Europe – Russia, Caucus and Eurasia

UPDATED: Alexei Navalny funeral draws thousands

Thousands of mourners gathered in front of a church in Moscow as the funeral service for Russia’s most prominent Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, began. Crowds were heard shouting “Navalny, Navalny!”…

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Ukraine says it has shot down three more Russian warplanes

KYIV, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow's air force. "After…

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UPDATED: Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war

MOSCOW, Feb 29 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight…

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US closely watching Moldovan breakaway region after request for Russian help

The United States is closely watching the situation in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after the unrecognized statelet asked Russia for help, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “Given…

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Macron’s Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies

By John Irish, Michel Rose and Andrew Gray Macron floats idea of West sending troops to Ukraine His comments spark backlash among allies French officials say Macron wants to stimulate…

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Putin vows to boost Russian special forces’ ability to strike

President Vladimir Putin promised this wek to increase the mobility and striking potential of Russia's special operations forces, saying this is a key priority to make the country's army stronger.…

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UPDATED: Navalny to be buried on Friday, wife fears possible arrests

By Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny's funeral service and burial will take place in Moscow on Friday, his spokesperson said, but his allies…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy arrives in Albania for southeastern Europe summit

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the Albanian capital of Tirana, where he will attend a summit with countries of the Western Balkans and hold bilateral…

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NATO allies rule out sending troops to Ukraine as Russia rebukes Macron

By Andreas Rinke and Guy Faulconbridge Macron raises option of sending Western troops to Ukraine Germany, UK, Poland, others say they have no such plans Kremlin says such a move…

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Man jailed in Russian-annexed Crimea for ‘rehabilitating Nazism’

A court in Russian-annexed Crimea has sentenced a man to two-and-a-half years in prison for "rehabilitating Nazism", the regional Investigative Committee said on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on behaviour deemed…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urges ‘fight’ for Crimea after 10 years of occupation

Ukraine and its international partners must continue fighting to restore Ukrainian control over Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday as Kyiv marked a decade of Russian occupation of the…

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Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap, says ally

MOSCOW, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap at the time of his death, Maria Pevchikh, a Navalny ally,…

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Lukashenko to run for president in 2025

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko said he would run for president again in 2025, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported. Lukashenko made his comments after voting in parliamentary and local council…

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Zelenskiy says 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since Russia invaded

KYIV, (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion two years ago, giving the first official figure for more…

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How life in Ukraine has been shattered by two years of war

Village far from fighting hit hard by war Conflict felt far and wide as enters 3rd year Widows struggle, classrooms are empty Volunteers thrive off spirit of defiance By Charlotte…

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What are the security deals Ukraine is discussing with allies?

By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) - Denmark and the Netherlands became the latest NATO members to sign a 10-year agreement on security cooperation with Ukraine on Friday, the eve of…

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World leaders offer support to Ukraine on anniversary of Russian invasion

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Western leaders have been voicing their solidarity with Ukraine on the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Here are some of the latest comments: U.S. PRESIDENT…

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European leaders in Kyiv pledge to back Ukraine on war anniversary

Four Western leaders in Kyiv to show solidarity Biden to join G7 video conference, Zelenskiy invited Russian drones hit Odesa, Ukraine attacks Russian steel plant Russia launched full-scale invasion of…

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Ukraine’s defences under strain as war enters its third year

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago The war has cost tens of thousands of lives, billions in damage Kyiv badly needs military and other aid from…

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Putin says 95% of Russia’s nuclear forces have been modernised

MOSCOW, Feb 23 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that 95% of Russia's strategic nuclear forces had been modernised and that the Air Force had just taken delivery…

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Ukraine says Russia has launched over 8,000 missiles, 4,630 drones during war

KYIV, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russia has launched more than 8,000 missiles and 4,630 drones at targets in Ukraine since its invasion two years ago, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy…

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Russia to bite off much more of Ukraine, Putin ally Medvedev says

MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian troops will go much further into Ukraine, taking the southern city of Odesa and may even one day push on to the capital Kyiv,…

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Ukraine leader downplays loss of Avdiivka, seeks faster support

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy downplayed Ukraine's loss of the eastern town of Avdiivka to Russian forces and called for faster support from allies as the war against Russia neared the two-year…

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Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles

By Parisa Hafezi, John Irish, Tom Balmforth and Jonathan Landay Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources told Reuters, deepening the military…

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Yulia Navalnaya: Who is Alexei Navalny’s widow and new Russian opposition politician?

By Andrew Osborn Before the shock death of her husband Alexei in a grim Arctic prison last week, Yulia Navalnaya had always played down the idea she would one day…

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Russia says it shipped 200,000 tonnes of free grain to six African countries

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russia's agriculture minister said late on Tuesday that Moscow had completed its initiative of shipping 200,000 metric tonnes of free grain to six African countries, as…

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Belarus leader Lukashenko calls for armed street patrols, warns of ‘extremist’ crime

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko called on law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to organise patrols with small arms on the streets of Belarusian cities to ensure the…

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Russia denies US reports Moscow plans to put nuclear weapons in space

Putin says Russia opposes nuclear weapons in space Putin: we urge compliance with such agreements US thinks Moscow working on space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon Shoigu: Russia has no such plans,…

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Navalny’s widow Yulia calls on Russians to fight Putin for freedom

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said on Monday that she would press on with her husband's fight for a free Russia and called on supporters…

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Denmark gives all of its artillery shells to Ukraine

