Russia ukraine conflict summary

Lush green meadows have replaced the familiar white blanket of snow as the Davos cohort makes a comeback to the scenic Swiss Alpine town after a hiatus of more than two years. The annual gathering of the rich and powerful that was forced into the virtual world by the COVID-19 pandemic returns in its physical form at a time when a devasting war in Ukraine and coronavirus outbreaks in China are stoking recession fears amid soaring prices, fueling steep increases in global hunger and poverty. "The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this year will be the most timely and consequential annual meeting since the creation of the forum over 50 years ago,'' WEF founder Klaus Schwab told reporters ahead of the meeting. "The return of war, epidemics and the climate crisis, all those disruptive forces have derailed the global recovery," Schwab said. "Those issues must be confronted in Davos; the global food crisis, in particular, needs our immediate attention." More than … [Read more...] about Russia-Ukraine war takes center stage at Davos World Economic Forum

The battle for the Donbas has turned the eastern region into "hell", Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, has said, as Moscow intensified its attacks on the industrial heartland. In his overnight address, Mr Zelensky accused Russia of "completely destroying" the Donbas region and deliberately targeting Ukrainian civilians. "In Donbas, the occupiers are trying to increase pressure," he said from Kyiv. "There's hell, and that's not an exaggeration." He added: "Donbas is completely destroyed - all this doesn’t and cannot have any military explanation for Russia." The Ukrainian military on Friday morning reported Russian artillery and missile strikes on civilian targets in Lyman, in the Donetsk region, as well as Dovgenke and Velyka Komyshuvakha in the Kharkiv oblast, and Dolyna, in western Ukraine. "This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible. Destroy as many houses, social facilities and enterprises as possible," Mr Zelensky said. … [Read more...] about Volodymyr Zelensky: Russia’s assault on the Donbas has turned it into hell

Russia claims it has destroyed a major consignment of Western weapons sent to Ukraine ’s army. The defence ministry in Moscow said it targeted a store in the west of the country by launching cruise missiles from the Black Sea. A statement claimed to have hit a ‘large batch of weapons and military equipment delivered from the USA and European countries’. Russia also says its bombs struck oil depots nears Odesa and shot down two fighter jets, as well as 14 drones. It’s unclear how much truth is in the Russian claims but invading forces are intensifying their efforts to seize the east of Ukraine after capturing Mariupol . The last fighters were told by their commanders to lay down their arms after a months-long defence ended with a brutal siege of the Azovstal steel plant. Kremlin forces continue to attempt a major offensive to take the entirety of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Its troops are digging in north of Kharkiv, according to the Institute for the … [Read more...] about Russia ‘destroys cache of Western arms’ amid fierce fighting for east Ukraine

The tuba played the Last Post. And the rifles fired over him as they lowered him down. Far away, the artillery fired its own, unrelenting salute. Sergeant Igor Levistsky was 33 when he was killed by a Russian rocket last week. His funeral in his home town of Slavyansk was attended by large numbers of locals and fellow soldiers. “He was a loving father. A wonderful man,” his father, Alexander, said after the rifles had fallen silent and the mourners trailed away. Slavyansk lies on an important rail and road junction in the northern Donetsk region, and is one of the key objectives of Russia’s Donbas offensive . The frontline is currently little more than 20 miles away and the dull, distant thud of howitzer and rocket duels are clearly audible from the town centre. But this town has symbolic, as well as strategic significance. Eight years ago, on another spring day, The Telegraph watched another guard of honour fired over the graves of young men from this town. Those men … [Read more...] about We were once pro-Russian … but now we’ve switched sides to defend Ukraine against Vladimir Putin

Ukraine's bid to join the European Union has left the bloc struggling to square its support for Ukraine with the concerns of western member states, many of which are skeptical of enlargement and wary of setting a precedent of "fast-track" membership. Member states appear largely open to eventual Ukrainian membership, but division between east and west has arisen as to exactly how and when this might happen. The road to Brussels is long and, at times, painful for aspirants. The journey can typically take around a decade, involving labyrinthine negotiations and structural national reforms. The shortest process was for Austria, Finland, and Sweden—all took nearly five years to meet the criteria. Negotiations to expand into eastern Europe took more than 10 years. The existential threat from Russia prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top officials to call for an accelerated process, an appeal which appears to have fallen flat. The EU has acted with … [Read more...] about Ukraine’s EU application is splitting Europe in two

