United News of Bangladesh

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he asked U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow to help end Russia’s 4½-year invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he had not yet received details from the White House about Trump’s talks with Xi but expected to learn what was discussed. Zelenskyy visited the United States this week during the U.N. General Assembly and met with Trump on Tuesday as he sought greater international support for Ukraine. NATO countries have described China as a “decisive enabler” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy shared further details of his U.S. visit in voice messages sent to journalists. US seeks initial technical talksZelenskyy said Washington wants the United States, Ukraine and Russia to begin technical-level talks before any meeting between their leaders. According to him, Ukraine is waiting for Washington to suggest a date for the talks, with U.S. officials proposing the United Arab Emirates as the venue. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Putin and Trump had discussed holding such a meeting during their phone call earlier this month. “I can’t give you any specifics” at this point, Peskov said. Representatives from the three countries held three rounds of talks earlier this year — two in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva — but failed to make significant progress. Putin, speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg on Friday night, criticized recent Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and on Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine. He said proposals to restart negotiations remained on the table, but Moscow would carefully consider its response. Putin stressed that any decision on restarting the talks would be based on Russia’s interests. Zelenskyy calls for tougher sanctionsDuring his U.S. visit, Zelenskyy met with U.S. senators and members of Congress and thanked them for bipartisan support for a major sanctions bill targeting Russia. Trump signed the bill into law last week but has not yet implemented the measures. Zelenskyy said sanctions were important to putting pressure on Putin to return to negotiations and urged Trump to enforce them. “The sanctions are indeed strong,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the measures were now in the hands of the U.S. president. Trump approves Patriot production licensesZelenskyy also said Trump had confirmed a final decision to allow Ukraine to obtain licenses to produce Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine has been seeking more U.S.-made Patriot systems to defend against Russian ballistic missiles, but supplies have been limited since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28. Trump said in July that he would allow Ukraine to produce the systems itself, but later appeared to reconsider the decision. Calls for free Black Sea shippingUkraine and Russia are major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food products. However, attacks on cargo vessels during the war have disrupted shipping through the Black Sea and raised concerns about food shortages. Zelenskyy said he held separate meetings in the United States with the leaders of India, Turkey, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries that want safe and uninterrupted shipping through the Black Sea. He said those leaders were also expected to hold talks with Russian officials. Kyiv wants Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in the Black Sea so that full commercial deliveries can resume, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine seeks more financial supportZelenskyy said he also discussed Ukraine’s financial needs with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. Ukraine’s budget has come under heavy pressure because of wartime spending and falling production, while Russia’s economy has also been affected by the war. According to Zelenskyy, the European Union will extend its financial assistance to Ukraine, while the IMF will continue its support programs. He said most of Ukraine’s current funding gap is linked to weapons purchases. Future support could also involve technology-sharing agreements and joint drone production, he said. Ukraine is a major producer of military drones. Five killed in Ukraine strikesRussian aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight and into Friday killed five people and wounded 11, Ukrainian officials said. Russian authorities, meanwhile, reported that one person was killed and 21 wounded in Ukrainian long-range strikes. Zelenskyy said eight Ukrainian regions came under attack. He said Russian forces continued their round-the-clock attacks on Kyiv, striking an office building where four people were killed. A 14-year-old boy was also killed when a Russian strike hit an apartment building in Kyiv, while at least seven residents were injured, officials said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck a missile-engine depot near Kyiv, among other targets. Zelenskyy said Ukraine also struck two oil refineries as part of its ongoing campaign to damage Russia’s economy. Unconfirmed Russian media reports said Ukrainian drones also hit a Russian military electronics plant and a synthetic rubber producer.

Russia carried out dozens of overnight drone attacks on Ukraine, ignoring a unilateral ceasefire declared by Kyiv that came into effect at midnight, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Russian forces launched 108 drones and three missiles, with strikes continuing through the night into Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating its own ceasefire, claiming its air defenses intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, the annexed Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday. Russia-installed governor of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov said a Ukrainian drone strike killed five people in the city of Dzhankoi shortly after midnight. There had been no indication from Moscow that it would observe Kyiv’s ceasefire, with prospects for a pause in fighting remaining slim as the war enters its fifth year following Russia’s full-scale invasion. On Tuesday, Russian drone and missile strikes killed 27 civilians and injured 120 others in Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The United Nations estimates that more than 15,000 civilians have been killed since the war began. Fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line, where Russia’s larger forces are engaged in a prolonged and costly battle against Ukraine’s defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the unilateral ceasefire after Russia signaled it would observe a separate pause later this week to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Zelenskyy warned that any violation of the ceasefire would prompt a military response. European leaders had welcomed Ukraine’s move as a sign of willingness to pursue peace. However, Sybiha said Russia’s continued attacks showed a lack of sincerity in its own ceasefire proposals linked to upcoming commemorations. “Moscow once again ignored a realistic and fair call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organizations,” he said. He urged the international community to increase pressure on Moscow through additional sanctions, diplomatic isolation, accountability for alleged war crimes, and enhanced military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.

Russia carried out a large-scale drone and missile attack on civilian areas across Ukraine, killing at least four people and injuring 27 others, officials said Tuesday, amid indications that Moscow may be launching a new spring offensive. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired nearly 400 long-range drones overnight in one of the biggest attacks in recent weeks. The assault continued into Tuesday morning, with dozens of drones targeting the capital, Kyiv, even during daylight hours. In addition, Russia launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles overnight, hitting at least 10 locations across the country. Ukraine has been facing constant attacks since Russia began its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Efforts to reach a ceasefire through US-led talks have failed, while the ongoing Iran conflict has shifted global focus away from Ukraine. Along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces are preparing for increased attacks as weather conditions improve. Army chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian troops have recently tried to break through defenses in several key areas. “Intense fighting is ongoing along the entire front line,” Syrskyi said, adding that Russia launched 619 attacks over four days. He noted that Ukraine has sent reinforcements to counter the assaults. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said recent developments suggest Russia’s spring-summer offensive is already underway, with increased troop deployments and heavier equipment near the front lines. Despite stepping up attacks, Russia has so far made only limited territorial gains and currently controls about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Facing a shortage of troops, Ukraine has relied heavily on advanced drone technology. Kyiv is also seeking to exchange its battlefield drone expertise with Western and Gulf partners for much-needed air defence systems.Meanwhile, Russia said it intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over its regions, Crimea and the Black Sea.

A labour recruiter reportedly persuaded Maksudur Rahman to leave the tropical warmth of his hometown in Bangladesh and travel thousands of miles to frigid Russia for a job as a janitor. Within weeks, he found himself on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Rahman and two other Bangladeshi men who escaped told AP that after arriving in Moscow, they were made to sign documents in Russian that turned out to be military contracts. They were sent to army camps for training in drone warfare, medical evacuation, and combat with heavy weapons. Rahman protested. Through a translation app, a Russian commander told him, “Your agent sent you here. We bought you." The men described being forced to advance ahead of Russian troops, transport supplies, evacuate the wounded, and recover dead soldiers. Families of other missing Bangladeshis reported similar experiences. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Foreign Ministry, nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP’s questions. Rahman said he and his group were threatened with 10-year jail terms and beaten. “They’d say, ‘Why don’t you work? Why are you crying?’ and kick us,” he said. He escaped and returned home after seven months. Documents reviewed by AP, including visas, contracts, medical and police reports, and photos, confirm the workers’ accounts. Officials and activists said Russia also targeted men from India, Nepal, and African countries. In Bangladesh’s Lakshmipur district, many families rely on migrant work. In 2024, Rahman sought new work after a contract in Malaysia. A recruiter offered a job as a cleaner in a Russian military camp with a salary of $1,000 to $1,500 and possible permanent residency. Rahman paid 1.2 million taka ($9,800) to the recruiter and arrived in Moscow in December 2024. Upon arrival, Rahman and three other men were handed Russian documents, believed to be cleaning contracts, and sent to a military facility for training. They were later deployed near the Russia-Ukraine border, digging pits in bunkers while bombs and missiles struck nearby. Some workers, like Mohan Miajee, were promised positions far from combat. But after arriving at a camp in Avdiivka, he was told, “You have been made to sign a contract to join the battalion. You cannot do any other work here. You have been deceived,” he said. Miajee was beaten and tortured whenever he refused orders or made mistakes.   Rahman’s unit was later sent to evacuate a wounded Russian soldier, only to be attacked by drones. He suffered a leg injury and escaped via a hospital with help from the Bangladeshi embassy. He later helped his brother-in-law escape in the same way. Families of missing men cling to visas, contracts, and army documents, hoping they will help bring their loved ones home. Salma Akdar said her husband, Ajgar Hussein, was taken in December 2024 for what he believed was a laundry job. “Seeing all this, he cried a lot and told them, ‘We cannot do these things. We have never done this before,’” she said. Mohammed Siraj’s 20-year-old son, Sajjad, expected to work as a chef. Instead, he was forced into combat. “That is the last message from my son,” Siraj said. Sajjad later died in a drone attack, news that deeply affected the family. An investigation by BRAC and Bangladesh police uncovered at least 10 missing men and a trafficking network involving Bangladeshi intermediaries connected to Russia. About 40 Bangladeshis may have died in the war. Families reported receiving no earnings from their relatives’ work. “I don’t want money or anything else,” Akdar said. “I just want my children’s father back.”  

