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☆ Ukraine's economy stabilizes after shock of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The economy shrank by a third last year, the largest fall since Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's largest steel mill, said its production was currently at about 25% of pre-war levels amid electricity blackouts. Ukraine's central bank predicts GDP will grow by 0.3% this year, while the economy ministry forecasts 3.2% growth. The agreement saved Ukraine's agriculture, which accounted for about 12% of GDP and some 40% of overall exports before the war. The steel sector, a key pillar of the economy, is among the hardest hit.

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.

☆ Zelenskiy's message on Ukraine war anniversary: 'we will defeat everyone'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy marked the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on Friday with a sombre message of defiance to his people, saying "we will defeat everyone". Western military officials estimate casualties on both sides of the largest conflict in Europe since World War Two at more than 100,000 killed or wounded. "Almost everyone has at least one contact in their phone that will never pick up the phone again," Zelenskiy said. These two simple words got a new meaning during the year of the war." With leaders of both countries showing no signs of backing down, the prospects of an end to the fighting any time soon look bleak.

"We withstand all threats, shelling, cluster bombs, cruise missiles, kamikaze drones, blackouts and cold ... And we will do everything to gain victory this year." "Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko 1 2 3 4 5Igor, walking through Moscow, said Russia must win: "We're looking forward to it ending successfully. Despite strong support for Ukraine in the West, big developing nations, above all China and India, have kept clear of imposing sanctions on Moscow. Learn more about the Ukraine war.

[1/6] Ukrainian servicemen of the 17th Independent Tanks Brigade are seen atop of a T-64 tank, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the frontline town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine February 23, 2023. "Using Ukraine, the collective West is seeking to dismember Russia, to deprive it of its independence. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet virtually on Friday with G7 leaders and Zelenskiy to mark the anniversary and announce new sanctions against those aiding Russia's war effort, the White House said. Ukraine and its Western partners have brushed off the nuclear talk as a diversion from a stalled military campaign. Some U.S. and Western officials estimate Russia's military casualties at nearly 200,000 dead or wounded, while in November the top U.S. general said more than 100,000 troops on each side had been killed or wounded.

BUCHA, Ukraine/VILNIUS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The brightly painted nails were what gave the identity of the body away. A year on from the full-scale invasion, her family and friends have parted ways, their lives upended by the conflict. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of war crimes in Bucha, an allegation the Kremlin denies. February 24 is the day when life was taken away from all Ukrainians, but we are trying to get it back." Additional reporting by Yiming Woo in Bucha; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Toughened by war's scars, Kyiv presses on while Russia attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] People walk down a street near anti-tank constructions as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in central Kyiv, Ukraine February 8, 2023. To avoid the lesson being disrupted by yet another Russian attack, she had quickly moved her class underground when the air-raid sirens sounded. "We teach math, biology, chemistry - everything according to the usual schedule," Olena, who declined to give her last name, told Reuters. Nearly a year after it began, Russia's invasion has upended life but also rallied a nation. Russia denies targeting civilians, and says its attacks are designed to weaken Ukraine's military.

He added that a government committee was looking into adding secular subjects to madrasas alongside religious study, a development that hasn't been previously reported. Other students and teachers said Islamic education played an important role in their lives, though they hoped to be able to study secular subjects too. He didn't elaborate on the government's plans for religious schools. Reuters was unable to determine the current number of madrasas, and Taliban authorities have not provided figures. "There's deep-seated mistrust of the formal education sector, despite the fact that it too incorporates Islamic education."

[1/2] The remains of the Ninel Hotel, a hotel taken over by Russian security officials that was hit by the Ukrainian military on October 5, are seen in downtown Kherson, Ukraine November 17, 2022. Ukraine's SBU and Russia's FSB did not respond to requests for comment on Dollar’s account or other partisan operations. Pavlo Zaporozhets served in the Ukrainian army from 2014-17 and joined Ukraine's GUR military intelligence during the occupation of Kherson, Ladin said. While some details about the FSB account were true, Ladin said, the FSB falsely accused Zaporozhets of deliberately targeting civilians as well as the night patrol. Despite the liberation of Kherson, Dollar said he and Kosatka would continue aiding the resistance until Ukrainian troops recover Crimea, where the couple owns an apartment.

"Judging by the customs statistics, some of the benefit was captured by refiners in India and China, but the main beneficiaries must be oil shippers, intermediaries and the Russian oil companies," he added. As a further complication, some Russian oil grades, including Pacific grade ESPO, are also worth more than Urals. After decades of low profits or losses, sections of the global shipping industry are enjoying a financial boom from moving Russian oil. A year ago, a similar journey would have cost a seller of Russian oil $0.5-$1.0 million depending on shipping rates. Nayara is 49%-owned by Russian state oil major Rosneft, run by Putin's ally Igor Sechin, meaning some of the profits are indirectly captured by Russia.

Ukraine's long-running struggle with graft has taken on added significance as Kyiv battles for survival while also pursuing a bid to join the European Union. But tackling graft has become more urgent since the European Union offered Kyiv candidate member status last June, months after Russia's invasion. The Ukrainian public, exhausted by 11 months of war, was also clearly a key intended audience for the sackings and resignations. But the same poll, which included nearly a thousand respondents across government-controlled Ukraine, found that 84% trusted Zelenskiy - up from 27% a year earlier. Additional reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Mike Collett-WhiteOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"It's not just me and my children, future generations from our community in Jammu and Kashmir will vote for the BJP." A BJP victory in the disputed region could consolidate India's claim over the territory on the global stage. "We have taken a pledge to cross 50-plus seats to form the next government with a thumping majority," the BJP's president for Jammu and Kashmir, Ravinder Raina, told Reuters. Jammu has about 5.3 million inhabitants, 62% of whom are Hindu while Kashmir Valley has 6.7 million, 97% of them Muslim, according to a 2011 census. Previously unreported official records show just over 5.3 million certificates had been issued as of September.

