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Al Jazeera
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine, Russia exchange more prisoners after ‘difficult night' of attacks
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more prisoners of war (POWs) as Ukrainian officials renew their calls for more sanctions in response to dozens of attack drones and ballistic missiles launched by Moscow's forces at Kyiv overnight. Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday it released 307 Ukrainian POWs in exchange for as many Russian servicemen, who are being cared for in Belarus before their return to Russia. Ukraine confirmed the exchange, saying among those returned were army soldiers, agents of the State Border Guard Service, and members of the National Guard of Ukraine. The two sides released 270 servicemen and 120 civilians each on the Ukrainian border with Belarus on Friday, as part of the biggest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both sides have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners, but the aerial attacks and ground fighting have not stopped. Ukraine's military on Saturday said overnight attacks launched from multiple Russian regions used 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles to hit Kyiv and other areas, damaging several apartment buildings and a shopping mall, and injuring at least 15 people in the capital. Sites in the Ukrainian regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Zaporizhia were also hit, with Ukrainian forces saying six of the ballistic missiles were shot down by their air defences, along with 245 drones, many of which were said to be Iranian-designed. Oleh Syniehubov, head of Kharkiv's regional state administration, said on Saturday morning that four Ukrainians were killed and several others injured over the past 24 hours in the region as a result of multiple Russian attacks. Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defence said at least 100 Ukrainian drones attempted to strike Russian targets overnight. It said 64 unmanned aerial vehicles were downed overnight in the skies of the Belgorod region, along with 10 additional drones launched on Saturday morning. Dozens more projectiles were downed over Kursk, Lipetsk and Voronezh and another five were shot down over Tver, northwest of Moscow, it said. In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country had another 'difficult night' that he believes should convince the world that 'the reason for the war being dragged out is in Moscow'. 'It is obvious that we need to put much more pressure on Russia to get results and start real diplomacy. We are waiting for sanctions from the US, Europe and all our partners. Only additional sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.' The Group of Seven nations threatened on Friday to impose further sanctions on Russia if it fails to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a week after talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, led only to an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war, that Moscow has yet to send any 'peace memorandum'. 'Instead, Russia sends deadly drones and missiles at civilians,' he wrote in a post on X, adding that 'increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process'. Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera's John Hendren said the Istanbul meeting was disappointing for Zelenskyy because he wanted a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'Instead, it was a much lower-level meeting. But they did manage to get this prisoner swap,' he said, adding that the exchanges could be over by Sunday, but the details were not clear. 'Zelenskyy has been disappointed by the lack of additional US sanctions against Russia. Europe has agreed to new sanctions, but it's not clear that they will really have the desired effect to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Polish protesters end blockade at Ukraine's border after court ruling
Polish truckers lifted the blockade at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 13. The protesters ended the blockade after the Lublin Court of Appeal upheld Dorohusk Mayor Wojciech Sawa's decision to ban the rallies on May 8. The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement. Polish truckers started protests at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on May 12 at 4 p.m. local time. The protesters limited truck passage through the largest cargo customs post on the Ukrainian-Polish border to one vehicle per hour in each direction. Overnight on May 13, the Yahodyn customs post processed only eight trucks. Gasoline and gas tankers were allowed to pass along with other trucks, one truck per hour. Some trucks have been waiting in line for over a day, Ukraine's State Border Guard said. The organizers presented the latest protest as an effort to draw attention to the "plight of transport companies and the threat to thousands of jobs." Over the past few years, Polish truckers, farmers, and other protesters have launched months-long blockades at the Polish-Ukrainian border, largely aimed against Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's lifting of most duties on Ukrainian imports in 2022. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish protesters to resume blockade at Ukraine's border, Ukrainian Border Guard warns
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12. The demonstrators will allow one vehicle to enter and another to exit every hour in a protest that could last for four months, Ukrainian border guards said, citing the Polish side. "Buses and vehicles transporting humanitarian aid will pass unhindered," Ukraine's border guards said. Over the past few years, Polish truckers, farmers, and other protesters have launched months-long blockades at the Polish-Ukrainian border, largely aimed against Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's lifting of most duties on Ukrainian imports in 2022. The organizers presented the latest protest as an effort to draw attention to the "plight of transport companies and the threat to thousands of jobs." At noon, Ukrainian border guards reported that traffic was flowing normally. Just over two hours later, Rafal Mekler, a politician from the far-right Confederation party, posted on X: "We are already in Dorohusk. The border is at a standstill." Mekler shared pictures of himself with trucks and police vehicles in the background. The mayor of Dorohusk previously banned the blockade at the border crossing, arguing it is a critical infrastructure facility. The District Court in Lublin later overturned this decision. Read also: Tusk says Russia ordered 2024 arson attack on Warsaw shopping centre We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian assault groups continue attempts to enter Sumy Oblast, Ukraine's border guard says
Russia continues deploying small assault groups to infiltrate Ukrainian territory in Sumy Oblast to broaden the front line area, the State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko told Ukrinform on April 27. According to Demchenko, the situation in the Sumy Oblast remains "challenging," with Russian troops focusing their assaults on specific areas such as the border villages of Basivka and Zhuravka. "Recently, we have observed attempts to expand these activities, both within this zone and to other areas, where we periodically detect attempts by these groups to infiltrate," Demchenko said. Sumy Oblast, in northeastern Ukraine, borders Russia's Kursk Oblast — a small part of which Kyiv has occupied since August 2024 — as well as Bryansk and Belgorod oblasts, making it a critical front line in Russia's full-scale war. Demchenko's statement also comes as Russian authorities claimed on April 26 to have fully recaptured the territory of Kursk Oblast. Ukraine's General Staff has denied the claim. Earlier in March, Russia claimed that its forces had seized the village of Basivka in Sumy Oblast, but Ukraine's State Border Guard Service denied the report, describing it as part of a "disinformation campaign." Basivka remains marked as a "gray zone" on the DeepState monitoring map, indicating contested or unclear control. While Ukraine presses for an unconditional ceasefire, in line with proposals from the U.S., Russia continues to reject the terms. It has reportedly intensified its offensive operations across the front line. Demchenko also said Russian troops are attempting to break through the Ukrainian border using quad bikes to enter deeper into Ukrainian territory quickly, establish a foothold there, and await reinforcements, therefore expanding the battle zones. "Sometimes these are groups of just a few people, sometimes around five individuals. In addition, there are, of course, the shelling attacks, which the enemy continues, using various types of weaponry, and also covering the actions of such small assault groups in specific areas," Demchenko said. Earlier on April 26, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its daily report, citing footage from the Russian Defense Ministry, that Russian military is likely preparing to systemically integrate motorcycles into offensive operations in Ukraine during summer and fall 2025. The Russian Defense Ministry on April 26 published footage showing troops at a training ground practicing offensive and defensive tactics on motorcycles, indicating plans to develop "a tactical doctrine for systematic offensive motorcycle usage," ISW analysts said. The footage showed groups of two to three people practicing tactics on motorcycles. According to the ISW, Russia may be planning to issue an increased number of motorcycles to front-line units fighting in Ukraine. On April 21, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also said Russian forces are intensifying efforts to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast and capture border areas of Sumy Oblast. "Intense fighting continues in Sumy Oblast in areas near the state border, as well as on the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskyi said. 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
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian attacks continued since 'first hours' of so-called Easter truce, Border Guard says
Russia reduced the use of aviation during its so-called Easter ceasefire but nevertheless continued its attacks since the very "first hours," Andrii Demchenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, said on air on national television on April 21. Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a unilateral ceasefire beginning at 6 p.m. local time on April 19 and lasting until midnight April 21, calling it a test of Ukraine's willingness to pursue peace. Ukrainian troops reported that they had seen no signs of the truce being honored. "There was no ceasefire from the Russian side. It's more of an imitation that Russia wants some kind of truce," Demchenko said. "The attacks actually took place from the first hours of the day — from the moment the ceasefire was supposed to be in effect." Russian forces used artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and drones to target Ukrainian positions in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, the spokesperson said. In some sectors, Russian forces also reportedly attempted direct assaults on positions held by State Border Guard troops. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X on April 20 that Ukraine is documenting every violation of the supposed ceasefire. "Either (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favorable PR coverage," Zelensky said. Read also: Russia using Easter ceasefire to prepare assault in Kharkiv sector, Ukrainian military says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
