Page 94 - Ukraine

MH17 inquiry: 'Strong indications' Vladimir Putin approved missile supply

An international team of investigators said Wednesday it found strong indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 with a Russian missile. However, members of the Joint Investigation Team said they had insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects and they suspended their 8-year inquiry into the shooting down that killed all 298 people on board the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the international investigation. Dutch prosecutors said that there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying a Buk missile system the weapon that downed MH17 to Ukrainian separatists. Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence i

Sunak extends military training support as Ukraine President visits UK

In his first UK visit since the Russian conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive at 10 Downing Street here on Wednesday for a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and go on to address Parliament. The visit comes as Sunak extended the UK's ongoing support to train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots and marines to help upskill their defensive capabilities. According to UK government officials, the leaders will discuss a two-pronged approach to Britain's support for Ukraine, starting with an immediate surge of military equipment to the country to help counter Russia's "offensive" and reinforced by long-term support. "President Zelenskyy's visit to the UK is a testament to his country's courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries, said Sunak. Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their ...

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been a test for the ages, says Biden

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has been a test for the ages, and a test for the world, US President Joe Biden has said as he slammed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his military aggression. "I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine. A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II," Biden said in his address to a Joint Session of the US Congress on Tuesday night. President Putin launched a 'special military operation' in eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022. "Putin's invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world. Would we stand for the most basic of principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny? Would we stand for the defence of democracy? Biden posed a series of questions in his second State of the Union Address. "For such a defence matters to us because

Ukraine minister expects help from Western warplanes to fight off forces

Ukraine's defense minister expressed confidence Sunday that Western allies would agree to the country's latest weapons request warplanes to fight off Russian forces that invaded nearly a year ago. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told a news conference in Kyiv that Ukraine has already received everything from its wish list to Santa, except planes. There will be planes, too," Reznikov predicted. The question is just what kind exactly.... Consider that this mission is already completed. So far, Ukraine has won support from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets. But several Western leaders have expressed concern that providing warplanes could provoke the Kremlin and draw their countries deeper into the conflict, which has cost tens of thousands of lives and wreaked massive destruction. Kyiv says such jets are essential to challenging Russia's air superiority and ensuring success in a Russian offensive that Reznikov predicted could begin around the war

Five injured in rocket attacks on 2nd-largest city in Ukraine: Officials

Five people were injured in Russian rocket attacks Sunday in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, officials said. Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people were injured when a Russian S-300 missile fell near an apartment block and another was hurt when a missile hit a higher-education building. Local media reports said the building hit was the National Academy for Urban Economy, about 700 metres from the city's central square. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed last year even though its forces do not fully control the region. Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said five civilians were wounded in rocket attacks during the night in the city of Druzhkivka and that the town of Avdiivka and its outskirts were also fired on. In the Black Sea port of Odesa, workers laboured to connect temporary generators shipped in to try to restore electricity. The city and ...

Nearly 200 soldiers freed in latest Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap: Officials

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion

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World food prices decline for tenth month running in January, says FAO

World food prices fell in January for a 10th consecutive month, and are now down some 18% from a record high hit last March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations food agency said

Ukraine signs deal to join European Union's Single Market Programme

The deal was inked in Kiev during the joint consultations between the Ukrainian government and the College of the European Commissioners

Ukraine seeks to extend duty-free trade with EU until end of 2024

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that his country is seeking to extend the duty-free trade with the European Union until the end of 2024, the government press service reported

Ukraine deserves to start EU accession talks this year, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his war-torn country deserved to start European Union accession talks 'this year', CNN reported

Russia planning offensive on Feb 24, says Ukraine's defence minister

The Defence Minister further said that Ukraine's commanders would seek to 'stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive'

Ukraine hails French gift of air-defense radar as 'cherry on the cake'

Ukraine's defense minister said Wednesday that Ukrainian lives will be saved by a sophisticated air-defense radar that France is supplying and which is powerful enough to spot incoming missiles and exploding drones in the skies over all of Ukraine's capital and its surrounding region. The minister, Oleksii Reznikov, was so enthusiastic about what he called Ukraine's new electronic eyes that he quickly coined a nickname for the Ground Master 200 radar the Grand Master." Speaking through an interpreter at a handover ceremony for the radar with his French counterpart, Reznikov described the French-made GM200 as a "very effective improvement for Ukraine's network of about 300 different types of air-defense radars. Thales, the manufacturer, says the radar detects and tracks rockets, artillery and mortar shells, missiles, aircraft, drones and other threats. Because of your support, Ukrainian lives will be saved, the minister said at the ceremony in Limours, where Thales makes the ...

US won't provide F-16s to Ukraine, says US President Joe Biden

Biden's comment came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had begun exacting its revenge for Ukraine's resistance to its invasion with relentless attacks in the east

Fast-track talks underway in Ukraine for long-range missiles, planes

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in fast-track talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said on Saturday. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine's supporters in the West understand how the war is developing and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the armoured fighting vehicles that the United States and Germany pledged at the beginning of the month. However, in remarks to online video channel Freedom, Podolyak said that some of Ukraine's Western partners maintain a conservative attitude to arms deliveries, due to fear of changes in the international architecture. Russia and North Korea have accused the West of prolonging and taking a direct role in the war by sending Kyiv increasingly sophisticated weapons. We need to work with this. We must show (our partners) the real picture of this war," Podolyak said,

Russia's path to 2024 Olympics takes shape, Ukraine objects amid war

Russia's path to sending a team to the Paris Olympics next year became clearer on Thursday amid fierce objections from Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday it favors officially neutral teams from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics despite a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude them entirely. A day later, Russia and Belarus were invited to compete at the Asian Games, a key Olympic qualifier. Russia typically competes as part of Europe but has a tense relationship with many of the countries set to host qualifying events there. Russia and Belarus have been barred from almost all international competitions in Olympic sports following the invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said he told French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is hosting the Olympics, that Russia should have no place there. Ukraine is seeking to rally support against the IOC-brokered plan. IOC has been disregarding Russian war crimes, claiming t

Russia launches wave of missile, drone attacks: Ukrainian officials

Ukrainian officials said Thursday that Russia launched a wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks on the country. Air raid sirens wailed nationwide. There were no immediate reports of the targets, but Kyiv's mayor said a Russian missile strike killed one person, the first death from an attack in the capital since New Year's Eve. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two other people were injured in the strike.. The head of the Kyiv city administration said 15 cruise missiles were shot down. Serhii Popko said the missiles were fired in the direction of Kyiv but did not clarify if the capital itself was a target. Odesa regional governor Maksym Marchenko reported that several facilities of energy infrastructure were damaged not just in the Odesa region, but other regions of Ukraine. That caused significant problems with electricity supply. Earlier Vinnytsia regional governor reported about strikes in his region. The attacks came after Germany and the United States announced Wednesday th

Germany agrees to send advanced battle tanks to Ukraine, US to follow

The decision is seen as a potential game changer for Ukraine

Ukraine forces pull back from Donbas town after onslaught, says official

Ukrainian forces have conducted an organised retreat from a town in the eastern region of the Donbas, an official said on Wednesday, in what is a rare but modest battlefield triumph for the Kremlin after a series of setbacks in its invasion that began almost 11 months ago. The Ukrainian army retreated from the salt-mining town of Soledar to preserve the lives of the personnel, Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's forces in the east, told The Associated Press. The soldiers pulled back to previously prepared defensive positions, he said. Moscow has portrayed the battle for Soledar, which lies near the city of Bakhmut, as key to capturing the entire Donbas. The accomplishment takes the Russian forces a step closer to Bakhmut, but military analysts say capturing Soledar is more symbolic than strategic. Ukraine's military, which has held out in Soledar against a monthslong onslaught of superior Russian forces, has said its fierce defence of the eastern stronghold helped tie

Germany's Scholz to unveil Ukraine tank plan to parliament

After weeks of hesitation that saw growing impatience among Germany's allies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was expected to announce on Wednesday that his government will approve supplying German-made battle tanks to Ukraine. The long-awaited decision came after US officials said a preliminary agreement had been struck for the United States to send M1 Abrams tanks to help Kyiv push back Russian forces entrenched in the east almost a year since the start of the war. Scholz had insisted that any move to provide Ukraine with powerful Leopard 2 tanks would need to be closely coordinated with Germany's allies, chiefly the United States. By getting Washington to commit some of its own tanks Berlin hopes to spread the risk of any backlash from Russia. Members of Scholz's three-party coalition government welcomed the news ahead of the official announcement, expected in a speech to parliament early afternoon. The Leopard's freed! said German lawmaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a senior Green party .