Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that Ukraine is committed to reinstating medical scholarship programs for Ghanaian students once the ongoing war with Russia comes to an end.
He made this known after separate discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Georgia during the Raisina Dialogue in India.
In a Facebook post, Ablakwa stated that Ukraine is keen on strengthening its educational partnership with Ghana and expanding bilateral agreements in the sector.
“Ukraine is seeking to restore medical scholarship opportunities and an expanded bilateral educational partnership agreement with Ghana after the war,” he wrote.
The discussions also explored mutually beneficial agribusiness ventures, particularly as Ukraine works towards reviving its economy.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister reassured that his country remains committed to ending the conflict with Russia, stressing that Ukraine does not intend to be an obstacle to lasting peace.
Meanwhile, Ablakwa noted that Georgia is considering opening a diplomatic mission in Accra as part of efforts to deepen relations with Ghana.
“I am deeply grateful to His Excellency Andrii Sybiha of Ukraine and Her Excellency Maka Botchorishvili of Georgia for their warmth and great respect for Ghana,” Ablakwa added.
A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House took a tense turn as the two leaders clashed over Ukraine’s approach to peace talks with Russia.
During the Oval Office discussion, Trump made it clear that continued American support was contingent on Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate. “Make a deal or we’re out,” he warned, hinting at a potential shift in U.S. policy regarding the ongoing war.
He also accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” and suggested that Ukraine should show more appreciation for the aid it has received from the United States.
Zelensky, however, pushed back, maintaining that Ukraine “should not compromise” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, standing firm against any forced settlement.
The talks ended without an agreement, and Zelensky left the White House without signing a minerals deal that had been a central part of the discussions. Plans for a joint news conference with Trump were also scrapped, and Zelensky departed without addressing reporters.
Shortly after, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing, “He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
Vice President JD Vance also questioned whether Zelensky had demonstrated sufficient gratitude for America’s continued support throughout the war.
Russia has leveled accusations against the United States, alleging that it is conducting biological research in Ghana, Djibouti, Kenya, and Nigeria, with the potential for military use in biowarfare.
According to Russia, the U.S. is engaged in tracking infectious diseases, isolating harmful microorganisms, and investigating disease outbreaks, with the possibility of weaponizing these findings.
These allegations were shared in a Facebook post by DW Africa on Tuesday, December 24, 2024.
Further claims suggest that the U.S. has established a military medical facility in Kenya to monitor the spread of infectious diseases across Central Africa. In addition, a team of ten experts from the U.S. Department of Defense are said to have contributed to a medical research center and military laboratory set up in Nigeria in 2024.
Alexey Shevtsov, deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, also accused the U.S. of developing biological weapons, including those designed to target specific ethnic groups.
These allegations come amid the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has already heightened tensions with the U.S. While the two nations share some interests, such as nuclear safety, counterterrorism, and global health initiatives, their relations have soured in recent years.
The latest accusations further escalate the geopolitical strain between the two superpowers, although the U.S. has yet to issue a public response. The United States has repeatedly denied the charges, emphasizing that its activities in Africa are intended solely for public health research and humanitarian efforts.
The Kremlin has rejected media reports suggesting that US President-elect Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he allegedly warned Putin about escalating the war in Ukraine.
The call, which was first reported by the Washington Post on Sunday, was said to have occurred on Thursday.
During the reported conversation, Trump is believed to have mentioned the significant military presence of the US in Europe.
However, the Kremlin swiftly denied the existence of such a conversation, labeling the claims as “pure fiction.”
Trump’s team, when contacted by the BBC, declined to comment on the matter, with communications director Steven Cheung stating, “We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders.”
He did, however, confirm that leaders have started reaching out to the president-elect.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, reiterated the denial, describing the reports as “completely untrue” and “false information.”
“This is completely untrue, it is pure fiction. That is, this is simply false information. There was no conversation,” Peskov said.
While Trump has repeatedly stated his commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine, he has not yet outlined a clear strategy.
Bryan Lanza, a former adviser to Trump’s campaign, suggested over the weekend that the incoming administration would focus on achieving peace in Ukraine, rather than solely aiming to reclaim occupied territories.
A spokesperson for Trump distanced the president-elect from these remarks, clarifying that Lanza “does not speak for him.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned against any territorial concessions to Russia, stressing that without US support, Ukraine would be unable to win the war.
On the other hand, Dmitry Peskov spoke of “positive” signals from the new US administration. In contrast, other international figures, including British Defence Secretary John Healey, are confident that the US will continue to support Ukraine.
“This is a warning for the ones who say, this war has to end, so let’s finish it as soon as possible no matter how. How matters,” he said.
Healey expressed his expectation that the US would stay alongside its allies, particularly the UK, “for as long as it takes to prevail over Putin’s invasion.”
During a visit to Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cautioned that any peace settlement must be sustainable. He warned against those pushing for an immediate end to the war without considering the long-term implications, emphasizing that “how” peace is achieved matters.
In Washington, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan indicated that President Joe Biden would stress to Trump that walking away from Ukraine would lead to increased instability in Europe.
In Germany, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock raised concerns that Putin could exploit the US transition period to gain an upper hand in Ukraine. She urged European Union members to boost their support for Ukraine immediately, asserting, “We don’t have time to wait until spring.”
The war continues to escalate, with Russia and Ukraine launching their largest drone attacks since the conflict began. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including some approaching Moscow, leading to airport diversions. Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down most of the 145 Russian drones launched on Saturday night.
On Monday, Russia’s airstrikes killed at least six people and injured 21 others in Ukraine. Zelensky condemned the strikes, criticizing Russia for targeting civilians and calling for stronger global support to counter the aggression.
Russian forces have also made territorial advances. Moscow’s Ministry of Defence reported capturing the village of Kolisnykivka in the Kharkiv region. According to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, Russian territorial gains in October were the largest since March 2022.
Former President John Dramani Mahama recently shared his unique experience during a recent interview, highlighting his time in Russia.
He emphasized the distinctive dining customs he encountered, noting that before meals, Russians traditionally toast to various family members.
Mahama appreciated this cultural tradition, remarking on the hospitality he experienced throughout his visit.
His trip to Moscow included the launch of the Russian-language translation of his memoir, ‘My First Coup D’état and Other Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa,’ at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In his own words, he said “Russian way of eating is unique. Before they eat, they toast. I went to a friends house who is a Russian. His table was filled with food, before you eat you are being told to toast. YOu toast to someone’s grandmother, father and the trsdition continues.
“The Russians are good with hospitality” Mahama stated.
John Mahama embarked on the trip to Moscow to launch the Russian Language translation of his memoir titled ‘My First Coup D’état and Other stories’ from the Lost Decades of Africa, at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Watch video below:
Former President John Mahama had an exclusive interview with Russia's state-controlled media, Sputnik Africa, where he shared his thoughts on Russia's unique traditional way and style of eating. pic.twitter.com/GsiJUqmLer
In a tragic escalation,Ukrainian capital Kyiv witnessed severe damage to a prominent children’s hospital from Russian airstrikes, resulting in at least 31 fatalities across the country during an early morning barrage.
The airstrikes, unusually occurring in daylight, claimed the lives of at least 17 individuals in Kyiv alone. Among the casualties were two individuals at the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital, the largest pediatric facility in Ukraine, which suffered extensive damage from the explosion.
In central Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih, the head of the military administration reported a death toll of at least 10, while three more lost their lives in the eastern town of Pokrovsk and one in Dnipro.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, currently in Poland where he has signed a security pact, expressed a firm commitment to respond to the attacks.
“Different cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk. More than 40 missiles of various types. Residential buildings, infrastructure and a children’s hospital were damaged,” Mr Zelensky wrote earlier on social media.
Lesia Lysytsia, a doctor at the children’s hospital, told the BBC the moment the missile struck was “like in a film” with a “big light, then an awful sound”.
This image shows the extent of the damage to the children’s hospital
“One part of the hospital was destroyed and there was a fire in another. It’s really very damaged – maybe 60-70% of the hospital,” she said.
Pictures from the scene showed young children – some with IV drips – sitting outside the hospital as it was evacuated. Dr Lysytsia said Ohmatdyt is a big hospital which carries out many functions, including cancer treatment and organ transplants.
“Now we are in the process of evacuating patients to the nearest hospital.. [but] many patients are intubated and on ventilators and cannot have contact with other patients or go outside,” she said.
Hospital staff informed Ukrainian television that approximately 20 children were receiving treatment in the ward that was struck.
Following the initial attack, another explosion shook the nearby vicinity, prompting hundreds of individuals to seek refuge in an underground passageway.
President Zelensky posted on social media, expressing concern that individuals were trapped beneath the debris of the hospital.
Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, told the Reuters news agency from the hospital that the bombardment was “one of the the worst attacks” on the capital since the start of the war.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported via social media that a maternity unit in Kyiv suffered partial destruction from falling debris, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to three others.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina, as announced by the Women’s Tennis Association, will wear a black ribbon during her Wimbledon round of 16 match on Monday afternoon to honor the victims.
In another part of the country, Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvy Rih’s military administration, stated on Telegram that an attack on the city had claimed the lives of at least 10 people and left 31 others wounded, with 10 in critical condition.
Kryvy Rih, President Zelensky’s hometown, has faced repeated assaults from Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Sergiy Lysak, head of the Dnipro region, reported one fatality and six injuries in Dnipro city, noting that a high-rise building and a business were among the targets hit.
In Pokrovsk, located in the eastern Donetsk region, three individuals lost their lives. Russian forces have recently seized control of several villages in this area.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow for a two-day state visit,scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Monday for talks.
This visit coincided with Russian airstrikes that Ukraine alleges targeted civilian infrastructure, though Russia claims they aimed at military sites.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putinregarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The trip has sparked condemnation from European Union leaders, who have underscored that Orban’s actions do not represent the unified stance of the bloc. Among EU national leaders, Orban remains distinct as the only one maintaining significant ties with the Kremlin since Russia’s extensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
He described the trip as a “peace mission” in a post on X. It comes days after he visited Kyiv, where he spent three hours with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.
Both legs of the trip were carefully choreographed to emphasise Mr Orban as a global statesman, rather than an outsider. Hungary has just taken over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and will hold it to the end of the year. Viktor Orban, speaking in Moscow, said: “Hungary will slowly become the last European country that can talk to everyone.”
The Kremlin said on Friday that talks between the two leaders would last at least two or three hours, but could go on “as long as needed”.
Officials are accompanying them, but there is a possibility they could speak one to one. In footage of the meeting, Mr Putin said Mr Orban was visiting “not just as a long-time partner” but as a European Union representative.
However, European leaders openly condemned the Moscow trip and emphasised he was not representing the EU. “The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU,” Charles Michel, President of the European Council, wrote on X.
“The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.” “Appeasement will not stop Putin,” European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
Who is Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM with 14-year grip on power?
Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an invitation to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss his recent proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Orban’s plan includes talks on the condition that Ukraine withdraws from four regions claimed by Russia, which encompass territory currently outside Russian control.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine will not engage in negotiations with Moscow until all Russian forces withdraw from Ukrainian soil, including Crimea. The Kremlin has set forth stringent conditions for talks, which Kyiv and its Western allies view as tantamount to Ukraine surrendering.
Earlier this week, Viktor Orban visited Kyiv, suggesting that a swift ceasefire could expedite peace negotiations.
President Zelensky, who has had strained relations with Orban, did not publicly respond to the proposal. Before Ukraine’s offensive last summer, Orban had warned that Ukraine faced significant challenges in any military confrontation. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Orban has highlighted Russia’s substantial military resources and manpower, indicating a formidable advantage.
Despite these developments, many Ukrainians fear that agreeing to a ceasefire could entrench Russia’s grip over seized territories. They insist that any negotiations should be conducted from a position of strength, rather than under duress.
Orban’s stance on Western aid to Ukraine has been critical, as evidenced by his prior efforts to delay a €50 billion EU assistance package aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
His visit to Kyiv this week was his first in 12 years, in stark contrast to his frequent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during that period.
During a joint appearance with President Zelensky, the atmosphere was noticeably formal, with both leaders refraining from taking questions from the media after delivering their statements.
However, Orban’s recent appointment as head of the Council of the European Union positions him as a significant European leader for the next six months.
In his inaugural days in this role, Orban emphasized the importance of resolving past conflicts and focusing on a constructive path forward.
Vladimir Putin has cautioned South Korea against supplying arms to Ukraine, labeling such a move as “a big mistake.”
This warning follows Seoul’s consideration of arming Ukraine in response to the newly formed Russia-North Korea alliance, which includes a pledge to support each other against aggression.
Putin indicated that Moscow would take actions “unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea” if Seoul proceeds with its plan to arm Kyiv. He made these remarks while in Vietnam, following an elaborate visit to North Korea where he signed a mutual defense agreement with Kim Jong Un.
