New US aid package for Ukraine will total about $300 million and include munitions for drones
May 30, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be announced this week will total up to $300 million and will include additional munitions for drones, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Biden approves a new $300M military aid package for Ukraine
May 31, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a new package of military aid for Ukraine that totals up to $300 million and includes additional munitions for drones and an array of other weapons.
Russia says drones lightly damage Moscow buildings before dawn, while Ukraine’s capital bombarded
May 30, 2023 GMTSleepless in Kyiv: Nighttime Russian air campaign terrorizes citizens in Ukrainian capital
May 29, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The attacks come at night, when most in Kyiv are sound asleep. The sirens wail across the Ukrainian capital, rousing bleary-eyed residents, who, after 15 months of war, have customized individual routines to cope with Russia’s latest air campaign.
Russia launched ‘largest drone attack’ on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day; 1 killed
May 28, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.
Russia says its border regions attacked; Moscow’s forces hit clinic in central Ukrainian city
May 26, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine came under attack Friday from Ukrainian artillery fire, mortar shells and drones, authorities said, hours after two drones struck a Russian city in an area next to the annexed Crimea Peninsula.
Russia acknowledges Vatican peace initiative, says no steps yet for a mission to Moscow
May 26, 2023 GMTVATICAN CITY (AP) — Russia on Friday indicated that it views Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace initiative positively, but stressed that there are no immediate plans for a Vatican mission to Moscow.
The statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry to the state RIA Novosti agency was the first public acknowledgment by Moscow of the pope’s move.
Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence
Japan adopts new sanctions on Russia, criticizes its deal to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus
May 26, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan on Friday approved additional sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, including freezing the assets of dozens of individuals and groups and banning exports to Russian military-related organizations.
Head of Russian private army Wagner says his forces are handing control of Bakhmut to Moscow
May 25, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner claimed Thursday that his forces have started pulling out of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and handing over control to the Russian military, days after he said Wagner troops had captured the ruined city.
Companies are finding it’s not so simple to leave Russia. Some are quietly staying put
May 25, 2023 GMTWhen Russia invaded Ukraine, global companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately, others curtailing imports or new investment.
LYSOHIRKA, Ukraine (AP) — The rising waters came as a relief at first, for both the tiny community living on the islands in the southern Kakhovka Reservoir and for everyone who had feared the low levels risked a meltdown at the nearby Russian-occupied nuclear power plant.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — More than 500 companies have suspended their business in Russia, and a similar number have withdrawn completely.
Who’s behind the attack on a Russian region bordering Ukraine?
May 24, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia alleges that dozens of Ukrainian militants crossed into one of its border towns in its Belgorod region, striking targets and forcing an evacuation, before over 70 of the attackers were killed or pushed back by what the authorities termed a counterterrorism operation.
Half of US public approves of Washington’s arms deliveries to Ukraine in 2nd year of Russia’s war
May 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Like the blue and yellow flags that popped up around the U.S. when Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months ago, U.S.
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months in a closed-door hearing emblematic of the secrecy that has marked the case against the first United States correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.
EU welcomes F-16 jet decision for training Ukraine pilots
May 23, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief said Tuesday that the U.S. green light to allow Ukrainian pilots to get training to fly F-16s has created an inexorable momentum that will inevitably bring the fighter jets to the Ukrainian battlefield.
It's becoming increasingly difficult for Russians to escape government scrutiny. Authorities monitor social media accounts, prosecuting critics of President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine. Activists say Putin’s government has managed to harness digital technology to surveil, censor and control Russians.
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’ peace envoy for Ukraine, a veteran of the Catholic Church's conflict-mediation efforts, blasted war as a “pandemic” on Tuesday and said all Christians are called to be peacemakers.
Russia’s sanctioned interior minister visits Saudi Arabia just after trip by Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
May 23, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A top Russian official who faces sanctions in the West over Moscow's war on Ukraine visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with his counterpart in the kingdom early on Tuesday, state media reported.
