List of All Articles with Tag 'europe'

The unseasonably hot weather across northwest Europe will extend into next week, with London set to exceed 30C

Ukraine’s counter-offensive breakthrough will come as a “shock” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, an expert has said. Mark Galeotti, professor of Slavonic studies at UCL, said Russians had become “complacent” and believed their defence to be more effective than Kyiv’s progress would suggest. It comes after Ukrainian generals claimed troops had breached Russia’s first line near Zaporizhzhia and were gathering momentum in an offensive many observers claimed had failed. Professor Galeotti explained there were three aspects to Ukraine’s counteroffensive gains that would particularly concern the Russian leadership. “One is on the battlefield,” he told The Independent. “It demonstrates their slow, methodical bite and hold strategy is in fact working and has the chance to hammer the second line of Russian defences.” “The second is political,” he continued. “It is also a response to critics in the West who suggested it is time for Ukraine to negotiate because it wasn’t going to make any move. “And thirdly, in terms of the Russians. I think they had started to get a little bit complacent as autumnal rains got closer. I think they thought they had pulled the defence off. “It will come as a shock, but we have seen on the whole the Russians are quite effective in the defence. So I think they’ll be doing what they can to shore up that second line.” Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavisky, who leads Ukraine’s southern offensive, claimed Russian troops had devoted 60 per cent of their time to its first defence, and only 20 per cent each into its second and third. He claimed Russia would soon run out of its “best” soldiers, giving Ukraine an advantage to attack “more and faster”. However, Chatham House consulting fellow Keir Giles, who researches Russian security, said there was no sign of “imminent collapse” among Russian forces despite Kyiv’s latest breakthrough. He told The Independent: “There are optimistic noises from Ukraine about whether the offensive might progress a little faster now because they have broken through the first and strongest Russian defensive line. “But that of course does not mean that things are going to collapse imminently on the Russian side, as some have suggested. “The resilience of Russia and its forces remains imponderable. There is no sign of imminent collapse of the Russian economy or society.” Mr Giles added there were signs Russia feels it is in a position to “drag the conflict out” and wait for the Western coalition to collapse. Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said their forces had retaken about 1.16 square miles of land in the past week around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian troops in May after months of heavy fighting. Moscow has continued to carry out drone attacks on Ukrainian targets including port infrastructure. Last night, 32 Russian kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, damaging civilian and industrial buildings. At least 23 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down by the Ukrainian military, the country’s Air Force said. Soon after, Ukraine’s defence spokesman claimed some of the drones exploded on Romanian territory. Romania’s Ministry of Defence said it “firmly” denied the claim but reiterated its support for Ukraine and said Russian attacks on the country break “all international humanitarian rules”. General Tarnavisky told the Guardian: “When we started the counter-offensive we spent more time than we expected on de-mining the territories. “Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. And this also complicated our advance. “In my opinion, the Russians believed the Ukrainians would not get through this line of defence. They had been preparing for over one year. They did everything to make sure that this area was prepared well.” On Sunday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had decided to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his post and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine‘s main privatisation fund. The announcement, made in his nightly video address to the nation, sets the stage for the biggest shakeup of Ukraine‘s defence establishment during the war launched by Russia in February 2022. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s forces pushed back in the south as Moscow launches kamikaze drone attack Zelensky needed to sack his defence minister – but it goes beyond just corruption scandals Ukraine's defense minister resigns following Zelenskyy's announcement of his replacement The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Cuban citizens are being trafficked to fight for Russia in its war in Ukraine, the country’s foreign ministry said. A human trafficking operation was being run by criminals working in both the Caribbean island nation and thousands of miles away in Russia, the Cuban government said, adding that they were being incorporated into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine. Authorities are now working to “neutralise and dismantle” the network. Russia has yet to comment on these allegations. It comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was expected to travel to Russia and meet Vladimir Putin this month to discuss the possibility of supplying Moscow with more weapons. In a rare trip abroad, Kim would most likely travel by armoured train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, Russia’s Pacific coast, where he would meet Putin, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing US and allied sources. On the battlefield in Ukraine, Russian forces have been pushed back in the south as well as along the eastern front near Bakhmut, the Ukrainian military said. Read More President Zelensky nominates Rustem Umerov as Ukraine’s new defence minister Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns Ukraine ‘targets critical bridge’ built by Putin as counteroffensive ‘breaks through on southern front’

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee Investor sentiment on China remains fragile,

Sergei Surovikin, a former commander in Ukraine. had not been seen in public since the Wagner mutiny.

Thoma Bravo is in advanced talks to buy health records software company NextGen Healthcare Inc., according to people

L’Occitane International SA fell by the most on record after its billionaire chairman ended deliberations on a potential

The UK will announce new planning regulations that will lift an effective ban on new onshore wind farms

European shares ceded earlier gains in low-volume trading as some of the optimism around China’s property market stimulus

Investors in sovereign bonds are mispricing a growing risk that has the potential to trigger downgrades, according to

By Sruthi Shankar and Shashwat Chauhan (Reuters) -European shares ended flat on Monday as gains driven by optimism around China's

Buses from Luton Airport have arrived in Ukraine to help troops on the frontline in the war against Vladimir Putin. The buses, operated by Go-Ahead, were used until March this year to shuttle passengers between Luton Airport and the nearby railway station. They will now be used as rest areas for soldiers in Eastern Ukraine and to transport supplies for front-line troops after being donated to a charity supporting the Ukrainian war effort. Go-Ahead donated the vehicles to local charity, Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership, which provides vehicles to Ukraine that can be used as field hospitals and rest areas for troops or for transporting supplies. The buses, which still have their Luton Airport livery intact, will be fitted with shower and toilet facilities. One of the buses is likely to be used as a mobile exhibition in Ukraine showing the devastation brought about by the Russian onslaught, Go-Ahead said. A spokesperson for the company said: “These vehicles have done years of duty shuttling holidaymakers and suitcases. They’re now retired from airport duty and we’re glad they can be put to good use – as a small contribution to Ukraine’s war effort.” Last month, Sheffield-based bus firm First donated two buses to Ukraine, loaded with medical aid. Mercy mission organiser Craig George, of Ukraine UK Aid Volunteer Group, said they would be used by volunteer medics in freshly targeted areas. Read More ‘Our own front line’: Ukrainian surgeons see wave of wounded soldiers since counteroffensive began Ukraine’s defence minister submits resignation to Zelensky after biggest shake-up since invasion Ukraine war troop deaths and wounded nearing 500,000, say US officials