Furthermore, Putin threatened that Moscow might provide military assistance to Pyongyang should the US and its allies persist in arming Ukraine.
“Those who supply these weapons believe that they are not at war with us. I said, including in Pyongyang, that we then reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world,” Mr Putin said.
Seoul had earlier condemned the Russian-North Korean agreement as a threat to its national security, and national security adviser Chang Ho-jin had said his country planned to “reconsider the issue of arms support to Ukraine”.
In response to President Putin’s statements, South Korea’s presidential office announced on Friday that it is considering “various options” for supplying arms to Ukraine, noting that their decision will “depend on how Russia approaches this issue.”
Additionally, South Korea summoned Russian ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to express strong disapproval of the military agreement with North Korea, urging Moscow to “immediately cease” its cooperation with Pyongyang.
This development follows a pledge of mutual support between Putin and Kim Jong-un against perceived aggression, with China playing a significant role in their growing alliance. Despite South Korea providing humanitarian aid and military equipment to Ukraine, it has refrained from sending lethal weapons due to its policy against arming nations at war.
Some in Ukraine hope that the military collaboration between Russia and North Korea might prompt South Korea to reconsider its stance.
During Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un expressed “full support” for Russia’s actions in Ukraine. There is mounting evidence that North Korean missiles are already being used by Russia in the conflict.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, commented on the Russian-North Korean pact, stating it should “concern any country that values peace and stability.”
He added that the agreement was “no surprise” as the US had been alerting the international community about the developing defense relationship between the two nations for months.
Japan also voiced its concerns, with government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi labeling the agreement “unacceptable” and expressing alarm that President Putin did not rule out military technology cooperation with North Korea.
Analysts warn that this treaty could have significant global and regional consequences. Not only might North Korea openly arm Russia, but Russia could also become involved in any new conflict on the Korean peninsula.
Tensions remain high between the two Koreas, which are technically still at war and maintain a heavily fortified border.
Recently, North Korean troops briefly crossed the border into South Korea on Thursday, retreating after warning shots were fired.
This incident marks the third such occurrence in less than three weeks, withSouth Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff suggesting the previous incidents appeared to be accidental.
Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia and North Korea have elevated their relationship to a “new level,” committing to mutual assistance in the event of an attack, marking a “breakthrough” partnership.
This declaration came during the Russian president’s rare visit to North Korea.
As Putin commenced his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, thousands of North Koreans lined the city’s broad streets, chanting “welcome Putin” and waving Russian and North Korean flags, along with bouquets of flowers.
The visit featured a meticulously arranged display of influence in the authoritarian state.
During the visit, the two leaders signed a new strategic partnership agreement, replacing previous deals from 1961, 2000, and 2001, as reported by Russian state news agency TASS.
He said the deal encompasses the “political, trade, investment, cultural spheres, and the security sphere as well,” calling the pact “truly a breakthrough document.”
Putin said joint drills involving the United States, South Korea and Japan were “hostile” toward North Korea,” characterizing the US policy as “confrontational.”
Kim, meanwhile, called the new “alliance” a “watershed moment in the development of the bilateral relations.”
But the deal between the two autocrats raised many questions, too – including whether Russia’s nuclear deterrent now extends to North Korea, and vice versa, or whether the two nations will now hold joint military drills.
Putin received an enthusiastic welcome during a ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in North Korea’s capital, where mounted soldiers, military personnel, and children with balloons cheered under large portraits of both leaders.
They introduced their respective delegations and stood side by side as the Russian national anthem played. Later, they rode together in an open-top limousine, smiling and waving to the crowds.
The event underscored North Korea’s close ties with Moscow and likely served as a reminder to the West of Putin’s enduring influence, despite global criticism following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The partnership holds significance forRussia as well. While several governments have accused Pyongyang of supplying arms to Moscow during its conflict in Ukraine, both countries have consistently denied these allegations, despite substantial evidence suggesting otherwise.
On Wednesday, Putin gifted Kim an Aurus car during their exchange of presents, as reported by Russian state media. This marks the second time Putin has bestowed this model upon his North Korean counterpart.
Additionally, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned that the Russian leader also gave Kim a tea set. Ushakov didn’t specify what gifts Putin received but described them as “also good gifts.”
The visit underscores the deepening alignment between the two nations amidst shared hostility towards the West and growing concerns over their enhanced military cooperation on the international stage.
Before their talks commenced, Kim expressed his full support and solidarity with the Russian government, military, and people. He specifically referenced Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, emphasizing their efforts to safeguard sovereignty, safety, and territorial stability.
“Situations continue to be complicated and ever-changing, but I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that we will continue to strengthen and closely engage in strategic communication with the (Russian) leadership,” Kim added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin exit a welcome ceremony at Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang on June 19. Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP/Sputnik/Getty Images
Putin hailed the countries’ ties as based on “equality and mutual respect,” and said an expected new bilateral agreement would “form the basis of relations between the two states for many years to come,” according to Russian state agency TASS.
He also added that he hoped Kim would visit Moscow for their next meeting.
The burgeoning relationship has sparked concern in both Seoul and Washington, not only over North Korea’s arms transfers to Russia, but also the prospect of Moscow transferring its superior military technology to aid Pyongyang’s heavily sanctioned weapons program
American journalist Evan Gershkovich will face trial in Russia on espionage charges, according to Russian prosecutors.
The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused of collecting “secret information” from a Russian tank factory for the CIA.
Prosecutors announced he would be tried in Yekaterinburg, the city where he was arrested last March while covering the war in Ukraine. Both Mr. Gershkovich and the US government deny the charges, with Washington officially labelling him as “wrongfully detained.”
On Thursday, Russian prosecutors stated that an investigation had found Mr. Gershkovich had gathered “secret information” about the “production and repair of military equipment” at a Russian tank factory.
They claimed he carried out these “illegal actions using painstaking conspiratorial methods” under the CIA’s instructions.
Since his arrest, Mr. Gershkovich has been held in pre-trial detention in Moscow, approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 km) from Yekaterinburg.
He has spent over a year in custody and, if convicted, could face up to 20 years in prison. His arrest marks the first time since the Soviet era that Russia has accused a US journalist of espionage.
The American embassy in Moscow has labelled the detention “baseless.” The Wall Street Journal has accused Moscow of “stockpiling Americans in Russian jails to trade them later.” Russian officials barely conceal their view of Mr. Gershkovich as a bargaining chip.
Earlier this year, in an interview with Tucker Carlson,President Vladimir Putin suggested that a deal could be made to free Mr. Gershkovich.
He stated that it depended on “our partners [taking] reciprocal steps” and hinted at the identity of a person Russia would consider in a prisoner exchange.
Swiss President Viola Amherd announced on Monday that representatives from ninety countries worldwide are expected to participate in a conference dedicated to forging a path to sustainable peace in Ukraine.
However, Russia will not be among the attendees.
The conference, scheduled for June 15–16, aims to foster discussions and agreements towards resolving the ongoing conflict, which began nearly 28 months ago with the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.
Despite being hosted at Kyiv’s request, Russia will not be attending the conference organised by Switzerland.
Bern had previously stated that Russia was not invited, as it had indicated a lack of interest in participating.
Moscow contends that Switzerland’s alignment with sanctions imposed by the European Union disqualifies it from neutrality.
Nevertheless, the Swiss government has asserted that the conference’s objective is to collaboratively outline a roadmap for involving both Russia and Ukraine in future peace efforts.
Invitation list Amherd said that “a handful” of the confirmed participants are from organisations like the United Nations, with the rest representing countries, about half of which are sending a head of state or government.
US President Joe Biden will not but the White House will instead send Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Amherd denied that Switzerland was “disappointed” that fewer than 100 countries would attend after about 160 invitations were sent.
Swiss officials revealed that Brazil and China declared their intention not to participate unless all sides, including Russia, were represented at the conference.
This decision came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Beijing, in collaboration with Russia, of attempting to sabotage the summit by exerting pressure on other nations to abstain from attending.
Russia’s invasion of Ukrainein February 2022 not only ignited global condemnation but also prompted a series of sanctions aimed at undermining the Kremlin’s capacity to wage war against its neighbouring country.
These measures included freezing Russia’s assets abroad, isolating its economy from the global financial system, and directing sanctions specifically towards its energy exports.
I can remember Western officials and commentators describing the sanctions as “crippling,” “debilitating,” and “unprecedented.”
With adjectives like these filling the airwaves, the situation seemed clear.
There was surely no way that Russia’s economy would withstand the pressure.
Faced with the prospect of an economic collapse, the Kremlin would be forced to back down and withdraw its troops.
After twenty-seven months, the conflict persists. Surprisingly, Russia’s economy is not weak but rather flourishing.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts a growth rate of 3.2% for Russia this year, surpassing that of any advanced economy.
Despite being described as “debilitating,” sanctions have not led to shortages in Russian stores.
Supermarket shelves remain well-stocked.
However, inflation is a concern, and some Western companies have withdrawn from the Russian market in response to the invasion of Ukraine, leading to certain products no longer being available for sale.
But many of their products still find their way into Russia through a variety of routes. If you look hard enough, you can still find American cola in Russian stores.
While CEOs from Europe and America may be less inclined to attend Russia’s annual showcase economic event, the organisers of this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum assert that delegates from over 130 countries and territories are participating.
Despite the challenges posed by Western sanctions, the Russian economy has pivoted towards developing new markets in the East and the Global South.
Russian officials are keen to highlight that attempts to politically and economically isolate Russia have not yielded the desired results.
“It looks like the Russian economy managed to adjust to very unfavourable external conditions,” says Yevgeny Nadorshin, senior economist at PF Capital. ”Without any doubt, sanctions broke a lot in the mechanism of operation inside the economy. But a lot has been restored. Adaptation is happening.”
Workaround
Does this mean that sanctions have failed? “The big issue was our understanding of what sanctions can and cannot do,” says Elina Ribakova, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
“It’s not like flipping a switch and Russia disappears. What sanctions can do is throw a country off balance temporarily until it finds a way to work around the sanctions, until it finds alternative ways to get shipments or sell its oil.
We’re eactly in that space where Russia has found a workaround.”
Moscow has redirected its oil exports from Europe to China and India. In December 2022, G7 and EU leaders introduced a price cap plan aimed at limiting the revenue Russia earns from its oil exports by trying to keep it below $60 a barrel.
But Western experts concede that Russia has been able to circumvent this quite easily.
The story of the price cap highlights a dilemma for the US and its partners.
Recognising that Russia is one of the largest players on the global energy market, they have tried to keep Russian oil flowing to avoid hiking energy prices. The result of that is that Moscow is still making money.
“In a way, we refused to properly sanction Russian oil,” Elina Ribakova concludes. “This price cap is an attempt to have our cake and eat it.
The priorities are to allow Russian oil to enter the market and to reduce Russia’s revenue. And when these two priorities conflict, unfortunately, the first one wins.
This substantial revenue stream enables Russia to sustain its operations, including the ongoing conflict.”
Russia has emerged as China’s primary oil supplier, underscoring the significance of their economic relationship beyond energy exports. China has become a crucial lifeline for the Russian economy, with bilateral trade reaching a staggering $240 billion last year.
A stroll through the streets of St. Petersburg or Moscow reveals the profound impact of China on a Russia affected by sanctions.
Electronics stores are brimming with Chinese tablets, gadgets, and mobile phones, while Chinese car dealers have gained dominance in the local automotive market.
The Ukrainian prisoners, including four people who were not soldiers, were brought back to the northern Sumy region on buses. They shouted happily as they got off the boat and called their families to say they were back home. Some people knelt down and kissed the ground, while others covered themselves with yellow-blue flags.
They hugged each other and started crying. Many looked very thin and wore clothes that were not good.
The exchange was the fourth time this year that prisoners were swapped, and it was the 52nd time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Foreign Ministry in Kyiv said that the United Arab Emirates helped to arrange the release of 150 prisoners of war.
Both sides are blaming each other for a decrease in the swaps.
Ukraine has asked Russia before to exchange all prisoners and there are weekly protests in Ukraine asking for the release of prisoners of war. A Ukrainian official named Vitalii Matviienko said that Ukraine is always prepared to coordinate exchanges at the headquarters.
Tatyana Moskalkova, who is responsible for protecting people’s rights in Russia, said that Kyiv is asking for new things without explaining what they are.
On Friday, one of the people who came back to Ukraine was Roman Onyschuk. He works in IT and he joined the Ukrainian forces as a volunteer when the Russian invasion began. He was caught in March 2022 in the Kharkiv area.
“I just want to listen to my wife and son talking. ” He said he missed his friend’s birthday three times. He was in captivity for over 800 days and did not talk to his family. He doesn’t know what city they are in now.
“It’s a bit too much to handle,” Onyschuk said.
Ukraine has received a total of 3,210 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians back since the war began, including those coming back on Friday.
Ukraine and Russia do not say how many prisoners of war there are.
