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☆ Ukraine collects Russian bodies on 'road of death' in retaken southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Ukrainian servicemen check the body of a dead Russian soldier, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk Region Ukraine September 8, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBLAHODATNE, Ukraine, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Wearing face masks, the Ukrainian soldiers poked sticks into the undergrowth along a deserted country road, searching for the bodies of Russian soldiers they hoped to exchange for their own comrades, living and dead. They called it the "road of death" after the number of Russian soldiers killed there when Ukrainian forces retook the southeastern village of Blahodatne at the start of their counteroffensive in June. Three months on, the frontline had shifted south and it was finally safe enough for the three-man team of Ukrainian soldiers to start their operation in this liberated part of Donetsk region. There was intense fighting for Urozhaine," he said, referring to a nearby village that was later retaken.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Volodymyr, Ron Popeski, Tom Balmforth, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Donetsk Region Ukraine, REUTERS, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Blahodatne, Donetsk Region, Donetsk, Russia, Urozhaine

☆ Ukrainian mortar squads say they meet fierce Russian resistance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A Ukrainian serviceman sits next to mortar shells inside a dugout at a position near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine September 4, 2023. It's a routine they repeat frequently as Ukraine's army tries to battle through vast Russian minefields and heavily fortified trenches in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. "The Russians resist fiercely there (on the front line), they are trying to get back their positions," the mortar squad's commander, who uses the call-sign Hrai, told Reuters. Our soldiers are in their (former Russian) positions, prepared by them (the Russians). The mortar position is part of a maze of trenches and dugouts with wooden walls and underground living quarters.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Hrai, Timothy Heritage, Tom Balmforth Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, tarpaulin, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv

☆ Neo-Nazis parade swastika flags in Florida, chanting 'We are everywhere'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

White supremacist hate groups staged a neo-Nazi rally in Florida. The extremist hate groups Blood Tribe and The Goyim Defense League paraded in the Orlando area on Saturday. The Goyim Defense League is an antisemitic hate group that has been known to harass Jews. According to videos of the rally posted on social media, the groups were able to muster a few dozen supporters for the event. On the same day, a separate far-right group called the Order of the Black Sun protested outside Disney World.

Persons: Christopher Polhaus, Hitler, League's, Ron DeSantis, Anna Vishkaee Eskamani, Heil, Laura Loomer, Ryan Palmeter Organizations: Nazi, Service, Labor, Mail Online, Goyim Defense League, Defamation League, Extremism, ADL, Black Sun, Disney, Daily Locations: Florida, Jacksonville, Wall, Silicon, Orlando, FL

☆ Torture, sexual violence commonly used by Russian forces in Ukraine, say experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian authorities are reviewing more than 97,000 reports of war crimes and have filed charges against 220 suspects in domestic courts. The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine by forces taking part in a "special military operation" it says was launched to "de-Nazify" its neighbour and protect Russia. In June, Ukrainian prosecutors brought their first case over the alleged deportation of dozens of orphans from Kherson, charging a Russian politician and two suspected Ukrainian collaborators with war crimes. "The true scale of Russia’s war crimes remains unknown," Anna Mykytenko, senior legal adviser at Global Rights Compliance, said of the latest findings on torture. The torture techniques most commonly used were suffocation, waterboarding, severe beatings and threats of rape, it found.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Vladimir Putin, Team's, Anna Mykytenko, Wayne Jordash, Anthony Deutsch, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Mobile Justice Team, Global Rights, Criminal Court, ICC, The Mobile, European Union, Survivors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, The Hague, Russia, Britain, United States, Russian

