5 EU international locations have agreed on a deal to permit the transit of Ukrainian meals exports, the European Fee has stated, after short-term bans have been imposed on the foodstuffs amid protests by farmers. The settlement with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia comes as limits on Ukraine grain’s export channel through the Black Sea necessitate export overland through the nation’s neighbours.

A leaked inner assessment commissioned by Amnesty Worldwide is alleged to have concluded there have been vital shortcomings in a controversial report ready by the rights group that accused Ukraine of illegally endangering residents by putting armed forces in civilian areas. The report final August prompted widespread anger in Ukraine, resulting in an apology from Amnesty and a promise of a assessment by exterior specialists.

Ukraine’s forces are concluding their preparations for a long-expected spring counteroffensive towards invading Russian troops and are prepared, broadly talking, the nation’s defence minister has stated. Oleksii Reznikov informed a web-based briefing on Friday: “As quickly as there’s God’s will, the climate and a choice by commanders, we are going to do it.” He gave no date for the beginning of the counteroffensive, geared toward repelling Russian forces from the east and south, however stated: “Globally talking, we’re to a excessive share prepared.”

President Vladimir Putin has stated Russia must act shortly and as a “cohesive staff” to counter the west’s “financial aggression”, including that Moscow would develop ties with international locations in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America.

A Ukrainian journalist, who previously labored for the BBC, has been killed preventing on the frontline. Oleksandr Bondarenko volunteered for Ukraine’s territorial defence after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and later grew to become a part of the navy. Particulars of how he was killed in motion should not but recognized, BBC Information studies. Bondarenko, often called Sasha or Sashko, labored from 2007 to 2011 on the BBC’s Ukrainian service, broadcasting from Kyiv. His colleagues paid tribute to the “extraordinary” reporter and information presenter.

A Russian navy vessel specialising in submarine operations was photographed close to the sabotaged Nord Stream gasoline pipelines simply days earlier than the mysterious blasts final September, in response to the Danish day by day newspaper Info. The prosecutor main Sweden’s investigation into the sabotage of the pipelines linking Russia to Germany confirmed the existence of the beforehand publicly unknown images.

The UK has signed a £1.9bn ($2.4bn) take care of Poland to offer the nation with a British-designed air defence system. About 22 Polish air defence batteries shall be geared up with frequent anti-air modular missiles (Camms) and launchers as a part of the association. It expands on pre-existing defence ties with Poland, the place Camms are already deployed with the British military following Russia’s invasion.

Russia knowledgeable the UN’s nuclear watchdog that tools noticed at Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant can be used to repair an influence transmission line that results in Russian-held territory, the watchdog stated on Friday. The deliberate restoration of the downed energy line might heighten Ukrainian fears that Russia is getting ready to attach Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant, to the ability grid of territory that it controls.

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree giving individuals dwelling in elements of Ukraine which might be below Moscow’s management a path to Russian citizenship – however it additionally signifies that those that decline it, or don’t legalise their standing, probably face deportation. The decree – which covers Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – units out ways in which Ukrainian residents dwelling there can begin the method of changing into Russian residents or legalise their standing.

Spain’s overseas ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador over a video shared on the embassy’s social media accounts that falsely portrayed Spanish troops preventing in Ukraine. Spanish media stated the video, which has now been taken down, confirmed what the embassy claimed have been Spanish troopers on the battlefield, set towards a clip of Spain’s defence minister, Margarita Robles, saying Spanish troops would by no means battle in Ukraine.
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse