Russia is stepping up its deployments around Ukraine. Moscow has now moved troops to Belarus. The US says Russian troops could now be deployed permanently and with nuclear weapons. Will the West go to war with Russia over Ukraine? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Ukraine on target of Russian Nukes?

Two leaders eager to impress their people back home. An alliance eager to become relevant again after years of inactivity. Will political games push Ukraine over the brink? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: America or Russia: Who wants war?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held crisis talks on Ukraine with European allies in Berlin ahead of talks with Russia aimed at preventing war.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds talks with EU allies in Berlin over Ukraine

US President Joe Biden predicted on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a military move into Ukraine and warned President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a dearly price for a full-blown invasion.

US President Joe Biden predicts Russia would make a move on Ukraine

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has left Ukraine and his next stop is Berlin. The American president Joe Biden had earlier claimed that Russia will make a move on Ukraine however badness said that Putin may not want a full-blown conflict. The US president has warned that Russia would pay very dearly in case of a full-blown invasion.

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Antony Blinken arrives in Berlin

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko returned to Kyiv on Monday to fight charges of treason he believes are politically motivated.

Former President Petro Poroshenko returns to Ukraine to face treason charges

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses joint presser with Ukraine Foreign Minister as he visited Kyiv to show support before crunch talks with Russia later this week.

Committed to protect Ukraine's sovereignty, says Antony Blinken

Here we begin with the latest that is unfolding between Russia and Ukraine. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is all set to arrive in Kyiv today he will be holding talks with Ukrainian leaders. The high-stakes meeting comes as the United States tries to defuse the crisis by dissuading Russia from attacking Ukraine; the US is worried that Russia may launch an attack against Ukraine.

Antony Blinken to visit Kyiv amid Russia's invasion fear | Ukraine crisis

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv today, he held talks with Ukrainian leaders. The high-stakes meeting comes as the United States tries to defuse the crisis by dissuading Russia from attacking Ukraine; the US is worried that Russia may launch an attack against Ukraine.

US seeks 'Diplomatic Path' with Russia amid Ukraine invasion fears

Russia is thinning out its embassy in Ukraine. UK has sent arms to Ukraine; Canada has sent special forces. Russia is conducting military drills. US is sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv. Is a war inevitable? Listen in to Palki Sharma

Gravitas: Blinken to travel to Ukraine, as Russia conducts military drills

The NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg has proposed a new meeting amid continuing tensions between Russia and Western powers for a solution to Ukraine.

NATO chief offers Russia a fresh round of talks for a solution to Ukraine

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv today, he will be holding talks with Ukrainian leaders. The high-stakes meeting comes as the United States tries to defuse the crisis by dissuading Russia from attacking Ukraine; the US is worried that Russia may launch an attack against Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds meeting with Ukrainian leaders amid tensions with Russia

Russia, Ukraine conflict escalates: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Kyiv amid tensions

US secretary of state Antony Blinken is all set to arrive in Kyiv today, he will be holding talks with Ukrainian leaders. The high-stakes meeting comes as the United States tries to defuse the crisis by dissuading Russia from attacking Ukraine; the US is worried that Russia may launch an attack against Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Antony Blinken to hold talks with Ukranian leaders

The last few days have witnessed high-stakes diplomatic meeting to resolve escalating tensions over Ukraine but it has put Russia US and its European allies in uncharted postcode-war territory.

US, Russia harden stance over Ukraine crisis

Western countries fear that Russia is preparing a pretext for a new assault on Ukraine while Moscow denies any plans for an attack. It has signaled an unspecified military action unless the West agrees to its demands amid this Russian aggression.

Western nations fear Russia is preparing a new assault on Ukraine

The tensions between Ukraine and Russia are simmering. Ukrainian government has fallen prey to malware cyber attack, Microsoft has confirmed that dozens of Kyiv government agencies have been left inaccessible, this as the hackers warned Ukrainians to be afraid and expect the worst hit.