☆ Ukraine and Russia should stop using cluster bombs, Human Rights Watch says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy group, called on both Russia and Ukraine to stop using the weapons, and urged the U.S. not to supply them. Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. have all to declined to sign the treaty. Ukraine fired cluster munition rockets into Russian-controlled areas in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium last year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Human Rights Watch said, citing interviews with more than 100 residents, witnesses and local emergency personnel. The Ukrainian attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded at least 15 civilians in Izium, Human Rights Watch said. The group has previously reported that Russia's use of cluster munitions in Ukraine has killed scores of civilians, and the United Nations' Human Rights Council has also documented the use of such bombs by both sides.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Mary Wareham, Joe Biden's, Jonathan Allen, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, U.S, Pentagon, Russian, United Nations, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Nova Zoria, Ukraine, Kherson region, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Izium, New York

[1/4] Security forces operate at the site of a district court, where according to city authorities an explosive device was activated by a man inside a building, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 5, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoKYIV, July 5 (Reuters) - A man who detonated an explosive device at a court in the Ukrainian capital died on Wednesday after barricading himself inside part of the building, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, citing "preliminary information." Two members of a special rapid response security forces unit were hurt during attempts to bring the man under control at the Shevchenkivskyi court in the centre of the capital. Klymenko, briefing reporters at the scene, said the man had "presumably...died from the explosive device". After the hearing, he said the man had first locked himself into a bathroom and tossed an explosive device at two guards.

Persons: barricading, Ihor Klymenko, ., Klymenko, Ihor Humenyuk, Olena Harmash, Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Security, REUTERS, Ukrainian, Police, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Valentyn, KYIV, Russia

☆ Ukraine builds layered air defences as Russia ramps up strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Ukrainian serviceman prepares an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger mobile air defence missile system for work during his combat shift, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine June 16, 2023. "When they arrive in one night, both (drones) and cruise missiles fly by, that's the most difficult." On Friday, Ukraine said it shot down all six cruise missiles and six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles fired at targets in and around the capital. "One of our top priorities, when it comes to transforming our armed forces and building up our air defence capability is creating a three-layered air defence system," said Sak. By contrast in April, the Air Force said it had shot down 73 drones and 21 cruise missiles.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Yuriy Sak, Sak, Tom Balmforth, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, TIME, Patriots, Patriot, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, KYIV, U.S, Russia, Europe, Odesa, West, Washington, Australia

☆ Protesters carrying Nazi flags and DeSantis imagery gathered outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Protesters with Nazi flags gathered outside Disney World on Saturday. DeSantis has been embroiled in a yearlong feud with Disney over the "Don't Say Gay" bill. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyProtestors waving Nazi flags gathered outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Saturday afternoon. Last May, a similar protest took place in the same location outside Disney World with protesters carrying Nazi flags. Representatives for DeSantis did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, which was made outside of normal working hours.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, —, Anna V, Eskamani, egan, ince Organizations: Nazi, Disney, Florida Gov, Service, Privacy Locations: Orlando , Florida, ffend

☆ A hunter paid $100,000 for 4 old grain bins in the middle of nowhere, then transformed them into a secret home. See inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An avid hunter converted four unassuming grain bins into a fully automated smart home. The house, which sits on 386 remote acres in rural Washington, is on the market for $1.6 million. Realtor Anna Van Diest said it would be "heaven" for a doomsday prepper because of its privacy. Loading Something is loading. The property hit the market in late April asking $1.6 million.

Persons: Anna Van Diest, — Organizations: Service Locations: Washington

☆ Cherry blossom mingles with barbed wire and trenches in Kyiv park
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A woman poses for a photo under cherry blossoms in a park in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File PhotoKYIV, May 5 (Reuters) - Pink cherry blossom has brought a touch of spring to a Kyiv park still strewn with barbed wire and anti-tank barriers. The Ukrainian military positions in the park, including trenches and a bunker, are no longer in use. That's our destiny, that's the times we got assigned to live in. Reporting by Anna Voitenko, Felix Hoske and Andrii Pryimachenko; Writing by Alison Williams; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Florida legislature swoops in to try to help DeSantis wrestle power back from Disney World
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The GOP-controlled legislature introduced an amendment to take away Disney's control over its land. Ron DeSantis seize back control of the board that oversees Walt Disney World's special tax district. The amendment aims to nullify Disney's actions from February, in which the mega-corporation stealthily rendered toothless a board DeSantis appointed to make decisions about its land. At that time, DeSantis said, the group would also work separately to void the Disney loophole that stripped them of their power. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

