Putin makes surprise trip to Mariupol, symbol of Ukrainian tenacity
March 19, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the occupied port city of Mariupol, his first trip to Ukrainian territory that Moscow illegally annexed in September and a show of defiance after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges.
Russia, Ukraine extend grain deal to aid world’s poor
March 18, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An unprecedented wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices are pushing more people into poverty was extended just before its expiration date, officials said Saturday.
How a warrant for Putin puts new spin on Xi visit to Russia
March 18, 2023 GMTFacing arrest warrant, Russia’s Putin visits annexed Crimea
March 18, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine on Saturday, the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes.
Russia will extend Ukraine grain deal for 60 days — not 120
March 18, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiraling as they did after Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbor.
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine
March 16, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a U.N.-backed inquiry released Thursday.
Russian dissident ex-mayor handed 14-day sentence
March 16, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A former mayor of Russia's fourth-largest city was ordered to spend 14 days in custody on Thursday pending his trial on charges that could entail a longer prison term, part of authorities' efforts to muzzle dissent.
US and Russia ratchet up rhetoric over downing of drone
March 15, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and the United States ratcheted up their confrontational rhetoric Wednesday over a U.S.
Neighbors Bulgaria, Romania sign agreement to boost ties
March 15, 2023 GMTSOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian President Rumen Radev held talks Wednesday with his visiting Romanian counterpart as the two neighbors and NATO allies signed a cooperation agreement to boost bilateral ties amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
US says Russian warplane hits American drone over Black Sea
March 15, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S.
Poland may hand MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine within weeks
March 14, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister said Tuesday that his government may hand its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters jets over to Ukraine “within the next four to six weeks.”
Poland’s leaders said last week that sending the warplanes would be only done within a larger international coalition.
US turns to new ways to punish Russian oligarchs for the war
March 14, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has begun an aggressive new push to inflict pain on Russia’s economy and specifically its oligarchs with the intent of thwarting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
From the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, U.S.
Russia: 60-day extension of wartime grain deal acceptable
March 13, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — A Russian delegation at talks with senior U.N. officials said Monday that Moscow is ready to accept an extension to a grain export deal that has helped bring down global food prices amid the war in Ukraine — but only for 60 days as the Kremlin holds out for changes to how the arrangement is working.
Russia’s economy holds up, but growing challenges test Putin
March 13, 2023 GMTWestern sanctions have hit Russian banks, wealthy individuals and technology imports. But after a year of far-reaching restrictions aimed at degrading Moscow’s war chest, economic life for ordinary Russians doesn’t look all that different than it did before the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian advance stalls in Ukraine’s Bakhmut, think tank says
March 12, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s advance seems to have stalled in Moscow's campaign to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a leading think tank said in an assessment of the longest ground battle of the war.
UK: Russian advance in Bakhmut could come with heavy losses
March 11, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces have made progress in their campaign to capture the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the focus of the war's longest ground battle, but their assault will be difficult to sustain without more significant personnel losses, British military officials said Saturday.
Ukrainian firefighters on risky mission to save lives, homes
March 11, 2023 GMTKOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Thick grey smoke pours from the roof as the firefighters arrive at the brick house, one of several homes hit by Russian shelling in a residential neighborhood of Kostiantynivka.
Ukraine rebounds from Russian barrage, restores power supply
March 10, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's capital had most of its power supply restored Friday, officials said, as the country again responded swiftly and defiantly to the latest Russian missile and drone barrage targeting critical infrastructure.
Why would Russia use hypersonic missile to strike Ukraine?
March 10, 2023 GMTThe latest Russian missile barrage against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure has marked one of the largest such attacks in months.
On Thursday, Russia fired over 80 missiles in a massive effort to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and cripple the country’s energy system.
Russian missile barrage slams into Ukrainian cities; 6 dead
March 9, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A barrage of more than 80 Russian missiles and a smaller number of exploding drones hit residential buildings and critical infrastructure across Ukraine on Thursday, killing six people and leaving hundreds of thousands without heat or electricity.
