Page 112 - Ukraine

US has concerns about any country exercising with Russia: Official

The United States has concerns about any country conducting an exercise with Russia which has waged an unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday. It said this in response to a question on a multinational military exercise -- called "Vostok 2022" -- from September 1-7 in Russia which among others would be attended by India and China. This will be the first large-scale multinational military exercise in Russia since the beginning of its offensive in Ukraine. "The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages an unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine. But, of course, every participating country will make its own decisions. And I'll leave it at that," White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard the Air Force One. When she was specifically asked why "not put any pressure on India", Jean-Pierre said, "My first sentence there is saying that we have concerns over any country exercising with Russi

Turkey hikes up passage fees through its straits almost fivefold: Report

The passage fee hike came shortly after the straits of Turkey became the epicentre of global attention as ships carrying tonnes of Ukrainian grain sailed through them

Volunteer sniper embodies Ukraine's versatile military amid unending crisis

Before taking a shot, Ukrainian sniper Andriy buries his face in a foldout mat, breathing slowly and deliberately. I need to be completely relaxed, to find a place where I will not move the rifle when I pull the trigger, he says. I don't think about anything. It's a kind of vacuum. In a semicircle around his head are boxes of bullets, printouts of charts, a heavy-duty stapler and a roll of tape. Strapped to his wrist is a monitor, which is the shape of a jewellery box. It's a ballistics calculator to factor in the wind and other surrounding conditions. Bees persistently circling his head and scope are ignored. After a long pause, he says the word shot in Ukrainian. Crack! A sound not unlike a starting gun used at sporting events produces a reflexive jolt in people unaccustomed to war. Six months ago, the noise might have startled Andriy, who had moved to Western Europe to pursue a career in engineering. Andriy comes from Bucha, a district near Kyiv's airport that was hammered d

EU Defence Ministers mull military training programme for Ukraine

The meeting in Prague is in the Gymnich format, but no legal decision is possible as the talks are taking place informally

New Russian offensive strikes Ukraine, nuclear power plant still in focus

Several projectiles also hit the nearby city of Enerhodar, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the artillery fire

Russia, Ukraine trade claims of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant attacks

Russia and Ukraine traded claims of rocket and artillery strikes at or near Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Sunday, intensifying fears that the fighting could cause a massive radiation leak. Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant soon after the war began and hold adjacent territory along the left bank of the wide Dnieper River. Ukraine controls the right bank, including the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets, each about 10 km (six miles) from the facility. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that Ukrainian forces had attacked the plant twice over the past day, and that shells fell near buildings storing reactor fuel and radioactive waste. "One projectile fell in the area of the sixth power unit, and the other five in front of the sixth unit pumping station, which provides cooling for this reactor, Konashenkov said, adding that radiation levels were normal. In another apparent attack Sunday, Russian forces shot down an ar

UK's financial support for Ukrainian military to run out by end of 2022

UK citizens are starting to realize the scale of sacrifices they have to make for the sake of Kiev and fearing surging gas prices in the country

Ukraine on edge as Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, region's towns shelled

Moscow reports more shelling near Russia-held plant; no new information from Ukraine nuclear operator * IAEA awaits clearance to visit Zaporizhzhia plant

Ukraine train system attacks by Russia may be war crimes, say experts

Russia's attack on a Ukrainian train station that killed more than 20 people this week is the latest in a series of strikes on the country's railway system that some international legal scholars say may be war crimes. While Russia claimed that it had targeted the train because it was carrying Ukrainian troops and equipment on Wednesday, an Associated Press reporter on the ground said there was no visible indication that Ukrainian troops were among the dead, who included children. If civilians were the target, experts said Thursday, the attack could be considered a war crime. A train station is generally a civilian object and should not be a target of attack, said Jennifer Trahan, a clinical professor at New York University's Centre for Global Affairs. Wednesday's attack in Chaplyne, a small village in southeastern Ukraine, was one of the deadliest in months on the country's extensive railway system. In the nearly six months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the AP and the PBS series ..

US Treasury official concludes India visit with discussions on Ukraine

: A US treasury official has concluded his visit to India that included meetings among others with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, with discussions on issues like energy prices and Ukraine. On August 26, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo met with government officials in New Delhi, including Sitharaman, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra, Ministry of Finance Secretary Ajay Seth, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Vijay Kwatra, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Pankaj Jain. During the meeting, Adeyemo discussed ways that the United States and India could work together to address shared global challenges like food insecurity and high energy prices. He raised that ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine was critical to addressing these issues, the Treasury said in a readout of the meetings. Adeyemo also shared with counterparts the United States' views on ways to put downward pressure on energy prices for consumers and businesses in .

