Page 45 - Ukraine

Ukraine bans Telegram app on state-issued devices due to Russian threat

Ukraine has banned government officials, military personnel and other defence and critical infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices, describing the move as necessary for national security during the war with Russia. Ukraine's National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre said it issued the ban for the official devices of government employees, military personnel, security and defence workers, and critical infrastructure employees. The ban was announced Friday by Ukraine's Security and Defence Council in a statement on Facebook. During a meeting on Thursday, the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Telegram is actively used by Russia for cyberattacks, phishing, spreading malware, establishing user locations and calibrating missile strikes. An exception to the ban will be allowed for people who use the app in their official duties. Ukrainians are free to use the app in their personal

Ukraine 'victory plan' depends on quick decisions by allies: Zelenskyy

Zelenskiy told a joint press conference with von der Leyen that Ukraine planned to use a proposed multi-billion dollar European Union loan for air defence, energy and domestic weapons purchases

Residents told to stay indoors as air pollution blankets Ukrainian capital

Authorities in Ukraine advised residents in the capital Kyiv to stay indoors Friday as air pollution, partly caused by fires in the region, blanketed the city. Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said the pollution was a result of the burning of peatlands and other wildfires in the region combined with autumn temperature fluctuations. The capital woke up to thick smog with the rancid smell of blazing fires in the air. Some people were spotted wearing masks. The Ukrainian capital topped a list of the most polluted major cities early Friday in a real-time database by IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality levels. Its air quality appeared to have improved somewhat since as the city came down in the ranking later in the day. Kyiv's Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change said that the likely cause of this is fires in the Kyiv region. Fires have been reported in the Vyshhorod district, around 20 kilometers (around 12 miles) n

Swiss firm delivers 2,000 forged wheels from Ukraine to Indian Railways

An additional 3,500 forged wheels are en route from Ukraine; earlier this year, orders were placed with the Swiss company for a total of 10,000 forged wheels, valued at Rs 72 crore

Biden to meet Zelenskyy next week, discuss war situation: White House

Ukrainian President expects to discuss the details of this plan and the US' support for Ukraine in its right to freedom

Reports claiming ammunition from India entering Ukraine speculative: MEA

India on Thursday described as "inaccurate" a media report that said artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop it. "We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and hence, is inaccurate and mischievous," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said India has an "impeccable" track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items. "India has been carrying out its defence exports taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end-user obligations and certifications," Jaiswal said. Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New De

EU chief travels to Kyiv, promises energy funds for Ukraine's winter

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen is travelling to war-ravaged Ukraine on Friday with the promise of 160 million euros ($180 million) in fresh energy funds to get the nation through the winter. Von der Leyen told reporters that 100 million euros ($112 million) of the funds would come the proceeds of the Russian assets held in the EU because of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It is only right that Russia pays for the destruction it caused, she said. The European Union estimates that about half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed, making the job of heating homes, hospitals and schools increasingly difficult as temperatures dip ahead of the third war winter that the nation will face. Von der Leyen said Russia knew full well that bombing energy stations was hitting Ukraine where it really hurts. Morale to keep on fighting can be significantly sapped if millions shiver in the brutal winter for months on end. We may see huge implications, said Fatih Birol, the hea

Russia takes two villages in the western Kursk region: Senior commander

Russia, which controls about 18% of Ukraine, has also been advancing in eastern Ukraine - and took the town of Ukrainsk on Tuesday

Ukraine reportedly using Indian arms against Russia: How and why explained

Moscow has raised concerns about artillery shells sold by Indian manufacturers to European customers turning up in Ukraine, but New Delhi does not appear to have taken action to stop such transfers

Ukraine drone attack forces evacuation in Russia's Tver region: Governor

Fourteen more drones were downed over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, and several more were destroyed over the regions of Oryol and Tula, the governors of those regions said

Human cost of war: Russia-Ukraine conflict leaves 1 million dead or wounded

A report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that in addition to military casualties, Ukraine's birthrate has plummeted to record lows by a three-to-one margin

Trump assassination attempt suspect planned to recruit Afghan soldiers

A 58-year-old man detained in connection with an apparent assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump has said in an interview in 2023 that he planned to recruit potential Afghan soldiers through Pakistan to fight in Ukraine against Russia. Ryan Wesley Routh, who authorities suspect was planning to attack the Republican presidential nominee as he played a round of golf, made these remarks to The New York Times. During an interview with newspaper in 2023, Routh also said he was seeking recruits for Ukraine from among Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban. He said he planned to move them, in some cases illegally, from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. He said dozens had expressed interest. We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan since it's such a corrupt country, he was quoted as saying by the New York Times. He has shown pro-Ukraine views into his public statements because of which he was interviewed by several news organisations, including The New York Ti