Dmytro Kantypenko was taken as a prisoner on Snake Island in the Black Sea at the beginning of the war. He was one of the people who were released on Friday. He called his mother to tell her that he was back in Ukraine.
“He said he will come home soon and wiped his tears. ” He found out that his wife had gone to Lithuania with their son. The Kantypenko family is from Izium in the Kharkiv region, which was taken over by Russia.
Kantypenko said that the Russians unexpectedly woke him up in the middle of the night without saying why, and gave him only a little time to get dressed before leaving.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs says that at least one-third of Ukrainians who came back home had injuries, severe illnesses, or disabilities.
On Friday, 19 Ukrainian fighters came back from Snake Island, 14 people were released from Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and 10 fighters returned from Mariupol city which was taken by Russia.
Five women were released from being prisoners in Ukraine. One of them was Nataliia Manuilova, who was a cook in the Azov regiment and was held captive for over two years. The Russians grabbed her from her home in Mariupol, put a bag over her head, and tied her hands, she said.
I don’t like them. “They stole two years of my life,” she said, hugging her son on Friday. Nataliia Manuilova said, “I can’t believe how much he has grown up. ”
The prisoners traveled through little towns. Then they went to Sumy where they would go to hospitals for two weeks to get better.
Ukrainians with blue and yellow flags went out on the streets and cheered loudly for their military members returning home.
There is mounting pressure onUS President Joe Biden to authorize Ukraine to utilize weapons provided by Western nations to target Russian territory.
Several allies of the US have signaled their openness to this possibility after months of concerns about escalating tensions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued warnings of “serious consequences,” particularly for what he termed “small countries” in Europe.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently attending a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Prague, stated that Washington’s stance on the matter would “adapt and adjust” based on changing battlefield conditions.
Meanwhile, White House national security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that while US support for Kyiv has evolved, there have been no changes to existing policies.
Ukraine continues to grapple with countering a Russian offensive in its eastern regions, with Kharkiv enduring weeks of deadly attacks often launched from Russian military outposts near the Ukrainian border.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron made more direct comments, suggesting that Ukraine should be permitted to use weapons supplied by Western nations against military targets in Russian territory, albeit strictly avoiding civilian sites.
Mr Macron has for some time advocated for more direct intervention in the Ukraine war – but other Western leaders also appear to be softening to the idea.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has remained cautious in public but a spokesman in Berlin said that “defensive action is not limited to one’s own territory, but also includes the territory of the aggressor”.
Last week, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg told the Economist that the West should allow Ukraine to defend itself by striking military bases in Russia. “Ukraine has the right to defend themselves. And that includes striking targets on Russian territory,” he said.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said earlier this month that it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use British weapons, while this week the Polish Deputy Defence Minister said that Ukrainians could use Polish weapons “as they see fit”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said it was “unfair” for Western countries to impose limits on the use of their weapons, while acknowledging that Ukraine could not risk the support of its partners.
Russia has reacted angrily to the prospect of Western weapons being used against targets on Russian territory.
“In Europe, especially in small countries, they should be aware of what they are playing with,” Vladimir Putin said, noting that many European countries had “small territory” and a “dense population”.
The Russian leader added that responsibility for any strikes inside his country’s territory would lie with Western arms suppliers, even if Ukraine’s forces carried out the strikes.
Some Nato countries remain nervous about the prospect. On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she did not think it necessary to hit Russian military bases and urged the West to supply more air defences to Ukraine instead.
However, it is thought Ukraine has already used some Western-supplied weapons for attacks on Russian territory, although it has done so without fanfare.
Latvia’s foreign minister, Baiba Braze, told Ukrainian media that some countries had already provided weapons “without conditions” to Ukraine but that “not everything” was said aloud.
Other countries have been more forthcoming in giving Ukraine permission to use their weapons inside Russia. The US has already supplied Ukraine with thousands of defensive weapons, tanks and air defence systems.
Since April, it has also sent Ukraine the longest-range version of ATACMS missiles, which can travel up to 190 miles (300km). Until now, Ukraine has been using drones to attack targets ever further into Russian territory.
Earlier this week it was reported that Ukrainian drones had managedto hit an early-warning radar near the city of Orsk, around 1,500km (932 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The European Union (EU) has condemned Russia’s removal of buoys marking the border with Estonia on the Narva River.
Estonian officials reported that 24 out of 50 buoys placed to mark sailing routes were removed in the early hours of Thursday.
Tensions over the border have escalated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that “such actions are unacceptable.”
“This border incident is part of a broader pattern of provocative behaviour and hybrid actions by Russia, including on its maritime and land borders in the Baltic Sea region,” he said in a statement.
Moscow has objected to the placement of floating markers, which are used to prevent boats from entering foreign waters, and has disputed the planned locations of approximately half of the 250 buoys, according to Estonia’s border guard service.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that she is seeking to clarify the situation with Russia.
She said it appeared to be part of a “broader pattern” of action by Moscow to use “tools related to the border to create fear and anxiety”.
Estonia’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and said it was treating the move as a “provocative border incident”.
In a statement, Estonia demanded the “immediate return” of the buoys. This development follows a brief publication by the Russian defense ministry proposing a revision of its maritime border in the Baltic Sea earlier this week.
The proposal was deleted after causing concern among NATO members, including Estonia. Moscow has not yet commented on the matter.
Ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid have caused the country’s leaders to introduce nationwide rolling blackouts. If there aren’t enough ways to protect against attacks and make repairs, the shortages could get even worse when more people need things in the late summer and winter.
The Russian airstrikes hitting the power system since March have caused blackouts to happen again in Kyiv, the capital city. This hadn’t happened since the first year of the war. There were some attacks in April and May that damaged a big power plant in Kyiv and targeted other power facilities in different areas.
Half of Ukraine’s energy system was broken, according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Whole buildings in the main city lost power. The city’s military leaders said that at least 10% of people had their electricity or water cut off.
For a lot of people, this is a small example of what could happen if Ukraine doesn’t find other ways to get electricity before winter.
Early on Wednesday morning, a Russian drone attack caused a power outage in the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine. The city of about 250,000 people got some of its power back in the morning as workers quickly fixed the damage, according to local officials.
The power grid keeps getting attacked and there’s no good way to stop it. So, we can’t quickly fix the electricity shortages, according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. Ukraine is asking Western friends for more air defense systems and spare parts to repair its old Soviet factories.
“We are losing more and more power with each attack, so our power generation is decreasing,” said Halushchenko on Tuesday outside a coal-fired plant in central Ukraine that was destroyed in an attack on April 11th. Until the military can protect the plant from more attacks, trying to fix it would be pointless.
The minister wondered if it was a good idea to fix the power stations if the Russians would just attack again and we couldn’t protect ourselves.
The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock went with him to the plant, showing how much Ukraine really needs to fix their power problem fast.
The grid will have its first big test in July and August when people use a lot of electricity because of the summer heat. It will be a challenge for the grid because the amount of electricity used will be similar to what is used in the winter when it’s very cold.
In mid-May, people in Kyiv started to experience the results of Russia’s attacks. A sudden cold weather caused people to use more electricity. This made Ukrenergo, the main company that manages the power grid, to have to turn off electricity in some areas of the country. Ukraine doesn’t have enough electricity for peak times in the evening, and it can’t get enough from other countries like Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.
The plant was attacked on April 11 and it destroyed the machines that make electricity. This is what Yevhen Harkavyi, the technical director of Centerenergo, who runs the plant, said.
On that day, five missiles hit the building. Workers were still removing debris on Tuesday while fluffy poplar cotton fell through a hole in the roof like snow.
Harkavyi said the goal for winter is to fix as much power generation as they can. He admitted that it’s not clear how it will happen. He said, “The situation is already too difficult. “
Ukraine wants to get parts from old German factories that are no longer in use. Harkavyi said that Ukrainian teams went to Germany to check the equipment. It was turned off because it doesn’t meet EU environmental rules. European friends might not want to spend money on Ukraine’s coal energy because they are trying to be more eco-friendly. We will have to wait and see what they decide.
The teams are still figuring out how to bring the equipment back to Ukraine, he said.
“He said this is the first question. ” Ukraine wants air defense systems for protection. They are asking for help from Mrs. The Minister (Baerbock) has seen a lot of destruction and will ask the whole world for help.
At least 16 people were hurt when S-300 missiles hit Kharkiv city, according to the regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. 15 big booms echoed through the city of about 1 million people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack was very cruel. He is frustrated that the country’s Western partners have not given them enough air defense systems to stop the attacks after more than two years of war.
Kharkiv is the main city in the Kharkiv region and is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the Russian border. Recently, the soldiers from Moscow have taken control of villages in the region as part of a big effort. Some experts think they may be trying to get close enough to the city to use artillery.
In Ukraine, there is a big battle going on with Russia. Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and outgunned along a 1,000-kilometer front line.
Ukraine doesn’t have enough air defenses and is waiting for help from Western countries. Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s power grid and civilian areas, causing the Ukrainian army to lose ground in some areas. Kyiv had more power cuts on Thursday.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the attacks showed that Ukraine really needs more US-made Patriot systems to protect its airspace right away. Germany promised to provide one missile system, but it’s important to get six more quickly for Ukraine’s safety and for peace in Europe. Kuleba wrote this on the social media platform X.
Zelenskyy said that there has been a lot of fighting in Kharkiv and the nearby Donetsk region. In February, Ukraine’s defenders left Avdiivka, which was an important place for them. The Kremlin really wants to take over all of Donetsk, even the parts that are currently under someone else’s control.
At the same time, Russian soldiers have entered the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, possibly to spread out Ukraine’s tired army.
About 1,500 people, including 200 children, have been taken out of Bilopillia and Vorozhba towns because of an emergency, as told by the governor of the area. Volodymyr Artiukh Simple: Volodymyr Artiukh.
Zelenskyy said the fighting is mainly happening at the whole border area.
In Liubotyn, a small town near Kharkiv city, Russian missiles hit the town’s center and hurt eight people.
Russia’s defense ministry announced on Thursday that their forces have gained control of the Donetsk settlement of Andriivka. This area had been held by Ukrainian forces since heavy fighting in September, which left the village destroyed.
In Donetsk, Russian troops said they are making progress near Chasiv Yar, Konstantinovka, and Rozdolivka.
We could not confirm the claims on our own. Recent progress made by Russia has been small and gradual.
Ukraine is looking at Russian areas near its border. Russia’s defense ministry said on Thursday that they have shot down 35 Ukrainian rockets and three drones over the Belgorod region. The leader of the local government, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that a drone was shot down and exploded, killing a woman inside a house.
“Russia has to give money for the damage caused by the war,” said Jan Lipavsky, Czech Republic’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, as he revealed the exact amount on X.
The European Council agreed to give money to Ukraine on Tuesday. This comes about two months after deciding to use the money from assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars that were frozen when Russia started a large war against Ukraine in February 2022.
In reaction to the move, Kirill Logvinov, who leads Russia’s constant mission to the EU, claimed that the EU Council had “officially raised stealing to the level of tools in its foreign policy. “
The comment was from an interview translated by Tass, a Russian news agency. Logvinov said that the outcome of the EU’s decision will be hard to predict and could affect the eurozone, the economies of the EU countries, and the investments in the region.
The Biden administration wants the EU and its 27 member countries to help Ukraine by taking money from Russia’s frozen assets, potentially by taking the money for themselves.
Those who disagree with the plan to transfer Russian assets to Ukraine say it might not be allowed by law and could have bad effects on the euro. If the EU takes the assets, Russia might take European stuff in return.
The EU wants to help Ukraine without getting involved in Russia’s business. They are avoiding the difficult questions and giving support to Kyiv instead.
“Sweden’s Anders Ahnlid said that Ukraine could use the 2 to 4 billion euros of extra money each year for rebuilding, without breaking any rules. “
Since the war started, the EU, Group of Seven and other US allies have frozen $282 billion in assets from the Central Bank of Russia. Most of the money, about two thirds, is held in the EU’s territory, the EU Council reported in February.
The EU will use 90% of the money from unexpected profits to help Ukraine with its military.
Some of the money will be used to help Ukraine’s defense industry and rebuild things. The EU said they will collect money twice a year from accounts in Russia.
Last month, President Biden approved the REPO for Ukrainians Act. This law lets the US give Russian money to Ukraine to help with rebuilding. It’s part of a big bill that spends money on keeping the country safe. A group of senators from both political parties is asking Biden to use his power to put the new law into effect before the G7 meeting in June.
The penalties are for two men and six shipping companies that Canada says helped move weapons, like ballistic missiles, from North Korea to Russia illegally.
Global Affairs Canada says that these groups bought weapons from North Korea and used them in Ukraine this year and last year, which goes against international sanctions.
Ottawa says the companies are connected to the Russian military and help move weapons. They can’t do business with Canadians.
