https://www.scmp.com/rss/322514/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from Russia & Central Asia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Residents of St Petersburg were told not to leave their homes after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s second-largest city Saturday morning, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia. The attack came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart. St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov advised the residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service, while regional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356196/russia-downs-376-ukrainian-drones-overnight-final-day-st-petersburg-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356196/russia-downs-376-ukrainian-drones-overnight-final-day-st-petersburg-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 06:37:11 +0000 Zhou Bo Zhou Bo Listening to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, I thought of the iconic Sichuan opera act of face-changing, where performers switch masks in an instant. Last year, Hegseth’s speech at the event was filled with blatant attacks on China. This year, he put on a completely different face, declaring that: “Under President Trump’s leadership, relations between the United States and China are better than they’ve been in many years.” Why this... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355862/does-pete-hegseths-volte-face-china-reflect-america-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355862/does-pete-hegseths-volte-face-china-reflect-america-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year. In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace. He also suggested that continuing the war... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356180/putin-says-no-reason-meet-ukraines-zelensky-calls-his-letter-rude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356180/putin-says-no-reason-meet-ukraines-zelensky-calls-his-letter-rude?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 23:38:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters A worsening air leak aboard the International Space Station prompted five astronauts to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for roughly two hours on Friday as Russia attempted to ‌fix a crack on its portion of the orbital laboratory, Nasa said. The four astronauts of Nasa’s Crew-12 mission aboard the station – two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut – along with another US astronaut were ordered by Nasa mission control at 9.04am on Friday to enter their SpaceX-built Crew... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3356173/astronauts-take-shelter-air-leaks-worsen-international-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3356173/astronauts-take-shelter-air-leaks-worsen-international-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:57:45 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China and Russia have largely moved away from the US dollar in bilateral trade settlement, with most transactions now settled in their own currencies. Yet cross-border payment bottlenecks persist as Chinese banks carefully manage their exposure to Washington’s sanctions regime, according to a senior Russian banker. At the heart of the friction is a stark balancing act facing Chinese lenders: how to ease trade with Russia while safeguarding access to the US dollar-based global financial system –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3356137/do-china-russia-trade-payment-frictions-show-limits-de-dollarisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3356137/do-china-russia-trade-payment-frictions-show-limits-de-dollarisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:15:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s proposals for peace in Ukraine could end the fighting, but said Kyiv needed to compromise – and that he saw no signs of that, so was ready to fight on to victory. Speaking to foreign media editors on the sidelines of Russia’s annual economic forum in what is the fifth ‌year of Europe’s deadliest land war since World War II, Putin said Russia would defeat Ukraine on the battlefield if necessary. But he said it was also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356012/putin-says-trump-ideas-could-bring-peace-ukraine-urges-kyiv-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356012/putin-says-trump-ideas-could-bring-peace-ukraine-urges-kyiv-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:15:34 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh Since the Ukraine war began in 2022, Asia has been watching conflict as if enrolled in a study course. We have heard every argument: Nato enlargement, Russian insecurity, Ukrainian sovereignty, European fear, American power, energy politics, sanctions, nationalism and resistance. We have watched Gaza burn. We have watched the United States capture Venezuela’s president and defend the act as lawful. We have watched Iran absorb attacks and retaliate. For Asians, these are no longer distant events.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355563/5-lessons-asia-it-studies-wars-privilege-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355563/5-lessons-asia-it-studies-wars-privilege-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russia are causing “panic” for the Kremlin, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, saying Moscow was lashing out at Kyiv with increased attacks. Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg on Wednesday as officials gathered for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s flagship economic conference in the city. “It clearly shows also panic on the Russian side – why they are increasing the terrorist attacks that they’re doing in Ukraine is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355880/ukraine-drone-strikes-causing-panic-kremlin-eus-kallas-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355880/ukraine-drone-strikes-causing-panic-kremlin-eus-kallas-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:07:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg early Wednesday morning as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said. Some 20,000 guests from 130 countries are set to attend the three-day annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) – an event once dubbed “Russia’s Davos” – which starts on Wednesday. The Kremlin vowed to respond to the strikes, which came a day