Ukraine: Kyiv government launches probe into malicious cyber attack, blames Russia

Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg has stated that the military alliance would not retreat its allied troops from member states that joined the bloc since 1997.

Will not pull troops from allied nations, says NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg

Despite intense rounds of diplomacy between Russia, the United States and NATO, there has been no breakthrough to de-escalate the situation along the Russia-Ukraine border. The latest NATO has turned down one of Russia's main demands the the former stopped expanding its reach eastwards towards Russia.

NATO won't pull back troops, declines Russia's security demand | Ukraine Crisis

The last few days have seen a few high-stakes diplomatic meetings to resolve escalating tensions over Ukraine, but it has put Russia, the United States, and its European allies in uncharted post-cold war territory.

Ukraine crisis continues to escalate with Russia & the US harden stances in talks

After the West and Russia failed to reach a diplomatic solution over the Ukraine crisis, the burning question which arises is what will happen now? Will Russia take the military route forward, and if the answer is yes, then to what extent, in the next few minutes we will break it down for you.

What options does Russian President Vladimir Putin have over the Ukraine crisis?

What options does Russian President Vladimir Putin have over the Ukraine

Microsoft warned Saturday evening that it had detected a highly destructive form of malware in dozens of government and private computer networks in Ukraine that appeared to be waiting to be triggered by an unknown actor.

In a blog post, the company said that Thursday — around the same time that government agencies in Ukraine found their websites had been defaced — investigators who watch over Microsoft’s global networks detected the code. “These systems span multiple government, nonprofit and information technology organisations, all based in Ukraine,” Microsoft said.

The code appears to have been deployed around the time that Russian diplomats, after three days of meetings with the United States and NATO over the massing of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, declared that the talks had essentially hit a dead end.

Ukrainian officials blamed the defacement of their government websites on a group in Belarus, though they said they suspected Russian involvement. But early attribution of attacks is frequently wrong, and it was unclear if the defacement was related to the far more destructive code that Microsoft said it had detected.

Microsoft said that it could not yet identify the group behind the intrusion, but that it did not appear to be an attacker that its investigators had seen before.

The code, as described by the company’s investigators, is meant to look like ransomware — it freezes up all computer functions and data, and demands a payment in return. But there is no infrastructure to accept money, leading investigators to conclude that the goal is to inflict maximum damage, not raise cash.

It is possible that the destructive software has not spread too widely and that Microsoft’s disclosure will make it harder for the attack to metastasize. But it is also possible that the attackers will now launch the malware and try to destroy as many computers and networks as possible.

Warnings like the one from Microsoft can help abort an attack before it happens, if computer users look to root out the malware before it is activated. But it can also be risky. Exposure changes the calculus for the perpetrator, who, once discovered, may have nothing to lose in launching the attack, to see what destruction it wreaks.

For President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Ukraine has often been a testing range for cyberweapons.

An attack on Ukraine’s Central Election Commission during a presidential election in 2014, in which Russia sought unsuccessfully to change the result, proved to be a model for the Russian intelligence agencies; the United States later found that they had infiltrated the servers of the Democratic National Committee in the United States. In 2015, the first of two major attacks on Ukraine’s electric grid shut off the lights for hours in different parts of the country, including in Kyiv, the capital.

And in 2017, businesses and government agencies in Ukraine were hit with destructive software called NotPetya, which exploited holes in a type of tax preparation software that was widely used in the country. The attack shut down swaths of the economy and hit FedEx and the shipping company Maersk as well; U.S. intelligence officials later traced it to Russian actors. That software, at least in its overall design, bears some resemblance to what Microsoft warned of Saturday.

The new attack would wipe hard drives clean and destroy files. Some defense experts have said such an attack could be a prelude to a ground invasion by Russia. Others think it could substitute for an invasion, if the attackers believed a cyberstrike would not prompt the kind of major sanctions that President Joe Biden has vowed to impose in response.

Microsoft warned Saturday evening that it had detected a highly destructive form of malware in dozens of government and private computer networks in Ukraine that appeared to be waiting to be triggered by an unknown actor.

Microsoft warned Saturday evening that it had detected a highly destructive form of malware in dozens of government and private computer networks in Ukraine that appeared to be waiting to be triggered by an unknown actor. In a blog post, the company said that Thursday — around the same time that government agencies in Ukraine found their websites had been defaced — investigators who watch over Microsoft’s global networks detected the code. “These systems span multiple government, nonprofit and information technology organisations, all based in Ukraine,” Microsoft said. The code appears to have been deployed around the time that Russian diplomats, after three days of meetings with the United States and NATO over the massing of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, declared that the talks had essentially hit a dead end. Ukrainian officials blamed the defacement of their government websites on a group in Belarus, though they said they suspected Russian involvement. But early attribution of attacks is frequently wrong, and it was unclear if the defacement was related to the far more destructive code that Microsoft said it had detected. Microsoft said that it could not yet identify the group behind the intrusion, but that it did not appear to be an attacker that its investigators had seen before. The code, as described by the company’s investigators, is meant to look like ransomware — it freezes up all computer functions and data, and demands a payment in return. But there is no infrastructure to accept money, leading investigators to conclude that the goal is to inflict maximum damage, not raise cash. It is possible that the destructive software has not spread too widely and that Microsoft’s disclosure will make it harder for the attack to metastasize. But it is also possible that the attackers will now launch the malware and try to destroy as many computers and networks as possible. Warnings like the one from Microsoft can help abort an attack before it happens, if computer users look to root out the malware before it is activated. But it can also be risky. Exposure changes the calculus for the perpetrator, who, once discovered, may have nothing to lose in launching the attack, to see what destruction it wreaks. For President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Ukraine has often been a testing range for cyberweapons. An attack on Ukraine’s Central Election Commission during a presidential election in 2014, in which Russia sought unsuccessfully to change the result, proved to be a model for the Russian intelligence agencies; the United States later found that they had infiltrated the servers of the Democratic National Committee in the United States. In 2015, the first of two major attacks on Ukraine’s electric grid shut off the lights for hours in different parts of the country, including in Kyiv, the capital. And in 2017, businesses and government agencies in Ukraine were hit with destructive software called NotPetya, which exploited holes in a type of tax preparation software that was widely used in the country. The attack shut down swaths of the economy and hit FedEx and the shipping company Maersk as well; U.S. intelligence officials later traced it to Russian actors. That software, at least in its overall design, bears some resemblance to what Microsoft warned of Saturday. The new attack would wipe hard drives clean and destroy files. Some defense experts have said such an attack could be a prelude to a ground invasion by Russia. Others think it could substitute for an invasion, if the attackers believed a cyberstrike would not prompt the kind of major sanctions that President Joe Biden has vowed to impose in response.

Microsoft warns of destructive cyberattack on Ukrainian computer networks

In the aftermath of the cyberattack on Ukrainian government websites this week, Kyiv believes that a hacker group linked to Belarusian intelligence was behind it.&nbsp;

A senior Ukrainian security official said that the hacker used malware similar to that used by a group tied to Russian intelligence.

Serhiy Demedyuk, deputy secretary of the national security and defence council told Reuters that Ukraine blamed Friday's attack on a group known as UNC1151 and claimed that the cyberattack is a cover for more destructive actions behind the scenes.&nbsp;

"We believe preliminarily that the group UNC1151 may be involved in this attack," he said.

