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For continuing updates on the war in Ukraine, visit ukraine.usatoday.com.

Behind the scenes: See how private ammo sales from US are fueling the war in Ukraine Most of the United States' $44 billion in documented support to Ukraine came in the form of old U.S. military stock, donated directly by the government. In general, commercial sales over $14 million, and sales of military-grade weaponry like mortars or missiles, require U.S. State Department approval and congressional notification. But other aid comes via private sales. More than 14,000 U.S. entities are regi…

Wagner chief Prigozhin listed as passenger on plane that crashed Yevgeny Prigozhin − the wealthy leader of the mercenary Wagner Group who was an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin until leading a failed insurrection in June − was listed among the passengers in the crash of a business jet that killed 10 in Russia on Wednesday. But it wasn’t immediately clear whether he was on board, authorities said. Unconfirmed media reports said the jet belonged to Prigozhin, who led his forces on a mar…

Land-for-NATO swap proposal that drew ire in Ukraine was 'a mistake' A NATO official on Wednesday backed off his suggestion that Ukraine give up land to Russia in exchange for membership in the alliance, a proposal dismissed as "ridiculous" and unacceptable in Ukraine. Stian Jenssen, chief of staff to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, raised the possibility of such a solution at an event Tuesday in Norway. Jenssen added any peace deal would have to be acceptable to Ukraine, a position t…

Commercial Russian port attacked for the first time in the 18-month war, Ukraine says Ukrainian sea drones attacked a major Russian port on the Black Sea on Friday, damaging a naval ship, according to a Ukrainian official, the latest in a series of strikes inside Russia as Kyiv vowed to bring the fight home to them. Moscow claimed it repelled the attack. The strike on Novorossiysk marks the first time a commercial Russian port has been targeted in the 18-month war. The port — which hosts a nav…

Russia bombs 250-year-old Ukraine church, then firefighters who doused flames Russian shelling severely damaged a landmark, 18-century Ukraine church Thursday, minutes before a second round of shelling wounded first responders rushing to the scene to douse the flames. The attack targeting the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson also hit a bus, and three passengers and a bystander were wounded, officials said. "During the extinguishing of the fire caused by shelling in St. Catherine's Cathedral…

Russia bombs Ukraine port, driving global food prices higher Russian rockets and drones severely damaged a Ukraine grain elevator and port facilities that help feed much of the world early Wednesday, as Russia's intensified assault on shipping drove global grain prices higher. Photos and video from the scene showed officials in "war crimes prosecutor" garb picking through the rubble of devastated buildings, some with wheat tumbling from gashed walls. The Ukraine military's Southern Command sa…

4 dead, dozens hurt in Russian missile attack Rescue workers were scrambling through rubble searching for survivors Monday after Russian missiles slammed into the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least four people and injuring dozens more, regional Gov. Serhii Lysak said. Lysak said at least 31 people were injured, including some "severe" cases. A nine-story apartment building and a four-story building at a university were severely damaged in the city of more than 600,000 peopl…

Overnight drone attack on Moscow injures 1, temporarily closes airport for traffic Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic at one of four airports around the Russian capital. It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th…

'Will end in a stalemate': Some experts say offensive won't win Ukraine war The Ukraine military's intensified push to regain territory seized by Russia could jump-start Kyiv's slow-developing counteroffensive, but some experts say this war won't be won on the battlefield anyway. Western officials said a surge in troops and firepower was underway in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, and a Kremlin-installed bureaucrat in the occupied area remarked on social media that "the second wave of …

'Pearl of the Sea' in ruins after Russian assaults on Ukraine city A ruthless barrage of missiles targeting the Ukraine port city of Odesa has left the "Pearl by the Sea" in ruins and prompted the hurried exit of thousands of residents, including many whom had fled there to avoid fighting in the east. The Black Sea Grain Initiative had allowed critical grain shipments from Odesa to sail through a Russian blockade bound for ports in Europe, Asia and Africa. But Russia, since pulling out of the …

Moscow, Crimea hit by drone attacks; Kremlin blames Ukraine Drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea damaged at least two buildings Monday and drew warnings of "tough retaliatory measures" from the Kremlin. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said no injuries or serious destruction were reported. Russian media said one of the drones fell on the Komsomolsky highway in downtown Moscow, shattering shop windows and damaging the roof of a house 200 yards from the Defense Ministry building. The Russian Defense …

'Every day we move forward': Ukraine commander admits gains have been slow The leader of Ukraine's ground forces admitted Thursday that his country's much-anticipated counteroffensive is not gaining back seized Russian territory as quickly as he had hoped it would. Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces are moving forward about a half mile daily despite encountering Russian forces that have dug in along the eastern front near Bakhmut and other hotly contested cities and towns. "The entire large te…

US general: Ukraine counteroffensive slowed, but 'Russian situation not very good' The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been slowed by a complex system of defenses erected over several months by Russian troops, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley told reporters Tuesday. However, the Russian troops manning those lines are poorly trained and equipped and suffer from poor leadership and morale, Milley said. The brief insurrection in June by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the Wagner mercenary group, has complica…

Moscow blames Ukraine for new attack on bridge linking annexed Crimea to Russia Officials in Moscow blamed Ukraine for an apparent attack Monday on a key bridge that connects the occupied Crimean Peninsula with southern Russia and has become a symbol of President Vladimir Putin's rule. It is the second time in less than a year that the 12-mile bridge across the Kerch Strait has come under assault. Russia's Investigative Committee described the incident as a "terrorist attack" and claimed it wa…

'Our commitment will not weaken': Biden backing Ukraine 'for as long as it takes.' Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may want more definitive assurances of NATO membership from the alliance leaders gathered in Lithuania, but he can't be too upset with what he got, experts say. President Biden on Wednesday lauded to the people of Ukraine who "remain unbroken" almost 17 months after Russia's brutal invasion. Biden, speaking before a raucous crowd Wednesday in Vilnius, asserting to cheers tha…

'No doubt' US will go to war with Russia if Ukraine falls, Pence says; Prigozhin back in Russia? Providing Ukraine with the military support needed to turn back the Russian invasion is crucial if the U.S. wants to avoid going to war against Russia, former U.S. vice president and current presidential candidate Mike Pence says. Pence, speaking on the Hugh Hewitt Show, said Russia's military operation in Ukraine "is not just warfare. It’s evil," adding that he believes Russian leader Vladimir Put…

Zelenskyy: Putin's power 'crumbling,' no peace until Crimea liberated Russia's brief, armed rebellion last month demonstrated President Vladimir Putin's weakness and his fading support among the Russian people, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. Zelenskyy, in an interview with CNN recorded Sunday, also reiterated his position that the war won't end until Ukraine has regained all territory seized by Russia − including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014. Zelenskyy noted that …

'Final act of Putin's reign': Details of chaotic Russian coup emerging Russian President Vladimir Putin is losing the war in Ukraine and has become "a bit of a pariah around the world," President Joe Biden said Wednesday. Biden said it is "hard to tell" how much Putin has been weakened by Yevgeny Prigozhin's ambitious but ill-fated coup attempt. Some experts, however, say last week's chaotic insurgency stands as the greatest challenge yet to almost a quarter-century of Putin's authoritarian ru…