Latest news with #TymurTkachenko
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
At least one dead after Russia launches strikes on Odesa and Kharkiv
Russian drones struck the Black Sea port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, killing at least one person, Ukrainian officials have said. The attacks against Odesa sparked fires at several apartment blocks, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. Flames engulfed a four-storey residential building in the city, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate blaze spread across the upper section of a 23-storey high-rise, leading to the evacuation of 600 residents. In total, one person was killed and 14 others were wounded in the overnight strikes against the port city, according to Odesa's regional prosecutor's office. At least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, injuring two children and two others, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. A further four people were injured in a second Russian strike on Friday. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, with air defences intercepting or jamming 70 of them. A Russian missile strike on a nine-storey Kyiv apartment building earlier this week was a sign that more pressure must be applied on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday. The drone and missile attack on Kyiv early Tuesday, the deadliest assault on the capital this year, killed 28 people across the city and wounded 142 others, Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said. 'This attack is a reminder to the world that Russia rejects a ceasefire and chooses killing,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, and thanked Ukraine's partners who he said are ready to pressure Russia to 'feel the real cost of the war". As Russia proceeds with a summer offensive across the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected an offer from US President Donald Trump for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, making it conditional on a halt to Ukraine's mobilisation effort and a freeze on Western arms supplies. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the date for the next round of peace talks is expected to be set next week. Ukrainian officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on 2 June, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is strengthening its role as the European Union's financial arm, with its financing ceiling for this year reaching €100 billion, a new record. Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the Bank is confirming its commitment to defence and security by tripling its lending. The EIB plans to devote 3.5% of total financing to the military sector. The institution mentions 32 flagship projects in the pipeline. These announcements validate the extension in recent months of the EIB's security mandate, which marks a paradigm shift in the institution's mission. This support will be available to all EU companies: public and private, large and small. "We finance the public sector when it comes to infrastructure for large military barracks. Just this week we got the go-ahead to finance a very important piece of infrastructure in Lithuania, a military barracks that will house a brigade of the Bundeswehr (German army) very close to the Belarusian border," said EIB President Nadia Calviño. "We are also financing large private companies for research and development programmes in the fields of innovation and industrial capacity," she added. She also says that she is working with the European Commission to identify other key infrastructures for military mobility. The EIB's commitment to defence does not, however, mean a complete turnaround. Climate change and clean energy remain priorities. The EIB deems climate action to go hand in hand with European security. The Bank is therefore launching a new programme of investment in technology and innovation: TechEU. The scheme will provide €70 billion of equity, quasi-equity, loans and guarantees from the EIB Group between 2025 and 2027. It will also call on private capital to generate at least €250 billion of investment. The first wave of TechEU projects will be devoted to clean industries. "This concerns the products needed to build energy networks. It's about guarantees for clean technology innovators. We also need to support the wind power industry and the deployment of power purchase agreements, which are essential to stabilise energy prices for Europe's major industries," said Calviño. The EIB President stressed that the green transition and technology also contribute to the EU's strategic autonomy.