Canada has punished over 3,000 people and groups in Eastern Europe who are involved with Russia invading Ukraine in 2014 and invading again in 2022.
A report from the Senate says it’s hard to know if Canada’s restrictions on people are being followed, and if Ottawa has clearly explained why they are imposing the restrictions.
President Putin told his soldiers to practice earlier this month. Moscow says that Western officials made strong statements that made Russia feel less safe.
The Foreign Ministry of Russia mentioned that the French President and the British Foreign Secretary are talking about sending troops and using weapons to fight Russia in Ukraine.
Security experts believe that the exercise is a way for Putin to send a warning to the West and prevent them from getting more involved in the war in Ukraine. The West has given weapons and information to Kyiv, but has not sent soldiers.
The military said they used Iskander and Kinzhal missiles in the first part of the exercise.
It is meant to make sure that the units and equipment are ready to use non-strategic nuclear weapons to protect Russia from threats made by Western officials.
The practice involves the use of missiles in the southern part of Russia, close to Ukraine. This area also includes parts of Ukraine that are under Russia’s control.
Russia said it stopped about 60 drones and missiles from coming into its land, while Ukraine said it destroyed more than 30 Russian drones. At least four people died in an attack near Kharkiv on Sunday as Russia continued its renewed attack in Ukraine’s northeast.
The Russian military said they destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones in the southern Krasnodar region.
The military said pieces of a drone hit an oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, but it didn’t cause a fire or any damage. Astra news released videos that seemed to show a big blast at the refinery caused by a drone. The videos could not be checked by someone else to make sure they are real.
Ukrainian drones destroyed nine missiles and a drone over Russia-controlled Crimea, and cut off power in the city of Sevastopol.
Three more flying machines were destroyed over the Belgorod area, which is next to Ukraine. According to Gov Vyacheslav Gladkov, a drone fell and caught fire on a church roof, but no one got hurt.
The governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said that one person died and 16 were hurt when a Ukrainian drone hit a small bus on Sunday morning.
In the Kharkiv area, where Moscow recently started a new attack, the local governor. Oleh Syniehubov reported on Sunday morning that one person was killed and 11 were injured from the bombing the day before.
On Sunday, Syniehubov said that a Russian attack on the edge of the regional capital, Kharkiv, killed four people and injured 15.
Russia attacked in the Kharkiv area last week, making things even harder for Ukraine’s small army. They are still waiting for important weapons and ammo from their Western allies. Ukraine’s stretched thin military is trying to stop Russia on a new battlefront by using drones with bombs to destroy their military vehicles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to China that Russia’s attack in the Kharkiv region is meant to make a safe area, but they don’t want to take over the city.
The US and South Korea believe that North Korea is giving weapons to Russia for their war in Ukraine in exchange for advanced military technology and economic help. North Korea and Russia have said that it is not true many times.
Experts from other countries think that North Korea did some tests with artillery and short-range missiles recently to show off the weapons they want to sell to Russia.
Kim Yo Jong said that she doesn’t think it’s necessary to assess or interpret the North Korean-Russian dealings because she thinks it’s very ridiculous and doesn’t make sense.
“We don’t want to share our military technology with any other country or make it available to the public,” she said in a message reported by the state media.
“We’re not hiding the fact that we will use these weapons to stop Seoul from having any unnecessary thoughts,” said Kim Yo Jong.
Last year, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea sent about 7,000 containers of weapons and military gear to Russia. In response, Shin said that North Korea got more than 9,000 Russian containers that probably had aid inside.
In January, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that missiles from North Korea were used in an attack on Ukraine. At that time, officials in Ukraine said they found a missile in the northeastern Kharkiv region and believed it came from North Korea.
Selling weapons to North Korea would break the rules of the United Nations, which Russia agreed to.
In May, the White House said that Russia was sending more refined petroleum to North Korea than the UN Security Council allows.
Since 2022, North Korea has been doing a lot of missile tests that make other countries worried. The US is doing more military practice with South Korea and Japan because of this. Experts from other countries believe that North Korea probably believes that having more weapons will give them more power in future talks with the United States.
During their meeting, Putin and Xi strengthened their strong partnership and criticized US military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region. They are working closely together as both countries face tensions with the West.
Putin is visiting a close friend for two days while his country’s forces are attacking northeastern Ukraine. This is the biggest attack on the border since they invaded in February. 24, 2022 n On the 24th of January, 2022.
China says it is neutral in the conflict, but it supports Russia’s view that the West provoked Russia to attack Ukraine. China also provides Russia with important parts for making weapons.
A statement from Putin and Xi said they both think the Ukrainian crisis needs to be solved by getting rid of the things that caused it.
The Kremlin keeps saying Ukraine’s leaders are connected to Nazis, even though the country has a democratically elected Jewish president who lost family in the Holocaust. Many Ukrainians want to make their country more democratic, reduce corruption, and get closer to the West. But the Kremlin still accuses them of being linked to Nazism.
It wasn’t clear if the statement meant China was supporting Russia’s claim about Nazi influence in Ukraine.
But the statement also said that both sides agreed it’s important to teach people the right way to understand history, and to protect monuments that remember the fight against fascism. They also strongly condemn anyone who tries to glorify or bring back Nazi beliefs or militarism. This is similar to Russia’s belief that Western countries don’t give enough credit to the Red Army for defeating Nazi Germany.
In 2023, China suggested a plan for peace. The plan asked for fighting to stop and for Russia and Ukraine to have discussions. However, Ukraine and the West did not accept the plan because it did not ask Russia to leave the parts of Ukraine that it has taken over.
The visit was mainly a symbol of the partnership between two countries that both have issues in their relationships with the US and Europe.
“Both sides want to show that they are not going to stop supporting each other, even with the pressure they are getting from the US,” said Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore who studies Chinese foreign policy.
Both leaders said they want the war in Ukraine to stop, but they didn’t suggest any new ideas during their public speeches on Thursday afternoon.
“China wants Europe to be peaceful and stable again. We will help make this happen,” Xi said while standing next to Putin.
He said the same thing as China did last year when it proposed a plan to stop the war in Ukraine.
Putin said he will tell the Chinese leader all about what’s happening in Ukraine. He also said he’s thankful for the Chinese government’s help in trying to solve the situation. He mentioned that they will talk more about foreign policy when they meet again on Thursday.
After Russia attacked Ukraine last week, the war has become very serious. Ukraine’s military is running low on weapons and is waiting for the United States to send them more anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells.
China and Russia released a statement together. They criticized the US foreign policy and the alliances that the US has made. They said these alliances show a mindset like the Cold War.
“Both sides are very worried about how AUKUS could affect the stability of the Asia-Pacific region,” according to the statement. AUKUS stands for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
China and Russia say the US is putting medium-range missiles in Asia-Pacific during joint exercises with other countries. They said the US actions in Asia were “shifting the power balance” and “putting all countries in the region at risk. ”
The meeting on Thursday showed that they are still good friends and have a strong relationship. They made this agreement in 2022, before Russia attacked Ukraine.
After that, Russia started relying more on China for its economy because Western sanctions stopped it from trading with many other countries. China traded a lot with Russia last year, which helped them deal with some of the negative effects of sanctions.
Moscow is sending most of its energy to China and getting high-tech parts for its military from Chinese companies to avoid sanctions from the West.
“I and President Putin both think we should work together to find ways our countries can benefit from each other, and become more connected. We should appreciate each other’s successes. ”
During their meeting, Xi said congratulations to Putin for being elected as leader for the fifth time and they both celebrated the 75 years of friendship between Soviet Union and China. The friendship started after a war in 1949. Putin had no real competition in the election for president, and, like Xi, hasn’t said who might take over after him.
On the day before the visit, Putin mentioned in an interview.
The government said that 10 missiles from Ukraine, given to them by the US, were destroyed over the Black Sea near Crimea.
Sevastopol leader Mikhail Razvozhayev said that their air defenses stopped Ukrainian missiles over the Black Sea and near the Belbek air base. The parts of the missiles that were shot down fell into neighborhoods where people live, but no one was hurt, Razvozhayev said.
The Defense Ministry announced that Russian air defenses shot down nine Ukrainian drones, two Vilha rockets, two anti-radar HARM missiles and two Hammer guided bombs over the Belgorod region on Wednesday. Belgorod Governor Vuacheslav Gladkov said that two people got hurt in the village of Dubovoye when a rocket from Ukraine caused their house to catch on fire.
The Defense Ministry also said that a drone from Ukraine was shot down over the Tatarstan region. Tatarstan is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to the east of the Ukraine border.
Vasily Golubev, who is in charge of Rostov region, said that two small flying machines attacked a place where fuel is stored. He said no one got hurt and there was no fire.
Ukraine has been using drones to attack oil refineries and fuel depots in Russia for several months, and it has caused a lot of damage.
The Ukrainian attacks happened when Russian soldiers were attacking northeast Ukraine. This was the biggest attack on the border since the invasion started.
In the past two days, Moscow has taken over an area of land that’s about 100 to 125 square kilometers (38 to 47 square miles). This includes seven villages, most of which are already empty. This information comes from two experts who keep track of the fighting using public sources.
Blinken came to Ukraine to support and encourage them during the new Russian attack. He told them that they have support from the United States and will soon receive military help that will make a big difference in the fighting.
In the past few days, Russian troops have taken over about 100 to 125 square kilometers of land in the Kharkiv region, including seven villages, in attacks along the northeastern border. This information comes from analysts who follow open sources. Even though many villages were already empty, thousands of people in the area have run away from the fighting.
The Kremlin’s forces are trying hard to move further into the eastern part of Donetsk, which is partly controlled by them. The main target of the Russian attacks on Tuesday was a town called Pokrovsk, just inside the border of Ukraine in Donetsk. The Ukrainian general staff reported that the Kremlin’s forces launched 24 assaults in that area.
Experts say this is a very dangerous time for Ukraine, even more dangerous than when Russia invaded in February 2022. President Zelenskyy is asking for more air defense systems to protect people from Russian attacks in the northeast.
“We understand that this is a difficult time,” Blinken said in Ukraine where he met with Zelenskyy. He said that American military help will really help against Russia’s ongoing aggression in battle.
The visit comes soon after Congress approved a delayed aid package of US$60 billion for Ukraine to help replace their depleted artillery and air defense systems.
“Some of it is coming soon,” Blinken said, “and some of it has already reached Ukraine. ”
Authorities say that more than 7,500 people have been moved out of the area. At the same time, the Russian forces are moving towards the northern border areas of Sumy and Chernihiv, according to Ukrainian officials. The soldiers in Kyiv are having a hard time stopping them because they have fewer weapons and soldiers.
Soldiers fought in the streets on the edge of Vovchansk, a big town in the Kharkiv area, said Gov Oleh Syniehubov on TV. On Tuesday, two regular people were killed in a Russian attack.
The UN human rights office said the fighting is causing a lot of damage.
“We are very worried about the situation for people in Ukraine,” Liz Throssell, who speaks for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva. “In Kharkiv region, things are really bad. ”
Zelenskyy said thank you to Blinken for the help from the US, but also said that they need more help. They urgently need two Patriot air defense systems to protect Kharkiv.
“The people are being attacked, including civilians and warriors. ” “He said they are in danger of Russian missiles. ”
The US official said that weapons like cannons, defense planes, and long-range missiles have been given, some are now at the front, and he told this to reporters while traveling with the secretary on a train from Poland. He didn’t want his name to be shared before Blinken’s meetings.
Before the trip, US officials said that President Joe Biden signed a law to give $1. 4 billion for short-term military help and $6 billion for long-term help.
Blinken visited Kyiv for the fourth time since Russian troops came in. He told the Ukrainian Prime Minister that the US plans to keep helping Ukraine even after the war is over.
“The United States is committed to helping Ukraine do well, both in winning battles and in building a strong country for peace,” Blinken said.
The government is “working to speed up” the delivery of weapons to the United States, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
However, the US’s late help, especially since the conflict between Israel and Hamas started and has been the main focus of top government officials, has caused serious worries in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken has gone to the Middle East seven times since the fighting in Gaza started in October. He went to Kyiv in September for the last time.
Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had lunch at a pizza restaurant in Kyiv that was created by Ukrainian veterans. Blinken said the food was really good. Last time Blinken visited, they ate at a newly reopened McDonald’s.
The state’s secretary was supposed to talk about Ukraine’s great achievements in the war on Tuesday. It is meant to add to a speech by Blinken in Helsinki, Finland last year, where he criticized Putin for Russia’s failures in starting the war.
Since the Helsinki speech, Russia has increased its attacks, especially as the US House of Representatives did not take action on the aid package for a long time, causing a stop in most US assistance. Recently, there have been more attacks as Russia tries to take advantage of Ukraine’s lack of people and weapons while new help is on the way.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to visit China for two days this week, as said by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Beijing has supported Moscow in the war and has sent equipment and electronics that could help Russia in the war, but they have not sent weapons.
