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Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
First burials of unidentified soldiers to take place at memorial cemetery in May
The first burials of unidentified Ukrainian soldiers are planned to take place at the military memorial cemetery in May. Source: Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko in an interview with Details: Tymchenko said that the bodies of people who cannot be identified are subject to temporary burial. "In general, temporary burial is reserved for those bodies which we managed to add to the database by taking a DNA sample, but found no match. In such cases they are stored for a year," explains Klymenko's deputy. Tymchenko said that there were also temporary burials in Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts back in 2022, when the decision was made by oblast or city military administrations, because there were many bodies. Quote: "Now it is planned that in cases where the bodies could not be identified, they will be buried in a military memorial cemetery with appropriate honours. So far, a large number of bodies are still being stored. The first group of unidentified soldiers will be buried at the military memorial cemetery in May." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Russia Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine confirms its POWs were on downed Russian plane
A senior official in Kiev has confirmed that Ukrainian prisoners of war were among those killed when a Russian Il-76 military transport plane was downed in the border Belgorod Region in January 2024. The 65 service members were to be included in one of the routine prisoner exchanges between the two countries. The acknowledgement was made by Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Timchenko, who in an interview with the Ukrainian outlet on Thursday discussed in detail the process of handling and identifying the remains of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as their return by Russia. 'Let me explain by drawing an example: when we receive a package and see that there are body parts in it, we understand that we are talking about the remains of more than one body,' he said. 'Remember the situation with the downed IL-76, which had about 60 prisoners of war on board? Over 500 [body parts] were returned from that plane,' Timchenko noted, adding that the investigators' job in this case is to collect and identify DNA from each piece. The crash occurred on January 24, 2024, near the village of Yablonovo in Russia's Belgorod Region, killing all 74 people on board. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the aircraft was transporting 65 Ukrainian POWs, meant for an imminent exchange, along with six crew members and three Russian guards. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time said that he 'doesn't know' and 'does not understand' why Ukraine took down the plane, later suggesting that it was an accident. Ukraine initially did not deny responsibility for the incident and also confirmed that an exchange was impending, but said it had no information about who was on the plane. It also argued that the attack was legitimate since it was a military transport plane. Ukrainian media also claimed at the time that the Il-76 was transporting air defense missiles. Months later, Ukrainian officials began receiving human remains of those who died in the crash and concluded that their DNA profiles mostly matched those of the captives' relatives. In February 2024, a New York Times report cited US officials as saying that the plane was likely shot down by a Patriot missile system operated by Ukrainian forces, in line with the Russian Defense Ministry's statement that it had detected two Ukrainian missile launches shortly before the crash.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine brings back body of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna tortured in Russian captivity, official says
The body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died after torture in Russian captivity, was brought back to Ukraine in late February, Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko said in an interview with published on April 24. "She was identified through DNA testing," Tymchenko said. Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories, with Moscow admitting her detention the following year. Ukrainian officials confirmed Roshchyna's death on Oct. 10, 2024, but said that the circumstances were still under investigation. Russia did not hand over her body for about five months. According to Russia, Roshchyna died on Sept. 19, 2024. The Media Initiative for Human Rights, a Ukrainian NGO, reported that Roshchyna had been held in at least two notorious Russian prisons: the penal colony n. 77 in Berdiansk in occupied Ukraine and the detention center n. 2 in Russia's Taganrog. Both facilities are known for the use of torture against prisoners. Roshchyna was tortured with electric shocks while in Russian captivity, Ukrainian investigative journalism outlet reported in early March, citing an unnamed witness in the Taganrog detention center. There were also cuts on Roshchyna's arms after interrogations, the witness said. The journalist lost weight and weighed up to 30 kilograms, according to the source. Previously, in March 2022, Roshchyna was detained for 10 days by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers while leaving Berdiansk in the direction of Mariupol. As a condition of her release, she was forced to record a video saying Russian forces had saved her life. Although Roshchyna's body is said to have been returned in late February, Ukrainian journalists said in March that her body had not yet been retrieved at the time. Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a lawmaker and chair of the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech, said on April 24 that the body's return was not announced for so long due to uncertainty about the identity. "Given the torture and the condition of her body, Roshchyna's family requested not one, but several DNA examinations," Yurchyshyn wrote on Facebook. "As far as I know, the examinations were carried out not only in Ukraine but also abroad to ensure that it was Viktoriia." Read also: Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna receives posthumous human rights award We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Norway pledges around $940 million to train and equip Ukrainian brigade
Norway will allocate 10 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $937 million) in 2025 to help equip and train a Ukrainian military brigade, Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik announced on April 11 during a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, according to the Norwegian government. The initiative is part of a broader Nordic-Baltic effort to support Ukraine's land forces. Norway will take the lead role in the training component, working in close coordination with Ukrainian authorities and allied nations. 'Norway stands united with Europe for stronger support for Ukraine, politically, economically, and militarily,' Sandvik said. 'Our contribution is both material from our own defense and acquisitions of ammunition and materiel from Ukrainian and international industry. Not least, we will contribute with training.' Instead of establishing an entirely new brigade, the initiative will concentrate on developing modular units — smaller components designed to integrate into and strengthen Ukraine's existing brigades. These brigades typically comprise 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers and possess a variety of combat capabilities that enable them to operate independently. 'Under Norwegian leadership, the Nordic and Baltic countries work closely with Ukrainian authorities to ensure that the training and equipment meet Ukrainian needs as well as possible,' Sandvik explained. The previous initiatives to have Ukraine's Western backers train and equip new brigades were highly controversial. The 155th Brigade was intended to be a flagship project for Ukrainian brigades trained and armed with the assistance of foreign partners. French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June that France would provide training and military supplies as part of this initiative. Despite Paris fulfilling its commitments for training and arms provision, an investigation led by Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Ukrainian media outlet pointed to problems in the brigade's creation and management, allegedly leading to 1,700 cases of soldiers going AWOL from the unit before firing a shot. During the Brussels summit, Sandvik also held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. According to Bloomberg, Norway also joined the U.K. in pledging a joint $585 million military aid package to Ukraine. The U.K. will contribute £350 million ($455 million), while Norway will provide £100 million ($130 million) through the U.K.-led International Fund for package includes support for the repair of previously delivered equipment, radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of drones. Earlier this week, Oslo also committed $454 million to procure artillery shells for Ukraine. Read also: Inside Ukraine's desperate race to train more soldiers We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy determines army corps structure and appoints commanders
Ukraine's Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy has determined the structure of the army corps and appointed commanders during a Staff meeting. The changes will take place within a month. Source: Yurii Butusov, Editor-in-chief of Ukrainian news website on Facebook Details: Butusov reported that 18 corps commanders have already been appointed. They will oversee their respective sections of the front and receive a designated permanent set of troops. Butusov also stated that the corps will be led by Ruslan Shevchuk, Roman Darmohrai, Vasyl Matiiv, Dmytro Voloshyn, Andrii Biletskyi, Denys Prokopenko and Ihor Obolenskyi. Butusov added that most brigades are now being reorganised into 18 corps. The majority of these corps will consist of five brigades, while one will have seven. The restructuring includes 13 corps within the Ground Forces, 2 within Air Assault Forces, 1 within Marine Corps, and 2 within National Guard corps. Butusov believes that there is currently a shortage of personnel to manage the corps effectively. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
