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Facing massive cyber-attacks from Russia-sponsored threat actors, Ukraine has now assembled an 'IT army' tasked with specific cyber challenges Facing massive cyber-attacks from Russia-sponsored threat actors, Ukraine has now assembled an ' IT army ' tasked with specific cyber challenges, which reached nearly 2 lakh users on Telegram on Monday. Called the 'IT Army of Ukraine', it is also using the Telegram account to reach out to technology leaders to help the country fight Russian cyber-attacks and shut down Russian sites and their agents. "A call out on the channel to shut down the API for Sberbank, one of Russia's major banks, appears to have come into play, with the site currently offline," reports TechCrunch. The Ukrainian government officials are also endorsing the 'IT Army', tweeting out the Telegram link. "We are creating an IT army. We need digital talents. There will be tasks for everyone. We continue to fight on the cyber fro...

Shringla said that Indians who are near the borders with Hungary Romania and Slovakia are being guided towards the respective border points in phases India has evacuated around 2,000 of its citizens from Ukraine after the conflict began and efforts are on to facilitate the exit of the remaining stranded Indians through various border transit points to the neighbouring countries, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Sunday. At a media briefing, Shringla said he held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia and shared with them the locations of the Indian citizens in Ukraine for ensuring their protection. The foreign secretary said though the border crossings to Hungary and Romania are functioning, the exit point to Poland has been clogged with lakhs of Ukrainians and foreign nationals trying to leave the strife-torn through it. "This is a problem area," he said. Shringla said that Indians who are near the borders with Hungary Romania and Slovaki...

The International Council of the Red Cross (ICRC), which deals with conflict-torn regions, will start operations from Monday and India is in close touch with it To quicken the process of rescuing the Indians stranded in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, as part of Operation Ganga, on Sunday outlined new steps, including opening fresh exit points judged safe for them to leave the country. The government will pay for the operation entirely. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to this in Varanasi during an election campaign meeting, where he said India was making every effort to get its citizens out of Ukraine. However, India continued to stay neutral on the conflict and suspended judgement on who was responsible for the war. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has been in touch with his equivalent in Moldova, which has a border with Ukraine. He has also spoken to ministers in neighbouring countries. The exit route from Moldova is less choked than the ones from Poland, which ...

 Last week, an Air India plane, under the Vande Bharat Mission , evacuated 240 Indians before the Ukrainian airspace was shut for air traffic. Here's what you should know about Vande Bharat Mission On February 18th, Air India announced that it would operate three flights between India and Ukraine on 22nd, 24th and 26th under the Vande Bharat Mission to help Indian citizens fly back home. The second special Air India flight turned back mid-air in the morning hours of February 24 after Ukraine closed its airspace due to Russian invasion. While the government is devising alternate plans to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine, let us take a look at the Vande Bharat Mission. Immediately after the outbreak of Coronavirus in 2020, India’s aviation regulator, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had suspended all commercial international flights in March of that year. This restriction has been extended till February 28, 2022. Most of the other countries had also suspended the...

Sanctions are coercive measures that can be applied to diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between states A key feature of the international community’s response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been the adoption of sanctions. But  what exactly are sanctions and how do they operate in practice ? And most importantly,  are they likely to have any meaningful impact ? - Here is every thing you need to know. What are sanctions? Sanctions are coercive measures that can be applied to diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between states. Commonly non-military in nature, they are imposed by one state against another (unilateral sanctions) or by an international organisation, such as the United Nations (collective sanctions). Historically, measures have ranged from comprehensive sanctions to more targeted measures prohibiting trade in particular items, such as arms, timber, or diamonds. Some sanctions have circumscribed particular activities understood to benefi...

Russia's onslaught has been anticipated for months Vladimir Putin has done it. Ignoring near-universal condemnation, the Russian president has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, confirming the West’s worst fears. It’s an abominable act of unprovoked aggression that threatens global security and stability. The world’s response must be swift and exacting. Putin’s actions reflect a willful disregard for international law and the lives of innocent people. They violate the basic principles underpinning the international system: that sovereign nations have the right to chart their own destiny and that borders cannot be changed by force. While being mindful of the risks of military escalation with a nuclear superpower, the U.S. and its allies should now take immediate, coordinated steps to isolate Putin and exert pressure on Russia’s economy. Russia’s onslaught has been anticipated for months. Putin began to prepare the groundwork for escalation earlier this we...

The World Bank, in its statement on Thursday, said that it is ready to provide immediate financial support to Ukraine amid the present political and military crisis. The World Bank, in its statement on Thursday, said that it is ready to provide immediate financial support to Ukraine amid the present political and military crisis. "We stand ready to provide immediate support to Ukraine and are preparing options for such support, including fast-disbursing financing. Alongside development partners, the World Bank Group will use all our financing and technical support tools for rapid response," as per the statement. David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group, in the Thursday statement, said, "The World Bank Group is horrified by the shocking violence and loss of life as a result of the events unfolding in Ukraine. We are a long-standing partner of Ukraine and stand with its people at this critical moment." According to the Wo...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country. He called them "heroes" in a video address released early Friday in which he also said hundreds more have been wounded. Zelenskyy says that despite Russia's claim it is attacking only military targets, civilian sites also have been struck. In his words: "They're killing people and turning peaceful cities into military targets. It's foul and will never be forgiven." The president said all border guards on Zmiinyi island in the Odesa region were killed on Thursday. Ukraine's border guard service earlier in the day reported that the island was taken by the Russians.

