Ukraine’s Counter-offensive Forces Russian Troops To Withdraw From Key Eastern Towns EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russian forces have withdrawn from key eastern towns, as a rapid Ukrainian counter-attack makes further gains. Ukrainian officials said troops entered Kupiansk, a vital eastern supply hub for Russian forces, on Saturday. EDITOR’S PICK Ukraine Crisis: … Read more
Zelensky Claims Significant Control As Ukraine Retakes Kharkiv Region EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukrainian officials have said that the military has made sweeping gains in a counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, with President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that a key city in the region has been reclaimed by Ukrainian forces and that Russian … Read more
Ukraine Claims Responsibility For Crimea Blasts EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a series of air strikes on Crimea after a month of uncertainty over who was behind them. One of the attacks, which took place in early August, targeted Russia’s Saky military base and killed one person. … Read more
Ukraine War: Zelensky Backs UN Call For Nuclear Plant Safe Zone EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed calls by the UN nuclear agency for a safety protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant has been occupied by Russia since the start of the war and … Read more
Russia Wants To Destroy Europeans’ Normal life – Zelensky EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has said Russia wants to destroy the normal life of every European citizen. “It is trying to attack with poverty and political chaos where it cannot yet attack with missiles,” Zelensky said in his regular … Read more
Turkey Asks To Mediate In Ukraine Nuclear Plant Standoff EKO HOT BLOG reports that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate in the standoff over a Russian-occupied nuclear power station in Ukraine stoking fears of an atomic disaster. Saturday’s offer came hours before the global atomic energy watchdog said Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear … Read more
Russia Stops Gas Supplies To Germany EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russia has halted gas deliveries to Germany via a key pipeline for an indefinite period, after saying Friday it had found problems in a key piece of equipment, a development that will worsen Europe’s energy crisis. Russian gas giant Gazprom said Friday … Read more
US Unemployment Rate Rises To 3.7% In August EKO HOT BLOG reports that American employers slowed the pace of hiring in August after the surprising surge in the prior month and the jobless rate edged up, according to government data Friday, which could offer the central bank some relief that its inflation-fighting efforts are … Read more
Integrity Of Ukraine Nuclear Plant ‘Violated’ – UN EKO HOT BLOG reports that the head of the UN nuclear agency on Thursday said the “physical integrity” of a Russian-held Ukrainian nuclear plant had been “violated” following frequent shelling, on his team’s first visit to the facility. Russian forces seized control of the Zaporizhzhia … Read more
Again, Russia Shuts Major Gas Pipeline To Europe EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russia has completely halted gas supplies to Europe via a major pipeline, saying repairs are needed. The Russian state-owned energy giant, Gazprom, said the restrictions on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would last for the next three days. EDITOR’S … Read more
Ukraine War: EU Tightens Visa Procedure For Russians EKO HOT BLOG reports that European Union foreign ministers have agreed to suspend a visa agreement with Moscow, making it harder for Russian citizens to obtain entry to the bloc. Ukraine and some member states had called for a blanket ban, but others like France … Read more
Heavy Fighting As Ukraine Moves To Retake Kherson EKO HOT BLOG reports that Fierce battles have been reported as Ukraine tries to retake the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region. “Heavy fighting is continuing, our soldiers are working around the clock,” said Vitaliy Kim, who heads the neighbouring Mykolaiv region. EDITOR’S PICK Ukraine Crisis: … Read more
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dies at 91 EKO HOT BLOG reports that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has died aged 91. Gorbachev, who took over in 1985, is best known for opening up the USSR and for bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end, but he was unable to prevent his … Read more
UK MoD has claimed that Putin’s move to increase Russian troops to 1.15m is unlikely to have an impact on Ukraine. EKO HOT BLOG reports that the UK Ministry of Defence has announced that Russia’s plan to increase the size of its armed forces is unlikely to have an effect on the conflict in … Read more
Ukraine War: Russian Recruitment Drive Unlikely To Have Impact – UK EKO HOT BLOG reports that UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that Russia’s plan to expand its armed forces is unlikely to have an impact on the Ukraine war. Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree to increase the Russian armed forces’ military … Read more
Fresh shelling has been reported in Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant came under renewed shelling on Saturday as fraught negotiations to allow for a team of scientists from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the facility took on added urgency. The United Nation’s … Read more
Radiation Risk As Fresh Shelling Rocks Ukraine Nuclear Plant EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ukraine and Russia traded fresh accusations of shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Saturday, as its operator warned of a radioactive leak risk at the atomic facility. The Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine has been occupied by … Read more
Russia Blocks Nuclear Treaty Agreement Over Ukraine Reference EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russia has blocked the adoption of a joint declaration by a United Nations conference on nuclear disarmament. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is reviewed by its 191 signatories every five years, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. … Read more
Russia To Build Two Nuclear Reactors In Hungary EKO HOT BLOG reports that Russian nuclear power giant Rosatom will begin constructing two new nuclear reactors in Hungary in the coming weeks. The deal, reached between Russia and the EU state in 2014, aims to expand the existing Paks nuclear plant. EDITOR’S PICK … Read more
The World Narrowly Escaped Nuclear Radiation Accident – Zelensky EKO HOT BLOG reports that President Volodomyr Zelensky has said that Europe faced the prospect of a radiation disaster on Thursday when a Russian-occupied nuclear plant was disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid. It was only due to back-up electricity kicking in that the Zaporizhzhia … Read more