Depicting life within Ukraine's besieged southern port city, Mariupolis 2 has shaken the Cannes Film Festival. The rare documentary which serves as the last testament of the late Mantas Kvedaravičius chronicles Mariupol's survivors seeking refuge amongst the ruins. The Lithuanian director was killed on 2 April while filming the project. He was arrested by Russian soldiers when he attempted to leave the city and reportedly murdered. The film was completed by co-director and Kvedaravičius' fiancée Hanna Bilobrova in record time. It was added to the competition as a late entry in celebration of his life before a special screening last Thursday. Russia declares victory in Mariupol as last fighters in Azovstal steel mill surrender Ukraine war: Concern for medic who filmed Mariupol horror, captured by Russians However, a dramatic air show led by the French Air Force at the festival promoting the action feature Top Gun: Maverick became too much for … [Read more...] about ‘Mariupolis 2’, by director killed in Ukraine, premieres at Cannes

The "brutal" Russian military spy unit that tried to assassinate Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018 has been handed command of Russia's intelligence operations in Ukraine. The GRU is taking over from the FSB , the intelligence service Vladimir Putin has blamed for failings that contributed to his army's humiliating retreat from Kyiv . It came as US officials suggested Russian officers in Ukraine were refusing to obey their superiors. A senior US defence official said officers as high as battalion commanders were not obeying orders. Other officers in Donbas were not functioning with the "alacrity" that might be expected, the US official said. Analysts have said that, with US help, Ukraine has had access to far better intelligence than Russia. Attacks against the West Several Russian generals have been killed in the war and other high-value targets, such as the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet , have been destroyed. The GRU's appointment in Ukraine should … [Read more...] about Putin puts ‘brutal’ GRU spy unit behind Skripal poisoning in charge of intel

The Royal Family is thought to have joined thousands of Brits in offering accommodation to Ukrainians fleeing war in their homeland. Members of the Firm have vowed to ‘do their bit’ by housing these people in their hour of need, but have ‘no wish’ for publicity, sources say. Some 53,800 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the UK under visa schemes, just over half of whom are under the Homes for Ukraine programme. A Buckingham Palace spokesman told the Express: ‘We are assisting in a number of ways but will not be commenting further.’ It is not known which royals are housing refugees or where the accommodation is being provided, with the palace contacted for further information. The palace was used to house royal refugees during the Second World War, with Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands as well as Norway’s King Haalon and his son Prince Olaf staying there after fleeing the Nazis in 1940. The Prince of Wales said last month he hopes Britain is welcoming to … [Read more...] about Royal Family ‘open up their homes to Ukrainian refugee families’

The United States is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade . US officials said sea-skimming Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles [NSMs] could be dispatched, either directly, or by European allies equipped with them. A handful of nations were said to be open to sending Harpoons, which have a range of up to almost 300km, but there was hesitation over being the first to do so amid concerns over escalation. Vladimir Putin has been blocking Ukrainian ports to stop grain and other produce leaving the so-called “breadbasket of Europe”, triggering a global food crisis . The UN urged Russia to end the blockade and warned rising global food prices could lead to “mass hunger and famine”. Officials in the key Ukrainian port of Odesa told The Telegraph Putin was trying to starve the world’s poorest people. 'Craven and reckless' Ala Stoyanova, the deputy governor of the city, said: … [Read more...] about US missiles could end Putin’s food blockade

A senior Chernobyl manager has been arrested after Ukrainian forces accused him of collaborating with the Russians attempting to seize the nuclear power plant . Ukraine’s police and intelligence services detained the unnamed deputy head of the plant but have only announced the arrest now. “The serviceman fled the station and did not provide physical protection for the facility, which was part of his functional responsibilities,” the DBR, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement. “DBR officers are also investigating the possible involvement of the official in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine. In particular ... whether he assisted the Russian military in capturing Chernobyl in late February.” Seizing Chernobyl, a three-hour drive north of Kyiv, was one of the Russian army’s key objectives when it invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russian soldiers gained control of the site , which gained global infamy after its 1986 nuclear disaster, … [Read more...] about Chernobyl manager who fled nuclear plant arrested for colluding with Russians