Zelensky established commander-in-chief wartime headquarters.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Feb. 24 to form the battalion and approve its personnel as Russian forces continue to launch attacks on Ukraine.
Asami Terajima
Articles
Psaki: U.S. ready to accept Ukrainian refugees.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the U.S. is also ready to help Europe cope with the growing number of refugees fleeing the war-affected country. “The U.S.A. specifically has a great deal of experience (in providing humanitarian assistance),” she said during her briefing.
In a long-anticipated move, U.S. to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 operator
U.S. President Joe Biden has added sanctions on the Russian company that built the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to its series of penalties targeting Moscow as Russia continues its military escalation in eastern Ukraine. The move comes a day after Germany had halted certification of the $11
Canada, Japan, Australia join Western allies in Russia sanction sweep
Canada, Japan and Australia have joined the growing list of countries taking a stand against Russia by imposing new sanctions after Moscow officially ordered troops into Russian-occupied parts of Ukrainian Donbas. The U.S., the U.K., and the European Union had already unveiled sanctions targeting Russian officials and financial
World reacts to Kremlin escalation with sanctions
Western leaders began swiftly imposing sanctions on Russian officials and financial institutions following the blunt move of Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize Kremlin-controlled regions as independent states. In his speech, the Russian autocrat questioned Ukraine’s right to exist. He also ordered the Russian army to officially move into
Despite Russian attack threat, these foreigners stay in Ukraine
Dublin-born Paul Niland, 49, still remembers the very moment he fell in love with Kyiv 19 years ago, shortly after his arrival in the unfamiliar city. Hours after being dropped off at his new apartment in Kyiv late at night, Niland spontaneously decided to take a walk up the hill.
Scholz warns Moscow of 'wide-reaching' consequences, stays silent on Nord Stream 2
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia was wielding its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as “a geopolitical weapon” to threaten energy security in Europe. He added that German relations with the controversial gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine have been a growing irritant for both Washington and Kyiv.
US warns that Russia could attack Ukraine at ‘any moment’
The U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued new warnings on Feb. 11 that Russia was poised to launch a further invasion of Ukraine at any moment, saying that it could happen within days. The White House said it still wasn’t clear if Russian President Vladimir Putin had made
Is Ukraine ready for cyberwar with Russia? Fears mount as military build-up continues
Amid mounting fears over a possible Russian all-out invasion, Ukraine is facing a threat on two fronts – land and cyberspace. “Cyberattacks look like an ideal way for Russia to achieve its goals (to destabilize the country),” Yegor Aushev, co-founder of the Kyiv-based Cyber Unit Technologies and Cyber School, told the
Dutch PM urges justice for MH17 victims, pushes to continue dialogue with Russia
Mark Rutte warned of “serious consequences” if Moscow chooses to further invade Ukraine
Putin says West ‘ignored’ Russian security concerns in rare public remarks
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly addressed tensions surrounding Ukraine for the first time since December as he accused the U.S. of using Kyiv as a “tool” to pull Russia into an armed conflict over its neighboring country. Putin said the U.S. and its allies have “ignored” Moscow’s
US, Russia clash at UN Security Council meeting over Ukraine
The United Nations Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security held on Jan. 31 turned into a sharp confrontation with little result, as Russia actively denied responsibility for its war against Ukraine. The council meeting led by Washington's UN envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield was set to discuss the
Defense minister downplays Russian threat, says it's similar to that of spring 2021
The current Russian military buildup near Ukrainian borders is not much different from the situation in spring 2021, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Jan. 28. Reznikov explained that Russia currently has about 130,000 troops arrayed around Ukraine, which he says is not significantly different from the
4 European airlines pull back from overnight stay in Kyiv amid invasion fears
Four European airlines have stopped parking their planes overnight at an airport in Kyiv as fears mount over a possible all-out Russian invasion. Germany’s Lufthansa, Dutch KLM, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Airlines have made sudden changes to their Kyiv flight schedule so that their planes and crew would
US, Russia agree to continue Ukraine talks after Blinken-Lavrov meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Jan. 21 in Geneva for high-stakes talks amid mounting fears that the Kremlin could be about to invade Ukraine. As they had predicted earlier, the top U.S. and Russian diplomats made no major breakthrough in
Investigation: Russian troops sent toward Ukraine for mysterious 6-9-month missions
A large number of Russian soldiers in the eastern part of the country have been sent on mysterious 6-9-month missions toward Ukraine, according to the Moscow-based Conflict Intelligence Team’s report published on Jan. 19. The report comes as Russian troops, which moved from the country’s far east to
White House: Russia was preparing evacuation from Kyiv embassy amid rising tensions
The White House has confirmed on Jan. 19 that Russia has embassy evacuation plans from Ukraine, amid Kremlin's ongoing military escalation. “We have information indicating that the Russian authorities were preparing to evacuate family members of diplomats from their (Kyiv) embassy in late December and early January,” Jen Psaki, White
