Archive for the ‘Ukraine’ Category

Justice Dept. Embraces Supporting Role in Pursuing War Crimes in Ukraine – The New York Times

WASHINGTON Attorney General Merrick B. Garland makes a point of refusing to discuss active investigations, but during a recent trip to Ukraine he broke form, revealing that U.S. prosecutors had identified several specific Russians suspected of war crimes against one or more Americans.

Despite Mr. Garlands assessment, the possibility of identifying Russians who targeted Americans in a war zone and bringing them to justice in the United States rather than charging them in absentia appears remote for now. As a result, the Justice Department is increasingly focused on a supporting role: providing Ukraines overburdened prosecutors and police with logistical help, training and direct assistance in bringing charges of war crimes by Russians in Ukraines courts.

In terms of actually bringing cases in the United States anytime soon, its probably a very slim possibility at this point, said David J. Scheffer, who served as the U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes issues from 1997 to 2001 and helped create international judicial systems to prosecute defendants from the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

But were providing a lot of assistance on the investigative side to help other people bring cases in other courts, Mr. Scheffer said, and thats a big deal.

To coordinate that effort, Mr. Garland appointed Eli Rosenbaum, a veteran prosecutor, in June to oversee the Justice Departments war crimes accountability efforts. The choice was well-received: Mr. Rosenbaum is best known for his dogged pursuit of Nazi war criminals and the unmasking in the 1980s of the former U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheims role in the mass killings of civilians during World War II.

Mr. Rosenbaums selection came as a surprise to him he was on the verge of retirement and he was immediately struck by the magnitude of the task. The prosecutor generals office, Ukraines equivalent of the Justice Department, was sagging by the end of last year with a caseload of more than 70,000 accusations of Russian war crimes.

The Ukrainian authorities are confronting challenges unlike anything that weve experienced, even in our most complex cases, and theyre having to do this during wartime, Mr. Rosenbaum said. We have a responsibility to do anything we can to help.

The work being done by the American and Ukrainian prosecutors is separate from that being carried out by the International Criminal Court, which on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, saying he bore criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children. (The United States has never joined the International Criminal Court out of concern that it could someday try to prosecute Americans. The Pentagon has been blocking an effort by other agencies in the Biden administration, including the Justice and State Departments, to share intelligence with the court about Russian atrocities.)

One of Mr. Rosenbaums first tasks was to work on an agreement, signed in September by Mr. Garland and Ukraines prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, that allowed officials in both countries to communicate without seeking State Department approval for every interaction. The deal allowed them to exchange evidence and information over secure channels.

Justice Department officials see Russian atrocities in Ukraine as a grave threat to the rule of law and say they believe that pact could be a gateway for greater involvement. They are now assisting Mr. Kostins deputies on at least one major investigation involving a Russian attack, which is seen as test case for potential future collaborations.

But the Ukrainians would like more help, in particular greater access to intelligence on Russian military assets, units and leadership. The two sides are currently exploring new avenues for exchange of intelligence information, Mr. Kostin wrote in an email.

Even without additional help, Ukraine has already brought dozens of cases using intercepted open-line communications and video evidence, resulting in the conviction of 25 Russians on charges such as shelling civilians and torturing Ukrainian soldiers. Many have been charged in absentia: Only 18 of the more than 200 Russians identified by Ukrainian prosecutors as possible war criminals have been captured.

U.S. officials and nongovernmental human rights groups have quietly tried to help Ukraines prosecutors to focus on bigger, more significant cases first. But the Russian invasion and the wanton killings of civilians have awakened a powerful national determination in Ukraine to see justice carried out and to see that no atrocity goes unpunished or at the very least, unexamined.

Several officers with Ukraines national police attended a conference of U.S. law enforcement officials in Dallas this fall, where they shared details on several uncompleted investigations, including a Russian attack in the first days of the war that reportedly resulted in the deaths of 14 civilians.

A senior official with Ukraines national police flipped open his tablet to show an edited, 10-minute video, much of it taken by security cameras that Russian soldiers had failed to destroy.

It began with a battered, disorderly column of Russian support vehicles redeploying into a wooded area off a main road, north of Kyiv, for protection. From their hidden position, soldiers could be seen firing indiscriminately at speeding cars of panicked civilians who were trying to flee.

What we consider before using anonymous sources.Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source.

One local man, who risked his life to check on one of the vehicles afterward, filmed with a cellphone what he found: a family of four, mother, father and two young children so riddled with bullets their lifeless bodies were almost unrecognizable. He was able to notify their relatives by retrieving identification from the crashed car.

By the time Ukrainian forces recaptured the area, many of the cars, bodies and other evidence were gone. It took the police months to compile video and eyewitness accounts; the man who found the family was terrified of Russian retribution and had to be coaxed to share his video. But the material collected included identifiable unit markings on Russian trucks and images of individual soldiers.

The Russian soldiers ended up on a spreadsheet pieced together by Ukrainian investigators, with their names, photographs and biographies harvested from social media accounts.

They tried to get away with it, but they left too many traces behind, said a Ukrainian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his safety.

One of the biggest problems in bringing cases against the men, the official added, is that a lot of the guys who did this have been killed already.

What makes Ukraine different from previous battlefield investigations is the omnipresence of video, along with other digital evidence from texts, emails, social media accounts and private messaging apps. But using it effectively is another matter.

Mr. Rosenbaum was surprised to learn that some investigators in Ukraine, a country with a robust tech sector, still relied on traditional, paper-based record-keeping. He reached out to prosecutors all over the Justice Department to tap their extensive experience in bringing big-data cases.

It turned out that American prosecutors had been repeatedly required to devise complex, cloud-based storage, analysis and communications systems for specific cases. Few provided as many important lessons as the system built to handle the largest investigation in the departments history: the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

The department has shared that information with European partners, who have been working to create a state-of-the-art case management system for Ukraine. It is expected to go online this year.

Many European countries have had a significant law enforcement presence on the ground in Ukraine for much of the war. The Justice Department, by contrast, only recently authorized one of its staff members to return to the country, apart from F.B.I. officials assigned to the embassy in Kyiv, according to people familiar with the situation.

The only other U.S. law enforcement officials who have operated in Ukraine during the war are four contractors employed by the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program run by the Justice Department, which has provided Ukrainian police departments with training and equipment for decades. They quickly pivoted to providing training and evidence collection assistance for war crimes, said the programs director Gregory Ducot.

In Washington, prosecutors began collecting information on American victims from the first hours of the war. Christian Levesque, who is leading the investigation by the departments human rights section, said her team was examining anything at all from news reports to intelligence that could possibly yield evidence.

This is the most important thing that Ive done in my career, Ms. Levesque said.

She declined to discuss which cases the department was currently pursuing, although she echoed Mr. Garlands assessment that they were gaining ground.

The potential universe of cases involving American victims is very small, with no more than a handful having been killed or injured. They include the disappearance of Grady Kurpasi, who was severely injured and captured by Russian forces in fighting near Kherson last fall; Pete Reed, a humanitarian worker who was killed in a missile strike last month while treating wounded Ukrainian civilians in Bakhmut; and James Hill, an American living in Ukraine, who was killed in Chernihiv shortly after the Russians invaded early last year.

The legal bar for indictment is high. Prosecutors would have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that those charged with crimes knowingly attacked an American with the intent to harm rather than mistakenly attacking noncombatants. No one has been charged under the main U.S. war crimes law since it went on the books in 1996.

The Justice Department could also bring cases under the federal torture statute, but that has also been sparingly used.

Late last year, Congress amended existing law to give U.S. prosecutors sweeping new powers to prosecute war crime offenses regardless of the nationality of the victim or the offender, provided the person is present in the United States. That gave U.S. prosecutors similar investigative authority as some international tribunals.

Mr. Rosenbaum who once brought charges against a concentration camp guard 75 years after the Holocaust based on a waterlogged record found in a shipwreck believes that this new authority will result in cases, but only if future generations keep up the grinding, time-consuming work.

We can bring these people to justice, he said. But it will take years, probably decades, not weeks or months.

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Justice Dept. Embraces Supporting Role in Pursuing War Crimes in Ukraine - The New York Times

Former New Zealand soldier killed fighting Russian forces in Ukraine – The Guardian

New Zealand

Kane Te Tai fought with the International Legion and was known for documenting battles and daily life in Ukraine on social media

Thu 23 Mar 2023 00.22 EDT

A former New Zealand soldier who drew an online following with his dispatches from the frontline of the Ukraine war has been killed in fighting there.

The death of Kane Te Tai, 38, was confirmed by New Zealands foreign ministry Thursday, citing Ukrainian government sources.

Te Tai, who fought with the International Legion, is the third New Zealander known to have died in Ukraine.

For many in New Zealand, Te Tai was the face of the countrys unofficial involvement in Ukraines war. He fundraised for equipment and undertook news interviews before he left New Zealand in May 2022, and documented his friendships, battles and daily life on Instagram and Facebook.

A video he posted earlier this month recorded the moment when he was unexpectedly reunited with a Ukrainian friend who had been held hostage for months by Russian troops, and whom Te Tai recognised when the man began to call out, New Zealand! New Zealand!

My brother! Te Tai replied.

Last April, Te Tai told TVNZ that he would leave his job at a construction hire company and travel to Ukraine, to help in any capacity I can.

He was one of a number of foreign fighters estimated to be in the low thousands who have traveled to the conflict since Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed for volunteers from abroad last February.

At least eight Britons, seven Americans and four Georgians are among those who have died in the war against Russia.

Te Tai who served for almost a decade in New Zealands army, including in Afghanistan had posted tributes on social media to members of the International Legion who had died. Last month, he was interviewed in a CNN story about the group using his call sign, Turtle where he was credited as his units leader. The story showed the group training new recruits near the embattled town of Vuhledar, close to the frontline.

There is such a lot of emotion within these fights, Te Tai told CNN. Mainly because from a lot of what Ive seen, they [Russian soldiers] dont want to be here either.

After leaving the army in 2010, Te Tai co-founded a charitable trust to support veterans mental health; Aaron Wood, the joint founder, said in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday that he had been told of Te Tais death and wanted to help to arrange the retrieval of his body.

Kane had a huge heart and loved helping people, Wood wrote. He told the Guardian on Thursday that his friend had helped a number of New Zealand veterans to access mental health support in the past five years.

Te Tais mother told RNZ she had heard of her sons death via his contacts in Ukraine. He was an awesome father, awesome son, awesome uncle and brother, she added.

New Zealands foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it was aware of reports that a New Zealander had been killed there and confirmed Te Tais death on Thursday. The countrys embassy in Warsaw is attempting to learn further details, a statement said.

New Zealand soldiers have been formally deployed to the UK to train Ukrainian troops, but the country has no military presence on the ground in Ukraine. The defence ministry has acknowledged that an unknown number of current or former soldiers could be on the frontline in their own capacity.

Dominic Abelen a New Zealand soldier who was on leave without pay from the army was killed in August during combat in Donetsk. He had not told the army he was going to Ukraine and did not seek permission to travel there.

In January, Andrew Bagshaw a dual British-New Zealand national who had travelled to Ukraine from Christchurch where he was a research scientist was killed during a humanitarian mission, also in eastern Ukraine.

New Zealands prime minister Chris Hipkins told reporters on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine was unjust and an illegal invasion by Russia. But he urged New Zealanders not to travel there.

Te Tai had read online of an $11m NZD reward for his death offered by Russias Wagner mercenary group, Wood said.

He joked about turning himself in so he could collect it.

On Sunday, Te Tai told Wood in WhatsApp messages that after 10 months of combat, he had been training his replacement and intended to leave Ukraine for good in the next fortnight.

He wrote, Thats enough war for me, Wood said. He added that Te Tai loved Ukraine, but wrote: Before the game gets me or before I just decide that life here is too easy, maybe its time to start living my real life.

