Society & Culture

In the temporarily occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the invaders forced 200 students from the branch of the Nakhimov School to pledge allegiance to the Russian Federation. The Mariupol City Council in exile reported this via Telegram, Ukrinform saw. "Students in the branch of the Nakhimov School, which operates in Mariupol, took the so-called oath of ‘allegiance to the Motherland’. More than 200 children were brought to take part in the event," the report says. According to the report, Russian flags were flown at the event, accompanied by the national anthem of the aggressor state. Read also: Dutch foreign minister:…

The recent statement by bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) regarding the dismissal of Metropolitan Ilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol as head of the Donetsk Diocese does not represent the majority of UOC-MP bishops. That was as noted by Viktor Yelenskyi, head of Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, in comments to Ukrinform. According to Yelenskyi, 30 bishops signed the statement, an amount he described as “not insignificant, but not a majority.” He remarked that the motivations behind the statement remain unclear, suggesting…

Relatives of prisoners of war and missing defenders of Ukraine demanded at a rally in Geneva that the International Committee of the Red Cross work actively with the governments of the signatory countries of the Geneva Conventions for joint actions to make Russia comply with international law. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. The families of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing defenders held a peaceful rally on the Nations Square. Members of the Ukrainian government delegation at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and…

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained 10 more pro-Russian agitators attempting to destabilize the socio-political environment in various regions of Ukraine, including a “political expert” associated with former MP Viktor Medvedchuk's media network. That is reported by the SBU according to Ukrinform. In Kyiv region, law enforcement apprehended a “political expert,” who frequently appeared on Medvedchuk’s television channels, regularly promoting Kremlin narratives. The suspect was reportedly part of an FSB spy network coordinated by Sergei Stepanov, editor-in-chief of the PolitNavigator website. The SBU initially exposed this spy cell at the onset of the full-scale invasion, detaining two network…

Australia has joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. This was as announced by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, via Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "Another country has taken our side in the fight for the rights of Ukrainian children who have suffered from unlawful relocation and deportation. We are grateful to Australia for its support and readiness to assist in bringing young Ukrainians home," Lubinets stated. Read also: Deputy PM Stefanishyna, Under Secretary Zeya discuss return of children deported by Russia He highlighted that Australia is now the 41st country to join the…

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada proposing to abolish outdated Medical-Social Expert Commissions (MSEC) system and create instead digitized assessment system based on leading hospitals. The Ministry of Health reports that via Ukrinform. “We fully share the public’s dissatisfaction with the outdated, user-unfriendly, and largely corrupt MSEC system. It’s time to replace it with a new approach based on different principles. Individuals with functional impairments should receive state support to allow them to live, work, and be fully integrated into society. This must be done in a transparent and convenient manner,” said…

People living in the European Union should stockpile emergency supplies should a war break out or another major contingency, as advised in a new report by Sauli Niinistö Special Adviser to the European Commission President. That’s according to Newsweek, Ukrinform saw. The report notes that the EU was not prepared for either the COVID-19 pandemic or Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and that it needs to move "from reaction to proactive preparedness." The EU should advise households to be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in case of an emergency. The report advises member states to draw up…

The Russian authorities employ methods of coercion and demonstrative deterrence to maintain control over elements of the population that are hostile to the regime led by Vladimir Putin. That’s according to the UK Ministry of Defense, referring to intelligence data, Ukrinform reports. The treason conviction data “illustrate the increasing reliance by the Russian government on coercive and demonstratively deterrent methods to maintain control over elements of the population that are hostile to the regime,” the ministry says. “Prior to Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, the regime would usually preference more subtle ways of controlling dissent,” intelligence analysts note. Read…

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that at least 300,000 Ukrainians are not working in Germany and are not trying to find a job. In his opinion, when Germany's social support is terminated, they will be forced to return. The head of the Ukrainian state said this during a conversation with the heads of territorial communities and districts of Transcarpathia, Ukrinform reports. “Not all Ukrainians are very happy to see abroad. This is not part of the plan to return Ukrainians, but there are facts. The respective countries and their leaders want those Ukrainians who work there to stay. At the same…

The State Special Transport Service of Ukraine received 13 pickup trucks along with demining equipment from the government of Canada. That’s according to the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. "Canada supported the transfer of 13 vehicles with demining equipment to the State Special Transport Service to improve the mobility and effectiveness of demining teams across Ukraine," the embassy wrote on X. Read also: Kharkiv region receives Bojena 5 demining vehicle from foreign volunteers It is specified that the purchase of vehicles and equipment is part of a joint project of the Canadian government and The HALO Trust. As Ukrinform…