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Tag: ukraine

  • Beaches in Ukraine’s Odesa shut due to dirty water from collapsed dam

    Beaches in Ukraine’s Odesa shut due to dirty water from collapsed dam

    Kiev: Beaches in Ukraine’s Odesa region have been closed off after dirty water from the collapsed dam washed downstream, posing a “genuine threat” to local residents, according to authorities.

    The Russia-controlled Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed on June 6, destroying villages, flooding farmland and cutting off power as well as clean water supplies to tens of thousands of people, reports CNN.

    At least 45 people have died since the breach and it remains unclear if the dam was deliberately targeted or whether structural failure caused it to collapse.

    While floodwaters are receding, debris have washed down the Dnipro river — which flows into the Black Sea — turning Odesa’s coastline into “a garbage dump and animal cemetery”, the region’s municipality said in a social media post on Sunday.

    “The beaches of Odesa have been declared unsuitable for swimming due to a significant aggravation in the condition of water in open water areas (sea, estuary) and a genuine threat to the health of the city residents,” CNN quoted the municipality as saying.

    Authorities first raised the alarm about the declining water quality on Saturday, saying that lab tests had “identified infectious agents over the past week”.

    Traces of salmonella, worm’s eggs and worm’s larvae were all found in the water which also “significantly” exceeded permitted levels of E. Coli.

    “The presence of all of these biological pathogens in the water of open water areas in Odesa region, including the Black Sea, the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Estuary, and the Danube River, constitutes a genuine threat to the life and health of the population,” the municipality added.

    Authorities announced that Odesa residents were also prohibited from selling fish and seafood “unidentified places of fishing” near markets and shopping centres.

    Meanwhile, the Internal Affairs Ministry in its latest update over the weekend said that 3,614 people had been evacuated from the flooded areas “including 474 children and 80 people with reduced mobility”.

    Some 31 people also remain missing since the collapse, it added.

  • 3 killed, 25 injured in deadly air strike on Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine

    3 killed, 25 injured in deadly air strike on Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine

    At least three people were killed and 25 injured in Russia’s overnight missile strikes on Kryvyi Rih that destroyed a five-storey residential building.

    Russia launched a “massive missile” attack overnight on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing and wounding people and damaging civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian  officials said early on Tuesday.

    “There are dead and wounded,” Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said on the Telegram messaging app.

    “A massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih.”

    Russian air strikes hit several civilian buildings in the city, including a five-storey building, the mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, said earlier.

    (Input from Agencies)

  • Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city kills 3, injures 25

    Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city kills 3, injures 25

    Kyiv (IANS) | At least three people were killed and 25 others injured in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday. The officials there have confirmed this. Serhiy Lysak, the head of the military administration of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said in a post on Telegram that air defenses shot down three cruise missiles over the city, but more were coming, CNN reported.

    There has been damage to civic amenities, he said. He said that 19 injured have been admitted to the hospital.

    Lysack said on telegram, there was a big missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. The Russians carried out another terrorist attack on a residential area – overnight. It was brutal.

    Also confirming the attack, the city’s mayor, Oleksandr Vilkul, said a five-story apartment building was targeted and that victims were likely buried under the rubble.

    In an update, CNN quoted the mayor as saying the fire is in apartments on the first to fifth floors. The fire has spread over 700 square metres. Rescuers are extinguishing it.

    He said four people were also injured at another location in the city, where a building and a car caught fire.

    Wilkul also reported Russian shelling in the nearby Nikopol district throughout the night.

    Condemning the incident, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people.. Unfortunately, there are some dead and injured. Rescue operations are underway in Kryvyi Rih.

    My condolences to all who have lost their loved ones! Terrorists will never be forgiven, and will be held accountable for every missile they launch.

    –IANS

  • Putin orders border security to ensure “fast movement” into Ukraine

    Putin orders border security to ensure “fast movement” into Ukraine

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Sunday ordered border security to ensure ‘fast’ Russian military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions that are now under the control of Moscow, TASS, a Russian News Agency reported. in his address on the occasion of Border Guards Day, Putin said, “Securing the border in close proximity to the field of operations is a separate and very important task. At the same time, it is vitally important to ensure fast movement of both military and civil vehicles and cargo, including food, humanitarian aid, and construction materials on their way to new constituent entities of the Russian Federation – the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, and the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.”

    Putin also noted the necessity of close cooperation between border guards and other units of the Federal Security Service, the Armed Forces and the National Guard of the Russian Federation, as well as regional government bodies, reported TASS. “I have great confidence in you, your professionalism and bravery, and know that you will do everything in your power to securely protect our Motherland’s borders from any threat,” Putin emphasized.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine officials said that a wave of Russian drone attacks on the capital Kyiv left one person dead and sparked fires around the city, CNN reported on Sunday. Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitshko said Ukrainian air defence forces had “already intercepted more than 20 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)” heading toward the capital and warned that “a new wave of drones is on its way.”

    The Ukrainian Air Force said later that 54 Iranian Shahed drones had been launched by Russia overnight and that 52 of them had been destroyed by Ukrainian forces, as per the report in CNN. “The enemy launched another overnight attack on military facilities and critical infrastructure in the country’s central regions, specifically Kyiv Oblast. Near the zone Air Command ‘Center’, most of the attack drones were destroyed!” the air force said in a Twitter post.

    A 41-year-old man died in the city’s Solomyanskyi district following the attacks, while falling drone debris at a gas station injured a 35-year-old woman, Mayor Klitshko said. Falling drone debris also sparked fires in buildings across the capital, the mayor said on Telegram, reported CNN.

  • IMF mission starts review of Ukraine’s new loan program

    IMF mission starts review of Ukraine’s new loan program

    KYIV: An International Monetary Fund mission started work on Tuesday on the first review of a $15.6 billion loan program that it approved in March, the Ukrainian finance ministry said. The IMF’s four-year program for Ukraine is part of a $115-billion global package to support the country’s economy as it battles Russia’s full-scale invasion.

    The ministry said in a statement that Ukraine’s economic performance, the situation in the energy sector, and efforts to ensure the rule of law, increase transparency and fight corruption would be discussed during meetings in Vienna.

    Some meetings between Ukrainian officials and IMF experts will also take place in an online format. “We are working to create an international compensation mechanism in order to direct confiscated Russian assets towards Ukraine’s reconstruction,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on the Telegram messaging app.

    “We count on the IMF’s support in this area, as well as further assistance to consolidate financial support from partners from around the world.” To ensure continued IMF support, Ukraine must meet a number of conditions, including steps to boost tax revenue, maintain exchange rate stability, preserve central bank independence, and strengthen anti-corruption efforts.

    Ukraine’s economy has been devastated by the war and the government relied heavily on Western aid to finance its social and humanitarian payments.

    Ukraine’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan is the first major conventional financing program approved by the IMF for a country involved in a large-scale war.

  • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Japan

    Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Japan

    HIROSHIMA: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday landed in Hiroshima, Japan to attend the annual summit of the Group of Seven (G7) the world’s most industrialised countries.

    Live footage on Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, showed Zelensky stepping off a French plane at an airport in Hiroshima. A red carpet was rolled out minutes before his arrival, and he was immediately whisked away in a black sedan, according to the New York Times.

    “Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine. Security and enhanced cooperation for our victory. Peace will become closer today,” Zelenskyy tweeted on arrival in Japan.The Ukrainian leader, who made a surprise visit to an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday, is looking to rally the international community to increase sanctions on Russia and pledge further support for Ukraine, according to a report in Al Jazeera.

    Zelenskyy’s visit comes a day after US President Biden informed the G7 leaders in Hiroshima that the US would support the joint allied training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16. Once the training gets underway, it would be decided when and how many aircraft would be delivered and who in the coalition would provide them.

