Latest news with #Pro-Ukrainian
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine Embarrasses Putin With Underwater Bomb Plot on His Beloved Bridge
Ukraine's security service, the SBU, carried out a fresh attack on the bridge connecting Russia with occupied Crimea, just days after launching a devastating surprise assault on airbases deep within Russian territory. Video footage shows smoke billowing over the Kerch Bridge following a powerful underwater blast, which the SBU said contained 1,100kg of explosives that 'severely damaged' its foundations. The Kerch Bridge was built in 2018 following Russia's annexation of Crimea four years prior. The bridge holds huge symbolic and sentimental value for Vladimir Putin, who views it as the embodiment of his goal to permanently bind Ukraine to Russia. The incident is the third time the bridge has been attacked since the start of the war. In October 2022, Ukrainian forces attempted to destroy it by detonating a truck full of explosives, which caused structural damage and set fire to part of the bridge. They tried again in 2023 with an experimental sea drone but only succeeded in causing minor damage. In both cases, Russia shut down the bridge and moved quickly to repair the damaged sections. In a post on Telegram announcing the new strike, SBU chief Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk said: 'God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always brings what is conceived to the end and never repeats itself. 'Previously, we struck the Crimean Bridge twice in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater. There is no place for any illegal Russian facilities on the territory of our state.' He added: 'Therefore, the Crimean Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops. Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestations of occupation will receive our tough response.' The bombs detonated at 4:44 a.m., causing the bridge to temporarily close. Pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported it had been closed for inspection, possibly to examine damage, and it was reopened shortly afterward. At around 3 p.m., Crimean Wind reported the bridge had closed again, citing a 'powerful explosion' heard by locals and reports of a fresh drone strike from Ukraine. These claims have yet to be independently verified. The attack comes days after Ukraine launched a devastating surprise attack on Russia in which hundreds of drones destroyed a huge swath of the Kremlin's strategic bombers. Targeting five airbases deep within Russian territory, Ukraine's drones managed to destroy about 40 aircraft, around a third of Putin's fleet, totaling around $7 billion, including irreplaceable nuclear bombers and experimental craft. Announcing the news on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed he had personally overseen the surprise attack, nicknamed 'Operation Spider-Web,' which had taken more than 18 months to plan. Ukraine reportedly did not inform President Donald Trump's White House of the strike beforehand. 'We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people,' Zelensky wrote in a post on X. 'I outlined the tasks for the near term and also defined our positions ahead of the meeting in Istanbul on Monday.' Both Ukrainian and Russian officials met for peace talks in Istanbul on Monday but failed to make any progress in agreeing to a ceasefire.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Activists hold 'die-in' protest at Soviet monument in Warsaw
Pro-Ukrainian activists held a protest at a Soviet memorial in Warsaw where Moscow's ambassador placed a wreath on Friday, as Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day. Some two dozen protesters wrapped in white sheets, their clothes and faces splattered with a red substance imitating blood, lay at the foot of a monument at the cemetery for Soviet soldiers in Poland's capital. They chanted "terrorists" as Russia's ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, made his way to the monument with a wreath to commemorate the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany. "The idea was that the path the ambassador would take to reach the monument would be lined with the graves of people who died innocently during the war" in Ukraine, Miroslaw Petryga, 70, who participated in the lie-in, told AFP. Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv, supporting Ukraine with military and political aid as it fends off a Russian invasion that is grinding through its fourth year. "It was the gait of a man pretending not to see anything, with tunnel vision," Petryga, a Ukrainian engineer who has lived in Poland for decades, said of Andreyev. The ambassador walked past the protesters amid a heavy police presence and with a handful of supporters and security guards around him. - 'Make Russia small again' - The activists also scattered children's toys at the entrance to the cemetery. The teddy bears, balls and other items were also splattered with a blood-like liquid to symbolise child victims of Russia's war in Ukraine. Some were wearing t-shirts with the slogan "Make Russia small again" and were collecting signatures under a petition to expel the Russian ambassador from Poland. At the site, around a dozen people also gathered at a counter protest, wearing the St George ribbon, a historical symbol of Russian and Soviet military successes. Minor scuffles and verbal altercations broke out between the groups. A handful of people also showed up to lay flowers at the cemetery away from the protests. "We should honour the memory of those soldiers who died in the World War," said Natalia, a 67-year-old who held a black-and-white photo that she said showed her father who had fought in