There has been grim news coming out of Eastern Ukraine over the last few days, as the Russian military has picked up its pace of seizing more territory in Ukraine's Donbas region. Its troops are close to completely taking over a key city that would further a Russian foothold ... and Ukrainian president Zelensky has spoken ominously about mounting casualties among his forces. This comes as Ukraine is waiting for more weapons and aid from the U-S and other Western countries. Among the next cache o...
Jun 01, 2022•10 min
As the war in Ukraine rages into its fourth month, there is intense fighting underway in the eastern part of the country as Russia looks to extend its land grab. And even with international sanctions aimed at Russia that have been described as some of the toughest ever initiated in the modern era, the Kremlin continues to sell oil and gas that helps to bankroll its war effort in Ukraine. Well the European Union has taken a big step against Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine ... It's agreed t...
May 31, 2022•5 min
The war in Ukraine is raging on, and Russian forces are slowly gaining ground in the east. There are concerns that the Donbas region could soon look like the besieged port city of Mariupol. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
May 27, 2022•6 min
The first war crimes trial out of the Russia-Ukraine war is over. A captured Russian tank commander pleaded guilty to killing a Ukrainian civilian and today inside of a Kyiv courtroom was sentenced to life in prison. But Russian officials today hinted that they'll be conducting their own trials of Ukrainian soldiers, with the recently surrendered defenders from Mariupol the primary targets for tribunals. Will this be the first of many war crimes trials to come out of this conflict? Then we're go...
May 23, 2022•12 min
Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 3 months ago, and there's no end in sight to the fighting. Putin appears focused now on the Donbas region in Ukraine's east, which is home to a number of Russian-backed separatist groups. But as has been the case for much of the war, things aren't going well for Russia. Ukrainian authorities say they recently repelled a Russian attack in the region. Still, things have been extremely difficult for Ukrainians. Journalists are trying to work while covering a war fought...
May 20, 2022•16 min
After failing to capture the capital city of Kyiv, the Russian army has shifted it's focus to Eastern Ukraine. Russia now controls much of Southern Ukraine, including the port city of Mariupol. And it's in the middle of a battle for the Donbas region in Ukraine's east, which is known as the country's "industrial heartland." But what is it exactly that Vladimir Putin is trying to achieve now? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-poli...
May 19, 2022•5 min
Mariupol has fallen. The port city in the southeastern corner of Ukraine had arguably received the worst of shelling, bombing and attacks in this war, with much of the city reduced to ruble. A group of several hundred Ukrainian soldiers had been holding out inside of a massive steel plant, refusing to surrender. But now there's word that the last remaining Ukrainians have been evacuated ... and Mariupol is in Russian hands. So that's one setback on the battlefield for Ukraine; but one doesn't ha...
May 17, 2022•14 min
Here's how deeply Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be changing the security environment in Europe: even Switzerland, famous for its commitment to neutrality that's been in place through many, many wars .... is considering joining NATO. With Finland and Sweden, two long time NATO-holdouts now taking formal steps to join the Alliance, Switzerland's defense ministry is calling for closer ties to NATO; and they're pointing to the security threat posed to all of Europe by the Russians. The invasion...
May 16, 2022•6 min
Ukraine's military says it recently did major damage to Russian units looking to cross a key river in the northeastern part of the country, inflicting what it says were hundreds of casualties among Russian soldiers ... and a significant loss of armor and equipment. And yet the situation on the ground in both Eastern and Southern Ukraine hasn't changed much in recent days. The war has ground into a stalemate that neither side seems totally capable of winning ... and yet neither side is ready to m...
May 13, 2022•7 min
Finland is a country that knows a thing or two about Russian aggression. After all, the Finns fought a war against Russia in 1940, as Joseph Stalin tried to pull off a land grab in Finland, in the midst of World War II raging in Europe. And yet, up until this year Finland has maintained a more-or-less neutral position in international affairs and had resisted joining NATO. Russia's war in Ukraine quickly changed all of that, with the Finns looking set to formally apply for NATO membership in the...