Unable to fight now, two Ukrainian amputees walk to raise funds for a military hospital
May 23, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The task for the Ukrainian war veterans was clear: From different cities, Oleksandr Shevtsov and Serhii Khrapko would walk 120 kilometers (75 miles) and meet somewhere in the middle in honor of their comrades wounded in Russia’s war against their homeland.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets — and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves — seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies.
Russia TV celebrates as it reports the capture of Bakhmut, comparing it to Berlin in 1945
May 22, 2023 GMTAlthough Russia claims it has won control of Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut after a grinding nine-month conflict in which tens of thousands of fighters have died, top Ukrainian military leaders say the battle is not over.
Russia alleges border incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs; Kyiv claims they are disgruntled Russians
May 22, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian military saboteurs launched an attack across the border Monday, wounding eight people in a small town. Kyiv officials denied any link with the group and blamed the fighting on a revolt by disgruntled Russians against the Kremlin.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — When Polish filmmaker Maciek Hamela first began evacuating Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war on their country, he wasn't intending to make a film. He was one of the many Poles extending humanitarian aid to neighbors under attack, and had turned down an offer to film a television investigation there.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are not occupying Bakhmut. Zelenskyy's comments on Sunday at the Group of Seven summit in Japan cast doubt on Moscow's insistence that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen.
‘Exhaust them’: Why Ukraine has fought Russia for every inch of Bakhmut, despite high cost
May 21, 2023 GMTPeace, food and fertilizer: African leaders’ challenge heading to talks with Moscow, Kyiv
May 21, 2023 GMTA delegation of six African leaders set to hold talks with Kyiv and Moscow aim to “initiate a peace process," but also broach the thorny issue of how a heavily-sanctioned Russia can be paid for the fertilizer exports Africa desperately needs, a key mediator who helped broker the talks said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Estonia, Latvia plan joint purchase of German medium-range IRIS-T air defense systems
May 21, 2023 GMTHELSINKI (AP) — Estonia and Latvia plan jointly to acquire German air defense systems for the protection of the two NATO nations' airspace in what would be the biggest defense cooperation deal between the Baltic neighbors that border Russia, the Estonian and Latvian defense ministries said Sunday.
G7 ends with Ukraine in focus as Zelenskyy meets world leaders and Russia claims disputed gains
May 21, 2023 GMTHIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddled with some of his biggest backers as the Group of Seven summit closed in Hiroshima on Sunday, building momentum for his country's war effort even as Russia claimed a battlefield victory that was quickly disputed by Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at center of last day of high-level diplomacy as G7 looks to punish Russia
May 21, 2023 GMTHIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — World leaders ratcheted up pressure Sunday on Russia for its war against Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the center of a swirl of diplomacy on the final day of the Group of Seven summit of rich-world democracies.
Vatican: Pope Francis tasks cardinal with mission aimed at paving ‘paths to peace’ in Ukraine
May 20, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Pope Francis has tasked a leading Italian cardinal with a mission in hopes it can “ease tensions” in the Ukraine war and lead to a path of peace, the Vatican said Saturday.
In a brief written statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that Francis had entrusted the mission to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is close to the pontiff.
A year after Mariupol’s fall, Azovstal survivor recalls surrender with pain and a sense of purpose
May 20, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Mikhailo Vershinin was a shadow of the burly Mariupol policeman he was when he emerged after four months in Russian captivity.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For months, Western allies have shipped billions of dollars worth of weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine with an urgency to get the supplies to Kyiv in time for an anticipated spring counteroffensive.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The show must go on, even when its Ukrainian director is drafted by the army weeks before opening night.
“Silence, Silence, Silence, Please,” a play that tackles Russia’s war in Ukraine had its world debut in Portugal last week, but it’s chief creator was conspicuously missing from among the packed audience.
TOKYO (AP) — Leaders of seven of the world’s most powerful democracies are gathering for the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, the location of the world's first atomic attack at the end of World War II.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money.
