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When Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine last year, he dragged millions of his countrymen into a conflict in which they had no say. Now a report suggests that high-ranking officials within his administration have been banned from resigning from their jobs while the war rages on.

The unofficial decree was reported by independent Russian outlet iStories on Monday citing four sources who anonymously disclosed details of the ban. One former FSB officer said they were aware of at least two cases where governors made failed attempts to leave their posts in which they were not just blocked from doing so, but the threat of criminal cases was also hinted.

The outlet also spoke with another source described as an acquaintance of an official within the Kremlins Presidential Administration who had heard about the ban. There are many who want [to leave] after the start of the war, the source said. If everyone leaves, control will be lost. The report described a view in the administration which regarded the desire to leave as flat-out betrayal, with civil servants instead being ordered to demonstrate unity by remaining in post.

Officers within the FSBRussias main security agencyhave previously spoken out about being unable to quit in the wake of Putins military mobilization. A decree from the Russian president meant that servicemen under contract could not leave their roles even after their contracts had expired. But the draconian rules were not previously known to also apply to civil servants.

Sources who spoke with iStories said that because the resignation ban is both illegal and informal, some exceptions are possible, including for those wanting to resign on the grounds of health or corruption.

News of the restriction is just the latest sign of Moscows desperation to keep its war machine running in spite of growing turmoil within Russia amid battlefield setbacks and outspoken criticism of the Kremlins military leadership.

Over the weekend, Moscows Defense Ministry admitted that two of its high-ranking commanders were killed while fighting for control of the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Colonel Vyacheslav Makarov, commander of the 4th motorized rifle brigade, and Colonel Yevgeny Brovko, the deputy commander of the army corps, were confirmed dead on Sunday.

On the same day, an embarrassing story emerged in Western media that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had offered to reveal the positions of Russian forces to Ukrainian intelligence if Kyiv withdrew its troops from Bakhmut. The mercenary bosss offerwhich was revealed in documents leaked on Discordwas reportedly rejected by Ukrainian officials who didnt trust Prigozhin to make good on his word.

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Putin Bans Top Officials from Quitting During Ukraine War - The Daily Beast

The Russian news outlet Kommersant reported that two Russian fighter jets and two military helicopters had been shot down on Saturday close to the Ukrainian border. Kommersant said on its website that the Su-34 fighter-bomber, Su-35 fighter and two Mi-8 helicopters had made up a raiding party, and had been shot down almost simultaneously in an ambush in the Bryansk region, adjoining northeast Ukraine.

A 15-year-old girl was among two people killed and ten people were injured in a Russian shelling attack, Ukraines defence ministry said. The eastern city of Kostyantynivka was targeted by Smerch rocket launchers, it added.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks in Italy with the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis. The trip is Zelenskiys first to Italy since Russia invaded on 24 February last year.

Ukrainian forces have regained at least a kilometre of territory in Bakhmut amid a Russian withdrawal that reflects Moscows severe shortage of credible combat units, the UK Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence briefing. It said elements of a Russian brigade withdrew in bad order from their positions on the southern flank of the eastern Ukrainian city, the scene of the wars longest battle. The brigade had been dogged with allegations of poor morale and limited combat effectiveness.

Zelenskiy will be received in Berlin on Sunday, German government sources told Reuters on Saturday, as the leader seeks to shore up support from key allies against Russias invasion. The Ukrainian leader last visited Germany for the Munich security council in February last year just before the war broke out.

The German government will provide further military equipment worth 2.7bn (2.4bn) to Ukraine in what would be the biggest Berlin has provided since Russias invasion. The package includes 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, 200 reconnaissance drones, four additional Iris-T anti-aircraft systems including ammunition, additional artillery ammunition and more than 200 armoured combat and logistics vehicles, according to Der Spiegel.

Russian attacks injured three people in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, the citys mayor said. The strikes occurred early on Saturday, Oleksandr Sienkevych said on his Telegram channel. Russian forces targeted a local factory, also damaging nearby residential buildings, causing fires in three apartments and damaging an educational institution, he said.

Russian-installed officials in Luhansk have said missiles fired by Ukrainian forces injured six children and a Russian parliamentarian and damaged two disused factories in the eastern Ukrainian regions main city, about 100km (60 miles) behind the frontlines.

