A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in bridging one of Russia's most significant strategic barriers in the war. Andriy Yermak, head of the president's office, provided no details but confirmed the development that has been widely discussed in military forums over the past month. “Against all odds, Ukraine’s defense forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper,” Yermak told the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, in a speech Monday. Ever since Russian forces left the city of Kherson and the territory around it in November 2022, the only area they controlled on the west bank of the Dnieper, the river became a natural dividing line along the southern battlefront, preventing Ukrainian troops from advancing further into the Kherson region and towards Russian-annexed Crimea. The barrier also allowed Russia to concentrate more troops in the heavily mined and fortified Zaporizhzhia region and eastern Ukraine. Crossing the Dnieper could allow Ukraine to outflank Russia without having to break through the heavily mined and fortified front line in the Zaporizhzhia region. It would also provide the most direct land route to Crimea, where Armiansk, one of the two gateways to the peninsula, lies about 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the south without any significant fortifications in the way. Since the summer, Ukrainian forces have crossed the Dnieper in small groups to create a foothold near the Kherson bridge and more recently sought to expand their presence in nearby villages on the east bank, including Krynky. The Institute for the Study of War in Washington said Yermak's comments confirm its own assessments over the past month that Ukraine was conducting larger-than-usual ground operations on the eastern bank of the river and appeared to be holding its positions and supplying troops in the Russian-controlled Kherson region. Satellite imagery from Monday showed forces advancing on Krynky, one of the areas on the eastern bank of the Dnieper about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of the city of Kherson, the ISW said. Russian military bloggers have reported intense fighting near Krynky. The Moscow-appointed governor for the Russia-occupied part of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said Ukrainian forces lost up to two battalions crossing the Dnieper and trying to maintain their foothold on the left bank. On his Telegram channel, he claimed that Ukrainian forces holed up in Krynky were facing a “fiery hell” of intense bombardment and were being destroyed “on a large scale.” He said that the Russian soldiers were surprised “to what extent the Ukrainian command doesn’t care about personnel lives, sending dozens and hundreds to their death.” The Ukrainian forces have long established positions in several areas on the eastern bank of the Dnieper and sought to expand them, using boats to ferry supplies. Ukraine lost control over almost the entire Kherson region, including the city of Kherson, in March 2022, right after the full-scale invasion started. Russian troops advanced from the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, facing almost no resistance even though the Ukraine border was supposed to be heavily guarded. Read More Russian woman goes on trial in a cafe bombing that killed a prominent military blogger European Commission lowers growth outlook and says economy has lost momentum during a difficult year UK inflation falls sharply to 4.6%, lowest level in 2 years China and the US pledge to step up climate efforts ahead of Biden-Xi summit and UN meeting ASEAN defense chiefs call for the fighting in Gaza to cease, but they struggle to address Myanmar Ukraine declares major breakthrough in southern counteroffensive ‘against all odds’

Amber Portwood's heartfelt post offers a glimpse into her mental state as she strives to regain stability and find solace amid overwhelming challenges

(Reuters) -Social media platform Twitter Inc will remove accounts that have been inactive for several years, CEO Elon Musk said

FARMINGTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 12, 2023--

One of Vladimir Putin's commanders used two military helicopters to transport his pet cat during the war in Ukraine, a defected Russian pilot has claimed. The cat was airlifted in the military-grade helicopter for around one hour, while another flew alongside it to provide cover during the 114-mile journey, according to former Russian airman Maksim Kuzminov. Mr Kuzminov spoke out in an interview with The New Voice of Ukraine after choosing to leave Russia’s armed forces. Asked for examples of any illogical uses of aviation during the war in Ukraine, Mr Kuzminov said: “Our commander needed to transport a cat, which had some impressive pedigree. To do this, two Mi-8 and Mi-24 [helicopter] crews were assigned. “So, two helicopters transported this wonderful animal, so to speak, from Rostov to Yeysk [air base] — the Mi-8 was flying the cat in, while the Mi-24 was circling to provide cover. “We burned a lot of fuel, resources. Furthermore, the crews aren’t always allowed to rest.” The former pilot said six military personnel were on board for the mission despite Russia experiencing a lack of pilots. Mr Kuzminov, 28, has reportedly been paid £398,000 for defecting and is now urging his former Russian colleagues to follow suit. “The truth is, there are no Nazis or fascists,” he told the Ukrainian news outlet, to counter the message Mr Putin has used to justify the “special military operation” launched in February last year. He said he got in touch with representatives of the Ukrainian military intelligence about the possibility of changing sides and he was offered safety as well as the financial reward. Mr Kuzminov landed his Russian Mi-8 helicopter in Ukraine’s Poltava Oblast on August 23 - giving the chopper to his new bosses as well as spare parts for the aircraft. “It’s a real disgrace what is happening here,” he said of the war. “Murder, tears, blood. “People are simply killing each other. That’s all I can make of this and I don’t want to be a part of it. What is going on now is simply the genocide of the Ukrainian people. Both Ukrainian and Russian.” Read More Russia-Ukraine war – live: 16 killed in missile strike on market town during ‘evil’ attack Ukraine destroys ‘Russian-occupied warehouse’ in drone strike CCTV captures Russian shell landing on Ukrainian market killing at least 16 The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Beloved cartoon characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants are taking to the skies above New York City in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

