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Ukraine news – live: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach’s decision to allow Russia to participate in the Games.

“Olympic principles and war are fundamentally opposed to each other,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address, criticising the Olympic committee’s apparent neutral stance.

“One cannot but be disappointed by the statements of the current president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. I spoke with him several times. And I never heard how he is going to protect sports from war propaganda if he returns Russian athletes to international competitions,” he added.

Ukrainian athletes have been forced to defend their loved ones from Russian aggression, he continued. “Russian strikes took the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian men and women who could have brought their talents to world sports,” he said.

This comes as Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office claimed the Russian military had committed 66,743 war crimes and crimes of aggression in Ukraine since the invasion in February last year.

Key points

  • Russia 'likely lying about scale of Makiivka death toll’

  • New missiles and military aircraft in ‘fast-track’ talks, says Ukraine presidential aide

  • Ukraine forces ‘struggling to hold Bakhmut’, military sources say

  • Russia is violating ‘fundamental principles of child protection’, says UN refugee agency chief

  • 10 killed in latest Russian shelling

  • Russia now waging ‘war against NATO and the West’, says EU official

Weapons latest

11:54 , Alice Murphy

Talks are under way among Ukraine and its allies about a request for long-range missiles that it says are needed to prevent Russia from destroying its cities, a top aide to President Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

The news comes as German arms-maker Rheinmetall is ready to greatly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, and may start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany, CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters.

Ukraine has been promised 321 heavy tanks by several countries, its ambassador to France said.

And Poland will send an additional 60 tanks to Ukraine on top of the 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it has pledged, the Polish prime minister said in an interview with Canadian television.

Russia claims hospital hit

11:52 , Rich Booth

Russia has accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday in what it said was a war crime that killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.

Reuters said it was not able to independently verify the report.

Wagner claims Blahodatne

11:50 , Rich Booth

Ukraine has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday, responding to claims by Russia’s Wagner private military group that it took control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine‘s Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of ... Blahodatne ... in the Donetsk region,” the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces said in its daily morning report, referring to fighting on Saturday.

It added that its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

The Wagner Group, designated by the United States as transnational criminal organisation, said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

News agency Reuters, who reported the message, was not able to independently verify the reports.

With fighting heating up in the Donetsk region, the exact line of contact has been unclear, especially around the town Bakhmut where some of the heaviest fighting of the war has been taking place in recent weeks. The Wagner Group has made premature success claims before.

Ukraine has said that the Russian offensive on Bakhmut has not culminated, but the situation along the front line there has been growingly difficult. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that it was acute.

Four civilians were killed, one in Bakhmut, and 17 wounded in Russian attacks on the region on Saturday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has won promises of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line.

On Saturday, Zelenskiy’s top aide said that expedited talks were under way between Ukraine and its allies about its requests for long-range missiles to prevent Russia from destroying Ukrainian cities

German arms-maker Rheinmetall looking to boost munitions output, HIMARS production

09:31 , Arpan Rai

German arms-maker Rheinmetall is preparing to significantly boost the output of tank and artillery munitions to satisfy strong demand in Ukraine and the West, its CEO Armin Papperger said.

He added that Rheinmetall may also start producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany.

“We can produce 240,000 rounds of tank ammunition (120mm) per year, which is more than the entire world needs,” Mr Papperger said in an interview with Reuters.

He added that the capacity for the production of 155mm artillery rounds can be ramped up to 450,000 to 500,000 per year which would make Rheinmetall the biggest producer for both kinds of ammunition.

In 2022, Rheinmetall made some 60,000 to 70,000 rounds each of tank and artillery shells, according to Papperger, who said production could be boosted immediately.

His remarks comes just days before Germany’s defence industry bosses are due to meet new defence minister Boris Pistorius for the first time.

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

08:54 , Arpan Rai

The US has pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to Ukraine to help the resistance fight back against the Russian onslaught as the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion approaches.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said the decision by Joe Biden’s administration amounted to “another blatant provocation” against Moscow, pledged that the tanks would be destroyed and warned the West it would come to regret the “delusion” that Ukraine could ever win the day.

Read the full story here:

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’

08:27 , Arpan Rai

Donald Trump has said he would build an “impenetrable dome” to protect the US from nuclear missile attacks as he also claimed he could end the Russian invasion of Ukraine “within 24 hours.”

The one-term president released a video saying that foreign powers were now openly “using the nuclear word all the time” because “they have no respect for our leadership.”

Mr Trump added that “it is a word you are never allowed to use” and insisted it had never been said when he was in the White House.

Trump claims he could solve Ukraine war in ‘24 hours’ and would build ‘dome’ over US

North Korea says US pledge of tanks to Ukraine ‘unethical crime’

08:10 , Arpan Rai

North Korea criticised the US decision to send tanks to Ukraine and called it an “unethical crime” as it continued its charge against the war-hit country’s ally for a second day.

“The US is working hard to supply such offensive weapons as (main battle tanks) to Ukraine at any cost in disregard of the just concern and criticism of the international community,” Kwon Chung-keun, director of US affairs at North Korea’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

“This is an unethical crime aimed at keeping the international situation unstable,” the official said.

The top official also derided Washington’s allegations that North Korea has provided arms to Russia as a “groundless rumor” to justify its own military aid to Ukraine.

The baseless claims of North Korea-Russia arms deals are a “grave provocation that can never be allowed” and perpetuating them will bring a “really undesirable result”, Mr Kwon added.

