Latest news with #GlobalImagesUkraine
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Massive Russian drone-and-missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 12 people, officials say
A massive Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other regions in the country for a second consecutive night, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, officials said early Sunday. The attack came on the third day of a planned prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, the only tangible outcome from peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month which have so far failed to produce a ceasefire. The exchange has been a rare moment of cooperation between the warring sides. 5 Ukrainian firefighters tried to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kyiv on Sunday. AP Sounds of explosions boomed throughout the night in Kyiv and the surrounding area as Ukrainian air defense forces persisted for hours in efforts to shoot down enemy drones and missiles. At least four people were killed and 16 were injured in the capital, according to Ukraine's security service. Fires broke out in homes and businesses, set off by falling drone debris. In Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, three children were killed, aged 8, 12 and 17, according to the emergency service. Twelve were injured in the attacks, the service said. 5 At least seven people died during the Russian attack in Ukraine on Sunday AP Deaths were also reported in the Khmelnytskyi region, in western Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a student dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit by a drone and one of the building's walls was on fire. In Dniprovskyi district, a private house was destroyed and in Shevchenkivskyi district, windows in a residential building were smashed. 5 A high-rise residential building was heavily damaged by the Russian strike on Sunday in Kyiv. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images The attacks over the past 48 hours were among the most intense Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine since the February 2022 full-scale invasion. The last in a three-day prisoner swap was expected to take place later on Sunday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's defense ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers the previous day, on Saturday, a day after each side released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. 5 The attacks over the past 48 hours were among the most intense Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine since February 2022. REUTERS 5 Tetiana Maksymenko stood with her belongings outside her house, which was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike on Sunday. REUTERS Once completed, the swap will amount to the largest exchange of prisoners in more than three years of war. 'We expect more to come tomorrow,' Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel on Saturday. Russia's defense ministry also said it expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details. The previous night, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital. In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month — the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Putin won't be part of delegation heading to Turkey for Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a high-stakes meeting in Turkey aimed at ending the three-year-long war in Ukraine. Despite proposing the direct talks in Istanbul, Putin's name did not appear on a list released by the Kremlin on Wednesday of Russian officials who would be attending the negotiations, according to the BBC. 3 Putin did not appear on the Kremlin's list of people participating in Thursday's peace talks in Turkey. Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not had a face-to-face meeting with Putin since 2019, is expected to be in Istanbul for the talks taking place on Thursday. Zelensky will be joined by a high-level US delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. President Trump, who is visiting the Middle East, is not expected to attend the meeting, despite floating the possibility that he might earlier this week. Russia's delegation will be headed by top Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to the Kremlin. Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, suggested on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia hold direct talks 'without pre-conditions' in Turkey's largest city. Trump urged Zelensky to take Putin up on the offer shortly after the proposal was floated. 'Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,' Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday. 'At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' 'HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!.' the president added. The same day, Zelensky announced that he would 'be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally.' 3 Zelensky quickly pledged to attend Thursday's meeting after Putin proposed direct talks on Sunday. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images 3 Rubio arrived in Turkey on Wednesday and will lead the US delegation in Thursday's peace talks. AP Trump, who pledged on the 2024 campaign trail to quickly end the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, is optimistic about the meeting. 'I think we're having some pretty good news coming out of there today and maybe tomorrow and maybe Friday, frankly,' he said in Qatar on Wednesday. 'But we'll see about that.' Trump added that if a peace agreement is not reached, secondary sanctions could be imposed against Russia. 'As you know, I put secondary sanctions on Iran again, and hopefully they're going to make the right decision, because something's going to happen one way or the other,' he said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Melts Down at Zelensky Over Failed Peace Agreement: ‘No Cards to Play'
