Page 15 - Ukraine

Indian students who left Ukraine can continue education in Russia: Diplomat

Thousands of Indian medical students were left stranded with their future hanging on the cliff when Russia attacked Ukraine at the end of February 2022 and several were evacuated from Ukraine to India

Russia withdrawing troops, Ukrainian official fears 'city of death'

Russia said it began withdrawing troops from a strategic Ukrainian city Thursday, providing a potential turning point in the grinding war, while a Ukrainian official warned that Russian land mines could render Kherson a city of death. Kyiv acknowledged Moscow's forces had no choice but to flee Kherson but remained cautious, fearing an ambush. With Ukrainian officials tight-lipped with their assessments, reporters not present and spotty communications, it was difficult to know what was happening in the port city, where the residents who remained after tens of thousands fled were afraid to leave their homes. A forced pullout from Kherson - the only provincial capital Moscow had captured after invading Ukraine- would mark one of Russia's worst setbacks of the war. Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south, including Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014. Ukrainian forces seem to be scoring more

US to send Ukraine $400 million more in military aid as war advances

The U.S. will send USD 400 million more in military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials announced Thursday, amid concerns that financial assistance for the war against Russia could decline a bit if Republicans take control of Congress. The aid comes as the vote counting from Tuesday's election continues, with Republicans inching closer to a narrow House majority and with control of the Senate hinging on tight races in Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. According to the Pentagon, the aid package will contain large amounts of ammunition and, for the first time, four highly mobile Avenger Air Defense Systems. Include is ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, which Ukraine has been successfully using in its counteroffensive against Russia. There also will be Stinger missiles for the HAWK surface-to-air anti-aircraft system, 10,000 mortar rounds, thousands of artillery rounds for Howitzers, 400 grenade launchers, 100 Humvees, cold weather gear and 20 million ...

Kyiv seeks int'l support, boosts Southeast Asia ties with peace accord

Ukraine signed a peace accord on Thursday with Southeast Asian nations, a largely symbolic act that comes as Kyiv seeks to shore up international support in isolating Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulbela signed the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia as the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations got underway in Phnom Penh. The ASEAN summit kicks off a series of three top-level meetings in Asia, with the Group of 20 summit in Bali to follow and then the APEC economic forum in Bangkok. They come as Russia seeks new markets for its energy products to avoid Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine. As a group, the ASEAN nations, with a combined population of nearly 700 million, have been reserved in their stance toward the invasion, condemning the war but generally trying to avoid assigning blame. Eight of 10 ASEAN countries did vote in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression, with Vietnam and

Russian military claims pullout from occupied city; Ukraine sceptical

Russia's military said Wednesday it will withdraw from the only Ukrainian regional capital it captured, but Kyiv was sceptical and an analyst warned this could be a ruse to lure the country's forces into a deadly trap. A forced pullout from the city of Kherson would mark one of Russia's worst setbacks in the 8-month-old war. Ukrainian authorities cautioned against considering the announced plan to retreat from Kherson, a gateway to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, and nearby areas as a done deal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the Russians were feigning a pullout from Kherson to lure the Ukrainian army into an entrenched battle in the strategic industrial port city. If confirmed, the withdrawal from Kherson in a region of the same name that Moscow illegally annexed in September would pile on another setback to Russia's early failed attempt to capture the capital, Kyiv, and the chaotic and hasty retreat from the administrative region around Ukraine's ...

Russia says withdrawing from Ukraine's city of Kherson and nearby areas

Russia's military announced Wednesday that it's withdrawing from Ukraine's southern city of Kherson and nearby areas, in what would be another in a series of humiliating setbacks for Moscow's forces in the 8-month-old war. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately confirm the move and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested in recent days that the Russians were feigning a pullout from Kherson in order to lure the Ukrainian army into an entrenched battle. Zelenskyy called attempts to convince civilians to move deeper into Russian-controlled territory theater. The top Russian military commander in Ukraine, Gen Sergei Surovikin, reported to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday that it was impossible to deliver supplies to the city of Kherson and other areas on the western bank of the Dnieper River that it lies on. Shoigu agreed with his proposal to retreat and set up defenses on the eastern bank. The withdrawal from Kherson which sits in a region of the same name that Mosc

