The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests "We are ready to deepen our contribution to the training of the Ukrainian military," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on May 5 by Kateryna DenisovaPokrovske coal mine near the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast (V.Biletskyi/Wikipedia)Ukraine's steel production could drop by half if Russian troops capture a vital coal mine near the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast the head of Ukraine's steelmakers' association Pokrovske coal mine, the largest coking coal producer in Ukraine and one of the largest in Eastern Europe, is located 10 km (6 miles) west of Pokrovsk. The mine produces coal for coke production needed in steelmaking, which is Ukraine's second-largest source of currency after agriculture The eastern front near the town has been the scene of fierce fighting for several months and a focal point of Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast Pokrovsk is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian forces exports of steel products totaled nearly $2 billion in the first eight months of 2024 Kalenkov said that Ukrainian steelmakers could have produced up to 7.5 million metric tons of steel by the end of the year and planned to increase production to more than 10 million tons in 2025 "But if we lose Pokrovsk, then... we will fall to 2-3 million tons," he added Ukraine produced about 3.5 million tons of coke "We don't know where to get coal if Pokrovsk is seized," he said An unnamed steel industry source told Reuters that producers hope to find alternative sources of coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine if Russia occupies the Pokrovsk mines imports would inevitably be needed and increase production costs Russian forces were less than 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk as of Oct the head of Pokrovsk's military administration Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany By Alexander Kovalenko Russian forces have carried out a series of massive assault operations The main epicenters were the Orikhiv and Pokrovske directions A distinguishing feature of these assaults was the use of a large number of personnel—on average 350–400 people—as well as an equally significant number of motorcycles the Russian forces used up to a hundred motorcycles during their assault operations assaults typically consisted of systematic suicidal raids by small groups of 3–4 people occasionally supported by armored vehicles with troops crammed inside the superstructures of MT-LBs Such large-scale motorcycle assaults haven't just been rare—they were simply never practiced before When motorcycles first began to be used by the Russian forces as a means of transportation they were involved in assaults in relatively small numbers—10 to 20 units But deploying up to a hundred motorcycle assault troops is a unique phenomenon And it’s entirely possible that this could become a systemic tactic Using motorcycles as assault vehicles may seem surreal but when command has no regard for the lives of its soldiers even an electric scooter might pass for a scarce BTR-82A motorcycles allow for rapid movement over distances When the main objective is to secure a specific point on the map—say a "bush," a "crater," a "small hill," or a demolished village bus stop—they serve the purpose well enough A large number of such two-wheeled suiciders complicates targeting for FPV drones The fact that our units withstood this trial doesn’t mean that tomorrow or in a few days there won’t be 200 or 300 motorcyclists This tactic once again raises the question: why were the fields and roads along potential Russian forces routes not turned into continuous minefields crisscrossed with barbed wire in every direction—width works equally well as an obstacle against both infantry and light vehicles—especially motorcycles it was already clear that anti-personnel fortifications needed to become dominant and even hypertrophied because Russian forces would rely primarily on infantry rather than tanks and armored vehicles as the main element of their advance the integrated use of artillery—especially at battalion level—with cluster munitions FPV drones that detonate midair with large amounts of fragmentation and other area-effect weapons rather than single-target systems could have changed the situation It’s entirely possible that Russian forces may soon transition from mechanized to motorcycle units Especially considering that many of these motorcycles are of Chinese origin Chinese factories produce a huge number of motorcycles daily so Russia—despite its serious difficulties in manufacturing even such types of transport—is unlikely to face a shortage How it will evolve—remains to be seen Metinvest's "emergency action plan" for its steel works will see it import coking coal from the US and its employees and their families evacuated as the frontline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine bears down on Donetsk Already have an account? Sign in here Mining Magazine provides comprehensive technical insight into mining operations It aims to inform and support mine management in decision-making regarding mining techniques