When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Moscow promised it would be a short “special military operation.” Yet last week’s annexation by Moscow of Ukrainian territory has probably guaranteed the war will stretch on beyond 2022, as it enters a new, even riskier phase. The annexation of about 15-20 percent of …

Russia retaliated Monday for an attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its most widespread strikes against Ukraine in months, a lethal barrage that smashed civilian targets, knocked out power and water, shattered buildings and killed at least 14 people. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said nearly 100 people were wounded in …

US President Joe Biden has signed a classified policy limiting counterterrorism drone strikes outside conventional war zones, including Afghanistan, New York Times reported this week. The policy requires Biden’s approval before a suspected terrorist is added to a list of those who can be targeted for “direct action,” in a …

The Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan on Sunday unilaterally cancelled joint military drills between the six nations comprising the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), less than a day before they were due to start on its territory. The Kyrgyz defense ministry did not specify the reason for cancelling the …

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered unmarked troops to Ukraine in 2014, first in Crimea and then the eastern borderlands of Donbas, they were better equipped, trained and organized — and they crushed their opponents. Eight years on, the roles are reversed. That’s due to a multitude of factors: The …

The Turkish intelligence service has been conducting negotiations with the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus to define a “road map” on several issues, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed. “Our intelligence service is conducting negotiations there [Damascus], and we will define our road map based on the results,” …

Russia says that European sanctions block the energy transfer to Turkiye and Balkan region, Reuters reports. According to the report, the Russian operator of a pipeline that supplies Turkiye and the Balkans with natural gas, South Stream Transport B.V, would suspend some maintenance and repair work, citing European Union sanctions, …

Growing up under a repressive system, Sharo, a 35-year-old university graduate, never thought she would hear words of open rebellion spoken out loud. Now she herself chants slogans like “Death to the Dictator!” with a fury she didn’t know she had, as she joins protests calling for toppling the country’s …

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services. The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in Ukraine, was hit …

The former police chief of Qaisar district of Faryab province considers peace to be the only option to end problems and conflicts in Afghanistan. In an exclusive interview with Ariana News broadcast on Friday, Nizamuddin Qaisari said that the full support of the people for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan …