As reported by Ukrinform, the European Parliament has drawn up a resolution concerning the hostage of crew members by Iran-backed Houthi forces, adopted today during a meeting in Strasbourg. On the 19th of November 2023, armed men dropping from a helicopter seized the cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. The crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime said. The vessel is chartered by Japan’s Nippon Yusen. The document was voted in favor by 357 MEPs, against by 20, and 58 abstained. “The European Parliament… Calls on the EU and its ..read more

Mykola Solskyi, the Minister of Agrarian Policy, has tendered his resignation following accusations involving substantial land fraud amounting to nearly 500 million UAH. The news was made public by Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, via a Facebook post today. The scandal surrounding Minister Solskyi involves accusations of illicit dealings with state land, which purportedly took place between 2017 and 2018, prior to his appointment as minister. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) allege that So ..read more

A US proposal for using future interest on some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine, instead of seizing them outright, is gaining momentum among the Group of Seven nations, two G7 officials said, Reuters has reported. The approval of the $61 billion aid bill by the US and a separate €50 billion package from the European Union would help Ukraine, but it still faces uncertainties over funding in 2025 and 2026. The US currently maintains its stance that all possibilities, including the direct confiscation of Russian assets, are legally justified and should be considered. However ..read more

During the war, Ukraine finds itself at the epicenter of a critical energy battle with Russia, which is intensifying. A recent report by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and experts Benjamin Schmitt and Aura Sabadus illuminates the severity of Russia’s strategy in targeting Ukraine’s crucial energy infrastructure amidst the broader war efforts. Russia has escalated its military tactics to systematically dismantle Ukraine’s energy framework, a move that starkly intensifies from previous years’ engagements. The recent attacks have expanded in scope and devastation, now encompassin ..read more

During an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy noted that he felt the support for Ukraine from the majority of Americans and members of Congress, “and this means that the United States is on our side”. At the same time, he decided to address the congressmen who voted against it. “They need to know that this money is going primarily to American defense …. And they should know that their production will get tens of billions of money, jobs, taxes, everything will be in the United States,” the Ukrainian president pointed out. Zelenskyy’s second argument is that some of the aid goes not to Ukraine ..read more

Russia-Ukraine war has significantly reshaped the labor market dynamics, with businesses across the nation grappling with a pronounced shortage of skilled workers. This trend emerges from a detailed study conducted by the European Business Association in collaboration with Tetyana Pashkina, a noted expert in labor market analytics. The findings underscore the acute challenges employers face as they strive to maintain operations despite the ongoing war. As the war continues to influence all aspects of Ukrainian life, companies are forced to adapt to a rapidly changing economic landscape. The s ..read more

The arrival of long-range ATACMS missiles will help Ukrainian forces attack Russian supply lines and airfields in deep rear areas. However, the months of delay in receiving these missiles may have given the Russian military enough time to prepare for the effects of ATACMS, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Earlier this week, the United States confirmed it will provide Ukraine with ATACMS long-range missiles as a part of the announced $1 billion package of security aid. What can ATACMS in Ukraine do? ATACMS missiles with cluster munitions will allow Ukraine to strike Russi ..read more

On 24 April, the European festival “Ukrainian Spring 2024” opened in Stockholm, in Sweden, to bring together 12 cultural events and honor Ukrainian artists who were killed on the front lines fighting against Russian invaders. “The festival’s concept is to present Ukraine as an integral part of the common European cultural heritage. This connection is emphasized by the ‘Reflection in each other’s eyes – Ukraine in Europe and Europe in Ukraine’ festival’s slogan,” the organizers noted. The ultimate goal of all cultural events dedicated to Ukraine abroad, the festival’s team says, should be to ..read more

The Russian army suffers heavy losses in manpower and light armored vehicles during strike and assault operations: on average, 85% of losses – both in manpower and equipment – are incurred on the Eastern direction. This was reported to LIGA.net by Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Khortytsia military unit. Voloshyn said that minefields and FPV drones play an important role in causing the enemy to suffer heavy losses, helping to stop light armored and armored vehicles. He emphasized that the soldiers of the Tauride Air Assault Brigade destroyed more than 300 pieces of enemy equipment in six mo ..read more

According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, as cited by N-TV, Russia is producing weapons and ammunition beyond the needs for the offensive war against Ukraine. Pistorius stated on the ARD show “Maischberger” that with increasing military spending and an order for a war economy, “a large part or some of what is newly produced no longer goes to the front lines but ends up in the depots.” He also warns of further military ambitions from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pistorius remarked, “One could be naive and say he is doing this out of caution. I, as a more skeptical person, woul ..read more