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Former New Zealand soldier killed fighting Russian forces in Ukraine - The Guardian

The Interview – If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, NATO borders will ‘no longer be an obstacle’, warns Khodorkovsky – FRANCE 24 English

The Interview - If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, NATO borders will 'no longer be an obstacle', warns Khodorkovsky  FRANCE 24 English

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The Interview - If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, NATO borders will 'no longer be an obstacle', warns Khodorkovsky - FRANCE 24 English

Russia-Ukraine war updates for Feb.8, 2023 – cnbc.com

Tue, Feb 7 20237:34 PM EST

An elderly man walks among the graves of unidentified people, killed during Russian occupation, who were reburied from a mass grave in the small Ukrainian town of Bucha, near Kyiv, on January 12, 2023.

Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images

The United Nations has confirmed at least 7,155 deaths and 11,662 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor nearly a year ago.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes," the international organization wrote in a release.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 20235:21 PM EST

The Olympic flag and Russian flag are raised as the Russian National Anthem is sung during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium on February 23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Paul Gilham | Getty Images

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says there should be no Russian delegation allowed at the Paris Olympics next year if Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.

Hidalgopreviously saidRussian competitors could take part under a neutral flag but she backpedaled on Tuesday in aninterviewwith French media France Info.

Acknowledging that a final decision belongs to the International Olympic Committee, Hidalgo said she wishes Russian athletes will be banned "as long as there is this war, this Russian aggression on Ukraine."

"It is not possible to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation that comes to Paris while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine."

Hidalgo's comments came after Ukraine's sports minister last weekrenewed a threatto boycott the games if Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete and said Kyiv would lobby others to join.

No nation has so far declared it will boycott the 2024 Summer Games. But Ukraine won support from Poland, the Baltic nations and Denmark, who pushed back against an IOC plan to allow delegations from Russia and ally Belarus to compete in Paris as "neutral athletes" without flags or anthems.

Associated Press

Tue, Feb 7 20234:20 PM EST

Viktor Vekselberg, Russian billionaire, pauses during a panel session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forumin St. Petersburg, Russia, on Friday, June 7, 2019.

Chris J. Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Federal prosecutors charged a Russian citizen living in the United States with attempting to help sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg evade sanctions.

According to court documents unsealed in New York, Vladimir Voronchenko participated in a "scheme to make over $4 million in U.S. dollar payments to maintain four real properties in the United States that were owned by Viktor Vekselberg."

Vekselberg was most recently sanctioned by the United States in the weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He was previously designated in 2018 for his role in supporting the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea.

Voronchenko, 70, attempted to sell two of those four properties on Vekselberg's behalf; aPark Avenue apartment in New York City and a Southampton estate. Voronchenko also worked to conceal the ownership of Vekselberg's luxury properties.

The case is the latest operation carried out by the Department of Justice task force, dubbed KleptoCapture, aimed at depriving Russian oligarchs of assets and other tools used to evade sanctions.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 20233:22 PM EST

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, holds up a copy of his paper after the conclusion of bidding during a charity auction at The Times Center on June 20, 2022 in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

A court in Moscow upheld an earlier verdict to revoke the license of a top independent newspaper that has been critical of the Kremlin for years, part of the authorities' relentless crackdown on dissent.

The ruling by the Moscow City Court against Novaya Gazeta, which was Russia's most renowned independent newspaper until the authorities ordered it shut last year, comes as Russia's grinding military campaign in Ukraine approaches its one-year mark.

The court rejected Novaya Gazeta's appeal against September's ruling by a district court in Moscow that approved a petition by Russia's media regulator to revoke Novaya Gazeta's license. The regulator accused the newspaper of failing to submit its newsroom charter to authorities on time, the claim that Novaya Gazeta rejected as a cover for what it described as the authorities' effort to muzzle an independent voice.

Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor-in-chief of the newspaper, denounced Tuesday's ruling, saying that it "serves a bunch of people who want to leave the nation facing only propaganda."

Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Kremlin-controlled parliament approved legislation that outlawed alleged disparaging of the Russian military or the spread of "false information" about the country's military campaign in Ukraine.

Dozens of Russian independent media outlets were banned as a result, while others announced that they were halting any reporting related to Ukraine.

Associated Press

Tue, Feb 7 20232:29 PM EST

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) in Lviv, Ukraine on August 18, 2022.