☆ Ukrainian diver joins boycott of events with Russians as war takes its toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Stanislav Oliferchyk, the European diving champion from Mariupol, practices in a pool at the training base for divers, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 27, 2023. Oliferchuk had been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Neptun swimming pool in Mariupol, which underwent two years of costly, major restoration. "The swimming pool was just incredible, I really enjoyed training there after it was renovated. It is very sad that the swimming pool as well the rest of the city was destroyed," Oliferchuk told Reuters. No way Russians should be allowed to take part in the competitions - if it happens, we will boycott."

☆ In Ukraine's Bucha, a 'wounded soul' aches one year after liberation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Graves of unidentified people killed by Russian soldiers during occupation of the Bucha town, are seen at the town's cemetery, before the first anniversary of its liberation, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine March 30, 2023. Among the victims in Bucha was her 47-year-old son-in-law - a wound that festers despite the relative rejuvenation of the town since its liberation one year ago on Friday. Ukrainian authorities put the civilian death toll in areas of the Kyiv region liberated from Russian forces at 1,137, including 461 killed in Bucha alone. Russia's forces abandoned their assault on Kyiv a month into the war, withdrawing from Bucha in the north and other areas. "We should understand that it's easy to rebuild walls, but it's much harder to rebuild a wounded soul," he said.

☆ US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Anna VoitenkoMarch 27 (Reuters) - The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday said he signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Michael McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan under Democratic President Joe Biden and events in the country since. McCaul has given the State Department until Monday to produce the documents. "Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee," McCaul said in a statement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Monday evening.

They were eventually forced to retreat, and in early April media images of the carnage they left behind shocked the world. The bodies of civilians littered pavements and roads, some with hands tied behind their backs. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of war crimes in Bucha, an allegation the Kremlin denies. You try to understand what that person is thinking; if that person can actually feel," she said in her home in Bucha. The mayor of Bucha has said more than 400 civilians were killed there by Russian forces, including dozens whose bodies lay untended for weeks on and alongside Yablunska, or Apple Street.

[1/2] Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, speaks with Reuters during an interview, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 7, 2023. "Attempts at an offensive in either the Kharkiv or Zaporizhzhia direction will of course be made," he said, speaking in his office in the capital, Kyiv. Russian forces have been trying to encircle and capture Bakhmut for weeks at a steep cost. Danilov said Kyiv expected Russia to seek to achieve demonstrable results around the one-year anniversary of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24. Earlier, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces could try to attack from Moscow's ally Belarus to the northwest.

At his funeral in the western Ukrainian town of Letychiv, friends of the 22-year-old, who volunteered for the military and was hit by shrapnel in Bakhmut last week, were vehement that Russians should be excluded from the Olympics. Fellow decathlete Dmytro Korbenko, who described himself as Androshchuk's best friend, said of Russian athletes: "It's obvious they're not supposed to be in sports, nor at the 2024 Olympic Games." As mourners laid bouquets near Androshchuk's feet or kissed his forehead, Korbenko described his friend as a strong-willed athlete. In response, Ukraine has threatened to boycott the 2024 Olympics if the year-long war is still raging and if Russians are allowed to compete. Russia, which denies committing atrocities in Ukraine, said attempts at banning it from international sports were "doomed to fail."

