Tag: Russia

Ukraine announces exchange of 215 prisoners of war

  by Ania Tsoukanova Agence France Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine on Wednesday announced the exchange of a record-high 215 imprisoned soldiers with Russia, including fighters who led the defence of Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks that became an icon of Ukrainian resistance. Russia received 55 prisoners including Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin accused of high treason, Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily address. The swap […]

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10 POWs from US, other countries transferred from Russia to Saudi: statement

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Ten prisoners of war from countries including the United States and Britain have been transferred to Saudi Arabia as part of an exchange between Russia and Ukraine, the Saudi foreign ministry said Wednesday. The prisoners, who also hail from Sweden, Morocco and Croatia, arrived in Saudi Arabia from Russia, and Saudi authorities “are facilitating procedures for their safe return to their respective countries”, the statement said. The move came following […]

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Putin’s troop call-up will prolong but not win war: experts

by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Western experts predicted Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new troop mobilization would prolong the war but not change the balance on the ground, and warned against downplaying his renewed nuclear threat. Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 reservists — more than the nearly 200,000 mustered to invade Ukraine in February — after his troops have lost significant parts of territory seized early in the […]

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Siversk hunkers down as Ukraine advances towards Lugansk

by Emmanuel PARISSE Agence France-Presse SIVERSK, Ukraine (AFP) — “Don’t worry, it’s us” who are firing, said Nataliya, a shopkeeper in Siversk, implacable behind her counter as the Ukrainian artillery bombarded Russian positions about 10 kilometers away. But the Russians are not slow about firing back — particularly at night. “We got no sleep last night,” said Nataliya, who opens her little shop when the shelling isn’t too close because “people need it”. “It is […]

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China calls for ‘ceasefire through dialogue’ following Putin address on Ukraine

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China called Wednesday for a “ceasefire through dialogue and consultation” following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address on Ukraine, in which he announced a partial military mobilisation. “We call on the relevant parties to realise a ceasefire through dialogue and consultation, and find a solution that accommodates the legitimate security concerns of all parties as soon as possible,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular press briefing. Putin announced the […]

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Markets drop as Fed hike looms, Putin move lifts dollar and oil

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Stocks fell Wednesday ahead of what many expect to be a third successive jumbo rate hike by the Federal Reserve, while the dollar hit fresh multi-decade highs against the pound and euro after Russia stepped up its war in Ukraine. Equities around the world have been clattered by fears of a recession in major economies as central banks ramp up borrowing costs to combat the highest inflation in decades, which […]

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Ukraine accuses Russia of again shelling Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) – The Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom on Wednesday accused Russia of again striking the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant in southern Ukraine. “Russian terrorists bombed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant again during the night,” Energoatom said on Telegram. The strike damaged a power line causing the stoppage of several transformers of the number six reactor of the plant and forcing a brief start of emergency generators, Energoatom said. “Even the presence of inspectors […]

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UPDATED: Putin announces partial mobilisation in Russia

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered “partial” mobilisation in Russia, in an escalation of what Moscow calls its military operation in pro-Western Ukraine. “I consider it necessary to support the proposal of the Defence Ministry and of the General Staff to conduct partial mobilisation in the Russian Federation,” Putin said during a televised address to the nation. He added that a relevant decree has already been signed and will come into […]

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Russia warns France about ‘unacceptable’ arms deliveries to Ukraine

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in a Tuesday meeting with France’s ambassador to Moscow Pierre Levy warned Paris against the “unacceptable” delivery of weapons to Ukraine. “Attention was focussed on the unacceptability of further pumping Ukraine with Western, including French, weapons that the Kyiv regime uses to shell civilian and infrastructure facilities,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. The two also discussed “the progress of the implementation of the […]

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Biden nominates new ambassador to Russia

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden nominated veteran diplomat Lynne Tracy Tuesday to serve as ambassador to Russia, after the retirement of current envoy John Sullivan. Formerly the number two diplomat in the US mission in Russia, Tracy is currently the US ambassador to Armenia, and her appointment to the Moscow post is contingent on approval by the US Senate. She majored in Russian studies at the University of Georgia and […]

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Zelensky hails Western support against Russia annexation referendums

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday hailed Western allies for their condemnation of plans by authorities in pro-Moscow regions of Ukraine to hold referendums on joining Russia. “I thank all the friends and partners of Ukraine for their massive and firm condemnation of Russia’s intentions to organize yet more pseudo-referendums,” he said in his daily address. Zelensky played down the importance of the plans by pro-Russian authorities in the regions of […]

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McDonald’s re-opens in war-torn Ukraine, only delivers for now

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — McDonald’s in Kyiv re-opened on Tuesday for the first time since Russia’s invasion, a sign that life was returning to normal in the capital after nearly seven months of war. The US burger chain said in a statement earlier that “after talks with Ukrainian officials, security specialists and suppliers” it would re-open at first for delivery only. A queue of delivery company employees formed outside one of restaurants waiting to collect […]

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