European Union eyes cheap loan plan for 'stable' Ukraine funding in 2023

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled a plan to provide Ukraine with around 18 billion euros (dollars) in financial aid next year in regular payments to help the war-ravaged country keep its energy and health care facilities running as well as to fund salaries and pension schemes. The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, said the aid would involve loans with extremely favourable terms worth around 1.5 billion euros every month, possibly starting in January. Ukraine would not have to reimburse the funds for at least a decade and EU member countries would cover the interest costs. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine will need 3-4 billion dollars each month in 2023. The 27-nation EU's contribution will be matched by the United States, while other donors and financial institutions are expected to plug the gap. Ukraine needs our help, said Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis as he unveiled the plan. He said the government in Kyiv needs

Ukraine's President Zelensky wants Iran punished for helping Russia

"If it was not for the Iranian supply of weapons to the aggressor, we would be closer to peace now," Zelensky said Sunday evening in his daily address

Ukraine President Zelensky warns of more attacks on energy infrastructure

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against more potential Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, while the mayor of Kyiv urged residents to consider preparing to leave temporarily

Italy's support for Ukraine 'subject of debate' amid widespread protests

A growing number of Italians argued that current policies risk prolonging the war while diverting resources the government should be spending domestically.

US President Biden, German Chancellor Scholz affirm support for Ukraine

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a call on Sunday, affirmed continuous commitment towards supporting Ukraine against Russia's aggression, the White House informed

European Commission set to propose EUR 1.5 bn a month package to Ukraine

EU is set to propose a substantial financial package of up to EUR 1.5 bn a month to Ukraine which would contribute to covering its financing needs for 2023

Revival of Black Sea grain corridor significant: Ukrainian Prez Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy said that 28 ships carrying various agricultural products left Ukrainian ports in the past week and the revival of the Black Sea grain corridor is one of the most significant

US privately asks Ukraine to show Russia it's open to talks: Report

The paper quoted unnamed people familiar with the discussions as saying that the request by American officials was not aimed at pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table

Only dialogue and diplomacy can end Russia-Ukraine war: Global statesmen

Only dialogue and diplomacy can end the devastating war in Ukraine, with total victory on the battlefield impossible for either warring party, members of a group of prominent former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela said Friday. The group, known as The Elders, delivered that message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him on a visit to Kyiv this summer that he must start considering a way out of the conflict, said group chairwoman Mary Robinson, former Irish president. We need to encourage more thinking about how it will end in order to get the idea that this needs to end, as opposed to increasing the military arsenal on both sides and the devastation to the population in Ukraine, said Robinson, who also served as UN high commissioner for human rights. The Elders have condemned Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine as a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and a reckless, unjustifiable act of aggression that threatens to destabilise world peace and .

IAEA finds no evidence of undeclared nuke activities, materials in Ukraine

The UN nuclear watchdog sent its experts to Ukraine nation at the request of the Ukrainian govt after Russia made allegations about activities related to the possible production of "dirty bombs."

Bulgaria's parliament approves country's first military aid for Ukraine

A majority of Bulgaria's lawmakers on Thursday approved sending the country's first military aid to Ukraine. The National Assembly voted 175-49 with one abstention in favour of a proposal submitted by four pro-European Union parties. The government has now one month to decide what kind of weapons Bulgaria can provide without affecting its own defence capabilities. Bulgaria previously agreed to repair Ukrainian military equipment at its factories but refused to send weapons directly due to opposition from President Rumen Radev and the country's Moscow-friendly political parties. Along with Hungary, Bulgaria was the only EU member country that had declined to give Ukraine weapons as it fights Russia's invasion and war. More weapons mean more war, Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova said, explaining why her party's lawmakers voted against the proposal. The heated debate that preceded the vote reflected the divisions in Bulgaria since Russia invaded its neighbour. Even t

India abstains on Russia-sponsored UNSC resolution involving Ukraine

Only China voted with Russia on resolution calling for an inquiry into what Moscow alleged was a joint bio-warfare programme run by the US and Ukraine in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention

Ukraine to get new military, humanitarian aid from Spain, says report

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that his war-torn country will soon get new military and humanitarian assistance from Spain

Russian invasion has uprooted 14 million Ukrainians: UN refugee chief

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has driven some 14 million Ukrainians from their homes in the fastest, largest displacement witnessed in decades, sparking an increase in the number of refugees and displaced people worldwide to more than 103 million, the UN refugee chief said Wednesday. Filippo Grandi, who heads the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told the UN Security Council that Ukrainians are about to face one of the world's harshest winters in extremely difficult circumstances, including the continuing destruction of civilian infrastructure that is quickly making the humanitarian response look like a drop in the ocean of needs. Humanitarian organisations have dramatically scaled up their response," he said, but much more must be done, starting with an end to this senseless war. But given the likely protracted nature of the military situation," Grandi said his agency is preparing for further population movements both inside and outside Ukraine. In his wide-ranging briefing, Grand