A Russian glide bomb struck a village in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as residents queued to collect their monthly pensions, killing at least 24 people and injuring 19 others, Ukrainian officials said. The attack hit Yarova village in Donetsk region around 11 a.m., less than 10 kilometers from the front line. Regional head Vadym Filashkin said 23 of those killed were elderly pensioners. “It was beyond words,” said resident Hennadii Trush, who lost his wife in the blast as she waited to collect her bedridden mother’s pension. He fled the village with his elderly mother after the attack. “Before, strikes landed on the outskirts. This time it was right in the center of the village,” he told the Associated Press, weeping with soot still on his face. The strike destroyed homes and set the village ablaze. “The whole village is on fire,” said Pavlo Diachenko, head of communications for the regional police, who rushed to the scene. “Private houses were burning, and people tried to put out the flames with their own hands.” The explosion tore through a mobile post office vehicle where pensions were being distributed, according to Ukrposhta, Ukraine’s postal service. The local post office had shut down a week earlier after staff evacuated. “Apparently, someone gave away the coordinates,” said Ukrposhta head Ihor Smilianskyi, noting that the car had been parked under trees to avoid detection. At the morgue, victims showed severe blast wounds and burns. “They were all lying in one heap,” said Zinaida Hrymailo, who came to identify her 75-year-old cousin. She said her cousin had been preparing to leave Yarova after collecting her pension but died before she could flee. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “frankly brutal,” urging the world to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. “The world should not remain silent,” he wrote on Telegram. “The United States needs a reaction. Europe needs a reaction. Strong action is needed so that Russia stops bringing death.” The UN says more than 12,000 civilians have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The latest strike came two days after Russia launched its largest aerial barrage of Kyiv since the war began. Poland on alert The assault also raised tensions in neighboring Poland, whose military said it went on the highest state of air defense alert overnight Tuesday. “To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the operational commander of the Polish armed forces has activated all necessary procedures,” the Operational Command said. Polish and allied aircraft, along with radar systems, were fully deployed in what officials called “preventative” actions to secure areas adjacent to Ukraine. European Council President Antonio Costa denounced the attack, asking: “Is this what Russia means when it talks about peace? When will President Putin accept to start peace talks already accepted by President Zelenskyy?” Meanwhile, US and European officials held talks in Washington on new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian oil revenues, as fears mount that Ukraine’s air defenses are being depleted faster than they can be replaced. Glide bombs — retrofitted Soviet-era weapons that can weigh up to 3,000 pounds — have devastated eastern Ukraine in recent months.  

At least four people were killed—two in Ukraine and two in Russia—as both countries launched overnight aerial attacks, targeting multiple regions, officials said Friday. In Ukraine, the southern Dnipro and northeastern Sumy regions came under combined rocket and drone strikes. Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipro regional administration, confirmed that two people were killed and five others injured in the attacks. A multi-story building and a business establishment in the city of Dnipro were damaged, while a fire engulfed a shopping center in the region. In Sumy, three people were reported injured by local military authorities. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, endured heavy bombardment. Local officials said the city was struck by four guided aerial bombs, two ballistic missiles, and 15 drones in a span of three hours. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said high-rise buildings, businesses, roads, and communication networks were damaged. Five people were injured, including three emergency workers caught in a “double tap” strike—where rescuers are targeted after the initial attack. Plane with 49 aboard vanishes from Radar in Russia's Far East Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 208 drones and 27 missiles overnight. Air defense systems intercepted or shot down 183 drones and 17 missiles, while 10 missiles and 25 drones struck nine locations. Meanwhile, in Russia, Ukrainian drones targeted several regions. In Rostov, a border region, a drone strike killed two people, according to acting governor Yuri Slyusar. In the nearby Stavropol region, drones hit an industrial facility, sparking a fire and prompting temporary internet restrictions. Additional drones targeted Moscow, Penza, Crimea, the Azov and Black Seas, and several other Russian regions, with 54 drones intercepted in total, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. Civil aviation authorities briefly halted flights in Kaluga, Vladikavkaz, and Grozny following the attacks.

Europe’s highest human rights court is set to issue a ruling Wednesday on cases against Russia concerning its actions during the conflict in Ukraine, including alleged human rights violations throughout the full-scale invasion and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg will decide on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia, marking the first time an international court will assess Russia’s responsibility for the broader Ukraine conflict dating back to 2014. While any decision will carry largely symbolic weight — as the court’s governing body expelled Moscow in 2022 following the full-scale invasion — families of MH17 victims view the ruling as a crucial milestone in their pursuit of justice. “It’s a real step in understanding who was really responsible,” said Thomas Schansman, who lost his 18-year-old son Quinn in the tragedy. The Boeing 777, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down on July 17, 2014, by a Russian-made Buk missile launched from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens, were killed. In May, the United Nations’ aviation agency officially held Russia responsible for the disaster. The ECHR is a key institution within the Council of Europe, the continent’s premier human rights body. Russia was expelled from the council due to its invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine, but the court can still hear cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. Russia fires over 100 drones at Ukraine as Kremlin dismisses transport chief after travel chaos Last year, the court ruled in favor of Ukraine and the Netherlands in a jurisdictional challenge, determining there was sufficient evidence to conclude that areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatists were “under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation,” given Moscow’s provision of weapons and political and economic support. Wednesday’s ruling will not be the last decision from the ECHR regarding the war. Kyiv has additional cases pending against Russia, and nearly 10,000 individual complaints have been filed against the Kremlin. These decisions are separate from a criminal trial in the Netherlands where two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel were convicted in absentia for multiple murders linked to the MH17 downing. Meanwhile, in 2022, the United Nations’ top court ordered Russia to cease military operations in Ukraine during ongoing proceedings—a directive Russia has ignored. Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally approved plans to establish a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the full-scale invasion. Schansman, who has also filed a personal case with the ECHR, said he intends to continue seeking justice more than a decade after his son’s death. “The worst thing we could do is stop fighting,” he told The Associated Press. “MH17 is not a case that will disappear for Russia.”

At least two people were killed and 17 others injured after Russian drones targeted the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday. Emergency services reported that a drone crashed into a residential high-rise, damaging three floors and trapping several residents. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper confirmed that the victims were a married couple, while three children were among the injured. Russian Missile and Drone Strike Injures 20 in Kyiv Russia has not yet commented on the incident. However, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses intercepted over 40 Ukrainian drones overnight and into Saturday morning across western Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea. Drone strikes have become a defining feature of the war, now entering its fourth year. Both Russia and Ukraine have accelerated efforts to develop advanced and more lethal drones, turning the conflict into a battleground for testing new military technologies.    

Russian forces launched a fresh drone assault across Ukraine overnight Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 64 more, Ukrainian officials said. One of the hardest-hit areas was the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, where 17 attack drones struck two residential districts, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Emergency crews, municipal workers and volunteers worked through the night to extinguish fires, rescue residents from burning homes, and restore gas, electricity and water services. “Those are ordinary sites of peaceful life — those that should never be targeted,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram. Three people were confirmed killed, according to Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov. In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 64 people had been injured and reiterated his calls for greater international pressure on Moscow. "Every new day now brings new vile Russian attacks, and almost every strike is telling," he said. “We must not be afraid or postpone new decisions that could make things more difficult for Russia. Without this, they will not engage in genuine diplomacy. And this depends primarily on the United States and other world leaders. Everyone who has called for an end to the killings and for diplomacy must act.” Kharkiv has been frequently targeted in recent months as Russia launched repeated large-scale drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. Moscow's forces have deployed high numbers of drones and missiles in recent days, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday. Russian drone and missile attacks kill 2 in Ukraine The attacks come despite discussions of a potential ceasefire. The two sides traded memoranda at direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2 that set out conditions. However, the inclusion of clauses that both sides see as nonstarters make any quick deal unlikely. Wednesday's strikes also caused widespread destruction in Kharkiv's Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, hitting apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, industrial sites and public transport. Images from the scene published by Ukraine’s Emergency Service on Telegram showed burning apartments, shattered windows and firefighters battling the blaze. “We stand strong. We help one another. And we will endure,” Terekhov said. “Kharkiv is Ukraine. And it cannot be broken.” Ukraine's airforce said that 85 attack and decoy drones were fired over the country overnight. Air defense systems intercepted 40 of the drones, while nine more failed to reach their targets without causing damage.

A Russian missile hit a front-line region in Ukraine on Saturday, killing a child and injuring another, a Ukrainian official said as uncertainty remains as to whether Kyiv diplomats will attend a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul.  More than 200 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian prisons Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed by air defenses, while another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. A 9-old girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia’s Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. “One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on the latest attack. Meanwhile, 14 people were injured after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings on Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said. Four children were among those injured in the two attacks, which also sparked several fires, he said. On Friday, Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Ukraine's president said Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but that the Kremlin should provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate. Speaking late Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was “undermining diplomacy” by withholding the document. Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners hours after a massive attack on Kyiv “For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Moscow previously said it would share its memorandum during the talks.