RUSSIA

Administrators of Sova Capital, a collapsed London broker formerly controlled by Russian banker Roman Avdeev, are seeking UK court approval to sell a pile of Russian securities to Avdeev in a complex and novel attempt to shift illiquid Russian assets.

US President Joe Biden on Monday made a trip to Kyiv organised in strict secrecy, promising $500 million in fresh arms deliveries and "unwavering" American support ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion.

World leaders are meeting at the Munich Security Conference with conflict still raging almost a year after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.

Representatives of the 27 European Union countries meet in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss a new batch of sanctions against Russia, which the head of the bloc's executive said could cost 11 billion euros ($11.8 bln) in lost trade.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has issued clarification on why he restricted Ukraine's access to its Starlink satellite internet service for military purposes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged allies to be speedy in sending more military help as NATO defence ministers met on Wednesday and Russia bombarded the eastern front line in what appeared to be the early salvoes of a new offensive.

The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was facing heavy artillery fire as the NATO chief backed reports from local officials that a major new Russian offensive had begun, days before the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion.

Since the start of the war, Western governments have stalled on Zelensky's appeals for aircraft.

Ukraine has threatened to boycott the event if Russian athletes are allowed to compete.

Ukraine's leader pressed at British heart strings when he evoked "the so few" pilots defending his skies from Russia's invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said personnel changes on the border and front line will bolster Ukraine's military efforts amid uncertainty over the future of his defence minister, just as Russia advances for the first time in six months in the east.

Ukraine has sent letters to companies that back the International Olympic Committee urging them to keep Russian athletes out of the Paris Olympic Games, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

Ukraine is calling for Russian athletes to be entirely banned over their country's brutal invasion of Ukraine

Earlier Thursday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace cautioned that supplying Ukraine with fighter jets would not be a "magic wand" in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday warned that Russia was building up its troops to take "revenge" on the West nearly a year into Moscow's invasion.

Following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, Britain trumpeted new legislation requiring property-ownership disclosure aimed at cracking down on Russian oligarchs and corrupt elites laundering illicit wealth.

Oil prices fell by more than 1% on Tuesday, touching two-week lows on the prospect of further interest rate increases, a stronger U.S. dollar and ample Russian crude flows.

Oil steadied on Monday as looming interest rate hikes by major central banks and signs of strong Russian exports balanced rising Middle East tension over a drone attack in Iran and hopes of higher Chinese demand.

Andrew Bagshaw, 47, and Chris Parry, 28, were reported missing in early January after having set out for the town of Soledar.

The apparent threat came in a phone call just ahead of the invasion on February 24, according to a new BBC documentary to be broadcast on Monday.

H&M reported Friday a big drop in profits in 2022, with a surprise loss in the fourth quarter as the Swedish fashion retailer exited Russia and faced soaring production costs.