Russia enters Kyiv, says over 70 military targets in Ukraine destroyed Russia Ukraine Conflict : Russian military vehicles breached the Kyiv region from Belarus to the north, Ukrainian officials said, after tanks reportedly rolled earlier into Ukraine from Crimea. A senior Russian lawmaker said Russia aims to ensure a pro-Moscow government in Kyiv, pushing out US influence. President Vladimir Putin has summoned tycoons to the Kremlin. The government in Kyiv called Russia’s actions a “full-scale invasion” as it declared martial law and called for international support including harsher sanctions. Moscow said it had taken out military facilities, including airbases, Interfax reported. Putin’s military moves upended markets, with the ruble and Russian stocks sinking while oil and gold soared. European gas prices surged as the attacks put fuel supplies in Europe – already in the midst of an energy crunch – at further risk. Russia was condemned by Western leaders includi...

Putin authorises military operation in east; explosions heard in Kyiv and across Ukraine, Kyiv declares martial law, urges 'all possible' sanctions Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, confirming the worst fears of the West with the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two. Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders into the eastern Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, and landing by sea at the port cities of Odessa and Mariupol in the south. Explosions could be heard before dawn in the capital Kyiv. Gunfire rattled out near the main airport and sirens blared across the city. Ukraine's President Volodymur Zelenskiy said Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's aim... read more

Ukraine was under siege on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was invading in what he termed a "special military operation". Ukraine was under siege on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was invading in what he termed a "special military operation", sending in tanks from the northern border with Belarus in a combined Russian-Belarussian offensive, and launching attacks from the east and south, including on the capital Kiev, a Daily Mail report said. Hundreds of Ukrainians were killed in the onslaught, the Daily Mail quoted the Interior Ministry in Kiev as saying, and videos on social media showed the scale of the invasion. Five Russian jets and one helicopter were shot down over the east of the country, near Kharkiv, Ukraine's military said. In his announcement on early Thursday morning, Putin insisted that Russia was only attacking military installations, and were avoiding populated areas. But Ukraine's o...

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Thursday asked Indians in that country to maintain calm and remain safe wherever they are. The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Thursday asked Indians in that country to maintain calm and remain safe wherever they are.. The Indian embassy issued a fresh advisory as Russia carries out a military operation in Ukraine, triggering a major confrontation between the two sides. "The present situation in Ukraine is highly uncertain. Please maintain calm and remain safe wherever you are, be it in your homes, hostels, accommodations or in transit," the Indian embassy said. "All those who are travelling to Kyiv, including those travelling from western parts of Kyiv, are advised to return to their respective cities. temporarily, especially towards safer places along the western bordering countries," it said. It said further advisories will be issued for any updates. Official sources in New Delhi said India is looking at ways to assist its nationals...

As leaders across Asia and Europe scrambled to condemn the attack, explosions were heard in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine The European Union is planning the strongest, the harshest package of sanctions it has ever considered at an emergency summit Thursday as the Russian military attacked Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the target is the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order, and we will hold President (Vladimir) Putin accountable for that. We will present a package of massive and targeted sanctions to... read more

A conflict could devastate Ukraine and cause huge economic damage across Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy World leaders scrambled Tuesday to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin and to signal possible sanctions after he ordered his forces into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. While Russia's troop movements were still not clear, leaders in Asia and elsewhere voiced strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty, along with worries about how a European war could hurt global and local economies and endanger foreign nationals trapped in Ukraine. Ukraine's sovereignty and territory must be respected, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said. "A military clash against the wishes of the international community ... would bring huge ramifications in the politics and economies of not only Europe, but to the whole world. A conflict could devastate Ukraine and cause huge economic damage across Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy. But Asian n...

Russia on Friday welcomed India's position on the Ukraine crisis, amid spike in tensions between the NATO countries and Moscow over the situation in the eastern European nation. Russia on Friday welcomed India's position on the Ukraine crisis, amid spike in tensions between the NATO countries and Moscow over the situation in the eastern European nation. The reaction came a day after India said at the UN Security Council that "quiet and constructive diplomacy" is the need of the hour and that any step that could escalate the tension should be avoided "We welcome #India's balanced, principled and independent approach," the Russian embassy in India tweeted. At a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Ukraine situation, India's Permanent Representative to the UN T S Tirumurti on Thursday pitched for immediate de-escalation of the situation. In Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi too said that India has been supportive of an im...

We have taken a stand that wearing hijab is not an essential religious part of Islam: Advocate General of Karnataka Prabhuling Navadgi told the High Court The Karnataka government on Friday contended before the High Court that the  hijab  is not an essential religious practice of Islam and preventing its use did not violate Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom. "We have taken a stand that wearing hijab is not an essential religious part of Islam," Advocate General of Karnataka Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court comprising Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit. The AG also rejected the charge of some Muslim girls, who challenged the Karnataka government's order on February 5 that barred students from wearing hijab or saffron scarves saying that it violated Article 25 of the Constitution. Article 25 gives freedom of conscience and free pr...