Ukraine
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Moldova fearful of Russian invasion: 'Nobody is safe'
Moldova's prime minister has said she is "very worried" about a potential Russian invasion of her country, adding: "Nobody is safe."
"It's a hypothetical scenario for now, but if the military actions move further into the southwestern part of Ukraine and toward Odesa then, of course, we are very worried," Natalia Gavrilița told CNN on Sunday.
"We are very worried, especially considering that troops are on the territory of the secessionist Transnistria region," Ms Gavrilița said. "We are doing everything possible to maintain peace and stability and to ensure that the fighting does not escalate."
She added: "If a country can start an annexation war without any regard for international law, then in this sense, nobody is safe.
"I think a lot of countries are worried." -
For context: Russia has claimed territory across the southern coast of Ukraine but, although it has carried out airstrikes on the port city, it has not made it as far as Odesa, despite it being a key target due to its maritime importance - it has been called the Ukrainian equivalent of Dover.
Moldova has long feared that if Vladimir Putin makes it that far, it could be next in Moscow's sights. -
Lavrov says Russia's main goal is to topple Zelenskyy's 'unacceptable regime'
Russia's top diplomat has said Moscow's overarching goal is to topple the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian artillery barrages and airstrikes continue to pummel cities across Ukraine.
The remark from foreign minister Sergey Lavrov comes amid Ukraine's efforts to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports, something that would help ease global food shortages, under a new deal tested by a Russian strike on Odesa over the weekend.Speaking to envoys at an Arab League summit in Cairo on Sunday, Mr Lavrov said Moscow is determined to help Ukrainians "liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime".
Mr Lavrov accused Kyiv and "its Western allies" of spouting propaganda intended to ensure that Ukraine "becomes the eternal enemy of Russia". -
"Russian and Ukrainian people would continue to live together, we will certainly help Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical," he said.
Mr Lavrov's remarks contrasted sharply with the Kremlin's line early in the war, when Russian officials repeatedly emphasised that they were not seeking to overthrow President Zelenskyy's government. -
Russia has lost 40,670 troops during invasion, Ukraine claims
Source: Sky News UK
Ukraine has provided its latest update on the number of losses Russia has suffered since the start of the war.
It claims 40,670 Russian troops have been killed and 3,995 armoured personnel vehicles have been destroyed.
Other military equipment that has been wiped out includes 190 helicopters, 1,759 tanks and 222 aircraft.
It should be noted that Sky News has not been able to independently verify these claims. -
Russia intends to 'dissolve Ukraine from the world map entirely', US ambassador says
There should no longer be any doubt that Russia intends to dismantle Ukraine and "dissolve it from the world map entirely", the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has said.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield told the UN Security Council that there were increasing signs that the Kremlin was laying the groundwork to attempt to annex all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions "with the goal of holding sham referenda or decree to join Russia".
She went on to say that Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov "has even stated that this is Russia's war aim".
The comments come as Mr Lavrov told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the "continuous pumping" of US and NATO weapons into the armed forces of Ukraine only "prolonged the agony of the regime in Kyiv prolonging the conflict and multiplying the casualties". -
Russia 'running out of steam', says MI6 chief
Russia is "running out of steam" in its assault on Ukraine, the chief of Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence agency, Richard Moore, has said.
The remark by Mr Moore was made above an earlier post on Twitter by the UK's defence ministry, which described the Russian government as "growing desperate" and using "outdated missiles".Earlier today, the UK's Ministry of Defence said Russia was currently classing its occupied areas as under interim "civil-military administration" and local authorities were likely "coercing the population" into disclosing personal details in order to compose voting registers.
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Russia looking to hold referendums in newly occupied areas of southern Ukraine, MoD says
The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released its latest intelligence report amid the war in Ukraine.
In its report, the ministry says Russian-installed authorities in newly occupied territories in southern Ukraine are "under pressure" and "possibly preparing to hold referendums on joining Russia later this year".Meanwhile, in the Kherson area, Russian forces have highly likely established two pontoon bridges and a ferry system to compensate for the fact that nearby bridges have been damaged in recent strikes.
The report also states that it is likely that Ukraine has successfully repelled small-scale Russian assaults from the long-established front line near Donetsk city in the Donbas. -
Not Ukraine - Russia related but a worldwide context
China warns over Pelosi visit
China's military has vowed to launch "targeted military actions" in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, as tension flares between Washington and Beijing.
Speaker Pelosi has arrived in Taiwan on a US military aircraft into Taipei's Songshan Airport, and was greeted by Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu.
In a statement, PLA spokesman Wu Qian said: "The Chinese People's Liberation Army is on high alert and will launch a series of targeted military operations to counter this, resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely thwart external interference and 'Taiwan independence' separatist attempts."
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Ukraine 'recaptures 53 settlements in southern region'
Kyiv has recaptured 53 settlements in the mostly Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson since the start of Moscow's invasion, the regional governor said.
Russia captured swathes of southern Ukraine in the first phase of its invasion.
Ukraine is now pledging to conduct a major counter-offensive to retake land and has used Western-made long-range weapons to hit Russian supply lines.
"As of now, 53 settlements have been confirmed as liberated," acting governor Dmytro Butriy said.
That figure was nine settlements more than the number he gave on Monday, which appeared to indicate a quickening tempo of Ukrainian gains in the region. -
Russia says US is 'directly involved in Ukraine war'
Moscow has accused Washington of being "directly involved" in the conflict in Ukraine, claiming US spies were co-ordinating missile attacks on Russian troops.
Russia's defence ministry said Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, had admitted that Washington organises HIMARS missile strikes."All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine," the defence ministry said.
Joe Biden has said he wants Ukraine to defeat Russia and has supplied billions of dollars of arms to Kyiv but Washington does not want a direct confrontation between US and Russian soldiers.
Moscow said the Biden administration was responsible for missile attacks on civilian targets in areas controlled by Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. -
"It is the Biden administration that is directly responsible for all Kyiv-approved rocket attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of Donbas and other regions, which have resulted in mass deaths of civilians," the defence ministry said.
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Border crossings from Ukraine pass 10 million mark
The number of border crossings from Ukraine has surpassed 10 million for the first time since Russia invaded the country, the UN Refugee Agency reported on Tuesday.
A total of 10,107,957 border crossings from Ukraine have been recorded since 24 February, the agency's tally showed. -
Seven decades of China - Taiwan tension explained
1949: Separation
Mao Zedong's communists take power in Beijing in October 1949 after defeating Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) nationalists in a civil war.
The KMT flee to the island of Taiwan and form their own government in Taipei in December, cutting off contacts with mainland China.
In 1950, Taiwan becomes an ally of the United States, which is at war with communist China in Korea. The US deploys a fleet in the Taiwan Strait to protect its ally from possible attack.
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1971: Beijing gets UN, US nods
In October 1971, Beijing takes over China's seat at the United Nations, previously held by Taipei.
In 1979, the United States cuts formal ties with Taiwan and establishes diplomatic relations with Beijing instead.
Washington expresses support for the "One China" policy, which states that Taiwan is part of China, but maintains trade and military ties with Taipei.
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1987-2004: Relations improve
In late 1987, Taiwan residents are for the first time permitted to visit mainland China, allowing families to reunite.
In 1991, Taiwan lifts emergency rule, unilaterally ending a state of war with China. The first direct talks between the two sides are held in Singapore two years later.
But in 1995, Beijing suspends talks in protest at a visit by Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui to the US.
In 1996, China tests missiles off Taiwan to deter voters in the island's first democratic presidential election.
In 2000 elections, the KMT loses power in Taiwan for the first time. Over the next few years trade links between the two sides improve.
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2005-2015: Threats and talks
In March 2005, Beijing adopts a law authorising the use of force if Taiwan declares independence. In April, KMT chairman Lien Chan makes a landmark visit to Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Hu Jintao.
In 2008, Taiwan and China resume high-level talks after the KMT's Ma Ying-jeou is elected president on a Beijing-friendly platform.
In 2010, they sign a sweeping Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and in 2014 hold the first government-to-government talks since separation.
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2016: Honeymoon over
In January 2016, Tsai Ing-wen, from the traditionally pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, wins presidential elections.
In June, China suspends all communications with Taiwan after the new government fails to acknowledge the "One China" policy.
In December 2016, US president-elect Donald Trump breaks with decades of US diplomatic policy by speaking directly, by telephone, with Mr Tsai.
In January 2019, Xi Jinping warns that the unification of China and Taiwan is "inevitable".
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2021: US-China tension
In 2021, Chinese military jets make hundreds of incursions into Taiwan's defence zone.
In October, US President Joe Biden says the United States will defend Taiwan if China attacks it, in comments later partly walked back by the White House.
Tsai confirms that a small number of US troops are present in Taiwan to help train its forces.
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2022: Furore over Pelosi tour
On 23 May, Mr Biden urges the West to stand firm against Russia over Ukraine to deter China from trying to take Taiwan by force, and repeats that the US will defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion.
On 28 July, Mr Xi tells Mr Biden by phone not to "play with fire" and warns of "consequences" if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi goes ahead with a reported plan to visit Taiwan on an Asia trip.