[1/3] Drivers push auto rickshaws in a line to buy petrol from a fuel station amid Sri Lanka's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 29, 2022. India's foreign ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters on its plans and strategic aims in Sri Lanka. New Delhi has long been concerned about China's clout in its neighbourhood, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "And as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, we don't want to contribute to any escalation of tension between any countries." "Sri Lanka has clearly benefited from being the closest neighbour to the most powerful country in the region.

☆ Ukraine's parallel war on corruption to unlock door to West
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The activity reflects a parallel war Kyiv is waging against high-level graft, according to Reuters interviews with half a dozen Ukrainian anti-corruption monitors and officials. It had been repeatedly opened and closed for two years due to procedural errors and shortcomings, SAPO prosecutors said at the time of the hold-ups. New anti-corruption cases include a probe launched in October into a former tax chief suspected of taking more than $20 million in kickbacks. SAPO prosecutors, for instance, earn at least $2,500 per month, or six times more than the Ukrainian monthly average. Kateryna Butko, a civic activist serving on the SAPO selection committee, acknowledged that Ukraine's fight against graft is often plodding.

☆ Ukraine's 'cat and mouse' battle to keep Russian missiles at bay
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It is ground-based air defence units that shoot down the vast majority of missiles and drones, not ageing warplanes, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said. "Air defences don't remain in one place: we can't cover the whole country..." Ihnat said. "So we usually know what objects are under attack, we can build around those objects some kind of air defence," he said. "Our Soviet air defence system is being depleted - that is the S-300 and the BUK, which are the foundation. Western air defence systems supplied to Ukraine have performed well, but supplies are far short of what is needed, according to both air force officials.

Ukraine has shared a list with European countries of some 10,000 items it urgently needs to maintain power. Since early October, Russian forces have targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing blackouts and forcing millions of people to endure sub-zero temperatures with little or no heating. As stockpiles of state-owned European power grids dwindle, Lorkowski expected the private sector to become more important in meeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure needs. A first tranche of U.S. power equipment worth $13 million has been shipped to Ukraine, officials said, and two more planeloads were due to leave shortly. Olena Osmolovska, director of the reform support team at Ukraine's energy ministry, said it would cost tens of billions of dollars to fully restore the energy system.

"If Bakhmut had been captured when they started their attack in August then it would have been significant. Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at the U.S.-based CNA think-tank, said Moscow appeared committed to the battle because of resources it had already spent rather than because of "sound strategy". WAR OF ATTRITIONFor Russia, Bakhmut, which it calls Artyomovsk, the city's Soviet-era name, has long held political value. Muzyka, the Polish military analyst, said Bakhmut had become a battle of attrition. It could also boost Prigozhin's political capital in Moscow if he can take some credit for such a victory.

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.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

"Oh FFS (for fuck's sake)," former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves said on Twitter, encapsulating the general feeling among many of France's eastern allies. The annoyance among eastern allies has undermined Macron's own policy agenda to beef up European "strategic autonomy" separate from the U.S.-led NATO umbrella, with eastern allies now trusting the United States more for their defence. An eastern European diplomat said Macron had "misread" Russia once and the fear was he would do so again. The backbone of Macron's foreign policy since 2017 has been to launch initiatives and go against the grain. However, an increasing number of critics and allies see his thrust on Russia as his major foreign policy mistake.

☆ 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.

☆ Ukraine conflict spurs some Russians to seek Kalashnikov training
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A woman takes part in an initial military training for civilians at the sports and patriotic club "Yaropolk" in Krasnogorsk outside Moscow, Russia December 3, 2022. Russia, Putin says, is defending Russians in Ukraine against a decadent West that ultimately wants to carve up Russia's vast resources and eradicate Russian civilisation. The club's videos show training to a popular song with the lyrics: "Be afraid - we, the Russians, are coming." Directorate "A", known as Alpha Group, is one of Russia's most elite special forces units. Russia presents the conflict in Ukraine as an attempt to root out neo-Nazis who Moscow says have persecuted Russian speakers.

☆ Russia, mired in war, faces economic pain and attempts to isolate it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The war has so far not gone well for Putin. [1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link from the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia December 2, 2022. And Russia, one of the world's biggest energy and commodity producers, has been hit with the harshest Western sanctions in its modern history. For Russia, 2023 is likely to be a year when it tries to stave off more Western attempts to isolate it. As Putin pays up to keep the war in Ukraine grinding on, managing its fallout at home and abroad is likely to get harder.

Kurpas expressed hope that the school year would run until the summer, but the wider situation is bleak: nearly half of Ukraine's power grid has been wrecked and Kyiv has said it expects further attacks. The official said that about 85% of Kyiv's pre-war school staff remained in the city, compared with 60% of pupils. As a result, schools have been working in hybrid mode both in person and online since the start of the academic year. [1/8] Students attend a lesson of English language in a classroom at a school, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 2, 2022. A small private school in north Kyiv has even established a heated and powered "hub" for parents who want to find refuge from cold, dark homes.

☆ Analysis: Russian oil revenues could weather EU ban, G7 price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Olesya Astakhova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Looking ahead to 2023, one of the main variables will be the ceiling G7 countries and the EU agree on importing Russian oil. Some of the biggest importers of Russian oil, including China and India, are not part of the initiative. The more Russian oil that is lost to world markets, the greater the likely impact on prices. "If the price cap is around $60 per barrel, Russia will continue to export its oil comfortably." Beyond the price cap and European import ban, Russia's oil sector may also be affected by COVID-19 restrictions in China, an increasingly important buyer of its crude.

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