Turkish Presidency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following devastating twin earthquakes.

Zelenskyy told his Turkish counterpart that he will provide humanitarian aid to Turkey to help with the emergency situation in the country caused by the earthquakes. He also said that a group of Ukrainian rescuers and the necessary equipment will also be sent to help the people of Turkey.

"Ukrainian specialists have relevant experience in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and will arrive in the affected regions as soon as possible. They will help with the whole range of work on the recovery from the earthquake," Zelenskyy told Erdogan, according to a Ukrainian readout of the call.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 20231:52 PM EST

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Twitter that the first Leopard 2 tank arrived in Kyiv, holding a small acrylic box with a model of the German-made weapon.

"Thank you to Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz my colleague Boris Pistorius and the German people. The tank coalition is marching ... to victory!"

Last month, Scholzdecided to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks and "quickly assemble two tank battalions." The country will supply 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks in what it called a "first step."

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 202312:24 PM EST

Newly appointed Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko looks on during a session of Ukrainian parliament, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 7, 2023.

Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters

Ukraine's parliament appointed Ihor Klymenko as the country's new Minister of Interior after a deadly helicopter crash last month killed the previous minister as well as several other Ukrainian officials.

Klymenko was previously serving as the acting interior minister on the heels of the helicopter accident. He previously served as head of Ukraine's national police.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 202311:29 AM EST

Flowers and toys laid are seen in front of the Turkish Embassy building in Kyiv, Ukraine after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Turkiye's Kahramanmaras, on February 07, 2023. Getty Images)

Danylo Antoniuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Ukrainians leave flowers and notes in front of the Turkish Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine after twin earthquakes rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.

Authorities have previously given an estimated death toll of 5,000 people but have added that the loss of life could rise as rescue crews work to find survivors buried in the rubble.

Turkey declared seven days of national mourning.

A woman leaves flowers in front of the Turkish Embassy building in Kyiv, Ukraine after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Turkiye's Kahramanmaras, on February 07, 2023.

Danylo Antoniuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

A Turkish flag at half-mast in front of the Turkish Embassy building in Kyiv, Ukraine after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Turkiye's Kahramanmaras, on February 07, 2023.

Danylo Antoniuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

A man crosses himself as lays flowers outside the Turkish embassy in Kyiv on February 7, 2023, to pay tribute to the victims of a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, killing at least 4,800 people and flattening thousands of buildings.

Dimitar Dilkoff | Afp | Getty Images

Women light candles outside the Turkish Embassy in Kyiv on February 7, 2023, to pay tribute to the victims of a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, killing at least 4,800 people and flattening thousands of buildings.

Dimitar Dilkoff | Afp | Getty Images

Danylo Antoniuk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Tue, Feb 7 202310:27 AM EST

US President Joe Biden steps off Air Force One upon arrival at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Delaware on October 27, 2022.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Bidenis expected to travel to Poland this month to mark the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine,three people familiar with the planning told NBC NEWS.

The sources added that the trip is still under discussion and the itinerary could change.

Since Russia's invasion, the Biden administration has committed more than $29 billionin security assistance to Ukraine, according to figures provided by the Pentagon.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 20239:49 AM EST

U.S. first lady Jill Biden applauds her guest Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova in the first lady's box as President Joe Biden welcomes Markarova during his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House of Representatives Chamber at the Capitol in Washington, U.S. March 1, 2022.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

Ukraine's U.S. Ambassador Oksana Markarova will attend the State of the Union as a guest of first lady Jill Biden.

Markarova joined the first lady in her viewing box last year and received a standing ovation after President Joe Biden called for a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Markarova, who is Ukraine's former Minister of Finance, has served as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top diplomat in the United States since 2021.

Amanda Macias

Tue, Feb 7 20239:08 AM EST

Ukrainian servicemen make a trench near Bakhmut on Feb. 1, 2023, as they prepare for a Russian offensive in the area.

Yasuyoshi Chiba | Afp | Getty Images

Russian troops are attempting to push through Ukraine's defenses in the Bakhmut and Lyman area but are suffering large losses, according to an update by Ukraine's Ground Forces onFacebook Tuesday.

