russia Archives

Trump envoy Witkoff meets Putin ahead of Russia-Ukraine peace deadline, the Kremlin says

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. A meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours Wednesday. Neither side gave an immediate readout of the talks. The meeting comes days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia potentially faces severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. Trump’s deadline for Putin ends Friday. Washington has threatened severe tariffs and other penalties if the conflict in Ukraine continues.… Continue Reading

8.8-magnitude earthquake sends small tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s meteorological agency says that a powerful earthquake has hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and issued a tsunami advisory for Japan. The agency said the quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 when it hit early on Wednesday. It issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 1 meter (yard) along the Pacific coast of Japan. The quake was about 250 kilometers (160 miles) away from Hokkaido and was felt only slightly. That’s according to Japan’s NHK television. So far no damage has been reported. A tsunami watch, which is a relatively low-level warning, has been issued for Hawaii.… Continue Reading

Ukraine says it struck a Russian air base as Russia sent hundreds of drones into Ukraine

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine says it struck a Russian air base, targeting a depot and aircraft while Russia launched over 300 drones into Ukraine overnight. Ukraine’s air force says most of the drones were shot down or electronically jammed. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy discussed air defense and weapons production with U.S. President Trump as the U.S. paused some military aid to Ukraine.… Continue Reading

Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin’s strategic arsenal

A surprise Ukrainian drone attack that targeted Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication, and dealt a heavy blow to the Russian military. Ukraine said more than 40 bombers were damaged or destroyed Sunday. That’s about a third of Russia’s strategic fleet. The Russian military said only several planes were damaged. The conflicting claims couldn’t be independently verified. But the bold attack demonstrated Ukraine’s capability to hit high-value targets anywhere on Russian territory, dealing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin and inflicting significant losses to Moscow’s arsenal in the 3-year-old war.… Continue Reading

US resumes military aid and intelligence sharing as Ukraine says it is open to a 30-day ceasefire

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The Trump administration says it will immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The announcement came Tuesday, a week after the measures were imposed to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces. In a joint statement released following a lengthy day of talks between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine also said it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, subject to Kremlin agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz both said the discussions in Jeddah had been positive.… Continue Reading

Trump and Zelenskyy trade barbs as US-Ukraine relations sour over the war with Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump are deteriorating rapidly. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space,” and Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war. Zelenskyy also said he would like Trump’s team “to be more truthful” as he offered his first response to a series of striking claims that Trump made a day earlier, including falsely suggesting that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which enters its fourth year next week.… Continue Reading

Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire

U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured.… Continue Reading

Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. The move eases limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war. Word of the decision comes from a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. Thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to Ukraine’s northern border to help Russia reclaim hundreds of kilometers of territory seized by Ukrainian forces. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has expressed skepticism over continued support for Ukraine.… Continue Reading

Russia amplified hurricane disinformation to drive Americans apart, researchers find

WASHINGTON (AP) — New research shows Russia has worked to amplify false and misleading claims about the U.S. government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate Americans before the Nov. 5 election. The research comes from the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Researchers found that posts linked to Russian state media and online accounts spread English-language content that was designed to reduce American confidence in the federal response to the storms. It’s an approach consistent with past Russian disinformation campaigns.… Continue Reading

Trump and Zelenskyy meet in New York as election holds high stakes for US support for Ukraine

NEW YORK (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met face-to-face with Donald Trump with public tensions rising between the two over Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The GOP presidential nominee is facing accusations from his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, that he is advocating for Ukraine to surrender. But Trump said he and Zelenskyy “both want to see a fair deal made,” while the Ukrainian leader said there needs to be pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting comes a day after Harris met with the Ukrainian leader and expressed unwavering support.… Continue Reading