30 November 2025
Columns
Reconciliation never ends: on the challenges of decolonization in South Africa
This 170-year project continues today, argues Dr. Hlonipha Mokoena of the University of the Witwatersrand, not in school curricula—which she calls "a lost cause" -- but in WhatsApp messages, beadwork, and the everyday decision to speak isiZulu instead of English
Russia needs soldiers. The Global South has desperate people. The rest is exploitation.
After mobilization in September 2022 sent over 261,000 Russians fleeing the country, Putin found a third option: build a global trafficking infrastructure that spans from North Korea to Cuba, Nepal to Kenya, exploiting economic desperation to fuel a war that distant populations have no stake in, explained Munira Mustaffa, Senior Fellow at Verve Research
From Nairobi to the Donbas: Nearly 300 deceived Kenyans trapped on Russian front lines
Wellington Nyongesa, intake editor at Standard Group PLC, stated at the Third International Conference Crimea Global that nearly 300 young Kenyan men are trapped on the Russian front lines in Ukraine, lured by false promises of jobs in supermarkets, logistics, and construction
From Venezuela to Ukraine, behind every repressed person stands a woman who becomes their voice
Tamara Sujú Roa addressed the audience during a panel discussion "Girl Power. Women against violence and oppression worldwide", which provided a glimpse into the position and the role of women in various parts of the world seized by authoritarian and other destructive forces
Drone arms race intensifies in Asia-Pacific while international law falls by the wayside
Myanmar has become the third-deadliest drone war zone globally, trailing only Russia and Ukraine — yet the world barely notices
News
Kenya to сonfront Russia over “unacceptable” recruitment of citizens for Russia’s war against Ukraine
Mudavadi has told the BBC that Kenya's engagement with Russia will focus on curbing illegal recruitment practices, including discussions on visa policy and bilateral labour agreements, excluding military conscription
Moscow pressures families of Ukrainian POWs to register blocked Starlink terminals
The Coordination Headquarters called on Ukrainians to contact them and law enforcement agencies if they receive offers or threats to register terminals in their name
Russians kill three, injure 26 in four regions over past day
Three people were killed and 26 others injured in Russian shelling over the past day in the Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions
Deadly cost of Russian shelligs and blackouts: 15 children among 25 injured in weekend carbon monoxide tragedies across Ukraine
The SES specified that the tragedies occurred mostly in rural areas and covered eight regions: Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Kyiv, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Odesa
Russia carried out a massive attack on the energy of Ukraine overnight: under strike are substations, power lines, and TPPs
On the night of February 7, Russian troops carried out another massive attack on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. The Russian army launched strikes on substations and overhead lines, as well as on the Burshtyn and Dobrotvir TPPs
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed 13 people on February 4
As a result of Russian shelling on February 4, 2026, 14 civilians were killed in the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, while nearly four dozen others were injured, including in the Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Sumy regions, according to the National Police of Ukraine
Last year’s Russian shelling of boarding school in Sudzha: analysts identified the likely perpetrators
During the Ukrainian occupation of parts of Russia's Kurs'k region, Russian troops launched a series of strikes using various weaponry on a boarding school in Sudzha. The facility served as a shelter for civilians and housed a military command post. According to a thematic report by Truth Hounds, a member of the "Ukraine. Five AM" coalition, soldiers from the "Sever" grouping may be responsible for the attacks. The unit is under the command of Russian Colonel General Alexander Lapin.
