The Dispatch

European banks to provide over €600M in recovery funds for Ukraine

Ukraine is set to receive hundreds of millions of euros from European banks to bolster its economy and eventually rebuild its infrastructure, according to several agreements signed in Berlin on…

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Russia launches missile and drone attack on Kyiv

Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv early on Wednesday with preliminary information showing there were no injuries or damage in the Ukrainian capital, Ukrainian military said. Ukraine's…

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Russia and Belarus start second stage of tactical nuclear drills

Russian and Belarusian troops have started the second stage of tactical nuclear drills in Russia, Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the drills were aimed at ensuring…

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Putin set to visit North Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea and Vietnam in the coming weeks, Russia's Vedomosti newspaper reported on Monday, with an official telling Reuters the Vietnam visit was planned…

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Russian politicians revel in EU election defeats for Macron, Scholz

Russian politicians gloated on Monday over heavy defeats for the parties of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in European Parliament elections, and the Kremlin said right-wing…

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Belarus says it is joining nuclear exercises with Russia

Belarus said on Monday its army was taking part in the second stage of Russian exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. The…

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Zelenskiy’s Peace Summit in Switzerland: What to Expect

Switzerland will host a summit on June 15-16 that aims to build broad international support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace proposals, which includes the full withdrawal of Russian troops…

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Putin warns of deploying missiles if West arms Ukraine, cites nuclear risk

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper…

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Moldovan police stage raids to uncover plot aimed at blocking Interpol

Police in Moldova, aided by French and U.S. colleagues, raided dozens of premises as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to block the actions of Interpol against fugitive…

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Russia ready to strike French military trainers in Ukraine

Russia responded with a new threat of escalation on Tuesday to reports that France could soon send trainers to help the Ukrainian military. “No instructor involved in training the Ukrainian…

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Italy to send second air defence system to Ukraine

Italy will send a second SAMP/T air defence system to Ukraine, its foreign minister said in a radio interview on Monday, responding to Kyiv's pleas for greater help to fend…

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Russia warns US against ‘fatal’ miscalculation in Ukraine

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday the United States could face "fatal consequences" if it ignored Moscow's warnings not to let Ukraine use weapons provided by Washington…

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Georgian parliamentary speaker signs ‘foreign agents’ bill into law

Georgia's parliamentary speaker signed into law on Monday a bill on "foreign agents" that has caused a political crisis in the South Caucasus country and drawn sharp criticism from its…

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Biden allows Ukraine to use American weapons to strike targets in Russia

US President Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, specifically near the Kharkiv region, according to US officials. One official told BBC News…

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Ukraine says Russia building up forces near Kharkiv region’s north

Russia is building up forces near the northern part of Ukraine's Kharkiv region where it launched an offensive this month, but it still lacks the troop numbers to stage a…

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France could soon announce the sending of military trainers to Ukraine

France could soon send military trainers to Ukraine despite the concerns of some allies and criticism by Russia, and may announce its decision next week during a visit by the…

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Russia says it may take extra nuclear deterrence steps if US puts missiles in Europe/Asia

Russia may take extra steps in the area of nuclear deterrence if the United States deploys intermediate and short-range missiles in Europe and Asia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told…

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Lavrov says China could arrange Russia-Ukraine peace conference

China could arrange a peace conference in which Russia and Ukraine would participate, the RIA news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Thursday. Lavrov said such…

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Russian official says Ukrainian drones can strike deep into Russia but Moscow is safe

Ukrainian drones have the capability of striking up to 2,500 kilometres (1,553 miles) into Russia, but the capital Moscow has been protected from their strikes, a senior Russian airforce official…

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Sweden gives radar surveillance planes to Ukraine air force

Sweden will donate two radar surveillance and command aircraft to Ukraine to boost its defences in the war with Russia, the Swedish government said on Wednesday, its largest aid package…

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Georgian parliament votes to override presidential veto of ‘foreign agent’ bill

Georgia's parliament voted to override a presidential veto of a bill on "foreign agents" that has plunged the South Caucasus country into crisis, ignoring criticism from the West which says…

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EU debates training troops in Ukraine, no common view yet

European Union defence ministers on Tuesday debated the idea of training Ukrainian forces inside the country but did not reach a common position on the sensitive issue, EU foreign policy…

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Putin warns West not to let Ukraine use its missiles to hit Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West that NATO members in Europe were playing with fire by proposing to let Ukraine use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, which…

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EU’s Borrell asserts Ukraine’s right to strike Russia

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday urged countries to balance fear of escalation against Ukraine's need to defend itself, saying Kyiv had the right to use Western arms…

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Belgium to send 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028, Swedish plan for Gripen jets to Ukraine put on hold

Belgium has pledged to send 30 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028, with the first deliveries scheduled to arrive later this year, as the two countries signed a ten-year…

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Polish foreign minister says Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine

Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in comments published on Tuesday, as Kyiv struggles to repel Russian advances, but Sikorski did not…

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NATO chief reiterates that West should rethink restrictions on weapons for Ukraine

"By having too many restrictions we are tying one hand of the Ukrainian armed forces on their back," said NATO's Secretary-General. Jens Stoltenberg has urged NATO states to reconsider limits…

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French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres soon

Ukraine's top commander said he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centres soon. "I am pleased to welcome France's initiative to send instructors to Ukraine…

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Putin’s fear of rebellion could be behind arrests of Russian generals

Indrek Kannik, head of the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), says the arrests of Russia's defense ministry and military leadership may be related to Vladimir Putin's fear of…

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Twelve Moldovan parties clinch pro-Europe pact, but not all back president

Twelve parties in Moldova clinched a pact committing them to act in favour of European Union membership for the ex-Soviet state as the campaign for an October referendum on European…

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Russia’s losses in Ukraine over 500,000 as Kyiv’s strike on nuclear radar causes alarm

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the death or injury of over half a million Russian soldiers, according to the latest figures from the Ukrainian military. The toll…

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UPDATED: Spain to send Patriot missiles, Leopard tanks to Ukraine in $1.23 billion package

Spain plans to send Patriot missiles and Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of a 1.13 billion euro ($1.23 billion) weapon package announced last month, El Pais newspaper reported on…

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict: President Zelenskiy’s Plea for Global Peace Summit

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has issued a heartfelt video plea inviting world leaders to attend a “peace summit” in Switzerland next month, following a tragic Russian attack on a DIY…

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Kharkiv Crisis: Escalating Tensions and International Reactions

Scores of individuals lost their lives or sustained injuries following an aerial bomb strike on a large store in the city of Kharkiv on Saturday afternoon, as confirmed by local…

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Putin wants Ukraine ceasefire on current frontlines

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognises the current battlefield lines, four Russian sources told Reuters, saying he is…

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Two more Russian officials arrested in widening military corruption probe

Russia has arrested two more top figures - the deputy head of the army's General Staff and a senior procurement official at the defence ministry - in a widening bribery…

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Russia, Moldova’s opposition denounce Romanian PM’s remarks

Russia joined Moldova's leftist opposition in denouncing Romania's prime minister for remarks saying ex-Soviet Moldova's population was made up strictly of Romanians who spoke Romanian. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu…

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Putin in Belarus to discuss security, tactical nuclear weapon exercises

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus, Moscow's closest ally, for talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko expected to focus on security and exercises with tactical nuclear weapons. Minsk…

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Russia says EU will feel ‘full measure’ of retaliation over frozen assets plan

The European Union will feel the "full measure" of Russian retaliation over its plan to use income from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova…

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Russia says it will strike British targets if UK weapons are used to hit its territory

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow will retaliate with strikes on British targets if British weapons are used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory. Zakharova…

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Chechen leader meets Russia’s Putin, offers more troops for Ukraine

The leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, said early on Thursday he had met President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin and offered to send more fighters to help Moscow…

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Russia deletes draft proposal to change Baltic Sea border

A Russian defence ministry proposal to revise Russia's maritime border in the eastern Baltic Sea was deleted from an official portal after creating confusion and concern among NATO members such…

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Kremlin criticises EU plan to use revenue from frozen assets

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, said today that Russia would regard the seizure of revenue from its frozen assets in the EU as a violation of all norms of the…

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Russian defence ministry proposes revising Baltic Sea border

Russia's defence ministry has proposed a revision to the borders of Russian territorial waters in the Baltic Sea, according to a draft government decree, drawing a rebuke from NATO-member Finland.…

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Russia starts exercise to simulate launch of tactical nuclear weapons

Russian forces have started the first stage of exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin to simulate preparation for the launch of tactical nuclear weapons, the Defence Ministry said. Moscow has…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy pushes allies to step up involvement in war

Western allies are taking too long to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters in an exclusive interview in Kyiv on Monday. He also…

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Kremlin says military will hold nuclear exercises in appropriate timeframe

The Kremlin said on Monday that exercises involving non-strategic nuclear weapons that President Vladimir Putin has ordered would be held "in the relevant timeframes" and that this was a matter…

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Georgian President Blocks Attempt to Label NGOs as ‘Foreign Agents’

The Georgian government's attempt to designate Western-funded NGOs, media outlets, and campaign groups as "foreign agents" was blocked by President Salome Zurabishvili on Saturday. Despite the widespread public protests and…

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New rules for draft-age Ukrainians abroad come into effect Saturday

As of this Saturday, draft-age Ukrainians living abroad will have to update their data in a special register before they can use consular service. Kyiv is increasing efforts to mobilise…

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Putin says Russia is carving out a buffer zone in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russian forces advancing in Ukraine's Kharkiv region were creating a "buffer zone" to protect Russian border regions, but said capturing the city of…

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Long air raid alert lifted in Kharkiv after drone strikes, missile warning

A protracted air raid alert in most of Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region was lifted early on Friday after officials reported Russian drone strikes and a missile warning in the city…

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Russian infantry enters Ukraine border town

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy postponed all his foreign trips as the battlefield situation continued to deteriorate on Wednesday and Kyiv said fighting raged in the northeastern border town of Vovchansk in…

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Russia suspends two airports’ traffic over drone threat

Russia said on Wednesday that a major airport near the city of Kazan, 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from Ukraine, had been temporarily closed after the region was targeted by a…

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Zelenskiy cancels Spain and Portugal trip

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a trip to Spain and Portugal, with some media outlets reporting it is because of renewed fighting in Ukraine. King Felipe of Spain was due…

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Putin backs China’s Ukraine peace plan, says Beijing understands the conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview published early on Wednesday, said he backed China's plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding…

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Ukraine pulls back in two areas of Kharkiv region, warns of buildup near Sumy region

Ukraine's military said its forces pulled back to new positions in two areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region where Moscow is pressing an offensive, and warned of a Russian force…

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Georgia parliament passes divisive ‘foreign influence’ bill

The Georgian parliament on Tuesday approved in the third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests. Georgian lawmakers brawled in parliament on Tuesday during a…

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