https://www.scmp.com/rss/322514/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from Russia & Central Asia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu While China’s oil and gas imports from Gulf nations plunged in April amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war on Iran, shipments from Russia have provided Beijing with a partial buffer for its growing economy. Russia’s crude shipments to China rose 11.3 per cent year on year to nearly 9 million tonnes in April, according to Chinese customs data released on Wednesday. But market conditions have also shifted. Much of the discount on Russian oil and gas – long a source of cheap... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354219/china-turns-russian-oil-gulf-supply-drops-it-too-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354219/china-turns-russian-oil-gulf-supply-drops-it-too-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:51:57 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Last week, US President Donald Trump landed in China aiming to secure the kind of blockbuster trade deals he championed nine years ago – spanning everything from soybeans to aircraft and energy. By the time he departed, it was clear that reality would fall far short of expectations. Despite Trump hailing a “fantastic deal”, China did not announce the massive buying spree that many had anticipated. Now, just days after Trump’s exit, Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in China with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Adriel Kasonta Adriel Kasonta When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing this week, just days after US President Donald Trump departed, following his summit with President Xi Jinping, the choreography will not be merely diplomatic. It will be show of “civilisational theatre”. For years, analysts framed China as a power caught awkwardly between a revanchist Russia and an increasingly hostile United States. That interpretation now looks obsolete. Beijing is no longer balancing between rival poles; it is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353855/how-china-becoming-gravitational-centre-global-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353855/how-china-becoming-gravitational-centre-global-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarus said on Monday its armed forces had begun training exercises involving Russian nuclear weapons, in a move that drew strong condemnation from Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed in 2023 – a year after Russia’s ‌invasion of Ukraine – to host Russian tactical nuclear missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Moscow retains control of their use. “During the training, in cooperation with the Russian side, it is planned to practise the delivery of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 16:31:45 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China is stepping up economic engagement with Russia by hosting the 10th edition of a major bilateral expo ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected trip to Beijing this week – just days after his American counterpart, Donald Trump, visited there last week. The back-to-back visits to the Chinese capital by two of the world’s most influential leaders highlight an uptick in diplomatic activity as Beijing seeks to stabilise relations with Washington while deepening coordination with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353980/china-and-russia-hold-trade-expo-putin-and-trump-visits-draw-global-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353980/china-and-russia-hold-trade-expo-putin-and-trump-visits-draw-global-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia’s capital and the surrounding Moscow region came under record drone attacks overnight, leaving at least three people killed and over a dozen wounded. Residential buildings were damaged across several suburbs and Moscow’s oil refinery was targeted in a rare strike, according to local authorities. Operations at all four Moscow airports faced rolling disruptions from late on Saturday but have resumed operations after dozens of flight cancellations and delays. Attacks on other Russian regions... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353884/record-ukrainian-drone-attack-moscow-kills-3-targets-refinery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353884/record-ukrainian-drone-attack-moscow-kills-3-targets-refinery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:39:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said on Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the “crime of aggression” in the invasion Russia launched in February 2022. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46-member states, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 13:44:54 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Finland warned the public of drones possibly entering its airspace, for the first time near the capital city Helsinki, in the early hours of Friday. Flights were disrupted at the country’s biggest airport, Helsinki-Vantaa, and about 1.8 million residents of southern Finland were told to remain indoors after overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia near Finland prompted concern that unmanned aircraft had strayed into the country. The emergency warning was issued at 3.49am local time and authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:53 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia carried out its largest aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its war in Ukraine, pounding the capital Kyiv and other cities with hundreds of drones, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. Russia had launched 1,567 drones since the start of Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. At least 27 civilians have been killed over the two days, officials said. Russian ‌President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353566/russia-unleashes-1500-attack-drones-ukraine-shattering-prospects-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353566/russia-unleashes-1500-attack-drones-ukraine-shattering-prospects-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 09:10:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country’s nuclear forces, a launch hailed by President Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine was nearing an end. Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the ageing Soviet-built Voyevoda. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 18:03:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters European governments have rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent’s security. Putin said on Saturday he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end and that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Schroeder as his ‌preferred partner. But European Union foreign ministers, attending a meeting in Brussels on Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “information warfare campaigns” over its full-scale Ukraine invasion, alongside those behind the alleged forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The sanctions package hits 85 people and entities, two-thirds of them related to alleged Russian propaganda operations, including what London said were recent attempts to interfere in coming Armenian elections. Among them were 49 individuals working for the Social Design... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 16:31:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of breaking a US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday, with both sides claiming to have suffered casualties in drone and artillery strikes over the past 24 hours. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was neither observing the truce nor “even particularly trying to”, adding there had been no calm in front-line areas despite a lull in large-scale attacks and pledged that Ukraine would retaliate for any aggression shown by Moscow. “Yesterday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 18:01:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he thought the Ukraine war was coming to an end, remarks that came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years. “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe ‌and that his preferred negotiating partner... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 19:54:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw a scaled-back military parade in Moscow commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Security was tight as Putin spoke at the event, even as a US-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they “face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of Nato”. The president did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 08:42:58 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters. Ukraine never said it would abide by Moscow’s call to halt strikes and lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for only wanting to pause fighting so he could stage a grand parade on Red Square on Saturday. Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week – a counterproposal for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:55:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia told foreign governments and organisations to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from Kyiv, saying a retaliatory strike would be inevitable if Ukraine tried to attack Moscow during World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Wednesday that Russia had sent a message to all accredited embassies urging them to take “very, very seriously” a May 4 statement from the Defence Ministry warning of strikes if Ukraine interrupts the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352705/russia-warns-diplomats-ukraine-capital-evacuate-case-retaliatory-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352705/russia-warns-diplomats-ukraine-capital-evacuate-case-retaliatory-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 05:14:35 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a high-profile visit that comes as Kuala Lumpur looks for alternative oil sources amid a fuel crisis linked to the Iran war. Sultan Ibrahim landed at Vnukovo-2 International Airport at 4.20pm local time on Thursday, according to Malaysian reports, and was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, senior protocol officials and Malaysia’s ambassador to Russia, Cheong Loon Lai. The king is attending Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352696/malaysian-kings-visit-russia-expected-smooth-path-oil-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352696/malaysian-kings-visit-russia-expected-smooth-path-oil-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 03:48:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended ceasefire proposed by Kyiv. Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union’s ‌victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended ceasefire starting at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352555/russian-attacks-kill-27-ukraine-proposed-rival-ceasefires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352555/russian-attacks-kill-27-ukraine-proposed-rival-ceasefires?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 02:30:55 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and successive US presidents have spent the better part of the past three decades warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the whole world. Now, thanks to the illegal US-Israeli war, Iran may have to go nuclear by claiming self-defence. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel would justify its clandestine nuclear weapon programme, which dates back to the 1950s, by claiming Arab states wanted to exterminate it. Well,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a two-day ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine on May 8-9 to mark Russia’s World War II victory, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier, on the night of May 5-6. Putin had first spoken of a possible ceasefire coinciding with commemorations of the 81st anniversary of the victory ‌in a phone conversation last week with US President Donald Trump. Ukraine had been wary of the notion... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352417/russia-orders-ceasefire-ukraine-war-may-8-and-9-coincide-victory-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352417/russia-orders-ceasefire-ukraine-war-may-8-and-9-coincide-victory-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 19:44:31 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A drone hit a residential tower in an upscale Moscow district in a rare strike near the city centre ahead of the traditional World War II Victory Day parade. Moscow air defences repelled an attack by two Ukrainian drones, and one hit the building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, according to a post on Monday by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Emergency services were sent to the scene, and there were no reports of casualties. Mosfilmovskaya is about 6-8km (about 4-5 miles) from the Kremlin, and local media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352345/drone-hits-upscale-moscow-tower-russian-capital-readies-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352345/drone-hits-upscale-moscow-tower-russian-capital-readies-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 07:35:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian troops are inching towards the city of ⁠Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s eastern ⁠Donetsk region, trying to establish ⁠a foothold close to a heavily defended area, Ukraine’s top army official said on Saturday. Kostiantynivka, along with other cities, forms a so-called fortress belt in the country’s east – an area well-fortified by the Ukrainian military. “We ‌are repelling the Russian occupiers’ persistent attempts to gain a foothold in the outskirts of Kostiantynivka using infiltration... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352232/russias-inching-advance-ukraine-approaches-eastern-fortress-belt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352232/russias-inching-advance-ukraine-approaches-eastern-fortress-belt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 11:50:32 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, discussing the wars in Ukraine and Iran even as Washington pressed ahead with its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Trump told reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission ‌in the Oval Office that the conversation was “very good” and that the US was “going to come up with a solution relatively quickly” over its ongoing conflict with Iran. “He told me he’d like to be involved with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351913/trump-says-he-had-good-talk-putin-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351913/trump-says-he-had-good-talk-putin-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:53:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia’s annual Victory Day ‌military parade on Red Square had been scaled back this year and ⁠would not include military ‌equipment due to the risk of ‌what it described ⁠as “Ukrainian ⁠terrorist activity”. The parade, ‌held on May 9, ‌marks the ‌Soviet defeat ‌of Nazi Germany during ⁠World War II, a ⁠conflict Russians call the Great Patriotic ‌War. One of the top holidays on the Russian calendar, it allows the dwindling number of veterans to gather in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351805/russia-hold-equipment-free-victory-day-parade-ukraine-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351805/russia-hold-equipment-free-victory-day-parade-ukraine-war-grinds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:04:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters The acting US ambassador ⁠to Kyiv Julie Davis will step down from her post and retire, a US official and the State Department said on Tuesday, amid a lull in US-brokered talks to achieve a ceasefire and end Russia’s invasion ‌of Ukraine. The Financial Times first reported Davis’ departure and said it was because of differences of opinion with President Donald Trump’s policies and that Davis had grown frustrated with her role over his dwindling support for Ukraine. The State Department pushed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351766/trumps-ukraine-envoy-stepping-down-amid-stalled-peace-talks-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351766/trumps-ukraine-envoy-stepping-down-amid-stalled-peace-talks-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:49:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine’s defence minister claimed. Ukraine has developed cutting-edge and battle-tested drone technology that has proved essential in holding back Russia’s bigger army and has drawn military interest from around the world. Interceptor drones as part of a comprehensive air defence system are now... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351755/ukraine-shot-down-33000-russian-drones-1-month-defence-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351755/ukraine-shot-down-33000-russian-drones-1-month-defence-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:25:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Ukrainian drone attack has caused a “large-scale fire” at ‌Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea, forcing the evacuation of nearby buildings, local officials said on Tuesday. The Rosneft-owned refinery delivers oil products mainly for exports but operations have been halted since April 16 following an earlier drone attack, industry sources said. Ukraine did not immediately comment ⁠on the reports. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on Russia since March, with ‌US-brokered talks on the war in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351733/ukrainian-drone-attack-russian-oil-refinery-causes-major-fire-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351733/ukrainian-drone-attack-russian-oil-refinery-causes-major-fire-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:35:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country would continue to support Russia’s policies and he discussed the international political situation with Russia’s defence minister, state media KCNA reported on Monday. A Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attended a completion ceremony for a ‌‌memorial honouring North Korean soldiers killed while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces staged an incursion in 2024, KCNA said. Russia launched a full-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:30:37 +0000 Li Xing Li Xing Geopolitics, at its core, examines how geography shapes international politics, power distribution and security dynamics. One enduring idea is geographer Halford Mackinder’s “heartland” theory, which situates Eurasia as the central arena of global power competition. In 1904, Mackinder argued that the vast land mass of Europe and Asia – what he called the “world island” – contained a pivotal core, the “heartland”, rich in resources, population and strategic depth. His dictum – “Who rules Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia over the past day killed at least 16 people, authorities said on Sunday as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted new warnings about risks posed by attacks near the plant during Russia’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbour. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the anniversary with a warning that Russian attacks risk repeating history. “Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:57:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press People streamed into the central square of Slavutych in the early hours of Sunday, placing candles on a large radiation hazard symbol laid out on the ground as a midnight commemoration began for those killed in the Chernobyl disaster 40 years ago and the thousands who risked deadly radiation exposure to contain its aftermath. Residents show up for the vigil each year despite wartime curfews and official warnings against large gatherings during Russia’s war on Ukraine. The April 26, 1986 disaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351480/ukrainians-gather-remember-chernobyl-disaster-despite-russias-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351480/ukrainians-gather-remember-chernobyl-disaster-despite-russias-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:44:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says Afghans who helped America’s war effort and have been stuck in Qatar in the hope of reaching the United States can safely return to Afghanistan. The statement on Saturday by foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi comes after reports emerged that the Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send 1,100 Afghans who assisted the US during its war in Afghanistan, and relatives of US service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351436/taliban-says-afghans-stuck-qatar-who-helped-us-war-can-safely-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351436/taliban-says-afghans-stuck-qatar-who-helped-us-war-can-safely-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:09:21 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least six people, officials said on Saturday, most of them in an attack on a residential building in the eastern city of Dnipro. Over 30 people were injured, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia launched 47 ballistic and cruise missiles as well as 619 drones of various types. Ukraine has been warding off a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. Air raid sirens sounded across the country with residents urged to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351422/5-die-ukraine-over-30-wounded-massive-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351422/5-die-ukraine-over-30-wounded-massive-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:56:58 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Amid the rubble of the US-Israel war on Iran, a new Middle East appears to be taking shape as a constellation of regional powers jockey for a seat at the table. Led by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the grouping stretches from the Gulf across the Caucasus to Central and South Asia, binding together countries with overlapping interests, interlocking partnerships and a shared conviction: that the post-war order should not be dictated exclusively by the US-Israel alliance or Iran and its battered but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States of ⁠abandoning internationally recognised diplomatic ⁠conventions in pursuit of its ⁠own interests, particularly in dominating energy markets, in an interview broadcast on Friday. Lavrov, interviewed by Russian state television, said Washington, in its dealings with Latin America and the Middle East, was “taking us back to a world where ‌nothing existed” in international law. “The United States has officially declared that no one... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351393/russia-accuses-us-using-coups-kidnappings-defend-its-well-being-any-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351393/russia-accuses-us-using-coups-kidnappings-defend-its-well-being-any-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:29:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia said on Monday it had arrested a German woman found with a home-made bomb in her backpack in what it alleged was a Ukrainian-hatched plot to blow up a security services facility in the south. Russia has arrested dozens of people throughout the four-year war, mostly its own citizens, on allegations of working for Ukraine to carry out sabotage attacks. There has been a string of high-profile arrests of Western citizens since Moscow ordered its troops into Ukraine – typically on espionage... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350745/russia-arrests-german-woman-over-bomb-plot-it-says-linked-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350745/russia-arrests-german-woman-over-bomb-plot-it-says-linked-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:29:57 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Kremlin on Friday denied that ⁠President Vladimir ⁠Putin was insulated from ⁠bad news after a celebrity blogger accused unidentified top officials of not telling Russia’s paramount leader the truth about the country’s problems. Viktoria Bonya, a social media influencer who ‌is well known inside Russia for her appearances on reality TV shows, said this week that she supported Putin and listed five problems which she said officials were not briefing him on honestly. Her video was watched more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:47:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia unleashed its deadliest attack so far this year on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities overnight, killing 17 people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounding scores, in drone and missile strikes, officials said on Thursday. In Russia, a major Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian ‌officials and media reported. The port is home to a major oil refinery as well as an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350297/russian-missiles-and-drones-kill-least-16-across-ukraine-worst-attack-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350297/russian-missiles-and-drones-kill-least-16-across-ukraine-worst-attack-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:55:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Ukrainian unit said on Wednesday that it has carried out more than 100 attacks on the front using ground robots, after President Volodymyr Zelensky recently hailed the capture of a Russian position thanks to this new method. “In total, there have already been over 100 such operations,” said a source within the NC-13 company, which specialises in the use of these combat machines and is part of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade. “These operations include the elimination of enemy personnel, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350228/ukraine-unit-says-it-has-launched-over-100-robot-attacks-russias-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350228/ukraine-unit-says-it-has-launched-over-100-robot-attacks-russias-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:40:10 +0000 James David Spellman James David Spellman The fraying of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran reflects grim patterns of history. Truces are often doomed because they focus on stopping battle-related violence and rarely begin to address the underlying struggles that ignited hostilities. A pause without a shared common endgame often resets the battlefield as reasons harden for prolonging warfare. Viable political solutions seldom follow and take hold for peace to endure. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the perils. The Minsk... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang A leading sovereign wealth fund from Central Asia has cast a vote of confidence in Chinese debt and the country’s currency by becoming the first institution from the region to sell yuan-denominated debt, known as panda bonds, in China’s onshore market. The decision by Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, to sell 3 billion yuan (US$440 million) in China’s interbank market comes as global investors are looking for safe havens amid geopolitical uncertainties such as the Iran war. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350040/kazakh-sovereign-fund-issues-central-asias-first-panda-bond-milestone-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350040/kazakh-sovereign-fund-issues-central-asias-first-panda-bond-milestone-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:24 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow With millions of Indonesians at risk of being pushed into poverty amid a deepening global energy crisis, President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Moscow this week seeking something straightforward but increasingly scarce: cheap oil. Prabowo’s trip, which got under way on Monday, comes at a moment of acute regional anxiety. Global oil prices have skyrocketed since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran more than six weeks ago amid the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:04:30 +0000 dpa dpa Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has hit out at the “delay” and “timidity” in helping Ukraine after travelling through the country unprotected during a 72-hour trip for a documentary. The former prime minister travelled beyond the capital Kyiv to the so-called kill zone near the city of Zaporizhzhia where he witnessed first-hand the war between Russia and Ukraine. The 61-year-old said Ukraine can and will win the war, but that “we are risibly failing to live up to our pledges” to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349952/ex-uk-pm-boris-johnson-criticises-timidity-over-ukraine-after-visit-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349952/ex-uk-pm-boris-johnson-criticises-timidity-over-ukraine-after-visit-film?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:34:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A truce between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired on Monday, both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids. The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday. Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Thursday and which Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed more than a week earlier. But as with a similar... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349820/russia-and-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-putins-easter-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349820/russia-and-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-putins-easter-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:44:53 +0000