Page 31 - Russia

2 killed, 13 injured during Russian drone, missile attacks on Ukraine

Russia sent waves of drones and missiles in an attack on two Ukrainian cities early Tuesday that killed two people and wounded at least thirteen others, Ukraine officials said. A maternity hospital and residential buildings in the centre of the southern port city of Odesa were damaged in the attack, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. Two people were killed and nine injured in the city, according to a statement from the regional prosecutor's office. Four people were injured in the attack on the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Associated Press journalists heard explosions and the buzzing of drones around the city for hours. The fresh attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials have been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases. Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defence forces worked

Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa

Even as it pounds Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, The Associated Press has found. Relying on satellite imagery and radio signals, AP tracked a convoy of Russian-flagged cargo ships as they made a nearly one-month journey from the Baltic Sea. The ships carried howitzers, radio jamming equipment and other military hardware, according to military officials in Europe who closely monitored them. The deliveries could strengthen Russia's fledgling Africa Corps as Moscow competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across the continent. The two-year-old Africa Corps, which has links to a covert branch of Russia's army, is ascendant at a time when US and

Russia, Ukraine start prisoner swap after recriminations after peace talks

The first groups of prisoners under the age of 25 years were transferred by both sides, and the returning Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said

Tension between India, China has eased significantly: Russian FM Lavrov

The tension between India and China has eased significantly and the stalled work of the RIC troika could be restarted, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. Speaking at the Forum of the Future-2050 here, he said the resumption of joint work in RIC format could be the first step towards pan-Eurasian processes, including the formation of a multi-polar architecture. "I really hope that we will be able to restore the work of the Russia-India-China trio. We have not met at the level of foreign ministers for the last couple of years, but we are discussing this issue with my Chinese colleague and with the Indian head of the External Affairs department. I really hope that now that the tension has eased, in my opinion, has eased significantly on the border between India and China, and the situation is stabilising, there is a dialogue between New Delhi and Beijing, we will be able to resume the work of this Russia-India-China trio," Lavrov was reported as saying by Russia's .

Russia to send more Ukrainian soldiers' bodies amid prisoner swap dispute

A planned exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine did not take place on Saturday. Russia claims that Ukraine postponed the swap at the last minute

Russia trolls Trump-Musk spat, floats peace deal and asylum for Musk

As Trump and Musk clash publicly, Kremlin officials mock the feud, offer Musk asylum, and float a 'peace deal'

Strike against Kyiv was a response to Ukrainian 'terrorist acts': Russia

Russia's military released the statement after Ukrainian officials said Russia had launched an intense missile and drone barrage at Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in the early hours of Friday

North Korea raises capsized destroyer upright as it continues repairs

North Korea said Friday it had righted a capsized destroyer and moored it at a pier in the northeastern port of Chongjin as it continues to repair the new warship leader Kim Jong Un has described as a significant asset for his nuclear-armed military. The report by North Korean state media aligned with South Korean military assessments and recent commercial satellite images. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said experts will closely examine the ship's hull before beginning the next phase of restoration, which will take place at a dry dock at the neighbouring port of Rajin and is expected to last seven to 10 days. Satellite images taken Thursday by Planet Labs PBC analysed by The Associated Press showed the stricken destroyer upright and floating. It wasn't immediately clear from the image just how much damage had been done to the vessel, which had been in the water for days after the failed launch. However, the ship did not appear to be noticeably listing, meaning ..

NATO on cusp of accepting Trump's 5% defence investment demand, says Rutte

Most U.S. allies at NATO endorse President Donald Trump's demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense needs and are ready to ramp up security spending even more, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday. There's broad support, Rutte told reporters after chairing a meeting of NATO defense ministers at the alliance's Brussels headquarters. We are really close, he said, and added that he has total confidence that we will get there by the next NATO summit in three weeks. European allies and Canada have already been investing heavily in their armed forces, as well as on weapons and ammunition, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At the same time, some have balked at U.S. demands to invest 5% of GDP on defense 3.5% on core military spending and 1.5% on the roads, bridges, airfields and sea ports needed to deploy armies more quickly. Still struggling to meet the old goal: In 2023, as Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine entered i

Donald Trump says he may let Russia, Ukraine 'fight for a little while'

Donald Trump addressed Elon Musk's criticism of his bill, saying Musk knew about the EV subsidy cuts. Musk replied "whatever" and slammed the bill's "DISGUSTING PORK" while calling subsidy cuts unfair

Highlights: Trump says doesn't know if he and Musk will continue good relationship

Highlights: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Russia to respond to attacks on airfields as military deems right: Kremlin

Russia will respond to Sunday's Ukrainian drone attacks on its airfields when and how the military deems appropriate, the Kremlin said on Thursday. On June 1, Ukraine used drones to carry out attacks against airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, home to Moscow's nuclear triad. Replying to a media query on when Russia could retaliate and how, the Kremlin spokesman said, In such a way and at such a time as our military deems appropriate. On Wednesday night, in an unscheduled phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would have to respond to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's nuclear-capable bomber fleet. Agreeing with his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's view voiced at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Putin also described peace talks with Ukraine as "useful." Russian planes that were damaged after Ukraine's attack on Jun 1 will be repaired, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on ...

Europe wants to banish Russian gas, but the US may have other plans

A large Republican donor wants to buy a Russian pipeline to Germany. The White House has entertained the idea of working with the Kremlin to supply Russian gas to Europe

Warplanes hit in Ukraine drone strike will be repaired, says Russia

Ukrainian strikes targeted airfields in Siberia and the far north where Russia houses heavy bombers that form part of its strategic nuclear forces

Russian strike kills 5, including 1 year old, hours after Trump calls Putin

At least five people, including a one-year-old child, were killed in a Russian drone strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky overnight, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Thursday. Six more people were wounded in the attack and have been hospitalised, Chaus said. According to him, six Shahed-type drones struck residential areas of Pryluky early Thursday morning, causing severe damage to residential buildings. Hours later, 17 people were wounded in a Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Thursday, including children, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At around 1.05 am, Shahed-type drones struck two apartment buildings in the city's Slobidskyi district, causing fires and destroying several private vehicles. "By launching attacks while people sleep in their homes, the enemy once again confirms its tactic of insidious terror," Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

Will 'unconditionally support' Russia's war against Ukraine: Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a visiting top Russian official that his country will unconditionally support Russia's war against Ukraine, the North's state media reported Thursday, the latest sign of expanding cooperation between the two nations. In April, the two countries officially confirmed North Korean troops' deployment to Russia for the first time, saying that soldiers of the two countries were fighting alongside each other to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea's participation in the war and promised not to forget their sacrifices. In a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Kim affirmed that North Korea will unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue, the official Korean Central News Agency said. The two discussed how to .

Russian rockets kill 4 in Ukraine as Kyiv claims it damaged a key bridge

A Russian rocket attack targeted the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday, killing at least four people and wounding 25, officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the assault, saying it underscored that Moscow has no intentions of halting the 3-year-old war. The attack came a day after direct peace talks in Istanbul made no progress on ending the fighting. Local authorities said the barrage of rockets struck apartment buildings and a medical facility in the centre of Sumy. Meanwhile, Ukraine's secret services said they struck inside Russia again, two days after a spectacular Ukrainian drone attack on air bases deep inside the country. A vital bridge to Crimea The Ukrainian Security Service, known by its acronym SBU, claimed it damaged the foundations of the Kerch Bridge linking Russia and illegally annexed Crimea a key artery for Russian military supplies in the war. The SBU said it detonated 1,100 kilograms (2,400 pounds) of explosives on the seabed ...

India's imports of Russian oil hit 10-month high in May, shows data

India's imports of Russian crude oil surged to a 10-month high of 1.96 million barrels per day in May, driven by continued availability at significant discounts compared to global benchmark prices, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler. India, the world's third largest oil importing and consuming nation, bought from abroad around 5.1 million barrels of crude oil, which is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel in refineries. Of this, Russia was the largest supplier, accounting for over 38 per cent of the supplies. Iraq maintained its position as the second-largest supplier, with 1.2 million bpd of sales to India. Saudi Arabia exported 6,15,000 bpd, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) supplied 4,90,000 bpd. The United States routed out the top five, delivering 2,80,000 bpd, underscoring India's push to diversify import sources and balance geopolitical exposure. "Overall, India's crude import profile for May 2025 highlights its price-sensitive, diversified sourcing strateg

Ukraine, Russia swap dead, wounded troops with no progress towards peace

Representatives of Russia and Ukraine met Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, but aside from agreeing to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops, they made no progress toward ending the 3-year-old war, officials said. The talks unfolded a day after a string of stunning long-range attacks by both sides, with Ukraine launching a devastating drone assault on Russian air bases and Russia hurling its largest drone attack of the war against Ukraine. At the negotiating table, Russia presented a memorandum setting out the Kremlin's terms for ending hostilities, the Ukrainian delegation said. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, told reporters that Kyiv officials would need a week to review the document and decide on a response. Ukraine proposed further talks on a date between June 20 and June 30, he said. After the talks, Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti published the text of the Russian

India's energy trade with US facing price and transport challenges

Crude oil purchases are facing hurdles, LNG imports are crashing and potential LPG purchases are falling hostage to tariff and geopolitics, according to industry sources and ship tracking data