DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

File photo: Ukrainian sappers dig up a rocket of multiple launch system in a field, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson region, Ukraine November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops have crossed the vast River Dnipro into occupied areas of Kherson region and are operating in small groups, Russia conceded on Wednesday, saying it had dispatched more troops to stop them. A Ukrainian military spokesperson added on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops were trying to push Russian forces back from the eastern bank of the river, which serves as a formidable natural barrier on the battlefield. COUNTEROFFENSIVE 'DEVELOPING'Russia has largely held Kyiv's counteroffensive at bay in the southeast, but an advance in occupied Kherson region could spread their defences thinner and ratchet up pressure. Russian troops seized Kherson region in the early days of their invasion, but retreated a year ago from the city of Kherson and other positions on the western side of the river.

Persons: Viacheslav, Vladimir Saldo, Natalia Humeniuk, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Tom Balmforth, Olena Harmash, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kherson region, Dnipro, Kherson, Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow, Krynky, United States

☆ Ukrainian troops have secured foothold in the south, senior official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have secured a foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Tuesday. Andriy Yermak's remarks were the first official acknowledgement that Ukrainian troops were established on the Dnipro's east bank in Kherson region. They have since shelled Kherson and other towns from new positions on the east bank. As Ukraine's four-month-old counteroffensive secures only incremental gains, Ukrainian officials have been cautious in describing the activities of their forces on the east bank. A military spokesperson this month said "not bad results" had been achieved on the east bank in forcing Russian troops to reposition.

Persons: Stringer, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Andriy Yermak's, Yermak, Ron Popeski, Angus MacSwan, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine's Defense Forces, Hudson Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, Prymorske, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson region, United States, Crimea, Kherson, Moscow, Russia

☆ Ukraine Grain Exports Via New Black Sea Corridor Hit 4 Million T - Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Pavel PolityukKYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's exports through an alternative Black Sea shipping corridor have reached almost four million metric tons since the route started operating in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. We are now overcoming the four million tons mark and maintaining positive dynamics," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine's government expects a harvest of 79 million tons of grain and oilseeds in 2023, with its 2023/24 exportable surplus totalling about 50 million tons. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen to 9.8 million metric tons as of Nov. 6 in the 2023/24 July-June marketing season from 14.3 million tons a season earlier. Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its deep water Black Sea ports.

Persons: Pavel Polityuk KYIV, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Mykola Solsky, Solsky, Pavel Polityuk, Sharon Singleton Organizations: United Nations, Officials Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Black, Turkey, Russian

☆ Ukraine says agreed with Britain discounts on insurance for Black Sea exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cayman Islands-flagged bulk carrier Puma leaves the sea port of Odesa, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Ukraine September 15, 2023. This will make the Black Sea corridor more accessible to a wider range of exporters," Shmyhal said during the government meeting, video of which was posted on the Telegram messaging platform. Ukraine's government expects a harvest of 79 million tons of grain and oilseeds in 2023, with its 2023/24 exportable surplus totalling about 50 million tons. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen to 9.8 million metric tons as of Nov. 6 in the 2023/24 July-June marketing season from 14.3 million tons a season earlier. Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its deep water Black Sea ports.

Persons: Stringer, Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Mykola Solsky, Solsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Sharon Singleton, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Puma, REUTERS, Rights, Kyiv, United Nations, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Cayman, Odesa, Ukraine, Britain, Russia, Liberia, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine says Russians intensify bombardment of Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A local resident walks next to residential buildings heavily damaged by Russian military strikes in the front line town of Avdiivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine November 8, 2023. Officials said Russian forces had suffered heavy losses around the city. They also said Ukrainian forces had repelled Russian attacks in other areas of the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line. Over the last two days, the occupiers have increased the number of air strikes using guided bombs from Su-35 aircraft," Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun told national television. Ukrainian forces, he said, had repelled eight attacks in the past 24 hours on the city, known for its vast coking plant.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Oleksandr Shtupun, Barabash, General Valery Zaluzhnyi, Charles Brown, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Michael Perry Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS, Ukrainian, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Maryinka, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Ukraine's, U.S