A Russian SU-34 warplane crashed in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, Tass news agency reported, quoting emergency services, in the second such incident on Saturday after a helicopter was seemingly downed in the same region.

Two Russian pilots were killed when a Russian Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in the annexed peninsula of Crimea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry. It said it believed the reason for Fridays crash was equipment failure, Tass reported.

An unidentified object that entered Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus was probably an observation balloon, the defence ministry said on Saturday on Twitter. A spokesperson for Polands territorial defence force told Reuters a search for the object was under way. Russian and Belarusian authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Russias defence ministry said on Saturday two industrial sites in the occupied city of Luhansk have been struck with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles supplied by Britain.

Zelenskiy has thanked the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, for the provision of long-range cruise missiles. The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, earlier confirmed it would send the Storm Shadow missiles, prompting a threat from the Kremlin of a military response.

Police in the Russian city of St Petersburg have created an anti-drone unit to detect unmanned drones after a suspected attack on the Kremlin last week. The unit was launched on Tuesday during the annual second world war Victory Day celebrations on St Petersburgs Palace Square, the citys interior ministry said.

South Africas foreign ministry has summoned the US ambassador over allegations he made that the country had provided arms and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine. Reuben Brigety said on Thursday that South Africa had loaded weapons and ammunition on to a Russian vessel, which is under sanctions, at the Simons Town naval base near Cape Town in December last year and that the arms were then transported to Russia.

Russias defence ministry has said Ukrainian forces carried out offensive operations along the entire line of contact near Soledar, the ministrys official Zvezda news outlet reported. More than 1,000 troops and up to 40 tanks were used in Thursdays assault, it said on Friday, adding that the attacks were repulsed.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, plans to present an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on protecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the UN security council this month, indicating a deal is close, four diplomats have told Reuters. Grossi has been trying for months to secure an agreement to reduce the risk of a catastrophic accident from shelling at the Russian-occupied nuclear power station, Europes biggest.

Rishi Sunak expressed disappointment at a decision to block Zelenskiys request to speak via video at Saturdays Eurovision grand final. The European Broadcasting Union, which produces the event, said the Ukrainian president had laudable intentions but rejected the request over fears it could politicise the event.

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Two Russian jets and two helicopters reportedly shot down as it happened - The Guardian

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a waiting Chinook helicopter after meetings at Chequers, the U.K. leader's country retreat, in Aylesbury, England, on Monday. Carl Court/Getty Images hide caption

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a waiting Chinook helicopter after meetings at Chequers, the U.K. leader's country retreat, in Aylesbury, England, on Monday.

Here's a look ahead and a roundup of key developments from the past week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just made a surprise visit to the United Kingdom and discussed military aid with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

China's government is dispatching special envoy Li Hui to visit Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia this week, saying he would open up dialogue with those countries toward a political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.

The Copenhagen Democracy Summit this week will discuss the war in Ukraine, among other topics, and features a list of speakers including NATO head Jens Stoltenberg and former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The foreign minister of Belarus will visit Russia.

On Thursday, a 60-day extension for the Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement is up.

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy took a whirlwind Europe tour, visiting Italy and the Vatican, Germany and France last week, and on Monday Britain. He met with Pope Francis and leaders of each country, picked up the Charlemagne Prize for promoting European unity and secured more military aid for Ukraine. On Monday, he made a trip to the United Kingdom for the second time this year.

Arman Soldin, a video journalist with Agence France-Presse, was killed by rocket fire near eastern Ukraine's embattled city of Bakhmut. French prosecutors opened a war crimes investigation. This followed the killing of a Ukrainian reporter in April the latest of 15 media workers killed in 14 1/2 months of war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Zelenskyy said his country needs more time to launch a planned counteroffensive until more promised Western military aid arrives, in an interview with a European broadcasters' network earlier last week.

Britain delivered Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, giving it long-range weapons to "push back Russian forces" based within Ukraine, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told Parliament.

The Group of Seven's top financial leaders recommitted to enforcing sanctions against Russia and supporting Ukraine.

Putin assailed the West for unleashing a "real war" against Russia in a Victory Day address, trying to link the fight in Ukraine with the anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.

Ukrainian forces took back part of Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine that's been the site of the war's longest battle. Ukraine's military commanders said their forces recaptured more than 1.2 miles of territory from Russian forces in the past week.

