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☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Reports His Income Increased in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday declared his income for 2022 rose to 12.42 million hryvnias ($306,000) from 3.7 million hryvnias the previous year, with the increase attributable to improved rent collection and sale of some government bonds. It said Zelenskiy and his family had derived income of 7.45 million Ukrainian hryvnias from the sale of government bonds. It said most of the income came from his salary, bank interest and rent payable from his properties. In previous declarations, Zelensky reported a family income of 3.7 million hryvnias and in 2021, before the outbreak of the war in 2022, an income of 10.8 million hryvnias. The steep decline in 2022 was attributed to less rental income.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Zelensky, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, David Gregorio Organizations: Reuters, European Union, International Monetary Fund Locations: Ukraine

☆ Air Defences Down 16 Airborne Targets in Russia's Belgorod, Local Governor Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Russian air defence units on Wednesday downed 16 airborne targets around the city of Belgorod in southern Russia, with no injuries reported on the ground, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Gladkov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the attacks broke windows and caused other damage to several sites in the town, including two schools and four educational institutions. Pictures posted on social media showed a car bursting into flames and a fire in a courtyard. Ukraine has in recent weeks regularly launched air attacks on Belgorod, and two nearby Russian regions, Bryansk and Voronezh. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 96 ImagesPhotos You Should See View All 60 Images(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, Gladkov, Ron Popeski, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Wednesday Locations: Belgorod, Russia, Ukraine, Bryansk, Voronezh

☆ Ukraine's Military: Russian Forces Stopped Near Avdiivka, but Reinforcing Elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Monday its forces had contained a Russian advance outside the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka captured last month, but Moscow's troops were regrouping in an area further south. Ukrainian military spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy, speaking on national television, acknowledged that Russian forces were in partial control of two more villages -- but their advance had been halted. An account of the fighting by the Russian defence ministry said Moscow's forces had "as a result of coordinated action continued to occupy more advantageous positions" near Avdiivka. Russian forces have focused on securing control of eastern Ukraine in the two-year-old war after their initial attempt to advance on Kyiv failed. Ukraine's Emergency Services reported that two firefighters had been killed near the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk -- north of Avdiivka -- when they came under Russian shelling while battling a blaze.

Persons: Avdiivka, Vladimir Putin, Dmytro Lykhoviy, Lykhoviy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Radio Liberty, Emergency Services Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russia, Donetsk, Novomykhailivka, Ukraine, Kramatorsk

☆ At Least Three Dead in Russian Assaults on Ukraine Cities, Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian forces shelled and fired missiles at a series of cities in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least three people and leaving others under the rubble of shattered buildings, Ukrainian officials said. Two cities close to the front line in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region -- Kramatorsk and Slovyansk -- came under fire. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesRussian shells on Saturday struck a school in the nearby town of Slovyansk, with rescuer teams searching for at least one person trapped underneath piles of debris. Further north in the town of Kupiansk, scene of heavy Russian attacks for months, one person was killed when a two-storey house was struck by Russian shells, the governor of Kharkiv region said. Reuters could not independently verify any of the reports, but they occurred in areas where Russian assaults are frequent.

Persons: Kramatorsk, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine's Donetsk, Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Donetsk, Moscow, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Russia

☆ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Discusses Peace Prospects With Chinese Counterpart
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday he had discussed the prospects for peace in Kyiv's nearly two-year-old war against Russia with his Chinese counterpart, part of a long-running bid to bolster relations with Beijing. "I met with my Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations, trade, and the need to restore a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," Kuleba wrote on X, formerly Twitter, of their talks at the Munich Security Conference. Kuleba said he had discussed Ukraine's plans to hold a global peace summit which Switzerland has agreed to help stage. The two men, he said, "agreed on the need to maintain Ukraine-China contacts at all levels and continue our dialogue". China has attended at least one of the preparatory meetings that have taken place in anticipation of such a summit.

Persons: Dmytro Kuleba, Wang Yi, Kuleba, Ron Popeski, Alistair Bell Organizations: Reuters, Ukrainian, Twitter, Munich Security, China, Russia Locations: Kyiv's, Russia, Beijing, Ukraine, Switzerland, China, Moscow, Africa, Soviet

☆ Russian President Putin Congratulates Servicemen for Capture of Ukraine's Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated military units and their commander on Saturday on the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin website said Putin was presented with a report on the capture of the city from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian news agencies quoted a telegram that Putin sent to the commander of the "centre" group of forces in Ukraine, Colonel-General Andrei Mordvichev. Russian forces had been engaged in sustained attacks on Avdiivka since mid-October. It had been briefly held by pro-Russian groups in 2014 when they seized large chunks of eastern Ukraine, but later retaken by Ukrainian forces.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Mordvichev, Ron Popeski, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Defence, Ukrainian, Moscow's, Russian Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Donetsk

☆ Armenia's PM: 'We Are Not Russia's Ally' in War Against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two major wars in the past 30 years over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region has long been recognised as part of Azerbaijan and Azeri troops secured full control over it last September. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesIn his remarks to Britain's Daily Telegraph, Pashinyan said he had said from the outset of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine that it could not stand alongside Moscow as an ally. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images"I said, in the Ukraine situation, we are not Russia’s ally. He repeated that Armenia was considering whether to stay in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Ron Popeski, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Britain's Daily Telegraph, U.S, NATO, Nato, Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Moscow, France, Russian

☆ Officials Report Drone Attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine's Second City
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) -Drones attacked civilian infrastructure late on Friday in and near Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, and officials reported explosions in the city. Regional governor Oleh Synehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said drones had damaged civilian infrastructure in the city's Nemyshlianskyi district. Reporters from Suspilne public television observed the glow of a fire over the city. Synehubov said a cafe had been hit in Velykyi Burluk, a town east of Kharkiv. Kharkiv has been under attack regularly since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been a frequent target of Russian assaults in recent weeks.

Persons: Oleh Synehubov, Synehubov, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Drones Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine's, Nemyshlianskyi, Velykyi Burluk, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Is Considering Replacing Zaluzhnyi, Others
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in an interview broadcast on Sunday, said he was considering a "reset" to replace several senior officials. Speculation has gripped Ukraine for weeks over suggestions that the president was about to dismiss the highly popular commander, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. But Zelenskiy said any changes went beyond replacing a single person to harness efforts to oust Russian troops. To win the war, Zelenskiy said, "We must all push in the same direction, we cannot be discouraged, we must have the right and positive energy, negativity must be left at home. On two occasions in the past week, Ukrainian media issued a torrent of reports that Zaluzhnyi's dismissal was imminent.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Valeriy, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyi, Zaluzhnyi, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Kyrylo Budanov, Gianluca Semeraro, Ron Popeski, Diane Craft, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, RAI, Russian, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Italian, Ukrainian, Ukraine's, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Hails Arrival of New Air Defence Systems
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the arrival on Friday of two new air defence systems that he said could "shoot down anything". In his nightly video address, the president pointedly said he could give no details of the newly arrived air defence systems but described them as the culmination of "working tirelessly at various levels for months". And while the systems are not yet sufficient for the complete defence of Ukraine, we are working towards that goal every day." Beefing up air defence has been one of the key priorities for defending cities, towns and infrastructure against Russian missile and drone attacks. "There is a risk that the Ukrainian armed forces may have to withdraw from Avdiivka," Dykiy said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, State Victoria Nuland, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Yevhen Dykiy, Dykiy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Reuters, Russia, Russian, State, Armed Forces Commander, General Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian

☆ Second Man Jailed in Moldova's 'Fraud of the Century'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - A Moldovan court jailed a banker for 10 years on Monday, the second man to be sentenced in connection with the ex-Soviet state's "fraud of the century" in which $1 billion was removed from the banking system and taken out of the country. The country's anti-corruption prosecutor announced the sentence handed down on Viorel Birca in connection with the 2014-2015 fraud on charges of mass fraud and "acting in the interests of a criminal group". Moldova's Constitutional Court subsequently outlawed a political party bearing his name. The fraud case continues to reverberate in Moldova's politics a decade after the events. Moldova's parliament last month dismissed central bank chief Octavian Armasu for failing to act to recover the money lost in the scandal.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Birca, Ilan Shor, Shor, Maia Sandu's, Vlad Plahotniuc, Octavian Armasu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Stephen Coates Organizations: Moldovan, Journalists, Prosecutors, Banca de Economii, Birca Locations: Soviet, Moldova, Israel, Northern Cyprus

☆ Russian Shelling Kills Four in Northern Ukraine, One in Devastated Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russian shelling in northern Ukraine killed four people in two villages in Sumy region near the Russian border, while a woman died in a fresh assault on the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, local officials said. The local administration in Sumy region said three people died in mortar fire in the village of Znov-Novohorodske. Reuters could not verify the reports, but officials in Sumy region report daily attacks from Russian forces. It has remained in Ukrainian hands in Russia's slow drive through eastern Ukraine despite fierce onslaughts since mid-October. The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces, in its evening report said Ukrainian forces had repelled 13 Russian attacks in and around Avdiivka in the past 24 hours.

Persons: Suspilne, Avdiivka, Natalia Humeniuk, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, General, Military Locations: Ukraine, Sumy, Russian, Avdiivka, Znov, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Russia, Kherson

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Publishes Income as Part of Transparency Drive
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made public his income over a two-year period on Sunday as part of a drive to promote transparency and root out endemic corruption. In a post on the presidential website, Zelenskiy noted that his income had declined in 2021 and further in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February. In 2021, the year before the invasion, Zelenskiy and his family reported income of 10.8 million hryvnias ($286,168), down 12 million hryvnias from the previous year. In 2022, the Zelenskiy family’s income fell further to 3.7 million hryvnias as he earned less rental income from real estate he owned because of the outbreak of the war. Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention, one of several bodies devoted to exposing and eliminating graft, last month reopened to public scrutiny a register on declared income.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, European Union, International Monetary Fund, National Agency on Corruption Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Moldovan Negotiator Rules Out Moscow Role in Solving Separatist Issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian made his comments on national radio as Moldova's pro-European government pressed ahead with its drive to secure European Union membership. "Returning to that format for a peaceful settlement depends on improved relations between Moscow and Kyiv," he said. Prime Minister Dorin Recean on Saturday announced in a video presentation that Cristina Gherasimov, previously foreign ministry secretary of state, would serve as European integration minister and chief negotiator in negotiations on EU membership. Gherasimov will also head a new European Integration Bureau dedicated to proceeding with those talks. Her appointment, and that of new Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi, followed the resignation last week of Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Oleg Serebrian, Serebrian, Maia Sandu, Russia's, Transdniestria, Dorin Recean, Cristina Gherasimov, Gherasimov, Mihail Popsoi, Nicu Popescu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, European Affairs, EU, Saturday, Integration Bureau Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Kyiv, Romania, Moldova

☆ Russian Missiles Hit Industrial Target in Central Ukraine -Governor
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) -Russian missiles struck an industrial site in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk on Saturday, sparking a fire, the local governor said. Filip Pronin, governor of Poltava region, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that two Russian ballistic missiles had hit the target in the city. Pictures posted online showed emergency crews battling a blaze. Further southeast in Zaporizhzhia region, local governor Yuri Malashko said an infrastructure site had been hit in a drone attack. Emergency crews were at the site, but Malashko gave no details of damage or casualties.

Persons: Filip Pronin, Yuri Malashko, Malashko, Ron Popeski, Maria Starkova, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Reuters Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Kremenchuk, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Ukraine Says It Uncovers Mass Fraud in Weapons Procurement
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine's SBU security service said on Saturday it had uncovered a corruption scheme in the purchase of arms by the country's military totalling the equivalent of about $40 million. The announcement of mass procurement fraud, confirmed by Ukraine's Defence Ministry, will have a huge resonance in a country beleaguered by Russia's nearly two-year-old invasion. The fight to root out endemic corruption remains a major issue as Ukraine presses its bid to secure membership in the European Union. "According to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defence and heads of affiliated companies are involved in the embezzlement." Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov was dismissed last September over various corruption cases despite enjoying a solid reputation in representing Ukraine in its discussions with Western allies.

Persons: Russia's, Oleksii Reznikov, Ron Popeski, Maria Starkova, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine's Defence Ministry, European Union, Ministry of Defence, Lviv Arsenal, . Defence, Western Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Russia Is 'Playing With the Lives of Ukrainian POWs'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for full clarity on Wednesday on the circumstances of the crash of a Russian plane in a Russian border region and accused Moscow of "playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war." "It is clear that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the feelings of their loved ones and the emotions of our society," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video broadcast. Russian officials accuse Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the Il-76 military transport and said it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war due to take part in a swap. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Chris Reese)

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Chris Reese Organizations: Reuters Locations: Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Vows to Help Business After Banker's Detention
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pledged on Monday to take whatever measures were needed for the smooth operation of Ukrainian enterprises after the detention of a prominent banker caused an uproar in the business community. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he had held "difficult" talks with prominent businessmen and was resolved to iron out the serious problems business people were confronting. And I have requested the necessary work be done to resolve all difficulties between government officials, businesses and law enforcement," he said. "During wartime, we must be united by one task, the strength of Ukraine, the power of our society, our economy," he said. He has been a frequent critic of law enforcement agencies and judges, accusing some of them of abusing their powers.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, National Security, Defence Council, Concorde Capital Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Polish

☆ Moldova Says Latest Talks With Separatists 'Difficult'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - A senior official of Moldova's pro-European government said on Wednesday that his latest talks with the pro-Russian separatist Transdniestria region had been "quite difficult" as tension rises in the three-decade-old standoff. The region split from Moldova before the collapse of Soviet rule and fought a brief war against the newly independent state lying between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova's deputy prime minister, Oleg Serebrean, said the latest talks between the sides on Tuesday, in Transdniestria's main town of Tiraspol, had focused on the new tax regime. One-on-one talks with Transdniestria are held under the auspices of the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which has been mediating for decades. They replaced a longstanding "5+2" format in which Russia, Ukraine and the United States participated, along with observers from the EU and the United States.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Transdniestria, Oleg Serebrean, Serebrean, Maia Sandu, Moldolva, Sandu, Moldova's, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, EU, Russian, Transdniestria, Organisation for Security, United Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Russian, Transdniestria, Soviet, Transdniestria's, Tiraspol, Chisinau, Moscow, Cyprus, Russia, Europe, United States

☆ Russia Calls Ukraine Peace Meetings 'Pointless', Says Plan Can't Succeed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday that it was increasingly apparent to the world that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's plan to resolve the nearly two-year war had no hope of succeeding and dismissed meetings devoted to it as "pointless and harmful". The fourth in a series of meetings bringing together officials from several dozen countries - but not Russia - was held this week in Davos. "All such meetings ... including the Davos gathering and those to follow it, are pointless and harmful for settling the Ukrainian crisis." Russia is pointedly not invited to the meetings centred on Zelenskiy's peace plan, which calls for withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine, recognition of its 1991 post-Soviet borders and a mechanism to bring Moscow to account. The Swiss government agreed after the latest gathering on Zelenskiy's peace plan to host a global peace summit on Ukraine at Zelenskiy's request.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Andriy Yermak, Dmitry Peskov, Ron Popeski, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Economic, Kyiv, Staff, Davos Locations: Russia, Davos, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Swiss

☆ Russia and Niger Agree to Develop Military Ties, Moscow Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia and Niger, under military rule since a coup last year, have agreed to develop military cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. According to Russian news agencies, Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger's junta-appointed Defense Minister Salifu Modi on Tuesday. Niger's military council, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, took power after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Niger's junta-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine has also arrived in Moscow. During the visit, Zeine intends to discuss widening a partnership with Russia in the areas of defense, agriculture and energy.

Persons: Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Alexander Fomin, Salifu Modi, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Zeine, Maxim Rodionov, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Niger's, European Union Locations: Russia, Niger, Russian, Niger's, Moscow, United States, Europe, China

☆ Ukraine Foreign Minister Muses About 'Punching' Russia's Lavrov
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kuleba said at the time that the talks in Turkey had been difficult and dealt with a ceasefire and arranging humanitarian corridors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejects talks with Moscow until Russian troops are withdrawn from the slightly less than 20 percent of Ukraine they now hold. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready for talks but has vowed to pursue what Moscow calls its "special military operation". In Moscow, Russia Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Kuleba's latest remarks underscored the incompetence of Ukraine's leadership. "Perhaps he belongs in a no-holds-barred bout rather than the foreign ministry?"

Persons: Dmytro Kuleba, Sergei Lavrov, Kuleba, Lavrov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia Foreign Locations: Ukrainian, Antalya, Ukraine's, Belarus, Turkey, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russians ease attacks in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv still may hold Maryinka
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's military has focused on eastern Ukraine since abandoning an advance on Kyiv in the first days after the February 2022 invasion. But unofficial Ukrainian reports on Saturday said its forces were holding some districts. There were no official Ukrainian reports on Maryinka, but military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said reports of its capture by Russian troops were untrue. "We acknowledge that there was an advance there of the Russian military," Zhdanov said in an online presentation. Ukrainian forces have focused on recapturing occupied villages in the east and south in a counteroffensive launched in June, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has acknowledged that advances have been slower than Kyiv wanted.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Moscow's, Oleksandr Shtupun, Avdiivka, Shtupun, Rybar, Vitaliy Barabash, Oleh Zhdanov, Zhdanov, Volodymyr Fitio, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Maria Starkova, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Acquire, Reuters, Channel, Russia's Defence Ministry, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Maryinka, Ukraine, Donetsk Region, Avdiivka, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Winnipeg, Canada

☆ Russians Ease Attacks in Eastern Ukraine, Shattered Town May Still Be Held by Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Russian forces eased attacks on the beleaguered eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on Saturday and unofficial reports from the region suggested they had failed to capture the devastated town of Maryinka to the southwest. Russia's military has focused on eastern Ukraine since abandoning an advance on Kyiv in the first days after the February 2022 invasion. "We acknowledge that there was an advance there of the Russian military," Zhdanov said in an online presentation. "But the southwestern and northwestern parts of the town are under the control of Ukrainian forces." The town, also shattered by months of fighting, was captured by Russian forces in May, but Ukrainian troops have since taken back nearby villages.

Persons: Moscow's, Oleksandr Shtupun, Avdiivka, Shtupun, Rybar, Vitaliy Barabash, Oleh Zhdanov, Zhdanov, Volodymyr Fitio, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Maria Starkova, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, Channel, Russia's Defence Ministry, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv Locations: Avdiivka, Maryinka, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Winnipeg, Canada

☆ Control over devastated eastern Ukrainian town uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Most accounts of Maryinka, southwest of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk, describe it as a ghost town amid daily reports of Ukrainian forces defending different districts. Ukrainian forces, it said, remained in control of other districts. Ukrainian social media accounts noted Russian advances, but quoted soldiers as rejecting the notion that Moscow's troops controlled the entire town. Russian forces, focused on eastern Ukraine, have been attacking the town of Avdiivka, 40 km (25 miles) north of Maryinka, since mid-October. Ukrainian forces, he said, had repelled attacks near Kupiansk, a northeastern area seized by Russia after invading in February 2022, but retaken by Ukrainian troops a year ago.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, Rybar, Maryinka, Volodymyr Fitio, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: Ukraine's, Staff, Russia's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Maryinka, Ukraine, Donetsk Region, Russian, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Kupiansk, Russia

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