Page 129 - Russia

Jaishankar meets Russian counterpart in Indonesia, discusses Ukraine

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here and discussed bilateral economic issues and matters related to the Ukraine conflict. Jaishankar met Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Ministerial in the Indonesian capital, their second bilateral meeting in just over a month. "Met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia in Jakarta today. Discussed bilateral economic issues, as also matters pertaining to the Ukraine conflict," Jaishankar tweeted. The two sides discussed the Ukraine conflict on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced India's deep concern about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, especially on the countries of the Global South, asserting that the conflict must end. In an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos ahead of his official visit to France, Modi said India has always stood for peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue and diplomacy. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the prime

2 hospitalised, buildings damaged in Kyiv by Russian drone strike overnight

Russian forces unleashed a barrage of self-exploding Iranian-made Shahed drones early Thursday morning, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Nearly ten drones were identified and shot down, the municipal authorities wrote on Telegram. Explosions were heard in different parts of the city, and debris from intercepted drones fell on five districts of the Ukrainian capital. Some buildings were damaged, and two people hospitalised with shrapnel wounds.

Wagner mercenaries surrendering their weapons to military: Defence ministry

Mercenaries of the Wagner Group are completing the handover of their weapons to the Russian military, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday, a move that follows the private army's brief rebellion last month that challenged the Kremlin's authority. The disarming of Wagner reflects efforts by authorities to defuse the threat it posed and also appears to herald an end to the mercenary group's operations on the battlefield in Ukraine. The actions come amid continued uncertainty about the fate of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and the terms of a deal that ended the armed rebellion by offering amnesty for him and his mercenaries along with permission to move to Belarus. Among the weapons turned over were more than 2,000 pieces of equipment, such as tanks, rocket launchers, heavy artillery and air defence systems, along with over 2,500 metric tons of munitions and more than 20,000 firearms, the Defence Ministry said. The statement follows the Kremlin's acknowledgment Monday that Prigozhin a

Traces of explosives found in yacht in Nord Stream sabotage probe: Diplomat

Investigators found traces of subsea explosives in samples taken from a yacht that has been one aspect of a probe into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea last year, European diplomats have told the United Nations Security Council. They say that the investigation hasn't yet established who the perpetrators were and whether a state was involved. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been investigating the Sept 26 attack, and the Danish Foreign Ministry tweeted a letter Tuesday from the three countries' UN ambassadors to the president of the Security Council with information on their activities so far. Officials voiced caution in March over media reports that a pro-Ukraine group was involved in the sabotage. German media reported then that five men and a woman used a yacht hired by a Ukrainian-owned company in Poland to carry out the attack, and that it set off from the German port of Rostock. German federal prosecutors declined direct comment on that and ot

Concerns over food security grow as Russia warns to pull out of grain deal

Concerns are growing that Russia will not extend a United Nations-brokered deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to parts of the world struggling with hunger, with ships no longer heading to the war-torn country's Black Sea ports and food exports dwindling. Turkey and the UN negotiated the breakthrough accord last summer to ease a global food crisis, along with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertiliser. Moscow insists it's still facing hurdles, though data shows it has been exporting record amounts of wheat. Russian officials repeatedly say there are no grounds for extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is up for its fourth renewal Monday. It's something they have threatened before then have twice gone on to extend the deal for two months instead of the four months outlined in the agreement. The UN and others are striving to keep the fragile deal intact, with Ukraine and Russia both major suppliers of wheat, barley, vegetable

Russia has 'no red lines' to prevent attacks on nuclear plant, says Ukraine

The catastrophic collapse of a dam in southern Ukraine has made Kyiv worried that Russia might stage an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to foment panic and quell Ukrainian advances on the frontline, Ukraine's energy minister said Monday. Herman Halushchenko said the destruction of the dam while under Russian control in the Kherson region proved there are no red lines for Moscow. He said it warrants the level of alarm Ukraine's leadership has been raising in recent weeks of an alleged Russian ploy to attack the nuclear plant in a possible false flag operation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged last week, citing intelligence reports, that Russian troops placed objects resembling explosives atop several power units to simulate an attack. Drone and satellite images obtained by the Associated Press showed unidentified white objects on the roof of the plant's fourth power unit, but Ukrainian leaders have so far been unable to provide further evidence. While Russia .

