Ukrainian soldiers find rest, restoration at Carpathian mountain retreat
As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its third year, centers focused on soldiers’ rehabilitation and mental health are appearing across Ukraine. An active serviceman startedчитати
Efforts to free reporter held in Iran ‘complicated,’ says Italy
ROME — Efforts to release Italian journalist Cecilia Sala from prison in Iran are “complicated,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Saturday. Sala was detained onчитати
Russia to stop gas exports to Moldova beginning Jan. 1
MOSCOW / CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — Russian energy giant Gazprom said Saturday it would suspend gas exports to Moldova from 0500 GMT on Jan. 1 due toчитати
Turkey’s pro-Kurd party to meet jailed PKK leader on Saturday
ISTANBUL — A delegation from Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish DEM party is due on Saturday to visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a lifeчитати
Ukraine says it struck drone depot in Russia’s Oryol region
Ukraine said on Saturday it had struck a storage and maintenance depot for long-range Shahed drones in Russia’s Oryol region, adding that this had “significantlyчитати
Somali migrant who survived boat sinking wants to try again for Europe
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Idil Abdullahi Goley’s journey seeking a better life in Europe started in Somalia with a $6,500 payment to local smugglers. It ended aчитати
VOA Russian: Washington, Moscow, Beijing to form complicated strategic triangle in 2025
VOA Russian spoke with U.S. officials, politicians and experts to see how U.S. relations with China and Russia could change under the incoming Donald Trumpчитати
Senegal to close foreign military bases, cuts ties to ex-colonial power France
DAKAR, SENEGAL — Senegal has announced the closure of all foreign military bases, without setting a timeline for the exit of foreign troops. Prime Minister Ousmaneчитати
North Korean troops experience mass casualties on Ukraine front lines, White House says
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or injuredчитати
Seoul: North Korean soldier captured in Russia-Ukraine war dies
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — A North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine has died of his wounds, South Korea’s spyчитати
NATO to boost military presence in Baltic after cables ‘sabotage’
Brussels — NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia thisчитати
Seoul: North Korean soldier captured in Russia-Ukraine war
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korea’s spy agency said Friday it had confirmed that a North Korean soldier sent to back Russia’s war against Ukraine hadчитати
VOA Russian: How drones changed military tactics in Russia’s war in Ukraine
Both Russia and Ukraine expanded the use of drones in 2024 as a relatively cheap means of warfare that requires an opponent to use aчитати
Moldova backs defense strategy calling for increased spending
CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — The parliament in ex-Soviet Moldova, controlled by pro-Western lawmakers, approved a 10-year defense strategy on Thursday calling for increased military spending as partчитати
Russian defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash, experts say
Aviation experts said Thursday that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people andчитати
Finland detains Russia-linked vessel on suspicion it damaged undersea cable
FRANKFURT, GERMANY — Finnish authorities have detained a Russia-linked ship as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables, accordingчитати
Azerbaijan observes day of mourning for air crash victims as speculation mount about its cause
Azerbaijan on Thursday observed a nationwide day of mourning for the victims of the plane crash that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivorsчитати
Ukraine says it shot down 20 Russian drones
Ukraine’s military said Thursday it shot down 20 of the 31 drones that Russian forces launched in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place over theчитати
Kyrgyzstan faces difficulties enforcing West’s Russia sanctions
BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN — Experts say Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to enforce Western sanctions against companies supplying dual-use goods and equipment to Russia are constrained by opposition from business,читати
French authorities rescue 107 migrants crossing Channel
LILLE, FRANCE — French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants trying to cross the Channel from France to England on Wednesday. Over the course of Christmasчитати
Pope urges ‘all people of all nations’ to silence arms and overcome divisions in Christmas address
Vatican City — Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “toчитати
Bosnia’s Serb MPs move to block state institutions, EU integration
SARAJEVO — Lawmakers in Bosnia’s Serb Republic regional parliament on Wednesday ordered Serb representatives in state institutions to block decision-making and reform laws needed for theчитати
Russia damages Ukrainian energy facilities in missile attacks Zelenskyy calls ‘inhumane’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Russian forces attacked his country with more than 70 missiles and that targets included Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyyчитати
Ukraine reports ‘massive’ Russian missile attack on Kharkiv
Officials in northeastern Ukraine reported a “massive missile attack” Wednesday on the city of Kharkiv that injured at least three people. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhovчитати
France has new government, again. Politics and crushing debt complicate next steps
Paris — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt,читати
Pope Francis kicks off year-long Jubilee that will test his stamina, Rome’s patience
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw someчитати
Blast at Turkish ammunition factory kills 11 people
Istanbul — An explosion at an ammunition factory in northwest Turkey left 11 dead and five injured Tuesday morning. The blast occurred in Balikesir province, accordingчитати
Ukrainian forces destroy 36 Russian drones
Ukraine’s military said Tuesday it shot down 36 of the 60 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place in theчитати
Going home? Syrians in Europe are not so sure
Over the past decade, European countries have opened their doors to more than one million asylum seekers fleeing Syria’s civil war. Now, with the fallчитати
Holy Year about to start in Rome
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Tuesday formally inaugurates the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome,читати
Azerbaijani journalist says he was jailed over his work
WASHINGTON — A journalist jailed in Azerbaijan for nearly seven months has said he believes his arrest is linked to his reporting. Farid Mehralizada, an economistчитати
South Korea says North Korea preparing to send more troops, weapons to Russia
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday there are indications that North Korea is preparing to send more troops and weapons to support Russia’sчитати
Germany looking into possible security lapses after Christmas market attack
Berlin — Germany searched for answers on Monday on possible security lapses after a man drove his car into a Christmas market, killing at least fiveчитати
‘El Gordo’ lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion
Madrid — For weeks, Spaniards had anticipated the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One.” But unlike Santa Claus, El Gordo arrived three days beforeчитати
Russia captures two villages in Ukraine as Moscow’s forces advance on two cities
Russian forces captured two villages in Ukraine, one in Kharkiv region in the northeast and one in eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry saidчитати
Putin meets Slovak PM Fico at Kremlin
Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the few European leaders heчитати