Free Republic

Ukraine may have captured a Russian general in what would be the highest-ranking of Moscow's officers to be taken prisoner since the Second World War. Video published Wednesday revealed a group of Russian POWs detained by Ukraine amid a surprise counter-attack near the city of Kharkiv, among them a man wearing the uniform of a mid-ranking Lieutenant-Colonel. But Ukrainian media now claims the man is 'likely' to be Andrei Sychevoi, who is actually a high-ranking Lieutenant-General and commander of Russia's Group of Forces West.

Ukraine pressed an offensive in the east of the country on Friday, seeking to cut off Russian forces as Kyiv achieved its biggest breakthrough in months of grinding combat. Over the past three days, Ukrainian forces have advanced almost 50 kilometers, or about 31 miles, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, the army general staff said Friday. Images of the Ukrainian flag being raised over local government buildings and residents greeting soldiers with tears of joy have boosted morale across the country after months on the defensive. One video showed Ukrainian soldiers in the city of Balakliya clambering on top of...

Ukraine’s counteroffensives in the country’s south and northeast are gaining momentum, President Zelenskyy said, retaking territory and pressuring Russian troops. Ukrainian forces have recaptured 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of land, he said in his nightly address. Over the summer, Ukraine had said it would launch a counteroffensive to retake the southern city of Kherson, but had not mentioned any plans to counterattack in the northeastern Kharkiv region or elsewhere in the east. Analysts say Kyiv could now be taking advantage of Russia’s decision to redeploy troops to southern Ukraine. Russia’s top lawmaker slammed the Group of Seven’s plan...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address that he and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an unannounced visit Thursday to Kyiv, talked about a variety of topics, including designating Russia as a terrorist state. “The legal reality must always correspond to the actual reality. And it is a fact that Russia has become the biggest source of terrorism in the world,” Zelenskyy said. “The world must receive an unequivocal signal that Russian terror will not be forgiven.” Also in his daily address, Zelenskyy said, “More than a thousand square kilometers of our territory have been liberated...