Putin hosted Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin at Kremlin after mutiny

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence held by both men. The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhin's Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine - where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops - and of the revolt itself. The Wagner forces pledged loyalty to Putin, according to Peskov. The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month in order to demand a change of defense minister, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against

Russian military chief who was targeted by rebellion surfaced in video

Russia's Defence Ministry released a video Monday of the country's military chief, the first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov has been shown since the leader of a mercenary army sought his dismissal during a brief rebellion. In the video, Gerasimov is shown hearing a report from the chief of staff of Russia's aerospace forces and calling for improvement in identifying the location of Ukrainian missiles. During last month's short-lived revolt, the head of private defense company Wagner repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for denying supplies to his fighters in Ukraine. Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries forces entered the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on June 23 and took control of the headquarters of Russia's southern military command. Wagner forces also moved toward Moscow, encountering little resistance. Prigozhin claimed that the uprising was not aimed at President ...

Nearly 50,000 Russian men died in conflict with Ukraine, shows report

Nearly 50,000 Russian men have died in the war in Ukraine, according to the first independent statistical analysis of Russia's war dead. Two independent Russian media outlets, Mediazona and Meduza, working with a data scientist from Germany's Tubingen University, used Russian government data to shed light on one of Moscow's closest-held secrets the true human cost of its invasion of Ukraine. To do so, they relied on a statistical concept popularised during the COVID-19 pandemic called excess mortality. Drawing on inheritance records and official mortality data, they estimated how many more men under age 50 died between February 2022 and May 2023 than normal. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely data on military losses, and each is at pains to amplify the other side's casualties. Russia has publicly acknowledged the deaths of just over 6,000 soldiers. Reports about military losses have been repressed in Russian media, activists and independent journalists say. Documenting the dead h

Azerbaijan's Covid curbs turn into moneyspinner despite it being over

The self-isolation from its neighbors that include Russia and Iran is the last remaining safety measure imposed by Azerbaijan during the pandemic

Wimbledon Day 7: Djokovic leads Hurkacz; Safiullin, Rublev and Swaitek win

Wimbledon 2023: Russia's Roman Safiullin and Andrey Rublev moved to the last 8 in Men's Singles. Novak Djokovic leads Hurkacz. In Women's Single, Swiatek, Pegula and Svitolina too moved to the last 8

Ukraine's possible entry may be biggest challenge at upcoming Nato meet

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO's much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world's biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO's next leader forced an extension of the current secretary-general's term for an extra year. Perhaps the most difficult questions are over how Ukraine should be eased into NATO. Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfil a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict. "I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview airing Sunday. He said joining NATO requires countries t

Russian fighter jets harass American drones over Syria: US military

Russian fighter jets have harassed American drones over Syria for the third day in a row this week, the U.S. military said. Tension between Russian and U.S. troops is not uncommon in Syria as both countries conduct patrols on the ground as well as overflights. Syria's 12-year conflict has left half a million people dead and over 1 million wounded. The U.S. military said in a statement that Friday's encounter lasted for about two hours during which three MQ-9 drones were once again harassed by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria. Russian aircraft flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations, Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement. Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, said earlier this week that the Russian and Syrian militaries have started a six-day joint training that ends Monday. Gurinov added in comments carried by Syrian state me

UN to keep pushing for extension of food exports from Russia, Ukraine

Top UN officials have vowed to keep working for an extension of the deal that allows food and fertilizer exports from Russia and Ukraine despite their war, pushing back at Moscow's pessimism about a renewal before the July 17 expiration. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both countries to make global food security a priority and "help ensure that these products can reach global markets smoothly, efficiently and at scale", UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Friday. "Together, the agreements are contributing to sustained reductions in global food prices, which are now more than 23 per cent below the record highs reached in March last year." Turkey and the UN brokered a breakthrough accord with the warring sides last July, which has enabled Ukraine to ship over 32 million tonnes of grain from Black Sea ports to global markets. Moscow, however, complains that the separate UN-Russia memorandum on facilitating shipments of Russian food and fertiliser still faces serious ...

Russian energy giant Rosneft appoints former IOC director to its board

Russian energy giant Rosneft has appointed a former Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) director to its board in signs it may be looking at boosting trade links with India. G K Satish, who retired as director for business development at IOC in 2021, is one of the three new faces appointed to the 11-strong board of directors of Rosneft, according to a statement issued by the Russian firm. Satish, 62, is the first Indian to be appointed to the board of Rosneft. Rosneft has partnerships with Satish's former company in oil and gas fields in Russia. It also sells crude oil to IOC and other Indian firms and has in recent months started shipping naphtha to Gujarat refiners. His appointment assumes significance as Rosneft is now eyeing more deals with Indian firms including the sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Satish, who has deep insight into the Indian oil and gas market and has expertise in petroleum product marketing, petrochemicals, LNG and international trade, is one of the five ...

West clashes with Russia, Iran at UN over Tehran''s uranium enrichment

The United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia and Iran at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday over Tehran's advancing uranium enrichment and its reported supply of combat drones to Moscow being used to attack Ukraine. The sharp exchanges came at the council's semi-annual meeting on implementation of its resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major countries known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the U.S. under then-President Donald Trump left in 2018. At the start of the meeting, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Britain, which hold the council presidency, of seeking to hold an openly politicized show by inviting Ukraine to take part in the meeting when it is not part of the JCPOA. He demanded a procedural vote on its participation. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood countered, accusing both Iran and Russia of participating in the transfer of drones used in Ukraine without prior Security Council approval in ..

Armed rebellion by Prigozhin underscores erosion of Russian legal system

Russia's rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin walked free from prosecution for his June 24 armed mutiny, and it's still unclear if anyone will face any charges in the aborted uprising against military leaders or for the deaths of the soldiers killed in it. Instead, a campaign is underway to portray the founder of the Wagner Group military contractor as driven by greed, with only hints of an investigation into whether he mishandled any of the billions of dollars in state funds. Until last week, the Kremlin has never admitted to funding the company, with private mercenary groups technically illegal in Russia. But President Vladimir Putin revealed the state paid Wagner almost $1 billion in just one year, while Prigozhin's other company earned about the same from government contracts. Putin wondered aloud whether any of it was stolen. The developments around Prigozhin, who remains unpunished despite Putin's labeling of his revolt as treason, underscored what St. Petersburg ...

US to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of aid package: Report

The Biden administration has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine and is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon will send thousands as part of the latest military aid package for the war effort against Russia, according to people familiar with the decision. The decision comes despite widespread concerns that the controversial bombs can cause civilian casualties. The Pentagon will provide munitions that have a reduced dud rate, meaning there will be far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths. US officials said Thursday that the cluster munitions would be part of about USD 800 million in new military assistance to Ukraine. Long sought by Ukraine, cluster bombs are weapons that open in the air, releasing submunitions, or bomblets, that are dispersed over a large area and are intended to wreak destruction on multiple targets at once. The officials and others familiar with the decision were not authorised to publicly discuss the move .

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin still in Russia, says Belarus President

Nato says alliance watching Wagner members in Belarus

Russian navy ships visit Shanghai as countries reaffirm military ties

A pair of Russia navy ships are visiting China as the countries reaffirm their military ties amid Russia's war in Ukraine. The Cold War-era frigates Gromkiy and Otlichnyy arrived in the financial hub of Shanghai, China's largest city and biggest port, on Wednesday for a seven-day visit. Following the port call, the ships will conduct joint drills with their Chinese counterparts focusing on ship-to-ship communications, maneuvering in formation and maritime search and rescue, state television's military channel reported Thursday. The visit follows a meeting Monday in Beijing between China's defense minister and the head of Russia's navy, the first formal military talks between the friendly neighbors since a short-lived mutiny by the Russian mercenary group Wagner. China has reassured Russia of its continued support since the uprising, and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu told Russian Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov that China hoped for increased exchanges, joint exercises and other form