The Russian-Ukraine war has been continuous since February of this year when Russia first began its invasion. The conflict started when Vladimir Putin called for the invasion of Ukrainian land to gain control of areas throughout Ukraine. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent troops on an official offensive attack shortly after and, in August, stated his vows to fight until all land lost to Russia has been regained.
Outside countries, specifically those part of NATO, have been trying to resist direct interference in the war. Since many powerful countries, including the US, are a part of NATO and Ukraine is not, they cannot send troops for fear of causing direct conflict with Russia and creating a larger-scale war. But, Ukraine has experienced aid in other forms from these countries, such as large supply donations, specifically of weapons.
Recently many NATO allies have publicly pledged to give more support to Ukraine. Canada recently announced that it would give Ukraine 47 million dollars to help them financially with weaponry over the winter months. France and Britain have recently promised to send more missiles, radar systems, and aerial drones.
On October 11, Russian troops fired missiles at the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. This attack killed seven people and injured others. During the attack, Russian forces kidnapped Valery Martynyuk, the deputy head of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Rumors of Vladamir Putin potentially meeting with Joe Biden at the G-20 summit coming up in Indonesia are unclear. The summit will take place in early November, and recent comments by The White House National Security Council state that the potential for a meeting between the two leaders is still undecided.
Ongoing investigations of the Crimean bridge explosion have put Putin on guard and created more tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The Crimean bridge in Russia was hit by anonymous missile attacks on October 8th. This bridge acted as a vital supply route for Russian troops, and its bombardment was not taken lightly. Ukraine is now being investigated for its involvement, and the Ukrainian Security Service has refused to comment on the incident.
Ukraine has made notable gains since September, but Russia remains firmly holding down parts of the country. Both countries have experienced multitudes of attacks and casualties. New reports on the war come out daily, and experts cannot determine which side will ultimately become victorious.
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