Blinken told Zelenskyy that a powerful, successful, and free Ukraine is the best way to show Putin he’s wrong and the best way to make sure your future is secure.
The senior US official said that even though Ukraine has had some problems lately, they could still achieve important wins. This means that Russia is working to get back half of the land it lost at the beginning of the war. They also want to make their economy stronger and improve how goods are moved and sold, especially by winning battles in the Black Sea.
Zelenskyy said that there are very intense fights happening near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian soldiers are fighting hard against the much stronger Russian ground offensive.
“Hard fights are happening on a big part of our border,” Zelenskyy said in his video message on Sunday night.
Ukraine’s military leaders said on Sunday that Russian soldiers attacked 22 times in two areas of the Kharkiv region in the past day and had some success in their operations. They did not give more details about the attacks.
The Kremlin’s forces want to take advantage of Ukraine’s weaknesses before they receive a lot of new military help from the US and Europe. Analysts say this will happen in the next few weeks and months. They say this is a good chance for Moscow and a scary time for Kyiv in the two-year war.
The Kharkiv invasion might be a way to make a safe area to protect Belgorod, a Russian region near the border that is often attacked by Ukraine. This is embarrassing for the Kremlin. In March, Russia said it would take about 9,000 kids out of Belgorod because the area was being bombed a lot.
Russian firefighters and rescue teams completed the clean-up after a part of a residential building collapsed in Belgorod, Russia. The collapse was believed to be caused by shelling from Ukraine.
Fifteen people were found dead in the wreckage, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region. Twenty-seven others were injured.
He said that three more people in Belgorod city were killed by shelling on Sunday night.
Yevgeny Poddubny, a military reporter for Russia’s state TV company VGTRK, said on Telegram that the attack on Kharkiv was the start of a new phase.
“We’re making the enemy go away from the border and getting rid of them so the Kyiv government can’t use cheap rockets to attack Belgorod,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin changed the defense minister in his government on Sunday. Shoigu was an important person in Putin’s choice to send Russian soldiers to Ukraine in February 2022. Russia thought they would defeat Ukraine’s army easily and be welcomed by the Ukrainian people.
Zelenskyy said the fighting in Donetsk is just as intense as in Kharkiv. He said the Kremlin wants to weaken us by starting a new fight in Kharkiv.
He said that the area near Pokrovsk region in Donetsk, just inside the Ukraine border, is very challenging.
Before the war, Pokrovsk was a town with about 60,000 people. It used to take two hours to drive from the front line to Pokrovsk. Now it is less than a half of that amount.
In February, taking over Avdiivka allowed the Kremlin’s troops to move further into Donetsk. In 2022, Russia took control of Donetsk and three other regions, which was not allowed, after invading Ukraine. The Kremlin wants to have full control of Donetsk as part of their main war goals.
Even though Ukraine was ready for a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region, they were too slow to build defenses in some areas. Ukrainian soldiers have criticized their leaders for this.
According to Russian law, the whole Russian Cabinet quit on Tuesday after Putin’s impressive inauguration at the Kremlin. Most members are expected to stay in their jobs, but it’s unclear what will happen to Shoigu.
On Sunday, Putin chose Shoigu to be the secretary of Russia’s national security council. Putin suggested that Andrei Belousov should become the new defense minister instead of Shoigu. The appointment was announced soon after Putin’s proposal.
Belousov’s application has to be accepted by the upper part of the Russian parliament, called the Federation Council. On Sunday, it was reported that Putin suggested changes for other government jobs, but only Shoigu will be replaced as a minister. On Saturday, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who was reappointed by Putin on Friday, suggested a few new people for federal minister positions.
Timur Ivanov, who is the second in command to Shoigu, was arrested last month for taking bribes. He has to stay in jail until the investigation is finished. Ivanov’s arrest was seen as a possible sign that Shoigu could be fired, even though he is close to Putin.
Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior member at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said online that Shoigu’s new job in Russia’s Security Council means that the Russian leader sees it as a place to keep political power.
People like Dmitry Medvedev, who used to be the president of Russia, have been given roles in the security council. Medvedev has been the deputy chairman of the council since 2020.
“The Security Council is filling up with people who used to work closely with Putin and are still important to him, but don’t have a specific job. ” Stanovaya wrote on social media.
Shoigu has a new job. 12 people died and 20 got hurt in Belgorod. A building fell after Ukraine attacked.
In Ukraine, many more innocent people have run away from Russia’s new attack in the northeast of Ukraine. The attack used a lot of weapons like artillery and mortar to hit towns and villages. Officials talked about this on Sunday.
The intense fighting made a Ukrainian unit leave the Kharkiv region, giving up more land to Russian forces in the areas with fewer defenses along the Russian border.
On Sunday afternoon, the big town of Vovchansk became a key area in the battle. The head of the Kharkiv regional police said that Russian forces were getting close to the town from three directions.
“There’s fighting happening with the infantry already,” he said.
A big Russian tank was seen on a road heading to the town. This shows that Moscow is not worried and is ready to use strong weapons.
A group of journalists from the Associated Press, who were in a nearby village, saw big clouds of smoke coming from the town while Russian forces fired shells. Evacuation teams worked all day to help elderly residents get to safety.
At least 4,000 non-military people have left the Kharkiv region since Friday, when Moscow’s forces started their operation, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov wrote on social media. There were intense battles in the northeast, where Russian forces attacked 27 towns in the last day.
Experts believe that Russia is trying to take advantage of a lack of ammunition before the promised Western supplies can arrive at the front line.
Ukrainian soldiers said that the Russian government is using a common tactic of attacking with a lot of firepower and troops to tire out the Ukrainian army. Russian forces are fighting harder in a place where there wasn’t much fighting before, and they are trying to trap Ukrainian forces in the northeast. They are also fighting a lot in the south and are winning more territory there too.
Russia increased its attacks in March, focusing on energy infrastructure and settlements. Analysts believed this was done on purpose to prepare for an offensive.
At the same time, a tall apartment building in Belgorod near the border fell down a little bit, killing at least 12 people and hurting 20 more. Russian officials said the building fell down because of attacks from Ukraine. Ukraine has not said anything about the event.
The Russian military said on Sunday that they took control of four villages near the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. They also said they captured five villages the day before. These places were probably not well protected because there was a lot of fighting and bombing, which made it easier for the Russians to move forward.
Ukraine’s leaders have not said that Moscow has made any progress. However, Tymoshko, the leader of the police in Kharkiv, said that Russian soldiers had taken control of Strilecha, Pylna, and Borsivika. They were using these areas to bring in infantry and launch attacks on other villages like Hlyboke and Lukiantsi.
Intense shelling happened at night in Vovchansk, in the Kharkiv region. It’s less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border, according to the regional governor. Oleh Syniehubov talked. The attack made officials start moving out about 3,000 people.
Early in the morning, Russian soldiers tried to break through the Ukrainian defense near Vovchansk. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said they sent extra troops to stop the attack.
Experts said that the attack might be the beginning of Russia trying to make a safe area along its border with Ukraine to stop attacks from Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said he wanted to do this earlier this year.
Ukraine knew that Russia was putting together a lot of soldiers near the border in the northeast, near Kharkiv and Sumy regions. The Kremlin’s forces are attacking eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian intelligence officials think they will also attack in the northeast.
“The whole town is being heavily bombed right now, it’s not safe to stay here,” said Tamaz Hambarishvili, the leader of Vovchansk town, to Ukraine’s Hromadske Radio.
The Ukrainian military is still fighting against Russian spy and attack groups, even in the afternoon.
The bombing hit areas in seven parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv and some areas in the south and west. It damaged homes and the country’s train system, according to officials. Officials say three people, including a little girl who is 8 years old, got hurt.
Russia has often attacked Ukraine’s energy systems during the war, which has been going on for three years and has caused the deaths of thousands of people. The Kremlin’s forces want to cut off the power supply to Ukrainian factories, especially those that make weapons, to weaken the country and make its people feel hopeless.
Officials say that the Russian attacks have caused a lot of damage to almost half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Andrii Herus, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Energy and Housing Services, says that the total damage is $12.5 billion, and $1 billion of that happened in the last two weeks.
The heavy attacks use up Ukraine’s air defenses ammo. They need more support from Western countries. Ukraine officials are asking for more air defense systems like the Patriots that NATO uses.
Zelenskyy said that the attacks happened on a special day for Ukraine and compared the country’s current struggle to World War II. He said on social media that only a united world can stop Putin. Ukraine decided to change the date of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism so it wouldn’t be on the same day as Russia’s Victory Day on May 9.
Russia severely damaged Ukraine’s energy system during the “blackout winter” of 2022-23. In March, some attacks happened, and one of them completely destroyed a big power plant near Kyiv.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin said the attacks were because Ukraine had attacked Russian oil refineries first. On Wednesday, there was an attack on an oil terminal in Ukraine. Five workers got hurt and a fire started. The authorities in the Luhansk region, which is partly controlled by Russia, said this.
Russian attacks have been happening less often lately, but Ukrainian officials think that Russia is gathering supplies for a big attack that could happen soon.
The company that manages the country’s electrical grid, Ukrenergo, said that the power facilities in Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were damaged.
Two power plants were attacked in the Lviv region, which is in the far west of the country and far away from where the fighting is happening, the regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said.
DTEK, the largest private energy supplier in Ukraine, said that the attack caused significant damage to equipment at three of its thermal power plants.
DTEK said the company’s facilities have been attacked five times in the past six weeks. Since February 2022, Russia’s invasion has attacked the company’s assets about 180 times, hurting 51 workers and killing three.
Russia fired 55 missiles and 21 Shahed drones last night, according to the Ukrainian air force. Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that their defenses stopped 39 missiles and 20 drones.
The railway station in Kherson was damaged by Russian forces, and the train tracks were also affected, according to Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway operator.
On Wednesday, an attack happened at a school in northeastern Kharkiv, and five people, including three children, were hurt. Governor Oleh Syniehubov shared the news on social media. The Mayor of the city, Ihor Terekhov, said that one of the kids was very sick and needs urgent help.
The soldier, whose name is not known, was in South Korea and on their way back to the United States. Instead, authorities said he went to Russia.
The officials wanted to keep their identity a secret while they talked about the staff details.
Cynthia Smith, who speaks for the Army, said that a soldier was arrested on Thursday in Vladivostok, a big port in the Pacific, for doing something against the law. She said Russia told the US and the Army told the soldier’s family.
Smith said that the US government is helping the soldier in Russia.
On Monday, it wasn’t clear if the soldier is considered absent without permission.
Less than a year ago, an American soldier named Travis King ran into North Korea across the heavily guarded border. He has now been arrested. North Korea said they would kick out King, and he was sent back to the US. He was later accused of deserting.
Russia has some Americans in its jails. This includes Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. The US government thinks they are being held unfairly and is trying to get them released.
Other people who were arrested are: – Travis Leake, a musician who lived in Russia for a long time and was arrested for drugs last year – Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow who got 14 years in prison for drugs – Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana, who are citizens of two countries
NBC News was the first to report that the soldier had been arrested in Russia.
Two high-ranking officers in Ukraine’s State Guard, who protect important people, were arrested for allegedly carrying out a plan made by Russia’s security service. The colonels were hired before Russia’s big attack on Ukraine in February 2022, as stated.
It said that the leader of the State Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk, mentioned a plan for an attack before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fifth inauguration on Tuesday. Maliuk said he watched closely as the secret plan was followed.
Ukrainians have accused Russia of trying to kill Zelenskyy before. Zelensky said in 2022 that there have been at least 10 tries to kill him as the war with Russia goes into a third year.
Last month, prosecutors in Poland said they arrested a Polish man who was accused of being prepared to spy for the Russian military intelligence and plan to kill Zelenskyy.
The committee made this known after Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who won the European weightlifting championship twice, also passed away while fighting in the war in Ukraine.
Pielieshenko “was killed in the war against the enemy” last Sunday, the committee announced on Telegram. He was thirty years old.
He joined the military of Ukraine when Russia first invaded.
Pielieshenko returned to competing in 2015 after being suspended for doping, and then won the 2016 European championship in the under-85 kilogram category by just one kilogram. He won the title again in 2017 in Split.
Pielieshenko almost won an Olympic medal in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Games, but he came in fourth place, just five kilograms away from getting a medal. He broke the rules again in 2018 by using drugs to cheat.
The Ukrainian weightlifting federation said on Facebook that they are very sad to announce that Oleksandr Pielieshenko, a respected sports master in Ukraine and a two-time European weightlifting champion, has passed away today.
National coach Viktor Slobodianiuk wrote on Facebook, “War brings out the best in us. ” This is a big loss for all the weightlifters in Ukraine. Heroes live forever.
”Over 400 Ukrainian athletes and officials have died in the war”. Mr Slobodianiuk noted
We are one strong group of people. “We will work together to overcome challenges and achieve our goals. We will succeed together,” President Putin said to a group of important people.
