Page 20 - Ukraine

Europe court set to rule on cases against Russia over Ukraine conflict

Europe's top human rights court is set to rule Wednesday on Russia's actions in the conflict in Ukraine, including human rights violations during the full-scale invasion and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg will rule on four cases, brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia, marking the first time an international court will adjudicate Russian culpability for the wider conflict in Ukraine dating from 2014. Any decision will be largely symbolic. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster see the decision as an important milestone in their 11-year quest for justice. It's a real step in understanding who was really responsible, Thomas Schansman, who lost his 18-year-old son Quinn in the tragedy, told The Associated Press. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was sh

UK court convicts 3 men in Russia-linked arson plot targeting Ukraine aid

A British jury convicted three men on Tuesday of arson in an attack on an east London warehouse that was storing equipment destined for Ukraine. Authorities said Russian intelligence was behind the plot. Prosecutors said the March 20, 2024, attack was planned by agents of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, acting on behalf of Russian military intelligence. The British government has deemed Wagner a terrorist organisation. The prosecution said Wagner used British intermediaries to recruit the men to target an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, where generators and StarLink satellite equipment bound for Ukraine were being stored. The StarLinks are frequently used by Ukraine's military in fending off Russia's invasion. Authorities said the arson was part of a campaign of disruption across Europe that Western officials blame on Moscow and its proxies. A jury at London's Central Criminal Court found Jakeem Rose, 23; Ugnius Asmena, 20; and Nii Mensah, 23 guilty of aggravated arson. A

France's Macron makes state visit to UK with migration, Ukraine on agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Britain on Tuesday for a state visit mixing royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefire security force for Ukraine, despite apparent US indifference to the idea and Russia's refusal to halt the onslaught on its neighbor. Macron's three-day visit, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government's desire to reset relations with the bloc that the UK acrimoniously left in 2020. The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, will be driven to Windsor Castle by horse-drawn carriage, greeted by a military honor guard and treated to a state banquet hosted by the king and Queen Camilla. The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023. Macron also will address

Appearance of Nato bases in Ukraine an immediate threat to Russia: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Nato's efforts to turn Ukraine into a strategic military foothold left Moscow with no choice but to launch its 2022 military operation

Russia launches largest missile, drone barrage since war in Ukraine began

Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said Friday, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbour's land. Hours after the barrage that killed one person and wounded at least 26 others, including a child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a very important and productive phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksyy. The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Th

Russia hits Kyiv in biggest drone, missile attack since Ukraine war began

Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial attack since Russia's war in Ukraine began, injuring 23 people and inflicting damage across multiple districts of the capital. Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine overnight, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, while Russia used 11 missiles in the attack. Throughout the night, Associated Press journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault. Kyiv was the primary target of the attack. At least 23 people were injured, with 14 hospitalised, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukrainian air defences shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed. Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones f

'He could get offended': Putin halts forum to take Donald Trump's call

Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump that Russia will not back down in Ukraine, open to talks; both leaders discuss Iran tensions, US weapons pause, and push for diplomatic solutions

MAGA backers hail Trump for Ukraine arms pause after rebuke of Iran strikes

President Donald Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned the Republican leader's commitment to keeping the US out of foreign conflicts. This week's announcement pausing deliveries of key air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment to Ukraine comes just a few weeks after Trump ordered the US military to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Bombing those sites in Iran had some hardcore supporters of the "Make America Great Again" movement openly questioning whether Trump was betraying his vow to keep America out of stupid wars" as he inserted the US military into Israel's conflict with Tehran. With the Ukraine pause, which affects a crucial resupply of Patriot missiles, Trump is sending the message to his most enthusiastic backers that he is committed to following through on his campaign pledge to wind down American support for Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia

Highlights: 'Tughlaqi farman', says Atishi on Delhi's fuel ban on old vehicles

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Russia ramps up offensives against Ukraine as both sides seek advantage