The highly unusual incident suggested disarray in Russia's military establishment and state media over how to report the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine. It said that, after the regrouping, the Dnepr force would release some troops to be deployed in offensives on other fronts. RIA said the Russian military command had agreed with the Dnepr leadership's conclusions and ordered the relocation of troops to start. Another state agency, TASS, published just one alert on troops regrouping to more favourable positions, and then withdrew it, saying it had been released in error. Russian state media have privileged access to official briefings and typically report major military announcements shortly before they appear in the Telegram channel of the defence ministry.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mark Trevelyan, Alexander Marrow, Kevin Liffey Organizations: RIA, LONDON, RBC, Russian Ministry of Defence, Dnipro, Telegram, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Dnipro, Ukraine, Dnepr, Russia, Kherson, Russia's, Russian, The U.S, Ukrainian

☆ Kremlin says report on Zelenskiy's alleged ignorance of Nord Stream attack is 'alarming'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. A spokesperson for Ukraine's military told Reuters on Sunday he had "no information" about the report. Russia has repeatedly said, without providing evidence, that the West was behind the Nord Stream blasts - particularly the United States and Britain, which both deny involvement. The New York Times and The Washington Post have reported that Ukraine - which has repeatedly denied involvement, was behind the attack. In a blog post, entitled "How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline", Hersh said the plan was hatched in 2021 at the highest levels in the United States.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Chervinsky, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Dmitry Peskov, Zelenskiy, Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Seymour Hersh, Hersh, Dmitry Antonov, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Danish Defence Command, REUTERS, Rights, Washington Post, Reuters, Sunday, U.S, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Bornholm, Denmark, Ukrainian, Russia's, Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, United States, Britain, Washington

☆ The West could live with a frozen Ukraine conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine may be heading for a similarly frozen conflict with Russia. So a frozen conflict would help the West achieve – at least partly – its key geostrategic aim: to show hostile powers that it doesn’t pay to invade one of its friends. In a frozen conflict, Ukraine would still need to invest heavily in massive fortifications, anti-missile defence systems and technology to deter Russian attacks. ECONOMIC WARIn a frozen conflict, sanctions against Russia would probably remain more or less in place. REBUILDING UKRAINEIt will be harder to rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure in a frozen conflict than if there was peace.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Valery Zaluzhny, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Tim Ash, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Ukraine's National Guard Omega, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Moscow, Hamas, U.S, EU, International Monetary Fund, Kremlin, Investors, BlueBay Asset Management, Soviet, Cyprus, European Commission, West, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Korea, Cyprus, Russia, Kyiv, –, Israel, United States, Moscow, North Korea, Iran, Russian, UKRAINE, West Germany, Soviet Union

☆ Senior Ukrainian officer coordinated Nord Stream attack: Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which are not used, are seen in the harbour of Mukran, Germany, on September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian military officer coordinated last year's attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing anonymous sources in Ukraine and Europe. Washington and NATO called it an act of sabotage, while Moscow said it was an act of international terrorism. Roman Chervinsky, a former intelligence official who served in the Ukrainian military's special forces, managed a six-person team but did not plan the attack, the Post reported. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have launched investigations into the Nord Stream explosions, which sent plumes of methane into the atmosphere in a leak that lasted several days.

