Tag: Russia-Ukraine war

  • Russia Repels Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack Overnight: Defense Ministry | world news

    MOSCOW: The Russian air defense has intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions over the past night, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. UAVs were shot down over more than a dozen Russian regions, according to a statement issued by the Ministry on Sunday morning.

    Nine of the downed drones targeted Moscow and the Moscow region, the statement said, adding that 46 drones were destroyed over the Kursk region, 34 over Bryansk, 28 over Voronezh, and 14 over Belgorod. Several more were shot down over nine other Russian regions. The drones shot down have resulted in a fire in a Moscow refinery and at a power plant in the Tver region neighboring Moscow, local officials said as reported by Xinhua news agency. The authorities further said the fire in both regions had been contained, and no injuries were reported.

    Moscow was also the target of an attack, with seven drones shot down over the Moscow region and two more above the capital itself, the statement added as reported by RT. According to the Ministry, eight UAVs were destroyed in the Ryazan region, five in the Kaluga region, four in the Lipetsk region, and three in the Tula region.

    One or two drones were also shot down above the Tambov, Smolensk, Orel, Tver, and Ivanovo regions, it added. Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that at least 11 drones were destroyed near or inside the capital during the Ukrainian raid. Two UAVs were shot down in the vicinity of the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeast of the city, he said.

    One of the unmanned aircraft crashed into an engineering building, the mayor noted, adding that the firefighters were extinguishing the blaze. Three UAVs also targeted the Kashira State District Power Plant, according to the Moscow region’s Kashira city district chief, Mikhail Shuvalov. There were no casualties or damage, he added.

    Kyiv intensified its plane-type drone incursions into Russia in January, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, but also hitting residential areas. Moscow responded by adding Ukrainian power plants to its list of legitimate military targets. Most of Ukraine’s non-nuclear generation capacity has been disabled or destroyed by Russian strikes since then.

    A major Ukrainian UAV attack on Russian territory took place in mid-August and saw 117 UAVs destroyed by air defenses. Another raid, just over a week ago, involved 45 drones, with 11 of them targeting Moscow, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

  • ‘Not Neutral, India On Side Of…’: PM Modi Ends Landmark Ukraine Visit With Message Of Peace | Key Highlights |

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992, saw New Delhi offering its support to Ukraine in seeking peace amid the ongoing war with Russia. Modi emphasized that India’s stance is not neutral but firmly “on the side of peace.” Modi offered “as a friend” to help bring peace to Ukraine. 


    On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed India as a potential host for the second Ukraine peace summit, highlighting the country as one of a select few from the Global South. Zelenskyy shared this proposal directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 



    “As for the Peace Summit, I believe the second Peace Summit must take place. It would be good if it could be held in one of the Global South countries,” reported PTI quoting Zelenskyy. “I told Prime Minister Modi that we could have the Global Peace Summit in India. It’s a big country, it’s a great democracy – the largest one,” he said. 


    Zelenskyy further hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Ukraine since the country’s independence as a historic moment. He announced that India and Ukraine have signed four agreements across a broad range of areas, including medical cooperation, agricultural collaboration, humanitarian aid, and cultural exchanges. 


    During his discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s unwavering readiness to take an “active role” in efforts to restore peace in Ukraine. Modi also stated his willingness to personally contribute to ending the hostilities.



    Zelenskyy further flagged India-Russia oil trade and said that Russia will have ‘significant challenges’ if the worl, India, stops buying subsidised oil from it.


    Lauding Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the country, Zelenskyy said that it is important that India supports Kyiv’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.


    Acknowledging India’s role in bringing peace to Ukraine, Zelenskyy highlighted, “I think that India began to recognise that this is not just conflict, this is a real war of one man and his name is Putin against a whole country whose name is Ukraine.”


    Stepping up his attacks on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy stated, “PM Modi wants peace more than Putin… The problem is that Putin doesn’t want it. I don’t know what they spoke about when they had a meeting… If during the official visit of PM, you attack the children in hospital… So, he had to recognise that he (Russian President) doesn’t respect India or doesn’t control his Army… It means that he doesn’t respect the Indian PM…So, for me, he is very clear. He is not so smart as his Russian TV shows,” reported ANI.


    Ukrainian President asserted the country’s willingness to establish companies in India and buying ‘Made-in-India’ products. “We are ready to buy. We are ready to produce. We are ready to open your companies here or we are ready to open our companies in India,” Zelensky said.


    Following his meeting with President Zelenskyy, PM Modi shared a post on social media platform ‘X’ and wrote, “My visit to Ukraine was historic. I came to this great nation with the aim of deepening India-Ukraine friendship. I had productive talks with President @ ZelenskyyUa. India firmly believes that peace must always prevail. I thank the Government and people of Ukraine for their hospitality.”

  • Watch: EAM Jaishankar’s ‘Cultural Gap’ Lesson To BBC Journalist Over PM Modi’s Hug Diplomacy |

    KYIV: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hugging of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a gesture that had drawn much criticism from the West. Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy here with a warm hug that came barely six weeks after Modi had similarly hugged the leader of Ukraine’s arch-enemy, President Putin.

    After Modi met with Putin in July, the Western media was full of news with headlines such as ‘Modi’s Embrace of Putin Irks Biden Team Pushing Support for Kyiv’ while the BBC in one of its reports said, “Photos from Moscow showed a beaming Mr Modi hugging the Russian president.” Zelenskyy himself had posted on X then without naming names: “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day.” 

    Gratitude to President Putin for hosting me at Novo-Ogaryovo this evening. Looking forward to our talks tomorrow as well, which will surely go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between India and Russia. pic.twitter.com/eDdgDr0USZ
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2024

    On Friday, during a media briefing after the Modi-Zelenskyy talks, Jaishankar was asked about the ‘embrace’ in a question meant to seek comments on apparent linkages with Modi’s meetings with Putin earlier and Zelenskyy now.

    “In our part of the world, when people meet people, they are given to embracing each other, it may not be part of your culture but I can assure you it is part of ours. In fact, today, I think, I saw, Prime Minister (Modi) also embrace President Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar replied to a specific question by a Western reporter which mentioned as many words about Modi’s embrace of Putin a few weeks ago.

    President @ZelenskyyUa and I paid homage at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv.

    Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief. pic.twitter.com/VQH1tun5ok
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 23, 2024

    “And I have seen him do it with a number of other leaders in a number of other places. So, I think, we have a slight … Cultural gap here in terms of what these courtesies mean,” Jaishankar added.

    Watch Jaishankar’s Response To BBC Journalist

    “It may not be part of your culture , it is part of our culture” EAM Dr S Jaishankar on PM Modi’s hug to President Putin in Moscow to BBC journalist pic.twitter.com/ZEZPIkEgAI
    — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 23, 2024

    Much to the chagrin of the Western powers that be, Modi met Putin in July and spoke about how a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and how peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets.

    On Friday, India maintained that Ukraine and Russia need to engage with each other to find a solution to the ongoing conflict between them as Modi held wide-ranging talks with Zelenskyy under the shadow of the raging war.

  • Trouble For Putin? France, Germany back Ukraine’s right to target Russian bases with weapons |

    BERLIN: France and Germany issued a joint statement on Tuesday, advocating for Ukraine’s right to utilise their weaponry to target Russian bases, which they allege are launching attacks on Ukrainian soil, CNN reported. French President Emmanuel Macron, during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, emphasised that weapons supplied to Ukraine, including long-range missiles, are authorised to target Russian bases.

    “Ukrainian soil is being attacked from bases in Russia,” Macron declared during his visit to Schloss Meseberg in Brandenburg, Germany. “So how do we explain to the Ukrainians that we’re going to have to protect these towns and basically everything we’re seeing around Kharkiv at the moment, if we tell them you are not allowed to hit the point from which the missiles are fired?”

    “We think that we should allow them to neutralise the military sites from which the missiles are fired and, basically, the military sites from which Ukraine is attacked,” Macron continued, as reported by CNN. However, Macron stressed the importance of not allowing strikes on non-military or civilian targets in Russia.

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed Macron’s sentiments, affirming that Ukraine has the right to defend itself within the parameters set by the countries that have provided the weapons and international law. “Ukraine has every possibility under international law for what it is doing. That has to be said explicitly,” Scholz asserted. “I find it strange when some people argue that it should not be allowed to defend itself and take measures that are suitable for this.”

