Ukrainian president says not in talks with third parties over peace plan

STORY: Ukrainian president says not in talks with third parties over peace plan DATELINE: June 7, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:29 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said that he is not holding any talks with third parties over a peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Ukrinform news agency reported this. 'I do not have any negotiations about any plans, such negotiations are at zero level today,' Zelensky said this during a press conference, while commenting on the media reports that the European Union (EU), the U.S. and Britain allegedly discussed a peace plan for Ukraine. The fatigue from the conflict in Ukraine is growing in the global society, Zelensky said, adding that some countries are trying to convince Ukraine to make unfavorable concessions. At the same time, he emphasized th

On-site in Ukraine: Over 260 Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from Mariupol's Azovstal

STORY: On-site in Ukraine: Over 260 Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from Mariupol's Azovstal DATELINE: May 17, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:23 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "The Ukrainian authorities started an operation to evacuate the Ukrainian military from the Azovstal plant in the embattled city of Mariupol, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported Tuesday, citing Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar. Malyar said that 53 previously wounded soldiers were evacuated from Azovstal to a healthcare facility in the Russia-controlled Novoazovsk for medical treatment, while 211 other troops were taken to the Russia-controlled Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor. Later, the Ukrainian soldiers will be exchanged for the captured Russians, Malyar said. She added that the evacuation operation is carried out by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry,

On-site in Ukraine: Security situation in Lviv remains stable

STORY: On-site in Ukraine: Security situation in Lviv remains stable DATELINE: May 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:54 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "Hello, it's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency. And here are some news for today. So the first one is the security situation. Lviv got attacked on the 3rd of May, a part of the city was out of power, but as for now, the situation remains stable. Also today, Belarus declared its military 'special operation' forces to move closer to the Ukrainian border. Gas and diesel: there is enough gas for everyday needs, but there is still a limit an ordinary person can buy, which is 20 liters per time. Diesel is very rare to come across, sometimes gas stations sell it, but usually, a lot of people just buy it up immediately. Prices are still rising. For example, there are a lot of graphs that sho

Ukraine hands over 2nd part of EU membership questionnaire

STORY: Ukraine hands over 2nd part of EU membership questionnaire DATELINE: May 10, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:15 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday submitted the second part of the questionnaire for Ukraine's candidate status of a European Union (EU) membership to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to Zelensky's press service. The document was handed over during an online meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and the EU, the press service said on Telegram. During the meeting, Zelensky thanked von der Leyen for the "clear signals of support" for Ukraine on its path towards the EU membership. On Feb. 28, Zelensky signed an official appeal to the EU asking for the accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure. The European Commission president gave a questionnaire to Zelens

On site in Ukraine: Russian forces start battle for Donbas

STORY: On-site in Ukraine: Russian forces start battle for Donbas DATELINE: April 19, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:50 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: SOCIETY/POLITICS SHOTLIST: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter Hello. It's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency and here is some news for today. The first one, Russian forces have begun the battle for the Donbas region, but Ukraine will defend itself. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address on Monday. "Now, we can say that Russian troops have started the battle for Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time already. A very large part of the entire Russian army is now focused on this offensive," Zelensky said. "No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight," he added. "In the east and south of Ukraine, Russian forces have recently been trying to attack a little more deliberately than before, and looking for a weak spo

Six killed in missile strikes on Ukraine's western city of Lviv

STORY: Six killed in missile strikes on Ukraine's western city of Lviv DATELINE: April 18, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:43 LOCATION: Kiev CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: various of street view in LvivSTANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukrainevarious of a railway line in Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "According to the West Air Command, there were four missile strikes in Lviv this morning, three on military infrastructure, and one on tire fitting. The fires that broke out as a result of the attack are still being extinguished. Six people have been killed and eight wounded in Lviv after missiles struck military facilities and a car tire service point in the western Ukrainian city this morning. This information was confirmed by regional governor Maksym Kozytsky. 'The facilities have suffered significant damage,' he said. Ukrainian railway station on its official Telegram posted about possible minor delays in the schedule." Xinhua News Agency c

Russia claims full control of urban area of Mariupol

STORY: Russia claims full control of urban area of Mariupol DATELINE: April 17, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:02 LOCATION: Kiev CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Mariupol in April 14 2. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Ukraine 3. various of video released by Russian Defense Ministry on April 6 STORYLINE: The Russian military says the urban Mariupol is fully cleared of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and foreign mercenaries. It also says the remnants of the resistant forces are blocked inside the Azovstal iron and steel works plants. The eastern Ukrainian city is one of the worst affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Ukraine "Ukrainian Defense Ministry's spokesman Olexandr Motuzyanyk said Friday that Ukrainian forces continued fighting with the Russian military for the Azov Sea key port city of Mariupol, the Ukrinform news agency reported. Motuzyanyk said, 'The Russian army is constantly recruiting additional units to storm the city.'

Ukraine's economy to shrink by 45.1 pct in 2022: World Bank

STORY: Ukraine's economy to shrink by 45.1 pct in 2022: World Bank DATELINE: April 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:11 LOCATION: Moscow CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1 various of rural area of Ukraine 2 STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter 3 various of footage released by Russian MoD (Source: Russian Ministry of Defense) STORYLINE: The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Monday that Ukraine's gross domestic product will shrink by 45.1 percent this year due to the conflict with Russia, citing a recent World Bank report. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "According to the Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, in 2022, during the spring sowing season, it is planned to reduce the sown area by 20.5 percent from 16.92 million hectares to 13.44 million hectares, due to the ongoing military hostilities in the country. Until last week, Ukraine has sowed main agricultural crops on 1.07 million hectares of land, which is 7.9 percent of planned area for the current season. Nobody know

On site in Ukraine: Lviv starts to construct container town for fleeing Ukrainians

STORY: On site in Ukraine: Lviv starts to construct container town for fleeing Ukrainians DATELINE: April 8, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:03 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "It's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency. Today is April 7 and today on Thursday city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said the city of Lviv started construction of a container town for the people who fled the conflict-affected areas in other parts of the country. After being completed, there are going to be 70 containers with furniture, electricity and heat, each providing shelter for several people. In total, one settlement can accommodate up to 350 people, he said. According to Sadovyi, several container towns will soon be set up in Lviv as a part of a project to support internally displaced Ukrainians, especially students, bachelors and masters. The project is carried out with the assistance of Poland. The proj

Ukraine's National Guard retakes control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant

STORY: Ukraine's National Guard retakes control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant DATELINE: April 6, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:25 LOCATION: Kiev/Moscow CATEGORY: SOCIETY/POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine 2. STANDUP (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "The National Guard of Ukraine said on Tuesday its divisions have arrived at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site and taken control of the facility's security. It said that the safety of the site and its transport infrastructure will be checked by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Russian troops took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Feb. 24 and left the facility on March 31. The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday that more than 20 billion U.S. dollars of international aid has been allocated for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia." STANDUP (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Mos

Ukrainian president visits site of mass murder of civilians in Bucha

STORY: Ukrainian president visits site of mass murder of civilians in Bucha DATELINE: April 5, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:15 LOCATION: Moscow/Kiev CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP 1 (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine 2. various shots of Russian Ministry of Defense 3. Bucha footage (Courtesy: Ruptly / Ukrainian Ministry of Defence) 4. STANDUP 2 (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow STORYLINE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited the town of Bucha outside Kiev, where hundreds of murdered civilians were allegedly found after Russian forces withdrew, the Ukrinform news agency reported. However, the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday refuted Kiev's accusation of alleged killing of civilians in the settlement of Bucha in Ukraine's Kiev region. STANDUP 1 (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine "Today is April 5, noon, and everybody in Ukraine has been talking about Bucha for the last couple of days. According to the Ukrinform news agen

Ukraine's Odessa comes under airstrike

STORY: Ukraine's Odessa comes under airstrike DATELINE: April 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "On Sunday morning, an airstrike targeted the city of Odessa. Some missiles have been shot down by the Ukrainian air defense system. The authorities also advised citizens to close their windows and not interfere with the relevant services doing their job. As of now, no information about deaths or casualties was given. Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (earlier) said, the Russian military continues to carry out systematic missile and aviation strikes on targets in Ukraine, but the intensity had decreased. The military conflict between Ukraine and Russia started on Feb. 24. The country's (Ukraine's) presidential press service said that Ukraine spends about 10 billion U.S. dollars per month on the conflict with Russia."

Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume in online format

STORY: Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume in online format DATELINE: April 2, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:34 LOCATION: Moscow/kiev CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP 1 (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow 2. STANDUP 2 (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine STORYLINE: STANDUP 1 (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow "Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are continuing in an online format, the head of Russia's delegation (at talks with Ukraine) Vladimir Medinsky said Friday. 'We are continuing negotiations in a video-conference format. Our positions on Crimea and Donbass remain unchanged,' Medinsky wrote in a Telegram post. Also on Friday, Ukraine's government-run Ukrinform news agency confirmed that Ukraine and Russia have started the next round of peace talks via video, citing a member of the Ukrainian delegation Mykhailo Podolyak. On Thursday, another Ukrainian negotiator, David Arakhamia, said that at the fresh talks, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations w

New round of Russia-Ukraine talks end in Istanbul

STORY: New round of Russia-Ukraine talks end in Istanbul DATELINE: March 30, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:39 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkey CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP 1 (English): ZEYNEP CERMEN, Xinhua reporter in Turkey 2. STANDUP 2 (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine 3. STANDUP 3 (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow STORYLINE: STANDUP 1 (English): ZEYNEP CERMEN, Xinhua reporter in Turkey "Turkey's largest city Istanbul hosted a fresh round of face-to-face peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Following three hours of talks, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations respectively made statements to reporters. The Ukrainian negotiators said Kiev wants to see several countries, such as Canada, Poland, Israel, and Turkey, as guarantors, which could provide international protection to Ukraine. Russian delegations, meanwhile, pledged to drastically decrease military activities in Kiev and the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, to create the necessary conditi

Russia, Ukraine hold face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul

STORY: Russia, Ukraine hold face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul DATELINE: March 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:31 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Turkey CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Istanbul 2. STANDUP 1 (English): ZEYNEP CERMEN, Xinhua reporter in Turkey 3. STANDUP 2 (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter in Lviv, Ukraine 4. STANDUP 3 (English): MENG JING, Xinhua correspondent in Moscow STORYLINE: STANDUP 1 (English): ZEYNEP CERMEN, Xinhua reporter in Turkey "A new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has started here in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and financial hub. The closed-door meeting is currently underway at this venue behind me. So far, the two sides have held three rounds of in-person talks in Belarus, and their fourth session was in a video conference format. The negotiations finished without any substantial progress on ending the conflict. Since the start of the crisis, Turkey has been increasing its diplomatic efforts in the international arena, stating that it's ready to play a

On site in Ukraine: Zelensky says Ukraine ready to discuss its "neutrality" in peace deal

STORY: On site in Ukraine: Zelensky says Ukraine ready to discuss its "neutrality" in peace deal DATELINE: March 28, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:00 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lviv 2. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine is ready to discuss adopting a neutral status in peace deal with Russia. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "Hello, it's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency. One week ago, President Volodymyr Zelensky told a regional Ukrainian public media outlet, that any deal reached in peace negotiations with Russia will be submitted to a referendum in Ukraine. Today he said that a popular referendum would make it possible to amend the Constitution on the neutral status of Ukraine in a few months, which is faster than the parliamentary procedure for constitutional amendments. In an interview with Russian journalists published on the website of the Presiden