President Donald Trump had another temper tantrum on Wednesday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected his peace proposal. This time he whined that the foreign leader has 'no cards to play.' Trump presented Ukraine with his 'final offer' for peace last week, pressuring Zelensky to make territorial concessions to Russia and speed up the agreement process. President Donald Trump has previously called President Vladimir Putin a The deal included U.S. recognition of Crimea as a Russian territory, despite the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed the region in 2014. It also provided no possibility of NATO membership for Ukraine. Zelensky turned the offer down. 'Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,' he told reporters Wednesday. 'There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.' Trump then ranted on Truth Social, bashing Zelensky for his disagreement. 'This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion,' he posted. Volodymyr Zelensky refused to accept Trump's peace proposal Wednesday. / Global Images Ukraine / Global Images Ukraine via Getty He argued that Ukraine doesn't have to recognize Crimea as Russian territory—just that the U.S. would. 'It's inflammatory statements like Zelensky's that makes it so difficult to settle this War,' Trump continued. 'He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire—He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.' Trump, who initially promised to end the war on day one of his presidency, claimed he has 'nothing to do with Russia,' but has refused to apply similar pressure to Putin. While he's blasted Zelensky for his leadership—calling him a 'dictator' and blaming him for the 2022 Russian invasion—he's cozied up to the Kremlin and complimented him on multiple occasions. Once, when negotiations were stalling, he threatened Putin with tariffs on Russian oil. But he never followed through. President Donald Trump has repeatedly complimented President Vladimir Putin and blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine on President Volodymyr Zelensky. / Anadolu / Anadolu/Getty Images White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Putin on Friday. Trump claimed Wednesday that a Russian-Ukraine ceasefire is 'very close.' There's no sign that's actually the case, however, especially now that Ukraine rebuked Trump's offer and U.S. officials skipped negotiation talks in London Wednesday. Trump previously suggested a 30-day ceasefire to Putin, which the Russian leader rejected. Instead, Putin promised a 30-hour ceasefire last weekend, but he violated the agreement only hours later when he launched attacks on Ukraine. Trump suggested that his new proposal is the last opportunity Zelensky will have to end the war. But since Ukraine would have to make hefty sacrifices, Zelensky won't budge. 'Russia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire, dragging out the process and trying to manipulate negotiations,' said Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff. Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Saint Petersburg on April 11. The two are set to meet again on Friday. / GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / Gavriil Grigorov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Trump administration has been frustrated at the stagnation for several weeks now. 'We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week. 'Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on.' Trump also grew upset. 'Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say you're foolish. You are fools, you horrible people,' he said at the time. 'And we're going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won't have to do that.' The Daily Beast has reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
New York Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
More US Patriot missile interceptors from Israel, Europe bound for Ukraine: report
More US Patriot missile interceptors will be taken out of storage in Israel and Europe and sent to Ukraine to help it defend against Russian strikes, according to a new report. One Patriot defense system was shipped off from the Jewish state in recent days to be refurbished for Kyiv's use, with Western allies looking to deliver another battery of the weapons from Germany or Greece, the New York Times reported. The delivery and promise of more of the defense weapons comes after Israel sent off about 90 Patriot launchers earlier this year, although most of those are still being refurbished in Poland and have yet to make it to Ukraine. Advertisement 4 Patriot surface-to-air missile defense systems arrived in Poland in January to be refurbished for use in Ukraine. Getty Images 4 Kyiv's defense systems are struggling to intercept the sheer number of missiles and drones Russia has been firing across the border. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images The Patriot defense system, which the US initially gave to Israel more than 30 years ago during the first Gulf War, is a mobile interceptor surface-to-air missile system that targets and destroys enemy rocket fire before it hits its intended target. The Patriot system was eventually replaced by Israel's own missile defense set-ups, including the Iron Dome and Arrow, leaving the American-made launchers and batteries officially decommissioned in April 2024. Advertisement A Patriot system costs around $1 billion to build and about 90 soldiers to operate, with an estimated 186 of them believed to be in operation across the globe in areas of conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky long sought to get a hold of the Patriots to aid his nation, with a deal finalized in September 2024 between Kyiv, Washington and Jerusalem. 4 The Patriot consists of mobile units equipped with interceptor missiles. Getty Images Advertisement While Kyiv currently has eight of the systems, only six are up and running and have been used so far, mostly to protect the capital as the Kremlin ramps up its attacks on Kyiv. Zelensky has continued to seek more Patriot systems in Ukraine, telling President Trump that Kyiv is 'ready to purchase the necessary number of Patriot systems for our country.' The plea came after Russia launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv on April 24, killing 13 people and injuring nearly 90 others. Russian strikes have only ramped up since the US-led peace talks began in February. 4 About 90 Patriots arrived in Poland to be refurbished for Ukraine this year. AP Advertisement Given the sheer number of missiles and drones that Russia is capable of firing at once, Ukraine's defenses often struggle to intercept all the attacks, Kyiv officials said. Experts also believe that Russia's increased intensity of attacks is meant to deplete Ukraine's already hemorrhaging air defense ammo. Even if Kyiv gets the systems it needs, the equipment may not have a 100% success rate in fending off Russia's bombardment, as evident by the latest issue with Israel's more advanced defense system. The Jewish state saw not only its Arrow but also the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system fail when a Houthi rocket struck near the Gen Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported.
New York Post
04-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Putin ‘hopes' Russia won't have to nuke Ukraine as he brags on state TV about ‘logical conclusion' of war
Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Sunday he 'hopes' Russia won't have to nuke Ukraine in a boastful interview on state TV. The Kremlin tyrant downplayed the need for nuclear weapons against Ukraine but wouldn't rule them out in response to a question about strikes on Russian territory. 'They wanted to provoke us so that we made mistakes,' Putin said, according to a translation. 'There has been no need to use those weapons … and I hope they will not be required. Advertisement 'We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires.' Putin made startling comments about Russia's nuclear stockpile on several occasions throughout Moscow's bloody war it unleashed on Ukraine in 2022. 4 Russian leader Vladimir Putin lowered his country's nuclear threshold last year. via REUTERS Advertisement 4 Russia has launched strikes that have hit Ukrainian civilians. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Shortly after Russia's unprovoked invasion, Putin put his military's nuclear forces on high alert. Putin formally reduced the requirements for the Kremlin to deploy its nuclear weapons last year following Ukrainian attacks on the western Russian city of Kursk. That cleared the way for Russia to use nukes against any nation that attacks its territory and has the backing of a nuclear power. Ukrainian ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova denounced Putin in response to his provocative remarks about nuclear weapons and urged countries to take his threat seriously. Advertisement 'At this point, it doesn't matter how we interpret what he says,' Markarova told CBS News' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday. 'We just have to believe what he says and understand what he says. He is a threat, not only to Ukraine but also to anyone who believes that nations should live peacefully.' President Trump has been trying to broker a peace deal between the two warring countries. In February, he ripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a fiery Oval Office encounter, accusing his counterpart of gambling with World War III. 4 President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before Pope Francis' funeral last month. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images Recently, Trump has begun to sound more glum about the prospects of getting a deal done between the two sides. Advertisement 'Maybe it's not possible to do,' Trump told NBC's 'Meet the Press' in an interview that aired Sunday. 'There's tremendous hatred, just so you understand, Kristen,' he said, referring to reporter Kristen Welker. 'We're talking tremendous hatred between these two men [Putin and Zelensky] and between, you know, some of the soldiers, frankly. Between the generals.' Russia previously rejected Trump's pitch for a full cease-fire. Instead, Russia offered a smaller-scale pause in fighting on the energy infrastructure specifically. 4 President Trump has been sounding increasingly pessimistic about brokering an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. NBC / Meet the Press But Russia then upped its attacks on Ukrainian civilians, drawing outrage from Trump. Russia has also proposed a temporary cease-fire from May 8 to May 10 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany. Last week, the Trump administration approved a $50 million weapons package to Ukraine and the two sides inked a new mineral rights agreement. Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014, has been fighting to lock down control of the four territories in Ukraine of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, which it has deemed oblasts. Advertisement So far, Moscow lacks complete territorial control over any of them. Putin called reconciliation with Ukraine 'inevitable.'
