Page 84 - Ukraine

Wheat prices rise following collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine

The collapse of a major dam in southern Ukraine sent global prices of wheat and corn higher. Wheat prices gained 2.4% in early trading Tuesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, to $6.39 a bushel. The cost of corn rose more than 1% (to $6.04 a bushel) and oats gained 0.73% ($3.46 per unit). Prices had jumped higher earlier in the day. The destruction of Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which sits on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, raised anxiety about a potential disruption to global supplies. There are massive agricultural fields in Southern Ukraine where the dam burst. Andrey Sizov, managing director of Black Sea agricultural markets research firm SovEcon, said the dam's collapse looks like a big escalation with dire consequences and huge headline risk. This could be just the start of the bull run, Sizov wrote on Twitter. Wheat prices have been falling throughout the year. Citi commodities analysts said Tuesday's incident is a reminder of ling

Ukraine brands Russia 'terrorist state' to open hearings at top UN court

A top Ukrainian diplomat called Russia a terrorist state Tuesday as he opened his country's case against Moscow at the United Nations' highest court and accused Russia of blowing up a major dam in southern Ukraine. Anton Korynevych was addressing judges at the International Court of Justice in a case brought by Kyiv against Russia linked to Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea and arming of rebels in eastern Ukraine in the years before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine wants the world court to order Moscow to pay reparations for attacks in the regions, including for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down by Russia-backed rebels on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Korynevych said that with Moscow unable to beat Ukraine on the battlefield, it targets civilian infrastructure to try to freeze us into submission. Earlier today, just today, Russia blew up a major dam located in Nova Kakhovka, causing significant civilians .

Top UN court opens hearings of Ukraine's Crimea case against Russia

Hearings open Tuesday at the United Nations' highest court in a case brought by Ukraine against Russia linked to Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea and arming of rebels in eastern Ukraine in the years before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv wants the International Court of Justice to order Moscow to pay reparations for attacks in the regions, including for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down by Russia-backed rebels on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Four days of hearings in the court's ornate, wood-paneled Great Hall of Justice are opening against a backdrop of Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II raging on in Ukraine. Ukraine on Tuesday accused Russian forces of blowing up a major dam and hydroelectric power station in a part of in a part of the country Moscow controls, threatening a massive flood. Lawyers for Kyiv will present legal arguments to support their case Tuesday, followed by Russia on Thursday.

Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying major dam, warns of rampant flooding

Ukraine on Tuesday accused Russian forces of blowing up a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine they control, alerting residents further along the Dnipro River to evacuate and warning of flooding downstream. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry called for residents of 10 villages on the river's right bank and parts of the city of Kherson to gather essential documents and pets, turn off appliances and leave, while cautioning against possible disinformation. Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said in a video posted to Telegram shortly before 7 am that the Russian army has committed yet another act of terror, and warned that water will reach critical levels within five hours.

Ukraine starts counteroffensive actions in some areas against Russia

The Bakhmut direction remains the epicenter of hostilities, the official said, noting that the Ukrainian military forces have achieved some success in the area

Ukraine launching attacks, says Russia as Kyiv accuses Moscow of deception

Ukrainian forces were making a major effort to punch through Russian defensive lines in southeast Ukraine for a second day, a Moscow-installed official said on Monday as Russia's Defence Ministry declared that it had foiled an assault in an illegally annexed region of the invaded country. Kyiv authorities suggested the attack reports were a Russian misinformation ruse as the Ukrainian military prepares for a widely anticipated counteroffensive. Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russia-backed administration of Ukraine's partly occupied Zaporizhzhia province, said fighting resumed on its border with the eastern Donetsk region on Monday after Russian defences beat back a Ukrainian advance the previous day. "The enemy threw an even bigger force into the attack than yesterday (Sunday)," and the new attempt to break through the front line was "more large-scale and organised," Rogov said, adding, "A battle is underway". Rogov interpreted the Ukraine military movements as part of an effor

Carried on overnight strike on Ukrainian military airfields: Russia

In another strike, near the city of Dnepropetrovsk on the Dnepr River, a Ukrainian drone assembly workshop was destroyed, the ministry said

Russia-Ukraine war: Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least 500 children killed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia's war, now in its 16th month, has killed at least 500 Ukrainian children. Zelenskyy provided the number hours after rescue workers found the body of a 2-year-old girl who died in one of the latest Russian strikes. The president said in a statement that Russian weapons and hatred, which continue to take and destroy the lives of Ukrainian children every day," killed the hundreds who had perished since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started on Feb. 24, 2022. Many of them could have become famous scholars, artists, sports champions, contributing to Ukraine's history, he said. Zelenskyy said it was impossible to establish the exact number of children who were casualties due to the ongoing hostilities and because some areas are under Russian occupation. We must hold out and win this war! the Ukrainian president said. All of Ukraine, all our people, all our children, must be free from the Russian terror! Rescuer

Ukraine war ignites global backlash against hegemony of US dollar

Still, the drumbeat of de-dollarization is continuing unabated in the developing world

Ukrainian army's training on tanks, F-16 jet part of long-term strategy: US

Training for Ukrainian forces on advanced U.S. Abrams tanks has begun, and while those systems will not be ready in time for the imminent counteroffensive, those weapons will be critical in the longer-term to Ukraine ultimately pushing Russia out of its occupied territories, Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley said. Tank training began as the U.S. and allies began to work out agreements to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets another long-wished-for advanced capability. Ultimately, while the tanks are needed to expel Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, the F-16s would be part of a longer-term security plan to deter future attacks, Milley said Thursday. Everyone recognises Ukraine needs a modernised Air Force, Milley said. It's going to take a considerable amount of time. Milley said detailed planning on class sizes, the types of flying tactics and locations for training was underway now between the U.S. and allies such as the Netherlands and the U.K. that have already ..

No Ukraine cease-fire without deal that includes Russia withdrawal: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that there can be no cease-fire in the war in Ukraine unless it is part of a just and lasting peace deal that includes Russia's military withdrawal. Blinken said that a cease-fire that simply freezes current lines in place - and enables Putin to consolidate control over the territory he has seized, and rest, rearm, and reattack - that is not a just and lasting peace. Russia must also pay a share of Ukraine's reconstruction and be held accountable for launching its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, Blinken said in a speech during a visit to Finland, which recently joined NATO and shares a long border with Russia. Allowing Moscow to keep the one-fifth of Ukraine territory it has occupied would send the wrong message to Russia and to other would-be aggressors around the world, according to Blinken. Washington is ready to support peace efforts by other countries, including recent overtures from China and Brazil, h

India's position on Ukraine war a calculated strategic interest: Experts

India's position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine reflects a calculation of its strategic interests, a Singapore-based think-tank said on Friday, and has pointed out that excessive reliance on Russian arms would curtail New Delhi's strategic autonomy with respect to China. The Ukraine war, which began with Russia's military invasion of the eastern European nation on February 25 last year, has had a far-reaching impact on the global energy system. Sensing the opportunity, India has been snapping up crude from Moscow at discounted rates, refining and re-selling it. "India and Russia share some geopolitical assumptions, including support for a future multi-polar global order featuring a less dominant US," Singapore-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which is a leading authority on global security, political risk and military conflict, said in a dossier titled "Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment." The report stated that an excessive reliance on Russian

Zelenskyy pushes for Ukraine support at European leaders' summit in Moldova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took his quest for more arms and support to a sprawling summit of some 50 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday, ending up the focal point of an event that seeks to quell regional conflicts and shore up unity in the face of Russia's war. The meeting of the pan-continental European Political Community, which embraces all European nations other than Russia and Belarus, gathered the heads of state and government from 47 countries but its attention was on the continent's south and east a region pushed to a turning point in its relationship with Moscow because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. After a day of talks in the Moldovan countryside, Zelenskyy said the best security guarantee for Ukraine was membership in NATO and the European Union, and that any proposed peace plans to bring the war to an end could not take into account Russian concerns. There is an aggressor in this war and there is a victim," Zelenskyy told reporters. A peac

Russian bombardment of Ukraine's capital kills at least 3, wounds others

Russia launched yet another aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding others, authorities said. Following a reported 17 drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in May, Russian forces hit the capital in the early morning with ground-launched missiles. The Kyiv City Administration reported one child was among the dead, and 10 people were wounded. The casualty toll was the most from one attack on Kyiv in the past month. The attack also damaged apartment buildings, a medical clinic, a water pipeline and cars. Earlier, the city government had said that two children were killed before revising the number to one. Ukraine's General Staff reported that the Air Forces intercepted all 10 missiles, which it identified as short-range Iskander cruise and ballistic missiles. One explosion sent missile fragments ripping into an apartment building in a leafy neighbourhood. In the morning light, paramedics escorted an elderly woman gingerly away f

Russian Olympic medalists barred from races for lack of neutrality in war

Two Russian track cyclists who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics were ruled ineligible to race Wednesday for breaching rules monitoring their neutrality during the war on Ukraine. Anastasiia Voinova and Mariya Novolodskaya cannot race in International Cycling Union (UCI) events from Thursday, the governing body said in a document posted on its website. The world championships are held in August in Glasgow, Scotland. This ineligibility will apply for as long as the ad hoc rules' regarding Russia and Belarus remain in force, the UCI said in the document without detailing the breaches. A rules update published May 3 takes effect Thursday and specifies the strictest neutrality towards the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus at any time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine is required to race in UCI events. The UCI can deny neutral status to riders or officials who are or have been contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or who have shown support for the war in .

UN urges Russia, Ukraine to ban attacks at Zaporizhzhia power nuclear plant

The UN nuclear chief stressed Tuesday that the world is fortunate a nuclear accident hasn't happened in Ukraine and asked Moscow and Kyiv to commit to preventing any attack on Europe's largest nuclear power plant and make other pledges "to avoid the danger of a catastrophic incident." Rafael Grossi reiterated to the UN Security Council what he told the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors in March: "We are rolling a dice and if this continues then one day our luck will run out." The IAEA director general said avoiding a nuclear accident is possible if five principles are observed at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where fighting on seven occasions, most recently last week, disrupted critical power supplies, "the last line of defense against a nuclear accident." Grossi "respectfully and solemnly" asked Ukraine and Russia to observe the principles, saying IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia will start monitoring and he will publicly report on any violations: Ban ...

Ukraine's economy shows 'resilience' from Russian attacks, says IMF

Ukraine's economy is showing remarkable resilience following Russian attacks on its electricity infrastructure, officials from the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday as they signed off on an initial loan of USD 900 million and raised their estimate for the country's economic growth. The outlook improved to 1% to 3% growth this year from minus 3% to plus 1% in an earlier assessment in March, said Gavin Gray, the IMF's mission chief to Ukraine. Inflation is coming down and the hryvna currency is stable despite the massive disruption of the war, Gray said. But he warned that the economic outlook faces exceptionally high risks. Through the winter, Ukraine faced devastating attacks on its critical infrastructure, and missile strikes continue countrywide, Gray said in an online news conference. Despite this, the Ukrainian economy has shown remarkable resilience economic activity in the first quarter rebounded strongly, as the energy system rapidly recovered from attacks on critical

War in Ukraine reaches Moscow; Russian capital hit by biggest drone attack

Russian air defences stopped eight drones converging on Moscow, officials said Tuesday, in an attack that authorities blamed on Ukraine, while Russia pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours. The Russian defence ministry said five drones were shot down and the systems of three others were jammed, causing them to veer off course. It called the incident a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. The attack caused insignificant damage to several buildings, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalisation, he said in a Telegram post. Residents of two high-rise buildings damaged in the attack were evacuated, Sobyanin said. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, said some of the drones were shot down on the approach to Moscow. Ukraine made no immediate comment on the attack, which would be one of its deepest and most daring strikes into Russia since

Ukrainian Parliament backs 50-year sanctions on Iran, including trade bans

The sanctions also include the suspension of transit of resources, flights and transportation in Ukraine by Iranian residents

Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day

Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday. At least one person was killed. Russia launched the most massive attack on the city overnight Saturday with Iranian-made Shahed drones, said Serhii Popko, a senior Kyiv military official. The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones. A 41-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized when debris fell on a seven-story nonresidential building and started a fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukraine's air force said that Saturday night was also record-breaking in terms of Shahed drone attacks across the country. Of the 54 drones launched, 52 were shot down by air defense systems. In the northeastern Kharkiv province, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said a 61-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were killed in two separate she