Latest news with #OrangeRevolution
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former politician and aide to ex-Ukrainian president shot dead in Madrid
A man who served as an aide to a former Ukrainian president has been shot and killed in Madrid, local authorities have said. An unidentified gunman - or gunmen - shot former politician Andriy Portnov outside the gates of the American School of Madrid in the Pozuelo area of the Spanish capital on Wednesday morning, according to a source close to the investigation. Police received a report at 7.15am local time and rushed to Calle America, where Mr Portnov is believed to have been taking his children to school, radio station Cadena SER said. Emergency service vehicles and a police cordon were pictured at the scene. He served as a senior aide to Ukraine's former president Viktor Yanukovich before he was ousted in 2014. The pro-Russian leader was driven out by Ukraine's 2014 Orange Revolution - and has been living in exile in Russia ever since. Since Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, crimes have been committed against several high-profile Russians and Ukrainians in Spain, which has large ex-pat populations from both countries. In November and December 2022, six letter bombs were sent to targets across the country, to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, as well as its US counterpart. A 76-year-old retired Spanish civil servant was jailed over the offences after his social media searches suggested he was sympathetic towards Russia's invasion. Read more from Sky News In April that year, a Russian businessman linked to the country's Novatek gas company was found dead with his wife and daughter, having all sustained stab wounds. In February last year, a Russian pilot who defected to the Ukrainian side was found dead with gunshot wounds in the car park of his apartment near Alicante. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Euronews
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Ukraine's first Eurovision winner ready to mix pop and politics
In December 2003, Ruslana Lyzhychko was offered the chance to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest. 'I said yes immediately. I called my mother and told her, 'Mom, I'm going to the Eurovision Song Contest'. And my mother replied 'Ruslana, you will win.'' It was the second time Ukraine had ever competed in the show and everything was new. 'I paid for everything myself – for promotion, production, hotel, costume and travel for our entire delegation. I spent all the money that my husband and I had. It was a really big risk for our family,' she recalls. But the risk paid off – and her mother's prediction proved true. Dressed in a Xena the Warrior Princess–inspired outfit and with fire blazing behind her, Ruslana took to the stage in Istanbul with her song "Wild Dances" and won the 2004 competition. Two years later, her career took an unexpected turn when the phone rang. It was the President of Ukraine and he had an unusual request. 'I was invited to become a member of parliament by President Viktor Yushchenko. I said no. I am a musician and I want to create my music. But the president convinced me. He told me that they needed my name and that I could help Ukraine's European integration' Though new to parliament, Ruslana was no stranger to politics, having been an activist during the Orange Revolution of 2004-2005. While Ruslana was protesting on Maidan Square in Kyiv, preparations for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest were underway just a few minutes away at the Palace of Sports – brought to Ukraine thanks to her 'Wild Dances' win. But her time in parliament was brief, and she quickly resumed her music career. However, in 2014, Ruslana returned to Maidan, this time as a key figure in the Revolution of Dignity. Though her career has been closely linked to politics, Ruslana does not see herself as a politician. Would you ever want to go back to politics? 'No, it was a one time thing, only for one year. I am a musician, a singer, an artist, a producer, a conductor, a dancer, a drummer. It is not about me,' she says. Politics and music are often closely linked – especially in the context of the Eurovision Song Contest, although Ruslana prefers the focus to remain on the music itself. 'I believe Eurovision should be about music. Every year, it brings a surprise. We never know who will win or why. It is about people deciding which contestant or song feels truly unique.' While she wishes for Eurovision to remain apolitical, Ruslana strongly supports the decision to exclude Russia from the competition. 'Russia cannot take part in Eurovision. I am actually not sure if Russia will ever be able to return to Eurovision' If you think Eurovision should be non political, should not Russia be allowed to compete? 'For me, Eurovision represents true music and friendship. I do not know how Russia could ever rebuild its relationship with Europe and Ukraine. If Russia can destroy cities and kill innocent Ukrainians, how can their music be considered true?' she explains. For Ruslana, Eurovision is still important and she follows the competition every year. 'I am voting like the rest of the audience. Last year, my favourite was Switzerland.' Who do you think will win this year? 'A lot of people are thinking about Sweden, but as a patriot I, of course, believe in our band Ziferblat.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin's personal bodyguard, ex-Russian army commander helped Yanukovych flee Ukraine in 2014, prosecutor says