each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team MMI Future Fleets Report 2025 looks at how companies are using alternative energy sources to cut greenhouse gas emmissions Exclusive research for Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation and Digitalisation Report 2024 shows mining companies are embracing cutting-edge tech The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates Aspermont Media is a company registered in England and Wales stood in front of his ruined house in Posad-Pokrovske “Blackberries grew in front of my house and local children constantly ate them,” he told UN human rights monitors “Now the blackberries are drying up and no one touches them As invading Russian troops rolled into the area in the spring of 2022 Ivan’s spacious two-story house took direct rocket hits one landing in the kitchen and at least three more nearby entirely destroying the pear orchard he had proudly planted and cared for his village is being rebuilt and life is slowly returning Learn more here This issue is preventing our website from loading properly. 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LOGIN Downloadable PDFs are a benefit of an FP subscription This article is an Insider exclusive Contact us at [email protected] to learn about upgrade options unlocking the ability to gift this article hundreds of rockets rained down on Posad-Pokrovske every day Things have gotten quiet since Russian troops left the outskirts and the city of Kherson was liberated this month Most of the noise now comes from the stray dogs roaming the bomb-cratered streets and the few returnees determined to fix up their battered homes Around 80 percent of the houses in this village were destroyed Gas pipes are broken and electricity lines cut Americans in Vietnam “destroyed villages to save them.” In Ukraine But the bonfire in Posad-Pokrovske in part made the salvation of Kherson possible the one regional capital taken by the Russians and recently liberated by Ukrainian troops many of whom were previously in Posad-Pokrovske Straddling the highway almost midway between the cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson Posad-Pokrovske turned into an important strategic front Soldiers of the 28th and 59th Ukrainian brigades were stationed in and around the village after residents fled or were evacuated by armed forces on March 16 “[The Russians] didn’t get through [the village],” said Andre a press officer of the 59th Motorized Brigade who asked Foreign Policy to withhold his full name He explained that while the front moved in other areas of the country “That’s why this was a key strategic village,” Andre explained Ukrainian forces fought a fierce battle here to keep the invaders from moving farther along the highway toward Mykolaiv the Russians shelled and bombed the village ceaselessly until Ukraine’s army made a move to liberate parts of the Kherson Oblast this month with Russian forces eventually retreating to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River Children in the newly liberated city of Kherson shake hands with armed forces on Nov you could “hear the village getting pounded,” Andre said referring to the months ahead of the liberation We even drove over where some of the submunitions exploded.” There were trenches on the outskirts of the village “The brigade in the village was crucial to help push the Russians past the Dnipro River It was the first line of defense from where Kherson was liberated,” said Maj Serhiy Tsehotsky of the 59th Motorized Brigade lost his newly opened pizza and sushi joint in Posad-Pokrovske to Russian shelling shows a photo of his bombed-out restaurant in Posad-Pokrovske on Nov Shells of a rocket found inside one of the destroyed homes in Posad-Pokrovske are seen on Nov “Columns of Russians were trying to move north towards Mykolaiv with their tanks Their artillery fired in our direction,” he said He too believes that Mykolaiv could’ve been taken much easier had it not been for his village but his personal loss isn’t easy to stomach Ten million hryvnia [around $272,000],” he said He holds a framed photo of his destroyed restaurant in his hands—a memory and a haunting “I’ll need a few more million [hryvnia] to fix it,” he added admitting that he’s not sure how to get his hands on the cash Hinkul is one of a handful of residents who returned as soon as the Russians fled their positions outside Posad-Pokrovske He’s out of cash but wants to temporarily fix up his restaurant before the weather turns cold and rainy A few of his neighbors are helping him seal the roof and windows with wooden planks Everyone is offering a helping hand as the few villagers who have returned are racing against time to winter-proof their homes also returned to Posad-Pokrovske days after the Russian withdrawal and liberation of Kherson She believes most residents won’t return permanently as many of the houses are beyond repair but she believes she’ll be able to fix it with the help of her neighbors The rooms smell damp; whatever havoc the rockets didn’t cause “I haven’t yet asked the government to help us repair our homes we’re fixing them ourselves,” she explained She doesn’t have the money for large-scale repair projects anyway Malickovich was evacuated from Posad-Pokrovske on March 16 with her terminally ill husband who has since died They had previously spent three weeks sheltering in their basement unable to count the barrages of rockets fired in their direction Children hold a Ukrainian flag at the entrance to the newly liberated city of Kherson on Nov Stefanie Glinski is a journalist based in Istanbul. 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Unlock powerful intelligence for your team. sacrificed to stop advancing Russian forces The plan worked — but the village was almost completely destroyed the most active front directions are Kupiansk and the plans of the Russian occupiers are covered in the report by RBC-Ukraine the Russians have managed to occupy one of the largest areas of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the year The epicenter of the most intense fighting is in the southern part of the Donetsk region There is no talk of a Ukrainian front collapse yet; the situation is not equally critical in all sectors the enemy's creeping advance continues in several directions - Kupiansk there is a threat that the enemy may intensify attacks in another currently relatively stable area there have been no significant changes in the Kursk operational zone the enemy managed to push Ukrainian units from the area of Korenivka and Snagost toward Novoivanivka Ukrainian forces are attempting counterattacks there the Russians aim to push Ukrainian units east of Sudzha the enemy advanced into Ruska Konopelka but failed in attempts to capture Plekhovo It appears that the enemy plans to compress the Ukrainian Armed Forces' bridgehead toward the Sudzha-Sumy road from different sides as the Russian counteroffensive is proceeding relatively slowly It seems this is intentional: for faster progress Moscow would need to draw additional forces from other directions thereby sacrificing momentum in those areas – something it doesn’t want to do In the Kharkiv direction near Lyptsi and Vovchansk the Russian army achieved a significant objective they had been pursuing for over a year – reaching the Oskil River After advancing to the village of Kruhlivka the Ukrainian bridgehead on the left bank of the Oskil has been split in two This also complicates the position in Borova as the enemy has effectively cut off the supply route that ran along the Oskil from the eastern part of Kupiansk The Russians are now trying to break through to Kupiansk itself from Synkivka it seems that occupying the Kharkiv region or Kupiansk itself is not their current goal as nearly all crossings have been destroyed The left bank bridgehead of this river is essential for Russia’s goal of occupying northern the Donetsk region and the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration The Oskil River would also shield them from a flank attack from the west by Ukrainian forces We may soon see an increase in enemy activity in the Lyman and Siversk directions The situation near Chasiv Yar shows signs of worsening which divides the city into a larger western and smaller eastern part from north to south prevented the advance of the occupiers within the city limits the Russians have opted for a tactic they've used frequently - encircling cities from multiple directions to avoid urban combat as much as possible and force Ukrainian troops to withdraw under threat of encirclement partially securing a foothold in the Zhovtnevyi district on the western bank of the canal the enemy breached the canal to the south of the city where it intersects with highway T0405 (N-32) and they are now trying to move along this road the occupiers’ next target in this direction will likely be the city of Kostiantynivka another key logistical hub for our forces in the Donetsk region Chasiv Yar and Toretsk sector (map: DeepState) The active Russian advance in the south is currently constrained by the Ukrainian military holding a section near Klishchiivka which poses a flanking threat to the enemy The enemy’s progress along the H-32 highway increases the threat to the entire Toretsk defense area Ukrainian units managed to regain positions within Toretsk after the enemy breached its center Russian forces were pushed back to the eastern part of the central district It’s likely that if we lose control of this city the occupiers will continue toward Kostiantynivka the Russian troops may resume an intense offensive toward Pokrovsk They have become active again along the Novohrodivka-Hrodivka line the enemy has seemingly gained full control over the city of Selydove in the Pokrovsk direction posing an encirclement threat to our forces there the Russians are expected to advance toward Pokrovsk Losing control of Selydove has also worsened the situation for our units defending southward - north of the Kurakhove Reservoir The occupiers are attempting to push Ukrainian forces out from there to enable an advance toward Kurakhove another logistical center for our forces in the south Ukrainian units will soon have to retreat at least to the Izmailivka-Kurakhivka-Ostrivske line to avoid encirclement The enemy is now approaching Kurakhove from the east The fall of Vuhledar has exacerbated the situation for Kurakhove as the occupiers now advance not only from the north and east but also from the south - from