Russia moves troops to Belarus ahead of February joint military drills
Russia has begun sending its troops and combat vehicles to Ukraine’s northern neighbor Belarus ahead of next month’s joint military exercises, in a move likely to stir Western fears that Moscow is preparing to further invade Ukraine. Belarus's defense ministry announced on Jan. 18 that Russian troops have
EBRD loans Nova Poshta 13 million euros to build automated sorting center in Dnipro
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed a 13 million euro agreement with Ukraine's biggest parcel delivery firm Nova Poshta to help the company build an automated sorting hub in Dnipro, the financial institution announced on Dec. 29. The new terminal in central Ukraine will allow the company
Hospital fire kills 3 patients, injures staff in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
A fire killed three patients and injured four medical staff in the intensive care unit of Kosiv Central District Hospital in western Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast on Dec. 28. Preliminary data from the investigation suggests that the accident happened due to human error. According to the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State
Kyiv reports first cases of Omicron Covid-19 variant
Kyiv has detected its first cases of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of coronavirus, Deputy Head of the City Administration Mykola Povoroznyk said on Dec. 28. The official called on Kyiv residents to adhere to the yellow zone restrictions in place, requiring proof of at least partial vaccination, negative test
Ukrainian documentary 'Home Games' available on Netflix in Europe
Ukrainian documentary "Home Games" has joined the Netflix library on Dec. 23. Its director Alisa Kovalenko said this is the streaming giant's first documentary by a Ukrainian filmmaker. “I hope it will be a milestone and that other great Ukrainian author-driven documentaries will be soon on Netflix as well,” she
Label of Kyiv’s techno club named among the best in 2021
A Ukrainian label, Standard Deviation, made it onto the list of best record labels in 2021 compiled by Mixmag, a U.K. magazine and one of the world’s oldest publications that focus on electronic music. This label of Kyiv’s famous unnamed techno club located on Kyrylivska Street was
China’s Skyrizon sues Ukrainian government for $4.5 billion over failed Motor Sich bid
China’s aerospace firm Skyrizon is taking the Ukrainian government to an international tribunal, demanding $4.5 billion in compensation over the failed purchase of Motor Sich, an advanced aircraft engine manufacturer based in the regional capital of Zaporizhia. Beijing Skyrizon Aviation explained in the statement on its WeChat account
Ukraine bans entry of foreign visitors from African countries with Omicron cases
Ukraine will suspend entry for foreigners traveling from several African countries where the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a televised government meeting on Dec. 2. The temporary entry ban will come into force at midnight on Dec. 3. The rules apply to
Disney casts Ukrainian actress in ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’
Ivanna Sakhno will reportedly be playing a newly-created character in the Disney+ limited series “Star Wars: Ahsoka,” a spinoff from the hit show “The Mandalorian.” Details about Sakhno’s character have not been revealed. The series, which is gearing up for production, will follow the fan favorite character Ahsoka Tano,
Police shut down fraudulent Covid-19 documents operation in Zakarpattia Oblast
Law enforcement arrested five people for selling fake negative PCR tests, Ukrainian and Slovakian vaccine passports on Nov. 26 in Zakarpattia Oblast. Amongst confiscated materials were computers that contained personal information about clients that used the services. According to the data, nearly 4,500 individual fake Covid-19 documents were created
State-owned wine producer Odesavynprom privatized for $8.7 million
The privatization of Ukraine's oldest wine-making enterprise located in the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa has been officially completed, the State Property Fund of Ukraine announced on Nov. 25. The buyer is Kaplor 7, an Odesa-based company, which paid three times the starting price. The purchase includes a
Ukraine to get $28.5 million loan to make schools, kindergartens energy efficient
Ukraine will get the funding from German state-owned development bank KfW, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 24. The money will be allocated to two regional capitals, Zhytomyr and Zaporizhia. Each municipality will have a 2% interest rate on the loan with a grace period of 10 years. The
Ukrainian banks’ net profits up by 47% in first 10 months of 2021
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, the country’s solvent banks made a combined Hr 58.4 billion in net profits from January through October, compared to Hr 39.8 billion in the same period last year. The banks’ total revenues for the first 10 months of 2021 increased
Ukraine extends deal with Pfizer to secure 25 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine
The U.S. pharmaceutical will deliver the vaccines in 2022-2023, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko announced on Nov. 23. Ukraine has fully vaccinated 10.2 million people, or 25% of the population. A delayed rollout and widespread vaccine skepticism have slowed down the vaccination drive, putting stress on the country’s
IMF approves $700 million loan tranche to Ukraine, extends stand-by program through June 2022
President Volodymyr Zelensky's government has secured the long-awaited new IMF loan tranche of nearly $700 million as well as the extension of its $5 billion stand-by program through June 2022. The Washington-based organization said on Nov. 22 that the program is to help Ukraine address the effects of Covid-19 shock
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