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EU rejects Ukraine grain bans by Poland and Hungary

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Poland and Hungary have implemented bans on Ukrainian grain imports to safeguard their domestic farming industries against low-priced imports. However, the European Commission has rejected these bans, stating that trade policy is not within the jurisdiction of individual member states. The ban covers various agricultural products including grains, dairy products, sugar, fruits, vegetables, and meats and will remain effective until the end of June.

The European Commission has not yet disclosed any actions it would take against Poland and Hungary for their bans on Ukrainian grain imports. The spokesperson emphasized the importance of aligning all decisions within the EU during challenging times.

Due to the disruption of export routes caused by Russia’s invasion last year, significant amounts of Ukrainian grain ended up in central Europe. A UN and Turkey-brokered deal with Russia allows Ukraine to continue exporting by sea, but it accuses Russia of causing delays with excessive inspections. Local farmers in Poland and Hungary complained of being undercut by cheaper Ukrainian grain flooding their markets, leading to the ban announced on Saturday. On Sunday, the Polish Economic Development and Technology Minister clarified that the ban would apply to goods in transit as well as those remaining in Poland.

The Polish Economic Development and Technology Minister, Waldemar Buda, has urged for negotiations with Ukraine to establish a system that guarantees exports pass through Poland and do not flood the local market. Ukraine claims that this action is in violation of bilateral trade agreements.

The country’s Agriculture Ministry stated that it has always been supportive of Poland’s agricultural sector and has responded quickly to various difficulties. The Ministry added that unilateral and extreme measures would not expedite a positive outcome. Ministers from both countries are scheduled to meet on Monday in Poland to discuss the matter.

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Ukraine to export electricity again after months of Russian attacks

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After being repeatedly attacked by Russia for months, Ukraine is now able to export electricity for the first time in six months. Last October, Russia started its protracted and planned assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Power outages and planned blackouts resulted, putting villages and cities in the dark during the winter. Ukraine will be able to sell its excess electricity once more after being ordered to halt exports.

Although domestic clients are still given precedence, energy minister Herman Halushchenko issued an executive order authorising the shipments. Since almost two months, the system has been producing surplus capacity, according to him, and Ukrainians are not subject to any limits.

“The most difficult winter has passed,” Mr Halushchenko said on Friday.

“The next step is to start exporting electricity, which will allow us to attract additional financial resources for the necessary reconstruction of the destroyed and damaged energy infrastructure.”

He also praised the “titanic work” of engineers and international partners to restore the system.

Last month, residents across Ukraine that power supplies were becoming more reliable.

“The city has transformed,” said Inna Shtanko, a young mother in Dnipro. “Finally, street lights are back, and it’s no longer scary to walk the city streets.”

Ukrenergo, the company in charge of running the nation’s energy grid, has cautioned that Ukraine cannot rely on Russian attacks ceasing. On Saturday, Ukrenergo reported that Russia has so far throughout the war launched more than 1,200 missiles and drones at its energy installations.

The attack, according to the business, was the biggest attempt to bring down the electricity infrastructure of a European nation. During winter, with power outages and frigid temperatures, some residents were forced to use “resilience centres” in cities around Ukraine to stay warm. Power, heat, and essential supplies like food and medications were all delivered by the hubs.

Every one of Ukraine’s thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia began targeting energy infrastructure.

Kyiv has also lost control of Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is in Russian hands.

In June 2022, Ukraine had said it was hoping to bring in €1.5bn (£1.33bn) from electricity exports to the EU – its main export market for energy since the war began – by the end of the year.

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Poland to send four fighter jets to Ukraine ‘in coming days’

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Poland has announced that it will send four F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “in the coming days” to provide support to the country in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The move comes as tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, with Ukrainian officials reporting a significant buildup of Russian troops along the border.

According to Poland’s Defense Minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, the jets will be sent to Ukraine as part of a joint military exercise between the two countries. He also stated that the exercise was intended to “increase the security of Poland and Ukraine” and “demonstrate our readiness to respond to any threat.”

