Area Total | 603,550 sq km |
Climate | temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south |
Natural Resources | iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land |
Imports | Russia 14.5%, China 11.3%, Germany 11.2%, Poland 7%, Belarus 6.7%, US 5.1% (2017) – energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
Government | semi-presidential republic |
Capital | Kyiv (Kiev) |
Population | 43,952,299 (July 2018 est.) |
Ethnicity | Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.) |
Language | Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldovan/Romanian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.) |
Exports | Russia 9.2%, Poland 6.5%, Turkey 5.6%, India 5.5%, Italy 5.2%, China 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2017) – ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs |
News about Ukraine
- What if Russia wins in Ukraine? We can already see the shadows of a dark 2025 | Timothy Garton Ashby Timothy Garton Ash (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 21, 2024
Instability is growing, Putin’s hybrid war in Europe is heating up and for fear of escalation we have encouraged global nuclear proliferationThere are human activities in which both sides can win. War is not one of them. Either Ukraine wins this war or Russia does. Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba says bluntly that unless the current […]
- Ukraine faces difficult decisions over acute shortage of frontline troopsby Shaun Walker in Kyiv (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 21, 2024
Depleted army is increasingly made up of older men, but Zelenskyy is reluctant to lower mobilisation age from 25On a recent icy afternoon in the western Ukrainian city of Kovel, a silver-haired man in military fatigues prepared to board a train. A small boy hugged him at the knees, reluctant to let go. “Come on Dima, say goodbye to grandad,” his mother […]
- Ukraine war briefing: IMF approves $1.1bn loan to Ukraineby Kate Lamb and agencies (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 21, 2024
Loan approval by the International Monetary Fund will bolster Ukraine as it faces continued Russian attacks. What we know on day 1,032See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...
- The week around the world in 20 picturesby Jim Powell (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 20, 2024
Russian missiles hit Kyiv, the aftermath of the fall of Assad, Cyclone Chido in Mayotte and the Maasai Olympics: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists Continue reading...
- Russia strikes Kyiv with ballistic missiles during rush hour – videoby (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 20, 2024
Russia has hit Kyiv with eight powerful ballistic missiles, a day after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, claimed his troops were winning on the battlefield and that his goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged. Several explosions were reported in Kyiv on Friday, 20 December, at about 7am local time. One person was killed and at least 12 […]
- Russia bombards Kyiv with eight ballistic missiles day after Putin speechby Luke Harding and Kostyantyn Andriyuk in Kyiv (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 20, 2024
Mayor accuses Moscow of genocide, saying latest strike shows Putin’s indifference to women and childrenRussia has fired eight ballistic missiles on Kyiv a day after Vladimir Putin claimed his troops were winning on the battlefield and that his maximalist goals to seize more territory in Ukraine were unchanged.Several explosions were reported in Kyiv at […]
- Ukraine war briefing: Russia accused of large-scale cyber-attack on Ukrainian authoritiesby Staff and agencies (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 20, 2024
Ukrainian deputy PM says some ministry of justice systems have been taken offline; Putin says he’s ready to meet Trump for peace talks. What we know on day 1,031See all our Ukraine war coverageRussia has been accused of carrying out a mass cyber-attack on Ukraine’s state registries. Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna said on Facebook late […]
- Putin claims Ukraine war has made Russia ‘much stronger’by Pjotr Sauer (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 19, 2024
Russian leader largely upbeat in year-end phone-in, calling Zelenskyy illegitimate and suggesting US missile ‘duel’Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia “much stronger” and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television […]
- Putin says Russia is ready for a missile 'duel' with the US – videoby (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 19, 2024
During his annual end-of-year press conference, the Russian president said his Oreshnik ballistic missile could defeat any US missile defence system. Russia first fired an Oreshnik at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on 21 November after Ukraine's first use of US Atacms ballistic missiles and British Storm Shadows on Russian territoryRussia-Ukraine war – […]
- Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy calls Putin a ‘fantasiser’ over peace talks claim and says he wanted to ‘annihilate’ Ukraine’s army – as it happenedby Yohannes Lowe (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 19, 2024
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage herePoland summoned the chargé d’affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), Alexei Ponkratiev, on Thursday to protest against what it called “aggressive actions” of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in […]
- A string of assassinations, a faltering economy, a shortage of workers: the pressure on Putin is ratcheting up | Olga Chyzhby Olga Chyzh (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 19, 2024
A vacuum among his generals is the last thing the president needs. He will be holding his breath for Trump’s inaugurationThe assassination on Tuesday of the Russian general and conspiracy theorist Igor Kirillov in downtown Moscow is yet another operation in a string of small, morale-boosting actions by Ukraine and its sympathisers. Last month, Valery […]
- Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says he discussed French troop idea with Macronby Warren Murray and agencies (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 19, 2024
Ukraine president said work continued on proposal to put European forces on the ground; Nato chief Mark Rutte warns European leaders not to pre-empt peace process. What we know on day 1,030See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...