the war. The Russian citizen and longtime Polish resident declined to give her full name. - 'Terrorist state' - In 2022, the year Russia launched the full-scale war, protesters at the Soviet mausoleum threw a red substance at Moscow's envoy. A year later Andreyev was blocked by activists from laying flowers at the monument. The Kremlin is using its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow -- marking 80 years since the end of World War II -- to whip up patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine. But for Natalia Panchenko from the pro-Ukrainian organisation Euromaidan, the day should serve as a reminder of Russia's ongoing war. "It is important to us that today, when people remember that there is a country called Russia, they do not remember Russia through Russian propaganda, but remember the real Russia," Panchenko told AFP. "And Russia is a terrorist state," she said. mmp/amj/cw
Int'l Business Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Activists Hold 'Die-in' Protest At Soviet Monument In Warsaw
Pro-Ukrainian activists held a protest at a Soviet memorial in Warsaw where Moscow's ambassador placed a wreath on Friday, as Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day. Some two dozen protesters wrapped in white sheets, their clothes and faces splattered with a red substance imitating blood, lay at the foot of a monument at the cemetery for Soviet soldiers in Poland's capital. They chanted "terrorists" as Russia's ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, made his way to the monument with a wreath to commemorate the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany. "The idea was that the path the ambassador would take to reach the monument would be lined with the graves of people who died innocently during the war" in Ukraine, Miroslaw Petryga, 70, who participated in the lie-in, told AFP. Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv, supporting Ukraine with military and political aid as it fends off a Russian invasion that is grinding through its fourth year. "It was the gait of a man pretending not to see anything, with tunnel vision," Petryga, a Ukrainian engineer who has lived in Poland for decades, said of Andreyev. The ambassador walked past the protesters amid a heavy police presence and with a handful of supporters and security guards around him. The activists also scattered children's toys at the entrance to the cemetery. The teddy bears, balls and other items were also splattered with a blood-like liquid to symbolise child victims of Russia's war in Ukraine. Some were wearing t-shirts with the slogan "Make Russia small again" and were collecting signatures under a petition to expel the Russian ambassador from Poland. At the site, around a dozen people also gathered at a counter protest, wearing the St George ribbon, a historical symbol of Russian and Soviet military successes. Minor scuffles and verbal altercations broke out between the groups. A handful of people also showed up to lay flowers at the cemetery away from the protests. "We should honour the memory of those soldiers who died in the World War," said Natalia, a 67-year-old who held a black-and-white photo that she said showed her father who had fought in the war. The Russian citizen and longtime Polish resident declined to give her full name. In 2022, the year Russia launched the full-scale war, protesters at the Soviet mausoleum threw a red substance at Moscow's envoy. A year later Andreyev was blocked by activists from laying flowers at the monument. The Kremlin is using its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow -- marking 80 years since the end of World War II -- to whip up patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine. But for Natalia Panchenko from the pro-Ukrainian organisation Euromaidan, the day should serve as a reminder of Russia's ongoing war. "It is important to us that today, when people remember that there is a country called Russia, they do not remember Russia through Russian propaganda, but remember the real Russia," Panchenko told AFP. "And Russia is a terrorist state," she said. Protesters chanted "terrorists" as Russia's ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev, brought a wreath to commemorate the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany AFP At the site, around a dozen people also gathered at a counter protest AFP
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Russian reporter facing jail says RSF smuggled her to France
Pro-Ukrainian journalist said she escaped in and fled to Paris with the help of ( ). She was facing up to 10 years in prison for criticizing the army. Ekaterina , a critical of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said on Monday that she fled to France after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) smuggled her out of Russia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I fled — I had no other choice. Journalism no longer exists in Russia," Ukrainian-born Barabash, who faces up to 10 years in prison for criticizing the Russian army, told a news conference at the media watchdog's headquarters in Paris. "There is no culture in Russia. There is no politics. It's only war," she said, adding that the very concept of a "Russian journalist" no longer made sense. "There are no Russian journalists," she said. "Journalism cannot exist under totalitarianism." Barabash said her journey was "very difficult" and lasted around two-and-a-half weeks. "I arrived three days ago," she said, adding that she was going to ask for political asylum. RSF sends a message to the Kremlin RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin said Barabash's escape from Russia was "one of the most perilous