Ukraine conflict: Simple visual guide to the Russian invasion

Indeed, for all the foreboding about societal collapse, facing a common threat could give Britain a new-found sense of unity – something many Ukrainians speak of. Just as there was the “Clap for Carers” during the pandemic, similar rituals might take place for those serving at the front. And for every shirker or draft-dodger, others might take pride in national duty, be it manning a machine gun post or cleaning the streets. But if Ukraine’s experience is anything to go by, the threat posed by a common enemy could have a unifying effect. Kyiv’s politicians used to be notoriously fractious – not least because of divisions between the pro and anti-Russian camps. Once Putin rolled his tanks in, pro-Russian sentiment largely vanished.

• "Simply put, we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border. And as we said before, we're in a window when an invasion could begin at any time," Mr Blinken said.
• Volker said that aid packages must include more advanced weaponry for Ukraine, however, like F-16 fighter jets which have been pledged by Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.
• “It’s the time when you’re meant to be with your family and this is going to be the second year without him, unless there is a miracle.
• Russia was not present at the discussions, however, and U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby stated ahead of the talks that the White House did not expect any "tangible deliverables."
• Ukraine has declared martial law - which means the military takes control temporarily.

As well as the material destruction, the 160 days of Russian occupation left an insidious psychological legacy that may take just as long to heal. It’s hinted at by the phone number daubed on walls throughout the town in white paint. The number is for a hotline run by the Ukrainian SBU security service, an invitation to provide information on who did what during the dark days of occupation.

The increasingly complicated Russia-Ukraine crisis, explained

The logistics of training a “Citizen Army” are also formidable, according to one former Territorial Army (TA) soldier. “If  https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-would-happen-if-russia-launched-a-nuke-in-ukraine.html  are talking about mass mobilisation to defend the homeland, that is hundreds of thousands of people,” he said. Britain has also allowed ammunition supplies to dwindle to “dangerously low levels,” according to a Parliamentary Defence Committee report.

• Hall said "Putin's opinion has always been that Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, that they're part of the Slavic Brotherhood of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine."
• Since the counteroffensive was launched in June, only a handful of villages have been recaptured.
• Many analysts had previously believed that any invasion was unlikely to start until after the Winter Olympics in China end on February 20.
• But, by agreeing to the talks, Putin seems to at least have accepted the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire.
• These scenarios are not mutually exclusive - some of each could combine to produce different outcomes.
• Putin has said Ukrainians and Russians “were one people — a single whole,” or at least would be if not for the meddling from outside forces (as in, the West) that has created a “wall” between the two.

Meanwhile in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin told defence officials that in Ukraine he would “not give up what is ours”, while claiming the Russian military had momentum. Labour's Keir Starmer and many Conservative backbenchers have called for further military options to be explored. So far the UK government has sent troops (now withdrawn) to train the Ukrainian army, and supplied them with defensive weapons. The dependence of many European countries on Russian gas may also contribute to upward pressure on commodity prices as they seek alternative supplies from elsewhere.

The roots of the current crisis grew from the breakup of the Soviet Union

Checkpoints and pillboxes would be built at motorway junctions and city entrances. Public buildings and metro stations would be used as air raid shelters, while anti-aircraft guns might be hidden in parks. After an uneasy peace with Ukraine, Moscow has sent forces into the Baltics, clashing with British troops based there to protect Nato’s eastern flank. To train and equip that larger army would inevitably require more money.

Moscow's economy would "gradually recover as sanctions inevitably erode" and its military would rebuild its coherence "drawing on a wealth of hard-won experience fighting mechanized warfare". The Institute for the Study of War thinktank says the costs of allowing Russia to win in Ukraine are "higher than most people imagine", as US resolve - particularly among Republicans - possibly wavers over providing more military aid to Kyiv. Another year of war in Europe has undoubtedly drained Western military resources and the political appetite to maintain massive amounts of military aid for Ukraine. Weather conditions are deteriorating in Ukraine, with mud, freezing rain, snow and ice making offensive and reconnaissance operations challenging.

Abbott considered sending 'large military deployment' to Ukraine in wake of MH17 disaster

But it may not be implausible if the people who have benefited from Mr Putin no longer believe he can defend their interests. He judges that continuing the war may be a greater threat to his  leadership than the humiliation of ending it. China intervenes, putting pressure on Moscow to compromise, warning that it will not buy Russian oil and  gas unless it de-escalates.

Intelligence imagery taken between September and December shows three Russian ships, the Maia, Angara and Maria, loading containers at North Korea’s revived Najin port before transiting to Russian ports in the far east. North Korea has been accused of supplying ballistic missiles and hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to the Russian government for its war in Ukraine – dealings that are in violation of international law. So it is that the centenary of the death of Lenin, one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, has gone largely uncelebrated in his home country of Russia, Andrew Roth reported. The Russian president has blamed Lenin – whose waxy corpse remains embalmed in his Red Square mausoleum – for appeasing nationalists and drawing faultlines in the Soviet system, creating national republics that would later have the right to secede from the USSR. Maybe Russian forces get bogged down, hampered by low morale, poor logistics and inept leadership.

• Indeed, for all the foreboding about societal collapse, facing a common threat could give Britain a new-found sense of unity – something many Ukrainians speak of.
• "Politically, they're all starting to waver and will continue to do so as sanctions bite.
• President Biden's virtual meeting with President Putin earlier this week was a start and will be followed up by more talks with other Nato members.
• Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian attacks are increasing again in some parts of the country but they have not yet had any significant impact.
• Lithuania's prime minister, for example, told Insider in February that her country joined NATO "because of Putin."
• But without political support, the mindset of a country that does not feel like it is about to go to war is unlikely to change.

Professor Clarke says that although some young Russians are being sent to the front line having never held a gun, it will be months before potential new recruits are fully trained. "Calling it a 'special military operation' has its disadvantages for the Kremlin. Professor Michael Clarke, military analyst and former director-general of the defence think tank RUSI, describes it as a "wide area battle".

• Ultimately, it comes down to the price the populations in the United States and Europe are prepared to pay,” said Richard Connolly, a lecturer in political economy at the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham.
• The Russia-Ukraine crisis is a continuation of the one that began in 2014.
• At Vox, we believe that clarity is power, and that power shouldn’t only be available to those who can afford to pay.
• More than ever, the outcome depends on political decisions made miles away from the centre of the conflict - in Washington and in Brussels.
• Despite towns and cities suffering heavy shelling, Ukraine has been successful in slowing Russia's troops down considerably and have even taken back control over the previously captured city of Kherson.

Germany's pausing of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is perhaps the most significant step to punish Vladimir Putin because of the likely impact on the Russian economy. Unless Putin is doing all of this only to maximise his leverage in talks with the West. Putin's recognition of the breakaway republics effectively kills of the Minsk peace process. And that is a dangerous backdrop against which to have a blazing public row over who is to blame for the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Let's not forget that Russia and America have, between them, over 8,000 deployable nuclear warheads so the stakes here are stratospherically high. The old Cold War maxim of "MAD" - Mutually Assured Destruction - still applies.

But the Russian ministry of defence said Kyiv shot down the Il-76, and claimed that the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian PoWs who were to be swapped, along with six crew and three Russian servicemen. Every week we wrap up essential coverage of the war in Ukraine, from news and features to analysis, opinion and more. By early summer Ukraine will be able to use US-made F16 fighter jets for the first time, which it hopes will improve its ability to counter Russian aircraft and strengthen its own air defences.