Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
15 years of Vladimir Putin: 15 ways he has changed Russia and the world
His critics say he has led his country into an autocratic cul-de-sac, but his fans point to the stability he brought after Yeltsin and the way he stood up to the westDays before he was elected to the Russian presidency in 2000, Vladimir Putin told the BBC that Russia was “part of European culture” and that he “would not rule out” the possibility...
Nuclear waste stored in the open air near Ukrainian front line
‘Shocking’ store of over 3,000 spent fuel rods stand in containers in an open-air yard just 200km from Ukraine’s warzone and highlight wider tensions over energy relations with Russia More than 3,000 spent nuclear fuel rods are being stored in an open-air yard just over 100 miles from Ukraine’s front line of fighting, in...
Ukraine oligarch brokered deal to make Petro Poroshenko president, court hears
Dmytro Firtash boasts he persuaded former boxer Vitali Klitschko to step aside during what he calls a politically motivated US extradition hearing in AustriaLast year’s Maidan revolution in Ukraine was meant to usher in a new kind of politics and end official corruption and behind-the-scenes oligarchic influence. But an Austrian court last...
Global Jewish immigration to Israel jumps by 40% this year
Ukrainians and Russians account for surge as numbers leaving western Europe in first three months remains steady despite Paris attacks in January, report showsJewish immigration into Israel has surged more than 40% this year, but it is Ukrainians and Russians who are responsible for the rise, not western Europeans fleeing after the Paris...
Upswing in fighting in Ukraine sends civilians fleeing and puts truce in doubt
Eight Ukrainian soldiers are killed in past week, and another 40 wounded in attacks by pro-Russia separatists, in most intense clashes since Minsk ceasefireUkraine is experiencing its most serious increase in fighting in three months, sending more civilians fleeing and raising fresh doubts about the viability of a shaky February truce.Another...
The 20 photographs of the week
The earthquake in Nepal, the riots in Baltimore, the London marathon – the best photography in news, culture and sport from around the world this week … …read more Source: The...
‘There was heroism and cruelty on both sides’: the truth behind one of Ukraine’s deadliest days
A year on from rioting and a fire in Odessa that left 48 pro-Russia activists dead, there are claims of complicity between police and activists across the divideThe emergency calls became increasingly desperate. “When are you coming? It’s already burning and there are people inside,” a woman told the fire brigade dispatcher. Minutes later,...
In the face of the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian fashion is having a moment
Last year, Ukrainian fashion week was a hotbed of protest; now designers are leaning on the country’s national dress to create a patriotic statementBohemian is fashion’s go-to spring trend and this season, it’s awash with the floral and ethereal. But this season, designers have been mining influence from a more niche aspect:...
US set to revive propaganda war as Putin’s PR machine ‘undermines’ Baltic states
Pressure grows from Congress to counter slick Russian media that erodes support for NatoRussia’s sprawling propaganda network may have failed to persuade much of the world that Ukraine is run by Nazis, that Crimea was annexed in a popular uprising and/or that Germany is a failed state. But the barrage of misinformation has convinced some...
Crowdfunding a war: Ukraine’s DIY drone-makers
In a David versus Goliath-like battle, Ukrainian forces look to private companies and crowdfunded volunteer organisations to develop defence software and drone hardware in their fight against RussiaWe arrived in Krasnoarmiysk, Ukraine, at 3am. Two soldiers wearing balaclavas and holding Kalashnikov assault rifles came out to meet us, instructing...
