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Volodymyr Ruchkovskyi needed to do one last thing before he could leave Bucha. His father, who was staying behind, was without food and electricity, so he brought him groceries and said one last goodbye. Volodymyr didn’t know that the occupation of Bucha had just begun, or that he was now driving toward a convoy of Russian forces. Just before 1 p.m., Russian soldiers shot at his car, forcing him to crash into a tree. His burned remains were found inside the car weeks later.

"On my way to the United States to strengthen resilience and defence capabilities of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on his Twitter account early on Wednesday. Russia calls its invasion in Ukraine a "special military operation" to denazify and demilitarise its neighbour. His wife, Olena Zelenska, travelled to Washington in July to address Congress and has made several other international trips pleading for Ukraine, as have his aides and ministers. In contrast, his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, has spent much of his time inside the halls of the Kremlin. Reporting in Kyiv by Pavel Polityuk; Writing in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-Russian president makes surprise trip to Beijing as Zelenskyy arrives in Washington, highlighting growing divisions between superpowers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's reaction to the Ukraine war differs from the strong retaliation from the US and the West. Medvedev, who was formerly Russia's president and prime minister, is now the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. First lady Jill Biden receives flowers from Olena Zelenskyy, spouse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, earlier this year. Putin conceded in September, however, that China had concerns about the Ukraine war, telling Xi: "We understand your questions and concerns in this regard." The White House said the US president, Joe Biden, invited Zelenskyy "to underscore the United States' enduring commitment to Ukraine."

A Culture in theCross Hairs Russia’s invasion has systematically destroyed Ukrainian cultural sites. It has also dealt a grievous blow to Ukrainian culture: to its museums and monuments, its grand universities and rural libraries, its historic churches and contemporary mosaics. This is how empires always work.” The war in Ukraine is a culture war, and the extent of the destruction is becoming clearer. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion.

☆ Russia preparing for long war, Ukrainian military says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Residential houses are damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bakhmut in Donetsk region, Ukraine, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Yevhen Titov/File PhotoSummary Russia seeks prolonged war, Ukrainian general saysHe dismisses the possibility of a New Year ceasefireLikelihood of attack from Belarus is low, he saysKYIV, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russia is digging in for a long war in Ukraine and still wants to conquer the entire country, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday. Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a military briefing that although he did not expect Moscow to launch an attack from Belarus, Russian was training new troops on its neighbour's soil and had moved military aircraft there. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, at the same briefing, warned against allowing complacency to set in after recent Russian military setbacks. Gromov did not say what Russia's aim might be in prolonging the already nearly 10-month-old war.

☆ Nestle to launch new Ukraine facility in rare war-time investment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Nestle (NESN.S) will invest 40 million Swiss francs ($42.88 million) to launch a new production facility in western Ukraine, the company said on Monday. Nestle is one of very few international companies to announce new investments in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Russia's invasion has wrecked Ukraine's economy, which is projected to shrink by 35% this year, according to International Monetary Fund estimates. In recent weeks power blackouts have spread throughout the country as Russia intensified attacks on Ukrainian power facilities. Nestle, which already has about 5,800 staff in Ukraine, is planning to add 1,500 new jobs at the new production facility in Smolyhiv in the Volyn region.

☆ Ukraine holds key rate at 25%, air strikes to hit GDP - c.bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view shows the headquarters of the National Bank of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine April 18, 2019. The central bank increased the main rate to 25% in June to tame double-digit inflation as Russia's invasion battered the economy. The central bank said that consumer inflation had accelerated to 26.6% in October year-on-year. The International Monetary Fund expects Ukraine's GDP to fall by 35% this year and that the economy will stabilize next year. The central bank also said it was increasing obligatory reserve requirements for commercial banks by five percentage points.

☆ Russia launches heavy new missile strikes, at least two dead - officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Russia unleashed a new barrage of missiles on Ukraine on Monday, killing two people, destroying homes in the southeast and causing major power outages, officials said. Air raid sirens blared in the capital Kyiv and across the country in what officials described as the latest wave of Russian missile strikes since Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion. The attack followed a spate of heavy Russian air strikes on energy facilities in recent weeks. Netblocks, a London-based internet monitor, said that connectivity had plunged in multiple Ukrainian regions during the strikes. Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks as they faced setbacks on the battlefield, causing major power outages as winter sets in.

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.

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.