May 12, 2022•5 min
One almost instant reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the rush of countries looking to either join NATO or strengthen their ties to the military alliance. Finland and Sweden, two Scandinavian countries that have long preferred to keep an independent stance on their strategic partnerships, reversed course in a hurry after Russia launched its war. Both countries are now on pace to join NATO by the end of this year. But the United Kingdom is jumping the gun a bit, which could complicate a...
May 11, 2022•5 min
Digging in for the long haul -- that's how the U.S. Director of National Intelligence characterized Vladimir Putin's strategy as his invasion of Ukraine enters its 3rd month. DNI Avril Haines, in testimony before a Senate committee, described Russia's effort in Eastern Ukraine as a slow moving slog ... it's the U.S. intelligence assessment that Putin is hoping the attention of NATO and the West on Ukraine starts to wane over time. So what's the latest from the Donbas region, where the majority o...
May 10, 2022•13 min
It was Victory Day in Moscow, usually cause for swelling Russian patriotism and a display of military might with parading soldiers, thanks and fighter jets marching through Red Square. While there were the requisite soldiers and tanks, it was a subdued Victory Day event for Vladimir Putin and Russia's elite ... Putin didn't call for mass mobilization of hundreds of thousands more Russian soldiers, nor did he declare any kind of victory in his war in Ukraine. Instead Putin presented a list of the...
May 09, 2022•18 min
May 9th is a date that has long been circled on the calendar for all observers of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. That is the day that Russia marks its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II; a day usually filled with patriotic bravado about Russia's military strength and power. With May 9th coming up on Monday, there are growing fears that Russia and Vladimir Putin ... desperate for any kind of at least symbolic victory to prove their invasion of Ukraine is going as planned ... will signifi...
May 06, 2022•14 min
The battle for the southern Ukrainian port town of Mariupol may be coming to its final stages as the last defenders hold off Russian forces. At the same time, heavy fighting reported all along the eastern front. And there are even reports that the Ukrainian military is on the counterattack, pushing back Russian forces in several areas in the Donbas region. One of the biggest bombshells to drop involving this war didn't actually land in Ukraine--it landed on the pages of the New York Times, where...
May 05, 2022•6 min
Even while most of the fighting remains in Eastern Ukraine, Russia continues to remind Kyiv that it can strike in any part of the country, at any time. More missile strikes over the last 24 hours were aimed at Lviv in Western Ukraine, as the Russians were reportedly aiming for railroad links. That's key because those rail lines are being used to send western weapons toward the front lines in the Donbas region. At the same time, the European Union says it's planning a ban on all its member nation...
May 04, 2022•5 min
Over the weekend Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi became the highest ranking American official to visit Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv during Russia's invasion. But behind the handshakes and good wishes between Pelosi and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky were urgent requests from the Ukrainians to keep the flow of western weapons and money going. Will Congress deliver that big package of aid for the Ukrainians and are we doing enough to help their war effort? We'll take a closer look. We'...
May 02, 2022•11 min
While the focus has been on Eastern Ukraine and the "new phase" of the Russian invasion to capture territory in that region, there was a stark reminder today that Russia retains the ability to strike anywhere in Ukraine. Two big explosions rocked central Kyiv just after the U-N Secretary-General met with Ukraine's president. One person of several killed was a Radio Free Europe journalist. There was another person of note killed in Ukraine recently: the first American, who traveled there to fight...
Apr 29, 2022•7 min
In a sign of how long Russia's war in Ukraine could last ... and a symbol of long haul American support for Ukraine ... President Biden today asked Congress to fund a substantial military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine, to the tune of 33-billion-dollars. And even at that high price tag, the Ukrainians will likely want and need more from us----will we continue to deliver? And you will hear from a new mother in Ukraine, her name is Olesya and she gave birth to a baby girl under less-than...
