A long-awaited operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol is finally under way. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said “a ceasefire has finally happened”. He said he hoped the evacuations from the steelworks continue until everyone in the plant, civilians and soldiers,
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The last time Tetiana Popovych spoke to her son was on the first of March. Vlad Popovych, 29, had been sheltering in the basement of a school in his village just outside Kyiv as Russian forces advanced. “He told me, ‘Mum don’t come here. Something awful is starting. This is not like in the movies.
The United Nations is working to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the port city of Mariupol, as resistance in a steelworks continues to hold out. Ukrainian forces were fighting village by village to hold back a Russian advance through the country’s east on Saturday. About 100,000 civilians are still in
The contractions started after she learnt her husband, a Ukrainian border guard, had been killed by a Russian sniper. Viktoria Nazarenko, 34, gave birth to twin boys the next day. Joy overwhelmed by grief at the loss of Sergeant Bogdan Nazarenko, their father. Image: The last known photo taken of Sergeant Bogdan Nazarenko, killed by
Russia is attempting to “empty” the Donbas of people and peace talks are in danger of collapsing, Ukraine’s president has claimed. Speaking in his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of carrying out “constant brutal bombardments” on buildings and residential areas of the eastern region of his country. He compared the barrage of attacks as
The premier of the British Virgin Islands has been charged in the US with drug trafficking and money laundering crimes. Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged Andrew Alturo Fahie and two others with cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracies, the US Justice Department has said. On Friday, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed Fahie had
Ukraine’s prosecutor has accused 10 Russian soldiers of atrocities in the town of Bucha, where evidence of mass killings was uncovered. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said the 10 soldiers from Russia‘s 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Ground Forces Brigade who occupied the Kyiv suburb were “involved in the torture of peaceful people”. In her post on
The premier of the British Virgin Islands has been arrested on “charges related to drugs trafficking and money laundering”, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said. Andrew Fahie was detained in Miami, Florida. His was held as part of an operation led by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to a statement from British Virgin
Ben Wallace has reinforced Liz Truss’ view that Russian forces must be pushed out of “the whole of Ukraine” – and suggested this should include Crimea. Speaking at an event at Mansion House on Wednesday evening, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Western allies, including the UK, must “double down” and “keep going further and faster”
Vladimir Putin has warned that any threats made by countries interfering in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be met with a “lightning-fast” reaction. In an address to the Council of Legislators in St Petersburg, the Russian leader said “all the objectives will definitely be carried out” in the Ukraine war. He said: “If someone intends
The US has urged its allies to move “heaven and earth” to keep Kyiv stocked with weapons – as Russian forces continue to rain fire on eastern and southern Ukraine. For the second day in a row, explosions also rocked the separatist region of Trans-Dniester in neighbouring Moldova, knocking out two powerful radio antennas close
The head of the United Nations has said his priority is to “minimise human suffering” in Ukraine as he begins talks in Russia today. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire “as soon as possible” ahead of a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with the two men due to hold a news conference
Moscow says it is effectively at war with NATO – and has warned that Western weapons are inflaming the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking on the 61st day of the war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said continual deliveries of supplies and weaponry to Ukraine means the NATO alliance has positioned itself as “in essence engaged
The first thing you notice driving into Kharkiv is that what little traffic is here is going the other way. This is a Ukrainian city largely emptied of life: deserted streets, destroyed buildings and the ever-present sounds of war. Two days before the Russians invaded, we walked through Freedom Square in the bustle of a
Emmanuel Macron is set to become the first French president in 20 years to win a second term after an official vote projection suggested he has seen off the challenge from Marine Le Pen. The projected result from Ipsos saw Mr Macron get 58.2% of the votes compared with Ms Le Pen’s 41.8%. The pair
Emmanuel Macron’s defeat would have led to a seismic shift in world affairs. His rival Marine Le Pen would have set France on a collision course with the EU and changed the axis of power in Europe. She even wanted to restore France’s alliance with Russia once the Ukraine conflict was over. Macron‘s victory means