All articles tagged with #frontline
After Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, Ukraine imposed martial law banning men 18–60 from leaving, forcing families to make painful, rapid decisions about who stays or departs; the episode follows a DJ named Alex living with fear of the frontline, while Guardian reporters discuss enduring hopes for peace.
BBC interviews with four Russian soldiers reveal on-the-record accounts of commanders ordering executions, torture for refusing to take part in brutal front-line assaults, and a culture of impunity including a 'zeroing' system and 'meat storms' on the battlefield; one commander was named a Hero of Russia, families have appealed for investigations, and all four men are now outside Russia with lasting trauma.
SpaceX cut access to Starlink terminals along the Ukrainian front, leaving Russian troops with unreliable domestic Gazprom equipment that often cannot handle video or stable connections. Intercepted calls show soldiers complaining about Gazprom terminals and scrambling for non-analog alternatives; Ukrainian intelligence says the Starlink shutdown disrupted coordination, logistics, and drone operations. SpaceX had begun shutting down gray- and black-market Starlink terminals in Russia and occupied areas on Feb 4, but Ukrainian forces still rely on official Starlink terminals.
Lowe's is cutting about 600 corporate and support roles—less than 1% of its roughly 300,000-employee workforce—without touching store positions, as it shifts to strengthen frontline operations and leans into AI to reduce workloads; affected workers will receive severance, benefits, and career-transition support, while exact Charlotte-area numbers weren’t disclosed.
Facing a Starlink outage that disrupted battlefield communications, Russia is rushing satellite internet terminals to front-line units. For years Moscow reportedly relied on contraband Starlink terminals smuggled into Russia to coordinate troop movements and drone operations; authorities have since implemented a whitelist to restrict connections, causing outages on both sides and raising concerns about longer-term impact on operations. The situation drew criticism from pro-war milbloggers of the Russian internet, who questioned leadership and suggested fixes or alternative methods, while Ukrainian officials had noted earlier that Starlink failures were hampering Russian command and control.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky chaired a briefing with frontline unit commanders to review the operational situation, stressing leadership, controllability, logistics and medical evacuation; with Russia building reserves and intensifying offensives, the meeting assessed enemy tactics and possible scenarios and set priority steps to strengthen defense resilience and save lives, while honoring courageous servicemen.
Ukraine is fiercely defending the strategic town of Pokrovsk amid ongoing battles with Russian forces, with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visiting troops near the front lines. Russia aims to capture Pokrovsk to improve its logistical position, but Ukrainian forces maintain control of parts of the town. The conflict continues with heavy fighting, and international support, including Germany's additional aid, is ongoing.
The Ukrainian front line has expanded to nearly 1,250 km as Russia shifts to a new 'thousand cuts' tactic involving small assault groups, while Ukraine counters with advanced drone strikes and improved air defenses, aiming to regain lost territory amid ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine controls the battlefield but the situation remains complex due to Russian forces and evolving technology, dismissing claims of major Russian advances and emphasizing the need for better Western-Ukrainian intelligence coordination.
Ukrainian drone units are actively using FPV drones to defend against Russian advances in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, conducting reconnaissance, strikes, and supporting artillery, as they face relentless Russian assaults including motorcycle attacks and drone ambushes, with drone operators risking their lives to maintain defensive lines.
Russian forces are advancing around Pokrovsk in Donetsk, attempting to encircle the city and cut Ukrainian supply lines, raising concerns about Ukraine's defensive stability and potential fall of key territories, with analysts warning of broader risks along the front and the need for strategic countermeasures.
Ukraine is offering its front line as a testing ground for foreign arms companies to evaluate their latest weapons, aiming to enhance its defense capabilities amid ongoing Russian attacks, with a focus on technologies like air defense, drones, and AI-guided systems.
Russia is massing 111,000 troops on the Pokrovsk front as Ukraine employs advanced drone technology and deep strikes against Russian positions, including targeting Crimea and Russian airbases. The conflict involves intense combat, technological innovations like high-altitude Ukrainian drones, and international responses, with ongoing political and humanitarian developments amid the prolonged war.
Ukraine is preparing for a critical winter phase in its conflict with Russia, expecting the front line to shift 30-35 km westward by December. The country plans to call up 160,000 additional troops amid manpower shortages and intensified Russian offensives. Ukraine aims to stabilize its defenses to strengthen its negotiating position before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, as he has questioned ongoing US military aid. Meanwhile, Russia is bolstering its forces, including potential North Korean support, to reclaim territory in the Kursk region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces report 132 battles along the frontlines, with the most intense fighting occurring in the Kurakhove and Lyman sectors. Russian forces have been particularly active, launching numerous assaults across various regions, including Kharkiv, Kupiansk, and Lyman. Ukrainian forces have repelled several attacks, with ongoing battles in multiple sectors. Artillery shelling from Russian territory continues to affect the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, while aerial bombs have been dropped in other areas.