Page 63 - Ukraine

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

Nato proposes $100 billion package over five years to aid Ukraine

Allies are still discussing Stoltenberg's proposal and any mechanics of the accounting, including whether to factor in bilateral aid to Ukraine into the overall sum

Will deliver hundreds of armoured vehicles to Ukraine: French minister

French Defence Minister Sbastien Lecornu said France is to deliver hundreds of armoured vehicles by the beginning of next year to Ukraine as part of a new package of military aid for the country that just entered its third year since the Russian invasion. In an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune's Sunday edition, Lecornu said that to hold such an extensive front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our armoured personnel carriers. It's absolutely key for troop mobility. The French military is currently replacing its old VAB armoured personnel carriers that started being used in 1979 by a new generation of armoured vehicles. This old equipment, still operational, is going directly to Ukraine in large quantities. We're talking about hundreds (of vehicles) in 2024 and early 2025, Lecornu said. Lecornu also said France will provide Ukraine with more anti-aircraft missiles. The move comes as France's government is pushing its military industry to boost its production

Russia vetoes UN resolution on N Korea sanctions amid Ukraine war

The dynamics have shifted amid the Ukraine crisis, leading to increased reliance on North Korea for munitions by Russian President Vladimir Putin

S Jaishankar meets Ukranian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in New Delhi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba in New Delhi on Friday as part of a bilateral engagement. Kuleba, who arrived here on Thursday, is on a two-day visit to India. "Welcome FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine to Hyderabad House. Look forward to our discussions today," Jaishankar posted on X ahead of their talks. The external affairs minister also shared a photograph of him shaking hands with his Ukranian counterpart at the Hyderabad House. Kuleba's visit comes amid efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the over two-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict. On Thursday, Kuleba had posted on X, "I began my visit to New Delhi upon @DrSJaishankar's invitation. The Ukrainian-Indian cooperation is important and we will be reinvigorating ties. Building on the dialogue between @ZelenskyyUa and @NarendraModi, we will pay specific attention to the Peace Formula." During his weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson

Ukraine requests India to reconsider 'Soviet legacy' of Russia ties

Ukrainian foreign minister has urged India to support it in its war against Russia. India-Russia ties are based on Soviet legacy that is evaporating, he said

We call for peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict via dialogue: MEA

India on Thursday said it continues to encourage a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through "dialogue and diplomacy". MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this in response to a query during a press meet on India's stand on the inaugural Peace Summit in Switzerland. "We continue to encourage peaceful resolution of Russian-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 20 had separate conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and asserted that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward for the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Modi had spoken to Putin over telephone to congratulate him for winning a fifth term in office in the recent elections and followed it up with a phone call to Zelenskyy to convey India's "consistent support" for all efforts for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict. During the telephone conversation, the Ukraini

House Speaker Mike Johnson committed to advancing assistance to Ukraine

For over a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has sat on a funding package that would send desperately needed ammunition and weaponry to Ukraine, mulling how best to gain a grasp of what is expected to be a difficult lift in the House. The Republican speaker has indicated he will attempt to push for approval of tens of billions in wartime funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel, once the House returns in April. Yet it will be perhaps his most difficult task since he took the speaker's gavel late last year. We'll turn our attention to it and we won't delay on that, the Louisiana representative said of the Ukraine package at a news conference last week. Still, Johnson has waited to act at a time when Russia is renewing its missile attacks on Kyiv. In Ukraine's eastern regions, soldiers are running low on ammunition as they attempt to hold off a surge of Russian soldiers to the frontlines. European leaders and analysts are warning that the conflict could grow into a much larger clash tha

Russia strikes Ukraine's Kharkiv with aerial bombs; 1 killed, 17 injured

Russia struck the northeastern city of Kharkiv with aerial bombs on Wednesday for the first time since 2022, killing at least one civilian and wounding 16 others, local officials said. The airstrikes caused widespread damage, hitting several residential buildings and damaging the city's institute for emergency surgery. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukraine in recent days, launching several missile barrages on the capital Kyiv and hitting energy infrastructure across the country in apparent retaliation for recent Ukrainian aerial attacks on the Russian border region of Belgorod. Such sporadic attacks, however, have been common throughout the war. The Kharkiv region cuts across the front line where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked in battles for over two years since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The region is frequently attacked with missiles and drones. Sergey Bolvinov, head of the investigative police department in Khakiv, said in a .

India has spoken with Russia 'frankly and bluntly' on Ukraine conflict: EAM

Jaishankar, who is on a visit to Malaysia, was interacting with the Indian community during an event

Death toll in Moscow concert attack rises to 140 after another victim dies

The death toll from last week's Moscow concert hall attack rose to 140 on Wednesday after another victim died in a hospital, Russian officials said. That person was one of five still hospitalized in extremely grave condition, and the doctors did everything they could to save them, Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said. A total of 80 people injured in the attack remain hospitalized, the official added, and 205 others have sought outpatient medical assistance. The Friday night massacre in Crocus City Hall, a sprawling shopping and entertainment venue on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest terrorist attack on the Russian soil in nearly 20 years. At least four gunmen toting automatic rifles shot at thousands of concertgoers and set the venue on fire. An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, while US intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France

Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba to visit India on Thursday: MEA

Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba is slated to arrive here on Thursday for a two-day official visit during which he will have meetings with his Indian counterpart and others to discuss matters related to the bilateral relationship. His visit comes at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. During his visit, Kuleba will have "a number of engagements, including official meetings with External Affairs Minister and Deputy NSA to discuss matters pertaining to the bilateral partnership and cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the statement said. He is also expected to interact with the business community. Kuleba's visit comes amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 20 had held separate conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and asserted that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward

Two of four Kerala youth forced into Russia-Ukraine war to return home

Two of the four Kerala-based youths who fought in the war against Ukraine after being recruited into the Russian army by private agencies will soon return home to their families, Union Minister of State (Mos) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said. The MoS said on Tuesday evening that the Indian Embassy was readying their travel documents to return from Russia. "We expect that they will soon return home," Muraleedharan, who is contesting from the Attingal Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming 2024 general elections, told reporters. Regarding the remaining two residents of the state, the MoS said the External Affairs Ministry was in talks with the Russian government to bring them back as well. "Rest assured we are taking strong measures to ensure their return," he said. According to the relatives of the three men, he said that they were taken to Russia by a recruitment agency with the promise of a whopping salary of Rs 2.5 lakh. Earlier, Muraleedharan had said that authori

Ukraine ramps up spending on locally-produced weapons to repel Russia

Ukraine needs any edge it can get to repel Russia from its territory. One emerging bright spot is its small but fast-growing defence industry, which the government is flooding with money in hopes that a surge of homemade weapons and ammunition can help turn the tide. The effort ramped up sharply over the past year as the US and Europe strained to deliver weapons and other aid to Ukraine, which is up against a much bigger Russian military backed by a thriving domestic defence industry. The Ukrainian government budgeted nearly USD 1.4 billion in 2024 to buy and develop weapons at home 20 times more than before Russia's full-scale invasion. And in another major shift, a huge portion of weapons are now being bought from privately owned factories. They are sprouting up across the country and rapidly taking over an industry that had been dominated by state-owned companies. A privately owned mortar factory that launched in western Ukraine last year is making roughly 20,000 shells a month