Human rights defenders urge Zelenskyy to prioritize protection for war victims
Human rights advocates believe that following the liquidation of the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories -- a decision approved by the President -- the head of state himself could initiate a revision of the support architecture and the creation of an effective government body
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed seven people on February 3
Russian military shelling on February 3, 2026, killed seven civilians across the Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. More than three dozen others sustained injuries, including in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kyiv, and Sumy regions
At least seven killed, 15 injured in Russian cluster munitions strike on Druzhkivka market
Russian forces also dropped two aerial bombs on Druzhkivka, damaging an industrial area, three apartment buildings, and three houses
Overnight Russian strikes leave dead and injured in several regions in Ukraine
Russian military strikes on the night of February 4, 2026, left civilians dead and injured in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, while also causing large-scale destruction
Russia hits Ukraine’s power grid with heaviest missile attack of the year
Residents spent the night sheltering in metro stations, with some pitching tents on the platforms to protect themselves from the freezing cold
Russian strikes took the lives of six people in Ukraine on February 2
As a result of Russian shelling over the course of February 2, 2026, seven civilians were killed in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, and at least 26 more were injured, including in the Sumy and Cherkasy Oblasts
Children in one of the schools in occupied Sevastopol are being militarized by Russian militant Pavel Klyasyuk
1.6 million Ukrainian children might have remained under Russian occupation. Their militarization intensified with the start of the full-scale war, although it has been ongoing in Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014
On February 1, Russians killed 17 civilians in Ukraine
Russian military shelling on February 1, 2026, killed 17 civilians in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, while over three dozen others sustained injuries across the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions
Russians kills at least 15 mine workers, injures seven with drones near service bus in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (updated)
Mykhailo Volynets, Chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, clarified that Russians attacked a coal mining enterprise and a bus carrying mine workers during a shift transfer. The Russians utilized four Shahed-type UAV
Russia strikes maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, injures six civilians
Fedorov reported that six people were injured, including two women who were undergoing medical examinations at the time of the attack
Ukraine establishes working group to reform legal profession to align with EU standards
The Rule of Law roadmap, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on May 14, 2025, mandates the development and adoption of a bill to improve the legal regulation of attorney activities
Ukraine repatriates 1,000 bodies claimed by Russia to be fallen Ukrainian defenders
Ukrainian investigators and experts will now work on identifying the repatriated bodies
Two Filipino men rescued from trafficking operation promising jobs in Russia
Immigration officers said the two initially presented themselves as tourists, but a secondary inspection showed their travel was intended to facilitate illegal employment abroad
Russian attacks kill at least 15 civilians across Ukraine in one day
Russian military shelling across multiple Ukrainian regions killed at least 15 civilians and injured at least 46 others on January 27, according to the National Police of Ukraine. The casualties were reported in the Odesa, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions
Russians killed a couple who were trying to evacuate from Sumy Oblast
According to Hryhorov, the man was transporting his injured wife on a sledge toward a safer area. During transportation, the Russian military intentionally targeted the couple, fully aware they were civilians
Russian overnight attacks kill 3, injure 24 across multiple Ukrainian regions
Russian military shelling across Ukraine on the night of January 28 caused multiple casualties and widespread destruction in Kyiv and the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia regions
Six dead after Russian drones hit passenger train with 155 aboard (updated)
Three people have been confirmed dead. A man and a woman have also sought medical assistance
Russian strike on Odesa kills three, injures 25 including six children
Russian forces had deliberately targeted civilian residential areas. Shalyhailo added that almost 50 apartment buildings were damaged, with 10 sustaining significant damage
Russian shelling kills 3, injures 20 across Ukraine on January 25; 6 children among wounded
Russian shelling killed three civilians and injured nearly 20 others -- including six children -- across the Kherson and Donetsk regions on January 25, 2026. Additional injuries were reported in the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions, according to the National Police of Ukraine
In the Kherson region, postal workers were rescued from under Russian shelling
The Ukrposhta officials were not injured in the strike and managed to hide, but the car was heavily damaged. The postal workers could not drive back because of the Russian shelling, so they turned to the police for help
Russian forces attack Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight: there are casualties and destruction
On the night of January 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine using missiles and drones. Kyiv and Kharkiv were among the targets. Additionally, the Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions were affected. A woman was killed in Ukraine's capital
Russian drones kill 4, wound 5 including three minors in Donetsk Oblast
As a result of the hits on residential buildings, a 32-year-old man and his 5-year-old son, as well as two of their neighbors, were killed. Additionally, the mother of the deceased boy and three girls aged 12, 14, and 16 sustained physical injuries. A 34-year-old local resident was also wounded
Russia strikes Kyiv and a number of regions: there are fatalities and injuries among civilians, along with widespread destruction
As a result of Russian military shelling on the night of January 20, 2026, in Kyiv and the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Vinnytsia regions, destruction of infrastructure and, in some places, fatalities and injuries among civilians have been reported
Russians killed a woman and injured seven civilians in attacks on Kharkiv region on January 17
In Kharkiv, the shelling continued between 14:10 and 14:30. According to preliminary data, the city was attacked by "Tornado-S" multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS). As a result of the strikes, a critical infrastructure facility was damaged. Two men and a woman were injured
Ukraine urges IAEA and countries to stop Russia’s planned strikes on nuclear plant substations
Ukraine is sharing relevant intelligence with its partners and warning of potentially catastrophic repercussions, Sybiha reported
Most Ukrainians see Russia’s war as an attempt at genocide and the destruction of the Ukrainian nation
Almost a year ago, in February 2025, 66% of respondents agreed that Russia’s goal in Ukraine is genocide or the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and Ukrainians as a nation. Since then, the share of those holding this view has increased slightly to 69%
Two people were killed in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Russian artillery shelling
Russians killed two women in Nikopol. Additionally, seven people were injured across the region due to Russian attacks, with one person in critical condition on January 16, 2026
Majority of Ukrainians oppose trading Donbas for Western security guarantees
The majority of Ukrainians – 54% – consider it categorically unacceptable to transfer the entire Donbas to Russia in exchange for security guarantees. At the same time, 39% are ready for such a concession, though most admit it is a difficult condition. Another 5% could not decide on their opinion
Russian bomb strike on Bilopillia kills 1, injures 4 in Sumy Oblast
The attack killed a 35-year-old local resident, while four other people sustained injuries
The ICRC “expressed concern” over strikes on Ukrainian and Russian cities: Sybiha called this statement “shameful”
According to Minister of Foreign Affairs, the ICRC's statement was perceived in Ukraine as a false moral equivalence between the aggressor and the defending country, which undermines trust in the organization
Russia strikes civilian ship at Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, wounds crew member
Kuleba emphasized that this is yet another act of Russian terror against civilian port infrastructure, international trade, and maritime security
Video showing Russian mistreatment of African mercenary spreads among Kenyan social media users
In the video, a Russian serviceman humiliates an African fighter by strapping an anti-tank mine to him in what the narration frames as a cruel prank or punishment, labeling him with a racist expression as "coal"
Russia attacked 15 critical infrastructure facilities on January 13
The Kyiv mayor stated that as of 10:15 p.m., the city's electricity situation remains extremely challenging, noting that energy workers are struggling to restore power
Seven people were killed by Russian shelling across Ukraine on January 12
Ukraine's National Police reported that as a result of Russian military shelling on January 12, 2026, seven civilians were killed in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, while eleven others sustained injuries, including in the Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions
Polish Prosecutor’s Office supports Ukraine’s request for the extradition of Russian archaeologist Butyagin
Alexander Butyagin, a Russian scientist and head of the ancient archaeology department at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. He has illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine and led an archaeological expedition in temporarily occupied Kerch
Two medics injured in Chernihiv Oblast after Russian strike hits ambulance
In Semenivka, the Russian military has repeatedly shelled those who help border residents survive; for instance, they have struck bread delivery trucks several times
Civilians without Russian passports denied medical care in occupied Luhansk region
Such a practice effectively deprives some local residents of access to basic medical services and serves as yet another tool of pressure on the population in the temporarily occupied territories
Since the start of the full-scale war, 142 media workers were killed in Ukraine — NUJU
Tomilenko also drew attention to the change in approaches to journalist safety while working near the front. Specifically, media workers are advised to refrain from using "Press" markings on clothing, body armor, helmets, and vehicles
Four civilians killed, 14 wounded as Russia shells eastern Ukraine
On January 10, 2026, the Russian Federation continued to shell residential areas in Ukraine. One person was killed, and three were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as a result of Russian attacks. In Donetsk Oblast, three civilians were killed, and nine were injured. One person was also injured in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and one in Kharkiv Oblast
