Russias

Four men appeared in a Harare courtroom accused of running a trafficking ring that sent Zimbabweans to Russia, where victims were allegedly coerced into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. Prosecutors say the suspects worked with a Russian national to recruit five people by advertising bogus firefighting jobs. Authorities allege the group targeted recruits on Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp, arranging travel to Russia before confiscating the victims’ documents on arrival. Instead of the promised emergency work, the…

“Meat grinder” assaults. That was the stark phrase used by Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to characterize Russian tactics on parts of the 1,200km front in mid-March. From Tuesday, 17 March through Friday, 20 March, Russian troops carried out more than 600 assault operations across the entire frontline, General Syrskyi said this week in a post on the Facebook page of Ukraine’s armed forces. He said those attacks left Russia with more than 6,000 casualties in only four days. Ukrainian and Western military…

The Kremlin has rejected claims that President Vladimir Putin asked prominent business figures to contribute funds to help shore up Russia’s finances as the war in Ukraine continues. According to reports from unnamed sources, the independent Russian outlet The Bell and the Financial Times said the allegations stemmed from a closed-door meeting Mr Putin held with business leaders yesterday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “It’s not true that Putin made such a request.” He added that one attendee at the…

‘Giselle’ underground: Kharkiv’s ballet keeps dancing as war grinds on KHARKIV, Ukraine — In a city battered by missiles and winter blackouts, the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has found its stage a few floors below ground. The company’s last performance in its grand auditorium above street level took place on Feb. 23, 2022. Hours later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and tried to seize Kharkiv. What followed remade the life of one of Ukraine’s leading ballet companies: shattered…

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine marks a grim anniversary as President Volodymyr Zelensky declares that Vladimir Putin has failed to break the country and vows to seek a “strong, dignified, and lasting” peace on Ukraine’s terms. In a video address to the nation on the fourth anniversary of the February 2022 invasion, Zelensky said Ukraine had “preserved” its statehood and would “do everything to achieve peace — and to ensure there is justice.” Any agreement, he added, “must not simply be signed, it must…

Nigerians Identified Among Russian Forces in Ukraine Conflict Ukrainian military intelligence has reported the identification of two Nigerian nationals who died while fighting for Russian forces in the ongoing conflict. According to a statement released by the Ukrainian military, the bodies were recovered in the Luhansk region of Eastern Ukraine, a critical frontline area. The Ukrainians assert that the men were allegedly recruited in mid-2025, indicating a troubling trend of foreign fighters being drawn into the…

Zelensky outlines U.S.-led peace proposal for Ukraine, seeks Russian feedback KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday detailed a U.S.-led proposal aimed at ending the war, saying negotiators from Kyiv and Washington agreed on a framework that has been sent to Moscow for feedback. He did not publish a draft but described the plan’s provisions point by point in a briefing with journalists. The document envisions a “full and unconditional non-aggression agreement” between Russia and Ukraine, reinforced by a…

The European Union is preparing a novel way to finance Ukraine’s war and budget needs in 2026 and 2027 by mobilizing frozen Russian central bank assets—without crossing the legal red line of outright confiscation. The plan, centered on Euroclear in Belgium and a European Commission-issued “Reparations Loan,” aims to turn immobilized Russian funds into immediate support for Kyiv while preserving Moscow’s legal claim to its principal. At stake is up to €165 billion of the roughly €210 billion in Russian sovereign assets frozen…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has labeled a recent Russian missile attack involving a new type of ballistic missile as a “stark and serious escalation” in the ongoing conflict with Russia, urging for a robust global response. “This represents a clear and grave intensification of the violence in this war,” Zelensky posted on X, citing a strike that hit the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. “The employment of ballistic missiles today underscores Russia's utter disregard for peace.” "We need the world's support," he…

Next week, NATO and Ukraine will convene in Brussels to discuss Russia's recent launch of an experimental hypersonic missile, according to diplomatic sources. This assembly of the NATO-Ukraine Council is scheduled for Tuesday and will take place at the ambassadorial level. The meeting was initiated by Ukraine in response to the missile strike that struck the city of Dnipro, officials reported. A NATO spokeswoman stated, "The deployment of such a missile won't alter the conflict's trajectory or dissuade NATO allies from…