Starmer, Meloni hold talks on curbing migrant boats reaching UK, Italy

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is meeting Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday, as the two very different politicians, from left and right, seek common cause to curb migrants reaching their shores by boat. Support for Ukraine is also on the agenda for the trip, part of Starmer's effort to reset relations with European neighbors after Britain's acrimonious 2020 departure from the European Union. The center-left Labour Party prime minister isn't a natural ally of Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party. But migration has climbed the U.K. political agenda, and Starmer hopes lessons from Italy can help him stop people fleeing war and poverty trying to cross the English Channel in flimsy, overcrowded boats. More than 22,000 migrants have made the perilous crossing from France so far this year, a slight increase compared to the same period in 2023. Several dozen people have perished in the frigid Channel, including at least eight who died off the French coast

Russian bombing in Kharkiv kills 94-year-old woman, leaving 42 injured

The strike, hit a shopping mall and a major sports center in the Saltivskyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts

2 killed in Odesa after Moscow and Kyiv exchange drone, missile attacks

Two people died in a missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, local officials said, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged drone and missile attacks The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight, while the rest hit the suburbs of Odesa. Oleh Kiper, Odesa's regional governor, said the two who died Saturday night were a married couple, and that another person was wounded in the attack. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region. While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each other's territory, Ukrainian officials generally do not confirm or deny attacks within Russia's borders. The latest attacks came after Ukraine made a new call Saturday

US says it is working on 'substantial' round of further assistance for Kyiv

Over 25 months have passed since Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

Nato military committee chair, others back Ukraine's use of weapons

The head of NATO's military committee said Saturday that Ukraine has the solid legal and military right to strike deep inside Russia to gain combat advantage reflecting the beliefs of a number of US allies even as the Biden administration balks at allowing Kyiv to do so using American-made weapons. Every nation that is attacked has the right to defend itself. And that right doesn't stop at the border of your own nation, said Adm Rob Bauer, speaking at the close of the committee's annual meeting, also attended by US Gen CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bauer, of Netherlands, also added that nations have the sovereign right to put limits on the weapons they send to Ukraine. But, standing next to him at a press briefing, Lt Gen. Karel Rehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, made it clear his nation places no such weapons restrictions on Kyiv. We believe that the Ukrainians should decide themselves how to use it, Rehka said. Their comments came as

Ukraine renews calls on West to approve long-range strikes on Russia

Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to strike deeper into Russia after a meeting between US and British leaders a day earlier produced no visible shift in their policy on the use of long-range weapons. Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military bases inside the Russian Federation, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said Saturday. Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution. The renewed appeal came as Kyiv said Russia launched more drone and artillery attacks into Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on allies to greenlight the use of Western-provided long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. So far, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia's border with Ukraine. Discussions on allowing long-range strikes were believed to be on the table when US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met

Can't believe that I returned: T'gana youth recalls horrors of Ukraine war

A 22-year-old youth from Telangana, who was unwittingly recruited into the Russian army and left stranded at the Russia-Ukraine border for months, expressed his gratitude to the Centre on Saturday for facilitating his return to the country. "I still cannot believe that I have returned home. The horrific scenes of the ongoing war are still fresh in my mind..." said Mohammed Sufiyan, who returned home safely on Friday night after working as a support staff for the Russian army in its war with Ukraine. Sufiyan (22), who hails from Narayanpet district, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Telangana government and also the media for facilitating his return. Sufiyan recalled that he reached Russia via Chennai and Dubai in December 2023 after being promised the job of a security personnel by a Mumbai-based employment agent. However, he was taken to the Russia-Ukraine border and subjected to training before being entrusted with work like loading vehicles and building bunkers, he told

Biden meets Britain's PM, brushes off Putin's threats about war with West

President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine's allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for but does not appear likely to be announced following a meeting Friday between Biden and Britain's prime minister. Ukraine and many of its supporters in the US and Europe want Biden to lift restrictions on Western-provided long-range weapons, and there are signs Biden might shift the administration's policy. But the US, concerned about any step that could lead Russia to escalate the conflict, has moved cautiously before granting a series of earlier requests from Ukraine for specific arms, including advanced tanks, missiles and rocket systems, and F-16 fighter jets. Russian officials have issued similar threats before many of those past decisions. Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following this week's visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, w