Ukrainian troops have liberated nearly 30,000 square miles of their territory from Russian forces
since the invasion beganon Feb. 24, 2022, but Putin
appeared to be preparing for a long and bloody war.
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11h ago20:45
US pledges to help Moldova fight destabilisation
The US has accused Russia of seeking to destabilise Moldova, agreeing with earlier claims from the Moldovan president.
John Kirby, the White House's national security spokesperson, confirmed in a briefing that America shared Moldova's view there was no immediate military threat from Moscow but that it is planning to install a more pro-Russian government.
"As Moldova continues to integrate with Europe, we believe Russia is pursuing options to weaken the Moldovan government probably with the eventual goal of seeing a more Russian friendly administration in the capital," Mr Kirby said.
"More specifically, Russian actors, some with current ties to Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment and manufacture insurrection against the Moldovan government."
The US will therefore help provide information to Moldova and potentially give the country an additional $300m in energy assistance.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has repeatedly expressed concern about Russia's plans for her country, as well as the presence of Russian troops in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
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11h ago20:15
The devastation of Bakhmut seen from the sky
Satellite images of Bakhmut lay bare the destruction that has been inflicted on the city during the incessant fighting.
Billowing plumes of smoke and the charred, blown out husks of homes and other buildings can be seen rising out of the scorched earth of the beleaguered town in the Donetsk region.
These high-resolution images were collected by Maxar Technologies, a space tech firm based in Colorado, US, on 6 March.
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
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12h ago19:17
Ukraine 'preparing Bakhmut counteroffensive', Wagner Group chief claims
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group has claimed Ukraine is preparing a counteroffensive near the city of Bakhmut.
"Yes, it is a well-known fact that the enemy is preparing a counteroffensive. Of course, we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening," Yevgeny Prigozhin said on social media.
He added that his private army had opened up recruitment centres across 42 cities in a attempt to replenish its ranks after suffered heavy losses.