City Donetsk Financial News

Russia has fired at least 24 North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since Dec. 30, in strikes that have largely missed relevant military targets and killed at least 14 civilians, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday. Andriy Kostin, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said a preliminary assessment enabled Kyiv to ascertain the ballistic missiles were from North Korea, and of the KN-23/24 series, the latest in an array of missiles used by Russia for air strikes. The Kremlin has neither denied nor confirmed its use of North Korean-made missiles and ammunition.

KYIV, Ukraine—Russian forces are using SpaceX’s satellite internet system near the front line in occupied parts of Ukraine, Kyiv’s military intelligence agency said, potentially undercutting a major battlefield advantage for Kyiv’s army. Access to the system, known as Starlink, has allowed front-line Ukrainian forces to communicate via secure internet chat apps, allowing them to stay in contact without relying on cell or radio signals, which are easier to intercept.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replaced General Valerii Zaluzhnyi as the head of Ukraine's armed forces, marking a significant shift in the country's military leadership amid ongoing tensions with Russia, reported CNN. Speculation was rife for over a week before Zelenskyy's announcement on February 8, reflecting the strained relationship between him and Zaluzhnyi over recent months. The change comes at a crucial moment in the war with Russia, with Ukrainian units facing challenges along various fronts, particularly in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. Shortages of ammunition and experienced personnel have added to the complexities faced by Ukrainian forces, as per CNN.

Putin vowed on the eve of Orthodox Christmas to back soldiers who «with arms in hands» defend Russia's interests, ordering his government greater support of those who fight and calling on his people to be merciful and just. «Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand,» Putin said at a late Saturday meeting with families of Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine.

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday thanked Ukraine's military for fighting Russian attacks and its rescue services for tackling the consequences of extreme winter weather that he said had deprived about 400 settlements in 10 regions of power.

previous record was 3,540 meters," the report added. The outlet also shared footage purportedly showing the record-breaking strike. Live Mint could not independently verify the information or the video.

Ukrainian energy infrastructure 60 times in the last several weeks as winter approaches and temperatures drop, driving up public energy consumption, officials said on Wednesday. Ukraine fears Russia may have already begun a concerted campaign of attacks on the power grid for a second winter at war. Last winter, thousands of Russian drones and missiles targeted Ukraine's power sector, causing sweeping blackouts.

Russia has unveiled a sprawling exposition highlighting the nation’s accomplisments, which will run through the months leading to the presidential election in which Vladimir Putin is widely expected to seek a new term

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday. “The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula,” the ministry wrote on Telegram. Local authorities in the southern Krasnodar region bordering the Black Sea said that a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the early hours of Sunday, but did not specify the cause. “The reasons for the incident are being established,” a statement from local authorities said, amid claims in local media outlets that the fire had been caused by a drone strike or debris from a downed drone. Drone strikes and shelling on the Russian border regions and Moscow-annexed Crimea are a regular occurrence.

Xavi Hernandez is cautiously optimistic that he will be able to count on his top player, forward Robert Lewandowski, for Saturday's Clasico against arch-rivals Real Madrid. After facing serious injury problems in the last few weeks with up to seven players out, Xavi got good news on Friday as Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Pedri participated in training before the big game. Defender Jules Kounde and midfielders Pedri and Sergi Roberto have been ruled out, but Lewandowski, De Jong and Raphinha are ahead of schedule in their recoveries and all signs point to last year's LaLiga top scorer being fit to start against Real. «I can't reveal the line-up right now, but (Lewandowski) is fine and I'll make my decision tomorrow,» Xavi told a press conference. «It's complicated (to take risks with injured players) and in the end only those who are 100% will play tomorrow.» Xavi, who had to call up eight academy players for the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, praised the club's young talent for delivering at the highest level. Barca secured a hard-fought 2-1 win against Shakhtar thanks to a brilliant display by 20-year-old Fermin Lopez, who is becoming a regular in the first team alongside teenagers Lamine Yamal and Marc Guiu. «The homegrown players give us something extra. They work hard, they know the importance of tomorrow's game and what it means for our people,» Xavi said. «There are more nerves, more emotions, but you have to control them.