Sergei Morozov, the personal bodyguard of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former commander of the Southern Military District Aleksander Galkin were involved in the illegal border crossing of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, prosecutor Denis Ivanov told Ukrinform on April 28. Earlier in the day, the Prosecutor General's Office announced that Yanukovych was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for inciting desertion and organizing illegal border crossings. This is Yanukovych's second conviction by a Ukrainian court. In 2019, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for high treason and complicity in waging war of aggression against Ukraine. Yanukovych, Ukraine's former pro-Russian leader, was ousted following the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014 and subsequently fled to to the prosecutor, during the trial for illegal border crossing, the routes and dates of Yanukovych's movements, as well as the people who facilitated them, were determined. "All these events took place with the support of the special services of the Russian Federation and the Russian Armed Forces. The Federal Security Service, the military of the Southern Military District, and the Russian Black Sea Fleet were involved," Ivanov said."One of the phones used by Yanukovych during his constant movement was connected to Putin's bodyguard," he added. The decisive direct evidence in this case was the testimony of some employees of the State Protection Department of Ukraine who refused Yanukovych's offer to leave Ukraine's territory with him and betray their military oath, according to Ivanov. Another piece of evidence in the case was information from a telecommunications operator on the recording of numbers used by Yanukovych and his security details while moving around the territory of Ukraine and Russia within the area of coverage of the operators' base stations. Yanukovych, 73, remains one of Ukraine's most controversial political figures. He was rejected by voters in the aftermath of the 2004 Orange Revolution, following the discovery of voter fraud in Yanukovych's favor. Nevertheless, he returned to win the presidency in 2010. Yanukovych's presidency, widely seen as corrupt and authoritarian, drew Ukraine closer to Russia. In November 2013, his refusal to sign an association agreement with the European Union triggered mass protests known as the EuroMaidan Revolution. After the deaths of nearly 100 protesters at the hands of security forces in February 2014, Yanukovych fled Ukraine and sought refuge in Russia. Ukrainian prosecutors believe that the former president currently resides in the village of Barvikha in Moscow Oblast. Read also: Ukraine to continue fighting with or without Trump, experts say We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainska Pravda turns 25!
Ukrainska Pravda celebrates its 25th anniversary on 16 April. Do you remember how it all began? Back in 2000, Georgiy Gongadze and Olena Prytula founded Ukrainska Pravda as a response to the censorship that dominated the post-Soviet media landscape in Ukraine. It was the dawn of the internet. In those early days, our website saw just 150–200 visitors a day. But Ukrainians were hungry for the truth – and we began to grow. On the first day of the full-scale war, 7.4 million people visited the Ukrainska Pravda website. Today, nearly a million readers visit us every day! Over the past 25 years, governments have changed, and dictators have come and gone – but our mission has stayed the same: to fight for freedom of speech. We've grown into a major media outlet with a large editorial team, dozens of projects across various platforms, and millions of readers. The Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, the Russo-Ukrainian war, the full-scale invasion – we've been with you through the defining moments of Ukraine's modern history. For 25 years, we've stood for the truth and upheld the same core values: honesty, independence, critical thinking, democracy, and service to society and our readers. Our journalists report from our Kyiv newsroom, from frontline villages, and from temporarily occupied cities. Many of our colleagues have paused their journalism careers to join the army and defend Ukraine. Together, we're writing history – and growing stronger thanks to you. And if you'd like to support independent journalism, join our community on Patreon.
Russia Today
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Regime change specialists NED announce suspension of funding
US President Donald Trump's administration has frozen all funding to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the organization confirmed on Wednesday, corroborating earlier media reports of a 'bloodbath' within the CIA cut-out. Founded in 1983, the NED is officially a US State Department-funded nonprofit that provides grants to support democratic initiatives worldwide. However, over the years, it has faced allegations of covertly influencing political outcomes, with critics arguing that it has taken over covert functions previously handled by the CIA, particularly those aimed at overthrowing foreign governments. 'For the first time in the organization's four-decade history, it has been unable to meet its obligations and has been forced to suspend support for nearly 2,000 partners worldwide,' the NED said in a statement on Tuesday. The funding freeze is part of broader measures by the Trump administration to cut foreign spending. These efforts have also targeted the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington's primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad. Trump has previously called for the agency to be shut down, describing it as being run by 'radical lunatics.' The NED argued that it should be exempt from Trump's executive order, as its 'funding is directly appropriated by Congress and is not considered foreign assistance.' However, the organization stated that 'despite being exempt, access to these funds has been inexplicably cut off, forcing NED to halt all partner support and furlough the majority of its staff.' The organization has long faced criticism for its role in supporting political movements that undermine sovereign governments. The Center for Renewing America, a think tank founded by Russell Vought, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, released a policy paper on February 7 accusing the NED of serving as the 'tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine.' The report accused the NED of funnelling tens of millions of dollars to various Ukrainian political entities and anti-Russian interests, helping to 'advance both the 'Orange Revolution' and the 'Maidan Revolution' that paved the way for the current Ukraine-Russia war.' Earlier this month, Elon Musk, who heads Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has been tasked with cutting federal spending, singled out the NED, calling it a 'scam' and an 'evil organization' that should be dissolved. Since then, the organization has reportedly been 'under siege' from Musk's DOGE. 'It's been a bloodbath,' an NED employee told the Free Press, explaining that the organization has been unable to meet payroll or cover basic overhead expenses. Meanwhile, a US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in previously approved foreign aid, reportedly setting a deadline of 11:59pm Wednesday night for the funds to be disbursed.
