A Ukrainian soldier walks near a school building destroyed by shelling in Zhytomyr. Photo: Reuters

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Ukraine wari

Russian forces invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, turning Moscow into a global pariah in the worlds of finance, diplomacy, sports and culture, as the West punished it with sanctions. President Vladimir Putin called Russia’s actions - which have triggered the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II - a “special military operation”. Nuclear-armed Russia has warned of consequences if Nato interferes in Ukraine, while strategic ally China urges a peaceful, diplomatic solution.

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Talks on trade imbalances and Ukraine war await Chinese president as he first heads to France in pursuit of ‘pragmatic’ European policy, then Serbia and Hungary, before returning to host Vladimir Putin.

  • Kyiv dismissed the move as a sign of Moscow’s ‘desperation’, saying its state machine is ‘at a loss for what else to invent’
  • Zelensky has been a target since the start of Russia’s invasion, and says he was aware of at least ‘five or six’ foiled assassination attempts against him
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President Xi Jinping’s European trip comes amid barrage of EU trade and competition tools largely targeting Chinese firms, including dramatic raids in the Netherlands and Poland.

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Ukrainian singer Jerry Heil and rapper alyona alyona spoke about promoting their war-torn country’s music, culture and freedom as they set off to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest.

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During an interview with the Economist, Macron said “I’m not ruling anything out”, when asked if he stood by comments earlier this year about the potential to send Western troops to Ukraine.

Russia, in recent weeks, has unveiled a strange-looking – albeit apparently effective – innovation that has been referred to by some Ukraine war observers as the ‘turtle tank’.

‘Serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield’ for Ukraine, said Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on Monday.

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The Duchess of Edinburgh, wife of Prince Edward, made the visit as part of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, Buckingham Palace said.

One of Europe’s most hawkish leaders towards Beijing is confirmed to meet the Chinese president during his first trip to the continent in five years.

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The victims, who were 23 and 36, were killed on the premises of a shopping centre in the village of Murnau in Upper Bavaria. Possible motive for the killings was not yet known, police said.

Russian troops ‘will likely make significant tactical gains in the coming weeks’ while Kyiv awaits badly needed weaponry from the US, a Washington-based think tank said.

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While the assessment didn’t dispute Putin’s culpability for the death, it found that the timing possibly wasn’t as intended by Putin, the WSJ report said.

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‘Our interaction is important for strategic stability on the planet,’ Dong Jun says after meeting with Sergey Shoigu; both chiefs back continued military cooperation.

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Observers say Ukraine will be high on the agenda when Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to France, Serbia and Hungary next month, while the West will be watching Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to China for signs Beijing is supporting Moscow’s war efforts.

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Court documents allege that suspect Dylan Earl was connected to the proscribed terrorist group the Wagner Group, the domestic Press Association news agency reported.

Ukraine sidelines US-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, US officials said.

Purpose is to enlist China’s help in ending the companies’ activities that allegedly violate sanctions on supplying products with military applications to Moscow.

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Trip would be the long-time leader’s first abroad since his re-election, amid Western claims that China is propping up Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

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