Persons: Pipes, Fabian Bimmer, Roman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Chervinsky, Viktor Hanushchak, Germany's Der, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Washington Post, Reuters, Germany's Der Spiegel, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Mukran, Germany, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Europe, Bornholm, Washington, NATO, Moscow, Denmark, Sweden, Russian

☆ Zelenskiy tells Ukrainians to prepare for Russian winter onslaught
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A military spokesman said Russian attacks on the shattered eastern town of Avdiivka had eased in the past day, but were likely to intensify in the coming days. Zelenskiy issued his warning during his nightly video address a day after Russian forces carried out their first missile attack on the capital, Kyiv in some seven weeks. In his remarks, Zelenskiy hailed the "heroic" efforts of troops defending Avdiivka, under pressure from attempted Russian advances since mid-October. Russian accounts of the fighting on Sunday said its forces had repelled five Ukrainian attacks near Bakhmut. Ukraine's military has been increasingly active in attacking Russian-held areas, but does not always acknowledge the strikes.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, German Galushchenko, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ron Popeski, Maria Starkova, Grant McCool Organizations: Presidential Press Service, Energy, German, Avdiivka, Russian, Sunday, Reuters, Russia's National Guard, Thomson Locations: Ochakiv, Ukraine, Mykolaiv region, Avdiivka, Russian, Melitopol, Kyiv, Russia, Donetsk, Bakhmut

☆ Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian attempt to forge bridgehead on River Dnipro's east bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Russia's military said on Friday that its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to forge a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro and on nearby islands, killing around 500 Ukrainian soldiers in the past week. The latest Russian statement said Russian forces had killed most of the Ukrainian soldiers in the Nov. 9 incident and taken 11 of them prisoner. The Russians had been presented with state awards for "courage and heroism" by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as a result, it said. The statement spoke of what it said were multiple Ukrainian unsuccessful attempts to land to seize a bridgehead on the islands and on the eastern bank of the Dnipro. Reporting by Reuters Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zolto Arsalanov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sergei Shoigu, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Reuters, 36th Marine Infantry, Defence, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine, The U.S, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine sinks two Russian landing boats in Crimea -military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KYIV, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Ukrainian naval drones sank two small Russian landing boats in Crimea, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said on Friday, while troops braced for further Russian assaults in the east, particularly the shattered town of Avdiivka. An initial report from Ukraine's military intelligence said the two small, amphibious Russian ships had been hit overnight. A Friday evening update said the attack had been carried out by naval drones. The Ukrainian military said the vessels were crewed, and loaded with armoured vehicles. Russia's Defence Minister said early on Saturday its anti-aircraft units had downed Ukrainian drones over Moscow Region and near Smolensk, near the border with Belarus.

Persons: Serna, Andriy Ryzhenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Barabash, Serhiy Zgurets, Bakhmut, Baza, Pavel Polityuk, Ron Popeski, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, Russia, Radio NV, Suspilne, Espreso, Russia's, Ministry of Defence, Thomson Locations: Crimea, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Crimean, Sevastopol, Vuzka, AVDIIVKA, Bakhmut, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow Region, Smolensk, Belarus, Kolomna, Moscow, Kotovsk

☆ Ukraine military says onslaught on Avdiivka in the east intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A police officer walks near a damaged residential building, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 17, 2023. Russian forces have focused on the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk since their drive on Kyiv stalled in the first days of the invasion in February 2022. Oleksandr Borodin, press officer for Ukraine's third separate assault brigade, said Russian forces were launching major infantry attacks, while trying to keep equipment intact. Russian forces, he told Espreso, were unable to replenish supplies quickly and Ukrainian defensive positions were solid. Russia's Defence Ministry reported strikes on Ukrainian troops and equipment near Bakhmut.

Persons: Yevhen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Borodin, Borodin, Espreso, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine's, Staff, Russian, Russia's, Russia's Defence Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Donetsk, Luhansk, Ukrainian, Israel, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Skadovsk, Russian, Kherson

☆ Ukraine wants frozen Russian assets for war damage, not just interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine told Western allies on Thursday that giving it the interest accrued from frozen Russian assets would not be enough to compensate for damage sustained by the war and that it hoped to receive the assets in full. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month the Commission was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction. She said the value of frozen Russian sovereign assets was around 211 billion euros ($223 billion), noting the bloc had decided that Russia must pay for Ukraine's reconstruction. Iryna Mudra, Ukraine's deputy justice minister, told Reuters Kyiv's partners were considering introducing a tax on income or investment of frozen Russian assets, an idea she said Kyiv welcomed but saw as insufficient. If we use only interest from all (this) frozen money, we can close about a half of this gap."