after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355799/ukraine-drones-target-st-petersburg-russias-flagship-economic-forum-opens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355799/ukraine-drones-target-st-petersburg-russias-flagship-economic-forum-opens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:21:19 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May In a move that could rattle global grain markets, China and neighbouring Kazakhstan – Central Asia’s largest grain producer and a key Belt and Road Initiative partner – agreed last week to establish a joint grain-trading platform during talks in Astana. The two sides also discussed long-term supply contracts, logistics hubs, dry ports and technology cooperation in storage and processing. Although full details remain limited, reports indicate the platform will be modelled on China’s state-managed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355557/china-kazakhstan-grain-trading-deal-shows-shifting-asian-food-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355557/china-kazakhstan-grain-trading-deal-shows-shifting-asian-food-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles early on Tuesday, killing 23 people and wounding 130, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow could launch a new assault for the second night in a row. The strikes on cities including Kyiv and Dnipro followed Russian warnings of “systematic” attacks on the capital after a drone attack on a dormitory in Ukraine’s Russian-held region of Luhansk last month. Kyiv denies targeting the dormitory. It was the third heavy assault... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355645/major-russian-attack-kyiv-other-ukraine-cities-kills-least-9-wounds-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355645/major-russian-attack-kyiv-other-ukraine-cities-kills-least-9-wounds-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:09:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia’s state ⁠nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone had struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, causing no damage to key equipment, but the Kyiv military ‌denied it. Rosatom’s head Alexei Likhachev called the incident “deliberate” and said it left a hole in the wall of a turbine hall. “This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No 6, resulting in ⁠a subsequent detonation,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355434/russia-says-ukraine-drone-struck-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3355434/russia-says-ukraine-drone-struck-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2026 21:31:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nato member Romania said on Friday that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, the first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries. The incident in Romania, also a member of the European Union, ‌was likely to increase tensions on Nato’s eastern flank at a time when Ukraine’s allies were worried about Russia’s war on its neighbour spilling over its borders. Nato accused Moscow... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355301/nato-and-romania-accuse-russia-after-drone-hits-block-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355301/nato-and-romania-accuse-russia-after-drone-hits-block-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 07:53:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts worldwide has included Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago for their treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies the accusations. The 35-page report – shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday ahead of its expected release on Friday – blacklists 77 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355285/israel-russia-hit-back-after-being-added-un-blacklist-sexual-violence-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355285/israel-russia-hit-back-after-being-added-un-blacklist-sexual-violence-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 06:59:28 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called US State Secretary Marco Rubio to advise him to evacuate US citizens and diplomats from Kyiv, as the Kremlin plans to continue heavy strikes on the Ukrainian capital, according to a statement published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday. Lavrov called his US counterpart at the request of President Vladimir Putin to tell him that Russia was launching systematic and consistent strikes against facilities in Kyiv as well as against the relevant... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354873/russia-tells-us-pull-its-diplomats-and-citizens-ukraine-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354873/russia-tells-us-pull-its-diplomats-and-citizens-ukraine-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 07:16:38 +0000 Reuters Reuters Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Kyiv on Monday following weeks of mounting warnings from Ukrainian officials about Russian plans to draw Minsk more deeply into the war against Ukraine. Tsikhanouskaya arrived a day after one ‌of the war’s biggest strikes on the Ukrainian capital killed four people and damaged historical sites, and amid Russian threats to launch further heavy attacks on Kyiv. Tsikhanouskaya, an opponent of Belarus’ President Alexander... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354812/exiled-belarus-opposition-leader-visits-ukraine-kyiv-warns-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354812/exiled-belarus-opposition-leader-visits-ukraine-kyiv-warns-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 19:02:29 +0000 Jianxi Liu Jianxi Liu Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China last week saw the signing of some 40 documents and a joint statement on strengthening the Beijing-Moscow partnership. The visit, just days after US President Donald Trump’s Beijing trip, is more than a diplomatic coincidence. It is a vivid reminder that the global order is now being shaped less by alliances than by a fluid triangle of China, the United States and Russia, with Beijing increasingly sitting at the centre. Timing is diplomacy. When... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354535/trump-putin-summits-show-eastward-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354535/trump-putin-summits-show-eastward-power-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 dpa dpa Ukraine is calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and a gathering of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) following massive Russian air strikes, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Sunday. In a statement published on social media, Sybiha also called for an “appropriate and strong response to the aggressor” following the overnight attacks, which mainly targeted the Kyiv region and saw the deployment of a medium-range Oreshnik ballistic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354700/ukraine-demands-emergency-security-council-meeting-over-russia-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354700/ukraine-demands-emergency-security-council-meeting-over-russia-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 17:27:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia pounded Kyiv with a massive missile and drone attack that killed four people early on Sunday, authorities said, after President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation for strikes in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Multiple rounds of explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital throughout the early hours of the morning, journalists reported, in a barrage the air force said involved 600 drones and 90 missiles. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russians fired a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354658/russian-missiles-pummel-kyiv-retaliation-dorm-attack-killed-18?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354658/russian-missiles-pummel-kyiv-retaliation-dorm-attack-killed-18?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 04:29:52 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing in a much weaker position than he did more than four years ago, when he launched his invasion of Ukraine shortly after his last visit. US President Donald Trump left Beijing after much fanfare. However, he was criticised back at home for failing to deliver on any key aspect of American interests, such as committing China to pressuring Iran to end the war on US terms. His popular support is at a historic low. Putin, Trump and Chinese President... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354354/how-china-wins-avoiding-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354354/how-china-wins-avoiding-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Li,Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Alice Li,Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong In an era when technology seems to defy all limits, one age-old barrier has managed to endure: geography. As geopolitical turbulence continues to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping artery, especially for energy – the search for other fuel sources, and other means of transport, has shifted from a strategic luxury to an existential necessity. This need has become particularly acute for China, a major consumer of fossil fuels. Middle Eastern imports remain a significant... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3354560/putin-left-china-without-pipeline-deal-why-didnt-hormuz-crisis-open-valve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3354560/putin-left-china-without-pipeline-deal-why-didnt-hormuz-crisis-open-valve?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate against Ukraine for what he described as a drone attack on a student dorm that killed six people and wounded dozens, with 15 still unaccounted for. Putin said the attack had struck the dorm in Starobilsk in Luhansk, a Russian-controlled region in eastern Ukraine. He said Kyiv’s military must have ‌known what it was targeting. Ukraine’s military denied the Russian accusations and said it had struck an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354586/putin-accuses-ukraine-deadly-attack-student-dorm-vows-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354586/putin-accuses-ukraine-deadly-attack-student-dorm-vows-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 17:31:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United Nations expressed “grave concern” on Thursday about a new law issued by Afghanistan’s Taliban government on separation in marriage which includes provisions on child marriage, saying the code further entrenches discrimination against women and girls. The government rejected the accusations, saying the decree follows Islamic law and insisting the country has already banned the forced marriage of girls. Afghanistan’s justice ministry published Decree No 18 “on judicial separation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354430/un-expresses-grave-concern-over-taliban-decree-includes-provision-child-marriage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354430/un-expresses-grave-concern-over-taliban-decree-includes-provision-child-marriage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 19:45:45 +0000 Bob Savic Bob Savic Beijing is increasingly seen as key to securing international stability and economic opportunities, a status which both Washington and Moscow are converging on. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent foreign policy interactions with the leaders of the United States and Russia highlight China’s rising strategic position – acting as a significant player in global affairs, from the conflict in Ukraine to the volatile situation with Iran. Xi’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354326/russia-us-increasingly-see-china-anchor-peace-and-prosperity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354326/russia-us-increasingly-see-china-anchor-peace-and-prosperity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Fan Hou Fan Hou US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing on May 13 was Xi Jinping’s 18th meeting with a US president since he became China’s leader in 2013. Xi has previously held talks with presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as with Trump during the US leader’s first term. By comparison, Xi has had more than 40 physical meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the same period. https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354309/xis-key-interactions-us-and-russian-presidents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3354309/xis-key-interactions-us-and-russian-presidents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 03:17:22 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu While China’s oil and gas imports from Gulf nations plunged in April amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war on Iran, shipments from Russia have provided Beijing with a partial buffer for its growing economy. Russia’s crude shipments to China rose 11.3 per cent year on year to nearly 9 million tonnes in April, according to Chinese customs data released on Wednesday. But market conditions have also shifted. Much of the discount on Russian oil and gas – long a source of cheap... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354219/china-turns-russian-oil-gulf-supply-drops-it-too-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354219/china-turns-russian-oil-gulf-supply-drops-it-too-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:51:57 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Last week, US President Donald Trump landed in China aiming to secure the kind of blockbuster trade deals he championed nine years ago – spanning everything from soybeans to aircraft and energy. By the time he departed, it was clear that reality would fall far short of expectations. Despite Trump hailing a “fantastic deal”, China did not announce the massive buying spree that many had anticipated. Now, just days after Trump’s exit, Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in China with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Adriel Kasonta Adriel Kasonta When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing this week, just days after US President Donald Trump departed, following his summit with President Xi Jinping, the choreography will not be merely diplomatic. It will be show of “civilisational theatre”. For years, analysts framed China as a power caught awkwardly between a revanchist Russia and an increasingly hostile United States. That interpretation now looks obsolete. Beijing is no longer balancing between rival poles; it is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353855/how-china-becoming-gravitational-centre-global-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353855/how-china-becoming-gravitational-centre-global-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarus said on Monday its armed forces had begun training exercises involving Russian nuclear weapons, in a move that drew strong condemnation from Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed in 2023 – a year after Russia’s ‌invasion of Ukraine – to host Russian tactical nuclear missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Moscow retains control of their use. “During the training, in cooperation with the Russian side, it is planned to practise the delivery of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 16:31:45 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China is stepping up economic engagement with Russia by hosting the 10th edition of a major bilateral expo ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expected trip to Beijing this week – just days after his American counterpart, Donald Trump, visited there last week. The back-to-back visits to the Chinese capital by two of the world’s most influential leaders highlight an uptick in diplomatic activity as Beijing seeks to stabilise relations with Washington while deepening coordination with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353980/china-and-russia-hold-trade-expo-putin-and-trump-visits-draw-global-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353980/china-and-russia-hold-trade-expo-putin-and-trump-visits-draw-global-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia’s capital and the surrounding Moscow region came under record drone attacks overnight, leaving at least three people killed and over a dozen wounded. Residential buildings were damaged across several suburbs and Moscow’s oil refinery was targeted in a rare strike, according to local authorities. Operations at all four Moscow airports faced rolling disruptions from late on Saturday but have resumed operations after dozens of flight cancellations and delays. Attacks on other Russian regions... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353884/record-ukrainian-drone-attack-moscow-kills-3-targets-refinery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353884/record-ukrainian-drone-attack-moscow-kills-3-targets-refinery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:39:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said on Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the “crime of aggression” in the invasion Russia launched in February 2022. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46-member states, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 13:44:54 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Finland warned the public of drones possibly entering its airspace, for the first time near the capital city Helsinki, in the early hours of Friday. Flights were disrupted at the country’s biggest airport, Helsinki-Vantaa, and about 1.8 million residents of southern Finland were told to remain indoors after overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia near Finland prompted concern that unmanned aircraft had strayed into the country. The emergency warning was issued at 3.49am local time and authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:53 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia carried out its largest aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its war in Ukraine, pounding the capital Kyiv and other cities with hundreds of drones, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. Russia had launched 1,567 drones since the start of Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. At least 27 civilians have been killed over the two days, officials said. Russian ‌President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353566/russia-unleashes-1500-attack-drones-ukraine-shattering-prospects-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353566/russia-unleashes-1500-attack-drones-ukraine-shattering-prospects-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 09:10:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country’s nuclear forces, a launch hailed by President Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine was nearing an end. Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the ageing Soviet-built Voyevoda. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 18:03:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters European governments have rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent’s security. Putin said on Saturday he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end and that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Schroeder as his ‌preferred partner. But European Union foreign ministers, attending a meeting in Brussels on Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353225/eu-rejects-putins-idea-role-ex-german-leader-future-security-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s “information warfare campaigns” over its full-scale Ukraine invasion, alongside those behind the alleged forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The sanctions package hits 85 people and entities, two-thirds of them related to alleged Russian propaganda operations, including what London said were recent attempts to interfere in coming Armenian elections. Among them were 49 individuals working for the Social Design... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353190/uk-sanctions-85-people-and-entities-over-pro-kremlin-narratives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 16:31:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of breaking a US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday, with both sides claiming to have suffered casualties in drone and artillery strikes over the past 24 hours. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was neither observing the truce nor “even particularly trying to”, adding there had been no calm in front-line areas despite a lull in large-scale attacks and pledged that Ukraine would retaliate for any aggression shown by Moscow. “Yesterday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 18:01:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he thought the Ukraine war was coming to an end, remarks that came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years. “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe ‌and that his preferred negotiating partner... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353020/putin-says-he-thinks-ukraine-conflict-coming-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 19:54:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw a scaled-back military parade in Moscow commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Security was tight as Putin spoke at the event, even as a US-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they “face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of Nato”. The president did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 08:42:58 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters. Ukraine never said it would abide by Moscow’s call to halt strikes and lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for only wanting to pause fighting so he could stage a grand parade on Red Square on Saturday. Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week – a counterproposal for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:55:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia told foreign governments and organisations to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from Kyiv, saying a retaliatory strike would be inevitable if Ukraine tried to attack Moscow during World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Wednesday that Russia had sent a message to all accredited embassies urging them to take “very, very seriously” a May 4 statement from the Defence Ministry warning of strikes if Ukraine interrupts the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352705/russia-warns-diplomats-ukraine-capital-evacuate-case-retaliatory-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352705/russia-warns-diplomats-ukraine-capital-evacuate-case-retaliatory-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 05:14:35 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a high-profile visit that comes as Kuala Lumpur looks for alternative oil sources amid a fuel crisis linked to the Iran war. Sultan Ibrahim landed at Vnukovo-2 International Airport at 4.20pm local time on Thursday, according to Malaysian reports, and was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, senior protocol officials and Malaysia’s ambassador to Russia, Cheong Loon Lai. The king is attending Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352696/malaysian-kings-visit-russia-expected-smooth-path-oil-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352696/malaysian-kings-visit-russia-expected-smooth-path-oil-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 03:48:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended ceasefire proposed by Kyiv. Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union’s ‌victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended ceasefire starting at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352555/russian-attacks-kill-27-ukraine-proposed-rival-ceasefires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352555/russian-attacks-kill-27-ukraine-proposed-rival-ceasefires?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 02:30:55 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and successive US presidents have spent the better part of the past three decades warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the whole world. Now, thanks to the illegal US-Israeli war, Iran may have to go nuclear by claiming self-defence. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel would justify its clandestine nuclear weapon programme, which dates back to the 1950s, by claiming Arab states wanted to exterminate it. Well,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a two-day ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine on May 8-9 to mark Russia’s World War II victory, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier, on the night of May 5-6. Putin had first spoken of a possible ceasefire coinciding with commemorations of the 81st anniversary of the victory ‌in a phone conversation last week with US President Donald Trump. Ukraine had been wary of the notion... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352417/russia-orders-ceasefire-ukraine-war-may-8-and-9-coincide-victory-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352417/russia-orders-ceasefire-ukraine-war-may-8-and-9-coincide-victory-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 19:44:31 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A drone hit a residential tower in an upscale Moscow district in a rare strike near the city centre ahead of the traditional World War II Victory Day parade. Moscow air defences repelled an attack by two Ukrainian drones, and one hit the building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, according to a post on Monday by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Emergency services were sent to the scene, and there were no reports of casualties. Mosfilmovskaya is about 6-8km (about 4-5 miles) from the Kremlin, and local media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352345/drone-hits-upscale-moscow-tower-russian-capital-readies-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352345/drone-hits-upscale-moscow-tower-russian-capital-readies-victory-day-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 07:35:55 +0000