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A member of the British royal family's household has left her role after making "unacceptable and deeply regrettable" comments about race and nationality to a woman at a grand reception at Buckingham Palace, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Ngozi Fulani, who was born in Britain and works for a domestic abuse support group, wrote on Twitter that the royal aide had repeatedly asked her: "What part of Africa are you from?" In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement. Last year, a senior royal source said Buckingham Palace had not done enough on diversity, although it has been endeavouring to boost the number of staff from ethnic minorities. "We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes," the palace spokesperson said.

☆ Parents in Occupied Ukraine Sent Their Kids to Camp in Russia. Then They Had to Go Rescue Them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Isabel Coles | Photographs Rena Effendi For The Wall Street Journal | Rena Effendi For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IZYUM, Ukraine—As war raged around this Russian-occupied city in eastern Ukraine over the summer, the sole Russian radio station in operation offered some respite for children: a camp by the Black Sea. Olena Karyaga had never been separated from her sons before, but they pleaded to go, and it seemed like the only way to protect them from the violence. “I couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t come back,” she said.

☆ Zelenskyy calls for 'strong reaction' from the UN after Russian bombs left millions of Ukrainians without heat and water in below-freezing temperatures: 'We expect the reaction of friends — not just o
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Zelenskyy condemned recent Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The president called for a strong global response to the assault, which has left millions without power. "We expect a strong reaction from the world to today's Russian terror. We expect the reaction of friends — not just observers," Zelenskyy said. A newborn baby was killed in an earlier Russian missile attack that hit a hospital maternity ward in the Zaporizhzhia region late Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.

☆ A newborn baby was killed at a Ukrainian hospital amid ramped up Russian missile attacks, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian missile attack on a hospital in the Zaporizhzhia region killed a newborn, officials said. Other than the baby, the child's mother was the only patient at the facility, according to a Telegram post by the country's emergency services. The hospital was located near the frontlines of the fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, which is also home to the largest nuclear plant in Europe, Ukrainian emergency services said. Oleksandr Starukh, the regional governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, said in a Telegram post that the "small maternity ward" had been hit by "huge missiles," according to NBC News. Ukrainian Emergency Services said multiple regions were attacked and officials responded to 159 incidents and detected and removed 1,453 explosive objects on Wednesday alone.

REUTERS/Gleb GaranichHORENKA, Ukraine, Nov 21 (Reuters) - As they head into a cold winter, residents of a bombed-out Ukrainian village say they appreciate a warm bath in a mural painted by graffiti artist Banksy. The dirt of the Russian Federation...," Tetiana Reznychenko, 43, told Reuters as snow fell around her. The mural is one of one of seven that Banksy has confirmed painting in Ukraine. Reznychenko said she had given Banksy's team a mug of instant coffee in her apartment, as it was cold when the artist came to paint the mural. She has a wood stove in her apartment but no electricity, heating or running water as winter sets in.

The Kremlin and Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to questions about Serdiuk's account or that of others Reuters spoke to in Kherson. 'PURE SADISM'Grim recollections of life under occupation in Kherson have followed the unbridled joy and relief when Ukrainian soldiers retook the city on Friday after Russian troops withdrew across the Dnipro River. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said two days later that investigators had uncovered more than 400 Russian war crimes and found the bodies of both servicemen and civilians in areas of Kherson region freed from Russian occupation. Vitaliy had been an underground resistance fighter since Russian troops seized Kherson on March 2, according to Lapchuk, and she became worried when he did not answer her phone calls. The soldiers, who identified themselves as Russian troops, threatened to smash out her teeth when she tried to berate them.

☆ Situation is 'difficult' along the entire front line, Kyiv says; Crimean bridge damage poses problems for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Millions are already without power in Ukraine's capital, and with further Russian attacks on energy infrastructure feared, Kyiv is bracing for the prospect of a winter without electricity, gas and water. That has left officials and residents to confront a scenario in which civilians may be forced to consider leaving their homes to flee the freezing cold. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko appealed to the city's 3 million residents to be prepared for a worst-case scenario, including making arrangements that would allow them to relocate and stay with friends or relatives elsewhere if it comes to it. "The future of the country and the future of each of us depends on how prepared we are for different situations," he added. During winter, Kyiv sees temperatures plunge below the freezing point, making the potential for power outages in the coming months particularly alarming.

