News of the war between Russia and Ukraine: Russia and Belarus canceled their invitation to the Nobel Prize ceremony; Arrest of Ihor Kolomoisky

Ukrainian authorities are holding billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine and the former owner of a major bank in the country, on bail of about $13 million on fraud and money laundering charges. United State Penalties imposed He is due in 2021 “due to his involvement in major corruption” while serving as governor.

Here are the latest news about the war and its effects across the world.

Russia launched a drone attack on the Odessa region on SundayTwo people were injured and infrastructure was damaged Officials said. Ukrainian Air Force He said The Telegram website reported that air defense systems shot down 22 out of 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones heading to the coastal city. Odessa has come under increasing criticism from Moscow since the Kremlin withdrew from the Black Sea Grains Initiative, which enabled Kiev to send exports through Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia, in July. This initiative was mediated by the United Nations and Turkey.

Kolomoisky is accused of fraud and laundering criminally acquired propertyAccording to the Ukrainian State Security Service. an agency Released The images appear to show the powers surrounding the oligarch, who previously owned Ukraine’s PrivatBank and served as governor of Dnipropetrovsk from 2014 to 2015. When US sanctions were imposed on Kolomoisky in 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern about his “current and ongoing efforts to undermine” Democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson praised the Nobel Foundation’s decision Cancellation of its invitation to Russia and Belarus. “The many and strong reactions show that all of Sweden stands unequivocally with Ukraine against Russia’s horrific war of aggression,” his office said in a statement. Social media sharing.

At least two people were killed and two others were injured during an airstrike on a residential building in the town of Fulidarin the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine, Regional Prosecutor’s Office He said on Facebook late Saturday. The prosecutor’s office said the attack killed a couple in their 40s, and that their 19-year-old daughter and a 53-year-old resident were among the wounded.

Russian raid on homes in Kherson As a result, an unknown number of civilians were killed and at least four were injuredRegional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin He said Saturday. Local military official Serhiy Lysak said another attack resulted in four people being injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region He said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the country’s forces continue to make progress in their counterattack After weeks of near stagnation. “Despite everything and regardless of what anyone says, we are moving forward, and that is the most important thing. We are moving forward,” he said on Saturday. Social media. White House spokesman John Kirby said this week that Ukraine had made “remarkable progress” in reclaiming territory in the southern Zaporizhya region.

In recent months, Russia has tried to recruit citizens from neighboring countries to fight in UkraineThe British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday. The ministry said online ads in Armenia and Kazakhstan were offering 495,000 rubles ($5,140) in down payments. addition “Exploiting foreign nationals allows the Kremlin to obtain additional personnel for its war effort in the face of mounting losses.”

Two more ships successfully passed through a temporary grain corridor in the Black Sea, Zelensky He said Saturday, bringing the number of ships that did so to four, according to Reuters. Concerns over grain transportation and global food security have worsened since Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The war in Ukraine halted adoptions. Now some orphans are stuck in limbo: Wendy and Leo Van Asten first met “M and M” — a brother and sister from eastern Ukraine — when the children stayed at the couple’s home near Madison, Wisconsin, for four weeks at the end of 2018, as part of a networking program. Ukrainian orphans and children adopted by American families. They said the connection with the children was immediate.

The couple immediately began the adoption process, maintaining contact with M and M — whom they call by their initials out of affection and to protect their identity. But nearly five years later, it’s unclear whether the couple will get their wish, David L. Stern reports.

Ukrainian officials suspended international adoptions until the end of the war. Many Western officials and analysts say the fighting could continue for years, a prospect that fills families like the Van Astens with despair.