Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

But for the RBI's management, rupee would have been far more volatile

Global shocks from pandemics to wars are reshaping currencies and capital flows, raising questions on RBI's role and India's external stability strategy

Ukraine hits Russia's Tuapse oil refinery again with drone strike

Russian officials said that a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person

Ukraine's top official meets Jaishankar, Doval on peace prospects

Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov on Friday held separate, high-stakes meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the prospects of "achieving lasting peace" in the conflict-hit nation. Umerov, considered close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is on a visit to India. In his talks with Doval, the Ukrainian official provided a detailed brief on the current situation on the "frontline". In the meetings, the Indian side reaffirmed its principled position on the need for finding a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. "Discussed our bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict," Jaishankar said on social media. Umerov said he and the external affairs minister "discussed the current situation on the front line, the progress of negotiations, and the prospects for achieving a just, lasting, and sustainable peace for Ukraine." He said the two

At least 16 killed, over 80 injured in Russian drone attack on Ukraine

Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, officials said Thursday. Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Thursday on X. At least four people were killed in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, Sybiha said. Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south. "Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account," Sybiha said on X. Ukraine's air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones a

Zelenskyy pursues more arms deals with allies to defend against Russia

Ukraine's top diplomatic priority is securing allies' help to buy and build more air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday between meetings with European leaders, as Russia warned that European sites that make drones and other equipment for Ukraine were "potential targets." Russian strikes hit more than a half-dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday. An 8-year-old boy was killed in the central Cherkasy region, and a woman was hit in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy and local officials. "Every day we need air defence missiles - every day Russia continues its strikes," Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. With no plans announced for further US-mediated talks with Russia, Zelenskyy was visiting three European capitals in 48 hours to try to secure promises of further military and financial support. Germany and Ukraine agreed on a defence package valued at 4 billion euros (USD 4.7 billion), and Norway h

Russian strikes kill 2 in Odesa ahead of proposed 32-hr Easter ceasefire

Russian drone strikes killed at least two people in the Ukrainian city of Odesa overnight into Saturday, local authorities reported, ahead of a proposed ceasefire for Orthodox Easter. A further two people were wounded in the attack on the Black Sea port city, when drones hit a residential area, damaging apartment buildings, houses and a kindergarten. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted, hours before a proposed Easter ceasefire was due to come into force. Russia's Defence Ministry said 99 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across Russia and occupied Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 pm Saturday until the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps, having earlier proposed to .

Putin announces 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine for Orthodox Easter weekend

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend. Putin's decree, released by the Kremlin, orders Russian forces to observe a ceasefire starting on 4 pm Saturday and lasting until the end of Sunday. Putin's move follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal earlier this week to observe a pause in attacks on each other's energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter. He said he made the offer through the United States, which has been mediating talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as the conflict stretches into a fifth year.

Prolonged West Asia war could erode US support for Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America's support for Ukraine as Washington's global priorities shift and Kyiv braces for reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air defence missiles. Ukraine desperately needs more US-made Patriot air defence systems to help it counter Russia's daily barrages, Zelenskyy said, speaking to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview late Saturday in Istanbul. Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians. It has also targeted Ukraine's energy supply to disrupt the industrial production of Ukraine's newly developed drones and missiles, while also denying civilians heat and running water in winter. "We have to recognise that we are not the priority for today," Zelenskyy said. "That's why I am afraid a long (Iran) war will give us less .

Russian oil output cuts loom as Ukraine's strikes hit export infrastructure

A cut in output in Russia would add to the strain on global supplies when oil markets have already been jolted by unprecedented supply disruption because of the conflict in the Middle East

Zelenskyy urged to curtail Russia energy strikes, proposes truce

"If Russia is ready to stop striking Ukrainian energy, we won't be returning the strikes against their energy," Zelenskyy said

Ukraine drone strike hits Russia's Ust-Luga port, fire under control

The recent attacks have caused severe oil supply disruption for Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter, and have come just as oil prices exceeded $100 a barrel due to the Iran war

Rubio denies US asked Ukraine to cede Donbas for security guarantees

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assertion that the Trump administration is demanding Kyiv hand over its eastern Donbas region to Russia to receive American security guarantees in any ceasefire plan. Speaking to reporters following a Group of Seven meeting in France, Rubio disputed Zelenskyy's recent comments and said the US has made no such stipulation in its talks with Ukraine. "That's a lie," Rubio said. "And I saw him say that. And it's unfortunate he would say that because he knows that's not true and that's not what he was told." In an interview published this week, Zelenskyy told Reuters the US was making its offer of security guarantees for Ukraine contingent on the ceding of the Donbas region, the industrial heartland long coveted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow's forces occupy the bulk of the region, but have not seized a strip of land that is among the most heavily fortified parts of the front ...

Ukrainian drone strike hits Russia's Primorsk oil port, damages fuel tank

Emergency services are working to extinguish the blaze at the fuel storage tank at Primorsk, and personnel have been evacuated

How Ukraine's front line became a testing ground for drone innovation

The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves. Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving effort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have become a deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East. While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones first appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight with continually adapting technology. In recent years, Ukraine's domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows. But it's on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military ...

At least 4 killed as Russia, Ukraine trade attacks ahead of US talks

Russia and Ukraine traded attacks that killed at least four people Saturday, officials said, ahead of US-Ukraine talks on ways to end Russia's invasion of its neighbour. A man and a woman were killed and six people wounded, including two children, when a Russian drone hit a house in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said. Russian strikes also knocked out power across much of the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, according to local officials. In Russia, two women were killed and another wounded by Ukrainian shelling of the Belgorod border region, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. The attacks came ahead of US-Ukraine talks in Miami that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on X were "constructive." He said the meetings, which included US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, were "part of ongoing mediation efforts, with discussions focused on narrowing and resolving remaining items to move closer to a comprehensive peace agreement." Ukrainia

An economic policy response to the West Asia crisis: Managing supply shock

Policymakers will need to rely on both internal and external shock absorbers to guide the economy to its new equilibrium

Zelenskyy, Starmer urge support for Ukraine as Iran war steals focus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia and Iran "brothers in hatred" on Tuesday as he sought support from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a time when the Iran war has robbed momentum from U.S.-brokered talks to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's allies not to forget about his country, and suggested the U.S. and others should make use of Ukraine's anti-drone technology during a Middle East war that has also revived Russia's ailing economy through increased oil revenue and could soon limit Kyiv's access to vital Western air defense systems, which are needed in the Middle East. "The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred and that is why they are brothers in weapons," Zelenskyy told lawmakers in Britain's Parliament. "And we want regimes built on hatred to never, never win in anything." Holding talks with Zelenskyy at 10 Downing Street, Starmer said "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin can't be the one who benefits from the conflict

Russia intercepts 250 Ukrainian drones attempting to attack Moscow

Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 250 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital over the weekend, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday. The mayor's remarks came as some of the major airports curtailed their operations on Monday morning. "Thank you to the Ministry of Defence's Air Defence System for your professional and dedicated work," Sobyanin wrote in a social media post, noting that about 250 fixed-wing drones, directly approaching the capital or on the second line of defence, were shot down. A massive Ukrainian drone attack on the city began on March 14. A total of 159 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down while approaching the capital. It also led to major airports restricting operations on Monday. "Due to air safety concerns, the capital's Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports are currently accepting and dispatching aircraft in coordination with the relevant authorities," the Moskva 24 channel said. It advised passengers to check their airports' online time

Russia downs 16 Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow, says mayor

Russia on Saturday shot down 16 Ukrainian drones heading to attack Moscow, officials said. In a social media post, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said first responders have reached the sites where the debris of the drones fell. He said 16 Ukrainian drones were shot down as they were heading towards Moscow. The mayor, however, did not give any details of damage or casualties on the ground. According to Moskva 24 TV channel, three of the four local airports, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, located in the capital, had suspended their operations for several hours, disrupting air traffic. As part of preparedness against drone attacks, Moscow city and the capital region have been selectively switching off mobile internet, and people have been advised to use applications available offline. Maxim Korkin, the regional official in charge of Transport and Information technology, cautioned residents of the Moscow region about possible "temporary difficulties with mobile communications and .

Businesses in Moscow struggle as Russia restricts mobile internet services

Many foreign websites were blocked Friday on mobile phones in central Moscow under restrictions that have gripped the Russian capital for more than a week, derailing the routine of millions of residents and slamming businesses that rely on cellphone internet. Russian authorities have said the restrictions are part of security measures to fend off Ukrainian drone attacks, but many industry experts suspect they are part of preparations by the authorities to block Russians' access to the global web if the Kremlin decides to do so. The intermittent shutdowns, which had previously been recorded in dozens of Russia's regions for months, have prompted some Moscow residents to turn to long-forgotten gadgets like walkie talkies, pagers and media players. The shutdowns are part of multipronged efforts by the authorities to rein in the internet. They have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that don't comply. Technology also has been perfected to monitor and manipulate .