A man with a firearm and explosives took 13 hostages and demanded Ukraine’s president endorse a documentary about animal abuse. The president complied.
Author: ANDREW E. KRAMER
In a Death, Details of More Russian Murder-for-Hire Plots
A Chechen man shot near Vienna last weekend had spoken publicly of giving Austrian and Ukrainian authorities information about contract killings. He also said there was a price on his head.
Teetering Independence of Ukraine’s Central Bank Tests a Key I.M.F. Demand
The International Monetary Fund agreed to lend Ukraine $5 billion over 18 months while stressing the importance of central bank independence. Three weeks later, the central banker quit, citing political pressure.
Prominent Russian Director Is Convicted of Embezzlement
But in a surprise, Kirill Serebrennikov was given only a suspended sentence in a case that was seen as a warning to Moscow’s vibrant theater world.
Decades-Old Soviet Studies Hint at Coronavirus Strategy
A married pair of virologists in Moscow tested a vaccine on their own children in the 1950s. Now, a side effect they found is sparking new hope for a defense against the coronavirus.
Illegal Logging Is Blamed for Worsening Floods in Ukraine
Environmentalists say illegal logging in the Carpathian Mountains is contributing to flooding. Rising waters forced the partial evacuation of a hospital treating Covid-19 patients.
I.M.F. Approves Critical Loan for Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine won an endorsement for his anti-corruption policies with the approval of a $5 billion lending program from the International Monetary Fund.
Major Fuel Spill in Russia’s North Spreads Toward Arctic Ocean
A diesel spill has released about half as much petroleum into the environment as the Exxon Valdez tanker accident in Alaska. The fuel is flowing toward the Arctic Ocean.
100 Babies Stranded in Ukraine After Surrogate Births
Travel bans have prevented the babies’ parents from entering the country. One official says as many as 1,000 babies will be born before restrictions are lifted.
Ukraine Passes a Critical Anticorruption Bill
The Parliament approved a measure to stop insiders from siphoning aid money, but other forms of fraud persist.