The Kremlin and Russia’s defence ministry didn’t respond to Reuters’ questions, including about alleged torture and unlawful detentions. Ukraine’s top war crimes prosecutor, Yuriy Belousov, said authorities have identified ten sites in the Kherson region used by Russian forces for unlawful detentions. Belousov added that hundreds of bodies of civilians had been found in other areas that Russian forces had withdrawn from. Some of the thousands of alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces could be escalated to overseas tribunals if they are deemed sufficiently serious. The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

☆ Walmart will stop providing single-use plastic and paper bags in New York and Colorado in January, accelerating its sustainability push – but creating a new task for customers.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The single-use bag policy will go into effect on New Year's Day in Colorado and Jan. 18 in New York. In the states in which Walmart has or will be eliminating single-use bags, legislatures have already passed laws that ban single-use plastic bags and require retailers to charge a fee for, or outright ban, single-use paper bags. It's unclear if that includes eliminating single-use plastic bags at all stores. A Walmart spokesperson did not respond to questions on that goal and if Walmart would ban single-use bags in any other states in 2023. Do you live in Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, Colorado, or New York and have thoughts on Walmart's ban of single-use bags?

The visit by a team from Global Rights Compliance, an international legal practice headquartered in The Hague, has not previously been reported. More than 50,000 alleged incidents of international crimes have been reported by Ukraine's prosecutor general since Russia's full-scale invasion. Widespread or systematic sexual violence could amount to crimes against humanity, generally seen as more serious, legal specialists said. He added that more than half said they had been subjected to various forms of sexual violence. UNIQUE CHALLENGESElderfield said sexual violence was not always given the prominence it should have in national and international investigations.

☆ Ukrainians brave return to former frontline village after Russian retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ones that still have something to save, they save it," said 31-year-old returnee Liudmyla Hupalo. "The ones that have nothing to save and have no place to live, they don't come back," she told Reuters. There is some roof left above my house, but it is still scary to look at." "It was a nice and beautiful village," he later recalled, standing beside the charred remains of his tractor, blown up during the occupation. For his wife Oksana, the stove means progress of a sort, though a return to normality remains a distant prospect.

Under the three-day amnesty which began on Saturday, Ukrainians living in villages across the river can traverse the Dnipro during daylight hours and to a designated point. Anastasiia, who also only gave her first name, said she was at the port because she hoped to cross the river the other way, into Russian-held territory where her relatives are. Russian forces have intensified artillery attacks on the Kherson region since withdrawing from the western bank of the Dnipro. Dozens have died in attacks in the region, Ukrainian officials say. Mykola, 73, said his daughter happened to be on the east bank of the river when Kherson was liberated and got stuck alone in Russian-held territory.

☆ 'Where is he now?’ Kherson mother looks for son after Russian retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They include people like Voskoboinik's son, whose whereabouts are a mystery, and residents who were arrested by Russian forces during the occupation and taken farther away. "There's a really big problem with communication, especially in rural places," said Volodymyr Zhdanov, the regional Kherson administration's point person for missing people. Almost 400 civilians have been killed in unspecified Russian war crimes in the region, she added. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond when asked about individual cases and the overall number of missing in Kherson. The dog was shot dead, her son complained and was promptly arrested and taken to a police station, she added.

[1/4] Kateryna Tyshchenko reacts outside her prefabricated accommodation which was built next to her destroyed house in the village of Moshchun near Kyiv, Ukraine November 8, 2022. Regular power outages caused by Russian strikes on Ukraine's vital infrastructure mean they can only heat their tiny makeshift home sporadically. Authorities say 40% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been seriously damaged, forcing them to introduce rolling blackouts. "We didn't have power at all for a month and a half (when we returned to Moshchun). "My soul belongs here, it's my yard, and living here means I can work in my garden and yard," she said.

☆ Russian 'blackmail' over grain export deal failed - Ukrainian presidential aide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Russia is resuming participation in a deal to free up grain exports from Ukraine because it realised the initiative would still work without Kremlin involvement, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written statement to Reuters that Moscow's decision showed that Russian "blackmail" and "escalation and threats" fail when they meet a resolute response. "One way or another, Russia, embarrassed, returned to the 'grain initiative' because it suddenly turned out that the grain corridor would work even without the Kremlin's participation," Podolyak said. "When you want to play blackmail, it is important not to outplay yourself," Podolyak said. Another senior Ukrainian official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that Moscow's decision was mainly a result of Turkish pressure on Russia.

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