Denmark’s prime minister said that her country was handing over all of its shells to Ukraine as she urged other European states to provide more weapons. “We decided to donate…

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Russia loses 17,000 troops taking Avdiivka

More than 17,000 Russian soldiers were killed capturing Avdiivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Ukraine’s military has said. The capture of the city on Saturday was the Kremlin’s first major…

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Navalny’s widow Yulia calls on Russians to fight Putin for freedom

Yulia: I will continue my husband's fight Yulia: Putin killed my husband Kremlin has denied any involvement Yulia: I will fight for a free Russia Yulia: calls on Russians to…

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Russia has yet to establish official cause of Navalny death

MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Russian investigators have not yet established the cause of Alexei Navalny's death and it is unclear how long it will take for official conclusions to…

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Russian forces in full control of Avdiivka coke plant

Feb 19 (Reuters) - The Russian military has taken full control of the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, Russian state news agencies reported on Monday, after most of the town…

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Alexei Navalny had a vision of a democratic Russia. That terrified Vladimir Putin to the core

Alexei Navalny was a giant figure in Russian politics. No other individual rivalled the threat he posed to the Putin regime. His death in an Arctic labour camp is a…

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Navalny’s death leaves despair and apathy in Moscow

By Guy Faulconbridge The hundreds of flowers and candles laid in Moscow on Friday to honour the memory of Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, were taken away overnight…

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Ukrainian foreign minister discusses peace prospects with China’s Wang Yi

BEIJING, (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had discussed the prospects for peace in Kyiv's nearly two-year-old war against Russia with his Chinese counterpart, part of a…

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Ukraine military says it repelled Russian offensive on southern front

KYIV, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian offensive on the southern front following the withdrawal of Kyiv's troops from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka, the Ukrainian…

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UPDATED: Russia says Avdiivka under its full control, offensive continues

Ukraine forced to abandon eastern bastion of Avdiivka Russia says Ukrainian units entrenched at Avdiivka coke plant Kyiv facing critical shortages of artillery rounds White House blames congressional inaction Biden…

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More than 400 detained in Russia at events in memory of Navalny, rights group says

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - More than 400 people have been detained at events across 32 Russian cities since the death of Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most formidable opponent,…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko says ‘saboteurs’ detained on border with Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that several "saboteurs", including Ukrainian and Belarusian nationals, had been detained earlier on Friday on the border of…

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UPDATED: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has died

MOSCOW, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle where he was…

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Prominent Ukrainian army unit launches own recruitment drive to strengthen ranks

By Dan Peleschuk KYIV, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A year after the founding commander of Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion was killed fighting Russian forces, his portrait adorns an airy…

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UPDATED: Germany’s Scholz, Ukraine’s Zelenskiy sign security agreement in Berlin

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a security agreement at a ceremony in the German capital on Friday. The details of…

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Putin urges Russians to have more kids, says ethnic survival at stake

Russian families must produce at least two children for the sake of the nation's ethnic survival, and three or more if it is to develop and thrive, President Vladimir Putin…

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Kremlin dismisses US warning about Russian nuclear capability in space

US warned allies about Russian space, nuclear capabilities New capabilities relate to space-based weapon - source White House: new capability is designed to use against satellites Moscow says US is…

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Ukraine needs $486 bln to recover, rebuild after nearly two years of war – World Bank

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Rebuilding Ukraine's economy after Russia's invasion nearly two years ago is expected to cost $486 billion, 2.8 times its 2023 expected economic…

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UK to supply thousands of drones to Ukraine

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it would supply thousands of more drones to Ukraine as part of its 200 million pound ($251 million) drone package, in…

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US, EU discuss Russia sanctions ahead of Ukraine war’s second anniversary

By Daphne Psaledakis and Gabriela Baczynska The U.S., EU and other partners discussed Russia sanctions at a meeting in Brussels this week ahead of the two year anniversary of the…

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US warned allies about Russian space, nuclear capabilities that could pose an international threat

By Patricia Zengerle, Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The United States has told Congress and allies in Europe about new intelligence related to Russian nuclear capabilities that…

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Putin says he prefers ‘more predictable’ Biden over Trump

By Mark Trevelyan Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that he preferred Joe Biden to Donald Trump but was willing to work with any U.S.…

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Russia’s parliament to vote on suspending Moscow’s participation in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

Russia's parliament will vote on Feb. 21 on suspending the country's participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on…

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Russia’s airstrikes kill three, injure 13 in east Ukraine, Ukrainian officials say

Russia launched several missile attacks on the town of Selydove in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region overnight, killing three people, injuring a dozen and damaging a hospital and several apartments, Ukrainian…

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Armenian soldiers killed by Azerbaijani fire in biggest skirmish since exodus

Armenia said on Tuesday that four of its soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani fire along the heavily militarized border, the first fatal incident since they began negotiating a deal to…

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Kremlin dismisses Europe’s warnings about ‘Russian propaganda’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday dismissed European warnings about "Russian propaganda", saying that anything which countered the mainstream narrative was now labelled as propaganda by the West. Peskov was…

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Russia warns the West: we will be very tough if you ‘steal’ our assets

Russia warned the West on Tuesday that Moscow would be very tough if the United States and European Union seized hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Russian assets. After…

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Ukraine’s military intelligence says Russia buying Starlink terminals in ‘Arab countries’

Russian forces are buying Starlink internet terminals in "Arab countries" for use on the battlefield, Ukraine's military intelligence said on Tuesday. It made the statement on the Telegram messaging app,…

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