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Articles by AFP

Russian Court Upholds Life Sentence in Zakhar Prilepin Car Bombing Case

Alexander Permyakov was sentenced to life in prison last year for injuring the pro-Kremlin writer and killing his driver in a bomb attack.
2 Min read

Russian Troops Capture Kharkiv Region Village Amid Westward Advance

Russia’s army said it seized the village of Zapadne on the western bank of the Oskil River, which used to form the front line.
1 Min read

Russian Army Chief Gerasimov Visits Troops Near Pokrovsk

General Valery Gerasimov visited a tank division and a motorized rifle brigade engaged in battles near Ukraine’s Pokrovsk.
1 Min read

Putin and Xi Tout Growing Partnership During Video Call

Vladimir Putin said Russia and China were strengthening ties “on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support” despite external pressures.
1 Min read

Putin ‘Destroying Russia’ by Refusing Ukraine Deal, Trump Says

“I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble,” Donald Trump told reporters upon returning to the Oval Office.
1 Min read

North Korean POW Tells Ukrainian Interrogators About Major Troop Losses

Ukraine said last week that it captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk border region and posted videos of their interrogation.
2 Min read

Ukrainian Attack on Occupied Kherson Kills At Least 2, Moscow-Backed Governor Says

The Kremlin-installed governor Vladimir Saldo claimed Ukrainian forces had fired “cluster munitions” near a school in the town of Bekhtery.
1 Min read

Russia Charges British Man Captured Fighting in Kursk With ‘Terrorism’

James Scott Rhys Anderson was captured in November while fighting with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
2 Min read

Moscow Accuses Ukraine of Killing Civilians in Occupied Border Region

Russian state media outlets had published a video that they said showed Russian troops discovering several dead bodies in a dark basement.
2 Min read

Russians Take Epiphany Dip In Waters Hit by Oil Spill

Residents of the Black Sea resort town of Anapa took their traditional Epiphany dips despite concerns about the toxic pollution.
2 Min read

Germany Could Send Troops to Future Ukraine Buffer Zone: Minister

Boris Pistorius also said Germany should aim to spend around 3% of GDP on defense.
2 Min read

Telegram Boss Durov Admits 'Seriousness' of Allegations: Source

In 10 hours of questioning by the magistrates, Durov said that he was "disgusted in a personal capacity."
1 Min read

Russian Attack Kills Three in Kyiv

Ukraine's Foreign Minister said the deaths are more "proof that Putin wants war, not peace."
3 Min read

Russia Charges Opposition Politician Shlosberg With Violating ‘Foreign Agent’ Law

Lev Shlosberg is one of the few remaining politicians in the country openly opposed to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
1 Min read

Russian Missile Attack on Kryvyi Rih Kills 4

Regional authorities said that five others were wounded, three of whom were in critical condition and hospitalized.
2 Min read

Kremlin Hopes Gaza Ceasefire Can Lead to ‘Comprehensive’ Settlement

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow “welcomed” the announced agreement between Israel and Hamas.
1 Min read

Ukrainian Army Says It Captured 27 Russian Soldiers in Kursk Region

Ukraine’s military released a video purporting to show the captured troops, who can be heard identifying themselves by name and rank.
1 Min read

Russia and Ukraine Exchange 50 POWs in First Swap of 2025

Moscow said its returned servicemen were receiving medical and psychological care in Belarus before heading back to Russia.
1 Min read

Central African Republic Leader Arrives in Moscow for Bilateral Talks

As part of the three-day visit, President Faustin-Archange Touadera will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
1 Min read

Russian Airstrikes Damage Critical Infrastructure Across Ukraine, Authorities Say

The airstrikes came a day after Kyiv said it had carried out its largest aerial attack on Russian territory since the full-scale invasion.
2 Min read

Czech Republic Finishes Pipeline Extension, Ending Reliance on Russian Oil

“Russia can no longer blackmail us, and we have a guarantee that we can completely supply ourselves with oil from the West,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala...
2 Min read

Lavrov Welcomes Trump’s Signals on Ukraine War, Awaits Concrete Proposals

While supportive of Trump’s public positions, Lavrov noted that Moscow has yet to see concrete proposals from the incoming administration.
2 Min read

Russia Signs Nuclear Energy Deal With Vietnam

The nuclear energy agreement was among seven signed in a range of fields that also included digital technology and electronics.
1 Min read

German Police Probe Drone Sightings Over Military Facilities

Three of the sightings have taken place at a sight in Manching, where Eurofighter development takes place.
2 Min read

China-Russia Trade Hit Record High in 2024

The total value of imports and exports between the two countries amounted to $244.8 billion, a modest increase from $240.1 billion in 2023.
1 Min read