Poland, Slovakia urge allies to send fighter jets to Ukraine
March 9, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Officials in Poland and Slovakia are urging their allies to provide fighter jets to Ukraine, saying they are ready to send their their Soviet-made MiG-29 jet fighters to Kyiv as part of an international coalition.
Russian forces claim progress in Bakhmut but no end in sight
March 8, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The owner of Russia's Wagner Group military contractor claimed Wednesday that his troops have extended their gains in the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut, but it remained unclear how long the grinding fight might go on.
Czech President Milos Zeman leaves, opponents celebrate
March 8, 2023 GMTPRAGUE (AP) — Over the past 10 years, Czech President Milos Zeman has courted controversy, seeking a referendum on whether his country should leave the European Union, targeting migrants and joking about killing journalists.
Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in UAE amid Russia’s war
March 8, 2023 GMTABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ukraine's first lady on Wednesday offered spirited support to her nation's people while visiting the United Arab Emirates, a country that still remains open to Russia despite Western sanctions.
UN envoy calls for renewed Syrian political talks post-quake
March 8, 2023 GMTA top United Nations official called Wednesday for renewed attempts to reach a political solution to the country's nearly 12-year-old civil conflict in the wake of last month's devastating earthquake.
Why Bakhmut has taken center stage in war in Ukraine
March 8, 2023 GMTThe six-month battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been the longest and bloodiest fight of the war so far.
The flowers of war: Ukraine smith turns guns, ammo into art
March 8, 2023 GMTA blacksmith in the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk is practically beating swords into ploughshares, and turning one man’s trash into treasures. Viktor Mikhalev takes weapons and ammunition and produces what he calls the flowers of war.
UN rights chief cites ‘communication’ about issues in China
March 8, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The new U.N. human rights chief said Tuesday that his office has opened “channels of communication” to help follow up on concerns about the rights of minorities in China, including Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans.
House GOP tries to scuttle resolution supporting Ukraine
March 7, 2023 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Fifty-three Maine House Republicans voted Tuesday against a resolution of support for Ukraine, underscoring a partisan division over U.S. policy of punishing Russia for its invasion and aiding Ukraine's defense.
Hungarian delegation backs Sweden’s NATO application
March 7, 2023 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A parliamentary delegation from Hungary said Tuesday that it supports Sweden’s NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out what Hungary’s governing party has called “political disputes.”
Ukraine military identifies soldier seen in grisly war video
March 7, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A man who appeared to be shot dead by Russian-speakers in a short video was tentatively identified Tuesday as a missing Ukrainian soldier while the footage circulated widely on Ukrainian social media and caused an uproar.
‘Oh my daughter’: Volunteer medic, 29, buried in Ukraine
March 7, 2023 GMTVINNYTSIA, Ukraine (AP) — As the mother’s cries of anguish pierced the cold morning air, mourners who had fought back tears could hold them no longer.
“Oh Yana, oh my daughter,” Olena Rikhlitska howled.
Student gets 8 years in prison for criticizing Ukraine war
March 7, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Moscow sentenced a student activist to 8 1/2 years in prison for social media posts criticizing Russia's war in Ukraine, the latest step in a sweeping crackdown on dissent unleashed by the Kremlin.
Man charged with blowing up PG&E transformers in California
March 6, 2023 GMTSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A 36-year-old man has been charged with blowing up two Pacific Gas & Electric transformers, causing blasts that knocked out power to thousands of utility customers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Zelenskyy vows not to retreat from Ukrainian city of Bakhmut
March 6, 2023 GMTCHASIV YAR, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed Monday not to retreat from Bakhmut as Russian forces encroached on the devastated eastern city they have sought to capture for six months at the cost of thousands of lives.
Inflatable tanks, missiles: Czech firm makes decoy armaments
March 6, 2023 GMTPRAGUE (AP) — The war in Ukraine has created a surge in demand for weapons — and, apparently, also for inflatable fake armaments that can be deployed as decoys.
A Czech company, Inflatech, is producing more than 30 different inflatable military decoys ranging from tanks and armored vehicles to aircraft and howitzers.