In the recent alarming cyberattack, a warning was splashed on websites to "be afraid and expect the worst" amid escalated Ukraine-Russia tensions after Russia has massed troops near Ukraine's borders.&nbsp;

Demedyuk said in written comments: "The defacement of the sites was just a cover for more destructive actions that were taking place behind the scenes and the consequences of which we will feel in the near future."&nbsp;

He said that this is a "cyber-espionage group" affiliated with the special services of Belarus while commenting on UNC1151.&nbsp;

Apart from Kyiv, the Western countries and diplomatic experts fear Moscow is planning a new military assault on Ukraine.&nbsp;

Russia has dismissed such fears as "unfounded" and the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did not immediately respond.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp said in a blog post on Saturday it observed destructive malware in systems belonging to several Ukrainian government agencies and organisations.&nbsp;

Ukraine-Russia tensions

Ukrainian government forces carried out exercises in eastern Ukraine on Thursday and on the other hand, Russia is preparing to create a pretext for a broader invasion of Ukraine, officials in Washington have warned.&nbsp;

They also said that Russia has already prepositioned operatives to conduct a "false flag operation".

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In the aftermath of the cyberattack on Ukrainian government websites this week, Kyiv believes that a hacker group linked to Belarusian intelligence was behind it.

In the aftermath of the cyberattack on Ukrainian government websites this week, Kyiv believes that a hacker group linked to Belarusian intelligence was behind it. A senior Ukrainian security official said that the hacker used malware similar to that used by a group tied to Russian intelligence. Serhiy Demedyuk, deputy secretary of the national security and defence council told Reuters that Ukraine blamed Friday's attack on a group known as UNC1151 and claimed that the cyberattack is a cover for more destructive actions behind the scenes. "We believe preliminarily that the group UNC1151 may be involved in this attack," he said. In the recent alarming cyberattack, a warning was splashed on websites to "be afraid and expect the worst" amid escalated Ukraine-Russia tensions after Russia has massed troops near Ukraine's borders. Demedyuk said in written comments: "The defacement of the sites was just a cover for more destructive actions that were taking place behind the scenes and the consequences of which we will feel in the near future." He said that this is a "cyber-espionage group" affiliated with the special services of Belarus while commenting on UNC1151. Apart from Kyiv, the Western countries and diplomatic experts fear Moscow is planning a new military assault on Ukraine. Russia has dismissed such fears as "unfounded" and the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did not immediately respond. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp said in a blog post on Saturday it observed destructive malware in systems belonging to several Ukrainian government agencies and organisations. Ukraine-Russia tensions Ukrainian government forces carried out exercises in eastern Ukraine on Thursday and on the other hand, Russia is preparing to create a pretext for a broader invasion of Ukraine, officials in Washington have warned. They also said that Russia has already prepositioned operatives to conduct a "false flag operation". ×

Ukraine suspects hacker group linked to Belarusian intelligence behind cyberattack

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Russia has operatives who are trained in urban warfare and are using "explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia's own proxy forces".

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Russia has operatives who are trained in urban warfare and are using "explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia's own proxy forces". Also read the report on the latest update on the North Korean missile test. Click on headlines to read the full report: Russia conducting false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine: US The United States said today that Russia has "prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine" in a bid to escalate the border crisis. Novak Djokovic back in detention as Australia cancels visa again Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic was detained in Australia again on Saturday (January 15) after the government authorities revoked his visa for a second time. The 'unvaccinated player' was declared a threat to the public. In latest test, North Korea fired railway-borne missile North Korea's state-run channel said on Saturday that the country had tested a "railway-borne missile" on Friday. The island nation has tested three missiles in the last nine days even as the US imposed fresh sanctions against Kim Jong-Un's regime. For the first time since Taliban takeover, ATMs to get operational in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, the ATMs will now be operational from Saturday for the first time since the country's takeover by the Taliban, the central bank informed as per reports. WATCH | Gravitas: China starts demolishing Tibetan structures ×

Morning news brief: Russia-Ukraine border crisis, North Korea missile and more

The United States has accused Russia of sending saboteurs trained in explosives to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine.

US accuses Russia of sending saboteurs trained in explosives to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine

Ukraine was hit by a cyberattack in which a warning was splashed across government websites. Ukraine says Russia behind the attack.

