Tag: conflict

Russian shelling of Kherson leaves at least three dead

KHERSON, Ukraine (AFP) — Russian shelling of Ukraine’s southern city of Kherson left at least three people dead on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, while a strike on Kharkiv killed one person, according to the regional governor. “Today, the Russian army has been shelling Kherson atrociously all day,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “Two women, nurses, were wounded in the hospital. As of now, there are reports of six wounded and three dead.” The […]

Israel, Gaza militants trade missiles after deadly West Bank raid

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories | AFP | Friday 1/27/2023 by Mai Yaghi with Gareth Browne in Jenin Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip traded missile fire Friday, raising fears of a further escalation after one the deadliest army raids in the occupied West Bank in years. Israel said in response to the missiles, it “targeted an underground rocket manufacturing site” belonging to Hamas and a north Gaza military base used by the Palestinian […]

UN warns of record rates of hunger in Syria

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Friday 1/27/2023   The World Food Programme warned on Friday that hunger rates in Syria have soared to record highs after more than a decade of devastating conflict. A brutal war that triggered years of economic crisis and damaged vital infrastructure has put 2.9 million at risk of sliding into hunger, while another 12 million do not know where their next meal is coming from, the UN agency said. “Hunger soars to […]

Russian missiles kill 11 in Ukraine after tank pledge

by Daria ANDRIIEVSKA Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — A blistering wave of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure killed 11 people on Thursday, a day after Germany and the United States pledged heavy tanks for Kyiv. The stepped-up military aid swept aside long-standing misgivings among allies and signaled a surge of Western support for a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. The latest wave of Russian attacks came as the Kremlin said it perceived the […]

EU mission to Armenia will fuel confrontation, says Russia

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Thursday accused the EU of seeking to fuel “geopolitical confrontation” by sending a civilian mission to monitor Armenia’s volatile border with Azerbaijan. Moscow has sought to maintain its role as a powerbroker between the ex-Soviet republics despite being bogged down in its offensive in Ukraine. On Monday, the EU launched a civilian mission to help monitor Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan, bolstering the bloc’s role in a region viewed by […]

Deadly Russian missiles hit Ukraine energy infrastructure after West pledges tanks

Kyiv, Ukraine | AFP | Thursday 1/26/2023 by Daria ANDRIIEVSKA Russian forces fired dozens of missiles at Ukraine on Thursday in a blistering wave of strikes targeting energy infrastructure, a day after Germany and the United States pledged heavy tanks for Kyiv. The latest wave of attacks came as the Kremlin said Moscow perceived the tank deliveries “as direct involvement in the conflict” and Ukraine conceded it was facing mounting pressure from Russian troops on […]

European bid to send cluster munitions to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A European country has proposed sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, believing the controversial weapons — whose use by Russia has been condemned — could help on the battlefield, an official said Wednesday. An official from a European nation, who did not want to be identified by name or country, said his government approved the shipment and was seeking permission from Germany, which is involved in the production of the munitions […]

Spain says ‘ready’ to send German tanks to Kyiv

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Spain said Wednesday it was ready to send some of its German-made Leopard tanks to bolster Ukraine’s fight against Russia after Berlin granted approval for their European transfers. “Spain is ready… to deal with our allies in any way necessary, whether that means sending Leopards, training in the use of Leopards or help in their maintenance and upkeep,” Defence Minister Margarita Robles said. Her remarks came shortly after Berlin said […]

Germany approves long-awaited Leopard tanks for Ukraine

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Wednesday 1/25/2023   by Femke COLBORNE with Daria ANDRIIEVSKA in Kyiv Berlin on Wednesday agreed to deliver powerful German-made Leopard tanks to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion, a decision hailed by Kyiv and NATO but slammed by Moscow as “extremely dangerous”. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his German counterpart Olaf Scholz for the “important and timely” announcement, as NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the heavy armaments can help Ukraine win the war. […]

Start training Ukrainians to use Leopard tanks, Germany says

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Tuesday 1/24/2023   by Femke COLBORNE Germany said Tuesday that allies could start training Ukrainian forces to use the Leopard battle tanks desperately sought by Kyiv to repel Russian troops, provoking a defiant response from the Kremlin. Berlin stopped short of granting permission for the tanks to be sent to Ukraine, but underscored that the pending decision was imminent. Poland sought to push Germany to speed up its decision, with Warsaw […]

Several top Ukraine officials quit amid corruption claims

Kyiv, Ukraine | AFP | Tuesday 1/24/2023   by Daria ANDRIIEVSKA Several senior Ukrainian officials announced their resignations Tuesday as the defence ministry was shaken by accusations of food procurement fraud, in the country’s largest corruption scandal since the start of Russia’s invasion. Ukraine has a history of endemic corruption, including among the political elite, but efforts to stamp out graft have been overshadowed by Moscow’s full-scale war that began in February. Kyiv’s Western allies, which […]

Poland ups pressure to send German-made tanks to Ukraine

by Stanislaw WASZAK Agence France-Presse WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Poland said Monday it was willing to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine without approval, but would first seek permission from Berlin, as Kyiv presses its allies for heavy weaponry. European nations agreed to spend another 500 million euros ($540 million) to arm Kyiv in the latest boost to the multi-billion-dollar drive to help Ukraine push back Russian forces. However, while scores of nations have pledged […]