Russian commander Denis Kuznetsov has been notified of suspicion in absentia for the shooting of a civilian car in Bucha
The suspect's name was not explicitly stated in the police report; however, the Office of the Prosecutor General recently published a document regarding a Russian citizen, Denis Kuznetsov, whose details match those in the police report
Four civilians were killed in Russian shelling across Ukraine on January 8
The National Police reported that as a result of Russian military shelling on January 8, 2026, four civilians were killed in the Kherson region, and nearly four dozen others sustained various injuries, specifically in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions
Russian combined attack hits Kyiv and Lviv Oblasts, kills at least 5 and injures 25 civilians in capital
There are reports that Russians struck a critical infrastructure facility in the Lviv Oblast. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that it is currently unknown whether Russia attacked the Lviv region with the "Oreshnik" missile
Russian military strikes across Ukraine killed four civilians on January 7
The National Police reported that as a result of shelling by the Russian military on January 7, 2026, four civilians were killed in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and more than 40 others sustained various injuries, specifically in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts
Crimean political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev has begun losing consciousness due to significant deterioration of his health condition
The Crimean Tatar is being held in solitary confinement, so if he becomes unwell, there is no one to help him
Sybiha invites Ghana’s FM to Ukraine amid appeal over captured Ghanaian fighter on Ukrainian soil
Andrii Sybiha stated that Ghanaian diplomats will be granted access to prisoners of war upon their request, in accordance with international humanitarian law
Russian strike on Odesa Oblast ports kills two, injures at least five
Russians killed two people and injured at least five others as a result of a combined missile and drone strike on the ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi in the Odesa Oblast in the afternoon of January 7, 2026
Russian forces killed five people in shelling attacks across Ukraine on January 5
The National Police of Ukraine reported that as a result of shelling by the Russian military on January 5, 2026, five civilians were killed in Kyiv, and in the Kyiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, while more than ten others were injured, including in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts
Ukrainian men submitted 70% of applications for interim reparations for victims of sexual violence during the Russia’s war – Global Survivors Fund
During the pilot project’s operation, 1,080 individuals were recognized as eligible for the interim reparation payments
Russian serviceman who threatened the mother of a Ukrainian soldier in occupation with gang rape received a sentence in absentia
The individual is 35-year-old Dmitrii Shugankov, who at that time was on Ukrainian soil as the head of intelligence for the 2nd self-propelled howitzer artillery battalion of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Cossack Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, holding the rank of "Senior Lieutenant."
Ukraine’s EU accession timeline can be politically shortened – Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka
Taras Kachka clarified that 2027 could be a theoretical and exceptionally record-breaking possible date
Russia deliberately attacked U.S.-owned Bunge facility in Dnipro — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister
The foreign minister recalled that last year, Russian strikes damaged Boeing offices in Kyiv, a major American electronics manufacturer in Zakarpattia, and other sites
Russia struck Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight: There are casualties, injured people and destruction (updated)
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched more than 170 missiles and drones overnight, with strikes recorded in at least 26 locations
Human rights activists have identified 25 individuals involved in the persecution of citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov
Those implicated in Bekirov’s persecution include Russian judges, prosecutors, and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers. A journalist and activist with the "Crimean Solidarity" movement, Bekirov has faced harassment since 2017. Following his arrest in 2019, he was held in Russian pretrial detention centers and penal colonies under inhumane conditions, subjected to forced transfers and psychiatric evaluations, and denied the full right to a legal defense
Russian missile strike on the center of Kharkiv: At least 5 civilians killed and 31 people injured (updated)
As a result of the attack, 31 people were injured, including a six-month-old infant. Victims also included individuals ranging in age from 20 to 79 years old
Russia kills man in Kherson, injures 2 others in New Year’s Day attacks on Ukraine
Russian forces hit a multistory residential building in the central district of Kherson with a strike UAV in the morning
Zelensky vows not to sign weak peace deal with Russia despite pressure
According to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia does not end its wars on its own. There has never been a war in history that ended on its own free will. Only pressure from others – only coercion from others, which they themselves call "a goodwill gesture," the President highlighted
