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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU names special envoy for Ukrainian refugees, POLITICO reports
Ylva Johansson, former European Commissioner for Home Affairs, will serve as the European Union's new special envoy for Ukrainians in the bloc, POLITICO reported on June 12. According to anonymous officials that spoke to POLITICO, Johansson will fill the newly created post, overseeing the Commission's long-term strategy for Ukrainian refugees currently residing in the European Union. Johansson, a former Swedish minister and European Commission official, previously visited Ukraine on several occasions, including a refugee camp on the border with Romania. She received the Ukrainian order of merit in September 2024. As special envoy, Johansson will be responsible for EU initiatives focused on helping Ukrainian refugees transition into permanent legal statuses or return home. As part of these initiatives, the EU will launch "unity hubs" – information centers jointly managed with the Ukrainian government. The hubs will support Ukrainian refugees to integrate with EU host countries or repatriate to Ukraine. Germany, which has has taken in more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the full-scale invasion, recently committed to establishing unity hubs in Berlin. The unity hubs in Berlin will provide Ukrainians with access to educational and career opportunities both in Ukraine and Germany. The European Commission also recently extended temporary protection Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to Eurostat, 4.26 million Ukrainians currently hold temporary protection status in the EU as of April 2025. Read also: Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces 'gradually pushing back' Russian troops from Sumy Oblast, Zelensky says
Key developments on June 12: Ukrainian forces 'gradually pushing back' Russian troops from Sumy Oblast, Zelensky says Germany to supply new Iris-T air defense systems to Ukraine, rules out Taurus missiles Ukraine, Russia carry out another exchange of POWs under Istanbul deal 'Juicy target' — Ukraine says it struck Russian electronics plant in Moscow Oblast For first time since invasion of Ukraine, US congratulates Russia on National Day Ukrainian forces are gradually driving Russian troops back from parts of Sumy Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 12, amid escalating cross-border assaults in the region. "Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrskyi — the front and, above all, the Pokrovsk direction, the Kursk operation, the border area of Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in a video address. "Our units in Sumy Oblast are gradually pushing back the occupiers. Thank you to each of our soldiers, sergeants, and officers for this result." The statement follows weeks of intensified Russian offensives along the northeastern border. Russian troops have advanced into Sumy Oblast since Ukraine's withdrawal from most of its positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast in March. Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages. As of May 31, mandatory evacuations were ordered for 213 settlements. In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to create a so-called "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, while Zelensky said on May 28 that Moscow had massed 50,000 troops near Sumy. In a separate interview with Bild on June 12, Zelensky dismissed Moscow's claims of significant territorial gains as "a Russian narrative" aimed at shaping global perceptions. He stressed that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks. Sumy Oblast, which shares a long border with Russia, has been under near-constant attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. On June 3, Russian strikes on the city of Sumy killed six people and injured 28 others, including children. Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 1 million, Putin's war economy heads toward breaking point Germany will deliver new IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine under a three-year supply plan, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who added Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles. The announcement comes amid escalating Russian aerial assaults, including a June 10 missile and drone strike on Kyiv, one of the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion. "We are grateful for the supply of IRIS-T air defense systems," Zelensky said on June 12. "We understand that deliveries are currently being planned... for the next three years. This is very important assistance." The IRIS-T is a German-made medium-range surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting drones, aircraft, and cruise missiles. Since first being delivered to Ukraine in late 2022, the system has at been at the core of the country's transition to Western-made high-end air defense systems. Pistorius confirmed the delivery timeline but firmly ruled out the possibility of sending Taurus missiles — weapons Kyiv has repeatedly requested to strike deep into Russian territory. "You asked me whether we are considering this, and my answer is no," Pistorius said. Before taking office, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled openness to lifting former Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ban on the missiles. That stance has not yet resulted in a policy shift. Ukraine has already received long-range missiles — including ATACMS from the U.S. and Storm Shadow and SCALP from the U.K. and France. Initially restricted to use within Ukrainian territory, Western allies only began easing those limitations in late 2024. Germany is Ukraine's largest military donor in Europe. Zelensky said that Berlin will provide 7 billion euros ($8.1 billion) in aid this year, with investments in defense production being considered. "Today, we discussed that this aid will continue," he said. "We agreed on additional investments in production... both in Ukraine and in Germany." Zelensky visited Berlin on May 28 for talks with Merz, part of an ongoing effort to bolster Ukraine's defense industry amid uncertainty over U.S. support under President Donald Trump. Read also: Why can't the West match Russia's ammunition production? Ukraine has brought home another group of service members from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 12, saying the latest exchange focused on "severely wounded and seriously ill warriors." The prisoners of war (POWs) were released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia agreed upon during recent peace talks in Istanbul, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the POWs said. The June 12 release follows a similar exchange on June 10, which also prioritized severely injured and ill captives. As during the previous swap, the number of personnel released was not immediately disclosed. Russia's Defense Ministry has also announced that its soldiers had been released from Ukrainian captivity as part of the swap, without disclosing their numbers. Some of the POWs had been held by Russia for more than three years, according to the headquarters. Many of the released defenders had been classified as missing in action. "This is part of a major exchange that continues in phases," the headquarters said in a statement. "These soldiers require urgent medical care and will receive full assistance, including psychological rehabilitation and financial compensation for their time in captivity." Soldiers from multiple Ukrainian military branches, including the Armed Forces, Air Assault Forces, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service, were freed in the exchange. Many had served in combat operations across Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. The Istanbul deal was reached during a second round of direct talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on June 2. While no political breakthrough was achieved, both sides agreed to a phased exchange of prisoners and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' remains. As part of that agreement, Russia pledged to return the bodies of up to 6,000 Ukrainian service members. Ukraine has brought back the bodies of 1,212 fallen service members on June 11. Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed Ukraine released the remains of 27 Russian service members, while Kyiv did not confirm this. The recent prisoner swap comes weeks after the largest such exchange of the war to date, which took place between May 23 and 25, with each side releasing 1,000 captives. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, more than 5,000 Ukrainian POWs have been returned home, according to official figures. Ukraine continues to push for an "all-for-all" formula to bring every captured Ukrainian soldier back, but Moscow has so far rejected such a comprehensive agreement. Meanwhile, the Coordination Headquarters said preparations are underway for the next phase of exchanges in the coming weeks. Read also: Ukraine, Russia conduct second prisoner swap under Istanbul deal Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces attacked the Rezonit Technopark in Russia's Moscow Oblast overnight on June 12, with explosions reported at the facility, the Ukrainian military said. The operation was designed to "reduce Russia's ability to produce high-tech weapons and equipment," as the facility assembles circuit boards and electronics for the Russian military-industrial complex, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said. The consequences of the attack are being clarified, according to the statement. "The Rezonit plant in the Zubovo technopark... is a juicy target, located roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Moscow's center," Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council official Andrii Kovalenko said. According to Kovalenko, the circuit boards manufactured at Rezonit are used for flight control and navigation in Iskander, Kalibr, and Kh-101 missiles, as well as Orlan and Lancet drones and other systems. 0:00 / 1× Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+ published alleged footage of an explosion in Zubovo, with drones audible in the background. The strike tore a hole in the plant's roof, the channel wrote. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down 52 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three over Moscow Oblast. Russian officials have not yet commented on a possible attack against the technopark. Zubovo is located around 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukraine has repeatedly deployed long-range drones to target Russian military and industrial facilities deep in the rear, aiming to disrupt Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war. In one of the most daring operations, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked four Russian air bases on June 1, allegedly hitting 41 Russian bombers and other aircraft. Read also: 'They are not so successful' — Zelensky rejects claims of major Russian advances U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated the Russian people on June 12, Russia's National Day, and expressed a desire for "constructive engagement" to bring peace to Ukraine. "On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day," Rubio said in a statement published on the State Department's website. "The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future." After taking office in January, the new U.S. administration took a sharp break from ex-President Joe Biden's policy on Ukraine and Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump's team has sought to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow while being reluctant to commit additional funds or military aid to the besieged country. "It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries," Rubio said. Washington has also signaled an intent to restore ties with Moscow, with both sides discussing venues for possible economic cooperation. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later said that he found it "unpleasant" to read the congratulations from "some countries" on Russia Day. "As the minister of a country at war, I found it particularly unpleasant this morning to read the public congratulations from some countries to the Russian aggressor," European Pravda quoted him as saying. The minister also added that he "has the moral right to say this" and further noted that "there can be no reward for the aggressor country." While the Biden administration imposed massive sanctions on Russia and sought to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin on the international stage, Trump has often boasted about his close ties with the Russian leader and refused to impose additional economic restrictions. Russia Day, also known as the Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, has been celebrated annually on June 12 since 1992. The day commemorates the declaration of Russia's state sovereignty from the Soviet Union, marking the start of a constitutional reform that eventually led to the breakdown of the USSR. Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Jordan Times
22-03-2025
- Business
- Jordan Times
Germany approves 3 billion euros in new Ukraine military aid
Germany on Friday approved three billion euros in new military aid for Ukraine, just days before planned US-brokered talks with Moscow and Kyiv on a limited truce (AFP photo) BERLIN — Germany on Friday approved three billion euros in new military aid for Ukraine, just days before planned US-brokered talks with Moscow and Kyiv on a limited truce. The money is earmarked for defence equipment for the country fighting Russian forces, including artillery munitions and air defence systems, government officials have said. The three billion euros now released, after months of delay, come on top of four billion euros in Ukraine military aid already planned in the budget for 2025. A further 8.3 billion euros were earmarked for Kyiv for 2026 to 2029 by a parliamentary budget committee, although this may be topped up with more spending from a major new fiscal package that passed a final hurdle Friday. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the latest package would include units of the German-made Iris-T air defence systems that had yet to be built and would be delivered over the next two years. Germany has been Ukraine's second-largest supplier of military aid, worth some 28 billion euros so far, after the United States since Russia launched its full-scale invasion over three years ago. But the situation has changed dramatically since US President Donald Trump has reached out to Russia's Vladimir Putin to end the war and frozen military aid for Ukraine, while casting doubt on the future strength of NATO ties. Russia and Ukraine on Friday traded accusations of massive overnight attacks, three days before both sides will hold talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia on how to halt the war. Both countries have said they agree with a 30-day pause in strikes on energy targets, though they have continued their aerial attacks unabated and each has repeatedly accused the other of breaking the truce, which has not been formally agreed. Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has pushed through a spending "bazooka" worth hundreds of billions that also loosens Germany's so-called debt brake to bolster its own armed forces and keep backing Ukraine. Merz's conservatives are in coalition talks with the SPD of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has also vowed that Germany would keep supporting Kyiv. Ukraine "can rely on us and we will never leave it on its own," Scholz said at a European Council summit late Thursday. "It will also need a strong army in times of peace, and it must not be put in danger by any peace agreement." The three-billion-euro package had been held up for months after Scholz's three-way coalition imploded last November amid bitter infighting, mostly on fiscal questions. Earlier Friday, Germany's upper house of parliament gave the final approval to easing Germany's fiscal straightjacket for defence spending and for a 500-billion-euro infrastructure fund.
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Two people killed as Russia pounds Zaporizhzhia
Russian attacks killed two people in Ukraine's south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia late on Friday. The Zaporizhzhia regional governor, Ivan Fedorov, said on Telegram the city had been struck more than 10 times, killing two people and injuring nine. The injured included a nine-month-old infant and a woman in serious condition. Pictures posted online showed rescue teams sifting through rubble and apartment blocks and homes with windows and facades badly damaged. Fires burned amid piles of rubble. Two people were reported killed in the Sumy region, on Ukraine's northern border with Russia, after Russian forces dropped at least six guided bombs on the village of Krasnopillia, while in the eastern Donetsk region, Russia dropped three bombs on the town of Kostiantynivka, close to the frontlines, killing one person. Germany on Friday approved €3bn (£2.5bn) in new military aid for Ukraine, including artillery munitions and air defence systems, government officials have said. The funds were released after months of delay and come on top of €4bn in Ukraine military aid already planned in the budget for 2025. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the latest package would include units of the German-made Iris-T air defence systems that had yet to be built and would be delivered over the next two years. The UK is to 'accelerate the pace and scale' of its military planning to be ready to support Ukraine, with No 10 saying all options, including troops on the ground, are possible. Keir Starmer's spokesperson said thousands of troops would be needed to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire and agreement to end the war with Russia, whether by 'sea, on land or in the air'. 'Not all the countries in the coalition will have capabilities for Ukraine but might have the capability for other deployments, which would free up other nations to deploy to Ukraine,' the prime minister's spokespersons said. The UK said on Friday it had frozen more than £25bn in Russian assets since the start of the war in Ukraine three years ago. In a report, the UK Treasury also said it had sanctioned '2,001 individuals and entities' in the period between Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and March 2024. The economic secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds, said: 'Working with our allies, we have deprived [Russia] of over $400bn the equivalent to four years of Russia's military spending.' A Soviet-era dissident has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia for his anti-war views. Alexander Skobov, 67, was sentenced on Friday over a social media post supporting Ukraine's 2022 strike on the Crimea Bridge, as well as his alleged involvement with the foreign-based opposition group the Free Russia Forum. In a final statement before sentencing, Skobov accused the Putin regime of 'waging an aggressive war [and] of committing war crimes in Ukraine'. Ukraine accused Russia on Friday of illegally pressuring Ukrainians in occupied territory to change their legal status or leave, and said it would report the practice to the international criminal court. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, issued a decree on Thursday saying Ukrainian citizens living 'in Russia without legal grounds' should 'regulate' their status by 10 September. Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said Russia was conducting the 'forced displacement of Ukrainian citizens from their homeland, or forcing them to acquire foreigner status'. Putin's decree affects Ukrainians who live in the Crimean peninsula, as well as occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, expressed his unwavering support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russia's security council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, in Pyongyang on Friday. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim during the meeting said his government will 'invariably support Russia in the struggle for defending the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests'. Shoigu expressed gratitude for North Korea's 'solidarity with Russia's position on all critical geopolitical issues, particularly on the Ukrainian issue,' according to his televised comments.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine thanks Germany for new €3 billion in military aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy on Friday thanked Germany for the latest multibillion-euro aid package to help Kiev keep up the fight against Russia. Germany is providing "exactly what Ukraine needs most" to save lives in Ukraine, he wrote in a message published on social media. He expressed his thanks to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his likely successor Friedrich Merz. "Thank you, Germany," Zelensky wrote in German. "Additional military assistance will help to strengthen our capabilities in air defense, artillery, drones, armored vehicles, demining equipment, and other areas," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on platform X. "We are grateful to Germany for its strategic investment in fair and long-term peace and security in Ukraine and throughout Europe," he wrote. German weapons have already saved thousands of lives in Ukraine, he wrote in his posting, adding: "They will save even more in the current and coming years." The Bundestag's budget committee had earlier approved a package that includes an additional €3 billion ($3.26 billion) for this year and up to €8.3 billion for 2026 to 2029. Germany's Ministry of Defence says additional weapons are to be delivered to Ukraine this year. A spokesperson mentioned the air defence system Iris-T, guided missiles, surveillance radars, drones, combat vehicles and small arms. Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Germany has provided more than €44 billion in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
