Russian Putin Ukraine war

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Germany on Saturday to meet with NATO foreign ministers and top diplomats of Finland and Sweden.

It was not immediately clear why Shoigu agreed to speak Friday. Griner was returning to Russia to rejoin UMMC Ekaterinburg, for which she plays during the WNBA offseason. About 10 percent of Finland’s electricity comes from Russia, and “the adequacy of electricity in Finland is not under threat,” Fingrid said. Reima Päivinen, senior vice president at Fingrid, said RAO Nordic sells directly to Europe’s Nord Pool power exchange and that any nonpayment would have been by them. MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — A court in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, began hearings Friday in the case against Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin, the first Russian soldier to go on trial for alleged war crimes. The leaders also talked about their shared commitment to supporting Ukraine, the White House said. President Biden has about $100 million left in drawdown authority to send assistance to Ukrainian forces. “We have seen some progress by them pushing Russian forces closer to the border and away from Kharkiv.” Ukrainian officials say they are negotiating with the Russians to release more than three dozen wounded fighters. Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, pushing Russian forces to withdraw. Meanwhile, shelling across the country continues to claim lives and destroy infrastructure. But throughout the Cold War, there were two notable countries that bucked calls to join: Sweden and Finland.

Russian military targeted villages in the east near Donetsk, Lyman, Bakhmut and Kurakhiv, the Ukrainian military has claimed. Increasing military support from ...

This is a matter of mutual security”. - The European Commission said it would help Ukraine export millions of tonnes of grain blocked by the Russian navy in Ukraine’s ports. - Ukraine has said forces damaged a Russian navy ship in the Black Sea with satellite images showing a probable strike. - Rocket attacks intensified on Ukraine’s central Poltava region, “perhaps the most intense for the duration of the war”, the regional governor has said. - Russian forces have likely taken control of all Rubizhne and Voevodivka in the Luhansk region, the Institute for the Study of War has said. - Increasing military support from the West to Ukraine risks sparking a war between Russia and NATO, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has declared.

The first war crimes case of the war opened in a Kyiv court Friday, with a Russian soldier on trial accused of killing an unarmed Ukrainian civilian.

They are being used to great effect to suppress Russian positions and allow Ukrainian infantry counterattacks in the Donbas region. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan imposed various economic sanctions and froze the assets of influential Russian oligarchs. “Time is of the essence,” Michel wrote in a message posted on Twitter. Ovsyanikov said Thursday that he and his client had not yet decided how he will plead, the agency said. Putin’s official assets are said to be "modest" since the president relies on his extended network for financial support. Finland's prime minister and president set out plans to join the defense alliance Thursday, after public opinion swung strongly in favor of joining following decades of neutrality. And they are trying to hide the truth behind missile, air and artillery strikes." Moscow has falsely insisted that Ukraine is overrun by Nazis, as part of the justification for its invasion of the country. And in the framework of dialogue, not ultimatums,” he said. The Kremlin has also seen its invasion backfire geopolitically, with neighboring Finland now on the brink of NATO membership in response to Moscow's aggression. Kyiv blames Moscow for the lack of progress. He added the Ukraine would also set up some checkpoints on the Polish border specifically for cargo vehicles.

But it was Russia's intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015 where General Dvornikov gained his reputation as "the Butcher". It's no secret that Mr Putin ...

It's very difficult for a political system that uses disinformation as a power projection tool … to not get caught up in it themselves," Ms Kapetas said. And not only that, they were sort of lauded for their effectiveness in Syria." "They've had to retreat from key positions. This is a much more prepared scenario than, you know, civilians in Aleppo." No," Ms Kapetas surmised. "It has an army, a well-organised one that had been trained, who had been involved in operations in the Donbas for the last eight years. "I don't think he was unusual in that regard. Ukraine is totally different," Ms Kapetas said. "And they just did exactly the same in Ukraine because they got away with it in Syria, or they feel that they got away with it. Mr Putin bestowed the general with a gold star medal for his services in Syria, naming him a Hero of the Russian Federation. A retired US Navy admiral even went so far as to describe him in an interview with NBC as "the worst of the worst". But by 2015, Mr Putin had dispatched General Dvornikov as first commander of the Russian armed forces, to oversee a relentless campaign in support of the Syrian regime.

Sergeant Vadim Shyshimarin, 21, is accused of shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian man in the head during the first days of the war.

The Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, posted a short video on May 4 of Shyshimarin speaking in front of camera and briefly describing how he shot the man. On the way, the prosecutor-general alleged, the Russian soldiers saw a man walking on the sidewalk and talking on his phone. Shyshimarin was ordered to kill the man so he wouldn’t be able to report them to Ukrainian military authorities. On February 28, four days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Shyshimarin was among a group of Russian troops that fled Ukrainian forces, according to Venediktova’s Facebook account. It can be difficult, he said, to maintain the neutrality of court proceedings during wartime. Ukraine’s top prosecutor, with help from foreign experts, is investigating allegations that Russian troops violated Ukrainian and international law by killing, torturing and abusing possibly thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's strategic defeat is "already obvious."

"Grain that's food for millions of people around the world, and which is needed particularly urgently in African countries and the Middle East." "As long as Russia continues to sell gas and oil to the European Union, their pockets will be full enough to continue fighting the war," Kuleba said. I'm very cautiously optimistic after my visit to Berlin yesterday because I saw the commitment to find a solution to break the dependence of Germany on Russian gas," Kuleba said. The EU in total imports about 40% of its natural gas and 36% of its oil from Moscow, sending it billions of dollars per week. "Their reward is influence over the affairs of the Russian state that goes far beyond their formal positions." The official said that in recent days, the Kremlin has moved more Russian troops into Ukraine but that those forces are "not making any major gains" in the eastern Donbas region. "We have seen some progress by them pushing Russian forces closer to the border and away from Kharkiv." "This situation is exceptional and happened for the first time in over twenty years of our trading history." The meeting followed Johnson's signing of security agreements with both Sweden and Finland, pledging to come to one another's aid militarily if it is requested. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was engaged in "very difficult negotiations" to try to evacuate the wounded fighters trapped in the Mariupol steelworks. "This will depend, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already giving their maximum," he said in his nightly video address to the nation. This is not about accounting, it's about the future."

Russia once again used energy as a weapon, cutting off electricity exports to Finland, which, along with Sweden, is moving toward joining the military ...

Citigroup trimmed its exposure in Russia to $7.9 billion in March, down from $9.8 billion at the end of last year, according to a filing. Its participation has been a cultural touchstone of sorts for the country’s rebound and engagement with the world after President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia came to power in the wake of the political and economic chaos of the 1990s. “You’ve seen a number of Russian yachts move from ports, countries that have extended sanctions to countries that haven’t,” Mr. Adeyemo said. He pointed to the “material support provision” that dictates that even if a financial institution is based in a country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia, the company can still face consequences for violating U.S. or European restrictions, including being cut off from those financial systems. The measure was designed to protect the food security of the country and that of its neighbors, the government said. “It is a large number of people,” he said, adding that the government was doing everything it can to get every last person out. “Stefania,” an anthemic song from Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, was originally written to honor the mother of the group’s frontman, Oleh Psiuk. But since the war, it has been reinterpreted as a tribute to Ukraine as a motherland. “We cannot accept the presence of the P.K.K. in a country that is planning to join NATO,” he said, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which launched a violent separatist movement in Turkey in the early 1980s. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO member, indicated on Friday that the country would be reluctant to openly welcome them. “We will never recognize borders Russia has attempted to change by military aggression,” the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement after meeting in Germany. “If Ukraine fails to repel Russian aggression, there is no question that the threat to American and European security will grow.” “The gradual liberation of the Kharkiv region proves that we will not leave anyone to the enemy,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned his Finnish counterpart that joining Nato and abandoning Finland's neutral status would be a "mistake". He told ...

Avoiding tensions was considered important," he said. President Putin has mentioned Ukraine's intention to join the alliance as one of the reasons for the invasion of its neighbour. Following the phone call between Mr Niinistö and Mr Putin on Saturday, the Kremlin said the Russian leader had stressed the "end of the traditional policy of military neutrality would be a mistake since there is no threat to Finland's security".

London: A “shady network” of family and business associates that Britain alleges is supporting the luxury lifestyle of Russian president Vladimir Putin has ...

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. The group’s reward was influence over the affairs of the Russian state that went “far beyond” their formal positions, it added. Igor Putin, the president’s first cousin, is also now subject to a travel ban and asset freeze, as are Roman Putin and Mikhail Shemolov, first cousins once removed. Another target is Mikhail Putin, a senior executive at Sogaz Insurance, a previously sanctioned group, and Gazprom, the state-controlled energy giant. “Today’s sanctions will hit this cabal who owe Putin their wealth and power, and in turn support Putin and his war machine,” it said. But The New York Times alleges a donation of £450,000 in February 2018 was flagged to the National Crime Agency by Barclays Bank, who say the cash originated in the Russian account of his father-in-law Sergei Kopytov.

Russia has warned it will be 'forced to take retaliatory steps' if Finland goes forward with joining NATO after the Nordic country announced its support for ...

"In a month, Ukraine achieved integration in the field of defense, which could not be achieved for 30 years. In particular, American 155 mm M777 howitzers are already deployed at the front. Reznikov said that after the initial Russian attack on Feb. 24, Moscow was expecting that Ukraine would capitulate in couple of days and the Kremlin would establish a new Russian system in Ukraine.

Ukraine appears to have successfully driven back Russian forces from Kharkiv; Russia to suspend electricity to Finland after Helsinki announces Nato bid.

Austin “urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication”, the Pentagon press secretary, John Kirby, said. “Of course, we are doing everything to evacuate everyone else, each of our defenders,” the president added. Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetiawill hold a referendum on joining Russiaon 17 July, the region’s leader, Anatoly Bibilov, has announced. “Ukrainian forces prevented Russian troops from encircling, let alone seizing Kharkiv, and then expelled them from around the city, as they did to Russian forces attempting to seize Kyiv,” the US-based thinktank said. The case is scheduled to resume on Wednesday. British defence intelligence said Russia had lost “significant armoured manoeuvre elements” from a battalion tactical group – a formation with about 800 personnel at full strength – from the failed effort to cross the Siversky Donets River, 12 miles (20km) west of Severodonetsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky say Ukraine has retaken six settlements from Russian forces since Friday, and 1015 overall since the start of the ...

Neither the US nor the UK have taken public action against Zhuravlyov or other key Russian generals implicated in war crimes. Zhuravlyov discussed with Messenger "a restart of military interaction," Russian state news agency TASS reported on February 28, 2017, quoting Russia's Ministry of Defense. European intelligence agency analysts who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity said the pattern of Zhuravlyov's behavior in Syria and Ukraine is the same, subjugating cities through terror.

Ukraine has entered a “new, long phase of the war,” while its troops have pushed Russian forces closer to the northern border.

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Ukrainian officials say they are negotiating with the Russians to release more than three dozen wounded fighters. Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, pushing Russian troops to withdraw, but shelling continues. Meanwhile, shelling across the country continues to claim lives and destroy infrastructure. The report also outlined the dangers of accession to NATO, acknowledging that Russia would “react negatively” to any such step. The move frustrated Senate leaders, who offered to hold an amendment vote on his provision, which Paul declined. Ukrainian forces, however, have been pushing back Russian troops from the area in recent days, the country’s military has said. Ukraine has recently experienced a “tectonic shift” in Western aid, including the delivery of American howitzers, Reznikov said. The announcement follows the first war crime prosecution of a Russian soldier following the invasion. Though Russia controls most of Mariupol after weeks of fighting, Ukrainian troops there are refusing to surrender, and are holed up inside the plant. There is the bombing of civilian infrastructure, the killing of civilians, rape and looting.” Washington is seeking clarifications on the position of the Turkish leader, who has a long track record of using NATO’s consensus-driven policymaking to extract concessions favorable to Ankara.

Russia Deputy FM says Moscow will take precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces close to its borders.

Venediktova said that two more of the suspects, who are physically in Ukraine, are likely to face preliminary hearings next week. There is the bombing of civilian infrastructure, the killing of civilians, rape and looting.” “This will depend, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already giving their maximum,” he said in his nightly video address to the nation. And what could be the consequences of such a famine? “Russian officials are also openly threatening the world that there will be famine in dozens of countries. We are holding the defence and continue fighting despite everything,” he said, according to The Associated Press news agency. Wheat prices have drastically increased globally since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, adding to the cost of subsidies in Iran. Ukraine has held the first war crimes prosecution of a member of the Russian military in Kyiv, as a 21-year-old Russian soldier went on trial for the killing of an unarmed Ukrainian civilian in the early days of the war. “Ukraine is ready to return the bodies to the aggressor.” “According to the norms of international humanitarian law, and Ukraine is strictly following them, after the active phase of the conflict is over, sides have to return the bodies of the military of another country,” he said. “Anatoly Bibilov signed a decree on holding a referendum in the Republic of South Ossetia,” his office said in a statement, citing his people’s “historic aspiration” to join Russia. “I believe it will cause a lot of damage to the European Union,” Kuleba said in Weisenhaus, Germany at a gathering of G7 nations.

The deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, the last Ukrainian army unit holding out in the ruined port city, said his troops will resist Russian forces “as long ...

- The world will not be left short of oil even with lower output from sanctions-hit Russia, the International Energy Agency said. - Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy saidalthough Ukrainians are doing everything they can to drive out the Russians, “no one today can predict how long this war will last”. “This will depend, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already giving their maximum. - The deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, the last Ukrainian army unit holding out in the ruined port city, said his troops will resist Russian forces “as long as they can” despite shortages of ammunition, food, water and medicine.

In the most precise prediction by a senior Ukrainian official to date, Major General Kyrylo Budanov says he thinks the war will be over by year-end.

"This situation is exceptional and happened for the first time in over twenty years of our trading history." Zelenskyy said Ukraine was engaged in "very difficult negotiations" to try to evacuate the wounded fighters trapped in the Mariupol steelworks. "This will depend, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already giving their maximum," he said in his nightly video address to the nation. Fingrid, a state-owned business, said imported electricity from Russia has covered about 10% of Finland's total consumption. In a follow-up tweet on Saturday, Venediktova added: "It is in the hands of and Int. [international] community to end the impunity. This is not about accounting, it's about the future." We have already brought in everyone in the world who can be the most influential mediators." "And for what? "Russian enemy did not conduct active hostilities in the Kharkiv direction. The northeastern city has seen significant bombarded since Russia began its full scale invasion in late February, and was thought to be a key target for the Kremlin. And for Western countries, this is not simply an expense. This is a responsibility that we are carrying on our shoulders in relation to current and future generations.

The U.K. sanctioned Alina Kabaeva, believed to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's girlfriend. Finland is expected to join the North Atlantic Treaty ...

“Within a month, Ukraine has completed a path of integration in the sphere of defense that it was not able to overcome for 30 years,” he said. “We are entering a new, long phase of the war. Then a new window of opportunity for Ukraine should appear,” he said. It was the first such exchange between the defense chiefs since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have requested multiple times to speak with their Russian counterparts in recent weeks. “Generally our takeaway was that the message was received with respect to keeping the lines open,” a senior defense official said Friday. The official declined to say what led to the call at this particular time or what, if anything, it could mean for the situation in Ukraine. Instead, he warned it would take several months before international contributions to his army bring about a balance of power. The case was heard behind closed doors given the sensitive nature of the information. The U.N. refugee agency had previously estimated four million people could be driven from the country as a result of Russia’s invasion but updated the prediction on April 26 to 8.3 million, which equates to more than one in six of the prewar population. Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is Europe’s primary swing source of the fuel, and prices at Europe’s Dutch hub have been jittery. The refugee crisis triggered by the war has flooded border crossings, trains and bus stations in neighboring countries with refugees—mostly women and children—seeking safety. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressed his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu to agree to a cease-fire in an hourlong call on Friday, the first such discussion since the war began. The U.K. sanctioned Alina Kabaeva, believed to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s girlfriend.

The former MI6 officer, who wrote the dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, says his sources have ...

So, I think there is an element of his illness involved in this and his legacy." But certainly, I think it's part of the equation." The former MI6 officer, who wrote the dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, says his sources have told him the leader is "quite seriously ill" but it's "not clear what this illness is".

Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, a regional governor said on Saturday.

Kyiv and its Western allies say the fascism assertion is a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression. As well as losing large numbers of men and much military equipment, Russia has been hit by economic sanctions. Russian forces have focused much of their firepower on the Donbas in a “second phase” of their invasion that was announced on April 19, after they failed to reach the capital Kyiv from the north in the early weeks of the war.

Lithuania's president discusses how European leaders had the 'illusion' they had to do business with the Kremlin.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda talks to Al Jazeera. And what will it take to guarantee security in the region? Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on how European leaders had the ‘illusion’ they had to do business with the Kremlin.