Ukraine plant builds 6-person bunkers for war’s front lines
March 6, 2023 GMTKRYVYI RIH, Ukraine (AP) — The pops of welding torches and the piercing whine of angle grinders fill the spacious production floor at a steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, the city in central Ukraine that is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ’s hometown.
Scholz warns of ‘consequences’ if China sends arms to Russia
March 6, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says there would be “consequences” if China sent weapons to Russia for Moscow's war in Ukraine, but he's fairly optimistic that Beijing will refrain from doing so.
Ukraine’s Kostyuk beats Russia’s Gracheva for 1st WTA title
March 5, 2023 GMTAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Marta Kostyuk won her first career WTA title at age 20 by beating Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 7-5 in the ATX Open final on Sunday, then dedicated the victory to her home country of Ukraine.
Russian shelling hits Ukrainian town; Bakhmut battle rages
March 5, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian shelling destroyed homes and killed one person in northern Ukraine's Kharkiv province, the region's governor said Sunday, while fighting raged in the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut.
Civilians flee embattled town as Ukrainian pullout looms
March 4, 2023 GMTIn Britain, ‘warm hubs’ emerge to beat soaring energy costs
March 4, 2023 GMTSTRATFORD-UPON-AVON, England (AP) — On a blustery late-winter day in Shakespeare’s birthplace, the foyer of the Other Place theater is a cozy refuge. Visitors are having meetings over coffee, checking emails, writing poetry, learning to sew.
Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China
March 4, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by U.S. companies in an effort to limit China's ability to acquire technologies that could improve its military prowess, according to a U.S.
Ukraine: Mourners commemorate 8 men killed in Bucha
March 4, 2023 GMTBUCHA, Ukraine (AP) — Clutching flowers and wiping away tears, relatives, neighbors and friends of eight men executed by Russian forces during the occupation of the Ukrainian town of Bucha gathered Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the deaths.
Zelenskyy tells US, Europe law chiefs Russia must face court
March 3, 2023 GMTUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Friday with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and top European legal officials, and called for Russia to face international prosecution for war crimes.
US sending bridge-launchers to Ukraine for spring fight
March 3, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) —
The U.S. announced a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday that for the first time includes armored vehicles that can launch bridges — allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides of the Dnieper River.
US sanctions Russian officials over dissident’s detention
March 3, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on five Russian officials and an expert witness involved in the incarceration of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader who has been imprisoned in Moscow since April for speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Why purported cross-border attack ups ante in Ukraine war
March 3, 2023 GMTRussia has declared that saboteurs from Ukraine crossed into its territory and attacked border villages, a raid that fueled fears of an escalation in the war as it has dragged into a second year.
A day after Thursday’s purported attack, details of what happened remain scarce and conflicting theories about possible perpetrators and their goals are still swirling.
Paris Olympics sports bodies seek IOC clarity on Russia
March 3, 2023 GMTLAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Ongoing uncertainty about letting Russian athletes try to qualify for the Paris Olympics affects “less than half” of its 32 sports, the umbrella group of Summer Games governing bodies said on Friday.
Quad FMs, wary of China’s might, push Indo-Pacific options
March 3, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — The top diplomats of Australia, India, Japan and the United States offered sharp but veiled criticism of China on Friday, even as they maintained their Indo-Pacific-focused bloc is not aimed at countering Beijing.
A year into Ukraine war, bodies dug up in once occupied town
March 3, 2023 GMTBORODYANKA, Ukraine (AP) — The freshly exhumed remains of three men lie in black body bags on the edge of the small cemetery in a town not far from Ukraine's capital, waiting to be taken to a morgue.
Two Americans arrested on charges of selling aviation tech to Russia
March 3, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday arrested two Kansas men on allegations that the pair illegally exported aviation-related technology to Russia and provided repair services for the equipment.
US to send more ammo, folding armored bridges to Ukraine
March 3, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is expected to announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine Friday, including —for the first time — eight armored vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers or other gaps, U.S.
Italy PM urges India to play key role in ending Ukraine war
March 2, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged India on Thursday to play a central role in facilitating negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
US, Russia hold highest-level talks since Ukraine invasion
March 2, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov talked briefly Thursday in the highest-level in-person talks between the two countries since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
British navy seizes Iran missiles, parts likely Yemen bound
March 2, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen, authorities said Thursday, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.
EU to speed up deliveries of howitzer shells for Ukraine
March 2, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — European Union officials and countries from the 27-nation bloc are discussing plans to dedicate an extra billion euros as well as setting up a joint procurement scheme to speed up the delivery of howitzer artillery rounds that Ukraine says are crucial to countering Russian forces.
G20 talks end in India with no consensus on Ukraine war
March 2, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations ended their contentious meeting in New Delhi on Thursday with no consensus on the Ukraine war, India’s foreign minister said, as discussions of the war and China's widening global influence dominated much of the talks.
Russian envoy says nuclear powers may clash over Ukraine
March 2, 2023 GMTGENEVA, Switzerland (AP) — A senior Russian diplomat warned Thursday that increasing Western support for Ukraine could trigger an open conflict between nuclear powers.
Speaking at the U.N. conference on disarmament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov denounced the U.S.
Europe inflation eases slightly but consumer pain persists
March 2, 2023 GMTFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation eased only slightly in the 20 countries that use the euro currency as the pain from higher costs for food and fuel persists and gives the European Central Bank no reason to slow interest rate increases aimed at getting prices back under control.
Scholz asks China to refrain from sending weapons to Russia
March 2, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday called on China to refrain from sending weapons to Russia and instead use its influence to press Moscow for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
War, anger cloud Ukrainian athletes’ path to Paris Olympics
At G-20, high expectations for India as rising global power
March 2, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — With the foreign ministers of the Group of 20 leading economies meeting Thursday in New Delhi, host India is promoting itself as a rising superpower while leveraging its position on the global stage to bridge the gap between the West and Russia.
East-West showdown looms at G-20 FMs meeting in India
March 2, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Fractured East-West relations over Russia’s war in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China’s global aspirations are set to dominate what is expected to be a highly contentious meeting of foreign ministers from the world’s largest industrialized and developing nations this week in India.
Ukraine official: Forces may pull out of key city of Bakhmut
March 1, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military might pull troops back from the key stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to Ukraine's president said Wednesday in remarks that suggested Russia could capture the city that has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
Blinken wraps up Central Asia tour before G20 talks in India
March 1, 2023 GMTU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a brief tour of Central Asia in Uzbekistan on Wednesday before heading to India for what is expected to be a contentious Ukraine-dominated meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20.
Slovakia basks under NATO umbrella, sends Ukraine old arms
March 1, 2023 GMTLEST, Slovakia (AP) — Former Soviet satellite Slovakia has been a NATO member since 2004, but the reality of belonging to the world’s biggest military alliance really kicked in after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.
Blinken warns Central Asia of dangers from war in Ukraine
March 1, 2023 GMTThe Biden administration on Tuesday pledged to support the independence of the five Central Asian nations, in a not-so-subtle warning to the former Soviet states that Russia’s value as a partner has been badly compromised by its year-old war against Ukraine.
Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened
March 1, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Drones that the Kremlin said were launched by Ukraine flew deep inside Russian territory, including one that got within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of Moscow, signaling breaches in Russian defenses as President Vladimir Putin ordered stepped-up protection at the border.
UN report: Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran
March 1, 2023 GMTVIENNA (AP) — Inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% in Iran's underground Fordo nuclear site, a report seen Tuesday by The Associated Press said.
Belarusian leader visits China amid Ukraine tensions
February 28, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a state visit that will be watched for hints about China's attitude to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Drone attacks on Russia underline its vulnerability
February 28, 2023 GMTA spate of drone strikes that Russian authorities blamed on Ukraine targeted areas in southern and western Russia, reflecting the Ukrainian military's growing reach.
No evidence of fraud in weapons to Ukraine, watchdog says
February 28, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s inspector general said Tuesday his office has found no evidence yet that any of the billions of dollars in weapons and aid to Ukraine has been lost to corruption or diverted into the wrong hands, but cautioned that those investigations are only in their early stages.