Page 5 - Russia Ukraine Conflict

'Will fly wherever law allows': US warns Russia after drone shot down

The Pentagon released a de-classified video on Thursday showing a Russian military jet intercept a US drone downed over the Black Sea two days ago

Fact check: Did Asle Toje call PM Modi biggest contender for Nobel Prize?

Reports claimed that deputy leader of the Nobel Prize Committee Asle Toje endorsed PM Narendra Modi for the coveted prize. But did he really say so? Find out here

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss destruction of drone

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the destruction of a US drone over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October. I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu, Austin said at a Pentagon press briefing. As I've said repeatedly, it's important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows. The US military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after a Russian fighter jet struck its propeller. Russia has denied that it caused the incident. The US has said it was working on declassifying surveillance footage from the drone that would show Tuesday's crash. That Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu were talki

Latest Live: Russian jet collides with US drone over Black Sea

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Biden administration lets Ukrainians who fled Russia's war stay in US

The Biden administration is allowing thousands of Ukrainians who fled their homeland when Russia invaded a year ago to stay in the United States longer, the administration said Monday. The decision provides relief to Ukrainians whose one-year authorisation to remain in the US was set to expire soon. The Homeland Security Department said the extension is for certain Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who were let into the U.S. before the Uniting for Ukraine programme started. Ukrainians who came in under the Uniting for Ukraine programme generally got two years of humanitarian parole in the U.S. whereas those who arrived before them generally got permission to stay only for one year. Thousands of Ukrainians came to America last year fleeing the war. The US government used a programme called humanitarian parole to admit them into the country. Humanitarian parole is a way to allow people from other countries to enter the United States on an emergency basis due to a

Russia's economy holds up amid sanctions, but growing challenges test Putin

Western sanctions have hit Russian banks, wealthy individuals and technology imports. But after a year of far-reaching restrictions aimed at degrading Moscow's war chest, economic life for ordinary Russians doesn't look all that different than it did before the invasion of Ukraine. There's no mass unemployment, no plunging currency, no lines in front of failing banks. The assortment at the supermarket is little changed, with international brands still available or local substitutes taking their place. Crowds might have thinned at some Moscow malls, but not drastically. Some foreign companies like McDonald's and Starbucks have been taken over by local owners who slapped different names on essentially the same menu. Economically, nothing has changed, said Vladimir Zharov, 53, who works in television. "I work as I used to work, I go shopping as I used to. Well, maybe the prices have risen a little bit, but not in such a way that it is very noticeable. Russia's economy has weathered th

US turns to new aggressive ways to punish Russian oligarchs for Ukraine war

The US has begun an aggressive new push to inflict pain on Russia's economy and specifically its oligarchs with the intent of thwarting the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. From the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, U.S. officials will focus on efforts to legally liquidate the property of Russian oligarchs, expand financial penalties on those who facilitate the evasion of sanctions, and close loopholes in the law that allow oligarchs to use shell companies to move through the U.S. financial system. Andrew Adams, who heads the KleptoCapture task force, designed to enforce the economic restrictions within the U.S. imposed on Russia and its billionaires, told The Associated Press that the group is prioritizing its efforts to identify those who help Russians evade sanctions and violate export controls. These illicit procurement networks will continue to take up an ever-increasing amount of our bandwidth, said Adams, who also serves as acting deputy assistant attorney ...

China might arm up Russia's war in Ukraine to reshape global politics

Russian success in Ukraine would align with China's goals of reshaping global politics and power and could help facilitate China's own rise as an economic and military leader, reported Asia Times

Poland, Slovakia urge allies to send fighter jets to Ukraine as war rages

Officials in Poland and Slovakia are urging their allies to provide fighter jets to Ukraine, saying they are ready to send their their Soviet-made MiG-29 jet fighters to Kyiv as part of an international coalition. However, it still remains unclear if any other Western supporters of Ukraine are ready to take that step. "I think it's time to make a decision. People in Ukraine are dying. We can really help them," Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said Thursday on Facebook. "This is inhumane and irresponsible." Slovak and Polish officials have made the calls before but have renewed their appeals in recent days. Both countries are NATO members. Polish President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday on CNN that Poland was ready to provide Ukraine with the MiG-29 fighters in coalition with other countries. Nad also said it was a matter of discussion between himself and his Polish counterpart at a meeting in Sweden on Wednesday and that they agree on the matter. Poland's Defense Ministry said i