"Ukrainian defenders are heroically repelling the attacks of the Russian occupiers along the entire line of the eastern front," Ukraine's Ground Forces said in a statement.

"In the eastern direction of the front, the Russian occupiers do not stop their offensive attempts in the Lyman and Bakhmut directions," the statement, translated by Google, noted. It added that Russian forces continue"to make attempts to break through our defenses" but suffer "heavy losses."

"On the approaches to Bakhmut, our military showed great endurance and professionalism, which hindered the enemy's actions and caused enormous losses in manpower for the Russian occupiers," the statement continued, saying that as a result, Russian forces had not been able to break through the defenses of the"Bakhmutfortress."

CNBC was unable to verify the information in the update.

Russian forces and mercenaries belonging to the private military company known as the Wagner Group have been attempting to capture Bakhmut for months. Capturing the city in Donetsk is seen as a strategic goal for Russia as it tries to seize the region and wider Donbas area of eastern Ukraine.

Russia is expected to launch a large-scale offensive action to try to seize Donbas in the coming weeks.

Holly Ellyatt

Tue, Feb 7 20238:45 AM EST

Ukraine's parliament approved changes to the 2023 state budget on Tuesday, raising state spending to support small businesses and channel more funds into reconstruction and recovery projects following Russia's invasion.

Roksolana Pidlasa, the head of the parliamentary budget committee, said spending had been increased by 5.5 billion hryvnias ($150 million).

The increase included funds to finance and modernise hospitals in the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, and to rebuild bridges damaged in Russia's war on Ukraine.

kyiv skyline

Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images News | Getty Images

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Russia-Ukraine war updates for Feb.8, 2023 - cnbc.com

Ukraine war live updates: Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

UN says more than 7,000 killed in Ukraine since start of war

An elderly man walks among the graves of unidentified people, killed during Russian occupation, who were reburied from a mass grave in the small Ukrainian town of Bucha, near Kyiv, on January 12, 2023.

Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images

The United Nations has confirmed at least 7,068 deaths and 11,415 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor nearly a year ago.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes," the international organization wrote in a release.

Amanda Macias

New US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks after meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations on February 25, 2021 in New York City.

Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield will travel to Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya to discuss food insecurity triggered by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Last week, Thomas Greenfield demanded Russia cooperate in the Black Sea Grain Initiative and blamed a backlog of ships loaded with crucial food supplies on "Russia's deliberate slowdown of inspections."

"This backlog means extra expense and extra delay for millions of tons of grain, a majority of which is destined for developing countries. The backlog means 2.5 million tons of grain are just sitting there, waiting to move," she said before the U.N. Security Council, adding that some vessels have been waiting for over a month.

Since the deal was signed, more than 670 ships carrying 18.3 million metric tons of grain and other food products have left Ukrainian waters.

Amanda Macias

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomes former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 22, 2023.

Ukrainian Presidential Press Ser | Via Reuters

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"It is a privilege to visit Ukraine at the invitation of president Zelenskyy. The suffering of the people of Ukraine has gone on for too long. The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win and to win as fast as possible," Johnson wrote in a statement following the visit.

"This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job. The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world," he added.

Johnson, who was one of the first world leaders to visit Zelenskyy following Russia's invasion, quickly became one of the most visible Western supporters of Ukraine. He resigned from the prime minister post in July.

Amanda Macias

The yacht called "Tango" owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who was sanctioned by the U.S. on March 11, is seen at Palma de Mallorca Yacht Club in the Spanish island of Mallorca, Spain March 15, 2022.

Juan Medina | Reuters

Two businessmen from Russia and the UK were charged in separate indictments for attempting to evade sanctions linked to a $90 million luxury yacht owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.

Vladislav Osipov, 51, a dual Russian and Swiss national, and Richard Masters, 52, a British national, were charged Friday with conspiracy to defraud and to commit offenses against the United States as well as money laundering.

According to U.S. federal prosecutors, Osipov used a complex web of shell companies to hide Vekselberg's ownership of the 255-foot seized yacht

"Despite that Vekselberg designed the yacht, was the sole user, and was the ultimate beneficial owner," prosecutors wrote in a release.

