Page 3 - Ukraine

Ukraine, EU extend deal on road transport liberalisation till June 2024

Ukraine and the European Union (EU) have extended a deal on road transport liberalisation for one year till June 30, 2024, the Ukrainian government press service has reported

Poland to be 1st NATO member to give Ukraine fighter jets to defend itself

Poland said Thursday it plans to give Ukraine about a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets, which would make it the first NATO member to fulfil Kyiv's increasingly urgent requests for warplanes to defend itself against the Russian invasion. Warsaw will hand over four of the Soviet-made warplanes "within the next few days," President Andrzej Duda said, and the rest needed servicing but would be supplied later. The Polish word he used to describe the total number can mean between 11 and 19. "They are in the last years of their functioning, but they are in good working condition," Duda said. He did not say whether other countries would follow suit, although Slovakia has said it would send its own disused MiGs to Ukraine. Poland also was the first NATO nation to provide Ukraine with German-made Leopard 2 tanks. On Wednesday, Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said some other countries also had pledged MiGs to Kyiv, but did not identify them. Both Poland and Slovakia had indicated they were

Canada announces additional military aid including 12 missiles to Ukraine

Canada will also donate more than 1,800 rounds of 105mm tank training ammunition, to support the donation of Leopard 1 tanks announced by Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands

Poland may hand Soviet-made MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine within weeks

Poland's prime minister said Tuesday that his government may hand its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters jets over to Ukraine within the next four to six weeks. Poland's leaders said last week that sending the warplanes would be only done within a larger international coalition. Slovakia has also declared readiness to provide its MiG-29 planes to Kyiv and the two NATO nations have urged others to join in. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday said that Warsaw could send its MiGs within weeks, but didn't clarify whether there was any coalition ready to follow suit. Ukraine's air force is familiar with MiG-29s and could use the planes right away. Poland has been using the fighter jets since 1989 and has 28 of them. It has been replacing them with US-made F-16s and South Korean FA 50 multi-task jets and is also purchasing US F-35 fighters. Ukraine has been asking the West for fighter jets to beef up its defenses as Russia's war drags on for a second year. There are still no si

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

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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

Duty-free sunflower oil imports from Black Sea set to drop this year

India, the world's biggest vegetable oil importer, buys sunflower oil from the Black Sea region, which accounts for 60% of the world's sunflower oil output and 76% of exports

An anti-government protest in Czech Republic capital draws thousands

Thousands of people in the Czech Republic rallied against the government Saturday, protesting high inflation and demanding an end to the country's military support for Ukraine. A new political group, PRO, organised the rally at Prague's Wenceslas Square as an anti-poverty event. As participants called on the coalition government to resign, party leader Jindrich Rajchl said they want a government to care first of all about the interests of the Czech citizens. His group, whose name translates in English to Law, Respect, Expertise, blames the European Union for soaring energy prices. Inflation slightly dropped to 16.7% in Czechia in February from 17.5% a month earlier. PRO also wants the Czech government to stop taking actions that are intended to reduce misinformation and fake news. Ukraine was a key issue at Saturday's demonstration, where the crowd called for a peaceful solution to the war. Some people had the letter Z, a symbol of the Russian military, on their bags. Stop the war

India, Australia express deep concern over crisis in Myanmar and Ukraine

India and Australia expressed their deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, and Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of violence, according to the joint statement released

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

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 ...

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

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

Operations to defend Bakhmut will continue: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy

Moscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition, the BBC reported

Russian forces steps up effort to take elusive prize of Ukraine city

The fate of Bakhmut appeared to be hanging in the balance on Monday, as Russian forces continued to encroach on the devastated eastern Ukrainian city but its defenders still denied the Kremlin the prize it has sought for six months at the cost of thousands of lives. Intense Russian shelling targeted the Donetsk region city and nearby villages as Moscow deployed more resources there in an apparent bid to finish off Bakhmut's resistance, according to local officials. Civilians are fleeing the region to escape Russian shelling continuing round the clock as additional Russian troops and weapons are being deployed there, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said. Russian forces that invaded Ukraine just over a year ago have been bearing down on Bakhmut for months, putting Kyiv's troops on the defensive but unable to deliver a knockout blow. More broadly, Russia continues to experience difficulty generating battlefield momentum. Moscow's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022 soon stalled and

Ukraine, Latvia agree to Ukraine's Euro, Euro-Atlantic integration

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his visiting Latvian counterpart, Egils Levits, have signed a joint declaration confirming Latvia's support

Antony Blinken meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister, reiterates US support

Blinken on Wednesday arrived in India to take part in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the Raisina Dialogue

Russians pound access routes to Ukraine's besieged Bakhmut: Report

Prigozhin's men have spearheaded the assault in eastern Ukraine for months

US expected to send more ammo, folding armoured bridges to Ukraine

The US is expected to announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine Friday, including for the first time eight armoured vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers or other gaps, US officials said Thursday. The officials said the total cost of the package will be about USD 400 million and will also include large amounts of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. It comes just a week after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as Ukrainian forces are preparing for a spring offensive. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been publicly announced. The so-called Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could help Ukrainian troops as they launch the expected offensive, and make it easier for troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces. Including this latest

Kremlin accuses Ukrainian saboteurs of attack inside Western Russia

The Kremlin on Thursday accused Ukrainian saboteurs of crossing into western Russia and firing on villagers. Ukraine denied the claim and warned that Moscow could use the allegations to justify stepping up its own attacks in the ongoing war. The exact circumstances of the alleged attack reported in the Bryansk region were unclear, including what the strategic purpose of such an assault might be. If confirmed, it would be another indication following drone attacks earlier this week that Kyiv may be stepping up pressure against Moscow by exposing Russian defensive weaknesses, embarrassing the Kremlin and sowing unease among Russian civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukrainian terrorists for an incursion, claiming that they deliberately targeted civilians, including children in "yet another terror attack, another crime. They infiltrated the area near the border and opened fire on civilians, Putin said during a video call. They saw a civilian vehicle with civilians, wit