Page 39 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Ukraine says Russia violating its own 3-day ceasefire, calls it a 'farce'

There was, though, a drop-off in combat activity after the ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin came into force in the early hours of Thursday

1 killed as Russia strikes Ukraine on first day of self-declared ceasefire

One person was killed early Thursday in Russian attacks in northeast Ukraine, in the opening hours of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another two people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided air bombs in the northeast Sumy region. The bombs were dropped on residential areas near the border, the regional prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Ukraine's Air Force alerted launches of glide bombs and at least one missile in the Sumy region starting at 02:39 am and until early morning on Thursday. Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, were not recorded since 8:30 pm the previous night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The ceasefire came into force at midnight on Thursday Moscow time. But smaller-scale Russian attacks persisted elsewhere in the country closer to the frontline, causing civilian casualties. A 55-year-old woman was killed in her home in Mykolaivka community

How Putin uses USSR's victory in WWII to rally support for war in Ukraine

Hardly any other country marks the end of World War II with the same fanfare and fervour as Russia, for which the victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago remains a source of immense pride and a defining moment of history. Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia's most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it's also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 of those 80 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his 3-year-old invasion of Ukraine. He has also sought to underline the failure of Western efforts to isolate Moscow by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders to the festivities, which this year have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targetting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital's airports, as well as cellphone

Ukrainian drones hit Moscow as foreign leaders gather for Red Square parade

Attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones caused flight disruption at Moscow's main airports for a third straight day on Wednesday as Russia prepared to receive the Chinese president and other foreign leaders for the annual Victory Day military parade in Red Square. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning cancelled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow. More than 140 Aeroflot flights also were delayed because of what officials described as the Ukrainian drone threat and amid heightened security measures around the Victory Day events. Russian air defenses repelled an attack by nine drones close to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours of Wednesday. In the evening, Sobyanin reported thwarting 15 more drones targeting Moscow, as flights were restricted in Moscow's airports once again. Though Ukrainian drones have targeted Moscow in the past, the sustained attacks appeared designed to disrupt preparations for the 80th anniversary celebratio

Russian missile-and-drones attack kills 2 people in Ukraine's capital

Russia launched a missile and a barrage of drones targeting the Ukrainian capital before dawn on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead, Ukrainian officials said. Eight people were also wounded in the attack, including four children, the Kyiv City Military Administration said in a post on Telegram. The attack came ahead of a planned unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in the more than three-year war announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with celebrations in Moscow marking Victory Day in World War II. Ukraine has unsuccessfully sought a longer and immediate truce. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on humanitarian grounds, would start on Thursday and last through Saturday to mark Moscow's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. At least one ballistic missile and 28 Russian drones were recorded in the airspace of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the administration said. Air Defence forces shot down the missile and 11 drones. A five-story residential building in the ...

Russia to host China, Brazil leaders for 80th anniversary of WWII victory

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of China, Brazil and other heads of states for festivities on Friday marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country's most important secular holiday. A massive parade through Red Square and other ceremonies underline Moscow's efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. For Putin, this day is important as a demonstration how broad a coalition backing Russia is, said political analyst Nikolai Petrov. The lineup of leaders coming to Moscow contrasts sharply to some past celebrations that drew top Western leaders at a time of friendlier ties between Russia and the West. The guest list reflects Moscow's priorities Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as our main guest at the Victory Day festivities when he discus

Kim Jong Un urges more artillery output as North Korea deepens Russia ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for his munitions industry to boost the production of artillery shells, state media said Wednesday, as the country continues to supply arms and troops to support Russia's war on Ukraine. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim, during recent visits to unspecified munitions and machinery factories, praised modernisation efforts that the agency claimed enabled the facilities to double their annual shell production capacity. Kim urged workers to further accelerate artillery shell production, calling it crucial to strengthening the fighting efficiency of his armed forces, and also called for the development of more advanced machinery to boost munitions output. KCNA did not mention any comments from Kim regarding his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Recent South Korean intelligence assessments suggest that North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and that nearly 5,000 of th

With lower oil prices, Putin is more eager to settle Ukraine war: Trump

The price of oil, which drives the Russian economy has fallen around $15 a barrel since the start of the year

Best of BS Opinion: Of arbitration, agreements, and artificial intelligence

Our opinion page today makes a strong argument for better management of the arbitration process, as well as the precedent that the Supreme Court's judgement sets

Hope there will be no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments broadcast Sunday that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not. In a preview of an upcoming interview with Russian state television, published on Telegram, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a logical conclusion. Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Putin said: There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons ... and I hope they will not be required. We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires, he said. Putin signed a revamped version of Russia's nuclear doctrine in November 2024, spelling out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscow's atomic arsenal, the world's largest. That version lowered the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power. Russia and Ukraine a

