Page 63 - Ukraine

Massive Russian attack destroys one of Ukraine's largest power plants

A massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants and damaged others, officials said on Thursday, part of a renewed Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure. The Trypilska plant, which was the biggest energy supplier for the Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, was struck numerous times, destroying the transformer, turbines and generators and leaving the plant ablaze. As the first drone approached, workers hid in a shelter, saving their lives, said Andrii Hota, director of the state company that runs the plant, Centrenergo. They watched the plant burn, surrounded by dense smoke and engulfed in flames. It's terrifying, said Hota. Hours later, rescuers were still dismantling the rubble. The plant supplied electricity to 3 million customers but none lost power because the grid was able to compensate since demands are low at this time of year. Still, the consequences of the strikes could be felt in the coming months, as air conditioning use ramp

Putin mocks scheduled Ukraine peace talks, highlights Russia's interests

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked a scheduled round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests. Switzerland's government said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of fighting, and expressed hope that Russia might join in the peace process someday. Putin charged that Russia hadn't been invited to join June's talks, while pointing at Swiss recognition that a peace process can't happen without Russia. They aren't inviting us there, Putin said. Moreover, they think there is nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say that's it's impossible to decide anything without us. It would have been funny if it weren't so sad." Russia has dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula requiring Moscow to pull back its troops, pay compensation to Ukraine and face an ...

Ukraine's parl passes controversial law to boost much-needed conscripts

Ukraine's parliament passed a law on Thursday that will govern how the country recruits new conscripts, following months of delay and after thousands of amendments were submitted to water down the initial draft. Lawmakers dragged their feet for months over the law, which is expected to be unpopular. The law was spurred by a request from the military command under former army Commander Valerii Zaluzhny, who said Ukraine was in need of up to 500,000 new recruits to boost army ranks.

India ranks number 10 in cybercrime, Russia tops list followed by Ukraine

India ranked number 10 in cybercrime, with frauds involving people to make advance fee payment being the most common type, according to a new research that surveyed cybercrime experts around the world. An international team of researchers has compiled the 'World Cybercrime Index' that ranks roughly 100 countries and identifies key hotspots according to various categories of cybercrime, including ransomware, credit card theft and scams. Russia topped the list, and was followed by Ukraine, China, the US, Nigeria and Romania. North Korea was at the seventh position, while the UK and Brazil were at the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, according to the research published in the journal PLoS ONE. Through the survey, the researchers asked the experts to consider major types of crime in the virtual world and nominate countries that they thought contributed significantly to each of them. The major categories that the researchers identified were - technical products and services suc

Russia, Ukraine breeding ground of highest number of cybercrimes: Survey

The survey stated that as many as 97 countries were named as being hubs for a particular category

Switzerland to host Ukraine peace summit in June, invites over 100 nations

In an official post on X, Ignazio Cassis said, "Switzerland will host a High-Level Conference on Peace in Ukraine"

Russian air strikes damage electric facilities in southern Ukraine

The Ukrainian grid operator said Wednesday's attacks caused emergency blackouts in the southern regions of Mykolaiv and neighbouring Kherson

Ukraine struck nuclear plant again, claims Russia; Kyiv denies attack

'The unique training centre of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was attacked,' the Russian-controlled plant said in a statement. The drone fell on the roof of the training centre, it said

US announces $138 mn in emergency sales of Hawk missile system for Ukraine

The State Department has greenlighted an emergency $138 million in foreign military sales for Ukraine to provide critical repairs and spare parts for Kyiv's Hawk missile systems. The US announced the move Tuesday saying that Ukraine has an urgent need for the maintenance support to keep the missile system running. The announcement follows a similar, small-sized round of $300 million in munitions support the Pentagon announced last month after it was able to convert contract savings to be able to offset the cost of providing the aid. Both the State and Defense Departments have been looking for ways to continue to get Ukraine support while a $60 billion Ukraine aid package remains stalled in Congress. The HAWK is a medium range surface-to-air missile system that provides air defence, which is one of Ukraine's top security needs. Ukraine has an urgent need to increase its capabilities to defend against Russian missile strikes and the aerial capabilities of Russian forces, the State ..

Ukraine strikes nuclear plant again, says Russia; Kyiv denies the attack

The Kremlin has said the drone attacks on the nuclear plant were carried out by Ukraine and said they were very dangerous with extremely grave potential consequences

Flood waters rise in Russia's Ural mountains, forcing thousands to evacuate

More than 6,100 people have already been evacuated from the city of 230,000, according to local authorities. Fifteen of 40 schools in the school had been flooded

Russia launches 24 attack drones in Ukraine, hits critical infrastructure

Currently, there is a direct threat of air pollution, so it is recommended to stay indoors with closed windows." Officials provided no further details

Russian corp Rosatom says 3 hurt in Ukrainian attack on Zaporizhzhia plant

In a statement on its website, Rosatom said radiation levels at the plant, Europe's largest facility with six reactors, were normal and there was no serious damage