    The Western stance on the usage of donated weapons by Ukraine has long been contentious, with concerns among Western leaders that such actions could escalate violence and potentially draw NATO into a broader conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently sought permission from his allies to extend the use of provided weapons to target Russian territory.

    The United States, Ukraine’s largest arms supplier, has previously refrained from endorsing Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory due to concerns about escalation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at a possible shift in policy, indicating that the US would continue to adapt its support for Ukraine in response to changing conditions.

    “We’re always listening. We’re always learning, and we’re always making determinations about what’s necessary to make sure that Ukraine can effectively continue to defend itself,” Blinken stated. Despite this, Blinken reiterated that, at present, the US has not sanctioned Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory with US-provided weaponry.

    France has equipped Ukraine with SCALP cruise missiles, whose capabilities include a range of up to 155 kilometers (96 miles) and a 400-kilogram (881-pound) high-explosive penetration warhead. “The SCALP missiles have been provided to Ukraine with specific guidelines,” Macron emphasised. “They are intended solely for targeting military installations from which attacks are launched into Ukrainian territory.”

    In a similar vein, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron affirmed Ukraine’s right to use the weaponry supplied to defend itself against Russian aggression. “In terms of what the Ukrainians do, in our view it is their decision about how to use these weapons, they are defending their country,” Cameron remarked during a visit to Kyiv. “We don’t discuss any caveats that we put on those things. But let’s be absolutely clear: Russia has launched an attack into Ukraine, and Ukraine absolutely has the right to strike back at Russia.”

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, contended that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons necessitates significant NATO support, which could potentially lead to a global conflict, according to CNN. “Long-range precision weapons cannot be used without space-based reconnaissance,” Putin asserted during a state visit to Uzbekistan. “Final target selection or launch mission for Western systems need to be made by highly skilled specialists who rely on this reconnaissance data.”

    “Officials from NATO countries, especially those based in Europe, should be fully aware of what is at stake,” Putin cautioned. “They should keep in mind that theirs are small and densely populated countries, which is a factor to reckon with before they start talking about striking deep into Russian territory.”

    Despite the tensions, Ukraine received pledges of support from Belgium and Spain, with both countries agreeing to supply military equipment to Kyiv. Belgium committed to providing 30 F-16 fighter jets over the next four years, while Spain announced a $1.08 billion weapons deal for Ukraine. These agreements underscored a broader coalition of Western nations standing in solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression. Alongside Belgium and Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, and Canada have also signed security agreements, affirming their commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defence efforts, CNN reported.

  • Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Reshuffles Defense Ministry Amid Gains In Kyiv | world news

    Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday night replaced the current defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with Andrey Belousov amid Moscow achieving advancements against Kyiv at the warfront, CNN reported.

    Following his dismissal from the position of defense minister, Shoigu has been made secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and will act as Putin’s deputy in the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation.

    As per ANI’s report, “Sergei Shoigu was relieved of his post as Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation by presidential decree and was also appointed by decree of the President of the Russian Federation as Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

    The spokesperson further added that the decision to appoint Belousov is linked to the necessity of incorporating the economy of the security sector into the nation’s economy. Peskov said that the budget of the Russian military department has almost reached the level of the 1980s. He emphasized that although this is not critical, it is significant.

    Belousov, assuming his role at a critical moment, has a diverse professional background, which includes being Russia’s former first deputy Prime Minister. The 65-year-old has also served as an aide to President Vladimir Putin on economic matters, as the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, as the Director of the Department of Economics and Finance of the Russian Government, as the General Director of the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, and he also worked at the Russian Academy from 1981 to 2006 (until 1991, it was the USSR Academy of Sciences), as reported by ANI citing TASS.

    As per the report, the position of the rest of the heads of security ministers and services remains unchanged.

    The Russia-Ukraine War started in 2022 on February 24 and has entered its third year.