On site in Ukraine: Ukrainians increasingly concerned about safety amid uncertainties

STORY: On site in Ukraine: Ukrainians increasingly concerned about safety amid uncertainties DATELINE: March 27, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:54 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: It has been more than a month into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian people are increasingly concerned about their safety amid many uncertainties. Xinhua's Shomodi Yurii brings the latest in Ukraine's Lviv. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "Hello, it's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency. Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on his Facebook page that rockets struck a fuel depot on the city's eastern outskirts in mid-afternoon on Saturday, wounding five people, and later there was a rocket attack on a military factory. Mayor Andriy Sadoviy said the attacks had caused 'significant damage' to infrastructure facilities, including blowing off windows at a local school and a kindergarten. But 'residential buildings were not damaged,' he wr

Economic impact of month-long conflict on Ukraine

STORY: Economic impact of month-long conflict on Ukraine DATELINE: March 25, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:30 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of street view in Ukrain 2. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: It has been a month into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the effects on the Ukrainian people have continued. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "Hello, it's Shomodi Yurii from Lviv with Xinhua News Agency. Today is March 24. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of March 12, 1,300 Ukrainian troops have died in battle. According to the UN Refugee Agency, around 10 million Ukrainians have left their homes; 3.5 million of them have fled the country, almost all of them -- women and children, and 6.5 million have moved to other areas inside Ukraine. Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Sergiy Nikolaychuk, in his interview for Global Finance magazine said that being a central banker in the mi

Zelensky says Ukraine's compromises with Russia to be put to referendum

STORY: Zelensky says Ukraine's compromises with Russia to be put to referendum DATELINE: March 23, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:57 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "I'm Shomodi Yurii with Xinhua News Agency. Today is March 22, Tuesday. In Lviv, everything gets better and better day by day. We've only got one or two air raid alarms all in the morning, all casual stuff. Everybody is accustomed to that now. Yesterday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed at the possibility of a referendum. He said that everything regarding the possible compromise with Russia is to be voted on via the referendum. I've interviewed quite a few local people and here is what they think about that. The first question they have is, is it actually possible to carry on a referendum during wartime under the circumstances of martial law. Let me remind you that Ukraine has been under martial law since Feb.

On site in Ukraine: Air raid sirens sound in Lviv

STORY: On site in Ukraine: Air raid sirens sound in Lviv DATELINE: March 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:35 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: SOUNDBITE (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "So, hi, everyone. It's March 21 now in Lviv, and it's known the situation seems to be quite okay now, as for now. The only strange thing that happened is that we've got air raid alarms for like the fourth time by now. It's not advised to go out during the air raid alarm, obviously. But you can stay at your place pretty safely, especially if you don't live in a skyscraper or quite a high living block. So mostly, everybody just stays at home. Nobody goes out as for now, because we're just anticipating the fifth one. But it's important to say like how the area alarms work. So when our armed forces detect enemy missiles being fired at us, they don't know where the missile will land. So they turn on the alarm like everywhere and then when they se

On site in Ukraine: Life continues with stores open, people on streets in Lviv

STORY: On site in Ukraine: life continues with stores open, people on streets in Lviv DATELINE: March 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:43 LOCATION: LVIV, Ukraine CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lviv 2. SOUNDBITE (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter STORYLINE: As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, a lot of people in Lviv went out to the streets on Sunday, though curfew, shelters, protected statues and buildings reminded them that life has not returned to normal. Xinhua's Shomodi Yurii brings details. SOUNDBITE (English): SHOMODI YURII, Xinhua reporter "Hello, I'm Shomodi Yurii, reporter of Xinhua News Agency. Right now, I'm in the city center of Lviv, a major city in western Ukraine. As you can see, there are still quite some people on the streets now. But they're going to go back soon because the curfew is going to be imposed. As you can see, there are a lot of people on the streets right now, but way less than there were three days ago, because we've got attacked. As you can see, a lot