Kherson

WASHINGTON — Last fall, tensions in Washington reached a crescendo as Moscow made persistent nuclear threats and U.S. intelligence reported discussions among Russian military leaders about the use of such weapons. Concerns remain over Russia using a nuclear weapon, but the tensions have since abated. Several factors explain why, officials said: A more stable battlefield, China’s warnings against the use of nuclear weapons , improved communications between Moscow and Washington and an increased role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Ukraine have contributed to a measure of stability. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, a senior U.S. official said recently, may well have come to the conclusion that the threats, which he once saw as leverage, were backfiring. The possibility of nuclear escalation continues to influence American decisions over what advanced weaponry to give Ukraine. But nearly a year into the war there, American policymakers and intelligence analysts … [Read more...] about Fears of Russian Nuclear Weapons Use Have Diminished, but Could Re-emerge

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine draws closer to the one-year mark, Russian media pundits are still debating exactly what a victory for Moscow would look like. In a video shared Friday on Twitter by Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Chechen general Apti Alaudinov—who in March led troops of what Russia called volunteers from Chechnya to Ukraine—joined the host of Russia-1's "60 Minutes" to talk about the situation on the battleground in Ukraine. Alaudinov, who was awarded with the title of commander of the special Akhmat forces and "Hero of Russia" last August, joined the show after appearing in a self-shot video from a snowy Ukraine. He speaks of the war in Ukraine as one that can only end "with Russia ceasing to exist or with the NATO bloc ceasing to exist in the format it has up until now." Alaudinov adds that he doesn't believe the Russian leadership will agree to a peace that doesn't include the end of NATO as we know it. … [Read more...] about Russian state TV can’t decide what Ukraine victory would look like

KYIV, Ukraine — Moscow is deploying thousands of soldiers to southeastern Ukraine as it renews an assault on a strategically important town that Ukrainian forces have used to harass shipments on a critical Russian supply line that runs from the eastern Donbas region to Crimea. The town, Vuhledar, has long been in Russia’s cross hairs. It sits at the intersection of the eastern front in the Donetsk region and the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia region , close to the only rail line linking Crimea with the Donbas region. The Ukrainians have used that proximity to lob artillery shells at the trains, limiting Russia’s ability to move men and equipment between the two fronts and, ultimately, to achieve its stated aim of capturing the Donbas, which comprises the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk. After a major drive in November failed, with reportedly enormous losses, Russian commanders are once again attacking in and around Vuhledar in hopes of securing the rail line. “This can be … [Read more...] about Russia Pushes to Take Ukrainian Town Near a Vital Supply Line