Ukraine says attacks around Blahodatne repelled as Russia’s Wagner claims control

07:39 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s military has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region amid claims from Russia’s Wagner private military group of taking control of the village.

“Units of Ukraine’s defence forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of... Blahodatne... in the Donetsk region,” the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said this morning, confirming the fighting that took place on Saturday.

The Ukrainian army said its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region.

This comes just hours after Russia’s proxy mercenary Wagner Group — termed by the United States as a transnational criminal organisation — said that its units had taken control of Blahodatne.

While the Wagner has made premature claims of capturing territory in eastern Ukraine, including Soledar recently, it is not immediately clear what part of the region remains under Ukraine’s active control.

Russia to make basic military training mandatory in school curriculum from September

06:53 , Arpan Rai

The Russian education ministry has made basic military training mandatory in the country’s secondary school curriculum and it will be taught from September this year, the British defence ministry said today.

“In recent weeks, the Russian ministry of education has provided more detail on the rollout of the previously announced plan to include basic military training in Russia’s secondary school curriculum,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the module will be included within the ‘Basics of Life Safety’ course and teach students about “training with AK series assault rifles and hand grenades, military drill and salutes, and the use of personal protective equipment.”

“The lessons will become mandatory from 01 September 2023. In addition, in December 2022, the ministry of science and higher education announced a ‘military training basics’ programme for university students,” the ministry said.

It added that the “initiatives highlight the increasingly militarised atmosphere in wartime Russia, as well as being a (likely deliberate) evocation of the Soviet Union: similar training was mandatory in schools up to 1993.”

Situation ‘extremely acute’ in Donetsk’s Bakhmut

05:52 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine remains critical over the weekend.

“The situation at the front, and in particular in the Donetsk region – near Bakhmut and Vuhledar, remains extremely acute. The occupiers are not just storming our positions – they are deliberately and methodically destroying these towns and villages around them. Artillery, aviation, missiles,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He added: “The Russian army has no shortage of means of destruction. And it can be stopped only by force. Our soldiers, who are defending the areas in Donetsk region, are real heroes.”

Nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes and crimes of aggression recorded – official

05:52 , Arpan Rai

More than 66,500 Russian war crimes, crimes of aggression have been recorded in Ukraine, the war-hit country’s prosecutor general’s office said on Saturday.

The Russian military has committed 66,743 war crimes and crimes of aggression in Ukraine after invading the country last February and launching a full-scale war.

At least 459 children and injured at least 917 since 24 February, the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies said.

How the West’s new tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

04:51 , Arpan Rai

After months of pleas and international pressure, Germany and the US have now agreed to supply Ukraine with tanks – a decision that was hailed by a top presidential aide to Volodymyr Zelensky as “a real punching fist of democracy” against Russia’s invasion.

While unlikely to turn the tide of the war in their current numbers, the roughly three battalions worth mark a gear change in Nato’s support for Kyiv – as underscored by the Kremlin’s accusations of direct Western involvement and a renewed flurry of nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

The tanks themselves – including the Leopard 2, M1 Abrams and Challenger 2 designs – are generally viewed as more potent than most of the Soviet and Russian-made vehicles which, to the surprise of those who believed tanks to be practically defunct, have so far played a central role in Europe’s largest land war in decades.

Read the full story here:

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

04:40 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks over the supply of long-range missiles and military jets, a top aide to president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine’s allies “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the tanks which have been pledged this week.

He continued: “We must speak reasonably and tell them [allies], for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localised’.”

Read the full story here:

Ukraine in ‘fast-track’ talks with allies for fighter jets and missiles

Zelensky slams Olympic committee chief’s ‘neutrality’ amid war

04:04 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has come down heavily on International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach for allowing Russia to participate in the Games.

“Olympic principles and war are fundamentally opposed to each other,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address, criticising the Olympic committee’s apparent neutral stance.

“One cannot but be disappointed by the statements of the current president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. I spoke with him several times. And I never heard how he is going to protect sports from war propaganda if he returns Russian athletes to international competitions,” he added.

Mr Zelensky also said that his administration will do “everything so that the world will protect sports from political or any other influence of the terrorist state, which is simply inevitable if Russian athletes participate in competitions. And especially – at the Paris Olympics.”

“I do not want to get into what exactly motivated Mr Bach to promote such an initiative,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian athletes have been forced to defend their loved ones from Russian aggression, he continued. “Russian strikes took the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian men and women who could have brought their talents to world sports,” he said.

Ukraine negotiating to get long-range missiles to strike Russian depots - official

03:51 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine is holding expedited talks with its allies for securing long-range missiles to stop Russia from bombarding its cities, according to the presidential adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky.

“To drastically reduce the Russian army’s key weapon — the artillery they use today on the front lines — we need missiles that will destroy their depots,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

He added that there are more than 100 artillery warehouses on the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula.

“Therefore, firstly, negotiations are already under way. Secondly, negotiations are proceeding at an accelerated pace,” the top aide said without giving details.

Ukraine sanctions on 182 Russian, Belarusian firms, 3 people

03:13 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine has slapped sanctions against 182 Russian and Belarusian companies, and three individuals, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday.

“Their assets in Ukraine are blocked, their properties will be used for our defence,” Mr Zelensky said in a video address as he blocked Moscow and Minsk’s connections to Ukraine.

The sanctioned firms are chiefly related to the transportation of goods, vehicle leasing and chemical production, according to the list published by the national security and defence council of Ukraine.

This also includes Russian potash fertiliser producer and exporter Uralkali, Belarus state-owned potash producer Belaruskali, Belarusian Railways, as well as Russia’s VTB-Leasing and Gazprombank Leasing both dealing with transport leasing.

The latest sanctions take the total list of sanctioned leaders and firms to hundreds since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian-occupied regions to move to Moscow time zone, says Russian ministry

01:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia is planning to transfer its occupied regions in Ukraine to Moscow Time (MSK), according to a statement by its industry ministry.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry for industry and trade stated it had submitted an amendment to federal law on Russian time zones.

Its four occupied terriories are listed: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, which will enter Moscow Time (one hour ahead) if the law is ratified.

Russia organised referenda in the four regions on 23-27 September last year to join Russia, in a voting process declared invalid and illegal by international bodies.

The UN general assembly adopted a new resolution in October condemning the votes held and demanding Russia reverse course on its “attempted illegal annexation” of the regions.

At least three Russia cruise missile carriers in Black Sea, says Ukraine official

00:15 , Daniel Reast

Russia currently has three Kalibr cruise missile carriers in the Black Sea with 20 missiles on them, a Ukrainian official has said.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa regional military administration, said in a post on Telegram that the threat of missile attacks is high.

Bratchuk added there were 16 Russian warships currently operating in the Black Sea.

Odesa is the third largest city in Ukraine, situated in the south of the country on the Black Sea. Russian cruise missiles previously hit the city in attacks last year.

Kalibrs cruise missiles have been among the main ordinance used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and settlements.

The major missile attack against Ukrainian critical infrastructure on January 14 this year was carried out using Kalibr missiles fired from vessels in the Black Sea.

US auditors visiting Ukraine to ensure ‘no aid or weapons are diverted’, says US official

Saturday 28 January 2023 23:45 , Daniel Reast

Auditors from the US will visit Ukraine next week to ensure that aid and weapons are not diverted, according to undersecretary of state Victoria Nuland.

Representatives will be joined by officials from the World Bank and Deloitte consultants, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky continues his crackdown on corruption in politics.

Nuland told a congressional committee that the US will continue “to support essential reform and anti-corruption measures by the Ukrainian government across the country.”

However, recent corruption scandals in Ukraine do not appear to have involved the humanitarian aid supplied to Ukraine, a State Department spokesperson has said.

A food procurement scandal within the Ukrainian defence ministry resulted in the resignation of its deputy minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov earlier this week.

President Zelensky has reshuffled his top team in the biggest change of leadership since Russia’s invasion in February last year.

EU justice ministers seeking ‘accountability’ for crimes in Ukraine war

Saturday 28 January 2023 23:15 , Daniel Reast

Justice ministers from EU member states have agreed on swift accountability for “horrific” crimes in Ukraine at a meeting in Stockholm on Friday.

Ministers differed over the methods in a debate about how to secure prosecutions, seek evidence or fund repairs for war damages.

The EU’s 27 justice ministers met in Stockholm ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ireland’s minister for justice, Simon Harris, said “There absolutely will have to be accountability for horrific international crimes and the brutality of what we’re seeing in Ukraine... the clear and apparent war crimes.”

Gunnar Strommer, justice minister of Sweden, told Reuters: “Nobody doing this kind of war crimes shall go free. It’s very, very important that we will find a way to hold responsible people accountable.

“The question is, how can we deal with this in a practical and efficient way.”

Belgian minister Vincent van Quickenborne suggested condemnation was needed from the wider global community.

He said: “These acts of aggression should be condemned not only by European countries or by the United States, but by a large majority of countries... in Africa, Latin America and other places.”

Ukraine armed forces setting up ‘army of drones’

Saturday 28 January 2023 22:45 , Daniel Reast

The Ukrainian military reported on Friday it would be establishing ‘drone assault companies’ equipped with with Starlink satellite communications.

Aimed at providing surveillance and attacks on Russian positions using small explosives, commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi signed off on the creation of the units in a multiagency project involving several ministries.

The General Staff said, in a post on Facebook, that “the most professional servicemen” had already been chosen to lead the new companies.

Each of the companies which will receive drones and ammunition, Starlink terminals and other equipment.

“We are doing everything to provide soldiers with modern technologies,” the General Staff continued.

Starlink is a system for satellite communications operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, and widely in use by civilians and the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine’s defence minister said last month that he saw drones as the future of modern warfare.

Moscow has used hundreds of Iranian-made “suicide drones” during the conflict to attack Ukrainian cities.

Read more on Russian use of drones here:

Russia-Ukraine war: What is a kamikaze drone?

Ukraine forces ‘struggling to hold Bakhmut’, military sources say

Saturday 28 January 2023 22:15 , Daniel Reast

Military sources have reported that Ukrainian forces are now struggling to hold the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region.

According to Guardian reporters, continual fighting has intensified after the Ukrainian army’s withdrawal from the nearby city of Soledar last week.

On Saturday, Russia focused its artillery fire on 40 settlements close to Bakhmut.

One source told the Guardian: “The Russians are destroying anything that can be used for cover.

“The Ukrainian forces don’t have enough artillery.”

There are rising concerns over Bakhmut being encircled with shortages of artillery threatening Ukraine’s army in its ability to hold back Russian forces.

Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence council, Oleksiy Danilov, said Russia was intiating new military offensives to mark the anniversary of the invasion, which took place on 24 February 2022.

He also suggested Russian troops were aiming to go “beyond the borders of” the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Japan tightens Russian sanctions regime after latest wave of deadly missile attacks

Saturday 28 January 2023 21:45 , Daniel Reast

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry tightened its economic sanctions against Russia on Friday in response to its latest wave of missile attacks in Ukraine.

The ministry also added goods to an export ban list and freezing the assets of Russian officials and entities.

New missile attacks came in response to the news of greater coordination between Ukraine’s allies of supplying armoured vehicles to Ukrainian forces.

In a statement, the economy ministry said: “In light of the situation surrounding Ukraine and to contribute to international efforts to secure peace, Japan will implement export bans in line with other major nations.”

Included in the new sanctions, Japan will prohibit exports to 49 Russian organizations from early February which could be used to enhance its military capability.

Prohibited exports include water cannons, gas exploration equipment, X-ray inspection equipment, explosives and robots, the ministry added.

German arms-maker Rheinmetall ‘ready to greatly boost’ tank and artillery production for Ukraine

Saturday 28 January 2023 21:10 , Daniel Reast

German arms-maker Rheinmetall is ready to greatly boost its production of tanks, artillery and armaments, its CEO has said.

Strong demand in Ukraine and from its western allies is prompting the expansion of production from the defence company, based in Düsseldorf.

Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger said in an interview: “In 2022, we had a very good year, a record year.

“We are approaching an order backlog of 30 billion euros, and I expect to see an order backlog of 40 billion euros next year.”

The company sells a wide range of components for arms and armaments but is most famous for supplying the main 120mm gun of the Leopard 2 tank, the main armoured vehicle at the centre of recent pledges for NATO members in supplying Ukraine’s forces.

Papperger also said he expected to see at least 15% to 20% growth in Rheinmetall’s military division in the next few years, and may continue expansion into producing HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Germany.

Ukraine summons Hungarian ambassador over “no man’s land” remarks

Saturday 28 January 2023 20:30 , Daniel Reast

Remarks by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban comparing Ukraine to Afghanistan and calling Ukraine “a no man’s land” have been criticised by Ukrainian officials.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Orban also criticised the further supply of armaments, asserting that Western countries providing weapons and money to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia have “drifted” into becoming active participants in the conflict.

Prime minister Orban has previously refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would summon Hungary’s ambassador to complain about the remarks.

“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said in a Facebook post.

Ukrainian alleged missile strike on hospital a ‘war crime’, says Russian defence ministry

Saturday 28 January 2023 19:46 , Daniel Reast

The Russian defence ministry has accused Ukraine of a ‘war crime’, in deliberately striking a hospital in a Russian-held area of eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

The alleged strike was reported to have killed 14 people and wounded 24 patients and medical staff.

The missile hit a hospital in the Russian-held settlement of Novoaidar and was carried out using a US-supplied HIMARS rocket launch system, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

“A deliberate missile strike against a known functioning civilian medical facility is without doubt a serious war crime by the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said.

“All those involved in the planning and execution of this crime will be found and held accountable.”

The ministery continued that civilian and military medics had been working in the hospital for many months, treating local people and soldiers.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Ukraine.

Russia is violating ‘fundamental principles of child protection’, says UN refugee agency chief

Saturday 28 January 2023 19:00 , Daniel Reast

Russia is violating the “fundamental principles of child protection” in wartime by forcefully issuing Ukrainian children with Russian passports and putting them up for adoption, the U.N.’s refugee agency chief has said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, speaking after a six-day tour of the country, said his agency was unable to estimate the number of children who had been given passports or put up for adoption, due to limited access in Russia.

“Giving them (Russian) nationality or having them adopted goes against the fundamental principles of child protection in situations of war,” Grandi said.

“This is something that is happening in Russia and must not happen.”

Mr Grandi has also suggested that many refugees could return to the region in warmer months, as seen previously last year (Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova)
Mr Grandi has also suggested that many refugees could return to the region in warmer months, as seen previously last year (Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked his agency to “do more” to help children from occupied regions to whom this was happening with “defend and return” mechanisms.

Grandi also urged other countries to process asylum seekers from the region more quickly in order to stop unfounded asylum claims from clogging up the system.

US Treasury official to warn UAE and Turkey over Russian sanctions evasion

Saturday 28 January 2023 18:31 , Daniel Reast

A US Treasury official is expected to warn countries in the Middle East that they could lose access to US markets if they continue to trade with Russia.

Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey as the US cracks down on its curbs to Russian markets.

US officials have been increasing pressure on countries and institutions which are evading Russian sanctions, including repeated warnings to Turkey to ensure enforcement of economic sanctions to Russia take place.

A spokesperson told Reuters: “Individuals and institutions operating in permissive jurisdictions risk potentially losing access to U.S. markets on account of doing business with sanctioned entities or not conducting appropriate due diligence.”

The US has also imposed a series of sanctions on UAE-based companies who have evaded the Russian economic sanctions policy, including one aviation firm which has supported Russian-mercenary company Wagner Group.

Ukraine ‘fighting for the respect of international law’, says EU president

Saturday 28 January 2023 18:00 , Daniel Reast

President for the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has reiterated her unconditional support for Ukraine’s defence, ahead of a EU-Ukraine summit next week.

Speaking at an event in Dusseldorf, Germany, she said: "We stand by Ukraine’s side without any ifs and buts,

“[Ukraine] is fighting for our shared values, it is fighting for the respect of international law and for the principles of democracy and that is why Ukraine has to win this war.”

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, left, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, left, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A planned summit between EU commissioners and Ukrainian officials is expected to take place on February 3.

Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership in June 2022, following its swift application to become a member state in February earlier that year.

Neighbouring country Moldova was also granted candidate status.

International Olympic Committee ‘promotes Russian anti-human policy’, says Zelensky adviser

Saturday 28 January 2023 17:31 , Daniel Reast

A senior aide to Ukrainian president Zelensky has slammed the International Olympic Committee on Saturday for siding with Russia over allowing its athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Olympic Council of Asia has offered Russian and Belarusian athletes a chance to qualify for the international games, to the criticism of Ukrainian officials.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter. “#IOC proposes to the world promotion of violence, mass murders, destruction. That’s why it insists Russian athletes should participate in contests as real ‘ambassadors of death’,"

"Sport doesn’t exist outside politics - sport promotes it. Thus, the IOC promotes the Russian anti-human policy."

President Zelenskiy added on Friday that Ukraine would launch a global campaign to prevent Russian athletes from being allowed to compete in the 2024 Games.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport was "doomed to fail".

Russian athletes have previously been banned from representing their flag at international games after allegations of state-sponsored doping.

Ukrainian woman killed in Jerusalem attacks, says Zelensky

Saturday 28 January 2023 17:00 , Daniel Reast

A Ukrainian citizen was among those killed in the attacks in Jerusalem on Saturday, says Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Expressing his condolences, president Zelensky reported the news on Twitter.

He wrote: “We share Israel’s pain after the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem. Among the victims is a Ukrainian woman. Sincere condolences to the victims’ families.”

"The crimes were cynically committed on the Intl Holocaust Remembrance Day. Terror must have no place in today’s world. Neither in Israel nor in Ukraine."

Seven people were killed in an attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday, a day after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing nine Palestinians.

Read more here:

Seven people killed in Jerusalem synagogue shooting ‘terror attack’

New missiles and military aircraft in ‘fast-track’ talks, says Ukraine presidential aide

Saturday 28 January 2023 16:30 , Daniel Reast

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in "fast-track" talks on equipping Ukraine’s forces with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide has said.

Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine’s allies "understand how the war is developing" and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the new armoured vehicles which have since been pledged.

He continued: “We must speak reasonably and tell them [allies], for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localized."

Podolyak also said that Ukraine needs supplies of long-range missiles "to drastically curtail the key tool of the Russian army", aimed at destroying the storage facilities where it keeps and maintains artillery used on the front line.

Read more on the newly pledged tanks here:

How Western tanks could give Ukraine a battlefield edge over Russia

Ukraine weapons maintenance offered through encrypted ‘US military help line’

Saturday 28 January 2023 16:07 , Daniel Reast

Ukraine’s troops are being offered advice and training on repairing donated military equipment through “encrypted chatrooms” and video calls.

A report from AP suggests a growing network of virtual, real-time maintenance advice conducted through interpreters is being given to Ukraine forces in the heat of battle.

Ukraine is being supplied with a wide range of high-tech and complex equipment from NATO allies.

Forces are pushing the donated equipment to their limits, one officer said anonymously.

"They’re using these systems in ways that we didn’t necessarily anticipate. We’re actually learning from them by seeing how much abuse these weapon systems can take, and where’s the breaking point."

Douglas Bush, US assistant army secretary for acquisition said: “As we send more additional advanced equipment, like Strykers, like Bradleys, like tanks, of course that sustainment activity will have to increase.

"I think the challenge is recognized. I think the Army knows how to do it."

Russia 'likely lying about scale of Makiivka death toll’

Saturday 28 January 2023 15:41 , Daniel Reast

Russia “highly likely” suffered more than 300 casualties in the attack on troop accommodation in Makiivka on New Year’s Day.

Vladimir Putin’s commanders had claimed 89 soldiers were killed in the attack near Donetsk, but UK intelligence suggests it is over 300.

In an update on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence said it is likely senior commanders are deliberately lying about the true death toll.

On the spread of disinformation on the death toll, the MoD said: “This typically comes about through a combination of deliberate lying authorised by senior leaders, and the communication of inaccurate reports by more junior officials, keen to downplay their failings in Russia’s ‘blame and sack’ culture.”

Forces hit Kostiantynivka

Saturday 28 January 2023 13:26 , Rich Booth

The latest war updates from Reuters:

* Three people were killed and at least two others wounded after Russian forces struck a residential neighbourhood in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, the regional governor said on Saturday.

* On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the situation at the front as “extremely acute”, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is stepping up an offensive.

* Zelenskiy reported major battles for Vuhledar, to the southwest of Donetsk’s regional capital, and Bakhmut, to the northeast. Bakhmut has largely been pulverised by repeated Russian attacks.

Russian deputy foreign minister to meet US ambassador ‘early next week'

Saturday 28 January 2023 20:13 , Daniel Reast

Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov will hold a meeting early next week with Lynne Tracy, the new US ambassador to Russia.

Ambassador Tracy arrived in Moscow earlier this week.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Friday that the new US ambassador would not improve diplomatic ties between the two countries because of what she called the US ongoing "hybrid war" against Russia.

