack Ukrainian defenders came four months after Russia’s near-bloodless takeover of Ukraine’s Crimean region.

On the 23rd anniversary of Ukraine’s 1991 declaration of independence, in August 2014, uniformed Russian troops invaded in force, crossing Ukraine’s eastern border to prevent the defeat of Kremlin-sponsored “separatists” by Kyiv’s forces.

Ukrainian and even some international media identified and watched trucks carrying hundreds of paratroopers from Russia’s elite 76th Airborne Division rumble across the international frontier into Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Dark-green-painted tanks and infantry fighting vehicles marked with white invasion stripes led the columns.

You might encounter them in your supermarket, pub, or favorite online store – they’re Ukrainian brands that have carved out places for themselves in international markets.

While Ukraine’s the biggest country in Europe geographically – for some entrepreneurs, its internal market wasn’t enough. So Ukrainian companies have gone on to make names for themselves in the US, Europe, Africa, and Asia. From food to fashion – Ukrainian products are recognized well beyond its borders.

In honor of independence day – where Ukrainians declared that they wanted to escape the isolation of the Soviet Union and become a part of the broader global community, here is a list of popular “made in Ukraine” brands that epitomize this ideal.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Ukraine’s surprise ground assault in Russia has “sown doubt” inside the country about Vladimir Putin, the UK’s Defence Secretary has said. In an article for The Telegraph, John Healey said the Russian president’s “cabal” may be facing growing internal pressure. The intervention comes after Volodymyr Zelensky sent thousands of troops into Russia as part of the surprise ground assault that has captured almost 500 sq miles of enemy territory. Mr Healey said the Kursk operation on Aug 6, the largest foreign attack on Russian territory since the Second World War, had caused the Russian people to question their president, exposing his increasingly fragile grip on the country. It has led to a crackdown on social media and messaging apps by the Kremlin to stop dissenting voices over Ukraine’s counter-strike. In what are the first comments by a senior government figure on the impact of Kyiv’s counter-strike within Russia, Mr Healey wrote: “Ukraine’s defensive operation in Kursk is a reminder to all Ukraine’s supporters that wars can shift at short notice, and continued military support for Ukraine remains as crucial as ever. “It has sown doubt inside Russia, exposing Putin’s Kremlin cabal to the consequences of their aggression.” Writing as Ukraine marks 33 years since its Declaration of Independence, Mr Healey said: “Putin’s complaints that Ukraine’s offensive is a ‘provocation’ are akin to a playground bully protesting because his smaller victim has had the temerity to fight back.

In the first visit by an Indian prime minister in modern Ukrainian history, Narendra Modi yesterday urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down for talks with Russia to end the war. He called for an “innovative solution” that’s broadly acceptable to all parties as best way to bring peace. According to foreign minister S. Jaishankar, the conflict formed the center piece of bilateral talks. Delhi hopes Zelensky will visit India soon

On Aug. 24, 1991, in the wake of a failed putsch in Moscow, the then still Soviet Ukrainian parliament declared Ukraine’s independence. Here’s the intricate story of how it happened.

On Aug. 24, 1991, the then still Soviet Ukrainian parliament declared the independence of Ukraine. But what actually happened on this historic day? And what were the unexpected, dramatic circumstances that triggered this momentous breakthrough?

Let me share with you some insights from my book The Ukrainian Resurgence (1999), which deals with this critical period in Ukraine’s modern history.

Ukraine’s recent successes in Kursk have showcased advanced drone and electronic warfare technologies, running rings around Russia.

Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone and electronic warfare technologies, surpassing Russia, which has lost its edge in the 30 months since its full-scale invasion, according to Forbes.

During its 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea, Russia used drones and electronic warfare effectively to disrupt Ukrainian communications and target positions. At the time, Russia led in these technologies, but as its full-scale invasion has ground on, it has lost the advantage.

Kyiv Post remembers the spectacular and energetically charged celebration of Ukraine's 30th Independence Day – the last one before the full-scale war started.

On Aug. 24, 2021, just six months before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine celebrated the 30th anniversary of its independence with a truly unforgettable event. The day was filled with emotion, pride, and a strong sense of unity that brought the entire nation together.

Biden announces additional aid package on eve of Ukraine's Independence Day.

US President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and announced a new round of military aid for Kyiv that the Pentagon valued at $125 million.

The call between the two leaders came ahead of Ukraine’s independence day, and on the same day that Washington announced sweeping sanctions against hundreds of individuals and companies tied to Russia’s invasion of the country.

For Ukrainians victory is not just about territory. Victory means the security of knowing the next generations will not have to fight against the enemy that has oppressed it for centuries.

More than a year ago, at an open forum in Vilnius, Ukrainian activist Daria Kaleniuk asked the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan what to say to her young son who was sleeping in the corridor due to constant Russian missile attacks. Should this boy already prepare for the fact that when he grows up, he will have to fight? Daria’s son was only two years old when Russia started a war against Ukraine in 2014, and in fact, he has not seen a true peace his entire life. 

My homeland is now 33 years old – Ukraine declared its independence in 1991. In recent history, for a third of our existence as a sovereign state, we have been forced to fight off Russian aggression with weapons in our hands. The average age of a Ukrainian soldier during this full-scale invasion is about 40 years old. These are people who lived their conscious lives in an independent state. It may not have been perfect, but it was worth protecting from the enemy. Historians tell us that every Ukrainian generation is forced to fight off Russian aggression, no matter what the Russian Federation is called: empire, USSR, or federation because behind the change of the sign, there is only one essence – to conquer and destroy.