It's time to rewrite the war playbook

Why did the think-tanks, the military experts and the policy wonks get the Russia-Ukraine war so wrong?

Ukrainian nuclear plant cut off from electrical grid due to fire damage

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the middle of the fighting in Ukraine was temporarily cut off from the electrical grid Thursday because of fire damage, causing a blackout in the region and heightening fears of a catastrophe in a country haunted by the Chernobyl disaster. The plant, Europe's largest, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war. The government in Kyiv alleges Russia is essentially holding the plant hostage, storing weapons there and launching attacks from around it, while Moscow accuses Ukraine of recklessly firing on the facility. On Thursday, the plant was cut off from the grid for the first time after fires damaged a transmission line, according to Ukraine's nuclear power operator. The damaged line apparently carried outgoing electricity and thus the region lost power, according to Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-installed governor. As a result of the damage, the two reactors still in use went offline, he said, but one was quickly ..

No hot showers, street lights; here's how Europe is slashing energy use

As the Kremlin slashes gas deliveries and power-plant outages intensify a supply squeeze, Europe has little alternative but to curtail demand

UN nuclear treaty conference ends with Ukraine's nuclear plant in spotlight

As 191 countries approach Friday's end to a four-week conference to review the landmark U.N. treaty aimed at curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and takeover of Europe's largest nuclear power plant and rivalries between the West and China were posing key obstacles to agreement on a final document. Argentine Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen, president of the conference reviewing the 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which is considered the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament, circulated a 35-page draft final document on Thursday. After listening to objections from countries at a closed-door session, diplomats said he was planning to revise the document for a final closed-door discussion Friday morning, ahead of an open meeting in the afternoon to end the conference. Any document must be approved by all parties to the treaty and it's uncertain whether an agreement will be reached before the conference ends. There is a possibility that only a brief

Russia claims responsibility for Ukrainian train station missile strike

Russia's Defence Ministry has confirmed that its forces were behind the missile strike on a railway station in central Ukraine that Kiev said left at least 25 people dead, including civilians

Gauff, Nadal play in US Open exhibition to collect $1 mn for Ukraine

Coco Gauff's shoes carried the message Play for Peace as she joined Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek and other tennis stars in a pre-U.S. Open exhibition event that helped generate more than $1 million for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. You guys all know me: I like to speak out when it's right, Gauff said after teaming with former player John McEnroe in a mixed doubles match against Nadal and Swiatek. I'm glad that I was able to be a part of this. The U.S. Tennis Association said 100% of proceeds from sales of tickets to its Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition in Louis Armstrong Stadium went to an international nonprofit organization. Other players participating included Ukrainian pros Dayana Yastremska and Katarina Zavatska, 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, Carlos Alcarez, Maria Sakkari, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jessica Pegula. It really means a lot to see so many people supporting Ukraine, Zavatska told the crowd, noting that it was her country's Independence Day. I really hope

US announces largest weapons package worth nearly $3 bn for Ukraine

The US has announced an additional tranche of security assistance to Ukraine worth nearly $3 billion, the largest one-time weapons aid as the Russia-Ukraine conflict reached the half-year mark

Ukraine demands more weapons from Germany as thousands show support

Germany has sent heavy weaponry to Ukraine from its own military stocks, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced another the shipment of more than €500 million ($499.3 million) in weapons

EU planning to allocate another $7.9 bn in assistance to Ukraine

The European Union has provided Ukraine with 9.5 billion euros in financial aid since February 24 and is preparing a new package worth some eight billion euros, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell

Russian attack on Independence Day in central Ukraine kills 15 citizens

Russian forces Wednesday launched a rocket attack on a train station in central Ukraine on the embattled country's Independence Day, killing at least 15 people and wounding about 50, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after warning for days that Moscow might attempt something particularly cruel this week. The lethal attack took place in Chaplyne, a town of about 3,500 people in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian news agencies quoted Zelenskyy as telling the U.N. Security Council via video. Ukraine had been bracing for especially heavy attacks surrounding the national holiday that commemorates Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ukraine also marked the six-month point in the war. Ahead of Independence Cay, Kyiv authorities banned large gatherings in the capital through Thursday for fear of missile strikes. Residents of the capital, which has been largely spared in recent months, woke up Wednesday to air raid sirens, but no immediate strikes ...