  • 17 Killed In Deadly Russian Missile Attack In Chernihiv; Zelensky Urges Allies To Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defenses world news

    Kyiv: A devastating missile attack rocked the bustling downtown area of ​​Chernihiv in Ukraine on Wednesday, claiming the lives of at least 17 individuals and leaving numerous others wounded. Ukrainian officials, as reported by The New York Times, confirmed the grim toll, cautioning that the number of casualties might rise in the aftermath of the assault. President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the nation amid the tragedy, lamented the absence of robust air defense systems in Ukraine, attributing the loss of lives to this critical deficiency. He underlined the urgent need for enhanced international support to counter the escalating threat posed by Russian aggression.

    In a statement, Zelenskyy said, “This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,” according to The New York Times report. He said, “Terrorists can destroy lives only when they first manage to intimidate those who are able to stop terror and protect life.” The district where the missiles hit is a crowded part of the city near a university and hospital.


    Three Russian missiles crashed into Ukraine’s historic city of Chernigiv on Wednesday, killing 17 people. Zelensky, urging allies to help bolster Ukraine’s air defenses, said his country lacked the weapons it needed to intercept the missiles, reports AFP — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2024

    The targeted district, situated close to a university and hospital, bore the brunt of the missile strikes, plunging the community into chaos and despair. Describing the harrowing scenes, Chernihiv city government official Oleksandr Lomako recounted witnessing lifeless bodies strewn across the streets and vehicles stained with blood, reflecting the indiscriminate nature of the attack.

    Rescue efforts were swiftly mobilized to scour the debris for any remaining survivors, underscoring the urgent requirement for bolstered air defense capabilities and munitions to safeguard civilian lives against future onslaughts.

    Chernihiv, situated on the border with Russia, has frequently been subjected to aerial bombardments, highlighting the persistent threat posed by neighboring aggressors. Despite previous successes in repelling Russian forces and fortifying air defenses, recent events underscore the precariousness of the security situation in the region.

    Amidst the chaos, the broader conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on, with skirmishes erupting across the frontlines. Russian forces, intent on gaining strategic footholds, continue their advance, posing a grave threat to key urban centers still under Ukrainian control.

    The suspension of US military assistance has exacerbated Ukraine’s vulnerability, leaving critical air defense systems depleted of ammunition. Faced with dwindling resources, Ukrainian forces are forced to confront the relentless onslaught with dwindling supplies and mounting casualties.

    President Zelensky, in a candid interview with PBS, lamented the consequences of delayed international support, warning of the dire implications for Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russian aggression. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated, as the nation grapples with the existential threat posed by a resurgent adversary bent on territorial expansion.

  • Two Years Of Russia-Ukraine War: Indian MBBS Aspirants Take ‘Alternative’, ‘Affordable’ Choices

    Although living expenses in places like Serbia, Kyrgystan, and Georgia are higher, they are still affordable than many private Indian medical colleges.

  • At Least Eight Killed In Russian Strikes On Ukraine’s Kharkiv | world news

    Kyiv: At least eight people were killed and 10 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, citing regional officials.

    While regional officials said Russian forces used bombs and missiles, the national police of Ukraine claimed the attack was carried out by drones. Images of flames that had started on city streets and near to buildings were released by the police and local authorities. The governor of Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said that six people were killed in overnight missile attacks on the city of Kharkiv. The death toll increased to eight later.

    Meanwhile, Mayor Igor Terekhov of Kharkiv verified that figure and said that ten more people had been injured. “The attack hit residential areas – at least nine high-rise buildings, three dormitories, a number of administrative buildings, a shop, a petrol station, a service station and cars were damaged,” Terekhov said, according to Al Jazeera.

    The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that, in retaliation, three of the six Russian missiles and 28 of the 32 drones were shot down by its air defenses. After the midnight strikes, air raid alerts were in place for Kharkiv and the majority of the nation, including Kyiv, the capital, for several hours, reported Al Jazeera.

    Kharkiv, the capital of the city of the same name, is located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border and has experienced frequent bombing ever since Moscow began its invasion in February 2022. Over the last few weeks, the attacks have been more intense. A drone strike on the city on Wednesday resulted in four fatalities and significant damage to apartment buildings.