Kremlin Declines to Comment on North Korean POWs in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said over the weekend that he was ready to exchange the captured North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian POWs.
1 Min read

Russia Accuses Ukraine of ‘Energy Terrorism’ Over Alleged Pipeline Strike

Authorities said that a compressor station targeted in the attack continued to operate “normally,” with no disruptions to gas supplies.
3 Min read

Around 300 North Korean Soldiers Killed Fighting for Russia, South Korean Lawmaker Says

The soldiers, reportedly from an elite corps, were ordered to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said.
2 Min read

Zelensky ‘Ready’ to Hand North Korean POWs to Pyongyang

On North Korean soldiers, Zelensky said that those who want “to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that...
2 Min read

Russia Claims New Villages in Eastern Ukraine

One of the villages lies on the western bank of the Oskil River, which Ukrainian officials say Russia has established a bridgehead.
2 Min read

Seoul Confirms Ukraine Captured 2 North Korean Soldiers

One of the captured soldiers allegedly said that he received military training from Russian forces after arriving there in November.
2 Min read

Russia Says U.S. Risks Global Energy Instability With New Sanctions

Moscow on Saturday accused the U.S. of being ready to risk global energy instability with new wide-reaching sanctions on Russia's energy sector. The U...
2 Min read

Ukraine Says Questioning 2 Captured North Korean Soldiers

The SBU said the men described themselves as experienced soldiers and one said he had been sent to Russia for training, not to fight.
4 Min read

Germany Races To Secure Stricken ‘Russian Shadow Fleet’ Oil Tanker

The 274-meter-long Eventin was sailing from Russia to Egypt with almost 100,000 tonnes of oil on board when its engine failed.
2 Min read

Germany Races to Secure Stricken ‘Russian Shadow Fleet’ Oil Tanker

Germany was racing Saturday to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, towing the stricken ship it said was part of Russia's sanctions-busting...
2 Min read

Transnistria Appeals to Russia Amid Worsening Energy Crisis

Officials in the breakaway Moldovan region warned that the economy is on the brink of collapse, as residents warm their homes by burning wood and using...
2 Min read

Ukraine Hits Army Facility in Russia, Kyiv Source Says

According to the source, the attack will limit Russia’s ability to strike Ukrainian cities with drones.
2 Min read

NATO to Send 2 Ships to Guard Baltic Sea Infrastructure, Finland Says

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called Russia’s “shadow fleet” a threat to critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
2 Min read

Putin Open to Speaking With Trump, Kremlin Says

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow welcomed Trump’s “readiness to solve problems through dialogue.”
2 Min read

Ukrainian Airstrikes on Occupied Donetsk Kill 3, Moscow-Backed Official Says

Local authorities accused the Ukrainian military of firing HIMARS rockets on a square in the region’s main city of Donetsk.
1 Min read

Civilian Planes Face ‘High Risk’ Flying Over Russia, EU Agency Says

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency renewed its recommendation for airlines to avoid flying over western Russian airspace.
2 Min read

Trump Says Meeting With Putin Being Arranged

“We have to get that war over with, that’s a bloody mess,” Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
1 Min read

Russian Forces Establish Bridgehead Across Frontline River in Eastern Ukraine

The Oskil River serves as the de-facto front line in parts of the Kharkiv region, with Ukrainian troops entrenched on the western bank.
1 Min read

Zelensky Says Western Troops in Ukraine Would Help ‘Force Russia to Peace’

He also said Europe was entering a “new chapter” of cooperation and would have “new opportunities” with Donald Trump returning to the White House...
2 Min read

Kremlin Monitoring Trump Over Greenland Rhetoric

Peskov suggested the people of Greenland be consulted, pointing to Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
1 Min read

Poland Shutters Consulate in St. Petersburg on Russian Order

The closure is a tit-for-tat move in an escalating diplomatic crisis between Poland and Russia.
1 Min read

Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia Kills At Least 13

Wednesday’s attack comes as Moscow has ramped up its strikes on Ukraine since the beginning of the winter.
2 Min read

Transnistria Says It Has Less Than a Month of Gas Left

The announcement comes as authorities have made free firewood available while telling residents to dress warmly, gather in a single room and seal windows...
2 Min read

Russia Doubles Migrant Expulsions in 2024

State media reported that more than 80,000 migrants and stateless persons were expelled in 2024.
2 Min read

Ukraine Says Hit Oil Depot in Russia Used by Moscow’s Air Force

The apparent strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy and military facilities.
2 Min read

Russia Says Ukraine Launches 'Counterattack' in Kursk Region

Kyiv's unexpected offensive in the Kursk region took the Kremlin's forces off guard
3 Min read

