The UK foreign office has criticised Russia after President Vladimir Putin apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over a plane crash in Russian airspace that left dozens dead.
Mr Putin said he was sorry “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” during a call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday.
But Mr Putin stopped short of admitting Russian responsibility for the crash, which killed 38 people.
In response, a spokesperson for the UK foreign, commonwealth and development office demanded a full independent investigation into what happened.
A spokesperson said: “President Putin’s statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.”
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
The US has suggested that Russia could be responsible for the downing of the plane, while sources in Azerbaijan claimed Russian air defence missiles hit the plane.
Key points
- Putin apologise for Azerbaijan plane crash - but does not take responsibility
- UK criticises ‘reckless and irresponsible’ Russia over plane crash
- Zelensky criticises Slovak PM threats to cut Ukraine’s electricity supply
- North Korea suffering mass casualties on frontline, US says
Russia radically expands its visa ban list for EU officials
03:34
Arpan Rai
Russia’s foreign ministry said it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia‘s foreign ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
Biden says Putin ‘apparently' took responsibility for Azerbaijan crash
03:15
Arpan Rai
Joe Biden responded to a shouted question about whether Vladimir Putin should take responsibility for the crash while he was leaving church in St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, where he is on vacation.
“Apparently he did, but I haven’t spoken to him or my team,” Mr Biden replied.
The White House said on Friday it had seen early indications suggesting the airliner was possibly brought down by Russian air defence systems and added that Washington had offered assistance to the investigation into the crash.
MSNBC on Friday cited two unidentified US military sources as saying that there was American intelligence that Russia may have mistakenly shot down the airliner after misidentifying it as an incoming drone.
Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
03:04
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev about the Azeri plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which Azeri sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on X after the call.
Shortly after, president Vladimir Putin apologised to Azerbaijan’s leader for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences were fired against Ukrainian drones.
The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin was the closest Moscow had come to accepting some blame for Wednesday’s disaster, although the Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting that a criminal case had been opened.
Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting 1 January
02:53
Arpan Rai
Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom said it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting on 1 January, citing alleged unpaid debt by the European Union candidate country, which has brought in emergency measures as it braces for power cuts.
Gazprom said in an online statement that it reserved the right to take further action, including terminating its contract with Moldovagaz, Moldova’s main gas operator, in which the Russian company owns a majority stake. The cessation of gas will stop supplies to the Kuciurgan power plant, the country’s largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region.
Moldova reacted by accusing Moscow of weaponising energy supplies.Gazprom supplies the gas-operated Kuciurgan plant, which generates electricity that powers a significant portion of Moldova proper. The plant was privatized in 2004 by Transnistrian officials and later sold to a Russian state-owned company.
Moldova, which has a West-leaning central government and has repeatedly complained of Russian interference, doesn’t recognise the privatisation.Earlier this month, Moldova’s parliament voted in favour of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave Moldova without sufficient energy this winter.
Russia arrests 4 suspects accused of plotting to kill top military officers on Ukraine's orders
02:30
Tom Watling
Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops suffer heavy battlefield losses
01:19
Tom Watling
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
00:05
Tom Watling
NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables
23:06
Tom Watling
Russia claims several Ukrainian plots to kill senior officers foiled
22:07
Tom Watling
North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies, South Korea says
21:03
Tom Watling
As Trump returns to the White House – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
20:04
Tom Watling
19:26
Jabed Ahmed
The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.
“President Putin’s statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.
“We call for a full and independent investigation.”
Both US officials and an Azerbaijani minister have blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian drone attack.
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office
19:05
Tom Watling
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over aid to Russia
18:03
Tom Watling
Zelensky hails Ukrainian medics
17:14
Tom Watling
Under constant air raid alerts and shelling, during power outages, in the challenging times of a full-scale war, our people, despite all these hardships, receive high-quality and professional care from our doctors.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
Ukrainian medics provide assistance and care to those affected,… pic.twitter.com/J1Jo7Y1uSr
Ukraine kills three Russian officers in strike on occupied Zaporizhzhia - report
16:32
Tom Watling
Ukrainian forces recently conducted a HIMARS strike against a Russian staff meeting in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast, reportedly killing three Russian officers, following Ukrainian warnings about the possibility of renewed Russian offensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast. https://t.co/EaqvSNdeIy pic.twitter.com/S60oUbR7Sn
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) December 28, 2024
Russia says it has radically expanded its visa ban list for EU officials in response to new sanctions
16:01
Tom Watling
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
Putin apologise for Azerbaijan plane crash but does not take responsibility
15:27
Tom Watling
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.
Putin‘s apology came as allegations mounted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane.
The statement said Putin apologised to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.”
Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
15:01
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expressed condolences to Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev about the Azeri plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which Azeri sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on X after the call.