several villages along the Shakhtarske-Katerynivka line All these settlements lie up to 10 kilometers north of Vuhledar - the distance the enemy advanced after capturing the city in early October Losing Kurakhove could endanger the neighboring area to the south of the Donetsk region - specifically Some military and political sources are concerned that Russia could launch an offensive within the Zaporizhzhia region where enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been increasingly active recently The Russians’ potential goal could be to advance at least 30 kilometers deeper to move closer to Zaporizhzhia and push our forces further from Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant eventually negotiating from a position of strength Our forces are preparing to counter this scenario Ukraine is facing one of the most critical periods in the war Amid either fatigue or preoccupation among our partners with their issues no one can help us better than we can help ourselves The Russians are fighting at the peak of their combat capability Their further advance or halt depends primarily on whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces can address the problems preventing not just stopping the aggressor but also conducting effective defense These issues range from demotivation and lack of personnel ineffective command at the lower and middle levels The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Belarusian forces were performing tasks to cover the Belarusian-Ukrainian border in Brest Region and Gomel Region The threat of missile and air strikes from the territory of Belarus is persisting Russian troops continue to improve defensive positions in the border areas of the Russian Federation The enemy fired at Ukrainian positions near such settlements as Hrynivka and Yanzhulivka the enemy is taking measures to provide its units with ammunition and replenish losses Russian invaders fired at Ukrainian positions and infrastructure facilities Ukrainian forces stopped an enemy attack near ​​Bohorodychne and assault operations near Mazanivka Russian occupiers suffered losses and retreated the enemy’s main efforts are focused on maintaining the occupied frontiers and regrouping troops Russian invaders did not take active actions in the Kramatorsk direction The enemy fired at such settlements as Maiaky In order to identify the positions of Ukrainian forces and adjust fire Russian troops conducted air reconnaissance with the Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Russian invaders opened fire near such settlements as Vovchoiarivka Russians fired at such settlements as Kostiantynivka Volodymyrivka and Ivano-Darivka with mortars Ukrainian defenders successfully repulsed all offensive and assault actions by Russian troops near such settlements as Pokrovske In order to restrain the actions of Ukrainian forces Russian invaders carried out demonstrative actions in the direction of Vershyna The enemy also launched air strikes with Ka-52 and Mi-24 helicopters near Pavlivka the enemy is gaining a foothold near such settlements as Sievierodonetsk Russian troops are focusing efforts to maintain the occupied frontiers In order to deplete personnel and destroy fortifications the enemy fired at Ukrainian positions with mortars artillery and rocket artillery all over the contact line two enemy high-precision weapons carriers are ready to fire 16 Kalibr missiles at the territory of Ukraine The Russian command promised them ‘huge’ payments for involvement in hostilities but they do not get paid for various reasons Russian occupiers continue to suffer significant losses in battles with the Ukrainian defense forces Russia’s total combat losses in Ukraine reached about 34,700 troops Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 The two houses in what had been no-man's land between Russian and Ukrainian forces are badly damaged by shelling there is no central power or heating and the surrounding fields are heavily mined Yet the Kovalyov brothers - Stepan who is 80 and Volodymyr who is 77 - and their wives have decided to stay in the isolated farming village of Posad-Pokrovske in southern Ukraine to live out their days in the place they know best Photography and reporting by Nacho Doce The two houses in what had been no-man’s land between Russian and Ukrainian forces are badly damaged by shelling, there is no central power or heating and the surrounding fields are heavily mined, making them unworkable. Yet the Kovalyov brothers - Stepan who is 80 and Volodymyr who is 77 - and their wives have decided to stay in the isolated farming village of Posad-Pokrovske in southern Ukraine to live out their days in the place they know best. It will not be easy. The elderly couples survive off meagre state pensions and rely on relatives and volunteers for food. Stepan and his wife Tetyana, 79, live in a cellar next to their old bungalow, which, like many other buildings in Posad-Pokrovske, was all but flattened in the fighting. “We are 80, we’ve worked all our lives, in the same garden and now we’re waiting for death,” Stepan told Reuters on a visit to the village in late January. “What else can we be waiting for?” Volodymyr and Tetiana, who is 76, sleep in the last room of their house that still has a roof over it. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians face similar challenges as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two approaches its second year. Many fled towns and villages close to the frontlines when war raged around them, although some, the elderly among them, refused to leave. Russian troops reached Posad-Pokrovske, located some 36 km (22 miles) northwest of the city of Kherson, on Feb. 25 last year, the day after Russia launched the full-scale invasion it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. It was as far as they were able to push north, and the area around the small settlement became a no-go zone between enemy forces. The ground is now littered with ammunition boxes, bullet casings and burned out Russian tanks. Mines lay scattered, two unexploded missiles protrude from the earth nearby, deep, narrow trenches snake through fields and house after house lays in ruins. Volodymyr did not leave the village despite the conflict, and Tetiana only left for a few weeks with her grand-daughter early on. They recalled heavy fighting throughout the following months. In October, the house was hit by what they believe was a tank shell. They were inside. “There was lots of smoke, I couldn’t see anything,” Tetiana recalled. “It was raining and parts of the roof were falling in.” The clashes at that time coincided with a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the area that eventually pushed the Russians back across the Dnipro River in early November, the biggest setback of the war so far for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the next street, Stepan and Tetyana had taken refuge in their cellar when their house was destroyed in fighting in May. They left Posad-Pokrovske shortly after, visiting occasionally to check on their property and on Volodymyr and Tetiana. When the couple returned shortly after the counter-offensive was complete and the Russians had been routed, they found their livestock gone, four cows, along with dozens of chickens and pigs. Before the war, they grew barley and vegetables. Now the fields are treacherous with mines and unexploded ordnance. The cellar, which their late son Aleksandr built as a food store, has become their home, lit by candles when they are there. They access it via a small staircase in a garden covered in debris and a thin layer of snow. Every day is a slog. Volodymyr cycles to nearby shops for food, sometimes supplemented by packages handed out by charities. The couples chop wood for their stoves and collect rain water from the roof in a bucket or from the village well if the generator is working. Volodymyr and Tetiana's grown-up grand-daughter Svetlana, who is disabled, helps them tend their one cow and rooster. Stepan and Volodymyr enjoy the odd glass of horilka, a Ukrainian spirit, together, although the couples keep largely to themselves. When Reuters showed Stepan and Tetyana a photograph taken of them sitting in their basement that featured on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Instagram account in early January, they were briefly taken aback. “Now Putin knows where we are!” quipped Stepan. Tetiana washes her hands with snow, in Posad-Pokrovske, Ukraine January 30, 2023. Volodymyr sits next to his brother Stepan, his sister-in-law Tetyana, and Stepan and Tetyana’s son Serhii, 56, as they talk inside the cellar Stepan and his wife live in, in Posad-Pokrovske, Ukraine January 29, 2023. Tetiana carries a lighted candle inside the only room of her house that still has a roof, in Posad-Pokrovske, Ukraine January 30, 2023. Stepan walks with a torch next to his wife Tetyana, by the entrance of the cellar where they live, in Posad-Pokrovske, Ukraine January 29, 2023. Photo editing: Kezia Levitas and Eve Watling local farmer Vasyk Oliinyk fired up one of a consignment of wood stoves transported in to help villagers cope with the bitter cold."It was a nice and beautiful village," he later recalled standing beside the charred remains of his tractor blown up during the occupation."They (the Russians) shot it with cluster munitions.. You see with your own eyes – everything is destroyed I don't know how you could manage land without equipment."For his wife Oksana though a return to normality remains a distant prospect."One could cook porridge or anything most necessary on it but there is no water," she said.Meanwhile Liudmyla Hupalo's father Oleksandr surveys the uninhabitable wreckage of his property."The girls used to put make up on here The wife liked to sit here in her room," he said "People used to say we have a small house It was enough for us."Writing by John Stonestreet: editing by Mike Collett-White Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Today's print edition Home Delivery Yet the Kovalyov brothers — Stepan who is 80 and Volodymyr who is 77 — and their wives have decided to stay in the isolated farming village of Posad-Pokrovske in southern Ukraine to live out their days in the place they know best.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The elderly couples survive off meager state pensions and rely on relatives and volunteers for food In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division.