Category: News

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Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine said Saturday a Russian bomb landed near a block of flats in the southern city of Kherson overnight wounding a child, while a teenage boy died in shelling elsewhere. “Last night, the Russian army struck the city with a bomb. The shell landed near a five-story building,” Kherson’s administration said on social …

Read more “Ukraine Says Russia Dropped Bomb on Kherson”

Nicosia, Cyprus — A U.S. charity said it was loading aid for Gaza onto a boat in Cyprus, the first shipment to the war-ravaged territory along a maritime corridor the EU Commission hopes will open this weekend. The Spanish-flagged vessel Open Arms docked three weeks ago in the port of Larnaca in Cyprus, the closest European …

Read more “Aid Ship Set to Sail from Cyprus to Gaza on New Corridor, Charity Says”

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Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO Thursday, as alliance troops participated in the bloc’s Steadfast Defender exercise this week. This operation aims to foster compatibility and cooperation on the battlefield among member nations, enhancing the alliance’s capacity to counter provocative behavior from the Russian Federation. Eastern Europe chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from the training …

Read more “NATO Conducts Largest Military Exercise Since Cold War”

WASHINGTON — The United States on Saturday marks its first U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day to commemorate Americans being held abroad. First designated last year by bipartisan House and Senate legislation, the day marks the anniversary of the kidnapping of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who was considered to be the longest-held American hostage …

Read more “US Holds First Day to Commemorate American Hostages”

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Anna Chernikova is in Kyiv, gauging Ukrainians’ reactions to the State of the Union speech by U.S. President Joe Biden. …

A pair of American aviators are helping Ukrainian fighter jet and helicopter pilots get some vital equipment. The gear is being donated by American and European pilots. Mariia Prus has the story. …

Istanbul — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due in Istanbul on Friday for talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the war with Russia and navigation on the Black Sea. The two leaders were set to meet at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul and hold a news conference on Friday evening, according to plans …

Read more “Zelenskyy Due in Istanbul for Erdogan Talks on War, Black Sea”

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Sweden formally joined the NATO military alliance Thursday, a decision officials said was prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The announcement came as the alliance was conducting large-scale exercises above the Arctic Circle as a show of force and unity. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports. …

Imprisonment based on political dissent is especially difficult for women, says Nadya Tolokonnikova, a creator of Pussy Riot, and someone who spent 16 months in a Russian prison. The Russian diaspora in Los Angeles gathered to write letters of support to women incarcerated on political grounds in their homeland. VOA News reports from Los Angeles, …

Read more “LA Russians Send Letters to Support Female Political Prisoners in Their Homeland”

Ukrainian officials say the Russian military patrol ship Sergey Kotov sank in the Black Sea after being targeted by Ukrainian-made sea drones. The reported hit is calling attention to drones as effective weapons to keep Russian forces from taking control of the Black Sea. VOA Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze gained exclusive access to …

Read more “Ukraine’s Sea Drone Technology Gaining Significance”

Turkey and Turkmenistan have agreed to work toward a major gas export deal, which analysts say takes Ankara closer to becoming a significant energy hub and eases Europe’s energy deficit. But they also warn that Moscow can yet thwart such aspirations. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

WASHINGTON/STOCKHOLM — Sweden is expected to formally join NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced a complete rethink of its national security policy and the realization the alliance offered the best guarantee of safety. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is in Washington to hand over the final documentation, with the …

Read more “Sweden Set to Become NATO’s 32nd Member as PM Visits Washington”

COLOGNE, Germany — Germany faced strikes on several fronts on Thursday, as train drivers and airport workers walked off the job, causing chaos for millions of travelers and adding to the country’s economic woes at a time of looming recession. The strikes are the latest in a wave of industrial actions to hit Germany, where high …

Read more “Strikes Hobble German Railways, Airports as Disputes Mount”

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washington — On Facebook, Vadim Wolfson makes his political position clear. His profile picture shows him in a baseball cap emblazoned with the words “Puck Futin,” while his banner image features a Russian anti-war flag. In words and memes, Wolfson criticizes Russian President Vladimir Putin, top Russian officials and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But Wolfson …

Read more “US Indictment Details Russian Oligarch’s Sanctions-Busting Scheme “

Washington — Moscow has a range of military technologies that it could offer Pyongyang in exchange for munitions to sustain its war in Ukraine, with advanced missile technologies high on the list, analysts say. North Korea has been providing munitions to Russia since its leader, Kim Jong Un, visited Russia last September and met with President …

Read more “What’s on Pyongyang’s Weapons Shopping List in Moscow?”

PRAGUE — The Czech Parliament’s upper house, the Senate followed the lower house on Wednesday to approve changes in the gun law that tighten requirements for owning a weapon following the worst mass killing in the nation’s history.  The legislation now must be signed by President Petr Pavel before becoming law, which is expected.  On December …

Read more “Czech Parliament Toughens Gun Laws After Country’s Worst Mass Shooting”

WASHINGTON — The United States on Wednesday issued sanctions targeting two companies and two vessels that the Treasury Department said had facilitated commodities shipments on behalf of a network of an Iranian-backed Houthi financial facilitator. The action targets two Hong Kong- and Marshall Islands-based ship owners and two vessels for their role in shipping commodities on …

Read more “US Targets Houthi Revenue With New Sanctions”