Masters was arrested by Spanish authorities on Friday and awaits extradition to the United States whereas, Osipov's arrest warrant is outstanding.

Amanda Macias

Ukrainian soldiers outside the strategic city of Bakhmut on Jan. 18, 2023, in Bakhmut, Ukraine.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The director of America's top spy agency described Russia's war in Ukraine as a "grinding conflict" that will require the West to continue to provide security assistance packages in order for Kyiv to prevail.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told CNN's Fareed Zakaria during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum on Sunday that both Ukrainian and Russian militaries are facing significant challenges but the war had not reached a stalemate.

"It's not a stalemate but really, a grinding conflict where quite literally, we're talking about hundreds of meters being fought over in the context of the frontlines," Haines said in Davos, Switzerland.

"It will be extremely important for Ukraine to receive essential military assistance and economic assistance moving forward in order for them to be able to continue to manage what they have been heroically doing," she added.

Read the full story here.

Amanda Macias

The portrait of late First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin is pictured during the lying-in-state ceremony of the leadership of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs who perished in the Brovary helicopter crash at the Ukrainian House, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine.

Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Ukrainians attend a lying-in-state ceremony of the leadership of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry who perished in a helicopter crash last week in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv.

The helicopter, which belonged to the State Emergency Service, crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building, killing 14 people, including a child. All those onboard the helicopter died, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy, his First Deputy Yevhenii Yenin and Interior Ministry's State Secretary Yurii Lubkovych.

An investigation is being carried out into the crash, which President Zelenskyy described as a "terrible tragedy."

Relatives mourn late First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin during the lying-in-state ceremony of the leadership of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs who perished in the Brovary helicopter crash at the Ukrainian House, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine.

Hennadii Minchenko | Future Publishing | Getty Images

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his spouse Olena Zelenska pay their last respects to the leadership of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs who perished in the Brovary helicopter crash during the lying-in-state ceremony at the Ukrainian House, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. On Wednesday morning, January 18, a helicopter of the State Emergency Service crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building in Brovary, Kyiv Region.

Yurii Lubkovych | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Ukraine needs several hundred tanks to combat Russia, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said Monday.

"We need tanks not 10-20, but several hundred," Andriy Yermak said on Telegram, according to a Google translation.

He said Ukraine's goal was the re-establishment of Ukraine's borders of 1991 when the country declared independence from the USSR and for Russia to be punished for its invasion of Ukraine.

There is still uncertainty over whether European countries will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, after no decision was reached during a defense summit last Friday. Kyiv has repeatedly urged its allies to give it tanks to help it defeat Russia's ongoing invasion.

A Ukrainian tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna, Lugansk region, on January 12, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images

Senior official Yermak said that "the common goal of democracy in the fight against autocracy is to ensure stable development and a clear world order.Without the victory of Ukraine, none of this will happen."

He added, "That is why every tank capable of fighting must be on our front today.Because this is not only the Ukrainian front. This is the front of civilization against backwardness and barbarism from the swamps."

Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine needs several hundred tanks to combat Russia, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said Monday.

"We need tanks not 10-20, but several hundred," Andriy Yermak said on Telegram, according to a Google translation.

He said Ukraine's goal was the re-establishment of Ukraine's borders of 1991 when the country declared independence from the USSR and for Russia to be punished for its invasion of Ukraine.

There is still uncertainty over whether European countries will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, after no decision was reached during a defense summit last Friday. Kyiv has repeatedly urged its allies to give it tanks to help it defeat Russia's ongoing invasion.

A Ukrainian tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna, Lugansk region, on January 12, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images

Senior official Yermak said that "the common goal of democracy in the fight against autocracy is to ensure stable development and a clear world order.Without the victory of Ukraine, none of this will happen."

He added, "That is why every tank capable of fighting must be on our front today.Because this is not only the Ukrainian front. This is the front of civilization against backwardness and barbarism from the swamps."

Holly Ellyatt

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sergei Lavrov speaks during a press conference after his meeting with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor at the OR Tambo Building in Pretoria on January 23, 2023.

