Latest news with #Marichka
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
To their wedding song: Ukrainian veteran dances with wife for first time since losing both legs
A Ukrainian soldier who lost both legs on the front line has danced for the first time since his injury. Together with his wife, he danced to the same song that played at their wedding. Source: The Nezlamni (Unbroken) National Rehabilitation Centre Details: Oleksandr Zhavnenko, a 36-year-old from Lviv, has been dancing since childhood. It was on the dance floor that he met his future wife, Marichka. They performed together in the folk ensemble Mriia (Dream). From the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion, Oleksandr supported Ukraine's defence forces as a volunteer. After his wife Marichka gave birth to their first child, he joined the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade of the National Guard as a drone operator. Oleksandr lost both lower limbs in October 2024. "As soon as I was injured, Marichka came to me in Dnipro with our little Lina in her arms. It was a huge surprise. She supported me and said: 'We'll definitely get back on our feet and dance together'," he recalls. The couple performed their first dance since his injury at the Lviv House of Scientists, to the same song that played at their wedding. "I didn't know what to expect from this dance. But I loved it so much! Nothing hurt, nothing felt tight – unlike everyday life, where even moving in the kitchen is hard. Here, I did what I love, and she was by my side," Oleksandr shares. Background: Previously, the centre shared the story of veterans Anastasiia and Oleksii, who met during rehabilitation. Both were seriously injured at the front and lost limbs. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Underwater Explosives: How Ukraine Blew Up The Crimea Bridge To Cripple Russian Attack
Last Updated: The assault, carried out on June 3, involved a massive 1,100 kg of underwater explosives and has left the structural foundations of the bridge severely compromised In a daring and technologically sophisticated operation that struck at the heart of Russia's strategic ambitions, Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a high-powered underwater attack on the Kerch Bridge, an infrastructure project long touted as a symbol of Vladimir Putin's dominance over Crimea. The assault, carried out in the early hours of June 3, involved a massive 1,100 kg of underwater explosives and has left the structural foundations of the 19-km-long bridge severely compromised. This marks the third attack on the Kerch Bridge since the war began in 2022, but by far the most precise, covert, and destructive. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) took official responsibility, calling it both a 'surgical" and 'symbolic" operation. The weapon of choice? A stealth underwater drone named Marichka, which carried the explosive payload undetected through the waters of the Kerch Strait before detonating beneath one of the bridge's main underwater support pylons. 'This is not just about infrastructure," a senior Ukrainian official told local media, adding, 'This is about disrupting Russia's military lifeline and striking at its psychological core." The Kerch Bridge holds far more than logistical value for Russia. Inaugurated in 2018 by Putin himself, the bridge physically connects mainland Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, territory annexed by Moscow in 2014 in a move widely condemned internationally. It serves as a critical conduit for the movement of troops, armored vehicles, fuel, and supplies to and from Crimea, especially during ongoing military operations in southern Ukraine. But beyond the battlefield, the bridge has stood as a towering emblem of Putin's resolve and Russia's territorial claims. Its targeting by Ukrainian forces is seen not merely as an act of sabotage, but a pointed challenge to the Kremlin's authority. Within hours of the blast, Russian authorities shut down traffic on the bridge, rerouting military and civilian supplies through less efficient land corridors. According to Russian Defence Ministry sources, efforts are now underway to establish alternative logistics routes. However, satellite images and independent assessments confirm significant damage to the underwater supports, indicating long-term disruption. Underwater explosives, engineered for maximum impact in dense aquatic environments, played a pivotal role in the bridge's destabilisation. Unlike surface explosions, underwater blasts create shockwaves that travel farther and penetrate deeper due to water's higher density. The result: widespread structural compromise without the need for a large visible explosion. In this case, the Marichka drone served as the perfect delivery mechanism. Sleek, submersible, and almost entirely silent, the drone maneuvered beneath the bridge and detonated its payload with surgical precision. It was a quiet strike, but one with thunderous implications. The Kremlin has responded with fury, branding the attack a 'terrorist act" and accusing Ukraine of crossing yet another red line. In a strongly worded statement, Russian officials denounced the 'silence of the international community", labelling it as evidence of Western bias. 'This was not merely a strike against a bridge," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, adding that it was an assault on Russian sovereignty. 'Such actions will not go unanswered," she said. Military analysts anticipate retaliatory strikes from Russia in the coming days, though Ukraine appears unfazed. Speaking from the capital, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was resolute. 'This war is not confined to trenches and tanks. It extends to the sea, to the air, to cyber networks. And we are prepared on every front," he said. For Ukraine, the operation serves both a strategic and symbolic purpose – disrupting Russia's battlefield mobility while also signaling a new era of modern, multidimensional warfare. 'This attack sends a clear message," said a Ukrainian defence analyst, adding, 'Russia's vulnerabilities are growing. No target is untouchable." With tensions escalating across the Black Sea region and NATO allies closely watching, the latest blow to the Kerch Bridge underscores a rapidly changing theater of war – where underwater drones may now be as crucial as ballistic missiles, and symbolism can be as potent as strategy. First Published:
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Crimean Bridge: All about the mysterious Marichka underwater drone that Ukraine may have used to blow up the Crimean Bridge
ADVERTISEMENT What Is the Marichka Underwater Drone? — 2uwmp (@2uwmp) ADVERTISEMENT Bridge Explosion: What We Know ADVERTISEMENT Why the Crimean Bridge Matters Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on Tuesday that it had struck the road-and-rail bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula with explosives placed below the waterline. According to the agency, 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives were used in the early-morning operation, damaging the underwater support pillars of the strategically important structure — a key supply route for Russian forces in the ongoing reports suggest Ukraine may have deployed its "Marichka" underwater drone to carry out the attack.'The SBU conducted a new, unique special operation and struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time underwater,' reported Ukrainian news outlet operation lasted several months. SBU agents mined the supports of this illegal facility. And today, without any civilian casualties, at 4:44 a.m., the first explosive device was activated!'The report added that underwater drones were used to follow up on the initial blast, causing further damage to the bridge's submerged Marichka is a 6-meter-long black unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) developed in Ukraine. With a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, the drone is designed for a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, transportation, and direct to Ukrainian media, Marichka is a homegrown project built by volunteer engineers under the group AMMO Ukraine, and funded entirely through public donations. The estimated cost of a single unit is around UAH 16 million (approximately $433,000).The drone is said to be meant for suicide missions targeting Russian naval assets in the Black Sea as well as critical infrastructure along the Russian the SBU shared video footage showing an explosion beside one of the Crimean Bridge's support pillars. Reuters verified the location using satellite imagery and structural identifiers but could not independently confirm the time the footage was military bloggers downplayed the damage, claiming the attack was unsuccessful and suggesting it may have involved a Ukrainian sea drone rather than a strike comes shortly after another bold Ukrainian operation — "Spider's Web" — which targeted Russian long-range bomber aircraft at airfields deep inside Russian territory using aerial 19 kilometers (12 miles) over the Kerch Strait, the Crimean Bridge is the only direct land link between mainland Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The bridge was personally championed by President Vladimir Putin, who opened it in structure includes separate road and railway spans, supported by concrete stilts and steel arches at the navigational channel between the Black Sea and the Sea of Russia's February 2022 invasion, the bridge played a critical role in moving troops and supplies into southern Ukraine, particularly into the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
All about Ukraine's Marichka underwater drone that may have damaged the Crimean bridge
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on Tuesday that it had struck the road-and-rail bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula with explosives placed below the waterline. According to the agency, 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives were used in the early-morning operation, damaging the underwater support pillars of the strategically important structure — a key supply route for Russian forces in the ongoing war. Now, reports suggest Ukraine may have deployed its "Marichka" underwater drone to carry out the attack. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. 'The SBU conducted a new, unique special operation and struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time underwater,' reported Ukrainian news outlet 'The operation lasted several months. SBU agents mined the supports of this illegal facility. And today, without any civilian casualties, at 4:44 a.m., the first explosive device was activated!' Live Events You Might Also Like: Operation Spider Web: Was an Ukrainian ex-DJ and his erotic novelist wife behind Russian 'Pearl Harbor' attack? The report added that underwater drones were used to follow up on the initial blast, causing further damage to the bridge's submerged structures. What Is the Marichka Underwater Drone? The Marichka is a 6-meter-long black unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) developed in Ukraine. With a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, the drone is designed for a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, transportation, and direct attacks. — 2uwmp (@2uwmp) According to Ukrainian media, Marichka is a homegrown project built by volunteer engineers under the group AMMO Ukraine, and funded entirely through public donations. The estimated cost of a single unit is around UAH 16 million (approximately $433,000). You Might Also Like: When Russia stole 40 bombers of Kazakhstan—and then got Ukraine's in a gas debt deal The drone is said to be meant for suicide missions targeting Russian naval assets in the Black Sea as well as critical infrastructure along the Russian coastline. Bridge Explosion: What We Know Earlier, the SBU shared video footage showing an explosion beside one of the Crimean Bridge's support pillars. Reuters verified the location using satellite imagery and structural identifiers but could not independently confirm the time the footage was recorded. Russian military bloggers downplayed the damage, claiming the attack was unsuccessful and suggesting it may have involved a Ukrainian sea drone rather than a submersible. This strike comes shortly after another bold Ukrainian operation — "Spider's Web" — which targeted Russian long-range bomber aircraft at airfields deep inside Russian territory using aerial drones. Why the Crimean Bridge Matters Spanning 19 kilometers (12 miles) over the Kerch Strait, the Crimean Bridge is the only direct land link between mainland Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The bridge was personally championed by President Vladimir Putin, who opened it in 2018. The structure includes separate road and railway spans, supported by concrete stilts and steel arches at the navigational channel between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. During Russia's February 2022 invasion, the bridge played a critical role in moving troops and supplies into southern Ukraine, particularly into the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Four-year-old girl reunited with father after evacuation from Russian-occupied territory
Ukrainian human rights activists have assisted a four-year-old girl in evacuating from temporarily Russian-occupied territory and reuniting with her father. The child had been living in a city captured by Russia since the start of the full-scale war, where she remained with her grandmother despite her father's persistent but unsuccessful efforts to evacuate them. Source: Daria Zarivna, Chief Operating Officer of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative Quote: "Little Marichka was only one year old when the full-scale war began. She was with her grandmother in a city that came under Russian occupation during the first days of the invasion. Her childhood, which should have been the happiest time in her life, turned into a nightmare due to the lack of water and electricity, constant shelling and the threat of deportation by the occupation authorities." Details:The child's father, who was on territory controlled by Ukraine, had tried to arrange evacuation himself for a long time, but to no avail. "Eventually, he reached out to the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, which helped organise a safe route and accompanied the child until she was reunited with her father," Zarivna noted. As of March 2025, a total of 1,247 children have been brought back to Ukraine. At the same time, at least 1.6 million children are still living under Russian occupation. Background: Earlier, it was reported that a 16-year-old Ukrainian teenager had been abducted by Russian forces from Kherson and sent to a so-called "re-education camp". The boy openly resisted and at one point took down the Russian flag from a flagpole and replaced it with his underwear. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