I spoke to @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic crash of flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines. We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
The key priority now is a… pic.twitter.com/s4DAgXdEaK
Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
14:28
Tom Watling
Ukrainian drone deliveries increased 19-fold in 2024, says military chief
14:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s deliveries of drones to its military units increased 19-fold in 2024 following the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Kyiv’s military chief has announced.
Speaking after an end of year meeting, General Oleksandr Syrskyi described the increase use of drones as an “extremely important component, necessary in the conditions of modern technological warfare”.
“Compared to last year, the volume of deliveries of unmanned systems to our units increased 19 times,” he said. “The number of enemy targets hit and destroyed increased 3.7 times.”
You can read his full statement below.
Провів нараду щодо підсумків діяльності Збройних Сил України за 2024 рік.
— Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (@CinC_AFU) December 28, 2024
Нищимо агресора всіма можливими засобами. Так, від початку 2024 року загальні втрати задіяних у наступі окупантів уже перевищили 421 тисячу осіб вбитими і пораненими. https://t.co/bnAUR2dzN4 pic.twitter.com/OIvGLddkle
Satellite images show Russian drone base hit by Ukraine
13:32
Tom Watling
Satellite imagery has shown the construction of a Russian drone base that Ukraine says it significantly damaged.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine’s General Staff said they had hit this Russian drone base in the Oryol region to the north of Kursk, during a Boxing Day operation.
Images showing the aftermath of the attack are yet to be published.
1/2 Construction of the 'Shakhed'/'Geran' loitering munitions storage facility in Oryol Oblast began in late August 2024. Here’s a timelapse created using @planet HR satellite images of the facility from January to December 2024. https://t.co/5OmVRprbcn pic.twitter.com/PvfmJPlGai
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) December 28, 2024
Russia stockpiling missile for larger aerial attack, suggests MoD
13:16
Tom Watling
The British Ministry of Defence suggests that Russia appears to be stockpiling missiles to launch “larger, less frequent strike wave” against Ukraine.
You can read their latest update below.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 28 December 2024.
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) December 28, 2024
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/mRK0lNQuNE#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/cNlQEXKYVl
Zelensky criticises Slovak PM threats to cut Ukraine’s electricity supply
13:00
Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Voldoymyr Zelensky has accused Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico of “opening up a second energy front” against Ukraine on behalf of Vladimir Putin.
“It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests,” he wrote.
“Fico’s threats to cut off Ukraine’s emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this.”
Mr Zelensky’s comments follow a threat from Mr Fico to stop the supply of electricity to Ukraine if the Ukrainian president went through with a plan to end the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine by 1 January next year, despite this date being the end of the current contract.
Mr Zelensky says Russia is using the profits of this gas sale to continue its invasion of Ukraine. Mr Fico says the end of the Russian gas transit will drive up costs for the European Union and hit the bloc’s competitiveness.
Earlier this month, Mr Fico visited Mr Putin in Moscow, becoming one of only a handful of European leader to do so since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The visit prompted widespread criticism among other European states, who have largely cut all ties with Russia.
It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests. Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
Pokrovsk suffers power outage after repeated Russian attacks
12:36
Tom Watling
The Ukrainian area of Pokrovsk has been cut off from power after repeated Russian attacks, the local administration has reported.
The city of Pokrovsk is a linchpin of the defence of the wider Donetsk region and its capture has been a primary objective of the advancing Russian forces for months.
Recently, Vladimir Putin’s troops have advanced within a few miles of the city’s outskirts.
The local administration said they do not know when the power supply will be restored. Over the past three days, the city has been repeatedly hit by Russian drones and shells.
NATO to step up Baltic Sea patrols
12:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has destroyed Russian drone warehouse
11:21
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has destroyed a warehouse for the storage, maintenance and repair of “Shaheed” drones in the Russian region of Oryol
Ukraine’s general staff of the military said a Boxing Day operation successfully targeted a warehouse just north of the border region of Kursk.
“The operation significantly reduced the enemy’s potential to conduct airstrikes with strike UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure,” they wrote on Facebook.
The Independent was unable to verify this.
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over military aid to Russia
10:44
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has recovered diary of killed North Korean soldier
10:09
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s special operations forces say they have recovered the diary of a North Korean soldier killed while fighting in the Russian region of Kursk.
You can read one of the translated diary entries below.
Diary of KIA North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast. Part 3, "Kim's SOF"
— SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF UKRAINE (@SOF_UKR) December 28, 2024
SOF operators eliminated a North Korean SOF soldier in russia’s Kursk region, recovering his diary. The entries reveal that North Korea sent elite troops to support russia, not ordinary soldiers. 1/9 pic.twitter.com/rn0pFI0X7C
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office
09:41
Tom Watling
Zelenskyy says North Korean troops suffering ‘many losses’ in Russia’s Kursk region
09:09
Tom Watling
Footage shows damaged in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv
08:45
Tom Watling
Footage released by Ukraine’s emergency services shows damage sustained in the southern city of Mykolaiv following a Russian drone attack.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Force said they had downed 15 Russian drones overnight, while a sixteenth was lost in the air. They added that Mykolaiv had been hit.
Нічна атака БпЛА на Миколаїв.
— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) December 28, 2024
В Інгульському р-ні через ворожу атаку виникли дві пожежі: горів дах пʼятиповерхівки, а також очерет, (1000 кв. м). Частково зруйновано дах і вибито вікна.
Постраждалих немає. pic.twitter.com/N5vtN9BxKd
Ukraine shoots down overnight Russian drone attack
08:20
Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s Air Force says it has shut down more than a dozen drones launched across the country overnight.
In a statement on the Telegram Mesenger app, they wrote: “On the night of December 28, 2024 (from 11:00 p.m. on December 27), the enemy attacked with 16 Shahed attack UAVs and drones of other types (launch areas: Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia).”
They said all drones were either downed by electronic warfare or lost in the air. There were no casualties, though a company and apartment building in the city of Mykolaiv were partially damaged.
ППО збила 15 із 16 запущених Росією БпЛА
— Новинарня (@Novynarnia) December 28, 2024
⬇️https://t.co/1W3N2fwLwo pic.twitter.com/AK7SRTS8qv
Russia arrests 4 suspects accused of plotting to kill top military officers on Ukraine's orders
08:03
Arpan Rai
Russia’s top security agency has arrested several suspects accused of involvement in an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior military officers, an announcement that follows the killing of a top Russian general last week.
The Federal Security Service, a top KGB successor known under its Russian acronym FSB, said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that it had arrested four Russians accused of making preparations to kill senior defence ministry officials.
The FSB said that the suspected organisers of the attacks were planning to kill one of the senior officers using a remotely controlled car bomb.
It added that another top military official was to be assassinated by an explosive device hidden in an envelope. The agency didn’t name the military officers who were targeted in the alleged plot.
Ukraine sends food aid to Syria, says Zelensky
08:00
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky said that 500 metric tons of wheat flour were already on their way to Syria as part of Ukraine‘s humanitarian “Grain from Ukraine“ initiative in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme.
“The wheat flour is planned to be distributed to 33,250 families or 167,000 people, in the coming weeks,” Zelensky said on X, adding: “Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can feed a family of five for one month.”
After the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, Ukraine has said it wants to restore relations with Syria.
Kyiv traditionally exports wheat and corn to countries in the Middle East, but not to Syria.
Russia claims it thwarted Ukrainian plot to kill officer and a blogger
07:58
Arpan Rai
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.
The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that a Russian citizen had established contact with an officer from Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency through the Telegram messaging platform.
On the instructions of the Ukrainian intelligence officer, the Russian citizen had then retrieved a bomb from a hiding place in Moscow, the FSB said. The bomb, equivalent to one and a half kg of TNT and packed with ball bearings, was concealed in a portable music speaker, the FSB said.
The FSB did not name the officer or the blogger who was the target of the plot. Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency has not issued a comment on Russia’s claims.
Kyiv looks to open over 150 underground schools by fall 2025
07:51
Arpan Rai
Ukraine is planning to open more than 150 underground educational facilities by September of 2025, deputy education minister Nadiia Kuzmychova said at a briefing yesterday.
Officials in the war-hit country have initiated plans to build 139 underground schools and several dozen underground vocational education institutions, the minister said.
There are currently 79 underground education facilities under active construction and construction is ongoing in frontline regions and areas most affected by Russian shelling, the deputy education minister said.
“We expect the construction of absolutely all facilities to be completed by September 1, 2025,” Ms Kuzmychova said.
Ukraine had to switch to underground schools after the country came under the Russian aerial attacks, which target civilian infrastructure, including education facilities and have claimed thousands of lives so far.
In Focus: As Trump returns to the White House, and Putin’s forces advance – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
07:00
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine is facing an array of issues heading into 2025, underscored by the anxiety of what the re-election of Donald Trump could mean for the country’s future. Tom Watling speaks to politicians, military experts and aid workers to discover what next year could look like
Bloodied Ukrainian troops risk losing more hard-won land in Kursk to Russia
06:05
Arpan Rai
Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralised by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all.
Battles are so intense that some Ukrainian commanders can’t evacuate the dead. Communication lags and poorly timed tactics have cost lives, and troops have little way to counterattack, seven frontline soldiers and commanders told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so they could discuss sensitive operations.
Since being caught unaware by the lightning Ukrainian incursion, Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops in the region, including some from its ally North Korea. Precise numbers are hard to obtain, but Moscow’s counterattack has killed and wounded thousands and the overstretched Ukrainians have lost more then 40 per cent of the 984 sq km (380 sq miles) of Kursk they seized in August.