Russia has described the war as confronting what is says is an aggressive and expansionist US-led NATO alliance, with Kyiv and its allies calling Russia’s actions an unprovoked land grab.

According to deputy minister Ryabkov, the traditional presentation of copies of credential by Tracy has already been agreed upon.

"It will take place literally at the beginning of the week. It is expected that the transfer of copies of credentials by Ambassador Tracy will be made to me," he told reporters.

Watch: Zelensky thanks allies following tank announcements

Saturday 28 January 2023 07:00 , Emily Atkinson

Who is sending tanks to Ukraine?

Saturday 28 January 2023 06:00 , Emily Atkinson

Germany has announced it is sending its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine – and will allow other nations to do so too. Berlin will send 14 to begin with, with Poland also saying it will send 14 and Canada saying it will send four.

Norway has also said it will send Leopards, while Spain has said it is open to providing them.

Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the tanks are crucial to replenish his nation’s military hardaware ahead of what he believes will be increased Russian offences in the spring – with intense fighting having already been taking place in eastern Ukraine for weeks. Kyiv also wants them to try and recapture territory taken by Moscow’s forces.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Countries are sending more tanks to Ukraine to fight Putin’s forces – here’s why

Pyongyang attacks US for tanks pledge to Ukraine

Saturday 28 January 2023 05:00 , Emily Atkinson

North Korea has condemned the decision by the US to supply Ukraine with advanced battle tanks to help fight off Russia’s invasion, saying Washington is escalating a sinister “proxy war” aimed at destroying Moscow.

The comments by the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the country’s deepening alignment with Russia over the war in Ukraine as it confronts the US and its Asian allies over its own growing nuclear weapons and missiles programme.

North Korea has blamed the US for the crisis in Ukraine, insisting the West’s “hegemonic policy” forced Moscow to take military action to protect its security interests.

It has also used the distraction created by the war to accelerate its own weapons development, test-firing more than 70 missiles in 2022 alone, including potentially nuclear-capable weapons believed able to target South Korea and the US mainland.

ICYMI: US joins Germany to become latest country to send additional tanks to Ukraine

Saturday 28 January 2023 04:00 , Emily Atkinson

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Saturday 28 January 2023 03:00 , Emily Atkinson

The US has pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to Ukraine to help the resistance fight back against the Russian onslaught as the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion approaches.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said the decision by Joe Biden’s administration amounted to “another blatant provocation” against Moscow, pledged that the tanks would be destroyed and warned the West it would come to regret the “delusion” that Ukraine could ever win the day.

Russian state TV has since made a point of mocking the Abrams as “battered” and prone to getting stuck in a segment downplaying the threat the new additions to Kyiv’s arsenal pose.

Joe Sommerlad has more:

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Ukraine to set up drone assault companies to be equipped with Elon Musk's satellite communications

Saturday 28 January 2023 02:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine said on Friday it was setting up drone assault companies within its armed forces that will be equipped with Starlink satellite communications, as it presses ahead with an idea to build up an “army of drones”.

Commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi signed off on the creation of the units in a project that will involve several ministries and agencies, the General Staff said.

“The most professional servicemen” have already been chosen to lead the companies, each of which will receive drones and ammunition, Starlink terminals and other equipment, it said on Facebook.

“We are doing everything to provide soldiers with modern technologies,” it said.

Starlink is a satellite internet system operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, and widely used both by civilians and the military in Ukraine.

Watch: Russian state TV describes vulnerabilities of Nato tanks promised to Ukraine

Saturday 28 January 2023 01:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russian shells kill 10 in Ukraine as Putin’s forces seek gains before Western tanks arrive

Saturday 28 January 2023 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russian shelling killed at least 10 Ukrainian civilians on Friday – the second day of bombardments by Putin’s forces after Western nations pledged to send military aid including modern tanks.

Moscow is trying to breach Ukrainian lines in the east and northeast ahead of the arrival of new weaponry from the United States, Britain, Germany and others.

Poland gave Ukraine a further boost on Friday by promising an additional 60 tanks on top of 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it had already pledged.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

Russian shelling kills 10 as Putin seeks gains before Ukraine receives Western tanks

‘No single quiet minute in Bohoiavlenka and Vuhledar’

Friday 27 January 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Fighting around Bohoiavlenka village and the nearby town of Vuhledar has intensified, with Russian troops constantly trying to advance and capture it, according to Ukrainian soldiers.

Vuhledar had come under intense shelling in the past 24 hours, with seven buildings and two schools damaged, Yevhen Nazarenko, spokesman for the Ukraine army’s 68th brigade, told Reuters.

“They constantly use artillery fire, aviation. There is no single quiet minute here,” he said.

Zelensky accuses Russia of destroying towns and villages around Ukrainian positions

Friday 27 January 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the situation at the front remained extremely acute, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region.

In a Friday evening address, Mr Zelensky said Russian forces were not just storming Ukrainian positions but also destroying the towns and villages around them.

Main developments from Friday

Friday 27 January 2023 20:42 , Sam Rkaina

  • President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation at the front as “extremely acute”, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is stepping up an offensive.

  • Zelensky reported major battles for Vuhledar, to the southwest of Donetsk’s regional capital, and Bakhmut, to the northeast. Bakhmut has largely been pulverised by repeated Russian attacks.

  • Local Ukrainian officials reported heavy shelling in the north, northeast and east.

