United News of Bangladesh

Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s energy workers continue to risk — and often lose — their lives trying to keep the country’s electricity system running amid relentless attacks. When strikes hit, turbine operator Mykhailo does not head for shelter. “If all the operators hid, there’d be no energy,” he said inside a thermal plant’s machine hall. He has worked in the sector for 23 years, but never imagined the job would become so dangerous. At least 160 energy workers have been killed and more than 300 wounded since the war began, according to Ukrainian officials. Colleagues say they keep working despite fear, exhaustion and the constant threat of drones and missiles. Many also face added frustration as a major embezzlement scandal at the state nuclear energy company places top executives under scrutiny. Mykhailo lost a close colleague, Dmytro, who was killed just meters away during a strike. The AP had met Dmytro in 2024 after an earlier attack; he had vowed to “work as long as I can.” He died seven months later. Across the country, repairs have become part of daily life. In Chernihiv, 58-year-old technician Andrii Dzhuma has spent decades maintaining the same power lines he helped install in Soviet times. Since the invasion, he has repaired nearly 100 kilometers of damaged wires. “Somehow, we still give people light,” he said. In Shostka, 24-year-old lineman Bohdan Bilous said he often works 12-hour shifts under the sound of drones. “If one hits me, it’ll be sad, but at least it isn’t a child or a house,” he said. “It’s a kind of self-sacrifice.” The danger is constant. In October, crane operator Anatoliy Savchenko was hit by a drone while returning from a substation in Chernihiv. A second drone struck as colleagues rushed to help. Savchenko, 47, and worker Ruslan Deynega, 45, were killed. “Nobody thought this would happen, especially on the way home,” said Savchenko’s widow, Liudmyla. For many, the work has become a mission. In the Kyiv region, substation repair supervisor Oleksandr Tomchuk said his team rushes out within minutes when drones damage equipment. “People’s heat and comfort depend on us,” he said. Western-supplied electrical gear is crucial to keeping repairs going. “We’ll restore again and again — even if it’s hit today after being fixed yesterday.” At home, Tomchuk shrugs off talk of fatigue as his children clamber around him. “There’s no time to be tired,” he said, though he knows the risks remain high. The emotional toll is heavy. Mykhailo said morale often dips, but workers support each other to cope. Quitting, he added, is hardly a safe option — it could mean losing his profession or being sent to the front. “It’s scary and mentally hard,” he said. “You go to work knowing you could be killed.” Dmytro’s widow, Tetiana, said her husband understood the risks after fleeing occupation in southern Ukraine in 2022 when he refused to work for Russian-installed authorities. “Light doesn’t come from machines,” she said. “It comes from people who risk their lives to bring it. If they stop going to work, there will be no gas, no heat, no light.”    

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a package of tax increases as Moscow seeks fresh revenue to support its wartime economy nearly four years into the conflict in Ukraine. The State Duma endorsed the crucial second reading of a bill that would raise the value-added tax (VAT) rate from 20% to 22%, a change expected to bring an additional 1 trillion rubles (about $12.3 billion) into state coffers. The legislation also lowers the annual sales threshold for mandatory VAT collection from 60 million rubles (about $739,000) to 10 million rubles (about $123,000). The phased changes, set to run until 2028, aim to curb businesses from splitting operations to avoid taxes, but will sweep many small firms into the VAT net for the first time. The VAT move is part of a broader set of new taxes the Kremlin hopes will bolster a slowing economy. One measure eliminates a special concessional rate on the state “recycling fee” for cars, which will primarily hit high-end imported vehicles. Other proposals target higher taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and beer, as well as new duties on technology products, including smartphones and laptops. After two years of strong growth driven by military spending, Russia’s economy contracted early this year and is forecast to expand by only about 1% in 2025, according to government estimates. High interest rates — now at 16.5% — aimed at curbing inflation of around 8% have added further pressure. Lawmakers on Tuesday also approved the draft budget for 2026, which sets military spending at 12.93 trillion rubles ($159 billion), or 16.84 trillion rubles ($207 billion) when security and law enforcement allocations are included. The tax and budget bills require a final vote in the lower house before moving to the upper chamber and then to President Vladimir Putin for his signature.    

