Page 117 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Russian shelling of Ukrainian city kills 16, wounds dozens: Officials

At least 16 people were killed and dozens were wounded Wednesday when Russian shelling struck a market in a city in eastern Ukraine, officials said. The deadly attack came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv and was expected to announce more than USD 1 billion in new American funding. Associated Press journalists at the site of the attack in Kostiantynivka saw covered bodies on the ground and emergency workers extinguishing fires at market stalls, with blackened and mangled cars nearby. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at least 16 people were killed. At least 28 were wounded, according to Internal Minister Ihor Klymenko. Emergency service workers extinguished the fire that damaged about 30 pavilions at the outdoor market, Klymenko said. Crews searched the rubble for any trapped civilians. Twenty shops, power lines, administrative building and the floor of an apartment building were damaged, according to the prosecutor general's office. Blinken's visit also was a

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Blinken visits Kyiv in show of support for Ukraine's efforts to oust Russia

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit Wednesday, hours after Russia launched its first missile attack in a week against the Ukrainian capital. Blinken's trip aimed to assess Ukraine's 3-month-old counteroffensive and signal continued US support for Kyiv's efforts to drive out the Kremlin's forces after 19 months of war amid concerns among some Western allies over the pace of progress, according to US officials. Those Washington officials said possible alternative export routes for Ukrainian grain will also be discussed following Russia's exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its frequent bombardment of port facilities in the Odesa region from where most grain is transported abroad. Those alternatives may include ships hugging coastlines to keep out of international waters where they could be targeted by Russia's navy. Other possible overland routes are also being examined. Blinken's visit is expected to include the announcement of new

Don't expect Russia to flip its position on Ukraine war this year: US

"India signed on to the statement, most members it was as I recalled. Russia was the main objector to the proposition that so many of the other members of the G20 signed on to," Sullivan said

Kim Jong Un may meet with Putin in Russia this month, says US official

A US official said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. The official, who was not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. expects Kim will make the trip within the month. The official said the U.S. isn't sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang last month and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Watson said, We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the U.S.

Russia's oil price to India in July lowest since Ukraine war began

India received Russian oil at an average price of $68.09 per barrel in July, marginally down from $68.16 in June and sharply lower than $99.58 in July 2022

Cluster munition deaths in Ukraine surpass Syria for first time in a decade

More than 300 people were killed and over 600 wounded by cluster munitions in Ukraine in 2022, according to an international watchdog, surpassing Syria as the country with the highest number of casualties from the controversial weapons for the first time in a decade. Russia's widespread use of the bombs, which open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets or submunitions as they are called, in its invasion of Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, their use by Ukrainian forces helped make 2022 the deadliest year on record globally, according to the annual report released Tuesday by the Cluster Munition Coalition, a network of non-governmental organisations advocating for a ban of the weapons. The deadliest attack in Ukraine, according to the the country's prosecutor general's office, was a bombing on a railway station in the town of Kramatorsk that killed 53 people and wounded 135. Meanwhile, in Syria and other war-battered countries in the Middle East, although active fighting

Russia launches air strikes, hitting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine

The attacks resulted in casualties and injuries, the general staff said but did not provide detailed information on casualty figures

Ukraine gets new defence minister in biggest wartime Cabinet reshuffle

Zelenskyy named Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's State Property Fund, to replace Oleksii Reznikov, who has battled allegations of graft in military procurement by subordinates on his watch

Putin says there will be no new grain deal until West meets his demands

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began on Monday with the Turkish leader seeking to persuade Russia to revive an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain and other commodities from three Black Sea ports. Putin in July refused to extend the agreement, which was brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations a year earlier. Russia complained that a parallel deal promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer hadn't been honoured. It said restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade even though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year. Opening the talks, Putin said he was open to discussing the grain deal, among other issues. The two leaders met in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, where the Russian president has a residence.

Ahead of Putin-Erdogan talks, Russia attacks Ukraine's grain exporting port

Residents of Izmail port, one of Ukraine's two main grain exporting terminals on the Danube River in the Odesa region, were urged to seek cover by the air force early on Monday

Ukraine Defence Minister Reznikov will be replaced this week: Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that defense minister Oleksii Reznikov will be replaced this week with Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker. Zelenskyy made the announcement on his official Telegram account, writing that new leadership was needed after Umerov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war. Later in his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he believes that the Ministry needs new approaches and different formats of interaction both with the military and with society." The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is well acquainted with this person, and Umerov does not require additional introductions. I expect support for this candidacy from parliament, the president told the nation. Umerov, 41, a politician with the opposition Holos party, has served as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine since September 2022. He was involved in the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners, children and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from ..

Thwarted attacks on Crimea bridge, which was briefly closed: Russia

Russia's Defence Ministry said early Saturday that its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year. One naval drone was destroyed late Friday and two others early Saturday morning, according to Russia's Defence Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. A key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, the Kerch bridge has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. An explosion in October, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, left three people dead. A further attack on the bridge in July, killing a couple and seriously wounding their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and

'Premeditated villainous act' says Prigozhin's plane crash report: Kremlin

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov's remarks came in response to a media query on Wednesday about whether the investigation could feature an international dimension

Drones hit 6 regions in Russia, biggest attack in 18 months: Russia

Russian officials accused Ukraine of targeting six Russian regions with drones early Wednesday in what appears to be the biggest drone attack on Russian soil since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine 18 months ago. Drones hit an airport in the western Pskov region and started a massive fire there, the local governor and media reported. According to the Defense Ministry, more drones were also shot down over the regions of Oryol, Bryansk, Ryazan, Kaluga and the Moscow region surrounding the Russian capital. The strike in Pskov hit an airport in the region's namesake capital and damaged four Il-78 transport aircraft, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. Pskov regional Governor Mikhail Vedernikov ordered all flights to and from the Pskov airport canceled Wednesday, citing the need to assess the damage during daylight. Footage and images posted on social media overnight showed smoke billowing over the city of Pskov and a large blaze. Vedernikov said there we

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's funeral held privately in Russia

The Wagner founder's funeral took place "in a closed format," according to Concord Management, the company Prigozhin owned

Biden administration to send additional $250 million in weapons to Ukraine

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it will send an additional USD 250 million in weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as part of its ongoing support of Kyiv's counteroffensive. The weapons will be drawn from existing US stockpiles and will include mine-clearing equipment, artillery and rocket rounds, ambulances and medical gear, among other items and spare parts, according to the State Department. The package will help Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and support its air defenses as Russia continues to launch brutal, brutal strikes against the people of Ukraine, including attacks this past week, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. The State Department said the package contained AIM-9M missiles for air defense, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System munitions, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition and more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition. The US would have already run out of funding for the year to provide additional stockpile equipment to .

Wagner chief's funeral held privately in Russia 'in closed format'

There were "no people in military uniform at the ceremony," Agentstvo reported citing an employee of the cemetery

China remains Russia's backer, despite it bogging down in Ukraine

Although Russia predictably denied culpability for bringing the private aircraft down, the Chinese government was even more circumspect

G20: Outcome document adopted; Russia, China object to para on Ukraine war

The G20-Chief Science Advisers' Roundtable in Gujarat on Monday concluded with the unanimous adoption of the 'Outcome Document' which focussed on the need to have a 'One Health' approach to collectively address health threats to humans, animals and the environment for better disease prevention, control, and pandemic preparedness. Owing to the objections raised by both Russia and China, a paragraph on the war in Ukraine was classified as 'Chair Summary', while remaining 16 paragraphs became part of the 'Outcome Document' that was unanimously adopted by all the member countries, said an official release. Chief science advisers and the nominated equivalents from G20 members and guest countries met during the day at Mahatma Mandir here for the second meeting of the G20-Chief Science Advisers' Roundtable under India's G20 presidency. "We are very hopeful and convinced that the next presidency of Brazil will take it forward. In this roundtable, the focus was on three themes - One Health f