The deployment of the jets has been met with criticism from Russia, with officials calling the move “provocative” and warning that it could lead to a further escalation of the conflict. However, Ukraine has welcomed the move, with President Volodymyr Zelensky thanking Poland for its support.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Since then, fighting has erupted in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 people and has displaced millions.

The deployment of the fighter jets is seen as a show of support for Ukraine by Poland, which has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. It is also seen as a signal to Russia that Poland is prepared to defend its allies in the region.

In conclusion, Poland’s decision to send fighter jets to Ukraine is a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. While it has been met with criticism from Russia, it is a clear demonstration of Poland’s support for Ukraine and its willingness to defend its allies in the region.

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Ukraine billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky targeted in new anti-corruption swoop

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Ihor Kolomoisky, one of the richest individuals in the nation, is among the high-profile targets of a new wave of anti-corruption operations by the Ukrainian government. As part of the sweep, the residence of the former interior minister Arsen Avakov was also searched.

Officials in Ukraine announced that the heads of the customs agency had been sacked as part of an anti-corruption campaign. Ukraine would change during the war, according to the leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in parliament.

Ukraine is under increased pressure to fight corruption from its Western allies, particularly the EU. In 2019, Mr. Zelensky declared the battle against corruption to be one of his top goals.

This week, Kyiv will host a conference with top EU officials. Ukraine views this meeting as crucial to its efforts to join the 27-member union. Four months after Russia’s invasion, Kyiv was given EU candidate status; nonetheless, it was pushed to do more to combat corruption.

As part of the purge last week, ten prominent Ukrainian leaders, including Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of office for Mr. Zelensky, resigned.

Regional governors and a number of deputy ministers were also forced out. Mr Zelensky said at the time that any internal problems that hindered the state would be cleaned up to help Ukraine’s “rapprochement with European institutions”.

In 2014, the businessman assumed control of the larger Dnipropetrovsk area and was instrumental in providing funds for volunteer battalions in response to Russia’s initial annexation of eastern Ukraine.

However, the US imposed sanctions on him because to allegations of “serious corruption” committed while he was governor. He has said he did nothing wrong.

Mr. Kolomoisky is a successful businessman who works in the banking, energy, and media industries in Ukraine. Before endorsing the former actor’s presidential campaign, his TV network gave Mr. Zelensky his big break with the comedy series Servant of the People.

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Ukraine hit by Russian missiles day after West’s offer of tanks

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A day after the US and Germany promised to provide tanks to support Kyiv in its fight against the invasion, Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles at Ukraine on Thursday.

According to the state’s emergency agency, 35 structures were hit across multiple locations, resulting in 11 fatalities and 11 injuries. It was noted that the Kyiv region had sustained the worst damage to residential buildings.

Additionally, two energy facilities in the Odesa region were struck, according to officials. Following the UK’s promise to send Challenger 2 battle tanks, the barrage occurred as Russia claimed it perceived the new military support as “direct” Western involvement in the conflict.

According to the commander of the Ukrainian army, Moscow launched 55 air and sea-based missiles in what was a protracted and extensive attack.

Following weeks of international pressure, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz committed to give Ukraine 14 Leopard 2 tanks the day before. They are frequently regarded as some of the best battle tanks on the market.

It’s anticipated that the heavy weapons will show up in late March or early April. Following this announcement, President Joe Biden overturned long-standing Pentagon claims that the US would not send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to the Ukrainian battlefield.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, welcomed the action but urged for the tanks to arrive quickly. He also urged the West to send fighter jets and long-range missiles.

But for tanks to be “game-changer”, 300 to 400 of them would be needed, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

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Ukraine war: Germany won’t block export of its Leopard 2 tanks, foreign minister says

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According to Anna Baerbock, the foreign minister of Germany, if Poland decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, she “would not stand in their way.” Ukraine has requested German-made tanks from the West, claiming that doing so will help them beat Russia.

