Page 169 - Russia

From tanks to howitzers: Ukraine using Russian arms to repel their invasion

Ukraine has captured 460 main battle tanks, 92 self-propelled howitzers, 448 infantry fighting vehicles, 195 armoured fighting vehicles and 44 multiple-launch rocket systems from Russia since February

Estonian PM urges not to give in to Putin's nuclear threats

Estonia's prime minister said Tuesday that the West must not give in to Moscow's nuclear threats or premature peace proposals but stand firmly in support of Ukraine as the invaded country fights to rid its occupied territories of Russian soldiers. Kaja Kallas, who has led Estonia's government since last year, told The Associated Press in an interview that very dangerous calls for negotiations and peace in Ukraine have come from very prominent people lately. She didn't specify anyone by name, but her comments came a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk floated on Twitter a proposal for ending the war that elicited fierce opposition from Kyiv. Musk, who has been involved in an on and off and reportedly on again deal to buy the social media platform, argued that Russia should be allowed to keep the Crimean Peninsula that it seized in 2014. The four regions Russia annexed following Kremlin-orchestrated referendums last month should hold repeat votes organised by the United Nations, he said.

Zelenskyy signs decree ruling out holding further negotiations with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council, which rules out negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin in a bunker outside Moscow mulling over nuclear decisions: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'preparing to make key decisions about launching a tactical nuclear strike from a bunker' a long way outside Moscow, the media reported.

Indian refiners scout for oil deals ahead of EU ban on Russian crude:Report

Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp are seeking term deals with countries, including the United States, industry sources said

Russian rapper commits suicide to avoid being drafted in Ukraine war

A 27-year-old Russian rapper took his own life to avoid being drafted to fight in President Vladimir Putin's brutal war in Ukraine after tragically declaring he was "not ready to kill for any ideals"

What's Vladimir Putin thinking? Tough to know for nuclear analysts

Will President Vladimir Putin pull the nuclear trigger? For Kremlin watchers trying to figure out whether the Russian leader's nuclear threats are just bluffs, there is no more pressing -- or tough -- question. For now, analysts cautiously suggest that the risk of Putin using the world's biggest nuclear arsenal still seems low. The CIA says it hasn't seen signs of an imminent Russian nuclear attack. Still, his vows to use all the means at our disposal to defend Russia as he wages war in Ukraine are being taken very seriously. And his claim on Friday that the United States created a precedent by dropping atomic bombs in World War II further cranked up the nuclear stakes. The White House has warned of catastrophic consequences for Russia if Putin goes nuclear. But whether that will stay Putin's hand is anyone's guess. Nervous Kremlin watchers acknowledge they can't be sure what he is thinking or even if he's rational and well-informed. The former KGB agent has demonstrated an ap

Russia bounces back to become India's second-largest crude supplier in Sep

Russian oil has become the mainstay of Indian refiners in only six months, a position which took decades for West Asian suppliers and the US to achieve

Russia smuggling Ukrainian grain worth $530 million to fuel Putin's war

When the bulk cargo ship Laodicea docked in Lebanon last summer, Ukrainian diplomats said the vessel was carrying grain stolen by Russia and urged Lebanese officials to impound the ship. Moscow called the allegation false and baseless, and Lebanon's prosecutor general sided with the Kremlin and declared that the 10,000 tons of barley and wheat flour wasn't stolen and allowed the ship to unload. But an investigation by the Associated Press and the PBS series Frontline has found the Laodicea, owned by Syria, is part of a sophisticated Russian-run smuggling operation that has used falsified manifests and seaborne subterfuge to steal Ukrainian grain worth at least USD 530 million cash that has helped feed President Vladimir Putin's war machine. AP used satellite imagery and marine radio transponder data to track three dozen ships making more than 50 voyages carrying grain from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to ports in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and other countries. The ongoing theft,

Europe faces 'unprecedented risk' of gas shortage after Russian cuts: IEA

Europe faces unprecedented risks to its natural gas supplies this winter after Russia cut off most pipeline shipments and could wind up competing with Asia for already scarce and expensive liquid gas that comes by ship, the International Energy Agency said. The Paris-based IEA said in its quarterly gas report released Monday that European Union countries would need to reduce use by 13% over the winter in case of a complete Russian cutoff amid the war in Ukraine. Much of that cutback would have to come from consumer behavior such as turning down thermostats by 1 degree and adjusting boiler temperatures as well as industrial and utility conservation, the group said. The EU on Friday agreed to mandate a reduction in electricity consumption by at least 5% during peak price hours. Just a trickle of Russian gas is still arriving in pipelines through Ukraine to Slovakia and across the Black Sea through Turkey to Bulgaria. Two other routes, under the Baltic Sea to Germany and through Belaru

Russia's war naked aggression; India, France working to mitigate outcome

Russia's war in Ukraine is a "naked aggression" without any provocation and France and India are working together to mitigate the consequences of the conflict including global food and energy security, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said. In an interview to PTI, the envoy said France strongly condemned Russia's illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions and described it as a serious violation of both international law and Ukraine's sovereignty. Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent call to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict, the envoy said leaders of both India and France are working together to convince Moscow to return to the negotiating table. "We feel that Putin wants to return to the time of imperialism and that's exactly what we want to avoid in Europe and anywhere else in the world, especially in this region where I am talking," he said. "In the Indo-Pacific too, we do not want this, and I am sure India does not want any neighbour to encroach

On a wing and a prayer: Only this explains the RBI move to jack up rates

By raising the repo rate, the RBI has sacrificed growth and investment to try and contain inflation, which even the government says, has been driven by external factors

Putin declares captured regions part of Russia; Ukraine denies talks

Putin also urged Ukraine to sit down for peace talks but immediately insisted he won't discuss handing them back, opening a new escalatory phase of his seven-month invasion of the country.

UK imposes services sanctions on Russia over illegal annexation of Ukraine

The UK government on Friday imposed new services and goods export bans on Russia in response to what it termed the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine after sham referendums. The services sanctions are designed to target vulnerable sectors of the Russian economy, including IT consultancy, architectural services, engineering services and transactional legal advisory services for certain commercial activity. UK Foreign Secretary also instructed the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Kelin, be summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to protest in the strongest terms against the Russian action in Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The UK utterly condemns [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's announcement of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. We will never recognise the results of these sham referendums or any annexation of Ukrainian territory, said UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The Russian regime must be hel

US hits Russia with new sanctions for annexing Ukrainian regions

The US on Friday sanctioned more than 1,000 people and firms connected to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including its Central Bank governor and families of National Security Council members, after President Vladimir Putin signed treaties absorbing occupied regions of Ukraine into Russia, in defiance of international law. The Treasury Department named hundreds of members of Russia's legislature, leaders of the country's financial and military infrastructure and suppliers for sanctions designations. The Commerce Department added 57 companies to its list of export control violators, and the State Department added more than 900 people to its visa restriction list. We will not stand by as Putin fraudulently attempts to annex parts of Ukraine, said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The Treasury Department and US government are taking sweeping action today to further weaken Russia's already degraded military industrial complex and undermine its ability to wage its illegal war.

Zelenskyy accelerates NATO bid as Russia annexes 4 Ukraine regions

Ukraine's president says his country is submitting an accelerated application to join the NATO military alliance. The comment Friday by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came just after Russia said it would annex four region of Ukraine it seized amid its war and held gunpoint referendums viewed as illegitimate by the international community. Zelenskyy said: We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to NATO. It wasn't immediately clear what an accelerated application would mean, as ascension to NATO requires the unanimous support of the alliance's members. De facto, we have already proven compatibility with alliance standards. They are real for Ukraine -- real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction, Zelenskyy said. We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the alliance. Zelenskyy also repeated his pledge to reunite all of the Ukrainian territory now held by Russia. The entire territory

UNSC to vote on resolution against Russia's illegal referendum in Ukraine

The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a vote for Friday afternoon on a resolution that would condemn Russia for its illegal so-called referenda in four Ukrainian regions and declare that they have no validity. The US- and Albanian-sponsored resolution would call on all countries not to recognise any alterations to the status of Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. It would reaffirm the UN commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence within its internationally recognised borders. The Kremlin has announced plans to move on annexing Russian-controlled areas of the four regions on Friday, and Russia is certain to veto the resolution. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said earlier this week that if that happens the US and Albania will put the resolution to a vote in the 193-member General Assembly where there are no vetoes. The draft resolution, obtained late on Thursday by The Associated Press, would order Russia

US will never recognise Russia's claims on Ukrainian territory: Joe Biden

In response to Russia's move to formally annex four more areas in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will "never, never, never recognise" Moscow's claims on Kiev's territory

A shift towards indigenisation: 'Make in India' fortifies defence spending

An analysis of defence capex over the past 12 years shows a noticeable shift towards indigenisation

Rupee trade: Understanding difference between Nostro and Vostro accounts

The RBI has allowed two Russian banks, Sberbank and JSC VTB, to open Vostro accounts for rupee trade. Read more to find out what a Vostro account is and how it is different from a Nostro account