The Dispatch

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to pitch ‘victory plan’ to EU, NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes his "victory plan" to the European Union and NATO on Thursday, pitching for a NATO membership invitation and a major increase in military support for…

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Zelenskiy says North Korea is de facto taking part in war on Russia’s side

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that North Korea was a de facto participant on Russia's side in its war against Ukraine. In a speech to parliament, the Ukrainian…

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Zelenskiy unveils ‘Victory Plan’ as Ukraine faces precarious moment

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy unveiled his much anticipated "Victory Plan" at Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday, urging his war-weary country to stay united at a precarious time ahead of its key U.S.…

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Slovak PM Fico sees high probability of Ukraine war ending soon

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sees high probability of the war in Ukraine ending soon, news agency TASR quoted him as saying on Wednesday before his departure to a European…

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Lukashenko on Russia’s Nuclear Policy Changes: A Long Overdue Shift

Changes announced by Russia to its nuclear weapons policy were long overdue and will probably "cool the ardour" of its Western enemies, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview…

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Russia says more than 30,000 evacuated from areas bordering Ukraine

Some 30,415 people including nearly 8,000 children have been evacuated from areas bordering Ukraine due to shelling and attacks, Russia's human rights commissioner said in remarks published on Monday. Tatyana…

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Moldovan president’s no-show breaks up election debate

A television debate ahead of Moldova's presidential election broke up on Tuesday when pro-European incumbent Maia Sandu did not attend and one of her two main rivals walked out of…

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Big possibility North Korean soldiers are fighting for Russia in Ukraine

North Korea is likely sending its soldiers to fight and die in Ukraine alongside Russian troops, Seoul’s defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, said Tuesday. "As Russia and North Korea have signed…

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Russian, Chinese ships conduct joint drills in Pacific, Russia’s agencies report

Russian and Chinese navy warships have practiced anti-submarine missions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean as part of a joint patrol in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.…

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Russian forces reach another key frontline city, Ukraine’s military says

Russian forces have entered the outskirts of the eastern Ukraine frontline city of Toretsk, Ukraine's military said late on Monday, less than a week after the fall of the bastion…

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Freed Russian arms dealer Bout back in weapons business

Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who was jailed in the United States and then swapped two years ago for the U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, is back in international…

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Hacker attack disrupts Russian state media on Putin’s birthday

Russian state media company VGTRK, which owns and operates the country's main national TV stations, was targeted in a massive cyberattack on Monday that a Ukrainian government source said Kyiv's…

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Georgia’s ruling party starts impeachment of pro-Western president

The speaker of Georgia's parliament said on Monday ruling party lawmakers would move to impeach the pro-Western president ahead of a parliamentary election on Oct. 26, a year after a…

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‘God save the Tsar!’: Putin receives first wishes for 72nd birthday

"God save the Tsar!" was one of the first public birthday wishes for President Vladimir Putin who turns 72 on Monday and who has been Russia's paramount leader for nearly…

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Russia says confrontation with West is unparalleled in history

The current confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine is unparalleled in history and a mistake could lead to catastrophe, a senior Russian diplomat said when asked about comparisons…

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Russia launches major drone attack on Ukraine

Russian forces launched a major drone attack overnight on 15 Ukrainian regions, causing damage to commercial and residential buildings, local authorities said on Thursday, though there were no immediate reports…

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Russian forces fully control bastion of Vuhledar in east Ukraine

Russian troops have taken complete control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, a bastion that had resisted intense Russian attacks since the beginning of the 2022 war, Russian war…

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ICC to open Belarus crimes against humanity inquiry

The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor said he would launch a preliminary inquiry against Belarus over alleged crimes against humanity under the rule of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Karim Khan…

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Putin orders conscription of 133,000 servicemen in Russia’s autumn draft

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the conscription of 133,000 new servicemen in Russia's autumn draft that starts Oct. 1 and goes until the end of the year, according to a…

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Russia launches waves of drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says

Russia launched several waves of drones targeting Kyiv early on Monday, with air defence units successfully defending the city, Ukraine's military said. Reuters' witnesses heard numerous blasts in the Ukrainian…

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Eleven candidates, including incumbent, to compete in Moldova presidential vote

A record 11 candidates have been approved for Moldova's presidential poll next month, electoral officials said on Tuesday, including incumbent Maia Sandu, who portrays the contest as a test of…

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Understanding Russia’s Nuclear Arsenal: Key Facts and Figures

President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported…

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Harris pledges support for Ukraine, Trump to meet Ukraine’s Zelenskiy

Vice President Kamala Harris pledged support for Ukraine on Thursday and - in a veiled reference to Donald Trump, her U.S. election rival - said those who would have Ukraine…

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Biden announces $8 billion in military aid for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday to help Kyiv "win this war" against Russian invaders, using a visit by President…

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Putin issues nuclear warning to the West

President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it…

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Russian parliament backs ban on adoptions from countries that allow gender changes

Russia's parliament Wednesday voted to back a bill banning the adoption of Russian children in countries that allow gender reassignment, the latest in a series of ultra-conservative social measures. Moscow…

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Kremlin says Zelenskiy is making “fatal mistake” by trying to force it to make peace

Russia said on Wednesday that a plan by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to force it to make peace was a "fatal mistake" that would have consequences for Kyiv. Zelenskiy told…

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Ukraine’s Call for Sovereignty: Zelenskyy’s Speech at the U.N. Assembly

Ukraine’s president dismissed the notion of peace talks with Moscow on Tuesday, calling instead for unspecified global “action” to force Russia into peace for invading his country and to comply…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says US decisive actions could end Russian war next year

Decisive actions by the United States now could hasten the end of the Russian war against Ukraine next year, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after telling the ABC News that his…

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UPDATED: Zelenskiy says ending war at Ukraine’s expense is ‘unacceptable’

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has given a wide-ranging interview to the New Yorker. In it he said that Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance is “too radical” in his ideas of how…

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Russia Issues Warning to Ukraine Over Belarus Threats

Russia warned the West and Ukraine of "disastrous consequences" if Kyiv moved against close Russian ally Belarus, making clear it would intervene to defend a country where it has deployed…

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Russia’s war dead tops 70,000

More than 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to data analyzed by BBC Russian and the independent outlet…

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UPDATED: EU to provide Ukraine with loan worth up to 35 bln euros – von der Leyen

The EU will grant a loan of up to 35 billion euros ($39.06 billion)to Ukraine to help the country stuck in a grinding war with Russia, EU Commission President Ursulo…

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Western approval for Ukraine’s long-range weapons risks nuclear war

A close ally of President Vladimir Putin warned Western governments that a nuclear war would ensue if they gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to…

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Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire

Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow, according…

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Armenia accuses Russia of planning to topple government

Relations between Armenia and Russia have stooped to a new low as Armenian authorities allege that Moscow financed and trained seven people to topple the country's pro-Western government early this…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says ‘victory plan’ is ready

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that his "Victory Plan", intended to bring peace to Ukraine while keeping the country strong and avoiding all "frozen conflicts", was now complete after…

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Russian nuclear test chief says Moscow is ready to resume testing ‘at any moment’

The head of Russia's nuclear testing site said his secretive facility was ready to resume nuclear tests "at any moment" if Moscow gave the order, in rare comments likely to…

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UPDATED: Ukrainian drone attack triggers earthquake-sized blast at arsenal in Russia’s Tver region

A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia triggered an earthquake-sized blast at a major arsenal in the Tver region on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby town, war bloggers…

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Germany says Moldova could be next in line if Ukraine falls

Support for Ukraine guarantees the survival of neighbouring Moldova, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday at a conference to address concerns about broadening Russian interference in the region.…

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Putin orders Russian army to become 1.5 million-strong

President Vladimir Putin ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the…

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Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says

Russia launched its eighth air attack in September on Kyiv overnight, with air defence units destroying nearly 20 drones that were heading towards the country's capital, Ukrainian military said on…

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Russia expels six British diplomats and claims they were spying

Russia's FSB security service has said this morning it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, claiming their activity indicated they were involved in spying and sabotage…

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Moldovan soldier killed in rare Transdniestria border incident

A Moldovan serviceman serving on the line demarcating the separatist Transdniestria region was killed on Thursday in unclear circumstances in a rare incident more than 30 years after a war…

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Putin says West will be fighting directly with Russia if it lets Kyiv use long-range missiles

President Vladimir Putin said that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, a move he said would…

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Belarus claims Pokemon is a Western intelligence tool

A Belarus Defense Ministry official has accused the once wildly popular mobile game Pokémon Go of being an instrument of Western intelligence. Alexander Ivanov, the ministry’s department head of ideological…

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Russian counter-offensive reported in Kursk

Russian forces have begun a significant counter-offensive against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, according to pro-Moscow war bloggers and a senior Russian commander. Pro-Ukrainian observers also reported heavy fighting…

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Russian strategic bomber planes overfly Barents and Norwegian seas

Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber planes flew over the Barents and Norwegian seas as part of a major naval exercise, the state-run RIA news agency quoted the defence ministry as saying…

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Biden says ending ban on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons being worked out

U.S. President Joe Biden said that his administration was "working that out now" when asked if the U.S. would lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long range weapons in its…

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Ukraine’s drones target Moscow, more than 30 airline flights suspended

Russian officials said on Tuesday they shot down at least 15 drones around Moscow overnight in a wave of attacks that set residential buildings on fire, killed a woman and…

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Russia takes Ukrainian town in advance on Pokrovsk

Russia said its forces had taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk and seek to pierce the…

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Zelenskiy nominates Sybiha as Ukraine’s new foreign minister

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked parliament on Thursday to confirm first deputy foreign minister Andrii Sybiha as Ukraine's new foreign minister at a critical juncture in the war with Russia. The…

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Belarus says it has detained Japanese intelligence agent

Belarusian security forces have detained a suspected Japanese intelligence agent alleged to have observed border areas and military installations of the ex-Soviet state and Russian ally, Belarusian media reported. Media…

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Lavrov warns US not to mock Russia’s ‘red lines’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, responding to a question about the potential delivery of long-range U.S. missiles to Ukraine, warned the United States on Wednesday not to joke about Russia's…

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Belarus’s Lukashenko pardons 30 more people convicted over protests

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 more people convicted for protest activity, state news agency Belta said on Wednesday. Human rights activists say there are about 1,400 people in…

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Kremlin says West’s agenda spurs changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine

Washington's escalation of the war in Ukraine and the actions of the "collective West" have made it necessary for Russia to revise its nuclear doctrine, Russian agencies cited Kremlin spokesman…

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Ukrainian government shake-up

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, has tendered his resignation. The parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said the resignation request would be discussed by lawmakers. The reported move on Wednesday comes amid…

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