- Australia to reopen embassy in Ukraine as its total support for country surpasses $1.5bnby Australian Associated Press (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong says ambassador to Ukraine to return to Kyiv in January and Russia war affects security of Indo-PacificGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s support for Ukraine will surpass $1.5bn as it offers more aid and reveals an embassy will reopen in the war-torn country for the first time since […]
- The Guardian view on North Koreans dying for Russia: an alarming alliance gains strength | Editorialby Editorial (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
For Pyongyang, dead soldiers are a price worth paying for the rewards of friendship with Moscow A few years ago, it would have sounded fantastical to suggest that massed North Korean soldiers would fight on a European battlefield – as a Ukrainian commander noted last month. Yet about 10,000 are now thought to be fighting for Moscow, and on Tuesday a US […]
- Suspect in killing of Russian general detained in Moscow, authorities sayby Pjotr Sauer and agencies (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
Investigators say they arrested Uzbek citizen suspected of involvement in explosion that killed Lt Gen Igor KirillovRussia has detained an Uzbek citizen who investigators believe placed the bomb that killed Lt Gen Igor Kirillov on the instructions of Ukraine’s security service, the country’s investigative committee has said.The 29-year-old had allegedly […]
- Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow says Uzbek suspect arrested over killing of general – as it happenedby Tom Ambrose (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
The 29-year-old had been recruited by Ukrainian special services, Moscow saysRussian chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday that arms control was now a thing of the past due to the lack of trust between Russia and the West.Gerasimov said Russia had seen increased activity by the US-led Nato military alliance near Russia’s borders. […]
- Wednesday briefing: The world waits after Ukraine assassinates top Putin general in Moscowby Nimo Omer (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
In today’s newsletter: Kyiv assassinated Igor Kirillov inside enemy territory, in its most audacious operation since the war began – how will Russia respond?Good morning.In the early hours of yesterday morning, Russian general Igor Kirillov and his deputy were killed when a bomb concealed in an e-scooter detonated as they left an apartment. Ukraine’s […]
- Ukraine war briefing: Trump envoy Kellogg plans Kyiv fact-finding trip – sourcesby Warren Murray with Guardian writers and agencies (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
Bombed Russian general was accused over banned chemical weapons use in Ukraine; Nato takes over role of Ramstein group. What we know on day 1,029Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy, retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, will travel to Kyiv and several other European capitals in early January on a fact-finding trip, according to two sources with knowledge of […]
- Russian general in charge of chemical weapons unit killed in Moscow scooter blastby Pjotr Sauer and Luke Harding (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 18, 2024
Lt Gen Igor Kirillov killed along with his deputy after device attached to escooter explodedKilling of Russian general cements SBU’s reputation for abrupt vengeanceA senior Russian general has died after an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter detonated outside an apartment building in Moscow, in an attack claimed by Ukraine that marks one of […]
- North Korean troops suffer ‘several hundred’ casualties fighting Ukraine, says US officialby Agence France-Presse in Washington (Ukraine | The Guardian) on December 17, 2024
‘All ranks’ among dead and injured in Kursk after Pyongyang sent thousands of soldiers to reinforce Russia’s war effortNorth Korean forces have suffered “several hundred” casualties fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, according to a senior US military official.Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s […]