India looking for partners, not 'preachers': Jaishankar's message to Europe

S Jaishankar said that Europe must display some 'sensitivity and mutuality of interest' for closer ties with India

Missed NEET cutoff? Russian, Ukrainian universities say no worries

Russia, and Ukraine's universities eye Indian medical aspirants falling short of NEET cutoff; low tuition fees and globally recognised degrees continue to lure students, despite geopolitical tensions

Russian drone strikes in Kharkiv injure 47, Zelenskyy seeks support

A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, wounded 47 people, officials said, and prompted another appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more decisive support from the country's allies. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit 12 locations across the city late Friday. Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged in the assault, according to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. The Kharkiv Prosecutor's Office said Saturday that Russian forces used drones with thermobaric warheads. In a statement on Telegram, it said thermobaric weapons create a powerful blast wave and a hot cloud of smoke, causing large-scale destruction. The prosecutor said its use may indicate a deliberate violation of international humanitarian law. While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defence. Strong and real decisions are needed from ou

Russia downs 170 drones, 8 Western-supplied missiles over and around Crimea

Russia on Saturday said it has downed 170 drones and more than 10 guided missiles overnight over Crimea and several border regions with Ukraine. In a press release on its Telegram channel, the defence ministry said between 2200 hours Friday and 0500 hours Saturday, Russian air defence units have destroyed 96 fixed wing drones over Crimea, 47 over Krasnodar territory, 9 over Rostov, 8 each over Bryansk and Kursk regions in South West of Moscow. Two UAVs were also downed over the Belgorod region. Besides these, 8 Britain-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles and 3 Ukraine-developed Neptune-MD guided missiles were destroyed over the Black Sea. In the early hours on Saturday, 14 Ukrainian naval drones were destroyed in the Black Sea, the ministry said. Meanwhile, governors of some regions have reported civilian damage from Ukrainian drone strikes. Two adults and two children were evacuated after fragments from a downed UAV caused a fire on the roof of a house in the village of Tselina

Russian drone attack kills 2, injures 15 in Ukraine's port city of Odesa

A Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa early Thursday killed two people and injured 15 others, Ukrainian emergency services said. Regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said the barrage struck apartment buildings, private homes, a supermarket and a school. Videos shared by Kiper on Telegram showed a high-rise building with a severely damaged facade, a shattered storefront, and firefighters battling flames. A drone struck and ignited a fire at a petrol station in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia sent 170 exploding drones and decoys into five Ukrainian regions in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Thursday. It said 74 of them were intercepted and another 68 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. In addition to the drones, it said Russia launched five ballistic missiles during the overnight assault. Russia's Defence Ministry said Sunday that air defences sho

North Korea, Russia begin building first road link to boost growing ties

North Korea and Russia have begun building their first road link, the two countries announced, hailing the construction of a bridge over a border river as a major development that will further expand their booming ties. Russia's Tass news agency reported Wednesday that the bridge would be 1 kilometre long and its construction is expected to take 1 years, and North Korea's Korean Central News Agency said the bridge would expand cross-border travel of people, tourism and circulation of commodities. Relations and exchange programmes between the two countries have been flourishing in recent years, with North Korea supplying ammunitions and troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. One railway bridge and air service already connect North Korea and Russia, and in June 2024, the two countries agreed to construct a bridge for automobiles over the Tumen River, which runs along North Korea's borders with Russia and China. On Thursday, North Korea and Russia simultaneously held a ...

US, Ukraine sign economic deal after Trump asks Kyiv to pay back for help

The US and Ukraine announced on Wednesday an economic deal after a weekslong press by President Donald Trump calling on Ukraine compensate Washington for more billions in military and economic assistance to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video posted to X that this partnership allows the United States to invest alongside Ukraine, to unlock Ukraine's growth assets, mobilise American talent, capital and governance standards that will improve Ukraine's investment climate and accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery. Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed to The Associated Press that the deal has been signed in Washington. In a post on X, she said Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment to our country.

Ukraine set to sign major minerals deal with US amid ceasefire talks

Ukraine is set to sign a major rare earth minerals deal with the US, amid ongoing ceasefire talks as both sides push for faster negotiations and a potential ceasefire

4,700 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded fighting for Russia: S Korea

An estimated 4,700 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded while fighting alongside Russia against Ukrainian forces, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday. The assessment came two days after North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia recapture parts of the Kursk region, which it lost control of to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year. In a closed-door parliamentary committee briefing, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea had suffered 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths, on the Russia-Ukraine battlefronts, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. Lee told reporters the NIS said that 2,000 injured North Korean soldiers were repatriated to North Korea by air or train between January and March. He cited the NIS as saying the dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Russia before their remains were sent back home. In January, the NIS said about 300 Nort

McDonald's, Coca-Cola still see risks, stay cautious on operating in Russia

Coca-Cola said in its letter that "sanction regimes and other legal hurdles remain in place, impacting any considerations about returning to the Russian market"