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
European Investment Bank triples its financial commitment to defence
Russian drones struck the Black Sea port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, killing at least one person, Ukrainian officials have said. The attacks against Odesa sparked fires at several apartment blocks, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. Flames engulfed a four-storey residential building in the city, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate blaze spread across the upper section of a 23-storey high-rise, leading to the evacuation of 600 residents. In total, one person was killed and 14 others were wounded in the overnight strikes against the port city, according to Odesa's regional prosecutor's office. At least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, injuring two children and two others, Ukraine's Emergency Service said. A further four people were injured in a second Russian strike on Friday. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, with air defences intercepting or jamming 70 of them. A Russian missile strike on a nine-storey Kyiv apartment building earlier this week was a sign that more pressure must be applied on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday. The drone and missile attack on Kyiv early Tuesday, the deadliest assault on the capital this year, killed 28 people across the city and wounded 142 others, Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said. 'This attack is a reminder to the world that Russia rejects a ceasefire and chooses killing,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, and thanked Ukraine's partners who he said are ready to pressure Russia to 'feel the real cost of the war". As Russia proceeds with a summer offensive across the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected an offer from US President Donald Trump for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, making it conditional on a halt to Ukraine's mobilisation effort and a freeze on Western arms supplies. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the date for the next round of peace talks is expected to be set next week. Ukrainian officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on 2 June, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is strengthening its role as the European Union's financial arm, with its financing ceiling for this year reaching €100 billion, a new record. Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the Bank is confirming its commitment to defence and security by tripling its lending. The EIB plans to devote 3.5% of total financing to the military sector. The institution mentions 32 flagship projects in the pipeline. These announcements validate the extension in recent months of the EIB's security mandate, which marks a paradigm shift in the institution's mission. This support will be available to all EU companies: public and private, large and small. "We finance the public sector when it comes to infrastructure for large military barracks. Just this week we got the go-ahead to finance a very important piece of infrastructure in Lithuania, a military barracks that will house a brigade of the Bundeswehr (German army) very close to the Belarusian border," said EIB President Nadia Calviño. "We are also financing large private companies for research and development programmes in the fields of innovation and industrial capacity," she added. She also says that she is working with the European Commission to identify other key infrastructures for military mobility. The EIB's commitment to defence does not, however, mean a complete turnaround. Climate change and clean energy remain priorities. The EIB deems climate action to go hand in hand with European security. The Bank is therefore launching a new programme of investment in technology and innovation: TechEU. The scheme will provide €70 billion of equity, quasi-equity, loans and guarantees from the EIB Group between 2025 and 2027. It will also call on private capital to generate at least €250 billion of investment. The first wave of TechEU projects will be devoted to clean industries. "This concerns the products needed to build energy networks. It's about guarantees for clean technology innovators. We also need to support the wind power industry and the deployment of power purchase agreements, which are essential to stabilise energy prices for Europe's major industries," said Calviño. The EIB President stressed that the green transition and technology also contribute to the EU's strategic autonomy. The European Commission has formally introduced restrictions previously reported by Euronews in response to what it describes as discriminatory barriers imposed by China against European medical device manufacturers. Following a detailed investigation, the Commission found "clear evidence" that China had been unfairly blocking EU-made medical devices from its public procurement market. This marks the first countermeasure taken under the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), which came into force in August 2022 to promote fair access for EU firms to procurement opportunities outside the bloc. 'Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses. We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues,' said Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. Under the new rules, Chinese companies are barred from bidding on public contracts for medical devices in the EU single market that exceed €5 million. Additionally, successful bids must contain no more than 50% of inputs originating from China. According to the Commission, the measures are proportionate to China's own restrictions and are designed to ensure the continued availability of critical medical equipment for EU healthcare systems. Exceptions will apply in cases where no viable alternative suppliers are available. The Commission pointed out that the decision aligns with international trade obligations, including those under the World Trade Organization (WTO), noting that the EU has no binding procurement commitments with China. EU-based medical device companies have long struggled to access China's procurement market, despite China being one of the bloc's largest export destinations for such products, accounting for 11% of exports in 2022. The Commission's investigation focused on China's government procurement law, which enforces a "Buy China" policy, requiring public institutions to prioritise domestic products and services. The probe identified several barriers faced by EU firms, including opaque approval processes, discriminatory certification practices, ambiguous national interest clauses used to exclude foreign suppliers, and unsustainable pricing requirements. According to a 2025 Commission report, 87% of public procurement contracts for medical devices in China were subject to exclusionary and discriminatory practices against EU suppliers. The new EU measures come at a delicate moment in EU-China relations, which are undergoing a cautious diplomatic reset. Both sides have intensified efforts to manage longstanding disputes amid shifting global dynamics, including the aftermath of the Trump-era trade wars and ongoing US-China tensions. A key milestone in this renewed dialogue is the upcoming EU-China Summit, now scheduled to take place in Beijing in the second half of July 2025. Meanwhile, reciprocal actions continue to define the trade relationship. China has extended its anti-dumping investigation into EU pork imports by six months, while the EU recently imposed tariffs of up to 45% on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), reflecting a strategic pattern of targeting politically sensitive industries ahead of high-level negotiations.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Zelenskyy calls for more pressure on Russia after deadly Kyiv missile strike
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said a Russian missile strike on a nine-story Kyiv apartment building was a sign that more pressure must be applied on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, as Moscow intensifies attacks in the three-year war. The drone and missile attack on Kyiv early on Tuesday, the deadliest assault on the capital this year, killed 28 people across the city and injured 142 more, Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said on Thursday.