Vladimir Putin may have recognized the red carpet route. A lot of things have changed since President Putin first became president in May 2000.
A long time ago, President Putin promised to “keep and improve democracy” and to “look after Russia. ”
It has been twenty-four years since the leader of the Kremlin started a war against Ukraine. Russia has suffered a lot of losses in this war. At home, President Putin has been making democracy weaker, not stronger: he has been putting people who disagree with him in jail and getting rid of the rules that limit his power.
Fiona Hill, who used to work for the White House, thinks that Putin now sees himself as a powerful leader like a Russian king.
“If we think about Putin’s first two terms as president, I think we would have a pretty good opinion of him. ” He helped the country to become stable politically and financially strong again. The Russian economy and system were doing very well compared to before.
The fighting in Ukraine, which started with the takeover of Crimea 10 years ago, has greatly changed the path of events. He’s acting like an emperor instead of being practical.
It’s amazing to think that since Vladimir Putin became leader, America has had five different presidents and Britain has had seven prime ministers.
For almost 25 years, Mr. Putin has been in charge of Russia and has definitely left his legacy. In the past, people didn’t talk much about “Brezhnevism”, “Gorbachevism”, or “Yeltsinism”.
“Andrei Kolesnikov from the Carnegie Eurasia Russia Centre says that we have another -ism in our history: Stalinism. ”
The problem for the West is how to handle a Russian leader who is becoming more and more controlling and wants to make Russia powerful again. He’s like a king in today’s world and he has nuclear weapons.
Fiona Hill thinks there is a lot we can do about nuclear weapons. “China, India, and Japan are very worried about Putin’s threatening behavior in Ukraine with nuclear weapons, and they have strongly opposed it. ” We can control Russia by making a plan with other countries to stop them from talking about using nuclear weapons.
“Maybe that’s a way we can handle Vladimir Putin, who is like a rogue leader in many ways. ” We need to make it harder for him to do the things he wants to do.
Vladimir Putin won over 87% of the votes in the March presidential election. But, no one really tried to compete with him in the election, which was not seen as fair or open to everyone.
To find out, I drove 70 miles from Moscow to the town of Kashira. There is a really big picture of Putin on the side of a building.
In Kashira, Big Vladimir is keeping an eye on you.
Valentina, an older woman selling flowers on the side of the road, says she likes him.
“Putin has good thoughts and helps many people. ” Yes, our pensions are not very large. “But he can’t fix everything all at once. ”
“I want to point out that he has had almost 25 years. ”
“But I don’t know who would come after Putin,” Valentina answers.
“You have to think like everyone else in Russia,” says Victoria as she walks past the picture of Putin.
My husband gets really angry if I say anything bad about Putin. He even said he would divorce me if I do. He really likes Putin a lot. He says life would be really hard here without Putin, like it was in the 1990s.
When I ask someone named Alexander what he thinks about the president, he says it can be risky to share an opinion. No response
Most people I talk to say they don’t even notice Putin’s portrait when they walk past it. They are accustomed to it.
Just like they are used to one man leading Russia and there is no sign of change in the Kremlin.
Moscow warned that if Ukraine uses British weapons to attack Russian territory, Russia may strike back at British military bases and equipment in Ukraine or other places.
The comments were made before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fifth term in office and before Moscow’s celebration of Victory Day, which is an important holiday that marks Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The drills are happening because certain Western officials have made threatening statements about Russia, according to the Defence Ministry.
This was the first time Russia publicly said they were practicing using small nuclear weapons, even though they regularly practice using their big nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons are small bombs that can be carried by planes or launched from short-range missiles and artillery. They are used in battles on the battlefield. They are not as strong as the big weapons that can destroy whole cities.
Russia said that Ukraine’s friends in the West should be careful about getting too involved in the war. Russia’s army is doing well in the war because Ukraine doesn’t have enough soldiers or weapons. Some of Ukraine’s friends in the West are worried that the fighting could spread from Ukraine and turn into a war between NATO and Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said again last week that he might send soldiers to Ukraine, and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Ukraine’s military can use British long-range weapons to attack targets in Russia. Some NATO countries giving weapons to Kyiv are unsure about doing that.
The Kremlin said those comments were dangerous and made tensions worse between Russia and NATO. The war has made the relationship between Moscow and the West very difficult.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, said Monday that Macron’s recent statement along with comments from British and US officials led to the nuclear drills.
“It’s getting worse,” Peskov said, talking about the Kremlin’s view of the made statements. “This has never happened before and needs extra attention and special actions. ”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called for meetings with the ambassadors from France and Britain. It asked the British ambassador to consider the very bad results of the unfriendly actions from London.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said the nuclear tests make things less stable.
“In the current security situation, Russia is acting in a very irresponsible and dangerous way,” Billstrom told a news agency in Sweden.
Europe has supported Ukraine’s military before, and this caused threats of nuclear war. In March 2023, after the UK decided to send Ukraine special shells that can pierce armor and contain a type of uranium, Putin said he plans to put nuclear weapons in Belarus, which is next to Ukraine.
The government said the training is meant to make non-strategic nuclear forces more prepared for combat and is happening because Putin ordered it. The military will practice using missiles in the Southern Military District with the air force and navy.
In Ukraine, the Russian announcement didn’t cause much of a reaction. The spokesman for the Military Intelligence agency, Andrii Yusov, said on TV that Putin’s regime often uses nuclear threats, so this announcement isn’t surprising.
Western leaders say Russia is causing more problems by doing dangerous things that could start a bigger war. NATO countries are very worried about some sneaky activities happening on their land, and they think Russia is responsible for them. They believe these activities could be dangerous for their security.
Peskov said that those claims were “new, unfounded accusations against our country. ”
Germany said on Monday that it asked its ambassador to Russia to come back to Berlin for a week to talk about the alleged computer hack of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party.
At the same time, drones from Ukraine attacked two vehicles in Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday. Six people were killed and 35 others were hurt, including two children, according to local officials. Kyiv’s forces have attacked the area in the past few months.
One of the cars was a small bus carrying farm workers in Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said something.
Ukraine’s army is stuck on a long front line because they don’t have enough troops and weapons. But they are still able to use their long-range weapons to attack targets far inside Russia.
In the ongoing fighting, Russia has been using a lot of long-range missiles, artillery, and drones to seriously harm Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s forces continued to attack Ukraine’s power grid, using drones to target the energy infrastructure in the northern region of Sumy. Several towns and villages in the area, such as Sumy, had no electricity, according to local government officials.
Russia used 13 Shahed drones to attack Ukraine last night. Ukraine’s air force managed to stop 12 of them in the Sumy region.
The soldier who left the army was shot many times and then hit by a car in Spain and the leader of a group was hit many times with a hammer in Lithuania. The journalist got sick from possible poisoning in Germany.
Even though Western governments try to stop Russian spies, experts say that the Russian government can still go after people they see as traitors in other countries to stop them from speaking out. People who are against Putin are more and more worried about the power of Moscow’s security forces, even in places they used to feel were safe.
“We got out of Russia and felt like we had escaped from jail,” said Irina Dolinina, a journalist at the Important Stories news outlet in Prague.
Dolinina and her coworker Alesya Marokhovskaya were bothered in 2023, making them worried that someone was watching them. They got scary messages in the comments on a website and were told not to go to a conference in Sweden. To emphasize, the threat had their airplane ticket details, where they would sit, and their hotel reservation.
“We were wrong to think we were safe here,” Dolinina said to The Associated Press.
Some well-known cases are the death of Leon Trotsky, a former Soviet revolutionary who was killed in Mexico in 1940 by a Soviet agent, and the death of Georgi Markov, a dissenting worker for the BBC’s Bulgarian service, who died in London in 1978 after being attacked with a poisoned umbrella.
Britain was where other poisonings were caused by Russian security services under Putin’s rule. Alexander Litvinenko, a defector and former spy, died in 2006 after drinking tea that had been poisoned with a radioactive substance. In 2018, former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter got very sick after being attacked with an old Soviet-era nerve agent, but they eventually got better. The Kremlin kept saying they weren’t involved in the British cases.
Currently, many of the people who oppose the government in Russia, along with journalists and activists, have left the country because of the government’s strong actions against them. Many people think that Moscow is focusing more on them, and officials are saying it too.
Russian authorities are looking for many people, even if they seem unimportant, because they think these people could come back to Russia and cause a lot of harm. This was explained by security expert Andrei Soldatov.
Many people who have been forced to leave their home countries are being treated badly in many places, including former Soviet countries with a lot of Russian people and also in Europe and other places.
People who speak out and reporters who work on their own have said they are feeling sick and believe they may have been poisoned.
Natalia Arno, the leader of the Free Russia Foundation in the U. S, told AP that she is still dealing with nerve damage after a suspected poisoning in Prague in May. She thinks Russian security tried to “quiet” her because she supports democracy.
In a really violent attack, pilot Maksim Kuzminov’s body with lots of bullet holes was found in La Cala, Spain, near the eastern port of Alicante. He was shot and then run over by a car. Threats came in after he stole a Russian helicopter and flew it to Ukraine.
Kuzminov, who is 33 years old, was called a “moral corpse” by Sergei Naryshkin, the leader of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, as soon as he started planning his “bad and awful crime. ”
In March, Leonid Volkov, who works for a politician named Alexei Navalny, got his arm broken in a hammer attack in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Lithuania’s security service thinks the attack was likely planned and carried out by Russians. On April 19, Polish police arrested two people for allegedly attacking Volkov under orders from a foreign spy agency.
For many years, Putin has been in charge, and the Kremlin has repeatedly said that it is not trying to harm its enemies within Russia and in other countries. It has not said anything about the suspected poisonings. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, refused to talk about Volkov’s situation, saying it is Lithuania’s Interior Ministry’s problem.
Even new anti-war groups are being targeted by Moscow.
Russians in Stockholm, Sweden, made a group to support Ukraine and political prisoners. They burned a fake person that looked like Putin outside the Russian Embassy, calling him a “war criminal”.
Six months later, the Russian government said the group was bad and could punish its members with fines and jail. Police visited their family in Russia and their private information was shared without their permission, according to their family members who spoke with AP. They spoke anonymously because they were worried about their safety.
The Russian Orthodox Tsargrad media said that some people in the group could be working for other countries’ spy agencies. It called them “terrorists. ” The pro-Kremlin outlet said they should expect bad things if they keep fighting against the war.
A few days later, during a visit to family in St Petersburg, Marina said that a police car stopped in front of her as she was leaving a store. Three men got out and asked for her papers. They made her get into the car and drove her to a police station with the siren on.
It was very frightening. Marina was surprised and worried that they knew exactly where she was. She did not want to share her last name because she is afraid for her safety.
She was shown the leaked data and video of the embassy protest, and investigators asked her to tell them who else was involved.
The situation in eastern Ukraine is getting worse, but the local defenders are standing strong against a big push from Russia’s stronger and better-equipped forces, according to a top Ukrainian military official on Thursday.
Russia has gathered soldiers in Donetsk to try to break through Ukraine’s defenses, said Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s strategic command in the eastern part of the country.
“Voloshyn said on TV that the enemy is trying to take control and break through our defense. ”
He said the enemy is attacking in many places and they have made some progress. “The situation is constantly changing. ”
Russia has put Ukraine in a difficult position in the fighting because Kyiv doesn’t have enough soldiers and weapons. Ukrainian troops are hurrying to build more barriers and protection along the 1,000-kilometer front line.
Ukraine has been facing more and more problems because their military has been waiting for important new military help from the United States. The support got delayed in Washington for six months.
Ukrainian soldiers left Avdiivka, a city in Donetsk, in February because they were tired and their spirits were low from constant attacks by Russia. Since then, the Kremlin’s army has used its military power to capture many villages in the area, forcing them to surrender. They want to take control of the parts of Donetsk that they don’t already have.
The Donetsk and Luhansk regions, when combined, create the Donbas, a large industrial area next to Russia. President Vladimir Putin has targeted this area since the start of the war and Moscow-supported separatists have been fighting there since 2014.
Russia attacked Odesa again, using missiles and hurting 14 people.
The attack struck a place where Ukraine’s biggest private delivery company, Nova Poshta, sorts packages. The company said no workers got hurt, but the strike caused a big fire to start.
On Monday, six people died in a Russian missile attack on Odesa, and two days later three people were killed when the Russian forces attacked civilian buildings.
Long-range attacks have been a big part of Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has mostly been about wearing down the enemy. Kyiv leaders are asking for more air defense systems from Ukraine’s Western friends, but they haven’t received them quickly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Russia has fired over 300 missiles, nearly 300 drones, and more than 3,200 guided bombs at Ukraine just in April.
Odesa is an important place for shipping lots of Ukrainian grain to other countries through the Black Sea. Russia has attacked Odesa many times. Thursday marked the 10th year since the fighting in the city between people who supported Russia and those who didn’t. 48 people died in the clashes.
