Hungary’s Orban briefed EU leaders on his meetings with Putin and Xi, ally says
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has sent a letter to the heads of other European Union countries briefing them on a recent set of foreign visits he made thatangered other leaders in the bloc, Orban’s political director…
From basement to battlefield: Ukrainian startups create low-cost robots to fight Russia
Northern Ukraine — Struggling with manpower shortages, overwhelming odds and uneven international assistance, Ukraine hopes to find a strategic edge against Russia in an abandoned warehouse or a factory basement. An ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops is…
A decade after MH17 shoot-down, victim’s father waits for Russia to say sorry
HILVERSUM, Netherlands — Quinn Schansman dreamed of becoming the youngest-ever CEO of an American company. A decade ago, he’d just finished the first year of an international business degree in Amsterdam as a step toward that lofty goal. But the…
Russia reports downing 22 Ukrainian drones
Russia’s defense ministry said Monday its air defenses shot down 22 Ukrainian aerial drones. The ministry said it destroyed 15 drones over the Bryansk region, six drones over Russia-occupied Crimea, and one drone over the Lipetsk region. Officials in Bryansk,…
American volunteer’s urge to help Ukraine rooted in family’s struggle
Rima Ziuraitis, an American of Lithuanian descent, has been teaching basic first aid to military personnel and civilians in Ukraine for over a year. Ziuraitis, who first arrived in Ukraine as a volunteer in the fall of 2022, has decided…
Russia says another Ukrainian village captured in the east
Russian troops have captured a small village in Ukraine’s southeast, its Defense Ministry said, an incremental advance that highlights the grinding gains Russian forces continue to make against Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian officials had no immediate comment on the Russian claim…
Treason, espionage cases rise in Russia since start of Ukraine war
TALLINN, Estonia — When Maksim Kolker’s phone rang at 6 a.m., and the voice on the other end said his father had been arrested, he thought it was a scam to extort money. A day earlier, he had taken his…
Shelling kills 4 in Ukraine; drone attack sparks Russian oil depot fire
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian shelling of Ukraine killed four people on Saturday, officials said, as the two countries exchanged drone attacks, one of which burned a Russian oil depot. Two people died in Ukraine’s partly occupied Kherson region, and two…
NATO Summit concludes with security guarantees for Ukraine
The NATO alliance completed its annual summit this week in Washington, celebrating its 75th anniversary and making long-term commitments of military support for Ukraine. It promised the country’s future is in NATO, while calling out China, Iran and North Korea…
Former US ambassador discusses NATO summit
The 2024 NATO Summit hosted all 32 international allies in Washington this week, from Tuesday to Thursday. Former U.S. Ambassador Kurt Volker spoke with VOA regarding the summit, noting that while he found it to be predictable, with no major…