The soldier, Zorigto Arabzhaev, was mobilized in November 2022 and deployed to Ukraine, and when spring came, he was granted leave and obtained a fake death certificate.
American magazine Time published its Top 100 Photos of 2023 on Nov. 21, and several photos from Ukraine were among the most powerful photos of the year.
The Institute for the Study of War said a speech by Russia's defense minister was aimed at playing down bloggers' fears about Ukrainian advances in Dnipro.