An emboldened Russia has ramped up military offensives on two fronts in Ukraine, scattering Kyiv's precious reserve troops and threatening to expand the fighting to a new Ukrainian region as each side seeks an advantage before the fighting season wanes in the autumn. Moscow aims to maximise its territorial gains before seriously considering a full ceasefire, analysts and military commanders said. Ukraine wants to slow the Russian advance for as long as possible and extract heavy losses. Kremlin forces are steadily gaining ground in the strategic eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk, the capture of which would hand them a major battlefield victory and bring them closer to acquiring the entire Donetsk region. The fighting there has also brought combat to the border of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time. In an effort to prevent Moscow from bolstering those positions in the east, Ukrainian forces are trying to pin down some of Russia's best and most battle-hardened ..

US halts weapon supplies pledged to Ukraine after Pentagon review

The US is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said on Tuesday, a setback for the European country as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia. Certain munitions were previously promised to Ukraine under the previous Biden administration to aid its defences during the more than three-year-old war. The pause reflects a new set of priorities under President Donald Trump and came after Defence Department officials scrutinised current US stockpiles and raised concerns. This decision was made to put America's interests first following a review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned -- just ask Iran. That was a reference to Trump recently ordering US missile strikes against nuclear sites in Iran. Pentagon stocks of some weapons

Starmer faces down revolt over welfare reform after first year in office

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer marks a year in office this week, fighting a rebellion from his own party over welfare reform and reckoning with a sluggish economy and rock-bottom approval ratings. It's a long way from the landslide election victory he won on July 4, 2024, when Starmer's center-left Labour Party took 412 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons to end 14 years of Conservative government. In the last 12 months Starmer has navigated the rapids of a turbulent world, winning praise for rallying international support for Ukraine and persuading US President Donald Trump to sign a trade deal easing tariffs on UK goods. But at home his agenda has run onto the rocks as he struggles to convince British voters and his own party that his government is delivering the change that it promised. Inflation remains stubbornly high and economic growth low, frustrating efforts to ease the cost of living. Starmer's personal approval ratings are approaching those of Conservative Pr

Russia launches biggest aerial attack on Ukraine since start of war

Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war. Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine's air force, told the Associated Press that the overnight onslaught was the most massive air strike, on the country, taking into account both drones and various types of missiles. The attack targeted regions across Ukraine including western Ukraine, far from the frontline. Poland and allied countries scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the Polish air force said Sunday. Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said one person died in a drone strike. Six people were wounde

Nato's new higher spending pledge hinges on outcome of Ukraine-Russia war

Though Wednesday's agreement marks a substantial increase over the current goal of 2 per cent the method of measuring this expenditure offers a slightly altered reality

Highlights: Dragon capsule with Shubhanshu Shukla docks successfully at ISS

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News highlights: Cabinet adopts resolution against Emergency, says Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

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Russian long-range drones haunt Ukraine's nights with deadly strikes

How Russia's terrifying long-range drone program has brought about a deadly new phase in the war

Drone debris found in Ukraine indicates Russia using new tech from Iran

Last week, Ukrainian drone hunters picking up the debris from Russia's nightly assault on their cities found a weapon that stood out from the rest. It had an advanced camera, a computing platform powered by artificial intelligence and a radio link, allowing an operator to pilot it remotely from Russia. It also contained new, Iranian-made, anti-jamming technology, according to a Ukrainian drone expert. Most Russian attack drones are black, said Serhii Beskrestnov, an electronics expert more widely known as Flash. The new one, he told The Associated Press, was white. Inside, there were no markings or labels consistent with Russian-made drones. Instead, the stickers followed a standard Iran labelling system, Beskrestnov said. Experts who spoke to AP said the labels are not conclusive proof but the English-language words are consistent with how Iran marks its drones. It is quite possible, they said, that it was sold by Iran to Russia to test in combat. Moscow has pummelled Ukraine alm

News highlights: Hold perpetrators of cross-border terror to account, says NSA Doval at SCO meet

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Nato chief warns Russia of 'devastating' response to any aggression

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte warns Russia against attacking any ally, calls Moscow the biggest threat, and unveils historic defence spending plans ahead of the 2025 summit