operations" the RSF has been involved in since Russia's brutal clampdown on media in March 2022. "At one point, we thought she might be dead," he said. In Russia, it is broadly forbidden to criticize the army and its military operations in Ukraine. Bruttin said that Barabash's escape "sends a clear message to the Kremlin: free voices that dare to speak the truth about the war in Ukraine cannot be silenced. It is a message to journalists in danger: there is a way out, and RSF stands by your side," he added in a statement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In April, two former DW journalists, Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin, along with two other journalists, were sentenced to several years in prison in Russia on charges of extremism, that they denied. What do we know about Barabash and her arrest? Ekaterina Barabash had written for several Russian news outlets and worked as a journalist for the Russian service of Radio France Internationale (RFI) until 2022, before joining the independent media outlet Republic. She was detained at Moscow airport on February 25 as she was returning from the Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin. The authorities charged her with "spreading false information" about the Russian military based on four social media posts, one of which condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The following day, a Moscow court ordered her to be placed under house arrest for two months. On April 4, the Russian Ministry of Justice labeled Barabash as a "foreign agent." This designation allows the authorities to monitor, restrict, and discredit journalists, NGOs, and ordinary citizens who are deemed to be "influenced by foreign interests." Deutsche Welle is also labeled a "foreign agent" in Russia. Journalist flees house arrest Russian authorities were alerted to Barabash's disappearance by an electronic monitoring system on April 13. Barabash said she removed her bracelet when she fled. "It's somewhere in the Russian forest," she said, smiling. The reporter said she crossed the border on her birthday on April 26. and had been "hiding for two weeks" during her escape. Fleeing house arrest is risky in Russia, but not unheard of. Former Russian state television journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who protested the Ukraine conflict in a live broadcast, fled Russia in 2022 after escaping house arrest. RSF ranks Russia 171st out of 180 countries in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
Miami Herald
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Ukrainian Resistance Blows Up Railway in Occupied Territory
Pro-Ukrainian partisans said on Sunday they had "destroyed" equipment along a railway running through the eastern Ukrainian Luhansk region, in the latest of claimed attacks by Kyiv-aligned operatives against Russia. Russia annexed Luhansk, along with the neighboring Donetsk region and southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts, in fall 2022. Luhansk and Donetsk collectively make up the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the country's traditional industrial heartland. Moscow had seized Crimea, to the south of mainland Ukraine, from Kyiv in 2014 as it backed pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbas. Russia's grip on these five regions is not internationally recognized. Atesh, a pro-Ukrainian partisan group active in Crimea and other parts of Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory, said on Sunday its members had "destroyed" transformer equipment along the railway used by Russian troops to transport troops and supplies close to the town of Stanytsia Luhanska. The town sits northeast of the regional capital, Luhansk City, roughly 11 miles west of internationally recognized Russian territory. Russia controls the vast majority of Luhansk. The "successful sabotage" disrupted Russian logistics and caused delays in Moscow's deliveries of equipment and spare parts, the partisans said. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email. The Atesh movement said it was "systematically" targeting transport infrastructure used by Moscow in Russian-held areas. The group said earlier in April it destroyed another transformer unit along a railway close to the Russian city of Kemerovo, in southwestern Siberia. The railway linked up Russian military production facilities, including a plant making ammunition, according to Atesh. "The number of disruptions on railways throughout the Russian Federation will only increase," the group said. Kyiv said Russia had launched 149 strike drones at Ukraine overnight, with its air defenses intercepting 57 of the uncrewed aerial vehicles. Moscow targeted Donetsk, as well as the central Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions and parts of northern, southern and western Ukraine, the air force said. Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted three Ukrainian drones over Crimea earlier in the day. In earlier statements, the Kremlin said air defenses had shot down eight drones over the border Bryansk region since 10:30 p.m. Moscow time (3:30 p.m. ET) Saturday. The Atesh group said Russian forces used the railway "to transport resources for supplying troops, as well as military equipment." "In the near future, there will be more and more such strikes," the Atesh group said. Related Articles 'Ukrainian Agent' Detained After Russian General Car Bombing: FSBPutin Says Kursk Taken Back, General Admits Deploying North Korean TroopsZelensky Gives Key Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks UpdateTop CIA Official's Son Killed Fighting for Russia: Father Speaks Out 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