  • Russia’s Putin Blames ‘Radical Islamists’ For Moscow Terror Attack, Questions Ukraine’s Role | world news

    New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday held radical Islamists responsible for deadly terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow’s outskirts, leaving several unresolved issues. “We know that the crime was committed by the hands of radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries,” Putin said during a Monday briefing on the post-attack measures.

    Putin said it is already known who carried out the terrorist attack, but now “we are interested in who ordered the crime”, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Putin criticized the US for its attempts to persuade the global community of the absence of any connection to Kiev in the tragic event.

    Putin pointed out that there are still unanswered questions. He emphasized the need to determine whether radical Islamic groups, including those with terrorist links, have a vested interest in targeting Russia, a nation advocating for equitable resolutions to the intensifying Middle East crisis.

    He also highlighted the necessity to understand the rationale behind the terrorists’ attempt to flee to Ukraine post-attack in Crocus, and who might have been expecting them there. Putin described the incident as a scare tactic and posed the question of who stands to gain from such acts.

    Putin insisted that the probe into the attack must be conducted with utmost professionalism, impartiality, and devoid of political slant, despite the widespread clamor for retribution against the culprits.

    In a sharp retort, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mocked Putin’s assertions in his evening address, labeling the Russian president as the sole non-terrorist in his view, despite Putin’s long history of fostering terror over the past two decades.

    Zelenskiy’s remarks alluded to claims that Putin has orchestrated numerous violent incidents within Russia since his rise to power in 2000.

    Zelenskiy predicted that the end of Putin’s reign would also mark the cessation of the need for terror and violence. Ukraine has refuted any involvement in the recent shooting, with Zelenskiy accusing Putin of deflecting culpability.

    The US has expressed its belief in the Islamic State’s involvement. American authorities have disclosed that they had forewarned Russia of potential imminent threats earlier this month, with intelligence suggesting that the Afghan-based Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) was the likely perpetrator.

  • Inside The US Plan To Counter Russia's Nuclear Warfare In Ukraine | world news

    On February 24, 2022, the world witnessed the commencement of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Fast forward two years, and there is still no resolution in sight for the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Since the beginning of the war there was a widespread anticipation that Russia would swiftly overcome Ukrainian defenses and seize control of the capital, Kyiv. The ongoing warfare has uprooted millions of Ukrainians, reshaped the geopolitical dynamics of Europe, and inflicted substantial global economic repercussions. Supply chains have been disrupted, contributing to inflation.

    The war has entered its third year, and the momentum today rests with Russia. There is no indication of emergence of peace talks anytime soon, both the country's peace plans are currently in contradictory stage. Amid the sustained unrest, CNN reported that as per two senior administration officials, the US began 'preparing rigorously' for the possibility of Russia launching a nuclear strike on Ukraine. As per reports the Biden administration harbored specific concerns regarding the potential deployment of a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon by Russia amid the ongoing conflict. They were ready to deploy every tactic in the book to avoid the possibility of a nuclear conflict.

    US's Cue For Fear Of Nuclear Attack

    1. Russian forces faced a devastating period in late summer 2022 as Ukrainian forces advanced on Russian-occupied Kherson. The potential for a catastrophic loss and the surrounding of Russian units were perceived as triggers for the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

    2. Between late summer and fall of 2022, the National Security Council held a sequence of meetings to develop contingency plans in case of a clear sign or an actual occurrence of a nuclear attack by Russia. The unforeseen necessity for these preparations took numerous officials by surprise.

    3. Simultaneously, Russia's propaganda machine circulated a false flag story about a Ukrainian dirty bomb, raising fears that it could serve as a cover for a Russian nuclear attack. US officials dismissed the warnings but remained concerned about Russia's motivations.

    4. Intelligence agencies received information about communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike. The risk level was deemed to be escalating, prompting urgent outreach and high-level discussions between US and Russian officials.

    Plan To Avoid The Contingency

    The United States actively reached out to its allies and sought assistance from non-allied nations, such as China and India, to dissuade Russia from initiating a nuclear attack. The participation of influential global entities was deemed crucial in preventing a crisis.

    Despite a reduction in the immediate threat as the conflict reached a relative stalemate, officials from the US and its allies maintain a state of heightened vigilance. Ongoing refinement of plans acknowledges the potential escalation of nuclear threats in the coming months.