Ukraine

UPDATE – Russian forces take control of Chernobyl workers’ town, three dead – report

VIV, Ukraine March 26 (Reuters) - Russian forces have taken control of Ukraine's Slavutych, where workers at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant live, and three people were killed, Interfax Ukraine news agency…

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UPDATE – Biden labels Putin a ‘butcher’ after meeting Ukrainian refugees

WARSAW, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatened to unravel global security, and that the world's democracies must prepare for a long…

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Biden says he is not sure that Russia has changed strategy in Ukraine

WARSAW, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with top Ukrainian government officials in Warsaw on Saturday during his visit to Poland to show support for the NATO alliance's eastern…

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INTERPOL deploys team to Moldova following surge of Ukrainian refugees

INTERPOL has deployed an operational support team to Moldova following the surge of Ukrainian refugees entering the country. The international police organisation said it has already received reports of human…

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Ukrainian president calls on energy producers to hike output

DOHA, March 26 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on energy producing countries on Saturday to increase output so that Russia cannot use its oil and gas wealth to "blackmail" other…

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Mutinous Russian troops ran over their own commander, say western officials

Western officials have said they believe a Russian commander was run over by mutinous forces during the fighting in Ukraine, in a sign of what they described as the “morale…

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US now planning for possible Russian strikes on NATO territory

En route to Poland on Air Force One, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan held a briefing with reporters. Asked whether Russia would attempt to bomb convoys carrying supplies to…

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Ukraine says Russia’s war kills 136 children so far

LVIV, March 26 (Reuters) - The war in Ukraine has killed 136 children in the 31 days since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine's office of the prosecutor general said on Saturday…

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Neutral Swiss adopt more EU sanctions against Russia

Neutral Switzerland had adopted more European Union sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, the cabinet said on Friday, keeping the country in line with EU measures it has decided to…

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HSBC steps up scrutiny of Russian clients worldwide as sanctions ratchet up

HSBC is shunning prospective Russian clients and declining credit to some existing ones, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, as the bank seeks to shield itself from…

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Zelenskiy says dealing Russian forces ‘powerful blows’

MARIUPOL/LVIV, Ukraine, March 26 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pushed for further talks with Russia as Moscow signalled it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed…

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Oscars ceremony to feature ‘respectful’ moment about Ukraine

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - As Hollywood's A-list celebrities gather for their annual celebration of the movies at Sunday's Academy Awards, the live telecast also will recognize the effects of Russia's invasion of…

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Russia signals scaled-back war aims, Ukrainians advance near Kyiv

BUCHA/LVIV, Ukraine, March 25 (Reuters) - Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture…

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Putin says Russian culture being ‘cancelled’ like J.K. Rowling

DUBLIN, March 25 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused the West of trying to cancel Russia's rich musical and literary culture, including composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov, in the…

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Pope Francis leads world’s Catholic bishops in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Madonna

Vatican News - Pope Francis presided over the annual “24 Hours for the Lord” Lenten penitential service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday evening. Toward the end of the liturgy,…

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UN rights office says evidence growing of Mariupol mass graves

GENEVA, March 25 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. human rights team in Ukraine said on Friday that monitors had received more information about mass graves in the besieged port city…

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Ukraine’s new agriculture minister warns over global food prices, ends restrictions on corn and sunoil exports

LVIV, Ukraine, March 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine's government has lifted the requirement for export licences for corn and sunflower oil for 2021/22 season, the government website said on Friday. Ukraine has suspended…

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The Ukrainian crisis roundup

March 25 (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops are recapturing towns east of Kyiv and Russian forces who had been trying to seize the capital are falling back on overextended supply lines, Britain said,…

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300 people were killed in theatre bombing – Mariupol officials

Last week's bombing of a theatre in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering had prompted international outrage, particularly after images emerged showing the word "children" had been written clearly…

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Kremlin says ‘nothing terrible will happen’ if Russia is expelled from G20; Belarus blocked from joining WTO

March 25 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that nothing terrible will happen if the United States and its allies succeed in expelling Russia from the Group of Twenty (G20) major…

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UPDATED: Russia says first phase of Ukraine operation mostly complete, 1,351 soldiers have died fighting

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that the first phase of its military operation in Ukraine was mostly complete and that it would focus on completely "liberating"…

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China opposes claims of “prior knowledge” of Russian attack on Ukraine

China's ministry of defence said it was completely false to say that China had "prior knowledge" of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that such claims were a smear. The ministry…

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Updated: U.N. rights office says 1,081 civilians killed in Ukraine

GENEVA, March 25 (Reuters) - The U.N. rights office said on Friday that it had confirmed 1,081 civilian deaths and 1,707 injuries in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on…

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Ukraine has re-occupied towns 35km east of Kyiv, Russia running out of precision munitions

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine has re-occupied towns and defensive positions up to 35 kilometres east of Kyiv, helped by Russian forces falling back on overextended supply lines, Britain's defence ministry…

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Italians warned not to go fight in Ukraine

Italian nationals should not go and fight in Ukraine, the foreign ministry said, following media reports that some Italians have signed up to battle the Russian invasion. A foreign ministry…

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Greek supermarkets limit flour, sunflower oil purchases as customers hoard

Supermarket chains in Greece said they are restricting how much flour and sunflower oil customers can buy, saying the step was precautionary after seeing demand rise on worries supplies will…

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U.S. assesses up to 60% failure rate for some Russian missiles

The United States assesses that Russia is suffering failure rates as high as 60% for some of the precision-guided missiles it is using to attack Ukraine, three U.S. officials with…

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U.N. General Assembly again overwhelmingly isolates Russia over Ukraine

Almost three-quarters of the U.N. General Assembly demanded aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine on Thursday evening, and criticized Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian situation after Moscow invaded…

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Ukraine and Russia need peace, says Zelenskiy as Biden heads to Poland

LVIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine, March 25 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukrainians "need to achieve peace" and halt Russian bombardment that has forced millions to flee to countries like Poland,…

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West unites behind Ukraine entering second month of Russian assault

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - NATO offered Kyiv new military assistance and assigned more troops to its eastern flank on Thursday as London and Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Moscow in a…

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EXPLAINER – Challenges arise as Russia calls for gas payments in roubles

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said the world's largest natural gas producer would soon require "unfriendly" countries to pay for their fuel in Russia's currency, the rouble. The requirement…

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Europe won’t pay for energy supplies in Russian roubles – Slovenia PM

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Thursday that Europe would not pay Russia in roubles after Moscow demanded that "unfriendly" countries settle oil and gas bills…

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Lloyd’s of London sees major claims this year from Ukraine conflict

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Lloyd's of London SOLYD.UL faces major claims this year from the conflict in Ukraine, but this will not create solvency difficulties, the commercial insurance market said on Thursday. Lloyd's…

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Russia’s military hit by high-ranking losses in Ukraine

Russia held a funeral service for the deputy commander of its Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea on Wednesday, the latest in what Ukraine says is a string of high-ranking…

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Mariupol says 15,000 deported from besieged city to Russia

LVIV, Ukraine, March 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian authorities in besieged Mariupol said on Thursday about 15,000 civilians had been illegally deported to Russia since Russian forces seized parts of the…

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The Ukrainian crisis roundup

March 24 (Reuters) - Western leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday will agree to strengthen their forces in Eastern Europe and increase military aid to Ukraine as the Russian assault on its…

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UPDATED: NATO says concerned Russia may be preparing pretext for chemical attack

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Russia may be trying to create a pretext for the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by accusing the United States and its allies of preparing such…

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EU nations to exchange refugees’ hryvnias at Ukraine cenbank rate- draft document

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - European Union countries are likely to agree to allow millions of Ukrainian refugees to exchange their currency, the hryvnia, into currencies used in the EU over the…

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Kremlin says Russian billionaire Abramovich played early role in Ukraine peace talks

March 24 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday said sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich played an early role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but the process was now in the…

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UPDATED: U.S. to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - The United States plans to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion, two sources familiar with the plan said, after a month of bombardments has brought…

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WHO says there were 64 instances of attacks on health care since Ukraine war started

March 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it had verified 64 instances of attacks on health care in Ukraine between Feb. 24 and March 21 resulting in…

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Belgium to inject another billion euros into its army – L’Echo

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Belgium agreed on Thursday to inject an extra billion euros into its defence forces, on top of 10 billion euros ($10.98 billion) already agreed, Belgian newspaper l'Echo…

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Fears increase of Ukraine chemical attack after reports of use of Russian phosphorus bombs

Russia has been accused of using phosphorus bombs in its invasion of Ukraine – as US president Joe Biden warned of the risk of a chemical weapons attack. White phosphorus…

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EU’s Borrell says Russia has no interest in negotiating ceasefire in Ukraine for now

MADRID, March 24 (Reuters) - The Russian government has no interest in negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine for now as its army has not reached its military goals, European Union's…

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Russian death toll could be as high as 15,000 – NATO

Between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, NATO estimates. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years…

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On invasion milestone, Ukraine urges solidarity as Western leaders gather

LVIV/KHARKIV, Ukraine/ BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's leader called for solidarity on Thursday, a month since Russia's invasion began, warning he would see who sells out at summits in Europe where…

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Russia combat power declines in Ukraine as war takes toll

Russia's combat power in Ukraine has declined below 90 percent of its pre-invasion levels for the first time since its attack began, a senior U.S. defense official said, suggesting heavy…

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German minister Annalena Baerbock says further Strela missiles are on way to Ukraine

BERLIN, March 23 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday that after delays in deliveries, further supplies of Strela missiles, which had been in the inventories of the former…

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The Ukrainian crisis roundup

March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe for an emergency NATO summit on Ukraine, where invading Russian troops are stalled, cities are under bombardment and the besieged port…

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Ukraine’s president Zelenskiy named as most powerful person in Europe in Politico poll

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been voted the most powerful person in Europe in a poll conducted by Politico. The news organisation's audience choice poll launched in March and aims…

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Russia says Polish idea of peacekeepers in Ukraine could lead to clash with NATO

March 23 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said sending peacekeepers to Ukraine could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance. Poland said last week…

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Italy’s Draghi calls on China not to support Russia

ROME, March 23 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged China on Wednesday not to support Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and to throw its weight behind efforts to bring peace to the country. Speaking…

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UPDATED: EU loosens state aid rules for companies affected by sanctions on Russia

BRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) - EU companies affected by sanctions imposed on Russia can get up to 400,000 euros ($440,360) in state support and compensation up to 30% of energy costs under…

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UPDATED: France says it has frozen more than 800 million euros worth of Russian oligarch assets

PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - France has frozen more than 800 million euros ($879.20 million)worth of assets belonging to Russian oligarchs, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. He provided no details.…

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Ukraine prosecutor’s office says 121 children killed in war

LVIV, March 23 (Reuters) - The war in Ukraine has killed 121 children so far, the office of the prosecutor general said on Wednesday in a message on the Telegram app, adding…

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Kremlin: Russia would only use nuclear weapons if its existence were threatened

(Reuters) - Russia's security policy dictates that the country would only use nuclear weapons if its very existence were threatened, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN in an interview. The comment, nearly…

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Ukraine says ‘confrontational’ Russia talks moving forward as West plans more sanctions

LVIV/KYIV, Ukraine, March 23 (Reuters) - Talks between Ukraine and Russia are confrontational but moving forward, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday, as the West plans to announce more sanctions against the…

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