Ukraine Briefly

October 27, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Slovakia’s newly reelected Prime Minister Robert Fico pledged that the country will cease supplying weapons to Ukraine and instead will provide only humanitarian aid, Politico wrote. He expressed the view that an immediate cessation of military operations is the best solution for Ukraine,...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

October 20, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, new satellite images showed that Russian ships connected to military transport networks have been collecting cargoes from North Korea and delivering them to a Russian military port over the past two months, the Washington Post reported. US intelligence assessments and White House officials...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

October 13, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Russian forces launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian positions around the city of Avdiivka in the country’s east, Politico wrote. The Ukrainian side has lost some positions in the northern outskirts of Avdiivka, although Kyiv’s troops still control key parts of the...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

October 06, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s invasion, as schisms over the issue continued to grow in the United States and Europe, Al Jazeera reported. A delegation of EU foreign ministers visited Kyiv and expressed unity...

Read full story →

The World Briefly

September 29, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Russia conducted a series of air strikes on three Ukrainian regions, targeting Mykolaiv and Odesa in the south and Kirovohrad in central Ukraine, Reuters noted. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 34 of the 44 incoming “Shahed” drones used in the attack. While some drones...

Read full story →

Need to Know

September 25, 2023

Halal Cash

Russia

Russia launched a pilot program this month for Islamic banks in the Muslim-majority regions of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Islamic law holds that banks can’t charge interest. But they can share in the client’s profits and risks. Additionally, Islamic banks don’t support endeavors involving alcohol,...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

September 22, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington, DC to secure more US support for Ukraine as questions loom over continuing American financial aid to the war-torn country, the Associated Press reported. Zelenskyy expressed optimism about Ukraine’s progress in the war with Russia in meetings...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

September 15, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed “full support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Russia, highlighting their nations’ relationship as a “top priority,” NPR reported. During a meeting in Russia’s Far East, Putin offered Kim technological support for launching...

Read full story →

The World Briefly

September 12, 2023

‘Empty Elections’

RussiaUkraine

Russia’s ruling party won most of the votes in elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories, in a poll that Ukraine and Western countries decried as a sham, the Associated Press reported. Russian election officials announced Monday that lawmakers from the United Russia party came out on...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

September 08, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv and pledged more than $1 billion in additional aid for Ukraine as it continues its counteroffensive against Russia, according to the Wall Street Journal. Blinken’s visit aimed to demonstrate ongoing US support and strengthen Ukraine’s...

Read full story →

Need to Know

September 04, 2023

Next Steps

Russia

DNA tests prove that the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash last month, Russian officials said recently. As Reuters wrote, the tests could put to rest speculation that Prigozhin was not on the plane and might have faked...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

September 01, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Russia experienced the biggest assault by drones on its territory since the Ukraine conflict began, with attacks reported across six regions, including Moscow, according to CNN. Russian officials claimed to have prevented most of the strikes and reported no casualties. Moscow responded to...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

August 25, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group more recently known for a rebellion against Russia’s military, reportedly died in a plane that crashed near Moscow, CNN reported Thursday. Russian authorities investigating the incident confirmed that Prigozhin’s name was on the passenger...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

August 18, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, the Ukrainian army successfully liberated the village of Urozhaine in the Donetsk region, advancing into Russian defenses on the southern front, Politico reported. The victory is part of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, which aims to breach heavily mined Russian defense lines. The village's...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

August 11, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike targeting western Ukrainian cities in response to Kyiv’s alleged bombing of a Russian tanker over the weekend, the New York Post reported. The counterattack killed at least six people and resulted in widespread destruction across...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

August 04, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, the Polish government complained that more than 100 Russian-linked Wagner Group mercenaries have moved close to its border in Belarus, the Associated Press reported. The movement of Wagner members follows the group’s arrival in Belarus after their short-lived rebellion in Russia earlier this...

Read full story →

Need to Know

July 31, 2023

Going A-Courting

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin was on a charm offensive at the recent Russia–Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – or the “special military operation”, as it’s called in Moscow – was likely a hot topic of conversation at the event, given how...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

July 28, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Ukraine launched a major push in its offensive against Russia with fierce fighting breaking out in southeastern Ukraine, the Associated Press reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that “hostilities have intensified significantly” while insisting that Kyiv’s push wasn’t successful, a claim that...

Read full story →

Ukraine Briefly

July 21, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

RussiaUkraine

This week, Ukraine’s Black Sea cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv faced Russian bombardment, with multiple cruise missiles and attack drones targeting the cities’ vital ports, CBS News reported. More than 20 civilians were wounded, including five children, as the attacks continued for three consecutive nights...

Read full story →

The World Briefly

July 18, 2023

The Reneger

RussiaUkraine

Russia suspended its participation in a landmark United Nations-brokered deal that provided a humanitarian corridor to deliver Ukrainian grain to global markets, a move that will likely raise wheat prices and threaten food security in vulnerable nations around the world, CNBC reported Monday. Signed a year...

Read full story →