Ukraine has sent more advanced drones far away to attack Russia. They are targeting important places in Russia like buildings and roads that help the Russian economy and military.
The leaders of three areas in Russia said that Ukrainian drones attacked energy plants and caused damage during the night. The Governor of Oryol region. Andrei Klychkov said the power lines and other energy equipment were damaged in two towns. The Smolensk and Kursk leaders said one building was damaged in each area.
The Russian Defense Ministry said they shot down Ukrainian drones in some areas of Russia. It said that most of the planes were stopped in Bryansk, and five of them were shot down.
In other news, Zelenskyy said there will be a meeting to make peace for Ukraine at a fancy resort by a lake in Switzerland on June 15 and 16.
Zelenskyy said he thinks leaders from all over the world will come to the meeting to talk about how to bring long-lasting peace to Ukraine in a fair way, following the rules of the UN and international law.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said that over 160 groups of people are coming, including international organizations, but Russia hasn’t been asked to come yet.
Switzerland wants Russia to join in, but Russia keeps saying it doesn’t want to. However, Switzerland still thinks it’s important for Russia to be included.
The video shows the town of Chasiv Yar being destroyed and looking like a scene from a scary movie. The big damage reminds us of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Ukraine had to give up these cities after they were bombed for months and many people died on both sides.
The very important city has been constantly attacked by Russian forces for many months. If Russia captures it, they can attack important cities in Ukraine from the high hill.
Russia attacked the Ukrainian troops at Chasiv Yar with both foot soldiers and armored vehicles. The Ukrainian troops have very little ammunition left and are waiting for the US and other allies to send more supplies.
The mid-rise apartment buildings in Chasiv Yar have been damaged or destroyed by explosions, leaving them blackened, riddled with holes, or collapsed into piles of wood and bricks. Homes and government buildings are also very damaged. The church’s shiny golden dome is still okay, but the rest of the building looks really broken.
Russia’s scorched-earth tactics have caused a lot of destruction during the two years of war. Their troops have been killing and forcing thousands of civilians to leave their homes as they try to move forward.
Chasiv Yar is on a high place, which gives Russia a good starting point to move towards the bigger cities in Ukraine’s defense area in the eastern Donetsk region.
If Chasiv Yar is captured, it could lead to a big Russian attack in May, according to Ukrainian officials.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the military help from other countries to Ukraine was late, which made Ukraine vulnerable to the more powerful and better-equipped Russian forces.
Ukraine and its Western allies are rushing to send important new military support to stop the Russian advancement in eastern areas and prevent drone and missile attacks.
Lidia Stepanivna Lomikovska and her family left their town Ocheretyne in eastern Donetsk because Russian troops entered and there was a lot of fighting. They left last week.
Russians are moving forward in the region and attacking Kyiv’s weak and low on ammunition forces with weapons like artillery, drones and bombs.
“I woke up and there were gunshots all around me – it was really scary,” Lomikovska said in a video interview posted by the National Police of Donetsk region.
During the confusion of leaving, Lomikovska got separated from her son and two daughters-in-law. One of them, Olha Lomikovska, got hurt by shrapnel a few days before. The young family members chose to take the smaller roads, but Lydia wanted to stay on the big road.
She used a cane and a piece of wood to help her walk, and she didn’t eat or drink all day. She did this to reach the Ukrainian lines.
I fell into some plants when I lost my balance. I took a short nap and then kept on walking. And then, I fell for the second time. Then I stood up and told myself, “I have to keep moving, step by step,” said Lomikovska.
Pavlo Diachenko, who speaks for the police in Donetsk, said Lomikovska was rescued when Ukrainian soldiers saw her walking along the road in the evening. They gave her to the “White Angels,” a police group that helps people who live in dangerous areas. They took her to a safe place for people who had to leave their homes and called her family.
“I made it through that war,” she said talking about World War II. “I also had to be in the war, and now I have nothing left. ”
“That war was different from this one. ” I saw the war. No houses caught fire. “But everything is burning now,” she said to the person who saved her.
In a surprising turn of events, the head of a big bank in Ukraine said on his messaging app that the bank will buy a house for the older retiree.
“Monobank will purchase a house for Lydia Stepanivna and she will live in it until this abomination is gone from our land,” said Oleh Horokhovskyi.
Russian officials threatened the West on Sunday with a “severe” response in the event that frozen Russian assets are confiscated, promising “endless” legal challenges and tit-for-tat measures.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would never cede territories seized from Ukraine in exchange for the return of frozen assets.
“Our motherland is not for sale,” Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
“An Russian assets must remain untouched because otherwise there will be a severe response to Western thievery. Many in the West have already understood this. Alas, not everyone.”
Reacting to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, the United States and its allies imposed restrictions on dealings with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry. They also froze approximately $300 billion worth of Russian sovereign assets in Western nations, primarily in European rather than American financial institutions.
In a distinct statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that there remains a significant amount of Western capital in Russia, which could become the focus of Moscow’s retaliatory actions.
“The prospects for legal challenges (against the confiscation of Russian assets) will be wide open,” he said. “Russia will take advantage of those and will endlessly defend its interests.”
On Saturday, Russia unleashed a volley of missiles targeting Ukrainian power facilities, striking locations in both the central and western regions of the country.
This onslaught inflicted damage to equipment and resulted in injuries to at least one energy worker, according to officials.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko conveyed via the Telegram messaging app that the Russian strikes specifically targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine, as well as the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.
DTEK, Ukraine’s leading private energy company, reported that four of its thermal power stations bore the brunt of the attacks.
“The enemy again massively shelled the Ukrainian energy facilities,” DTEK said in a statement. “The company’s equipment was seriously damaged. At this very moment, energy workers are trying to eliminate the consequences of the attack.”
Galushchenko reported that one energy worker sustained injuries, while DTEK confirmed casualties without providing further details.
The commander of the Ukrainian air force revealed that Russia conducted coordinated overnight strikes, deploying a total of 34 cruise and ballistic missiles, of which Ukrainian air defense successfully intercepted 21.
Since March 22, Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure, targeting thermal and hydropower stations almost daily.
Officials stated that Ukraine has lost approximately 80% of its thermal generation capacity and about 35% of its hydropower capacity. The country’s energy system had already been weakened by a Russian air campaign during the initial phase of the war in February 2022.
Despite mild spring weather in recent weeks, Ukraine has been grappling with an electricity deficit, leading the government to implement scheduled blackouts in various regions and resort to emergency electricity imports.
Governor Serhiy Lysak reported that Ukrainian air defense successfully intercepted 13 Russian missiles in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Unfortunately, we could not avoid the consequences. Energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk and Kryvyi Rih regions were damaged, fires broke out.”
Lysak noted that the city of Kryvyi Rih experienced disruptions to its water supply.
Meanwhile, in the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, firefighters were tackling extensive fires at multiple energy facilities, as reported by regional officials.
“It is difficult for the energy system to maintain the production and consumption balance. We have to help,” said Maksym Kozytskyi, Lviv regional governor, urging residents to save electricity, especially during the peak evening hours.
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Ukrainian leaders have finally got the new missiles they have been wanting for a long time. These missiles have a striking distance of up to 300 kilometers, which is almost double the range of the mid-range version they got from the US last October. One official said that the US will give more of these missiles as part of a new military aid deal signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Biden agreed to send a lot of powerful missiles to the military in February. In March, the US said they would give a lot of money to send even more of these missiles.
Two US officials, who did not want to share their names, talked about the missile delivery before it was made public. They didn’t say how many missiles were given last month or in the latest aid package, which is worth around US$1 billion.
Ukraine doesn’t have enough weapons and Russia is attacking more and more. Ukraine wanted the long-range missile system because it can help them attack Russian targets from far away, while keeping their own forces safe.
Lawmakers and other people have been asking the US to send weapons to Ukraine, but they didn’t know the weapons were already there because the delivery was kept a secret.
For many months, the US did not want to send long-range missiles to Ukraine because they were worried that Ukraine might use them to attack Russia, which would make Russia very angry and make the conflict worse. That’s why the administration sent the mid-range version in October, which can go about 160 kilometers (100 miles).
Admcould be rewritten as administrator or admiral, depending on the context. Christopher Grady, who is the second in command at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday that the White House and military planners studied the dangers of giving Ukraine long-range weapons and decided that it was the right time to give them now.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he said that Ukraine can use long-range weapons to target Russian supply points and groups of soldiers who are not at the front lines. Grady did not want to say what kind of weapons were being given, but he said they will be very powerful if used the right way, and he is sure they will be.
Like other advanced weapons given to Ukraine, the government thought about whether using them would make the conflict worse. The government is still saying that the weapons can’t be used to attack things in Russia. At the State Department, spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Wednesday that Biden told his national security team to send the ATACMS to be used in Ukrainian territory.
“I believe it’s the right time, and the boss (Biden) decided it’s the right time to offer these based on where the fight is at this moment,” Grady said on Wednesday. “I believe it was a carefully thought out decision, and we thoroughly examined it. But whenever you bring in a new system or make a change in a conflict, you need to consider how it might make things worse. ”
Ukrainian leaders have not said they received or used long-range ATACMS. However, when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Congress for passing the new aid bill on Tuesday, he said on the social platform X that Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are very important tools for quickly restoring a just peace.
A US official told Russia last year that if they got long-range missiles and used them in Ukraine, the US would give the same type of missiles to Ukraine.
Russia got weapons from North Korea and used them in Ukraine. This made the Biden administration approve the new long-range missiles.
The US didn’t admit to giving Ukraine long-range missiles until they were used in battle and Ukrainian leaders agreed to tell everyone about it. A government person said that the weapons were used last week to attack the airfield in Dzhankoi, a city in Crimea. Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. They were used again overnight to the east of the city of Berdyansk, which is under occupation.
Videos on social media last week showed big explosions at the military airfield, but officials didn’t say if it was the ATACMS.
Ukraine used the weapon because Congress was taking a long time to approve a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine and other countries. Ukraine doesn’t have enough weapons, so they have to limit how much they use. They haven’t gotten the money they need from the US yet.
Now that the war has been going on for three years, Russia took advantage of the US weapons being late and their stronger firepower and army to increase attacks in eastern Ukraine. More and more, they are using bombs guided by satellites that are dropped from planes from far away to attack Ukrainian forces who don’t have enough soldiers and weapons.
Last year, some missiles were given that can travel a medium distance, and more recently some long-range missiles were sent. These missiles have cluster bombs that open in the air and release lots of small bombs instead of just one big bomb. Other missiles that have been sent recently only have one warhead.
One important reason the weapons were sent in March was because the US Army could start using newer ATACMS instead of the older ones. The Army is getting new missiles and can now give its old ones to Ukraine, the official said.
Exciting video from Reuters showed the tall pole of the TV tower breaking and falling to the ground in a city that has been hit by missile and drone attacks for weeks.
The leader of Ukraine told the US President Joe Biden about the airstrike that happened a few minutes before they talked on the phone.
“He said Russia wants to make the city impossible to live in,” according to a message on the Telegram app.
Later, during his video speech at night, the president said that the attack was a clear attempt to scare people and make the city feel unsafe. It was also an attempt to limit Kharkiv’s ability to communicate and access information. Near the border
The city of Kharkiv is in the northeast and has 1.3 million people. It is only 30 km from the Russian border, which makes it an easy target for missiles and other weapons because Ukraine’s air defenses are not strong.
“Right now, the digital TV signal is not working well,” said the regional governor Oleh Synehubov.
No one got hurt because the workers had found a safe place to stay.
Synehubov said that a missile attack started a fire at a poultry farm near Kharkiv, but no one got hurt. And lawyers said that one person died in the bombing of a village to the southeast of the city.
Reuters recorded a video showing the fallen part of the tower in a nearby forested area. The buildings next to the tower were severely damaged by falling pieces of the tower.
The State Special Communications Service said the tower was partly damaged, possibly from a Kh-59 missile strike.
The message said the TV signal was temporarily not working. They were trying to fix it. They told people to use cable, online TV, or the radio instead.
The video from Reuters did not show the missile hitting, but it did show a big cloud of smoke and the mast falling down.
The video was confirmed by comparing it with another video from a different angle that also showed the top of the tower falling down at the same time.
In early March 2022, Russia attacked Kharkiv’s television tower multiple times after starting a big invasion. The signal was interrupted.
Recently, Moscow has increased its attacks, and Ukraine does not have enough ways to defend against them in the air. Kharkiv and the nearby area have had the strongest attacks.
Air defenses in Russia shot down fifty drones in eight different areas, with 26 being shot down in the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. A woman with a broken leg and the man taking care of her died during a big attack. The explosions caused a fire in their home, and they didn’t make it out alive. This happened in Belgorod, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov posted on the internet.
A woman who was going to have a baby and her unborn child were also killed in the shelling on Saturday.
