France has denied Russia’s claim that there were French mercenaries in Ukraine after Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its troops had killed “foreign fighters” earlier this week. “France helps Ukraine with supplies of military material and military training, in full compliance with international law, in order to help Ukraine in its fight to defend its … Read moreFrance denies Russian claim of mercenaries in Ukraine
Russia has warned that it will react robustly to Western moves to seize its assets or deploy missiles. Moscow could sever diplomatic relations with the United States should it confiscate Russian assets frozen under sanctions, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday. Officials also said the Kremlin would respond to the deployment of missiles … Read moreRussia blasts US on frozen assets, missiles as Ukraine bombardment persists
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed confidence that the United States and other Western countries will continue to support Ukraine in its battle to repel Russia’s invasion. Speaking during an end-of-year news conference on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that financial assistance plays a crucial role in the country’s efforts to drive back Russian forces that poured … Read moreZelenskyy confident US will not ‘betray’ Ukraine
The United Nations human rights chief has said there had been an “extensive failure” by Russia to take adequate measures to protect civilians in Ukraine and that there were indications that Russian forces had committed war crimes. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said on Tuesday that his office’s monitoring indicated “gross … Read moreUN rights chief: ‘Extensive failure’ by Russia to protect Ukraine civilians
More than half a million people are without power in occupied-Crimea, Russia and Ukraine after a storm in the Black Sea region flooded roads, ripped up trees and took down power lines, according to Russian state media and Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. More than 2,000 towns and villages were without electricity on Sunday night and … Read moreAt least three killed as storm hits Russia, Ukraine’s Black Sea coast
The European Union and the United States have framed their defence of Ukraine as a principled stance against an aggressor and a war criminal, Russia. But Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza is undermining their moral high ground and weakening criminal prosecutions against Russia, international relations and law experts say. “When attacks on public … Read moreRussian diplomacy leverages Israel-Hamas war for moral high ground
The Kremlin has expressed “alarm” over a report that senior Ukrainian military officials, acting without their president’s knowledge, coordinated an attack on Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the report, published by The Washington Post, is further evidence of Ukrainian involvement in the … Read moreRussia ‘alarmed’ by reports of Ukraine’s role in Nord Stream attack
Russia has fired a missile at a Liberia-flagged civilian ship entering a port in the Black Sea region of Odesa, according to the Ukrainian army. A harbour pilot was killed and four of the ship’s crew were injured in the attack on Wednesday. “The missile hit the structure of a civilian vessel flying the Liberian … Read moreUkraine says Russia struck civilian ship near Odesa
Russia sought to break out of its diplomatic isolation, resupply its dwindling weapons stockpiles, and take back the military initiative it lost this year in the 86th week of its war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to celebrate the 10th anniversary of China’s Belt and Road initiative, which … Read moreRussia attempts to seize military, diplomatic initiative against Ukraine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin on Monday, hoping to persuade the Russian leader to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow broke off from in July. The meeting, to take place in Sochi on Russia’s southern coast, comes after weeks of speculation about when and where the two … Read moreWhat’s at stake in the upcoming Erdogan-Putin meeting?