We love a good UFO story here at indy100, and there’s a new video which has got people questioning what is real. Footage some are claiming to show a flying object with the letters “TRUFF” written on it zoom past the window of a plane has gone viral online. TikTok users have been sharing the video and it’s racked up millions of views, intriguing UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists everywhere. It’s not clear when it was first uploaded, but the clip has raised eyebrows across the world. The strange footage has sparked all kinds of theories, but it looks like there’s a very clear explanation for it. Truff is the name of a sauce brand, which has been known for its unusual marketing ploys over recent times. The brand’s official account also posted the video. “The video shared with the claim that the UFO was seen is an advertisement for the sauce brand called Truff,” one social media user wrote. Another even went as far as saying: “Whomever is doing your marketing needs a raise! Great stuff. Never heard of the sauce, now [it’s] on my shopping list!” UFO stories have been everywhere in 2023. One of the most compelling stories of the year so far came when a model shared what some are describing on social media as the 'best UFO footage ever' after spotting something strange during a flight. Valentina Rueda Velez, a Colombian model who goes by the username @Valentinarueda.v on Instagram, shared a clip during a recent journey on a private plane. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Shares of Discover Financial Services climbed 7% on Monday after the bank agreed to improve its consumer compliance

AnnaLynne McCord claimed that having a BDSM relationship with Dominic Purcell helped her in overcoming past sexual trauma

National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are joining a White House meeting

Greece’s shipping minister resigned Monday over the death of a man who was pushed off a ferry ramp by a crew member after arriving late. A Greek prosecutor brought criminal charges against the captain of the island ferry and three crew members over the encounter in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, that resulted in the Sept. 5 drowning of Andonis Kargiotis, 36. One crew member faces a charge of homicide with possible intent. Amateur video posted online showed the passenger running onto the Blue Horizon ferry’s loading ramp as the ship had cast off its moorings and was about to leave for the island of Crete. He tried to push past two crew members and then was pushed off the ramp when he tried again. The footage showed the man disappearing in water churned up by the ferry leaving the dock as crew members stepped away. The ship was eventually ordered to return but the man was found unresponsive. He was later determined to have drowned by a medical examiner. “No one can imagine that Greek sailors, violating the age-old rules for the protection of human life at sea, pushed and abandoned an unfortunate young man,” Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Miltiadis Varvitsiotis wrote in an online post after submitting his resignation. Political opponents had accused Varvitsiotis, 54, of initially downplaying the ferry incident. He became maritime minister after Greece’s conservative government won a landslide reelection victory in June. Varvitsiotis apologized last week over remarks made in a private television interview in which he expressed sympathy for the indicted crew members. “There are those who grieve for the man so unfairly lost and also those who grieve for the people who went to earn their wage, a day’s pay, who now find themselves accused of murder,” he said in the interview. Christos Stylianides, a former Greek Cabinet member in charge of disaster response, was named as his replacement Monday. Despite its convincing election victory three months ago, the Greek government has found itself on the defensive over its handling of major wildfires and ongoing massive floods this summer. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

South Korean Ko Jin-young won the LPGA's Founders Cup for the third time on Sunday, clinching a playoff victory over Australia's Minjee...