Kitten named Peach saves life of Ukrainian man fleeing war
06:00
Jabed Ahmed
As Trump returns to the White House, and Putin’s forces advance – what next for Ukraine in 2025?
05:10
Arpan Rai
After nearly three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the future of the country’s fight against Vladimir Putin’s forces is more uncertain than ever.
Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the US presidential race, off the back of promises to end the war in Eastern Europe in 24 hours – seemingly even if that means forcing Kyiv to cede territory to Russia – appears to spell the end of the West’s long-held policy of helping Ukraine to defeat Putin entirely. Negotiations with Russia, after years of silence, are back on the agenda.
This is causing significant stress in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. As Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian opposition leader, puts it: “The world needs to understand how crucial it is not to end the war on any idea of negotiating with Russia.”
‘I have to be here. My family understands’: Christmas on the frontline with Ukraine’s drone brigade
05:03
Arpan Rai
In the two years since its formation, Ukraine’s 13th National Guard Brigade – called “Khartiya” – has gained a reputation not only for prowess in battle but also for its culture of respect and innovative approach to technology.
Khartiya helped to halt Russian forces who launched a surprise incursion last May that threatened to overwhelm Kharkiv, from where many of its original members come.
The brigade was deployed to confront the Russian incursion around the village of Lyptsi, north of Ukraine’s second-largest city, last June; the forested area has since been a pivotal battleground.
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
05:00
Jabed Ahmed
China’s Xi to visit Russia in 2025, Russian ambassador says
04:37
Arpan Rai
China’s president Xi Jinping will visit Russia in 2025, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency quoted Moscow’s ambassador to Beijing as saying.
“As for concrete bilateral events, I can say that the appropriate plans are actively being drawn up,” Ambassador Igor Morgulov told RIA yesterday.
“What can be said that is no secret, in terms of priority, is that the chairman of the People’s Republic of China is expected in Russia next year.”
At a regular press conference, China’s foreign ministry did not confirm the visit, but reiterated that the two countries maintained close contacts at all levels.
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited China in February 2022, proclaiming a “no limits” partnership days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. He was in Beijing again last May, after his re-election by a landslide, welcoming a “new era” of relations focusing on opposition to US policy.
Russia warns ‘radical’ Donald Trump against resuming nuclear testing
04:27
Arpan Rai
Russia has warned it “rules out nothing” regarding nuclear testing in response to Donald Trump’s “radical” position on the issue during his first term as president.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, who oversees arms control, warned the United States that its nuclear arsenal is intended to “sober up” countries on the “brink of direct armed conflict” with Russia.
Russia, the US and China are all undertaking major modernisations of their nuclear weapons just as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) of the Cold War era between the Soviet Union and the US is starting to fall apart.
North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine died from injuries, says South Korea
04:16
Arpan Rai
South Korea’s spy agency said that a North Korean soldier who was captured alive in Ukraine has died from his injuries, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Yonhap earlier reported yesterday that the agency had confirmed that a North Korean soldier dispatched to fight for Russia had been captured by Ukrainian forces.
Russia says it has taken two more east Ukrainian villages
04:01
Arpan Rai
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken control of two eastern Ukrainian villages, Ivanivka in the Donetsk region, and Zahryzove in the Kharkiv region, the RIA state news agency reported.
The ministry also claimed it had downed four British-made Storm Shadow missiles in the past week.
Ukraine sends food aid to Syria, says Zelensky
03:47
Arpan Rai
Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.
Mr Zelensky said that 500 metric tons of wheat flour were already on their way to Syria as part of Ukraine‘s humanitarian “Grain from Ukraine“ initiative in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme.
“The wheat flour is planned to be distributed to 33,250 families or 167,000 people, in the coming weeks,” he said on X, adding: “Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can feed a family of five for one month.”
After the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, Ukraine has said it wants to restore relations with Syria. Kyiv traditionally exports wheat and corn to countries in the Middle East, but not to Syria.
What the Christmas Day bombing of Ukraine tells us about Putin’s aims
15:41
Tom Watling
Russia claims it foiled several Ukrainian plots to kill senior officers
03:23
Arpan Rai
Russia has claimed it has foiled several Ukrainian plots to assassinate senior officers and their families using bombs disguised as power banks or document folders.
The country’s Federal Security Service said it had arrested four Russians accused of helping plan the attack, just weeks after a high-ranking officer was killed outside his Moscow apartment by a bomb attached to an electric scooter.
Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service confirmed they were behind the attack on 17 December that killed Lieutenant General Kirillov, chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops.
North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies, South Korea says
03:13
Arpan Rai
An injured North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces has died, according to Sout