Tension soars as Ms Pelosi arrives in Malaysia, with China warning that the US will "pay the price" if she sets foot in Taiwan. The White House insists that she "has the right to visit".
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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un offers Vladimir Putin 100,000 troops for Ukraine war, Russian military expert claims
North Korea is ready to send 100,000 soldiers to its ally Russia as military assistance for boosting its invasion of Ukraine, Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko said on state TV.
“There are reports that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are prepared to come and take part in the conflict and North Korean builders are ready to work alongside ours (to repair war damage),” the Russian defence expert said in a live panel discussion on Russian Channel One, reported the New York Post.Calling the North Korean troops “resilient, undemanding and motivated”, the Russian journalist said that the Kremlin “shouldn’t be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jong Un”.
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“If North Korean volunteers with their artillery systems, wealth of experience with counter-battery warfare and large calibre multi-launch rocket systems, made in North Korea, want to participate in the conflict, well, let’s give the green light to their volunteer impulse,” Mr Korotchenko said.
He said that if “North Korea expresses a desire to meet its international duty to fight against Ukrainian fascism, we should let them” and added that both nations hold the sovereign right to sign the relevant agreements.
It is not immediately clear how North Korea has offered military assistance to Russia as its war on Ukraine has dragged on for more than five months.
Ranked as the world’s fourth largest, the North Korean military force has nearly 1.3 million active personnel, the New York-based Council for Foreign Relations has said. Additionally, 600,000 serve as reserve soldiers in the army.
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‘Putin’s chef’ trawls jails for convicts to join group of mercenaries
Website says 1,000 persuaded to fight in Ukraine for salary and pardon
The Kremlin insider known as “Putin’s chef” personally toured Russian prisons to recruit 1,000 convicts to fight for his Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine, a Russian opposition website has reported.
Together with the “Russian Sitting” charity, which supports families of convicts, the Verstka news website said that Wagner had persuaded up to 1,000 criminals from 17 prisons to sign up to fight in Ukraine in return for a salary and a presidential pardon.“Three prisoners told human rights activists that businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin was allegedly coming to the colony,” it reported. Verstka quoted a spokesman for Mr Prigozhin as saying that he had not been involved in the recruitment drive.
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Inmates who spoke to activists from the Russia Sitting group said that physical condition and an allegiance to “defend the Motherland” were Wagner recruiters’ top criteria.
“Firstly, recruiters show interest in those convicted for murder and robbery,” Verstka reported, quoting prisoners. “Those inmates in prison for drug and sex offences are normally not selected.”
But Russia Sitting has warned inmates and their families that this is not an easy way out of a prison sentence.
On its website, it said that all the promises made by Wagner and other Russian mercenary groups called Shield, Slavic Corps, Patriot and Redut are legally impossible to enforce and that they should not be trusted.
Wagner offers recruits 200,000 roubles (€3,202) per month salary, a presidential pardon and a so-called “coffin payment” to the family of the mercenary if he is killed.
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Putin accuses Western powers of trying to extend 'NATO-like system' to Asia-Pacific region
Western countries are seeking to extend a "NATO-like system" into the Asia-Pacific region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today.
During his welcome address at the Moscow international security conference, Mr Putin also said that the US was trying to "drag out" the conflict in Ukraine, and that UK House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan had been "a thoroughly planned provocation".
Earlier this month, Ms Pelosi became the first US House Speaker to travel to Taiwan since Newt Gingrich 25 years ago.
The visit saw China launch live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, block Taiwanese imports and summon the US ambassador. -
Ukrainian troops 'approaching parity' with Russian military
As Western powers continue to supply Ukraine with weapons, the country appears to reaching a state of "parity" with Russian forces - and while it's yet to have an impact in the Donbas region where Russian-backed rebels have a stronghold, the effects are being seen in the south.
In recent months, the deployment of US-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) has seen Ukrainian troops destroy bridges in the occupied the southern city of Kherson, which have been vital for Russian soldiers, according to reports.
The use of guided missiles have also allowed Ukraine troops to hit the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which sits along the Dnipro river in the south, leaving Kremlin forces unable to use its bridge for the transfer of supplies.
Speaking on the increased supply of weapons, special forces officer, Kostenko, told The Guardian: "They have made a difference. Previously they fired 100 shells at us, now they fire 20. -
Russia’s war on Ukraine: What you need to know right now
Russia blamed sabotage for explosions at one of its military bases in Moscow-annexed Crimea while Kyiv hinted it was responsible as Ukrainian officials said their strategy was to destroy supply lines supporting Russia's invasion.
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