Former President Donald Trump claimed he would quickly end the war in Ukraine without committing to help Ukraine, if elected next year, in a CNN town hall. It set up a potential preview of a stark choice for U.S. voters in next year's election compared with the Biden administration's "unprecedented" levels of aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy dismissed concerns about potentially losing American support.

Russia now has about 5,889 nuclear warheads, the Federation of American Scientists estimated in a report. It said some of the weapons are in storage headed for retirement but many are assigned for long- or shorter-range use.

Britain hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but could not host this time because of the ongoing war. (Swedish singer Loreen won.) Ukrainian officials reported that the hometown of the country's act this year, Tvorchi, came under Russian missile attack moments before the band played for Eurovision in Liverpool, England.

Ukraine's currency is being bolstered with financial support from other nations.

Ukraine is expected to make a counteroffensive to take back Crimea.

A former U.S. Army general predicts "successful" Ukrainian offensive.

This duo rehearsed between air raid alarms. Now they're repping Ukraine at Eurovision.

On the State of Ukraine podcast: Ukraine co-hosts the Eurovision Song Contest from afar.

Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world: See our report on its ripple effects in all corners of the globe.

You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR's coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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Latest on Ukraine: Zelenskyy made a spring diplomatic offensive in ... - NPR

Although there is no clear indication of when the war may end, Ukrainians are ready for sacrifice. Still, they also want to make sure that their society becomes more resilient and corruption-proof, writes Roman Rukomeda.

Roman Rukomeda is a Ukrainian political analyst writing from Kyiv exclusively for EURACTIV.

Today is the 446th day of open massive Russian military aggression against Ukraine. On the battlefield, the Russian aggressors have lost the initiative they had during their winter offensive campaign in the East of Ukraine.

The crucial town during this campaign was Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, defended for a year by the Ukrainian army. Now the more significant part of this town is captured by Russian invaders, and the town itself is almost destroyed.

However, Russian terrorists have lost their edge even in Bakhmut, where the Ukrainian army started to recapture the town in a succession of successful counter-attacks. At the same time, the Ukrainian military is successfully destroying tens of Russian artillery and multiple rocket launch systems each day, together with command centres and ammo warehouses. So, the key targets now are Russian logistics and command officers, together with long-range artillery and anti-aircraft systems.

Observing the activities on the front line, we can assume that the preparation for the Ukrainian offensive is ongoing. However, fortified Crimea may not be a hard nut to crack after the set of preparatory actions, including the destruction of the Crimean Bridge.

Another interesting issue is the evolution and development of the Ukrainian mil-tech or military industry. The state company, Ukroboronprom, finally started in March 2023 a process of official corporatisation. This trend is positive as it is directed towards a more transparent company with fewer corruption risks and creating appropriate conditions for cooperation with foreign investors.

The Ukrainian public administration is getting used to operating in war conditions. Now there are sensitive problems with the reduced salaries of civil servants and the removal of state apparatus, resulting in losses of good specialists leaving public administration. The Ukrainian government will try to optimise the future state machine by speeding up the e-government. It is a real revolution for the Ukrainian public administration.

Ukraine cannot afford to lose critical institutions during the reform process. One such institution is the National Agency for Civil Service, the central pillar for transforming civil service in line with European and NATO integration.

Ukraines society is also accustomed to living in war conditions without indicating when it will end. According to the surveys, most people believe war might last another year or even longer.

According to a new survey conducted by the Razumkov Center, about 53% of people in Ukraine consider corrupt officials as their main internal enemies. In the second position, with 47%, are the Russian agents in Ukrainian state institutions and the security sector. The third category of perceived internal enemies are the politicians and propagandists appealing to the Russian world and friendship with Russia despite all their crimes and destructions in Ukraine.

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'On its way to victory, Ukraine is transforming internally' - EURACTIV

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine can defeat Russia by the end of this year with western help, and thanked Germany during a visit to Berlin for its big military and economic support.

Speaking after a meeting with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the Ukrainian president said Germany was the second biggest contributor to Kyiv after the US. Scholzs coalition government announced a new aid package to coincide with Zelenskiys visit, his first to Berlin since last years full-scale Russian invasion.

