Latest news with #WesternUkraine
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists make shocking discovery after accessing room that had been sealed up for 300 years
For the last three centuries, this dark, dusty chamber has been sealed shut. Hidden beneath a castle in Halych, western Ukraine, the mysterious room was buried beneath 150 cubic metres of soil and debris. It is believed the room was covered by a section of wall that collapsed when the castle was bombarded by canons in 1676. In 2023, experts discovered a small ventilation shaft leading to the hidden chamber. Now, after years of delicate excavation work, archaeologists have finally been able to access it. Initial theories suggest that the chamber served as a casemate – an arsenal, or vault for safeguarding precious belongings during times of conflict. But to add to the mystery, a small gap in one of the chamber's walls indicates the presence of a tunnel, or possibly a network of underground tunnels long associated with local legend. One tells of a girl who escaped through the tunnels with her lover, aided by her maid who bribed the castle guards. The building, called Galician Castle – or Starasta Castle – was originally founded in the 12th century as a wooden fortification built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dniester River. In the mid-14th century it was rebuilt in stone by Casimir III the Great and, later, in the early 17th century it was redesigned by an architect. It was Vladimir Oleynik, Director General of the Ancient Galich National Reserve, who first announced the discovery of a ventilation shaft two years ago. He believes the collapsed wall likely dates to the Turkish-Polish War of 1676, when Halych was attacked by forces who used a cannon to destroy the castle's defensive walls and towers. 'This part of the castle had been completely cut off since the explosion,' Mr Oleynik told Heritage Daily. 'No heavy machinery could be used, so it was all done manually to preserve the archaeological integrity.' While work is ongoing, public access to the excavation site remains restricted. Archaeologists hope that further exploration will provide deeper insights into the hidden history of one of Ukraine's most legendary fortresses. In 2018 experts unearthed mysterious tar decorations scrawled on the bones of a woman buried along the river Dniester. The burial ritual, unlike anything ever seen in Europe, is thought to have taken place after the woman had died and decomposed 4,500 years ago. This allowed ancient people to draw directly on her bones – likely using tar obtained from wood.
CBC
7 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Putin 'needlessly killing a lot of people,' Trump says, as Russia continues drone onslaught in Ukraine
Ukraine spokesperson says early Monday barrage Russia's largest air assault since 2022 invasion The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles against Ukraine overnight, a huge salvo that the air force's spokesperson told Reuters made it Russia's largest drone attack of the war to date. The Ukrainian air force said the third consecutive night of Russian aerial attack hit targets in five locations, but did not elaborate. A 14-year-old boy was reported injured in the Black Sea region of Odesa. Residential buildings and industrial facilities were damaged in western Ukraine, officials said. In light of the sustained attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY" in comments on Truth Social. "He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers, "said Trump. "Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. "I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!" added Trump. The Kremlin on Monday reacted to Trump's comments on Putin by urging calm. "We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. "Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions." Residential building in Odesa destroyed Trump also criticized Volodomyr Zelenskyy, posting that the Ukrainian leader "is doing his Country no favours by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop." Ukraine, the United States and other Western countries have called for a 30-day halt to fighting without preconditions to allow for peace talks. Work on Russia's proposal for a possible peace deal for the Ukraine war is ongoing and a draft has not yet been submitted, the Kremlin said on Monday. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine that did not include Putin and Zelenskyy met last week in Turkey, but the only known concrete step toward peace emerged on the weekend, when hundreds of prisoners of war were released from captivity by both countries. In terms of Monday's damage, Russian drone strikes caused fires and destruction in private households in the southern Odesa region, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. At the sites hit in Odesa district, a residential building covering an area of 100 square metres was destroyed, the emergency services said, adding that the fire had been extinguished. WATCH l Russia, Ukraine continue exchange of prisoners on Sunday: Media Video | The National : Russia unleashes massive wave of aerial attacks across Ukraine Caption: Russia again escalated its air attacks on Ukraine over the weekend, targeting more than 30 cities and towns with missiles and drones, including the capital as it celebrated Kyiv Day. The attacks killed at least a dozen people, some of them children, according to Ukrainian officials. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Regional governor Oleh Kiper said a 14-year-old boy was injured in the attack. In the western region of Khmelnytskyi, many hundreds of kilometres away from the frontline, governor said that a combined Russian attack damaged private households and enterprises, but there were no civilian casualties, according to preliminary information. In northeastern Ukraine, the regional governor said that Kharkiv and its outskirts were under Russian attack and explosions could be heard in some of districts. The governor of the central Cherkasy region said that 25 Russian drones had been neutralized within the region overnight but added that there were no injured or reports of damage so far. The air raid alert lasted six hours in Kyiv, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said. Tkachenko reported damage in one city district but said that there were no casualties. In the biggest aerial assault of the war, Russia pummeled Ukrainian cities and other targets with at least 367 drones and missiles overnight on Sunday, killing at least 12 people, including three children in the northern region of Zhytomyr, Ukrainian officials said. On the ground, Russian forces have captured the settlements of Volodymyrivka and Bilovody in eastern Ukraine, the TASS state news agency reported on Monday, citing Russia's Defence Ministry. Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield report.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ukraine says it uncovered a Hungarian espionage network
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's main security agency said Friday it had arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Hungary by gathering intelligence on Ukraine's military in the west of the country. In a statement, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that two suspects, both former members of the Ukrainian military, had been detained and face charges of treason, which is punishable by life imprisonment. It was the first time in Ukraine's history that a Hungarian espionage operation had been discovered, the statement said.
