Kyiv:

At least six Ukrainian officials including cabinet ministers submitted their resignation on Tuesday and a presidential aide was dismissed, as the ruling party signalled a major government reshuffle was underway.

The reset comes as Kyiv faces growing challenges including daily Russian bombardment and as President Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to boost confidence in the government two and a half years into Moscow’s invasion.

“As promised, a major government reset can be expected this week. More than 50 percent of the Cabinet of Ministers’ staff will be changed,” David Arakhamia, the head of the ruling Servant of the People party’s parliamentary faction wrote on Telegram.

“Tomorrow we will have a day of dismissals, and the day after that a day of appointments,” he said.

Several Ukrainian ministers had already submitted their resignation by Tuesday evening, including the Minister for Strategic Industries, Minister for Justice and Minister of Environmental Protection.

The head of Ukraine’s State Property Fund, Vitaliy Koval, also resigned, as did Deputy Prime Ministers Iryna Vereshchuk and Olga Stefanishyna.

The deputy head of Zelensky’s office and one of the president’s top aides, Rostyslav Shurma, was meanwhile dismissed, according to a presidential decree.

Zelensky has ordered several reshuffles since the war began, sacking his defence minister last September after a series of corruption scandals and more recently replacing his top commander amid setbacks on the battlefield.

The Ukrainian leader’s first presidential term, which began in 2019, expired in May but he has remained in post under martial law.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kyiv:

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that he will meet the head of the international nuclear agency in Kyiv after the official visits the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant that has been in Russia’s hands since early in the war.

Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear watchdog, said late on Monday in a post on X that he was on his way to the plant to “to continue our assistance & help prevent a nuclear accident.”

The plant in Ukraine’s southeast – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and now in “cold shutdown” – fell to Russian troops in the first days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Both sides have since frequently accused each other of shelling the plant and both Moscow and Kyiv deny the accusations.

Zelenskiy and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof visited Zaporizhzhia on Monday, a city that lies across the Dnipro’s wide riverbed to the northeast of the plant, where the Ukrainian leader repeated his pleas for the West to supply more long-range weaponry to Kyiv.

Zelenskiy said that after Grossi visits the plant, he is set to come to Kyiv for a meeting with the Ukrainian leader, according to a video from Zelenskiy’s office on social media.

He also said that at this point of the war, it is not possible for Ukraine to take back control of the plant.

“It is safer for Ukraine to control the Zaporizhzhia plant, but so far, from the point of view of the battlefield, I do not see such possibilities, and those that probably exist, they are dangerous,” Zelenskiy said.

Russian agencies reported on Monday that a high-voltage power supply line at the plant automatically disconnected, but the plant’s needs are supplied from another line. There was no reason given for the automatic disconnection.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kyiv:

Russian military launched a massive strike on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure facilities, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

“This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, striking unmanned aerial vehicles at critical energy infrastructure facilities that ensured the operation of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine. All the assigned targets were hit,” it said on Monday in a statement.

The Ministry added that two electronic warfare stations and four field ammunition depots were destroyed over the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday on Telegram that Russia launched more than 100 missiles of various types and about 100 drones, calling it “one of the largest attacks — a combined strike”.

Zelensky said the attack had caused extensive damage to the energy sector, but facilities are currently being restored.

Ukraine’s government-run Ukrinform news agency said that explosions struck the Ukrainian capital, the cities of Dnipro, Kropyvnytsky, Vinnytsia and Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine and the eastern city of Kharkiv.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired at Ukraine several groups of combat drones and cruise missiles.

Eleven Russian Tu-95MC strategic bombers and six Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bombers were airborne during the attack.

Ukrainians had been expecting a major Russian missile attack for some time. The US Embassy issued a warning last week of an elevated risk of attack around Ukrainian Independence Day, which Ukraine marked on Saturday.

Nearly 15 missiles and 15 drones targeting the capital of Kyiv were downed, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, wrote on Telegram. Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Each says its attacks are aimed at destroying infrastructure critical to the other’s war effort.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

US President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and announced a new round of military aid for Kyiv that the Pentagon valued at $125 million.

The call between the two leaders came ahead of Ukraine’s independence day, and on the same day that Washington announced sweeping sanctions against hundreds of individuals and companies tied to Russia’s invasion of the country.

“I am proud we will announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine today,” Biden said in a statement.

“The package includes air defense missiles to protect Ukraine’s critical infrastructure; counter-drone equipment and anti-armor missiles to defend against Russia’s evolving tactics on the battlefield; and ammunition for frontline soldiers and the mobile rocket systems that protect them,” he said.

“Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail — and the United States, our allies, and our partners, will continue to stand with them every step of the way,” Biden added.

The US Defense Department later said the package is worth $125 million and consists of items drawn from American stocks, providing Kyiv with “additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs.”

Zelensky praised the military aid announcement, saying there is an especially urgent requirement for air defenses.

“I welcomed the new US military aid package and emphasized that Ukraine urgently requires the delivery of weapons from the announced packages, particularly additional air defense systems, to reliably protect our cities, communities and critical infrastructure,” he said in a post on X.

The United States has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than $55 billion in weapons, ammunition and other security aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

– New sanctions on Russia –

The latest aid announcement comes as Ukrainian troops press an attack into Russia’s western Kursk region — an offensive that is the most serious attack by a foreign army on Russian territory since World War II.

Earlier on Friday, the US Treasury, State and Commerce departments announced new sanctions that build on a raft of existing measures enacted against Russia over the invasion.

The sanctions target nearly 400 individuals and entities both inside and outside of Russia “whose products and services enable Russia to sustain its war effort and evade sanctions,” the US Treasury Department announced in a statement.

Among those sanctioned were 60 Russia-based defense and technology firms “critical for the sustainment and development of Russia’s defense industry,” it added.

The State Department said in a separate statement that it was responsible for 190 of the sanctions, and that Treasury was responsible for close to 200 others.

It added that its designations “aim to disrupt sanctions evasion and target entities in multiple third countries,” including China, along with businesses supporting the development of Russian energy projects.

Alongside the sanctions unveiled Friday, the Commerce Department announced it was taking “aggressive action” to further restrict the supply of items made in the United States, or labeled as such, to both Russia and Belarus, due to “the Kremlin’s illegal war on Ukraine.”

“Today’s actions will further constrain Russia’s ability to arm its military by targeting illicit procurement networks designed to circumvent global export controls,” the department said in a statement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kyiv:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rebuked the ‘criticism’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia, and said it is part of Indian culture to embrace people upon meeting them.

Notably, Prime Minister Modi visited Russia last month. He was welcomed by President Vladimir Putin and the two leaders warmly embraced each other.

This drew criticism from some sections of Western media as well as from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who termed it a “devastating blow to peace efforts.”

“In our part of the world, when people meet people, they are given to embracing each other. It may not be part of your culture, but I assure, it is part of ours,” Mr Jaishankar said during a press conference.

“In fact, today I saw Prime Minister also embraced President Zelensky and I have seen him do it with a number of other leaders at a number of other places. So, I think we have a slightly cultural gap in terms of what these courtesies mean,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi concluded his visit to Ukraine on Friday, the first by an Indian PM to the European nation since India established diplomatic ties with Ukraine in 1992.

Providing details of the bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Zelensky, the Foreign Minister stated that discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations. The talks covered a range of sectors, including trade, economic issues, defence, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and education.

He further asserted that PM Modi’s visit is a landmark as it is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited the country since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

“As you know, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv this morning and we’ve just concluded his official engagements. This is a landmark visit. It’s the first time that an Indian PM has visited Ukraine since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.”

India and Ukraine also signed four agreements during PM Modi’s visit; the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Food Industry; the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Medical Products Regulation; the MoU on Indian Humanitarian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects; and the Programme for Cultural Cooperation for 2024-2028.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Zelensky during their bilateral meeting that dialogue is the only solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

“India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace,” PM Modi told Zelensky in their bilateral meeting.

He further said that India was ready to play an active role in the path to peace and progress.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kyiv:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given a measured response on what he expects from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump if the former President wins the election again.

Mr Zelensky, responding to a question by NDTV on whether he expects Mr Trump to support Ukraine’s war effort, he said, “We will see in November.”

The US election is scheduled in November. Mr Trump and the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will get in the ring for the ultimate fight.

“But anyway I didn’t get any signal from his (Mr Trump’s) team or from him. We had one bilateral talk during this period of time, during wartime we had one phone call. I only had messages that he would support Ukraine, will do everything to stop the war, and to do everything for Ukraine to remain independent, European and free,” Mr Zelensky said.

 “That is all the messages I have got from him directly. But anyway I can’t prognosis, so we will see in November what will be,” said the Ukrainian President whose country is fighting a war against Russia.

Mr Zelensky was speaking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kyiv. It was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Ukraine’s independence in 1991.

PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv was seen in many quarters as a diplomatic balancing act as his trip to Russia triggered anguish among some Western countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said PM Modi reiterated the need for “practical engagement” between all stakeholders to develop an innovative solution that will help build broad acceptability and contribute towards peace and stability.