Russia's deadly attack on a beloved pizzeria in eastern Ukraine in June was painful for residents

Barcelona is all set to play Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday in UEFA Champions League Group H match on Wednesday. Barcelona are at the top of the group with six points from two matches. Shakhtar Donetsk are at the third place with three points from two matches.

(Reuters) — Russian forces aiming to contain a four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive maintained unrelenting pressure on Sunday on the shattered town of Avdiivka in the east and intensified shelling in the southern area of Kherson.

Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the front line in northeastern Ukraine after a sharp increase in fighting there, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces said on Monday. Video footage released by the ground forces showed General Oleksandr Syrskyi meeting troops at an undisclosed location in woodland, and quoted him as saying fighting in the northeastern Kupiansk-Lyman sector had «significantly escalated». «The enemy is preparing, seriously preparing for offensive actions, bringing in staff,» Syrskyi said in the footage posted on the Telegram messaging app. «The main goal is to break through our troops' defences and recapture our territory.» Ukrainian forces recaptured the city of Kupiansk and nearby areas nearly a year ago, ending months of Russian occupation following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022, but Russian forces have gone on the attack in the region again. The Ukrainian military reported in its daily update that fighting was raging along the eastern front, particularly around Kupiansk, and near Avdiivka and Mariinka in the Donetsk region. Russia went on the offensive around Avdiivka last week and fighting there has been intense.

Russian attacks on Ukraine in the past 24 hours, local officials reported Sunday. Two people were killed and three more injured in the Kherson area after more than 100 shells bombarded the region over the weekend, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on social media.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday clarified on the suspension of Russian Olympic body and said that individuals who have Russian passport can participate, however, Russia as a country will not be allowed to participate in the Olympic games. "We will allow individual players with Russian passports.

FC Barcelona will be playing FC Porto in a crucial UEFA Champions League match which will be played in Portugal. Both FC Barcelona and Porto are leading the group H. In the tournament opener, FC Barcelona defeated Antwerp and Porto secured a victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Porto has remained unbeaten in their nine games this season, and while manager Sergio Conceicao knows his team will need to suffer, they are confident of making their opponents suffer too. A 3-1 win at Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening game gave Porto a good start but they now face Group H favourites and La Liga champions Barcelona, who put five past visitors Antwerp without reply in their first match.

Dmitry Medvedev suggested Saturday that Moscow may annex more regions of Ukraine, as he marked one year since the Kremlin claimed four Ukrainian territories as its own. Moscow held elections in the four regions this month, but does not fully control any of them and is currently battling a Ukrainian counteroffensive to take them back. «The special military operation will continue until the complete destruction of the Nazi regime in Kyiv,» said Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chair of Russia's Security Council. «Victory will be ours.

Ukraine's air force reported downing all Russian drones overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles apparently made it past air defences the day after the war in Ukraine entered its 20th month. Russia has continuously targeted port and grain storage facilities in Odesa since pulling out of a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports to countries facing the threat of hunger. The attacks have destroyed silos, warehouses, oil terminals and other infrastructure critical for storage and shipping. In the south, Russian forces dropped bombs and launched six heavy artillery strikes on Kherson, destroying a school and factory and damaging residential buildings.

The voting for Russian-installed legislatures in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions begins Friday and concludes Sunday. It has already been denounced by Kyiv and the West. «It constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, which Russia continues to disregard,» the Council of Europe, the continent's foremost human rights body, said this week. Kyiv echoed that sentiment, with the parliament saying in a statement that the balloting in areas where Russia «conducts active hostilities» poses a threat to Ukrainian lives.

Russia is holding «sham elections» in the occupied region of Ukraine, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said adding that this action shows its blatant disregard for UN Charter principles. In a statement released by the State Department, Blinken said, «The Russian Federation is in the process of conducting sham elections in occupied areas of Ukraine.