Category Archives: Ukraine

Russia is banned from Eurovision after invasion of Ukraine

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After a U-turn, organisers say Russia’s inclusion could ‘bring the competition into disrepute’

Russia will no longer be allowed to compete in this year’s Eurovision song contest, with organisers saying its inclusion could “bring the competition into disrepute”.

On Thursday, the European Broadcasting Union said Russia would still be allowed to compete, despite its invasion of Ukraine. But after pressure from broadcasters across Europe, the EBU made a U-turn, publishing a statement on Friday stating the country would no longer be allowed to take part.

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Prominent Russians join protests against Ukraine war amid 1,800 arrests

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As invasion continues, people from worlds of entertainment, business and journalism voice opposition

Prominent Russians shocked by the invasion of Ukraine have gone public with their opposition to the war, despite the professional and personal risks that come with dissent on such a sensitive issue in Russia.

More than 1,800 people were arrested at rallies across the country on Thursday night as prominent Russians from the worlds of entertainment, business and journalism have risked their livelihoods in order to speak out.

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Western powers have realised Russia is largely immune to sanctions

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Analysis: Only the financial equivalent of unleashing a nuclear arsenal will dent Russia’s foreign assets war chest

The war against Russia is one western countries want to fight with only economic sanctions, not guns.

Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, despite its long gestation and planning by Vladimir Putin and his supporters in the Kremlin, was supposed to end quickly once financial retaliation began. Yes, there would be military skirmishes on the ground, but little more than a few casualties were expected once a range of penalties began to bite.

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Ukrainian woman offers seeds to Russian soldiers so ‘sunflowers grow when they die’ – video

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A woman is being hailed on social media after she confronted a heavily armed Russian soldier and offered him sunflower seeds – so that flowers would grow if he died there on Ukraine’s soil. 'You’re occupants, you’re fascists,' she shouts, standing about a metre from the soldier. 

'Take these seeds and put them in your pockets so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here'

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Russian soldiers captured on CCTV disabling surveillance cameras – video

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Russia continued to press its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, on Friday, with troops and tanks moving in from three sides. Ground forces coming from Crimea were caught on CCTV cameras as they advanced toward Kherson to the north-west. The footage shows troops stopping and climbing up the masts to point the cameras downwards

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Fighting reaches Kyiv suburbs as Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies

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Air raid sirens wail over capital and heavy gunfire and explosions heard in residential district

Fighting has reached the suburbs and historic centre of Kyiv after a night of Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital, as Moscow indicated it was ready to talk and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded for international help.

Russian forces advanced to the outskirts of the capital from three sides on Friday while Ukrainian soldiers established defensive positions at key bridges and patrolled in armoured vehicles down the city’s streets watched by anxious residents.

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Russia-Ukraine latest news: multiple explosions heard in Kyiv after Zelenskiy warns tonight will be ‘the hardest’

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Reports say artillery rounds and large blasts were heard in Ukrainian capital; Russia vetoes UN resolution deploring invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked eastern European Nato members for defence assistance.

Zelenskiy spoke with Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Friday to seek defence assistance from eastern European members of Nato and help in bringing Russia to the negotiating table.

We need effective international assistance. Discussed this with Andrzej Duda. Appealed to the Bucharest Nine for defence aid, sanctions, pressure on the aggressor. Together we have to put Russia at the negotiating table. We need anti-war coalition.”

Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany.

Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia. Severe all ties. Kick Russia out of everywhere.”

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UK politics live: sending Nato forces to Ukraine would risk leading to ‘existential’ threat, says minister

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Latest updates: armed forces minister tells Commons Nato and UK forces must not play active role; 1,000 troops on standby to help with refugee response

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries welcomed Uefa’s decision to strip St Petersburg of the Champions League final over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

She said:

I welcome Uefa’s decisive action to strip St Petersburg of staging this year’s Champions League Final.

Russia must not be allowed to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimise its unprovoked, premeditated and needless attack against a sovereign democratic state.

I appreciate there is an urgent question on Ukraine later on, but I wonder if the government has given any indication about whether they are going to make a statement about our relations with China, given that China has done nothing to condemn the Ukrainian incursion, and whether the government will also make a statement about what is happening in the Balkans where I understand that missiles are arriving in Serbia ready to destabilise the Dayton Agreement and create a new crisis there.

I have been given no notification that anything is forthcoming. What I would say is that we do have the urgent question and I am sure that he may be able to press the minister if he were able to catch my eye.

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EU, US, UK and Canada announce sanctions targeting Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov

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Move is largely symbolic but part of attempt to highlight resolve to stand up to Russia over Ukraine

The EU, the US, the UK and Canada have moved to freeze foreign-held assets of Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, after Europe was accused by Ukraine’s president of failing to act hard and fast enough against Russian aggression.

The initiative is largely symbolic, as the Russian president is unlikely to have identifiable personal wealth abroad, but the move followed recognition that appeals for action from Volodymyr Zelenskiy had to be heard.