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that he will travel to Turkey this week to try to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. Turkey hosted earlier low-level talks this year, which led mainly to prisoner exchanges, but no major breakthrough on peace has been achieved. Zelenskyy said he will arrive in Turkey on Wednesday, following a visit to Spain where he sought new international support. “We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners,” he said on social media, without providing further details. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that no Russian representatives would attend the Turkish meetings, though Moscow remains open to future discussions. U.S. President Donald Trump has also expressed frustration over Russian inflexibility, and new U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s oil industry are set to take effect Friday to pressure Moscow into negotiations. Zelenskyy’s visit comes amid ongoing fighting. Ukraine recently launched an aerial attack on energy infrastructure in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk, leaving areas without power. Russian-appointed authorities described the assault as “unprecedented.” In Kharkiv, a 17-year-old girl was killed and 10 others injured by a Russian missile strike, while drone attacks in Dnipro damaged residential buildings and public infrastructure. Ukrainian forces reported intercepting 114 Russian drones overnight. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent in Paris to purchase up to 100 French Rafale warplanes, along with drones and ground-to-air systems. He also plans meetings with senior Ukrainian officials, parliament leaders, and his political party, Servant of the People, to coordinate strategy. Despite Ukraine’s heavy losses and ongoing Russian strikes, Zelenskyy emphasized that ending the war remains the country’s top priority, while international pressure and sanctions aim to push Russia toward meaningful negotiations. The Turkish visit marks a critical attempt by Kyiv to restart dialogue and explore possible pathways toward ending the conflict, even as fighting continues across multiple fronts.

Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent with France to purchase up to 100 Rafale fighter jets over the next decade, a move both leaders described as a major step in strengthening Kyiv’s long-term defense capabilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision at a joint press conference at the Elysée Palace, calling the document a strategic roadmap for future defense cooperation. Zelenskyy said the plan includes the potential acquisition of 100 Rafale jets, advanced French radars, and eight SAMP/T air-defense systems equipped with six launchers each. “This is a strategic agreement that will operate for 10 years starting next year,” he said, hailing it as a historic deal. Macron said the agreement covers France’s latest-generation jets with full armament packages, as well as training and industrial programs. It also outlines possible deliveries of drones, drone-interceptor systems, guided bombs and next-generation SAMP/T systems, with initial transfers expected within three years. French defense officials say the SAMP/T batteries deployed in Ukraine have proven highly effective against Russian missiles — in some cases outperforming U.S.-made Patriot systems. Zelenskyy, making his ninth trip to Paris since Russia’s full-scale invasion, is pressing Western partners for more air-defense support as Ukraine braces for another winter of heavy Russian attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure. Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy and Macron visited an air base near Paris before heading to the headquarters of a multinational “coalition of the willing” that France and the U.K. are coordinating with more than 30 countries. The force is being prepared to help oversee any future ceasefire, though Moscow has rejected such proposals. The visit follows Ukraine’s recent agreements with Sweden on exploring the purchase of up to 150 Gripen jets and ongoing deliveries of U.S. F-16s and French Mirage aircraft. France remains one of Kyiv’s key defense partners, supplying air-defense systems, jets and other equipment. French military chief Gen. Fabien Mandon recently warned that Ukraine urgently needs additional air-defense assets, saying Russia is launching roughly 1,700 drones per week alongside missile barrages.  

A railway line connecting Warsaw to southeastern Poland was damaged by a weekend explosion, which Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday described as an act of sabotage. Tusk, who visited the site near the village of Mika, said the route is “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine” and confirmed that the explosion destroyed part of the track. Officials reported that a train driver noticed irregularities on the line between Warsaw and Lublin around 7:40 a.m. Sunday. Further inspection revealed damage, but no injuries occurred among the two passengers and several staff members on board. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the army will inspect 120 kilometers of the Warsaw-Lublin-Hrubieszów line, a key rail and road link to Ukraine. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński added that a separate train was damaged on the Świnoujście-Rzeszów route, halting 475 passengers about 50 kilometers from Lublin, though no injuries were reported. Polish authorities have detained dozens over suspected sabotage and espionage since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with some incidents blamed on Moscow. Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk cautioned against assuming Russian involvement in every case, though he said it cannot be ruled out. Tusk pledged that “Poland will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to securing vital infrastructure.  

The Czech Republic has launched a $19 billion nuclear expansion aimed at doubling its output and phasing out fossil fuels, with work already underway at the Dukovany power plant for two new reactors. Mobile drilling rigs are carrying out deep geological surveys at the site, part of a broader plan to secure the country’s long-term energy supply and meet emissions targets. The new units, each expected to produce more than 1,000 megawatts, will be built by South Korea’s state utility KHNP, which beat France’s EDF in a competitive tender. Once operational in the second half of the 2030s, the reactors will operate alongside Dukovany’s four 512-megawatt units from the 1980s. The agreement also gives Prague the option to add two more reactors at the Temelín plant, which currently houses two 1,000-megawatt units. Officials say small modular reactors will follow. “Nuclear will generate between 50% and 60% of electricity around 2050 in the Czech Republic, or slightly more,” said Petr Závodský, head of the Dukovany project. Officials say expanding nuclear capacity is crucial as demand rises from data centers, electric vehicles and industry. It also supports Prague’s plan to replace coal, which currently supplies about 40% of the country’s power. The Czech investment comes amid renewed interest in nuclear energy across Europe as governments seek low-carbon alternatives. The EU has categorized nuclear as a “sustainable” investment, opening the door to financing. Belgium and Sweden have reversed plans to phase out atomic power, while Denmark, Italy and Poland are reassessing their options. Twelve EU states are now considered pro-nuclear. The U.K. plans its largest nuclear build since 1995, and the Czech utility CEZ has partnered with Rolls-Royce SMR to develop small modular reactors. The government will hold an 80% stake in the Dukovany expansion and secure a long-term loan that CEZ will repay over 30 years. Prague will guarantee stable electricity revenue for CEZ for four decades, subject to EU approval. Uncertainty over financing previously stalled the program, including the cancellation of a major tender in 2014. Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG were excluded from the Dukovany tender on security grounds after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. CEZ has since signed fuel supply deals with Westinghouse and France’s Framatome, reducing dependence on Russia. The KHNP contract guarantees 10 years of fuel. While nuclear enjoys broad domestic backing, environmental groups argue the investment is too costly and note the absence of permanent storage for spent fuel. Austria, which borders both Czech nuclear sites and remains strongly anti-nuclear, has already opposed plans for small modular reactors. The countries previously clashed over Temelín in 2000, triggering border blockades. Despite concerns, Czech officials insist the expansion is essential to replace coal and ensure long-term energy security.

A ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before spring, and Europe must stay committed to Kyiv despite a corruption scandal shaking the Ukrainian government, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview. Speaking at a military base near Helsinki, Stubb said Europe will need “sisu” — the Finnish concept of endurance and grit — to face the coming months as Russia escalates hybrid attacks across the continent. Finland, which joined NATO after Russia’s 2022 invasion, shares a long border with Russia and sees itself as a key bridge between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Stubb said he regularly speaks with Trump and uses Finland’s history — including the territory it lost to the Soviet Union in the 1940s — to explain why European security hinges on Ukraine’s survival. He urged Kyiv to quickly address allegations of kickbacks and embezzlement, warning the scandal benefits Moscow. He said the lack of progress toward a ceasefire reflects unresolved questions over Ukraine’s security guarantees, reconstruction and territorial issues. Progress by March would be ideal, he said, though he remains cautious. Stubb praised Trump’s recent sanctions on Russian energy firms but said Europe and the U.S. must do more, including leveraging frozen Russian assets and strengthening Ukraine’s military capacity. Ukraine continues negotiating for additional weapons after the U.S. declined to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles. Stubb described Russia’s incursions, drone activity and sabotage across Europe as part of a broader hybrid warfare campaign aimed at spreading fear and instability. Europe must respond calmly and firmly, he said. Facing shifting U.S. positions on Ukraine, Stubb said patience and realism are essential. “You can’t have illusions,” he said. “You need a bit of ‘sisu’ in these negotiations as well.”

Turkey on Friday held a military funeral for 20 service members who died when a C-130 cargo plane crashed in Georgia earlier in the week. The aircraft was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it went down Tuesday in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality near the Azerbaijani border. Investigators are still examining what caused the crash. Those killed included the flight crew and military technicians who had traveled to Azerbaijan to service Turkish F-16 fighter jets that took part in Victory Day events. The commemorations marked Azerbaijan’s 2020 victory over Armenia in the long-running conflict for Nagorno-Karabakh. Families, senior officials and troops gathered at an Ankara airbase where the 20 flag-draped coffins were displayed for a ceremony. The remains were later sent to hometowns for burial. The Turkish military has temporarily grounded its remaining fleet of 18 C-130s pending technical checks. The aircraft are central to military transport and logistics operations. Turkey sent an investigative team to the crash site and moved the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders to Ankara for analysis, the Defense Ministry said. Officials also confirmed the aircraft was not carrying ammunition when it went down.

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Friday, killing four people and injuring at least 34 others, including a pregnant woman, Ukrainian officials said. Explosions echoed across the capital as debris set buildings and cars on fire. Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said emergency crews responded to multiple impacts throughout the night. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia used more than 430 drones and 18 missiles in the nationwide attack. The barrage also targeted Odesa and Kharkiv, but Kyiv was hit hardest, with missiles and drones striking high-rise residential areas. Zelenskyy called it a “deliberately planned attack” aimed at causing maximum civilian harm. Moscow claimed it targeted military and energy sites, a statement Ukrainian officials rejected. Ukraine said its Patriot air defense systems intercepted 14 missiles, but widespread damage was still reported across eight of Kyiv’s 10 districts. Authorities warned of potential power and water outages as firefighters battled blazes in apartments and homes. Residents described narrow escapes. One woman said she awoke to find her hair on fire after her building was hit, while another recounted being knocked to the floor by an explosion before she could reach a shelter. Ukraine army chief visits front line amid Zelenskyy graft scandal Russian strikes also killed two people in Odesa’s Chornomorsk district. In the wider Kyiv region, critical infrastructure and private homes were damaged. Meanwhile, Russia claimed it shot down 216 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, including Krasnodar, Crimea and Saratov. Local authorities in Novorossiysk said an oil depot and coastal facilities were damaged, and a civilian ship was hit by falling debris. Ukraine, however, said it struck targets deep inside Russia using modified Neptune missiles, part of its ongoing effort to weaken Moscow’s military and energy assets. Source: AP 

Ukraine’s top military commander visited troops defending the besieged eastern city of Pokrovsk on Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced a growing corruption scandal in his administration. Following the resignation of Zelenskyy’s justice and energy ministers over an alleged energy sector graft scheme, the government dismissed the vice president of state nuclear firm Energoatom, along with heads of finance, legal, and procurement departments, and a presidential consultant, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said. Investigators say the scandal may have generated roughly $100 million in kickbacks, with five people already detained and seven more implicated. Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Zelenskyy’s Kvartal 95 media company, is suspected to be the mastermind and remains at large. The scandal has sparked public anger and renewed scrutiny of what top officials knew. Zelenskyy had faced criticism last summer for trying to curb Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs, a move reversed after protests and EU pressure. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a €6 billion ($7 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, assuring continued financial support for the next two years. She emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s belief that he could outlast Ukraine was “a clear miscalculation.” On the battlefield, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces are holding street battles in Pokrovsk and working to secure logistic routes and evacuate the wounded. “There is no question of Russian control over the city of Pokrovsk or of the operational encirclement of Ukraine’s defense forces in the area,” he said on Telegram.