☆ Ukraine looks to technology to help rebuild its economy amid Russia’s onslaught
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

An attendee passes by the Ukraine stand at the Web Summit 2022 tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Ukraine had a notable presence at Web Summit, where it sought support from the global tech community to bolster its fight against Russia. In 2021, Ukraine had a small booth at Web Summit, Krasovsky said. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (right) and First Lady Olena Zelenska (center) attend the Ukraine booth at Web Summit 2022. SID Venture Partners, a venture fund set up by Sigma and fellow Ukrainian tech firms Ideasoft and Datrics, has so far invested in 10 startups with Ukrainian founders, Krasovsky said.

☆ Ukrainian adventurer draws on camping skills to prepare for harsh winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Stefaniia Bern | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian infrastructure has been hammered by Russian air strikes in recent weeks amid the full-scale Kremlin invasion launched on Feb. 24. Much of the equipment was gifted by her son, who is serving as a medic in the Ukrainian military. "I never intended to use a camping tent in Kyiv," she told Reuters from inside her living room in the Ukrainian capital, laughing as she demonstrated how to set up the accessory. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko recently told Ukrainian media the city was preparing for the prospect of total outages of power, heating, and running water. Reporting by Stefaniia Bern; writing by Dan Peleschuk; editing by Tom Balmforth and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine War Gives Turkey’s Erdogan Opportunity to Extend His Influence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian exports kept flowing through the Bosporus this week, after Turkey’s president helped preserve a deal to protect them. ISTANBUL—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is deepening his country’s military support for Ukraine while keeping an open line of communication to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin—a relationship that helped keep Ukrainian grain exports flowing this week—as he tries to expand Turkey’s role as a regional power broker. In recent months, Turkey’s most prominent weapons maker, Baykar, has broken ground on a new factory in Kyiv that will double its capacity to produce armed drones. Last month, Turkey delivered a new corvette to the Ukrainian navy in a ceremony attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and first lady Olena Zelensky. The Milgem-class ship is now the largest in the Ukrainian fleet, which is expanding to challenge Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea and showing Turkey’s own growing influence.

Web Summit, the sector’s annual bash held in Lisbon, is doing the opposite. And the usual welter of tech companies, investors and celebrities are still milling around. That new strain of reality-based tech investing has a lot further to go, though. The relative lack of investor focus at Web Summit on new technologies that could really move the dial, such as ways to ease climate change, is striking. The sector, Smith told Breakingviews, will increasingly “influence what people talk about and who comes to Web Summit”.

☆ Kyiv residents snap up new stamp celebrating Crimean bridge blast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A woman holds envelopes with the new commemorative Crimea bridge destruction anti-Russian stamps, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, outside a post office in Kyiv, Ukraine November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Murad SezerKYIV, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Residents in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday snapped up a new postage stamp commemorating a blast that damaged a major bridge linking Russia to Crimea in a blow to the prestige of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The bridge - a showcase project of Putin's rule and crucial supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine - was partially wrecked in an explosion last month. Olena Tumanska, who is originally from Crimea, said she hoped for the destruction of the bridge. In April, the national postal service issued a stamp depicting a Ukrainian soldier making a crude gesture at a Russian warship.

[1/2] An Ukrainian start-up desk is seen at the Web Summit, Europe's largest technology conference, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian entrepreneurs brought a message of hope to this week's Web Summit in Lisbon, Europe's largest tech gathering that ended on Friday: the war has made them more resilient than ever. "Many more Ukrainians came to the Web Summit this time," he added, standing in front of the Ukrainian pavillion. Web Summit chief Paddy Cosgrave told Reuters last week 59 Ukrainian startups were at the 2022 event. "This is a good sign that the Ukrainian tech and startup ecosystem is developing even during a time of war," said Sobolenko.

☆ Ukraine's first lady urges West to provide more weapons to help Kyiv prepare for winter war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during at opening night of Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 2022. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska on Wednesday called on Western leaders to offer more military support as the country continues to defend itself against Russia's onslaught. Zelenska urged the international community not to grow fatigued by the war, saying allied countries must fight the aggressor together. "Ukraine needs more weapons, more military assistance," she said, calling specifically for air defense missiles. We need weapons for our soldiers to fight and it all comes, we are very grateful for that," Zelenska added.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Ukrainian first lady Olena ZelenskaUkrainian first lady Olena Zelenska speaks to CNBC's Karen Tso at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

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