Massive cyberattack hits Ukraine: A warning was splashed across government websites

United States has accused Russia of sending trained saboteurs in explosives to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine. The US said that it is concerned that Russia is preparing for an invasion against Ukraine. Pentagon spokesperson said that the US has got information that Russia has prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a 'false flag operation.'

United States accuses Russia of sending saboteurs to invade Ukraine

The third round of high-stakes diplomatic meetings has failed to defuse tensions or reduce the threat of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine

The third attempt at defusing tensions between Russia and Ukraine fails

The third round of talks aimed at defusing tensions between Russia and Ukraine appears to have ended in a deadlock.

The third round talks aimed at defusing tensions between Russia and Ukraine ends in a deadlock

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning.

Though it was unknown from where the cyber attack was launched, officials in the Ukraine government pointed out a “long record” of Russian cyber assaults against Kyiv.

"It's too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long record of Russian (cyber) assaults against Ukraine in the past," the foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters.

The incident follows almost a week after the tense security talks between Moscow and the US and NATO ended in stalemate.

Among the targets of the cyber attack were websites of the ministerial cabinet, the foreign, education, agriculture, emergency, energy, veterans affairs and environment ministries.

Apart from that the websites of the state treasury and the Diia electronic public services platform, where vaccination certificates and electronic passports are stored were also out of service.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-ukraine-tensions-russia-unveils-white-swan-strategic-bomber-444279">Amid Ukraine tensions, Russia unveils ‘White Swan’ strategic bomber</a>

According to reports, suspected Russian hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website.

"Ukrainian! All your personal data was uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore it," said a message visible on the hacked government websites, written in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.

"All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-enlists-meteorologists-to-predict-russias-ukraine-invasion-plan-report-444048">Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report</a>

The message reproduced the Ukrainian flag and map crossed out. It mentioned the Ukrainian insurgent army, or UPA, which fought against the Soviet Union during the second world war. There was also a reference to “historical land”.

Russia had warned of possible “catastrophic consequences” if there was no agreement on the proposed security pact, but Kremlin asserted that it had not given up on diplomacy.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war between Kyiv's forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that same year.

United States on Thursday said Russia might be trying to create a pretext to launch a new military assault on Ukraine, comparing the situation to the circumstances in 2014.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning.

Ukraine on Friday was targeted by a “massive cyber attack” with at least 10 government websites, including the ministry of foreign affairs and education ministry, which ceased functioning. Though it was unknown from where the cyber attack was launched, officials in the Ukraine government pointed out a “long record” of Russian cyber assaults against Kyiv. "It's too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long record of Russian (cyber) assaults against Ukraine in the past," the foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters. The incident follows almost a week after the tense security talks between Moscow and the US and NATO ended in stalemate. Among the targets of the cyber attack were websites of the ministerial cabinet, the foreign, education, agriculture, emergency, energy, veterans affairs and environment ministries. Apart from that the websites of the state treasury and the Diia electronic public services platform, where vaccination certificates and electronic passports are stored were also out of service. Also read | Amid Ukraine tensions, Russia unveils ‘White Swan’ strategic bomber According to reports, suspected Russian hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website. "Ukrainian! All your personal data was uploaded to the public network. All data on the computer is destroyed, it is impossible to restore it," said a message visible on the hacked government websites, written in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. "All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future." Also read | Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report The message reproduced the Ukrainian flag and map crossed out. It mentioned the Ukrainian insurgent army, or UPA, which fought against the Soviet Union during the second world war. There was also a reference to “historical land”. Russia had warned of possible “catastrophic consequences” if there was no agreement on the proposed security pact, but Kremlin asserted that it had not given up on diplomacy. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war between Kyiv's forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that same year. United States on Thursday said Russia might be trying to create a pretext to launch a new military assault on Ukraine, comparing the situation to the circumstances in 2014. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian govt websites fall prey to ‘massive cyber attack’, Russian hand suspected

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