  • A 74-year-old Spanish man arrested earlier this week over a spate of letter bombs sent to institutions including the Spanish Prime Minister and the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid in late 2022 sought to pressure his country’s authorities to drop support for Ukraine, an investigating magistrate said.

  • A Russian graveyard revealed Wagner’s prisoner army. There were around 200 graves at the site on the outskirts of Bakinskaya village in Krasnodar region when Reuters visited in late January.

Hundreds of tanks promised for Ukraine

Friday 27 January 2023 19:44 , Sam Rkaina

A total of 321 heavy tanks have been promised to Kyiv by several countries, Ukraine’s ambassador to France has said.

“As of today, numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine,” Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to France, said in an interview with French TV station BFM.

“Delivery terms vary for each case and we need this help as soon as possible,” he added.

Omelchenko did not provide a breakdown of the number of tanks per country.

On Thursday, several Western nations led by Germany and the United States said they would send tanks to Ukraine.

Russia ‘can only be stopped by force'

Friday 27 January 2023 19:00 , Sam Rkaina

Zelensky reported major battles for Vuhledar, to the southwest of Donetsk, and Bakhmut, to the northeast. Bakhmut has largely been pulverised by repeated Russian attacks.

“The occupiers are not just storming our positions, they are deliberately and methodically destroying the towns and villages around them, with artillery, air strikes, missiles,” he said in an evening video address. “The Russian army has no shortage of lethal means and can only be stopped by force.”

The area around Bakhmut, with a pre-war population of 70,000, has seen some of the most brutal fighting of the 11-month-old war.

The town has symbolic importance for both Russia and Ukraine, though Western military analysts say it has little strategic significance. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Mark Porter and Leslie Adler)

Zelensky says front line situation ‘remains extremely acute’

Friday 27 January 2023 18:29 , Sam Rkaina

Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said the situation at the front remained extremely acute, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is stepping up an offensive.

The Ukrainian President said in his evening address Russian forces were not just storming Ukrainian positions but also destroying the towns and villages around them.

It comes after a week in which the US and Germany agreed to send tanks to the country to bolster Ukraine’s forces.

Spanish court charges letter bomb suspect with terrorism

Friday 27 January 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Spain’s National Court said Friday it had charged a 74-year-old retired man with terrorism for allegedly sending six letters containing explosive material to Spain’s prime minister and the U.S. and Ukrainian embassies in the country.

The as-yet-unidentified man appeared before a judge in Madrid on Friday and was detained without bail, the court said. The suspect, referred to only by the initials PGP, was charged with six separate terrorism offenses, it added, after being arrested in the northern city of Miranda de Ebro on Wednesday.

The man was charged with the manufacture and use of explosive devices for terrorist purposes, according to court documents. Two of the alleged offenses were classified as aggravated as they involved members of the government.

Spanish media reported that the suspect had links to Russia, was strongly active on social media and was purportedly a flight risk.

The six letter bombs were sent in November and December last year and required bomb squad disposal. An employee at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid was slightly injured while handling one of the letters, and another was destroyed after being dispatched by regular post to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Read more:

Spanish court charges letter bomb suspect with terrorism

Ukrainian presidency: 10 killed in latest Russian shelling

Friday 27 January 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian shelling killed at least 10 Ukrainian civilians and wounded 20 others in a day, the office of Ukraine’s president reported Friday as the country worked to recover from an earlier wave of Russian missile strikes and drone attacks.

The new casualties included the deaths of at least two civilians in the southern city of Kherson, which Ukrainian troops recaptured in November, and two more in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province. The missiles and self-propelled drones Russian forces fired Thursday hit deeper into Ukrainian territory, killing at least 11 people.

The bombardment followed announcements by the United States and Germany of plans to ship powerful tanks to help Ukraine defend itself. Other Western countries said they also would share modern tanks from their stockpiles.

Moscow has bristled at the move, and accused Western nations of entering a new level of confrontation with Russia.

Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko of the eastern Donetsk region said the Russian military used phosphorus munitions in shelling the village of Zvanivka. The village is located about 20 kilometers north of Bakhmut, a city that has become the focus of a grueling battle in recent months. The shelling also damaged apartment buildings and two schools in the nearby town of Vuhledar, Kyrylenko said.

More here:

Ukrainian presidency: 10 killed in latest Russian shelling

Who is sending tanks to Ukraine?

Friday 27 January 2023 15:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Germany has announced it is sending its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine – and will allow other nations to do so too. Berlin will send 14 to begin with, with Poland also saying it will send 14 and Canada saying it will send four.

Norway has also said it will send Leopards, while Spain has said it is open to providing them.

Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the tanks are crucial to replenish his nation’s military hardaware ahead of what he believes will be increased Russian offences in the spring – with intense fighting having already been taking place in eastern Ukraine for weeks. Kyiv also wants them to try and recapture territory taken by Moscow’s forces.

Chris Stevenson has more:

Countries are sending more tanks to Ukraine to fight Putin’s forces – here’s why

Poland confirms it will send more tanks to Ukraine

Friday 27 January 2023 15:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland has confirmed it will send an additional 60 tanks to Ukraine in addition to the 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it has already pledged.

Poland has positioned itself as one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies, heavily pushing Germany to approve the provision of its Leopard 2 tanks ahead of Wednesday’s decision.

“Poland sent 250 tanks as the first country half a year ago or even more than that,” Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki told CTV News.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Mr Morawiecki via Twitter.

