Page 70 - Ukraine

US Congress leaders announce agreement on spending levels to avert shutdown

Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on topline spending levels for the current fiscal year that could help avoid a partial government shutdown later this month. The agreement largely hues to spending caps for defense and domestic programmes that Congress set as part of a bill to suspend the debt limit until 2025. But it does provide some concessions to House Republicans who viewed the spending restrictions in that agreement as insufficient. In a letter to colleagues, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday it will secure USD 16 billion in additional spending cuts from the previous agreement brokered by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden and is about USD 30 billion less than what the Senate was considering. This represents the most favourable budget agreement Republicans have achieved in over a decade, Johnson writes. Biden said the agreement moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national ...

India has not sent any artillery ammunition to Ukraine, says govt

India on Thursday trashed reports that claimed spotting certain Indian-origin artillery shells in Ukraine, and categorically asserted that it has not sent any ammunition to that country. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi has neither sent nor exported any artillery ammunition to Ukraine. "We have also seen some media reports in this regard. We can categorically say that we have not sent any of this artillery ammunition to Ukraine," he said at a media briefing. Jaiswal's remarks came in response to a question on reports about Indian-made artillery shells being spotted in Ukraine. India has been maintaining that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a "useful" phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba focusing on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Kyiv's peace formula and ways to advance bilateral ties. The phone conversation came days af

Nato to help allies buy 1,000 missiles amid Russia's Ukraine air assault

NATO announced Wednesday that it would help buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so that allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine. NATO's Support and Procurement Agency said it will support a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, in buying the Patriots, which are used to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft. According to industry sources, the contract could be worth around USD 5.5 billion. The purchase could help allies free up more of their own defense systems for Ukraine. The agency said that other user nations are expected to benefit from the conditions of the contract, without elaborating. Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defenses are, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Scaling up ammunition production is key for Ukraine's security and for ours. As an organization, NATO

Russian missiles hit Ukrainian cities killing 5 and injuring at least 130

Ukraine's two largest cities came under attack early on Tuesday from Russian missiles that killed five people and injured as many as 130, officials said, as the war approached its two-year mark and the Kremlin stepped up its winter bombardment of urban areas. Air defences shot down all 10 of the Russian Kinzhal missiles, which can fly at 10 times the speed of sound, out of about 100 of various types that were launched, claimed General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief. But other missiles got through in Kyiv and in Kharkiv, the provincial capital of the northeastern region. In Kyiv and its surrounding region, four people were killed and about 70 were wounded, while in the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and about 60 were hurt, the Interior Ministry said. The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that is rarely used by Russian forces due to its cost and limited stocks. The barrage fired on Tuesday was the highest number used in one attack since the .

Ukraine's 2 largest cities under heavy Russian missile attack, 1 killed

Ukraine's two largest cities came under heavy Russian missile attacks on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring dozens. Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, said one person died and 41 were injured in Russian missile strikes that hit the centre of Kharkiv city and other areas. In Kyiv, the capital, five areas of the city were hit in the strikes and at least 12 people injured, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko. The barrage of the cities continued Russia's escalated attacks on Ukraine in recent days that began on Friday with its largest single attack on Ukraine since the war started, in which at least 41 civilians were killed. The following day, shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod that Russian officials blamed on Ukraine killed more than two dozen people. Russia has struck back repeatedly since. The attack on Belgorod was one of the deadliest to take place on Russian soil since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started more than 22 months ago. ..

Ready for peace in Ukraine but only on Russia's terms, says Putin

"We also want to end the conflict, and as soon as possible" - but "only on our terms," Putin said. The Russian leader didn't specify what conditions must be met for peace

Russia launches record 90 drones on Ukraine during early hours of new year

Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine during the early hours of the new year, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, while Russia also reported Ukrainian attacks. A 15-year-old boy was killed and seven people wounded after falling debris from one of 87 downed drones hit a residential building in the city of Odesa, the head of the region's military administration, Oleh Kiper, said. Debris also sparked a number of small fires, including at the city's port. In the western city of Lviv, Russian attacks severely damaged a museum dedicated to Roman Shukhevych, a controversial Ukrainian nationalist and military commander who fought for Ukrainian independence during World War II. University buildings in the town of Dubliany were also damaged, although no casualties were reported. Writing on social media, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi described the strike as symbolic and cynical, adding, this is a war for our history." Meanwhile, four people were killed and 13 more wounded .

New Year's Eve celebrations roll across Asia, but wars cast shadow on 2024

Revellers across Asia celebrated the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve with fireworks and brightly lit signs offering a hopeful start to 2024 for some, even as the globe's ongoing conflicts raised security concerns and let to muted or even cancelled festivities. As the clock struck midnight in Australia, more than 1 million people a number equivalent to one in five of the city's residents watched a 12-minute firework display focused on the Sydney Harbor Bridge from the shore and from boats in the harbour. It's total madness, said German tourist Janna Thomas, who had waited in line since 7.30 am to secure a prime waterfront location in the Sydney Botanic Garden. Organisers worldwide have readied for large-scale celebrations despite the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. In New York City, where there have been near-daily protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war, officials and party organizers said they were prepared to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of revelers who wil

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Zelenskyy urges global response to Russia's 'latest act of terror'

In response to the devastating attacks that left at least 31 people dead and over 150 injured, Ukraine urgently called for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

Blinken condemns Russia's strikes on Ukraine, urges Congress for funds

Urging Congress to release more funds for providing military aid to Ukraine, the US State Secretary said that "Congress needs to act in the new year"

Russia unleashes one of biggest aerial barrages against Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Russia launched about 110 missiles as well as drones against Ukrainian targets during the night Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, killing at least seven civilians in what appeared to be one of the biggest aerial barrages of the 22-month war. Most of the incoming missiles and drones were shot down during the roughly 18-hour onslaught, according to Zelenskyy. However, scores of people were injured and an unknown number of people were buried under rubble, Ukrainian officials said. Among the buildings damaged across Ukraine were a maternity hospital, apartment blocks and schools. Zelenskyy said the Kremlin's forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Today, Russia used nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal, Zelenskyy said on sopcial media platform X, formerly Twitter. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Russia apparently launched everything they have in the attack. If Zelenskyy's count is confirmed, it would be the

6 killed in Russian drone-artillery attack in Ukraine, Kherson out of power

Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a train station where more than 100 civilians were gathered to catch a train to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday. The barrages killed at least five people and knocked out power in most of the southern city of Kherson. The aerial barrage came a day after Ukrainian warplanes damaged a Russian ship moored in the Black Sea off Crimea as both sides' soldiers struggle to make much progress along the front line of the 22-month war. Overnight, the Kremlin's forces launched an artillery and drone bombardment of the Kherson region just as some 140 civilians were waiting for a train at the region's capital city of the same name, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The shelling killed one policeman and injured two other police officers, as well as two civilians. More than 100 people who were waiting for the train at the time of the attack arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday morning, national rail ..

Ukrainian forces damage Russian naval ship in Crimea airstrike: Official

A Russian naval ship in Crimea was damaged in an airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russia's Defence Ministry said Tuesday. The landing ship Novocherkassk was hit at a base in the city of Feodosia by plane-launched guided missiles, the ministry said. The ministry said two Ukrainian fighter jets were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire during the attack. There was no immediate report of how badly the ship was damaged, but videos circulating on Ukrainian channels showed an extensive fire in the port area.

Russian shelling kills 4 as Ukraine prepares to observe Christmas

Russian shelling in southern Ukraine's Kherson region killed four people on Sunday, including an 87-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife who died after a strike on their apartment building. The barrage injured nine other people, including a 15-year-old, sparked fires in homes and at a private medical facility, and set a local gas pipeline alight, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said. There are no holidays for the enemy, Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, wrote on social media, commenting on the Kherson attack. They do not exist for us as long as the enemy kills our people and remains on our land. The shelling across Kherson reached the center of the region's capital city of the same name. The assault took place as Ukraine prepared to officially celebrate Christmas for the first time on December 25, having previously marked the date on Jan. 7. Some Orthodox Ukrainians observed Christmas on Dec. 25 last year in response

Ukraine's parliament legalises use of Marijuana to help treat trauma of war

The parliament's chair, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said, "The list of conditions and ways of using cannabis medicines will be determined by the Ministry of Health"

Ukraine ends year upset over stalemate with Russia, and anxious about aid

The year started with high hopes for Ukrainian troops planning a counteroffensive against Russia. It ended with disappointment on the battlefield, an increasingly somber mood among troops and anxiety about the future of Western aid for Ukraine's war effort. In between, there was a short-lived rebellion in Russia, a dam collapse in Ukraine, and the spilling of much blood on both sides of the conflict. Twenty-two months since it invaded, Russia has about one-fifth of Ukraine in its grip, and the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line has barely budged this year. A crunch has come away from the battlefield. In Western countries that have championed Ukraine's struggle against its much bigger adversary, political deliberations over billions in financial aid are increasingly strained. Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing a waiting game two years into a war that proved to be a costly miscalculation by the Kremlin. He is wagering that the West's support will gradually crumble

Prez Putin increases military pressure on Ukraine, expects western support

After blunting Ukraine's counteroffensive from the summer, Russia is building up its resources for a new stage of the war over the winter, which could involve trying to extend its gains in the east and deal significant blows to the country's vital infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be hoping that relentless military pressure, combined with changing Western political dynamics and a global focus on the Israeli-Hamas war, will drain support for Ukraine in the nearly 2-year-old war and force Kyiv to yield to Moscow's demands. As far as the Russian leadership is concerned, the confrontation with the West has reached a turning point: The Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed, Russia is more confident than ever, and the cracks in Western solidarity are spreading, said Tatiana Stanovaya, senior fellow with Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, in a recent analysis. An aid package for Ukraine has stalled in the US Congress as Republicans insist on linking any more money to .

Confident Ukraine will get more US support for war with Russia: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he's certain the United States will make good on its promise to provide billions of dollars in further aid for Kyiv to continue its fight against Russia, and he bluntly replied No, to a question about whether his country might lose the war. Speaking at an end-of-year news conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy also dismissed suggestions that Moscow's forces have come out of 2023 on top after mostly beating back Ukraine's counteroffensive and stepping up its military production. Russia failed to achieve any of its goals this year, he said, although he conceded Ukraine still faces lots of challenges after expending Western military hardware in the counteroffensive that failed to make an impression on the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. The US Congress has left town for the holidays without a deal to send some USD 61 billion to Ukraine, and the US Defence Department says it is almost out of money to help Kyiv after almost 22 months

Weighing request for mobilisation of up to 500,000 troops: Zelenskyy

Ukraine's military wants to mobilise up to 500,000 more troops to fight Russia's invasion, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he has asked them to spell out their plans in detail on what is a very sensitive matter before deciding whether he grants their wish as the war approaches the two-year mark. Such a major mobilisation would cost Ukraine around 500 billion hryvnias ($13.4 billion), Zelenskyy said. Other aspects to be considered include whether troops currently on the front line would be rotated or allowed home leave after almost 22 months of full-scale war. Ukrainian Ministry of Defence statistics say the Ukrainian army had nearly 800,000 troops in October. That doesn't include National Guard or other units. In total, 1 million Ukrainians are in uniform. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country's military to increase the number of troops by nearly 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million. Russia, Ukraine's far bigger neighbo