At least eight killed, 10 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kharkiv

The governor of Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said that six people were killed in overnight missile attacks on the city of Kharkiv. The death toll increased to eight later

Ukraine fires over 50 drones against Russia in one of biggest air attacks

Ukraine fired more than 40 drones into Russia's bordering Rostov region, Moscow defense officials said on Friday, in what appeared to be one of its biggest air attacks in the war and as Kyiv's forces step up their assaults on Russian soil. Russia's Defense Ministry said a total of 44 drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Morozovsky district, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border. The attack damaged a power substation, Rostov Gov. Vasily Golubev said. Russian media reported that there is a military airfield near the town of Morozovsk, but it was unclear whether the airfield was the target of the attack. The Russian defense ministry said nine more drones were intercepted over Russia's border regions of Kursk, Belgorod, Krasnodar and the nearby Saratov region. Ukrainian officials rarely comment on such strikes and provided no immediate response. Drone warfare is a key feature of the war, which has extended into a third year since Russia's full-scale invasion of

Russia renews attacks on Ukraine with new tactics, improved intelligence

When the Russian barrage hit the Ukrainian power plant, a worker named Taras was manning the control panel a crucial task that required him to stay as the air-raid siren blared and his colleagues ran for safety. After the deafening explosions came a cloud of smoke, then darkness. Fires blazed, and shrapnel pierced the roof of the huge complex, causing debris to rain down on workers. Following protocols, Taras shut down the coal-fired plant, his heart racing. In the March 22 attack, Russia unleashed more than 60 exploding drones and 90 missiles across Ukraine the worst assault on the country's energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in early 2022. The fusillade reflected Russia's renewed focus on striking Ukrainian energy facilities. The volume and accuracy of recent attacks have alarmed the country's defenders, who say Kremlin forces now have better intelligence and fresh tactics in their campaign to annihilate Ukraine's electrical grid and bring its economy to a

Moscow concert hall attack: Is a harsher era under Putin in the works?

Video and photos of suspects in a mass shooting show them apparently being brutalised by Russian security forces without any rebuke from authorities. A top Kremlin official urges that hit squads be sent to assassinate Ukrainian officials. Senior lawmakers call for restoring capital punishment, abolished decades ago. The aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack that killed 145 people in the bloodiest assault in Russia in two decades seems to be setting the stage for even harsher rule by President Vladimir Putin following his highly orchestrated electoral landslide last month. Putin vowed to hunt down the masterminds of the March 22 attack that he linked to Ukraine despite Kyiv's vehement denials and a claim of responsibility by an offshoot of the Islamic State group. He warned ominously that terrorism is a double-edged weapon. Putin lieutenant Dmitry Medvedev declared that if Ukrainian involvement is proven, Moscow should respond by deploying hit men to kill the country's leaders

Russia launches drone attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv, 4 dead, 12 wounded

Russian troops launched waves of Shahed drones against the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight, killing four people and wounding 12, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Thursday. Russia attacked Ukraine's second-biggest city with at least 15 drones, some of which were shot down by air defense. Three rescuers were killed when Russia struck a multistory building damaged in an earlier strike. Six people were wounded at that location. Another 14-story building was hit by a drone, killing a 69-year-old woman. Kharkiv has become a frequent target for Russian troops in recent weeks. The eastern city is close to the border with Russia and has been hit with both ballistic missiles and drones. A recent massive missile attack that aimed to significantly damage Ukraine's energy infrastructure plunged most of Kharkiv into darkness, and the situation there is still being stabilized. Each manifestation of Russian terror once again proves that the country-terrorist deserves only one thing a tribu

Russian minister warns French counterpart against sending troops to Ukraine

Russia's defence minister warned his French counterpart against deploying troops to Ukraine in a rare phone call Wednesday and noted that Moscow is ready to take part in talks to end the conflict. Sergei Shoigu told French Defense Minister Sbastien Lecornu that if Paris follows up on its statements about the possibility of sending a French military contingent to Ukraine, it will create problems for France itself, according to a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry. It didn't elaborate. The conversation followed French President Emmanuel Macron's comments in February, in which he said that the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out. The call marked the first such contact between Russian and French defense ministers since October 2022. Shoigu noted Moscow's readiness for dialogue on Ukraine", emphasising that a planned round of peace talks in Geneva would be senseless without Russia's involvement. He added that possible future negotiations .

Ukraine lowers conscription age to 25 to plug shortfall in troop numbers

Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia's full-scale invasion. The new mobilisation law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed it last year. It was not immediately clear why Zelenskyy took so long to sign the measure into law. He didn't make any public comment about it, and officials did not say how many new soldiers the country expected to gain or for which units. Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine for many months amid a growing shortage of infantry on top of a severe ammunition shortfall that has handed Russia the battlefield initiative. Russia's own problems with manpower and planning have so far prevented it from taking full advantage of its edge. The average age of Ukrainian soldiers, like those on the Russian side, is around 40, military analysts s