    Biden said he was also prepared to let other countries give F-16s to Ukraine, reported The New York Times.

    The G7 grouping includes the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Canada.

    On Saturday morning, in Hiroshima, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, confirmed to reporters the shift in Biden’s stance.

    Zelenskyy left Jeddah, Saudi Arabia late Friday after attending the Arab League summit, the Saudi state news agency reported, as cited by NYT.

    At Hiroshima, “symbol of peace”, the G7 members pledged to mobilize all their policy instruments and, together with Ukraine, make every effort to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.

    The G7 leaders in a statement condemned, Russia’s manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and the impact of Russia’s war on the rest of the word.

    The statement further read, fifteen months of Russia’s aggression has cost thousands of lives, inflicted immense suffering on the people of Ukraine, and imperiled access to food and energy for many of the world’s most vulnerable people.

    Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier that Ukraine president Zelensky is expected to address the leaders of the Group of 7 nations.

    In Hiroshima, Zelenskyy will almost certainly meet one on one with Biden and will meet PM Narendra Modi as well, the New York Times reported.

    Incidentally, the venue of the G7 Summit is Hiroshima, one of the two Japanese cities bombed with nuclear weapons by the US during World War II.

    Leaders of the Group of Seven called on Friday for a “world without nuclear weapons”, urging Russia, Iran, China and North Korea to cease nuclear escalation and embrace non-proliferation, according to a statement released by the White House.

    The G7 leaders on Friday said they had ensured that Ukraine had the budget support it needs for this year and early 2024 as they renewed their commitment to provide financial and military support in its fight against Russia.

    “We reaffirm our strong commitment to ensuring that Ukraine has the economic support it needs. Under the leadership of Japan’s G7 Presidency, together with the international community, we have ensured Ukraine has the budget support it needs for 2023 and early 2024,” read the White House G7 Leaders’ Statement on Ukraine.

    They also welcomed the approval of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and looked forward to the swift implementation of Ukraine’s reforms supported by the program.

    The program will help to stabilize Ukraine’s macroeconomic and financial situation, contribute to longer-term economic sustainability, and help to catalyze further financial support from other countries and institutions as well as the private sector.

    “We commit to continuing our security assistance to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s aggression, tailoring our support to Ukraine’s needs. We stress the importance of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in coordinating military and defence assistance by each country provided in line with its national circumstances,” added the statement.

  • US announces $1.2 bn in new military aid for Ukraine

    US announces $1.2 bn in new military aid for Ukraine

    By AFP

    WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country’s air defences and provide it with additional artillery ammunition.

    The package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine “by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defence systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine’s armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

    The assistance comes in the form of Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds, which pay for the procurement of equipment from the defence industry or partners rather than providing equipment from existing US stocks.

    This avoids depleting US inventories but means the assistance will take longer to reach the battlefield.

    The package features unspecified air defence systems and munitions as well as equipment to integrate Western systems with Ukraine’s existing gear, which is mainly of Soviet vintage.

    It also includes ammunition for counter-drone systems, 155 mm artillery rounds, and commercial satellite imagery services.

    The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging an international coalition to back Kyiv after Russia invaded in February 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries.

    Kyiv has pushed for some items that its international supporters have been reluctant to provide, including Patriot air defence systems and advanced heavy tanks — which were eventually promised — and others such as Western fighter aircraft, which have not been pledged so far.

  • Ukraine flags block Russian ambassador’s path on Victory Day

    Ukraine flags block Russian ambassador’s path on Victory Day

    WARSAW: A large installation representing Russian atrocities in Ukraine blocked the path of Russia’s ambassador to Poland as he sought Tuesday to place a wreath at a Warsaw memorial to Soviet soldiers on Russia’s Victory Day holiday.

    The installation included hundreds of fluttering blue and yellow Ukrainian flags and crosses serving as symbolic grave markers for Ukrainians killed by Russians during the full-scale war launched by Moscow last year. A pool of fake blood below the crosses underlined the message of the protest, which was created by Euromaidan-Warszawa, a citizens’ initiative that supports Ukraine.