Persons: Russia's, Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Mark Potter Organizations: Western, Reuters, Reuters NEXT, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian

☆ Your world in 10 minutes: Israel's tactics in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The UN Secretary-General tells the Reuters NEXT conference Gaza's death toll shows there’s something wrong with Israel’s military tactics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says dogs should rule the world, not humans. Wall Street gauges the likelihood of a “soft landing” and Hollywood actors go back to work. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Moynihan Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, UN, Reuters NEXT, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Gaza

☆ Ukraine can still deliver battlefield results this year, Zelenskiy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Alessandra Galloni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday Ukraine would still try to deliver battlefield results by the end of the year and that he remained sure Kyiv would eventually have success in the war despite difficulties at the front. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits an artillery training centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an undisclosed location in Ukraine November 3, 2023. 'VERY IMPORTANT SIGNAL'He spoke in the interview hours after the European Union's executive published a report on Ukraine's progress towards membership, recommending the trade bloc's members agree to launch accession talks once conditions are met. He called for funds to be taken Russian assets that were frozen after the invasion and poured into the rebuilding of Ukraine. We need joint decision to hold these money which are frozen now and take these money for renovation."

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Donald Trump, Russia's, Olena Harmash, Yuliia, Tom Balmforth, Alison Williams Organizations: Ukraine, Reuters NEXT, U.S, Republican, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS, country's, Union, Reuters, reuters, Thomson Locations: New York, Ukrainian, Kherson, Dnipro, Ukraine's, Ukraine, U.S, Gaza

☆ Ukrainian president Zelenskiy's interview comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York in an interview by video link on Wednesday. Of course, we need it to become member of the EU, but we do it for us, we need it." We don’t need to surprise everybody in the world, we need this for ourselves." WAR ENDING"Why do you think the country in war, the country which has been attacked, should be ready for compromise?

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Yuliia Dysa, Alison Williams Organizations: Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Reuters NEXT, Reuters, reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, New York

☆ Zelenskiy hopes for "planet of dogs" to solve world's crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Apart from a detailed peace plan to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has a less conventional idea for ending geopolitical crises like these: let dogs run the world. "Sometimes I'm ... looking at all these wars or looking at all the crisis, Middle East crisis. Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni speaks with Ukraine's President Zelenskiy via video link at the ReutersNEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., November 8, 2023. Zelenskiy, who is promoting a 10-point peace proposal, said his dogs provide much-needed relief when he spends time with his wife and children, and are "always funny". "Sometimes I don't understand people, really," Zelenskiy added with a smile.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, man's, It's, Alessandra Galloni, Zelenskiy, Brendan McDermid, Dan Peleschuk, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Reuters NEXT, REUTERS, reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Middle, Africa, New York, Asia, New York City , New York, U.S, Gaza

If accepted, EU officials expect formal accession talks with Kyiv to start next year. A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would not support Ukraine's EU integration unless Kyiv changes its laws on minorities, in particular as regards education. "Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal," the country's president, Maia Sandu, said in welcoming the move. The Commission said the EU should also begin membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina once a long list of extensive conditions are met. In 2020, Britain was the first country to ever leave the EU, a major setback for European integration following World War Two.