The latest tranche includes more Leopard battle tanks, armoured infantry fighting vehicles and four new air-defence systems. Asked whether Kyiv now had sufficient weapons to launch its long-awaited counteroffensive, Zelenskiy joked: It will take one more foreign trip. Then its enough.

With Ukrainian troops advancing more than 10 miles this week around the city of Bakhmut, Zelenskiy said victory was entirely possible. We can make the aggressors defeat irreversible already this year, he said, lauding Germany as a true friend and reliable ally.

On Sunday, Zelenskiy had dinner with president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where Macron pledged additional military aid for Ukraine, including light tanks, armoured vehicles, training for soldiers and other assistance.

Paris. With each visit, Ukraines defense and offensive capabilities are expanding, he tweeted as he arrived at Villacoublay airbase southwest of Paris.

The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing.

Zelenskiys warm comments in Berlin follow an often turbulent bilateral relationship with Germany. Ukrainian officials have previously accused Scholz of dithering over the supply of lethal weaponry. Last spring, Kyiv cancelled a visit by Germanys president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, because of his perceived closeness to the Kremlin and to Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.

There have been further tensions. German intellectuals have signed public letters calling for peace with Moscow, to the dismay of Kyiv, and there has been qualified support for Russia from some on the far left and far right of German politics, as well as from citizens living in the former communist East Germany. At one point, Ukraines former ambassador Andriy Melnyk called Scholz an offended liver sausage.

At Sundays press conference, the German chancellor expressed complete solidarity with Kyiv, as previous disagreements were forgotten. He described Russias war in unambiguous terms as an imperial attack, which threatens peace in the whole of Europe.

Russia must pull its troops out, Scholz said, adding Berlin supported a refusal by Ukraines government to accept any deal dictated by Moscow to end the conflict.

Arriving from a trip to Italy, where he met Pope Francis and the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Germanys biggest aid package yet was saving Ukrainian lives. He promised western weapons would not be used to strike inside Russia. We dont have time and energy for that. We are preparing an operation to liberate Ukraines illegally occupied territory, he stressed.

During his latest trip, Zelenskiy pressed European partners to supply Kyiv with advanced war planes. Joe Bidens administration has so far ruled out delivering F-16 fighters. The Netherlands has said it is considering Kyivs request. Ukrainian sources believe EU countries will overcome their hesitancy and eventually agree, as they did with the delivery of battle tanks and long-range artillery.

Ukraines air force, meanwhile, said it was not responsible for the disastrous crash on Saturday of two Russian war planes and three military helicopters inside Russian territory. They were shot down in the western Bryansk region, about 50km from the Ukraine border. Yurii Ignat, spokesperson for the air force in Kyiv, said Russias own air defences were to blame.

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Early on Sunday, Russian bombers hit Ukrainian targets again including Ternopil, the home town of the countrys Eurovision contestants Tvorchi. Ukraines state emergency service said there were two attacks. Two people were injured by missile strikes, which saw fires burning until 2.30am and left civilian buildings and cars damaged.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian troops continued to go forward in local attacks. According to the Institute for the Study of War, a US thinktank, Ukraines troops regained territory on both flanks of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for months. The advance relieved pressure on a key supply road into the city, which has been under intense Russian artillery fire.

Russias defence ministry admitted that two of its commanders had been killed in the battle for Bakhmut. They were named as Col Vyacheslav Makarov, the commander of Russias 4th Motorised Rifle Brigade, and Col Yevgeny Brovko, the deputy commander of an unspecified army corps. Brovko died in shelling, while Makarov was wounded near the village of Ivanivske, west of the city, and died on the way to hospital.

It is unclear when Ukraines counteroffensive might start. Speaking late last week, Zelenskiy said more time was needed if large casualties were to be avoided, adding that some heavy weapons promised by the west had yet to arrive. In an interview with the German tabloid Bild on Sunday, Zelenskiys adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine had now seized the initiative. He said recent gains in Bakhmut were a prelude to a counteroffensive.

It will be a hot spring-summer season. We will see catastrophic events befall the Russian army. It will be forced to leave the occupied territories very quickly, he predicted. Asked when this might happen, he replied: We dont hint at anything. But there are only 17 days left until summer.

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Ukraine can defeat Russia by end of year with western help ... - The Guardian