Rising significance of Indo-US trade ties

Since 2013-14, Indo-US bilateral merchandise trade doubled to $131 billion in 2022

US-India airfares shoot up as impact of Russia's war in Ukraine continues

Invasion has resulted in fuel costs increasing; the closure of Russian airspace for western airlines

5 dead, others hurt in Russia's massive missile attacks, says Ukraine

Ukrainian officials say at least five people have been killed in a massive missile attack on Thursday, and several more have been wounded. Governor of the western Lviv region Maksym Kozytskyi said four people were killed there after a missile hit a residential area in the Zolochivskyi district. Emergency workers were combing through the rubble, he said, under which more people could be trapped. One person was killed in the Dnipropetrovsk region, its Gov. Serhii Lysak reported, adding that two more were wounded in multiple strikes across the region. The Kyiv mayor reported damage in two districts, and the Kharkiv and Odesa governors said residential buildings were hit there. Lviv region, as well as in the cities of Dnipro, Lutsk and Rivne. Ukrainian media also report explosions in the western regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil. Russia has been hitting Ukraine with these massive missile attacks since last October. Initially, the barrages targeting the country's energy ...

US gets warrant to seize Russian company's $25 mn Boeing 737 amid sanctions

A federal court in New York authorised the seizure of a USD 25 million Boeing 737 owned by a Russian energy company, citing US sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, US authorities said on Wednesday. The aircraft is owned by PJSC Rosneft Oil Co., headquartered in Moscow and led by sanctioned oligarch Igor Ivanovich Sechin. The court found probable cause that the aircraft, which has not been in the US since 2014, could be seized by the US based on violations of the Export Control Reform Act. Today's enforcement action demonstrates there is a price to pay for Russian companies and oligarchs that flagrantly evade sanctions that the United States has imposed in response to the unjustified war against the people of the Ukraine, Breon Peace, the US attorney in Brooklyn, said in a news release. Rosneft Oil did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The action is part of a continuing effort to diminish Russian wealth after its invasion of ...

Russian launches massive missile barrage, target cities across Ukraine

Russia unleashed a massive missile barrage on cities across Ukraine early on Thursday, targeting energy infrastructure facilities, Ukrainian officials and media said. Air raid sirens wailed all over Ukraine in the first such missile attack in weeks. The governor of the northeastern Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, reported more than 15 strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. Objects of critical infrastructure is again in the crosshairs of the occupants, he said in a Telegram post. The governor of the southern Odesa region, Maksym Marchenko, also reported strikes on Odesa, saying that energy facilities and residential buildings were hit. Explosions were also reported in cities in Dnieper, Lutsk and Rivne.

EU considers sending more military support to Ukraine as war rages on

European Union (EU) defence ministers discussed the idea of sending further military support to Ukraine, at an informal meeting in the Swedish capital Stockholm

India's oil deals with Russia dent decades-old dollar dominance

India is the third largest oil importer, and Russia became its leading supplier after Europe shunned Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine last year

Canada to help repair power grid, support mine action in Ukraine: Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly have announced new support for Ukraine to help address its critical energy and security needs

Six-month long battle for Bakhmut takes centre stage in war in Ukraine

The six-month battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been the longest and bloodiest fight of the war so far. Little known outside Ukraine before the Russian invasion, Bakhmut has become a symbol of the country's fortitude and perseverance in the face of the Kremlin's onslaught. The Ukrainian leadership vowed again this week to keep defending the city, but some observers have warned that holding on to it could be too dangerous and costly. Here is a look at Bakhmut, the battle and its possible consequences. WHAT KIND OF CITY IS BAKHMUT? Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of more than 70,000, was an important center for salt and gypsum mining in the Donetsk region of the country's industrial heartland known as the Donbas. The city was also known for its sparkling wine production in historic underground caves. Its broad tree-lined avenues, lush parks and stately downtown with imposing late 19th century buildings made it a popular tourist attraction. When a separatist rebe

The challenge from Urals

India's oil pricing policies must be fine-tuned to reflect the new Russian reality

India is not immune to the stagflation that felled its neighbours

Not much help is expected from the global economy. Financial conditions are tight almost everywhere, and demand tepid