However, Germany has not yet sent the armoured vehicles, and other nations are unable to send their own due to its export regulations. On Sunday, Ms. Baerbock stated that Poland had not yet requested authorization for exports.

She said on Sunday to France’s LCI TV, “For the time being, the question has not been raised, but if we were asked, we would not stand in the way. Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister of Poland, announced on Monday that Berlin would be asked for permission. But he said Poland would send the tanks to Ukraine, even if it was not granted.

“Even if, ultimately we did not get this consent, within the framework of a small coalition….we will still hand over our tanks, together with others, to Ukraine,” Mr Morawiecki said.

A representative for the German government stated that no requests to authorise the delivery of the Leopard 2 tanks on Monday had yet been received. Mr. Morawiecki declared last week that his nation was prepared to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev.

Marcin Przydacz, the foreign policy adviser to the Polish president, stated on Monday that while he welcomed Ms. Baerbock’s remarks, he would prefer to hear Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirm Germany’s position. Warsaw, however, ultimately desires that Berlin and NATO partners also send their own Leopard tanks, as government officials acknowledge that 14 tanks will only make a minor effect on Ukraine’s ability to fight.

The Russian T-90 tanks that are being utilised in the invasion were targeted for competition by the Leopard 2 tanks. There are believed to be more than 2,000 of them worldwide and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 300 of them would help ensure a Russian defeat.

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Ukraine’s interior ministry leadership killed in helicopter crash

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The three key members of Ukraine’s interior ministry perished in a helicopter accident next to a nursery in an eastern Kyiv suburb. Along with his first deputy minister and state secretary, 42-year-old interior minister Denys Monastyrsky also passed away.

Around 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT), the helicopter crashed in Brovary, killing 14 people, including one kid, according to officials. No evidence exists that the collision was anything other than an accident.

However, the SBU state security service claimed that it was investigating a number of crash-related scenarios, including sabotage, a technical issue, or a violation of the flight regulations.

The State Emergency Service first reported that up to 18 persons may have died in the disaster, but later changed its estimate to 14 fatalities. The most prominent Ukrainian victim since the war began is Mr. Monastyrsky, who served as one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s political aides for the longest period of time.

The minister was en route to a “hot spot” for conflict when his chopper crashed, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office. The ministerial delegation was its route to meet him in Kharkiv, according to Volodymyr Tymoshko, the city’s police chief, who said he had only spoken to them yesterday.

The minister’s death cuts to the heart of the government in Kyiv as the interior ministry has the vital task of maintaining security and running the police during the war.

The interior minister, 42, was a well-known official in President Volodymy Zelensky’s government.

Throughout the conflict, he served as a recognisable face for Ukrainians, keeping them informed of the deaths brought on by Russian missile strikes when the country was invaded in February 2022.

Six ministry employees and three crew members, according to Ukrainian officials, were on board the chopper.

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Ukraine War: Zelensky adviser resigns over Dnipro remarks

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Oleksiy Arestovych, a presidential adviser for Ukraine, has submitted his resignation after alleging that Kiev shot down a Russian missile that struck a building in Dnipro and killed 44 people.

Mr. Arestovych expressed regret and admitted to having made a “basic error.” The original comment incited intense resentment throughout the nation, and Russian officials used it as an excuse to accuse Ukraine.

The adviser is well-known due to his regular YouTube updates, which are viewed by millions of people. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has yet to respond to Mr. Arestovych’s resignation.

Mr. Arestovych initially stated that it looked that the Russian missile had fallen on the structure after being shot down by Ukrainian air defences hours after Saturday’s missile strike on an apartment building in Dnipro. The structure was allegedly struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which Ukraine claimed was exceedingly inaccurate and beyond its ability to shoot down.

When Mr. Arestovych made his original remarks, the Ukrainian public responded strongly, with some claiming he had strengthened the position of Russian propagandists. A petition advocating for Mr. Arestovych’s dismissal as a government official was signed by certain Ukrainian lawmakers. Later, he published a statement announcing his retirement and admitting that he had committed a “fundamental error.”

“I offer my sincere apologies to the victims and their relatives, the residents of Dnipro and everyone who was deeply hurt by my prematurely erroneous version of the reason for the Russian missile striking a residential building,” he wrote in a longer post on Telegram.

One of the war’s most well-known Ukrainian faces is Mr. Arestovych, who regularly holds debates on the conflict on his YouTube channel. His videos frequently receive more than 200,000 views, and the channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. He speaks in Russian instead of Ukrainian, which is unusual for Ukrainian officials.

Before he offered to leave, Russian authorities had used his words to attribute the strike to Kiev.

Russian attacks “do not damage residential buildings,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who also claimed that “certain officials of the Ukrainian side” had come to the same conclusion.

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Ukraine war: Civilians flee Kherson as Russian attacks intensify

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Nika Selivanova, 13, formed a heart shape with her hands as she waved goodbye to her closest friend Inna, who was leaning against the glass wall separating the waiting room from the entry hall of Kherson’s train station.

They had just hugged while their eyes were filling with tears. Asia, a tan dachshund puppy carried by Nika in her arms and covered in a warm blanket, had received a kiss from Inna. When they might meet one another again was unknown to the females.

The family of Nika was evacuating Kherson while unsure of their ultimate destination. For the time being, they were travelling to Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine in the hopes that they would find assistance there. The past few days in Kherson had simply been too much for Nika’s mother Elena.

“Before, they [Russian forces] shelled us seven to 10 times a day, now it’s 70-80 times, all day long. It’s too scary.” Elena said. “I love Ukraine and my dear city. But we have to go.”

More than 400 people, including Elena and her three daughters, have evacuated Kherson since Christmas Day as a result of a substantial escalation in the Russian military’s bombardment of the city.

A hospital’s maternity ward was shelled on Tuesday. Although nobody was wounded, the situation has increased people’s concern. In an evacuation made possible by the Ukrainian authorities, Elena departed via train. A line of automobiles containing horrified bystanders is forming at the checkpoint leading out of Kherson while hundreds of individuals leave on their own.

We approached Iryna Antonenko’s car to speak with her, but she was in tears. We are at our breaking point. The shelling is really heavy. We believed it would last the entire time we were here.

The gateway to Crimea, or Kherson, is a strategically significant area. Many commentators claim that Russia has now been compelled to take a defensive stance in this situation.

It’s difficult to understand what it wants to achieve by pummeling Kherson. In addition to mortar shells, we have also witnessed the employment of incendiary weapons, which shower down burning sparks on the city in an effort to ignite objectives.

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Ukraine war: Russians start leaving Ukraine’s Kherson city

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According to the local leader established by Russia, tens of thousands of citizens and Russian-appointed officials are being evacuated from the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson ahead of an invasion by Ukraine. All Russian-appointed agencies and ministries, according to Vladimir Saldo, would cross the Dnieper River.

He had stated that between 50 and 60,000 civilians would also depart in a “organised, progressive relocation.” Residents are being urged by Ukraine to disregard the Russian action. The regional administrator of Kherson claimed that Russia wants to kidnap residents and use them as human shields. A war crime is regarded to be the transfer or deportation of civilians from an occupied territory by an occupying power.

Vladimir Putin of Russia announced in a separate development that he had signed an order imposing martial law on four regions of Ukraine, including Kherson, which Moscow annexed last month in a move that was deemed unlawful by the international community.

He explained to Russia’s Security Council that it would allow local officials more authority to uphold social order and protect crucial infrastructure.

Text messages advising Kherson residents to leave right away in order to avoid Ukrainian military shelling residential areas began to arrive on Tuesday night.

Transport across the Dnipro River would be accessible beginning at 7:00 on Wednesday, according to the texts.

One resident told the BBC, requesting anonymity, “They are told to flee because the nasty Ukrainians are going to shell the city.”

“People are panicking because of propaganda.”

Russian TV footage on Wednesday showed a number of people gathering near the west bank of the Dnieper. As they queued for boats, it was not clear how many were leaving.

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