    Organizer Viktoria Pogrebniak said the installation was meant to fight back against Russian propaganda, and “show the real picture to the world.” “We are bombed, we are killed, we are raped,” Pogrebniak said. “We are killed just because we are Ukrainians.” The protesters, mostly Ukrainians but also Poles, blocked Ambassador Sergey Andreev’s passage to the memorial, which is set amid graves of Red Army soldiers.

    The soldiers died in the fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. But many Poles also remember how they carried out rapes and other crimes, and they resent the decades of Soviet rule that came next for their nation.

    With his path blocked, Andreev instead left a wreath of red carnations in front of the hundreds of Ukrainian flags fluttering in the wind as loudspeakers blasted the sounds of bombs and air sirens. The installation also included large mock-ups of bombed buildings and the names of Ukrainian cities where Russia has carried out atrocities against Ukrainians: Bucha, Irpin, Kherson, Bakhmut. Andreev, who was doused with a red liquid at the same place on Victory Day last year, vowed to return later in the day.

    After he left, some protesters remained in case he came back. Some Poles also showed up through the morning to leave flowers to the Red Army soldiers, triggering the anger of the protesters who denounced them as “provocateurs” serving the Kremlin’s interests.

  • Russia says it destroys 22 Ukrainian drones over Black Sea

    Russia says it destroys 22 Ukrainian drones over Black Sea

    Russia’s air defences detected and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight, the country’s defence ministry said on Sunday in a daily briefing.

    Reuters was not able to independently verify Russia’s claim. A Russian-installed official said earlier that Ukraine had launched drones at Crimea overnight, without providing details.

    Separately, the defence ministry said its forces had gained more ground in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, claiming two “blocks” in the northwestern and western parts of the city.

  • Bomber Of Pro-Kremlin Writer’s Car Accepts He Acted For Ukraine: Russia

    Bomber Of Pro-Kremlin Writer’s Car Accepts He Acted For Ukraine: Russia

    Russia’s top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine’s special services.

    The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the conflict.

    It took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow. Prilepin was hospitalized with broken bones, brusied lungs and other injuries; the regional governor said he had been put into a “medical sleep,” but did not elaborate.

    Russia’s Investigative Committee said the suspect was a Ukrainian native and had admitted under questioning that he was working under orders from Ukraine.

    The Foreign Ministry in turn blamed not only Ukraine but the United States as well.

    “Responsibility for this and other terrorist acts lies not only with the Ukrainian authorities but with their Western patrons, in the first place, the United States, who since the coup d’etat of February 2014 have painstakingly nurtured the anti-Russian neo-Nazi project in Ukraine,” the ministry said, referring to the 2014 uprising in Kyiv that forced the Russia-friendly president to flee.

    In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as “Putin’s brain.” The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast.

    Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies.

    Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow on Saturday from Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novgorod region for a meal.

    Prilepin became a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 after Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russian-backed separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin. A year later, Prilepin’s party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament.

    A co-chair of the newly formed party, Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but gave it up.

    Party leader Sergei Mironov called the incident on Saturday “a terrorist act” and blamed Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Mironov’s sentiment in a post on the messaging app Telegram, adding that responsibility also lay with the U.S. and NATO.

    “Washington and NATO have nursed yet another international terrorist cell — the Kyiv regime,” Zakharova wrote. “Direct responsibility of the U.S. and Britain. We’re praying for Zakhar.”

    The deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev put the blame on “Nazi extremists” in a telegram he sent to Prilepin.

    Ukrainian officials haven’t commented directly on the allegations. However, Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, in a tweet on Saturday, appeared to point the finger at the Kremlin, saying that “to prolong the agony of Putin’s clan and maintain the illusionary ‘total control,’ the Russian repression machine picks up the pace and catches up with everyone,” including supporters of the Ukraine war.