Persons: Yves Herman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Maia Sandu, von der Leyen, enlargements, Andrew Gray, Yuliia, Olena, Alexander Tanas, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Moldova, Bosnia, Georgia, BRUSSELS, KYIV, Hungary, Kyiv, Hungarian, Budapest, EU, Moscow, Tbilisi, Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Netherlands, Britain

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

☆ Ukraine Commander Says Assistant Killed by Booby-Trapped Gift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief said on Monday that his assistant, a major in rank, was killed when a booby-trapped birthday present he had been given exploded. "My assistant and close friend, Major Hennady Chastyakov, was killed in tragic circumstances on his birthday in a family setting," General Valery Zaluzhnyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Ukrainska Pravda online news outlet said a security source was told by Chastyakov's wife that the gift was a bottle of liquor in the form of a grenade that he had brought home. The source told Ukrainska Pravda that Chastyakov, 39, was a graduate of a military academy and fully trained in handling grenades. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had denied any suggestion that the war has entered into a stalemate.

Persons: Major Hennady Chastyakov, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Chastyakov's, Ukrainska, Zaluzhnyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine's, Pravda, Ukrainska Pravda, Economist

☆ EU weighs advancing Ukraine's membership bid as Russia war drags on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's Brussels-based executive will publish a report on Wednesday assessing progress achieved towards membership by EU hopefuls. The Commission said last June that Ukraine met two out of seven conditions the EU had set to start membership talks. MOLDOVA, GEORGIAIn good news for Ukraine, Germany's foreign minister expressed confidence that the EU would advance its bid to join. The latter got nine conditions to start membership talks, including fighting organised crime, and can get a conditional positive recommendation along with its neighbour Ukraine. But Tbilisi has the backing of Orban and could still move ahead on its EU path as the bloc wrestles for influence with Russia.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen's, von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Viktor Orban, Orban, Gabriela Baczynska, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Georgia BRUSSELS, European Union, Kyiv, EU, Hungarian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Moldova, Ursula von der Leyen's Brussels, Kyiv, Europe, Italian, MOLDOVA, GEORGIA, Moscow, Georgia, Chisinau, Russia, Tbilisi

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Irresponsible to Talk of Holding Elections in Wartime
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday it was irresponsible to engage in talk of holding an election in Ukraine in wartime and called for unity to avoid pointless political discussions. "We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are many challenges, it is utterly irresponsible to engage in topics related to an election in such a frivolous manner," he said in his nightly video address. He has said he would like to run for a second term if a vote took place. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at the weekend that the president was weighing the pros and cons of a wartime poll. Senator Lindsey Graham, for an election to proceed as evidence of the good state of Ukraine's democratic institutions.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Dmytro Kuleba, Lindsey Graham, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Foreign, Republican U.S Locations: Ukraine

☆ Russia, Ukraine give conflicting Zaporizhzhia frontline accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A Ukrainian serviceman inspects a former Russian position outside the village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine gave clashing accounts over the weekend about what is going on along the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, with Moscow saying it has stopped Kyiv's counter-offensive and Ukraine's army saying it keeps pressing on. The Russian defence ministry said in its daily briefing on Sunday that Russian forces have repelled Ukraine's attacks near Verbove and Robotyne. Ukraine's General Stuff also said that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Melitopol direction, in the western Zaporizhzhia region, "exhausting the enemy all along the frontline" there. Russia said over the weekend its air defence forces repelled Ukrainian air attacks there.

Persons: Stringer, Kyiv's, Yevgeny Balitsky, Balitsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Robotyne, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Shcherbaky, Verbove, Washington, Melbourne

"We all understand that now, in wartime, when there are many challenges, it is utterly irresponsible to engage in topics related to an election in such a frivolous manner," he said. In peacetime, Ukraine would had held parliamentary elections in October and the first round of presidential vote in early spring 2024. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at the weekend the president was weighing the pros and cons of a wartime poll. Zelenskiy himself had previously said he would be prepared to hold the vote if Ukraine secured the assistance it needed - and if election were deemed necessary. Zelenskiy had earlier said the attack in southern Zaporizhzhia region was "a tragedy that could have been avoided".

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lindsey Graham, Dmytro Kuleba, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Republican, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: KYIV, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Lincoln

Search resuls for: "Volodymyr Zelenskiy"

25 mentions found