UPI
2 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 28, including U.S. citizen
June 18 (UPI) -- An American citizen was among at least 28 people killed in a deadly and huge Russian strike on Kyiv overnight Tuesday. In a Telegram post Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said, "This night in Kyiv and its surroundings, the enemy used 175 drones, more than 14 cruise missiles, at least two ballistic missiles. The nature of the damage is direct hit on residential buildings. Rockets - from the upper floors to the basement." Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the American was killed as more than 40 apartments were destroyed by the Russian attacks. The U.S. State Department confirmed what spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the "tragic death" of a 62-year-old American citizen in Kyiv's Solomyanski district. A Russian ballistic missile hit a 9-story apartment building. First responders continued to recover bodies Wednesday. Across Ukraine Russia hit 27 targets using almost 500 missiles and drones. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said the Russian attacks between June 16 and 17 "appears to be the deadliest on Kyiv in almost a year." In a Tuesday statement, mission head Danielle Bell said, "In a countrywide assault last night, Kyiv bore the brunt. With at least 14 civilians reportedly killed and more than 100 injured, this is the deadliest attack in Kyiv in nearly a year." According to monitors Ukrainian authorities reported at least 3,340 long-range drones and 135 missiles were launched into Ukraine in June. Against that deadly backdrop the G7 nations summit wrapped up without a joint statement on Ukraine and without discussion about increasing sanctions on Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney instead issued a unilateral statement of the chair that said Russian sanctions and other options to pressure Russia are being explored. That statement also said the G7 supports U.S. efforts "to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russian airborne strikes on Kyiv kill 15 people, injure at least 100
June 17 (UPI) -- At least 15 people were killed and more than 100 injured in Kyiv overnight during an eight-hour long airborne assault by Russian forces, which fired scores of missiles and drones at the Ukrainian capital, authorities said. Many of the fatalities were in missile strikes on three high rise apartment buildings that collapsed or partially collapsed in Solomianskyi and another central district Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a update on social media. "This night in Kyiv and its surroundings the enemy used 175 drones, more than 14 cruise missiles and at least two ballistic missiles. The nature of the damage -- direct hits on residential buildings. Missiles -- from the upper floors to the basement. We are dealing with a complete enemy," he wrote. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on his Telegram account that a U.S. citizen, a male age 62, also died in Solomianskyi district in a house opposite where medics were providing assistance to the victims from the partial collapse of a nine-story apartment building. It was unclear if he died of natural causes, or from enemy action. Three deaths had been confirmed in Darnytsia district on the left bank of the Dnieper River, he added. Wides swathes of the city came under attack with than two dozen areas sustaining damage, with serious damage in eight districts. In a video posted online, Klitschko claimed cluster munitions had been found in one area of the city. Use or development of cluster munitions are banned under a 2008 international treaty ratified by 111 countries, although Russia is not one of them. Neither is Ukraine or United States. Surrounding areas of the capital were also targeted with at least two people reported injured. At least one person, a 60 year-old woman, was killed and 17 people were injured in a drone strike on the southwestern city of Odessa, according to the regional leader, Gov. Oleh Kiper, who said one woman was missing, feared dead. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that the number of injured in Kyiv, Odessa and elsewhere was rising as search and rescue efforts continued with emergency personnel working flat out at all sites of impact. Zelensky said that in total more than 440 drones and 30 missiles had been used in the attacks which also targeted five other provinces. "Kyiv has faced one of the most horrific attacks. Also, overnight, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Kyiv regions were attacked. Such attacks are pure terrorism. And the whole world, the United States and Europe, must finally respond as a civilized society responds to terrorists. "Putin does this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on. It is wrong when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it. We are in contact with all partners at every possible level to ensure an appropriate response. It is the terrorists who must feel the pain, not innocent peaceful people," said Zelensky. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
