Ukraine

Ukraine separatists seek Russian help as U.S. says attack is ready

KYIV/DONETSK (Reuters) - Separatists in Ukraine asked Moscow to help repel "aggression" on Wednesday and explosions rocked the breakaway eastern city of Donetsk as the United States warned everything is…

Read More Here

Britain says wholly unprovoked attack on Ukraine starting, Kyiv airport cancels flights

KYIV (Reuters) - Britain's ambassador to Ukraine said a "wholly unprovoked attack" on the country was starting after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a special military operation there. Kyiv's Zhuliany…

Read More Here

Biden says U.S., allies will respond to ‘unjustified’ attack by Russia on Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies will respond in a united and decisive way to "an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces" on Ukraine, U.S.…

Read More Here

Ukraine under full-scale attack; West unites to sanction Russia

KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a…

Read More Here

Pope pained by Ukraine crisis, calls for restraint

Pope Francis said Wednesday that he was pained by the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and called for restrain after Russian recognized two rebel-held 'republics' in the east of…

Read More Here

Italy: Further bilateral talks with Russia not possible for now – Di Maio

ANSA - ROME - Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Wednesday that there was now a real risk of Russia staging a big military operation in Ukraine. "(Russian President…

Read More Here

Ukraine appeals for U.N. help, warning: No one can ‘sit out this crisis’

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine appealed to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday to stop Russia's "aggressive plans," as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the 193-member body that an expanded conflict "could…

Read More Here

Russian military will only enter Ukraine’s Donbass if separatists ask – official

DONETSK (Reuters) - Andrey Turchak, a senior member of Russia's ruling party, said on Wednesday that the Russian military would only enter two breakaway regions in Ukraine recognised by Moscow…

Read More Here

Poland and Lithuania say Ukraine deserves EU candidate status due to ‘current security challenges’

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Ukraine deserves European Union candidate status, and Poland and Lithuania will support it in this goal, the presidents of the two countries said in a joint declaration…

Read More Here

Ukraine to impose state of emergency, says top security official

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's top security official Oleksiy Danilov said on Wednesday that Ukraine would impose a state of emergency on all of its territory, apart from the Donetsk and…

Read More Here

EU’s Russia sanctions to take effect on Wednesday

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A first, limited, round of European Union sanctions on Russia is set to take effect by 1400 GMT on Wednesday, a senior EU diplomat said, after foreign…

Read More Here

Ukraine starts drafting reservists aged 18-60 after president’s order

KYIV, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Wednesday has started conscripting reservists aged 18-60 following a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the armed forces said in a statement. The maximum service period…

Read More Here

UK calls in finance heads and regulators to talk sanctions – BBC editor

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office and the Treasury have called in finance bosses and regulators to discuss how to ensure recently-announced sanctions on Russia are effective,…

Read More Here

West unveils sanctions with more ready if Russia launches full-scale Ukraine invasion

MOSCOW/DONETSK/WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Western nations and Japan on Tuesday punished Russia with new sanctions for ordering troops into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine and threatened to go further if Moscow…

Read More Here

We have to increase the readiness of the Ukrainian army for all possible changes in the operational environment – Ukrainian President

Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky said that "To date, there is no need for general mobilization. We need to quickly complete the Ukrainian army and other military formations. I, as the…

Read More Here

UK’s Johnson says it’s ‘inconceivable’ that Russia hosts Champions League final

LONDON (Reuters) -Russia should not be allowed to host soccer events such as the Champions League final after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, British…

Read More Here

Explainer: What will Russian recognition of breakaway Ukraine regions mean?

