At least 20 killed in overnight Russian strikes, Ukraine says
Strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region killed 16 people and wounded 35, Ivan Fedorov, the head of the military administration said on Telegram.
Four people were also killed and more wounded in attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional government officials.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine anti-corruption agencies uncover major drone procurement graft scheme
Ukraine 's anti-corruption bodies said on Saturday they had uncovered a major graft scheme that procured military drones and signal jamming systems at inflated prices, two days after the agencies' independence was restored following major protests. The independence of Ukraine's anti-graft investigators and prosecutors, the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), was reinstated by parliament on Thursday after a move to take it away resulted in the country's biggest demonstrations since Russia 's invasion in 2022. In a statement published by both agencies on social media, NABU and SAPO said they had caught a sitting lawmaker, two local officials and an unspecified number of National Guard personnel taking bribes. None of them were identified in the statement. "The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices," it said, adding that the offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30 percent of a contract's cost. NABU said it has made four arrests so far but did not identify those detained. The interior ministry said it had suspended the suspected members of the National Guard. Zelensky, moving to defuse crisis, restores power of anti-graft agencies 01:39 "There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork to expose corruption and, as a result, a just sentence," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Zelensky, who has far-reaching wartime presidential powers and still enjoys broad approval among Ukrainians, was forced into a rare political about-face when his attempt to bring NABU and SAPO under the control of his prosecutor-general sparked the first nationwide protests of the war. Zelensky subsequently said that he had heard the people's anger, and submitted a bill restoring the agencies' former independence, which was voted through by parliament on Thursday. Top European officials had told Zelensky that Ukraine was jeopardising its bid for European Union membership by curbing the powers of its anti-graft authorities. "It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law adopted on Thursday guarantees them every opportunity for a real fight against corruption," Zelensky wrote on Saturday after meeting the heads of the agencies, who briefed him on the latest investigation. Several cases of corruption – an endemic problem in the country – have been exposed within the armed forces and the defence ministry during the war with Russia.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine: War is 'the price they have to bear to live in an independent sovereign state'
10:43 02/08/2025 European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: Remembering a tragedy Europe 02/08/2025 War in Ukraine: Russian forces advance for fourth month in a row Europe 01/08/2025 War in Ukraine : Ukraine President Zelensky urges 'regime change' in Russia Europe 01/08/2025 War in Ukraine: Death toll in Kyiv rises to 31 after russian strikes Europe 01/08/2025 War in Ukraine : At least 31 killed in latest Russian strikes on Kyiv Europe 31/07/2025 Russian air strikes pound Kyiv, 6-year-old boy among dead, Zelensky says Europe 31/07/2025 France, Saudi Arabia spearhead framework for two-state solution between Israel, Palestine Europe 28/07/2025 'EU has a lot to lose': US-EU trade deal with Trump counter to 'what EU should be standing for' Europe 28/07/2025 Turkey: Firefighters battle wildfires amid strong winds Europe
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Dmitry Medvedev: Russia's hawkish ex-president
The 59-year-old, who served as head of state between 2008 and 2012, sought "friendly" ties with Europe and the United States during his single term but faded into obscurity after handing the post back to President Vladimir Putin. Demoted to prime minister in 2012 and then made deputy head of Russia's security council in 2020 -- a largely advisory role -- Medvedev began espousing hardline views on social media shortly after Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive. In public statements since the conflict began he has described Westerners as "bastards and degenerates", declared that "Ukraine is, of course, Russia" and raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Russia's enemies. In June, after the US launched air strikes on nuclear facilities in Moscow-allied Iran, Medvedev suggested that "a number of countries" were willing to provide Tehran with nuclear warheads, prompting an angry Trump to accuse him of "casually" threatening a nuclear strike. On Thursday, Medvedev alluded to Moscow's semi-automatic "Dead Hand" nuclear arms control system in a Telegram post criticising Trump. Medvedev's critics have derided his posts as an attempt to retain political relevance in Russia's crowded elite circles, but Trump has taken the threats seriously. "Based on the highly provocative statements," Trump said Friday, "I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that." Tandem rule Medvedev's often incendiary posts contrast sharply with his public image in office, when he declared Russia did not want confrontation with "any country" as part of his foreign policy doctrine. In 2010, he signed a nuclear arms reduction treaty with US President Barack Obama, while in 2011 he brought Russia into the World Trade Organisation after 18 years of negotiations. On his watch, Moscow also abstained in a key UN Security Council vote on Libya in 2011 that paved the way for a NATO-led military intervention, a decision Putin has relentlessly criticised since. But it was always clear who was the senior partner in a pairing dubbed Batman and Robin by a secret US cable. Medvedev's first act after winning a 2008 presidential election on the back of Putin's support was to appoint the Russian strongman as prime minister, giving Putin broad decision-making power. While some in the West greeted Medvedev's arrival, others saw him as simply a placeholder for Putin, who was able to circumvent constitutional term limits and remain in de facto power. In 2008 Russia sent troops into Georgia, fracturing relations with the West, a decision that Medvedev insisted he made but that a top general claimed was planned by Putin before Medvedev was even inaugurated. His trademark modernisation programme was marked by bold statements but was also mercilessly mocked by commentators for being short on actions as Putin held real power. Putin's protege Medvedev, born in Putin's home town of Leningrad, owes his entire political career to the former KGB agent. Putin took his protege to Moscow after being appointed prime minister in 1999 and Medvedev rapidly rose to become chairman of gas giant Gazprom. He also served as chief of staff at the Kremlin and as first deputy prime minister. After taking office, he said Russia's economy had reached a "dead end" and required urgent reform. But cynics pointed out that such words counted for little when Russia was still dominated by Putin, and Medvedev himself played down the idea there was any radical difference in their visions. After championing anti-corruption measures while in office, Medvedev was himself accused of graft in 2017, when late opposition leader Alexei Navalny alleged he had built a luxury property empire using embezzled funds. Navalny was labelled an "extremist" by Russian authorities in 2021. While liberals and the West hoped Medvedev would reverse the increase in state control and erosion of civil liberties during Putin's previous rule, he showed little desire for a radical break with Putin's legacy. "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin really is modern Russia's most popular, experienced and successful politician," Medvedev said during an attempt to explain why he was standing down in favour of Putin in 2012.