During the bilateral talks, PM Modi had earlier told Mr Zelensky that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to find ways to end the war, and that India had been on the side of peace since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022.

“When you begin a strategic partnership, and you begin some dialogue, you don’t need to lose time. That’s why I think it will be good to meet together again, and if our meeting will be in India, I’ll be happy,” Mr Zelensky said.

New Delhi:
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky today said history was made with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Ukraine since the European country’s independence. He said India and Ukraine have signed four documents on a wide range of fields.

Here’s your 10-point cheat sheet to this big story

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in war-hit Ukraine and is expected to share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict when he meets President Volodymyr Zelensky later today. The visit comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies.

The prime minister arrived in Kyiv from Poland onboard a ‘Rail Force One’ train that took around 10 hours, in the second and final leg of his two-nation trip. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser

Indian PM Modi arrived in Kyiv for the first time in the history of Ukraine-India bilateral relations.

: Ukrzaliznytsia / Instagram pic.twitter.com/N1lBzOy06P

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) August 23, 2024

Modi will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelensky with a focus on ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991.

“I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” Modi had said before leaving Delhi.

India has so far maintained a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine war, calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. Modi’s government has expanded India’s non-alignment policy to “multi-alignment,” engaging with both the countries independently.

Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk said India could play an essential and constructive role in resolving the Russia-Ukraine war.

Kyiv:

Ukraine now controls 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk border region, the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.

The governor of the Kursk region, where Ukraine is mounting a week-long incursion, previously said Monday that Ukraine controls 28 settlements.

“There are 74 settlements under the control of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his evening address.

The president said that “despite difficult, intense fighting, the advance of our forces in the Kursk region continues.”

He posted footage showing him holding a video call with military chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

Syrsky tells him: “As of today, our troops have advanced in some areas by 1 to 3 kilometres.”

In the last day, Ukraine has taken “over 40 square kilometres of territory”, Syrsky adds, after saying Monday that the troops hold around 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister was in China on July 23 for talks on how officials there might help end the war with Russia, whose ties with Beijing have grown stronger since the conflict began.

China presents itself as a neutral party in the war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.

However, its deepening “no limits” partnership with Russia has led NATO members to brand it a “decisive enabler” of Moscow’s war, which Beijing has never condemned.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s visit until on July 26 is his first since the war began in February 2022.

Kyiv said Mr. Kuleba’s visit would focus on “ways to stop Russian aggression” as well as “China’s possible role in achieving a sustainable and just peace”.

Beijing said on July 23 that the talks would focus on “advancing China-Ukraine cooperation and other issues of common interest”.

“On the Ukraine crisis, China always believes that an early ceasefire and a political settlement serves the common interests of all parties,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

“China will continue to stand on the side of peace and dialogue,” she said.

China has sought to paint itself as a mediator in the war, sending envoy Li Hui to Europe on multiple rounds of “shuttle diplomacy”.

President Xi Jinping told Hungary’s Viktor Orban this month that world powers should help Russia and Ukraine restart direct negotiations. Orban’s visit to Beijing was branded as a “peace mission”.

China also released a paper last year calling for a “political settlement” to the conflict. However, it was criticised by Western countries for enabling Russia to retain much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

Beijing has rebuffed claims it is supporting Russia’s war effort, insisting last week that its position was “open and above board” and accusing the West of fuelling the conflict through arms shipments to Kyiv.

Beijing, a close political and economic ally of Russia, did not attend a peace summit in Switzerland last month in protest against Moscow not being invited.

‘Extract a price’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called during that summit for Beijing to engage seriously with developing peace proposals.

Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP that Kyiv could likely seek this week to “convince China that it should participate in a second peace summit”.

“Beijing can try to extract a price, even for sending somebody like Special Envoy ambassador Li Hui,” he said.

China has offered a critical lifeline to Russia’s isolated economy since the conflict began.

That economic partnership has come under close scrutiny from the West in recent months, with Washington vowing to go after financial institutions that facilitate Moscow’s war effort.

The United States and Europe have also accused China of selling components and equipment necessary to keep Russia’s military production afloat.

Gabuev suggested that Beijing may this week “try to leverage this Ukrainian interest in a second peace summit… in order to get itself off the hook for deepening sanctions”.

But another analyst said it was possible that Beijing could be keen to play a larger role in mediating a conflict “that threatens to become increasingly costly for Chinese businesses and interests”.

“China is undoubtedly sustaining its overall support for Russia,” Bjorn Alexander Duben, an assistant professor at China’s Jilin University, told AFP.

“But there are signs that Beijing is getting increasingly wary of the diplomatic, political, and economic cost of its ongoing de facto support for Moscow,” he added.