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The fight for Kyiv: Russian forces enter Ukrainian capital

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Tense atmosphere in city threatened from north-west and east in what appears to be a lightning attack

Russian forces have entered Kyiv and were threatening the Ukrainian capital from the north-west and east in a lightning attack apparently aimed at seizing the city.

The defence ministry in Moscow claimed its forces had taken control of the strategic Hostomel airfield to the north-west after a day of fighting, while Russian tanks were filmed by locals in the Obolon suburb about six miles north of the city centre in the morning.

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Klitschko brothers, former heavyweight boxing champions, urge countries to support Ukraine – video

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Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko have posted a video on social media, calling for action from around the world to stop what they described as Russian aggression in their country.  

'This senseless war is not going to have any winners, but losers,' said Wladimir Klitschko, who has reportedly enlisted in the Ukraine army. 'Don't let it continue happening in Ukraine, don't let it happen in Europe and eventually in the world. United we are strong. Support Ukraine.'

Vitali Klitschko, who is the mayor of Kyiv, has declared a state of emergency and called on the city's 3 million people to stay indoors unless they work in critical sectors

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‘Go fuck yourself’, Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island tell Russian ship before being killed – audio

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The soldiers who died defending an island in the Black Sea from an air and sea bombardment told an officer onboard a Russian navy warship to 'go fuck yourself' when asked to surrender. There were 13 border guards stationed on Snake Island, a roughly 16-hectare (40-acre) rocky island owned by Ukraine that sits about 186 miles (300km) west of Crimea, when Russian troops bombed the island on Thursday. All 13 soldiers died after refusing to surrender

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Gunfire heard as Russian forces enter northern Kyiv – video

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Explosions and gunfire have been heard in a northern district of Kyiv, as invading Russian forces closed in. Footage shared on social media appears to show armoured vehicles driving through Obolonskyi, a district approximately 10km from central Kyiv. Ukraine’s defence ministry asked residents not to leave their houses and to prepare Molotov cocktails

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China ponders how Russia’s actions in Ukraine could reshape world order

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Beijing is walking a diplomatic tightrope but crisis also offers the opportunity to express grievances against its adversaries

The news came as a surprise to many in Beijing. Barely 24 hours ago, Chinese pundits predicted that a war in Ukraine was not inevitable. In New York, as Russia geared up for a full-on assault on its neighbour, China’s UN envoy, Zhang Jun, urged in a security council meeting that “the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue is not fully shut, nor should it be shut”.

But when people in Kyiv woke up to sound of bombs in what the Nato chief called a “deliberate, cold-blooded” invasion, the door had clearly been closed. China’s state media, however, insisted it was a “special military action” by Russia. Quoting Vladimir Putin, China’s central television tweeted: “Russia was left with no other choice.”

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‘Of course I worry’: shock waves from Ukraine reach Taiwan

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With the threat of invasion from China ever present, people’s fears are playing out in eastern Europe

About 5,000 miles away from the violence in Ukraine, shock waves from Russia’s invasion are being felt in Taiwan. Until recently, Taiwan was considered to be one of the world’s most significant potential flashpoints for a multination war. It was heralded – albeit with some exaggeration – as “the most dangerous place on Earth”, under growing threat of invasion by Xi Jinping’s China, which considers the independently governed democracy to be a Chinese province.

This week its people have watched their fears play out in eastern Europe, as Russian forces – ordered by Xi’s ally Vladimir Putin – attacked in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday.

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UK says it will work ‘all day’ to persuade Europe to cut Russia off from Swift

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Foreign secretary goes on diplomatic drive to rally support for peak sanctions measure

The UK has said it will work “all day” to persuade fellow European states to cut Russia off from the international Swift payment system.

The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, ended the pretence that Britain was not at odds with its fellow European leaders over the issue. He said there was still time for Russia to be excluded, and the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said: “The UK is working with allies to exclude Russia from the Swift financial system.”

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Ukraine soldiers told Russian officer ‘go fuck yourself’ before they died on island

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Thirteen border guards died in air and sea bombardment on Snake Island in Black Sea after refusing to surrender

Ukrainian soldiers who died defending an island in the Black Sea from an air and sea bombardment reportedly told an officer on board a Russian navy warship to “go fuck yourself” when asked to surrender.

There were 13 border guards stationed on Snake Island, a roughly 16-hectare (40-acre) rocky island owned by Ukraine that sits about 186 miles (300km) west of Crimea, when Russian troops bombed the island on Thursday.

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Kyiv faces attack from Russia – in pictures

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As the invasion enters its second day, Ukrainians reel from the shock of the attack. The capital Kyiv is braced for the arrival of Russian forces, after Putin unleashed a full-scale ground invasion and air assault that quickly claimed dozens of lives and displaced at least 100,000 people

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‘It’s a grim scene’: hundreds of thousands try to flee Kyiv – video

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Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to flee the capital of Ukraine in cars, on foot and on bicycles amid queues of traffic on the road leading out of Kyiv. 'It's a nation on the move, a nation trying to escape Russian aggression,' says Guardian correspondent Luke Harding. Many Ukrainians are fleeing or preparing to flee the country after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, began an invasion

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