Drones were also said to be destroyed over several regions in Russia’s west and south, including the Bryansk, Kursk, Tula, Smolensk, Ryazan, and Kaluga regions, as well as in the Moscow region.
Ukrainian officials usually don’t say anything about attacks in Russia. But a lot of the drone attacks seemed to target Russia’s energy facilities.
Vladislav Shapsha, the leader of the Kaluga area, said that a drone attack caused a fire at a power station, and the Governor of Bryansk also mentioned it. Alexander Bogomaz and the governor of Smolensk. Vasily Anokhin said there were also fires at places where fuel and energy are stored.
Lately, Ukrainian drones have been targeting Russian oil refineries and terminals. This is part of increased attacks on Russia’s land.
Ukrainian people who make drones have been making the weapons go farther for a long time. They are doing this because Kyiv wants to make up for not having as many weapons and soldiers as the other side in battle. Drones are a cheaper choice for Ukraine while they wait for more military help from the US.
Russell Bentley, 64, used to work for the Russian news agency Sputnik but is no longer involved in military activities. The people he used to work with and the boss of a TV channel said he died. They called him “a real American. ” He went by the nickname “Texas” and had been in jail for smuggling drugs before he left the United States.
The reason for Bentley’s death is not known yet, but the local police had said earlier that they couldn’t find him from April 8.
Last night, Russia launched seven missiles at Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force was able to stop two missiles and three drones.
The GovernorThe leader of Ukraine’s Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said that infrastructure was damaged by ballistic missiles last night, but he did not give more information. The Black Sea city was attacked on Friday and the port was damaged, including two places where food is sent out, said President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the governor, two men were killed in the Russian attack, including an 81-year-old retired man in the city of Vovchansk. Oleh Syniehubov is the leader of the Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
A 60-year-old lady got hurt when a bomb hit a tall apartment building.
Beside the attacks, Ukrainian police are looking for two Ukrainian soldiers who killed a police officer at a checkpoint in Vinnytsia region.
The soldiers started shooting at Maksym Zaretskyi, who is 20 years old, early on Saturday morning when he stopped their car for a regular check. Zaretskyi’s friend got hurt, but he was able to survive the attack.
On social media, Ukraine’s Ground Forces Command said that the two men were in the military. They said Zaretskyi’s death is a big loss and the people who killed him should be punished very harshly.
The Ground Forces Command said they will help with a thorough and fair investigation in any way they can.
Russian and Ukrainian officials haven’t given any information about the mysterious balloons that the media in Moscow have reported on the battlefield. Ukraine’s military has been coming up with new ideas since the war started in February 2022. They have been using drones a lot to fight against the larger Russian forces.
Russian news says Ukrainian balloons have a GPS and carry explosives. They are said to be more difficult to find and could carry a larger load than regular small drones. We don’t know if the balloons are filled with helium, hot air, or something else.
The GPS module is probably used to control the release of explosives when the balloon flies over a specific area. This is done to cause fear on the ground and divert Russian air defense attention.
The Russian defense ministry said that three Ukrainian balloons and one drone were shot down over the Voronezh region, which is near the Moscow-occupied Luhansk region of Ukraine. Two balloons were also stopped in the Belgorod region of Russia next to Ukraine.
The defense ministry said three drones were destroyed in southern Russia’s Rostov region.
According to Russian news reports, balloons with mortar mines were shot down by Russian air defences earlier this week in the Lipetsk and Kursk regions.
Ukraine is having trouble in the war because its army is smaller and not as well-equipped as the other side. Western help for Kyiv’s military has decreased. More American help is stuck in Congress. Ukraine is getting ready for a big attack from Russia, possibly as soon as next month.
Ukraine has been targeting far-away places behind enemy lines, hitting Russian bases and infrastructure.
Kyiv officials are asking Western countries for more air defense systems because Russian missile and drone attacks are hitting cities and causing power outages.
Ukraine’s President and Foreign Minister are asking European and G7 leaders for more equipment to defend their country’s airspace. They are mainly focused on getting air defense equipment.
Ukraine’s air force shot down 13 drones that Russia launched at Ukraine overnight.
Russian soldiers are leaving the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. They had been there to keep the peace after a war in 2020. Officials from both countries announced this on Wednesday.
During a phone call with reporters, a spokesperson for the Russian government, Dmitry Peskov, said that they are pulling out their troops, but he didn’t share more information. Hikmet Hajiyev, who is in charge of foreign policy for Azerbaijan’s president, also said that both countries agreed to the withdrawal.
Hajiyev did not explain why the forces were being taken out, but it seemed like they weren’t needed anymore after Azerbaijan got full control of the area last year.
The area called Karabakh was controlled by Armenian people, but there was a war in 2020 and Azerbaijan got back some of the land.
The war ended with a deal made by Russia that called for 2,000 peacekeeping troops to be placed in the parts of Karabakh still held by Armenians. The forces had to make sure that the only road connecting Karabakh with Armenia was open for people to use.
Azerbaijan started to block the road at the end of 2022 because they believed Armenians were using it to transport weapons and smuggle minerals. The Russian forces did not get involved.
After many months of not having enough food and medicine in Karabakh because of the blockade, Azerbaijan quickly attacked in September 2023. This made the Karabakh Armenian leaders give up after just one day of talking, with help from Russian forces.
Almost all of the 50,000 Armenian people who live in Karabakh left the area in just a few days.
The river in the city in Kurgan, which is an administrative center in Russia, went up by 123 centimeters in one day, reaching 865 centimeters on Wednesday morning.
In the middle of Kurgan, loud sirens are going off every two hours, telling people to leave and go to a safe place. Authorities said the river becomes “dangerous” once it goes over 850 cms (27 feet).
RIA reported that over 660 houses were flooded in the area by Wednesday morning, according to the emergency ministry.
Officials said that people living in 14 areas in Ishim district of the Tyumen region in southwestern Siberia were being moved to safety because the Ishim River was getting higher.
The disaster happened because the snow melted quickly and there was heavy rain. This made the smaller rivers that flow into Europe’s biggest rivers get bigger.
The number of people forced to leave their homes went up to 200,000 on Tuesday. The governor of Tyumen in Russia told the 65,000 residents of Ishim to leave quickly.
At least 61 people, including two kids, were hurt in the attack this morning, according to Ukrainian emergency services. Chernihiv is a city about 150 kilometers north of the capital, Kyiv. It’s close to the border with Russia and Belarus and has about 250,000 people living there.
Russia bombed Ukraine recently, as the war continued for three years. Ukraine is not getting enough help from Western countries, so it is vulnerable to Russia’s larger forces.
During the winter, Russia didn’t make big progress on the 1,000-kilometer front line. They mainly focused on wearing down the enemy through prolonged fighting. But Ukraine doesn’t have enough artillery ammunition, troops, and armored vehicles. This has allowed the Russian military to slowly move forward, according to military experts.
An important thing for Ukraine is that Washington hasn’t yet approved an aid package of about $60 billion for them. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will try to push the package through this week.
Ukraine really needs help right now, according to a think tank in Washington called the Institute for the Study of War.
“The ISW said that Russia is changing their tactics in battle because they haven’t received enough military help from the United States, and are using more movement in their fighting instead of staying in one place. ”
Ukraine needs help from the U. Sto keep their position secure. “help, especially with air defense and artillery, that only the US can give quickly and in large amounts,” it said.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, asked Western countries to give his country better air protection, like more Patriot missiles. He said the attack in Chernihiv could have been prevented if Ukraine had better air defense and if the world was more determined to stop Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy said in an interview with PBS that Ukraine didn’t have any more air defense missiles left when it was being attacked with missiles and drones. The attack destroyed one of Ukraine’s biggest power plants, and it’s part of Russia’s recent plan to target energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the President’s request for more assistance will be repeated as he gets ready to go to a meeting with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries in Italy.
“We want to get seven more Patriot batteries to keep our cities and economic centers safe from being destroyed,” Kuleba said in an interview with a German newspaper. “Why is it hard to find seven Patriot batteries. ”
Ukrainian soldiers are making strong defenses and building walls to get ready for a big attack from the Russian army. Officials in Kyiv think the attack could happen as soon as next month.
Ukraine is using far-flying drones and missiles to attack Russian forces and disrupt their war plans.
The Russian army said that they shot down a Ukrainian drone in Tatarstan on Wednesday. In April, Ukraine attacked the same area in Russia that is 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from Ukraine.
Ukrainian people who make drones have been making the weapons able to go farther.
Another drone from Ukraine got shot down in the Mordovia region, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) east of Moscow, the ministry said. That is 700 kilometers or 430 miles away from the border of Ukraine.
One hour before the Mordovia attack, the civil aviation authority in Russia stopped flights at airports in two big cities, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, because they were worried about safety.
Unconfirmed reports say a Ukrainian missile hit an airfield in Crimea that is controlled by a different country. Russian and Ukrainian officials didn’t say for sure that there was an attack, but the local government closed the road to the airfield for a little while. The local mayor said that an explosion shattered the windows of a mosque and a private house in the region, as reported by Russian news agency Tass.
The Chinese side didn’t show any sign of changing its stance. They blame Europe and the US for making the fighting in Ukraine last longer by giving them weapons. They also want peace talks to consider both Russian and Ukrainian concerns.
“China is not part of the Ukraine crisis but has consistently supported peace talks in its own way,” said a statement from China after discussions between Xi and Scholz in Beijing.
Scholz, finishing a three-day trip to China, told reporters that he thinks progress has been made to help discussions on ending the war.
China has significant influence in Russia. So I asked President Xi to pressure Russia to make Putin stop the war and bring his troops back.
China has decided not to criticize Russia’s invasion, which is different from the way Western countries are responding. The government says it is not giving military help to Moscow, but it is helping Russia’s economy by trading with them. This is to help Russia deal with the sanctions from Western countries. A recent report from US intelligence found that China has been selling more equipment to Russia in order to help them in their war against Ukraine.
Scholz said the discussions talked about China’s exports of goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
“He said it’s really important to not export any weapons, but we also have to think about items that could be used as weapons too. ” “We can make sure that everything needed is clear and easy to understand here. ”
Last month, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said that his government is prepared to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is in danger. This is the latest time he has made this kind of threat since taking over Ukraine.
The leaders of China and Germany both said they are committed to the UN Charter and do not support using nuclear weapons.
China wants to help solve the crisis peacefully. They support having a peace conference that both Russia and Ukraine agree to. They want everyone to be able to take part and discuss their ideas for peace.
Xi told Scholz that both countries should be careful about protectionism in trade and look at the issue of manufacturing capacity in a fair way, according to a statement.
The leader of Germany’s visit has shown that there are problems with trade between Europe, the United States, and China. They say China is not playing fair in trade and is using subsidies to make a lot of products, like solar panels and electric cars, which is causing tension.
The EU is thinking about charging fees on Chinese electric vehicles to help European producers. Some people are worried that too many cheap Chinese electric vehicles will come into the European market.
Scholz met with the Chinese Premier Li Qiang to ask for German companies in China to have better access to the market, fair competition, protection for their ideas, and a fair legal system.
“He said that these companies need the right conditions to keep going. ”
Despite some problems between them, China was Germany’s number one trading partner for the eighth year in a row in 2023. They exchanged 254. 1 billion euros ($271 billion) worth of goods and services, which was a little more than what Germany traded with the US. However, this was a 15. 5% decrease from the previous year.
This is Scholz’s second time visiting China since he became chancellor in late 2021. This is his first visit since the German government showed its plan for China last year, which China didn’t like. Li, the leader of China, went to Berlin in June.
The Trypilska plant, which provided a lot of electricity for Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Zhytomyr, was hit many times. This caused serious damage to the equipment and started a big fire at the plant. When the first drone came, the workers hid in a shelter to stay safe and alive. This was said by Andrii Hota, who is the director of the state company that operates the plant, Centrenergo.
They saw the plant on fire with lots of smoke and flames all around it. “It’s really scary,” said Hota. Hours later, the rescuers were still clearing away the rubble.
The plant gave electricity to 3 million people. None of them lost power because the grid could handle the low demand for electricity during this time of year. The effects of the strikes may still be noticed in the next few months, especially when people start using air conditioning more in the summer.
At least 10 other attacks last night damaged the power and gas systems in Kharkiv, which is the second biggest city in Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba, the Foreign Minister, said that over 200,000 people in the area have no electricity because it has been hit many times.
Russia has started attacking Ukrainian energy facilities again, and last month’s attacks caused a lot of the country to lose power. This hasn’t happened since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
The number and precision of the attacks have worried the people in charge of protecting the country and made officials rush to find better ways to defend energy sources. The strikes also showed if Ukraine can make fixes fast.
Ukraine’s leaders asked for more defense systems to protect against attacks from the air, but the supplies are taking a long time to arrive.
“Today, it shows that there are no more missiles to shoot down,” Hota said.