China asks embassies to avoid ‘propaganda’ in apparent reference to pro-Ukrainian displays
May 18, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Foreign embassies in Beijing were asked by the Chinese government to avoid displaying what it calls propaganda in an apparent response to shows of support for Ukraine.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral in Moscow’s 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine but has repeated Russian justifications, accusing Washington and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO of provoking Moscow.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia agreed to a two-month extension of a deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday, a boost to global food security after the war drove up prices.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As the lead trauma surgeon at a military hospital in Ukraine's capital, Petro Nikitin has his hands deep in a war churning hundreds of kilometers (miles) away. The 59-year-old doctor's work to repair the bodies of some of the most badly injured soldiers is all-consuming.
Europe OKs plan to tally cost of Moscow’s war in Ukraine with eye toward future reparations
May 17, 2023 GMTREYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — More than 40 nations agreed Wednesday to set up a system to tally the damage Russia has inflicted on Ukraine in the hope of getting reparations, adding to the international legal challenges the Kremlin is facing.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Moscow court has ordered the arrest of prominent film producer Alexander Rodnyansky and theater director Ivan Vyrypaev for “spreading false information” about the Russian army.
Ukraine says it downed Russian hypersonic missiles during ‘exceptional’ air attack on Kyiv
May 16, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems, thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv early Tuesday, shooting down all missiles aimed at the capital, officials said.
South Korea’s president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine’s first lady
May 16, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to expand the country's non-lethal aid to Kyiv when he met with Ukraine’s first lady Tuesday in Seoul.
Olena Zelenska visited South Korea as a special envoy of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
UK pledges attack drones, more missiles as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets prime minister on European tour
May 15, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the British government at the end of a whirlwind European tour Monday to join a “fighter jet coalition” that would help strengthen his country's aerial capabilities, but instead secured a commitment for attack drones and hundreds more missiles.
Russia aims to obtain more attack drones from Iran after depleting stockpile, White House says
May 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday said Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in its war against Ukraine after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled his country with an increasingly firm grip for 20 years, was locked in a tight election race early Monday, with a make-or-break runoff against his chief challenger possible as the final votes were counted.
Guest nations at the G-7 reflect outreach to developing countries, worries over China, Russia
May 15, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — This week's summit of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies in Hiroshima will include eight other guest nations, part of a complicated, high-stakes diplomatic gambit meant to settle the world's most serious crises.
France pledges more military aid as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy makes surprise Paris visit to meet Macron
May 15, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — France pledged additional military aid for Ukraine on Sunday, including light tanks, armored vehicles, training for soldiers and other assistance as the Ukrainians gear up for a counteroffensive against Russian forces, following surprise talks in Paris between the Ukrainian and French presidents.
Sweden celebrates Eurovision win; Ukrainian duo defiant after Russian strike on hometown
May 14, 2023 GMTLIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool cleaned up from the Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday, as Sweden celebrated victory and Ukraine remained defiant after a night of Russian bombardment, including a strike on the hometown of the country’s competitors.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military commanders said Friday that their troops had recaptured more territory from Russian forces at the scene of the war’s longest and bloodiest battle, for the eastern city of Bakhmut, but it wasn’t clear if this marked the start of Kyiv’s long-expected counteroffensive.
Representatives from 25 Indian Ocean nations discuss security, economic growth and cooperation
May 12, 2023 GMTDHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Representatives from 25 Indian Ocean nations discussed regional economic growth, cooperation and security at the Indian Ocean Conference in Bangladesh on Friday as the Indo-Pacific grows in importance amid changes in the world order.
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — A parliamentary committee in Switzerland on Thursday recommended easing export controls for Swiss-made war materiel to help prop up the domestic defense industry as Western neighbors urge the country to do more to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Abrams tanks needed for training Ukrainian forces have arrived in Germany slightly ahead of schedule and are on their way to the Grafenwoehr Army base where the training will begin in two to three weeks, U.S.
NEAR KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — By the time Kyiv residents hear the air-raid sirens signaling an imminent Russian attack, Ukraine’s air-defense units are already on the move. From camouflaged positions, they dart out by truck to farm fields around the capital, ready to take down enemy drones or missiles.