New EU-backed programme to help Ukraine prepare large-scale infrastructure projectsEBRD, EIB and European Commission provide total of €30 million for initiative, with more funding due from EU countries and donorsGoal is to hasten reconstruction in Ukraine amid damage caused by Russian invasion.Ukraine[1] will receive extra European support for reconstruction through a new initiative to accelerate large-scale infrastructure projects in the country. The programme, called Ukraine FIRST, aims to ensure that projects receive funding and move ahead quickly. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank[2] (EIB) and the European Commission[3] announced the programme at the Ukraine ...

As war rages on in Ukraine, the plight of Indian students stuck in the war-torn country has been reported extensively. Many Indian students have reportedly continued to face harsh conditions and even harassment at the hands of soldiers.Amid all of this, a Hindi postcard[1] featuring General Sergey Shoygu, the Russian Minister of Defence, has gone viral on social media. The postcard says Indian nationals in Ukraine should display the Indian flag on their homes and vehicles. It also claims that following this, the Russian Armed Forces would ensure safe passage for them.The text in Hindi inside the postcard[2] quoted Shoygu ...

The United States is calling for the immediate end of Russia’s massive attacks on Ukrainian cities. According to a Ukrinform correspondent, this was stated by Keith Kellogg, the U.S. President’s Special Envoy, during his speech at the 4th Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome.“The attacks just this past week, in enormity, are simply horrific in their scale. Schools, hospitals, apartments, and other civilian infrastructure have all been subject to Russian attacks, resulting in the senseless killing of Ukrainian civilians, including women and children. This must stop,” Kellogg said.According to him, the casualties on both sides have already “surpassed millions —numbers ...

EBRD, the European Commission and partners plan mechanism to accelerate Ukraine renewable energy investmentsLetters of intent signed at Ukraine Recovery Conference in RomeOnce implemented, mechanism could mobilise €1.5 billion of investments for 1 GW capacityThe EBRD and development partners are developing a key mechanism to accelerate renewable energy investments in Ukraine[1] that will deliver secure and clean energy. Ukraine urgently needs new generation capacity after Russian attacks have devastated the power sector, causing a significant deficit in generation capacity.The Ukraine Renewable Energy Risk Mitigation Mechanism (URMM) was heralded at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome when the EBRD, which ...

The European Union should begin amassing stockpiles of food and other vital supplies in the face of looming conflict, health emergencies and natural disasters, Brussels officials have declared.The European Commission unveiled a groundbreaking stockpiling strategy on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need to build reserves of essentials like fuel, medicine, and raw materials to shield member nations from catastrophic shocks.This development follows a chilling alert from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that as Russia[1] rebuilds its arsenal, it could "pose a credible military threat" to the bloc and NATO within two to five years.Russian President Vladimir Putin[2] unleashed an unprovoked full-scale ...

On 7 July, the EU-Council of Europe Scoreboard meeting was held to evaluate and enhance cooperation through Joint Programmes. The following day, on 8 July, the Senior Officials Meeting took place, reinforcing the strategic partnership and discussing the two organisations' ongoing cooperation and shared commitments.The annual EU-Council of Europe Scoreboard meeting on Cooperation through Joint Programmes took place in Brussels on 7 July. The meeting was co-chaired by Claus Neukirch, Director of the Programming Department of the Council of Europe; Eleftheria Pertzinidou, Head of the Multilateral Relations Division of the European External Action Service; and Thomas Hagleitner, Head of Unit ...

More than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, experts gathered at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on July 7 to spotlight a deepening pattern of Russian war crimes, nuclear threats, and environmental destruction.Jointly organized by Ukrainian human rights NGO Truth Hounds[1] and United States-based Project Expedite Justice[2] (PEJ), the briefing presented findings from a years-long investigation. Systematic ViolencePanelists opened the session with a stark reminder that the world's attention is fading just as Moscow's actions become more coordinated and brazen. "When Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia's atrocities were on the first pages of newspapers," said Dmytro ...

Ukrainian frontline units will soon be able to directly exchange combat-earned “e-points” for drones, electronic warfare systems, and other battlefield technologies through the Brave1 Market, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on July 10.The system, known as Army of Drones: Bonus, rewards military units with e-points for confirmed destruction of enemy equipment. These points accumulate[1] in a unit’s digital account and can be redeemed for UAVs, electronic warfare kits (EW), and FPV drones. Units place orders through the Brave1 Market, with delivery expected within several weeks.“The bonus system will now work more efficiently thanks to digitalization,” Fedorov said. “Soldiers will be able to receive a wider range of high-impact technologies for confirmed kills, and the ...

Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with yet another large missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, killing at least two people and causing fires in areas across the city, a day after the heaviest aerial attack of the three-year war[1] so far. Story continues below video This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.References^ three-year war (apnews.com)

The strikes came less than 24 hours after he held a meeting with retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, in Rome, where the two discussed Kyiv’s supply of weapons and strengthening air defense.In an address after their meeting, Zelenskyy said these were priorities “against the backdrop of increasing Russian attacks,” and he thanked Trump for his support after Washington resumed weapons deliveries to the war-torn country. Elsewhere on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Malaysia. Rubio told reporters Russia ...