Phill Magakoe | Afp | Getty Images

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the conflict between Russia and the West is playing out in Ukraine and can no longer be defined as a "hybrid war" but is closer to a real one.

"When we talk about what is happening in Ukraine, we are talking about the fact that this is no longer a hybrid war, but a real one, which the West has been preparing for a long time against Russia," he said at a press conference on Monday following talks with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, state news agency Tass reported.

Lavrov claimed the West was "trying to destroy everything Russian from language to culture, which has been in Ukraine for centuries, and forbidding people to speak their native language," he said.

Lavrov made the comments during a diplomatic trip to South Africa in which he also claimed Ukraine had blocked negotiations to end the war.

"In September, President Zelenskyy signed a decree prohibiting all Ukrainian officials to negotiate on anything with the Russian Federation. So I believe it is absolutely obvious as regards the origin of the problem of lack of negotiations."

Ukraine has said it is willing to negotiate once President Putin is not in power, and when all Russian forces have left its territory. It says it will fight until it has reclaimed all its territory, including Crimea which was annexed in 2014 by Russia.

Holly Ellyatt

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stands next to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (3rd from right), Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov (2nd from right) and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov (5th from right) in Kharkiv on the site of a substation destroyed by the Russians during her trip to eastern Ukraine.

Jorg Blank | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

EU countries and their international partners together should try to do everything possible to make sure Ukraine will win its war against Russia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday.

"It's important that we as an international community do everything we can to defend Ukraine, so that Ukraine wins and wins the right to live in peace and freedom again," Baerbock said before a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers.

Baerbock declined to make any specific comment when asked about the issue of exporting Leopold-2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

On Sunday, Baerbock had opened the door to Germany allowing Poland to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, in a possible breakthrough for Kyiv which wants the tanks for its fight against Russia's invasion.

Reuters

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a closing press conference during the second of two days of defence ministers' meetings at NATO headquarters on October 13, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium.

Omar Havana | Getty Images

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will meet German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Tuesday.

The meeting comes amid palpable frustration in Europe regarding Germany's failure to make a decision about allowing German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine.

Kyiv has been requesting Leopard 2 tanks from its European allies for months, saying it needs them to fight Russia as the war approaches its one-year mark.

Germany has appeared reluctant to either send its own Leopard 2s, or to allow other countries with the tanks to re-export them to Ukraine, fearing it could be seen as an escalatory move by Russia. Berlin was also said to be ready to send such tanks only if the U.S. sent its own Abrams tanks.

NATO announced Monday that Stoltenberg was making the trip to Berlin, raising expectations that Germany could be ready to announce it is ready to allow tanks to be sent to Ukraine.

At the weekend, both Pistorius and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signaled that a decision would be made, and that Poland would not be blocked from sending its own Leopard 2s to Ukraine, with or without Berlin's permission.

Holly Ellyatt

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, along with leaders from Belgium, Italy and Greece, will propose a plan for a 'gas price corridor' across Europe in an attempt to bring down soaring prices.

Thierry Monasse / Contributor / Getty Images

Germany's approval for the re-export of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is of secondary importance as Poland could send those tanks as part of a coalition of countries even without its permission, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday.

The United States and its allies failed during talks in Germany last week to convince Berlin to provide its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, a key demand from Kyiv as it tries to breathe new momentum into its fight against Russian forces.

Poland is pushing for countries who have German-made Leopards to send them to Ukraine, even if Germany does not want to join them.

"We will ask for such permission, but this is an issue of secondary importance. Even if we did not get this approval ... we would still transfer our tanks together with others to Ukraine", Morawiecki told reporters.

"The condition for us at the moment is to build at least a small coalition of countries."

Germany would not stand in the way if Poland sent its German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday in an interview with French television LCI.

"Pressure makes sense, because this weekend, the foreign minister of Germany sent a slightly different message that gives a glimmer of hope that not only Germany will not block (sending tanks) but will finally hand over heavy equipment, modern equipment to help Ukraine," Morawiecki said.

Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend an annual meeting of the Defense Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 21, 2022.

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Ukraine war live updates: Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine