The News Journal

Russia must face "just punishment" over its invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the UN General Assembly in New York. In a pre-recorded video, the Ukrainian leader called for the creation of a special war tribunal and detailed alleged war crimes by Russia. He also set out a "formula", including more military support and to punish Russia on the world stage. Russia's Vladimir Putin had earlier called up 300,000 reservists for duty. The move prompted rare protests in dozens of Russian cities and Mr Zelensky said the partial mobilisation showed his enemy was not serious about peace talks. Monitoring group OVD-Info said 1,315 Russians had been arrested. The Kremlin said the call-up would be limited to those who had completed military service and had important skills and combat experience. But some of those arrested during protests in Moscow were also told they would have to sign up, reports say. The Ukrainian leader said creating a special tribu...

Ukraine says hundreds of graves have been found outside Izyum, days after the town was re-taken from Russia. Wooden crosses, most of them marked with numbers, were discovered in a forest outside the town by advancing Ukrainian forces. Authorities said they would start exhuming some of the graves on Friday. It is not yet clear what happened to the victims, but early accounts suggest some may have died from shelling and a lack of access to healthcare. There are also signs that some of the graves could belong to Ukrainian soldiers. Regional police head Volodymyr Tymoshko told the BBC more than 400 bodies were thought to have been buried at the site. Izyum, invaded in the early days of the war, was used by Russia as a key military hub to supply its forces from the east. In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the "necessary procedural actions" had begun in the area. "We want the world to know what is really happening and what the Russian occupation has led ...

Russia has blocked the adoption of a joint declaration by a United Nations conference on nuclear disarmament. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is reviewed by its 191 signatories every five years, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Russia objected to a draft text citing "grave concern" over military activities around Ukraine's nuclear plants, in particular Zaporizhzhia. Participants in the last review in 2015 also failed to reach an agreement . The 2022 meeting, which had been due in 2020, was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The failure to agree a joint declaration followed a four-week conference in New York. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was "deeply disappointed" at the lack of agreement. "Russia obstructed progress by refusing to compromise on proposed text accepted by all other states," she said. The US representative, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, said the US "deeply regrets this outcome, and ev...

The UK imported no fuel from Russia in June for the first time on record, according to official figures. Imports of goods from Russia also fell to £33m in June, the lowest level since records began in January 1997, the Office for National Statics (ONS) said. Western nations have imposed strict sanctions on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February. The UK has pledged to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year and gas imports as soon as possible. Fuel imports from Russia fell by £499m - or 100% - compared with the average for the previous 12 months to February. In 2021, the UK imported around 4% of its gas from Russia, and 11% of its oil, according to the International Energy Agency. Read More : https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62659391

Ukrainian officials have ridiculed Russia's accusation that its special services were behind the killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of an ultra-nationalist, in a car-bomb attack. "We don't work in this way," said National Security and Defence Council secretary Oleksiy Danilov. A memorial service for Ms Dugina, 29, took place in Moscow on Tuesday. Ms Dugina, a commentator on a Russian nationalist TV channel, died when her car blew up on the outskirts of Moscow. Her influential father, Alexander Dugin, may have been the intended target of the attack. His expansionist ideas of a New Russia or "Novorossiya" on Ukrainian territory are said to have influenced President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea in 2014. President Putin condemned the "vile, cruel crime" and posthumously awarded Ms Dugina the Order of Courage. Read More : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62643274