In this explainer, we take a look at the implications of the Russian recognition of two breakaway Ukraine regions. WHAT ARE THE BREAKAWAY REGIONS? Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and…

Read More Here

NATO chief sees ‘every indication’ Russia still planning full-scale assault on Ukraine

MOSCOW/DONETSK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance believed that Russia was still planning a big assault on Ukraine following Moscow's recognition of two separatist…

Read More Here

UPDATE – Germany’s Scholz halts Nord Stream 2 as West reacts to Russian moves in Ukraine

MOSCOW/DONETSK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Germany put a new gas pipeline on ice and Britain hit Russian banks with sanctions on Tuesday, as the West responded to Moscow's recognition of two separatist…

Read More Here

Putin gets green light to deploy troops to eastern Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian leader Vladimir Putin got the green light from his upper house of parliament on Tuesday to deploy Russian military forces to two separatist-held regions of eastern…

Read More Here

Putin says Ukraine’s Minsk peace process is finished, blames Kyiv

MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the Minsk peace agreement on Ukraine no longer existed and that there was nothing left to fulfil, but he…

Read More Here

Zelenskiy warns Ukraine may break off diplomatic ties with Russia

Ukraine may break off diplomatic relations with Russia after Moscow decided to recognise two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at a briefing on Tuesday.…

Read More Here

UK says: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has already begun so Britain will impose sanctions on Russia, a senior British minister said on Tuesday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired an emergency government…

Read More Here

Markets brace for heavy falls as Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates

Investors were bracing for a torrid day for Russian, Ukrainian and wider global markets w on Tuesday, after Vladimir Putin upped the ante in a crisis the West fears could…

Read More Here

Ukrainian soldiers report intensified front-line shelling, fear ‘provocations’

Government troops in front-line trenches in Ukraine's east said on Monday heavy weapons fire from Russian-backed separatists had intensified to provoke all-out conflict amid fears of Russia seeking a pretext for…

Read More Here

Putin orders Russian troops to Ukraine after recognising breakaway regions

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognising them as independent on Monday, accelerating a crisis the West…

Read More Here

Russia’s Putin has broken international law, Britain says

Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine is a breach of international law, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. While Johnson was speaking, Putin signed a…

Read More Here

Ukraine wants peace but won’t give up its land to Russia, president says

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wrecking peace efforts and ruled out making any territorial concessions in an address to the nation in the early hours…

Read More Here

U.S. slams Russian ‘peacekeepers’ in Ukraine as ‘nonsense’

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The deployment of what Russia called a peacekeeping operation in eastern Ukraine is "nonsense" and Moscow's recognition of breakaway regions as independent is part of its…

Read More Here

Putin recognises Ukraine rebel regions as independent

MOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities on Monday, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash…

Read More Here

Airlines adjusting flight schedules to Ukraine amid standoff with Russia

Ukraine's infrastructure minister said on Monday that about 10 airlines had adjusted their scheduled flights to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia but said its air corridors were still open and…

Read More Here

Russia reports five deaths and claims attempted border incursion

MOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russia's military said on Monday that troops and border guards had prevented a "diversionary reconnaissance" group from breaching Russia's border from Ukrainian territory and that…

Read More Here

Russia says 60,000 ‘refugees’ have crossed from rebel-held eastern Ukraine

Over 60,000 people have crossed into Russia from the two-self pro-Russian proclaimed proxy states since regional leaders announced a mass evacuation on Friday, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency has said. In…

Read More Here

U.S. plans to cut ties with targeted Russian banks if Ukraine is invaded

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration has prepared an initial package of sanctions against Russia that includes barring U.S. financial institutions from processing transactions for major Russian banks, three people…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Kremlin says no concrete plans for summit with Biden over Ukraine

MOSCOW/PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Monday said there were no concrete plans for a summit over Ukraine between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, after…

Read More Here

UPDATED: EU tells Ukraine now is not yet time for sanctions on Russia

BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The European Union will not impose sanctions on Russia just yet, its foreign policy chief said on Monday, rebuffing a call from Kyiv to take such steps now to avert…

Read More Here

Images show new Russian deployments of armor and troops near Ukraine -Maxar

Satellite images show multiple new field deployments of armoured equipment and troops from Russian garrisons near the border with Ukraine, a private U.S. company said, in what its director said…

Read More Here

Reports Russia creating lists of Ukrainians ‘to be killed or sent to camps’

Russian forces are “creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps” in the event of an invasion, according to a letter sent by the US to…

Read More Here

Russia could lose financial markets access, advanced goods if it invades Ukraine -EU chief

BERLIN (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen disclosed some details of the sanctions Moscow would face if it invaded Ukraine, saying Russia would be cut off from international financial…

Read More Here

U.S. embassy tells Americans: have an evacuation plan from Russia

MOSCOW, (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Russia cautioned Americans to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine, drawing a rebuke from…

Read More Here

Lufthansa to suspend flights to Kyiv, Odessa from Monday, SAS cancels Oslo-Kyiv flight

Germany's Lufthansa group is suspending flights to and from the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Odessa, a spokesperson said amid growing fears of a possible Russian invasion. The company, which…

Read More Here

Ukrainian veterans in Poland prepare to re-enlist as Russia tensions mount

WROCLAW, Poland (Reuters) - Dmytro Dovzhenko, 40, has been living in Poland with his wife and two children since 2019, running a business handling anything from hairdressing to beauty to…

Read More Here

Kremlin says “daily” Western predictions of Ukraine invasion are provocative

MOSCOW, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Repeated Western predictions of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are provocative and may have adverse consequences, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he was convinced…

Read More Here

U.S. takes steps to counter Ukraine crisis energy costs, Harris says

MUNICH, Feb 20 (Reuters) - There could be a knock-on impact to energy prices paid by American consumers from ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris said, adding that…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Russia, Belarus extend huge military exercises – Belarus ministry

MOSCOW/DONETSK, Ukraine, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Russia and Belarus are extending military drills that were due to end on Sunday, the Belarus defence minister said, in a step that further intensifies pressure…

Read More Here

‘Can’t keep offering olive branch’ to Russia – European Council President Charles Michel

Western allies can’t keep offering an olive branch while Russia continues to dial up tensions along the Ukrainian border, European Council President Charles Michel said. “The big question remains: does…

Read More Here

How a Russia-Ukraine conflict might hit global markets

A potential invasion of Ukraine by neighbouring Russia would be felt across a number of markets, from wheat and energy prices and the region's sovereign dollar bonds to safe-haven assets…

Read More Here

Explosions heard in rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, UK minister says invasion ‘very imminent’

DONETSK, Ukraine, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Multiple explosions were heard on Sunday in the centre of the separatist-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said. A loudspeaker in the…

Read More Here

Ukraine temporarily closes checkpoint in Donbass due to shelling

KYIV, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Sunday suspended operations at one of the seven checkpoints to territory in the eastern Donbass region controlled by Russia-backed separatists, due to heavy shelling, the…

Read More Here

White House insists Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time and said U.S. President Joe Biden will convene a National Security Council meeting on…

Read More Here

Post-Soviet military bloc says it could send peacekeepers to Donbass if needed

MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The head of a Russia-dominated military alliance that is sometimes called Moscow's answer to NATO has said his organisation could send peacekeepers to territory in eastern Ukraine…

Read More Here

EU sends Ukraine medical emergency equipment amid fears of Russian invasion

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has delivered emergency medical equipment to Ukraine following a request from Kyiv amid an escalation of the crisis with Russia, the European Commission said…

Read More Here

Ukraine is preparing for all scenarios, foreign minister says

BERLIN (Reuters) - Ukraine is prepared for all scenarios, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday when asked if he agreed with U.S. President Biden's assessment that Russian President Vladimir…

Read More Here

Putin launches nuclear drills as U.S. says Russia poised to invade Ukraine

DONETSK, Ukraine/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched exercises by strategic nuclear missile forces on Saturday and Washington said Russian troops massed near Ukraine's border were "poised to strike". As…

Read More Here

U.S. VP Harris warns Russia of huge financial costs if it invades Ukraine

MUNICH, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The United States, together with its allies, will impose significant and unprecedented economic costs on Russia if it further invades Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris said on…

Read More Here

Ukraine reports a soldier killed in separatists shelling

The Ukrainian military said a soldier was killed in shelling by pro-Russian separatists on Saturday morning in east Ukraine, where violence this week in a longrunning conflict has stirred concern…

Read More Here

Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declare full military mobilisation

Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declared a full military mobilisation on Saturday, a day after ordering women and children to evacuate to southern Russia because of what they said…

Read More Here