“Right now, we are ready to send 60 of our modernised tanks, 30 of them PT-91. And on top of those tanks, 14 tanks, Leopard 2 tanks, from in our possession,” he added.

The PT-91 is a Polish-made battle tank that has been used since the 1990s. It was developed from the Soviet-era T-72 range.

Russia blocks CIA and FBI websites after accusations of ‘spreading false information’

Friday 27 January 2023 15:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia has blocked the websites of both the CIA and FBI for “spreading false information.”

The country’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor confirmed that it has “restricted access to a number of resources belonging to state structures of hostile countries”.

According to Russian news agencies, it has justified this as a way to stop “disseminating material aimed at destabilising the social and political situation in Russia.”

Roskomnadzor claimed that the two US government websites had published inaccurate material that discredited the Russian armed forces.

In Russia, it is now a criminal offence to discredit the armed forces. Doing so can trigger a five-year jail sentence, whilst knowingly distributing “false information” about the military can carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

British journalist who lost both feet and an eye in Ukraine blast returns to TV

Friday 27 January 2023 15:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall said he feels “more confident than I ever have” in his first live television appearance since being seriously injured in Ukraine.

The British journalist urged others in similar situations to “never give up” and said adversity could be overcome “no matter how painful something is”.

Hall was caught up in a shelling attack while reporting for Fox News on the ongoing Ukrainian war in March 2022.

His team was on the outskirts of Kyiv when his vehicle was hit by Russian shelling on March 14.

Mike Bedigan reports:

UK journalist who lost feet and eye in Ukraine blast returns to TV

Four areas of Ukraine ordered to use Moscow time

Friday 27 January 2023 15:00 , Eleanor Noyce

According to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the occupied areas of four Ukrainian regions which Russia declared it had annexed in September will be ordered to use Moscow time.

The Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions will become part of Russia’s second time zone, a post on the ministry’s Telegram page declared.

“A draft law… has already been submitted to the government,” the post read.

The annexation process is currently illegal under international law. However, Russia has said that it will recognise these four regions as Russian territory.

Germany apologizes for leopard jibe that upset some Africans

Friday 27 January 2023 14:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Germany apologised on Thursday for using a leopard emoji in a jibe at Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Twitter that ended up offending some Africans.

The German foreign ministry poked fun at Russia’s top diplomat during his tour of Africa when it tweeted that he wasn’t there looking for leopards, but using the trip to try and justify Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The tweet, and the leopard emoji the foreign ministry used on its official account, played off Germany’s decision to send some of its advanced Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to help its military fight off Russian forces.

But an African Union official took offence at what she said was the continent being portrayed as only about wild animals. Ebba Kalondo, the spokeswoman for AU Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, tweeted back to the German government account questioning if Africa, its people and its wildlife was “just a joke to you?”

Read more:

Germany apologizes for leopard jibe that upset some Africans

Zelensky takes part in commemoration ceremony for Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar

Friday 27 January 2023 14:26 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has paid his respects to the victims of the Holocaust, laying a wreath on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Mr Zelensky took part in the commemoration ceremony for the Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar), one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

He has also released a message urging people to “show determination when it comes to saving those whom hatred seeks to destroy”.

The message he issued read:

Today, as always, Ukraine honours the memory of millions of Holocaust victims.

We know and remember that indifference kills along with hatred. Indifference and hatred are always capable of creating evil together only.

That is why it is so important that everyone who values life should show determination when it comes to saving those whom hatred seeks to destroy.

Today we remember the Righteous Among the Nations. Different people in different countries who were equally determined to save lives. Today we remember the determination of the global coalition that stopped Nazism.

And today we repeat it even more strongly than before: never again to hatred; never again to indifference.

The more nations of the world overcome indifference, the less space there will be in the world for hatred.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar), one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 27, 2023. (via REUTERS)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar), one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 27, 2023. (via REUTERS)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar) on January 27, 2023. (via REUTERS)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the Holocaust victims in Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar) on January 27, 2023. (via REUTERS)

EU extends economic sanctions against Russia

Friday 27 January 2023 14:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The EU has extended its economic sanctions against Russia until July 31, the council of the EU has confirmed.

At present, the EU implements restrictions on Russia’s trade, finance, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods.

Brussels specified that the measures “also cover: a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, a de-SWIFTing of several Russian banks, and the suspension of the broadcasting activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets.”

Putin discusses Russia’s Arctic borders with Security Council

Friday 27 January 2023 13:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has held a meeting with his Security Council to discuss Russia’s borders with the Arctic Ocean.

The Kremlin reported that the meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin.

On Friday, Norway announced that it had detected a “substantial” amount of metal and minerals on the seabed of its extended continental shelf.

As a major exporter of oil and gas, the country is now considering whether to open its offshore areas to deep-sea mining.

Who benefits the most from Boris Johnson’s support of Ukraine?

Friday 27 January 2023 13:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Having the former prime minister in full flight on the other side makes life that bit more difficult for those of us trying to argue against escalation, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Read more:

Who benefits the most from Boris Johnson’s support of Ukraine? | Mary Dejevsky

Germany and America’s tank pledge to Ukraine fulfils their obligation to peace

Friday 27 January 2023 12:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Editorial: Chancellor Scholz and his colleagues deserve the thanks of the whole world for their contribution to the security of independent nations everywhere.

Read more:

Editorial: Germany and America’s tank pledge fulfils their obligation to peace