Russia Says Downed Dozens of Ukrainian Drones Overnight

Drone attack disrupts air traffic at four airports, damages homes in southern Russia
1 Min read

Oil From Damaged Russian Tankers Reaches Sevastopol in Annexed Crimea

The city’s Russian-installed governor described the slick as around 1.5 meters in width and length.
2 Min read

Russian Drone Attack Kills 1 in Kyiv Suburbs

Local authorities said a truck driver was killed after he was hit by falling debris from a Russian drone that had been shot down.
1 Min read

Black Sea Oil Spill Spreads to Beaches in Annexed Crimea

Authorities said they have removed nearly 73,000 tons of oil-contaminated sand from beaches along the Russian coast.
1 Min read

Russian Attack on Southern Ukraine Kills 1

The Russian military launched 11 guided aerial bombs on the village of Stepnogorsk, just a few kilometers from the front line, late on Wednesday.
1 Min read

Russian Air Attack on Central Kyiv Kills At Least 2, Wounds 6

Ukrainian officials said Russian drones targeted Kyiv’s Pechersky district, home to the presidential palace and government quarter.
1 Min read

‘Pure Hypocrisy’: Luxury Western Goods Line Russian Stores Nearly 3 Years After Business Exodus

In Moscow’s elite shopping districts, high-end department stores and upscale local outlets are bustling with sales of Western brands.
2 Min read

Ukraine Ends Russian Gas Transit to Europe, Marking Historic Break

Until Wednesday, Russian gas had flowed through Ukrainian pipelines since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
2 Min read

Vladimir Putin Hails Achievements in New Year’s Speech Marking 25 Years in Power

The televised New Year’s address did not explicitly mention the war in Ukraine and focused mostly on wishes for the year ahead.
2 Min read

Ukrainian Drone Attack Sparks Oil Depot Fire in Smolensk Region, Governor Says

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed 68 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 10 destroyed over the Smolensk region.
1 Min read

Moscow and Kyiv Return Over 300 POWs in Latest Exchange

The two countries said that the exchange, coming just before the New Year holiday, was brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
2 Min read

Ukrainian Strike on Occupied Kherson Kills Doctor, Kremlin-Backed Official Says

The attack happened in the Russian-held town of Oleshky in the southern Kherson region.
1 Min read

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Urges Syria’s New Leadership to Expel Russia

Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview on Sunday that Moscow and Damascus still share “deep strategic interests.”
2 Min read

Azerbaijan Says Russia Pledged To Punish Those Responsible for Plane Crash

Authorities in Moscow have still not said whether a Russian surface-to-air missile was responsible for the aircraft’s downing last week.
2 Min read

Ukraine Jails Ex-Police Officer 15 Years for Sharing Air Defense Locations With Russia

Ukrainian prosecutors said the man shared the positions of air defense units with a former classmate who now serves in the Russian army.
1 Min read

Lavrov Says Moscow Against Western Peacekeepers in Post-War Ukraine

The Kremlin previously said it was “too early to talk about peacekeepers” being deployed as part of any peace settlement.
2 Min read

Russian Man Arrested for Organizing LGBTQ+ Tours Dies in Police Custody

Andrei Kotov, the director of the travel agency Men Travel, was charged last month with taking part and organizing “extremist” activities.
1 Min read

Moscow Vows Response After State Media Telegram Channels Blocked in EU

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced what she called a “constant campaign of repression against Russian media.”
1 Min read

Azerbaijan Demands Russia Admit to Firing on Plane Before Crash

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused authorities in Russia of initially trying to cover up the cause of the deadly accident.
2 Min read

Putin Apologizes Without Claiming Responsibility for Plane Crash

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev appeared in no doubt that the plane was shot at over Russia as airlines cancel flights to the country.
3 Min read

Russia Says Oil Spill ‘Critical’ as Crimea Declares Emergency

The Moscow-installed governor of Crimea said he had declared a state of emergency "because of the oil products spill in the Kerch Strait."
1 Min read

Germany Says Latest Undersea Cable Cut a ‘Wake-Up Call’

The Estlink 2 cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid on Wednesday.
1 Min read

Kremlin Refuses to Comment on Azerbaijani Plane Crash Until Investigation Complete

“We do not believe we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
2 Min read

Ukraine Captured North Korean Soldier Fighting Alongside Russia, South Korea Says

The announcement comes days after Zelensky said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been “killed or wounded” so far.
2 Min read

Lavrov Claims France Sought Dialogue on Ukraine War Without Kyiv

A French diplomatic source disputed the Russian foreign minister’s claim, describing it as an “intemperate” remark.
1 Min read

Finnish Police Investigate Role of Foreign Ship After Underwater Cable Damaged

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said a probe for “aggravated sabotage” had been opened into the oil tanker Eagle S.
2 Min read

‘Terrorist Attack’ Sank Russian Cargo Ship in Mediterranean, Owner Claims

The Ursa Major sank in international waters off the coast of Spain early Tuesday after sending a distress call for help the day before.
2 Min read

Russia Launches Drones and Missiles at Ukraine in Christmas Day Attack

Private energy provider DTEK said the attack severely damaged the equipment of thermal power plants, and regional officials reported power cuts.
2 Min read

Woman Killed After Drone Crashes Into Shopping Mall in North Ossetia

Russia’s Defense Ministry said falling debris from a drone hit by air defense systems sparked the blaze.
1 Min read

Russia Says Cargo Ship Sank in Mediterranean After Explosion, 2 Crew Members Missing

The Ursa Major, which belongs to Russia’s Defense Ministry, sank following an explosion in the engine room.
2 Min read

Scientists Discover Extremely Rare Baby Mammoth in Siberia

The 50,000-year-old female mammoth has been nicknamed Yana after the river in whose basin it was discovered.
1 Min read

Russian Army Says Captured Village in Eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Region

The village of Storozheve is close to the southern front line, which has remained largely static but where Ukraine says Russia is planning a fresh offensive...
1 Min read

North Korean Soldiers Suffer 1,100 Casualties in Ukraine War, South Korean Military Says

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also said that Pyongyang may be “preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers.”
2 Min read

Russian Skaters Allowed to Compete as Neutrals in 2026 Winter Olympics

Russia’s Sports Minister and head of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the International Skating Union’s decision.
2 Min read

Lithuanian Investigators Find No ‘Unlawful Interference’ in DHL Cargo Plane Crash

The crash near Vilnius Airport immediately raised questions over whether it could be connected to a recent series of sabotage incidents in Europe.
2 Min read

Ukraine Says Bodies of Over 500 Killed Soldiers Returned From Russia

The exchange of prisoners and bodies of killed military personnel remains one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv since Russia invaded...
1 Min read

Portugal Condemns Russian Attack That Damaged Embassy in Kyiv

Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said the diplomatic missions of Argentina, Albania and Montenegro were also damaged in the strikes.
1 Min read

Russian Missile Attack on Kyiv Kills At Least 1, Cuts Heating to Homes

Moscow said the attack was retaliation for a strike using Western-supplied missiles on a chemical plant in Russia earlier in the week.
1 Min read

At Least 100 North Korean Soldiers Killed Fighting for Russia, Seoul Says

South Korea’s spy agency also said Pyongyang may be planning to send additional troop deployments to Russia.
1 Min read

Putin Says He’s Ready to Talk With Trump ‘Anytime’ About Ukraine Peace Deal

President-elect Donald Trump has stoked fears in Kyiv that he could force Ukraine to accept peace on terms favorable to Moscow.
1 Min read

Putin Says Inflation ‘Worrying’ But Russian Economy Remains ‘Stable’

“With the economy as a whole, the situation in Russia is stable, despite external threats,” he said at his annual press conference.
1 Min read

Moscow Bans U.S. Cyber Security Firm Recorded Future as ‘Undesirable’ Organization

Russian authorities accused the company’s employees of working with Western intelligence agencies and supporting anti-Russian propaganda.
1 Min read

Ukrainian Security Services Arrest Suspected Russian Agents Who Searched for F-16 Locations

Ukraine’s SBU security service said it “neutralized a large-scale agent network” of 12 agents and their informants.
1 Min read

Moscow Waging 'Intense' Counteroffensive With North Korean Troops in Kursk Region, Kyiv Says

Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said North Korean forces have “already suffered heavy losses” in the partially occupied region.
2 Min read

China Gains Foothold in Kazakh Uranium Mining as Russia’s Rosatom Sells Stakes

Uranium One Group sold 49.99% of its shares in Kazakhstan to Astana Mining Company, whose parent company is China’s State Nuclear Uranium Resources Development...
1 Min read

Assad Denies ‘Planned’ Exit from Syria, Claims Moscow ‘Requested’ Evacuation

The statement comes as five former officials previously told AFP that Assad was out of the country hours before rebel forces seized Damascus.
2 Min read

EU Sanctions Russian Military Intelligence Over ‘Hybrid Attacks’

Among the individuals and entities targeted was Unit 29155 of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
2 Min read

Russia Has ‘Strategic Initiative’ Along Eastern Front Line, Putin Says

The Kremlin leader called 2024 a “landmark year in achieving the goals of the special military operation.”
1 Min read

At Least 30 North Korean Troops Killed or Wounded in Kursk Region, Ukraine Says

Kyiv said North Korean forces in the embroiled border region were already “being replenished with fresh personnel” sent to help Russia’s army.
1 Min read