Apr 28, 2022•10 min
Russia has wielded one of the biggest weapons it has in its arsenal in its war against Ukraine........and it's broader confrontation against the West. Today the Russians cut off natural gas imports to two NATO countries, Poland and Bulgaria, over their refusal to pay for the gas in Russian rubles.......rather than dollars. Will the move divide NATO; and is this just the start of Russia weaponizing its natural gas exports? It was described as a scene out of a movie: an American Marine Corps veter...
Apr 27, 2022•22 min
Since before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, it's been rattling that nuclear saber. From Vladimir Putin on down, there have been months of subtle--and not so subtle--warnings from Russian politicians and generals about interference in Russia's war in Ukraine possibly leading to an exchange of nuclear weapons. Once again, the Russian illusions to the use of nuclear weapons is back in the news--this time with Russia's long-time foreign minister dropping the nuclear hint. We'll look into w...
Apr 26, 2022•13 min
While the attention has recently been on Russia's shift of focus to Eastern Ukraine, in what could be an old fashioned land-grab operation, the Russian military hasn't stopped attacking ALL of Ukraine. That point was driven home again today after several Russian missile strikes deep into Western Ukraine. The renewed air attacks on Ukraine come one day after the U.S. Secretaries of Defense and State went to Kyiv, the highest profile delegation of American leadership yet to visit Ukraine's capital...
Apr 25, 2022•13 min
We've been bringing you regular coverage of what life is like for people in Ukraine during this war. And keep this in mind, which was the focus of a story we brought you yesterday on the podcast: in addition to the estimated 5-million Ukrainians who have left their country to escape the Russian invasion, there are millions more who have been forced to leave their homes, while becoming refugees within their own country. So we'll hear from Alex, who got out of Irpin just before his apartment was h...
Apr 22, 2022•6 min
The U.S. government is keeping the military aid rolling toward Ukraine. President Biden approved another 800-million-dollar package of equipment, ammunition and training for Ukraine's armed forces--including sending over heavier weapons, like howitzers and drones--shedding the previous concerns over antagonizing Vladimir Putin. What kind of weapons are we sending and how effective will they be in stopping the Russian offensive in Eastern Ukraine? We'll also take a closer look at the continuing p...
Apr 21, 2022•12 min
Russian troops are moving ahead with their offensive in eastern Ukraine today, as the key port city of Mariupol in the south remains on the verge of falling. Defenders there say there may have only hours or days left. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin oversaw the test of a long-range missile dubbed "Satan" by the West. He says the weapon shows anyone threatening Russia should think twice. What are Russia's chances for success in this new phase of its invasion of Ukraine.....and how seri...
Apr 20, 2022•14 min
Russia's new offensive in eastern Ukraine is officially underway. The global economy is expected to take a major hit this year because of the war. And a Ukrainian photographer is taking pictures of areas around Kyiv formerly occupied by the Russians. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 19, 2022•19 min
There are signs Russia's major offensive has begun in eastern Ukraine. How much more violent will this war get? We speak to a doctor in Western Ukraine who says air raid sirens are becoming more and more common. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 18, 2022•16 min
Russia warns it may retaliate for increased U-S military aid to Ukraine, and officials have confirmed that Ukrainian missiles sank a Russian warship. Ukrainians living in the eastern part of the country are bracing for a major Russian offensive. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 18, 2022•12 min
A major Russian warship is damaged, and Ukraine is taking credit for the attack We check back in with a Ukrainian woman who had to flee with her family from an area currently controlled by the Russians. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 14, 2022•16 min
We talk to a Ukrainian who's had to flee his home city, but it hasn't stopped him from doing everything he can to help his country's war effort. President Biden pledges more military support to Ukraine, as defense officials work to ensure that contractors can continue meeting Ukraine's needs well into the future. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 13, 2022•23 min
