MOSCOW:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/russian-says-no-deadlines-to-end-ukraine-war" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moscow</a>&nbsp;and Kyiv will each release a total of 500 prisoners of war over Thursday and Friday, Russia&#39;s top negotiator said, with the Russian defense ministry saying the first 200 on each side had already been swapped. &quot;There will be an exchange of prisoners of war with Ukraine. 500 for 500,&quot; Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky wrote on Telegram. He added that the swap was part of agreements reached at trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Geneva searching for an end to the conflict. The Russian defense ministry said the UAE and the United States helped mediate Thursday&#39;s exchange of 200 captured Russian soldiers for 200 captured Ukrainians. It added that the Russian servicemen were in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ski-body-blocks-russian-belarusian-athletes-from-2026-winter-olympics" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Belarus</a>, a close ally of Russia that neighbors Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have held several rounds of prisoner exchanges throughout the war, one of the rare areas of cooperation between the warring countries. The swaps are among the very few tangible results of the talks, being pushed and mediated by Washington, trying to broker a deal to end the war. Negotiations appeared to have stalled amid a lack of progress and since the eruption of war in the Middle East. Kyiv had said there had been a tentative plan to hold talks in Abu Dhabi this week - one of the places being hit by Iranian missiles and drones. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-zelensky-speak-before-ukraineus-talks-in-geneva" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky</a> on Monday suggested holding the next meeting in Switzerland or Turkey, which both have hosted previous rounds talks, instead.

This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on March 5, 2026 shows buildings on fire following a Russian attack in the coast of Bilgorod-Dnistrovskyi district in Odesa region. (AFP)

Europe

The swap was part of agreements reached at trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Geneva searching for an end to the conflict.

Russia, Ukraine to exchange 500 POWs on March 5-6: negotiator

SEOUL: The International Paralympic Committee general assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday first voted against a full suspension for Russia by 111 to 55, with 11 abstentions, and then voted against a partial suspension by 91-77, lifting partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus. &nbsp;It also voted against a full suspension for Belarus by 119 to 48, with nine abstentions, and against a partial suspension by 103-63 (10 abstentions).&nbsp;The decisions raise the possibility of a clash with each sport&rsquo;s governing body ahead of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics in Italy from March 6-15 next year.&nbsp;The IPC said &ldquo;this decision means NPC Belarus and NPC Russia now regain their full rights and privileges of IPC membership, in accordance with the IPC Constitution. The IPC will work with the two members involved to put practical arrangements in place for this as soon as reasonably possible.&quot;&nbsp;Russia and ally Belarus have been banned from international sporting events after Russia&rsquo;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.&nbsp;In a statement posted on its website, the Russian Paralympic Committee&rsquo;s press service said the organization welcomed what it called the &ldquo;fair decision&rdquo; of the IPC to &ldquo;fully reinstate&rdquo; the Russian Paralympic Committee.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is an important contribution to the development of the international Paralympic movement and an example that the rights of athletes must be protected without discrimination on the basis of nationality and political affiliation,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;Ukraine&rsquo;s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, slammed the decision on X.&nbsp;&ldquo;The position of the host country and the Organizing Committee is crucial, and we are already working closely on this matter,&quot; he said. &quot;We call on our European partners, who will host the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games, not to allow the flag of the aggressor state to be raised over the free and democratic space while the war of aggression continues.&rdquo;&nbsp;On any potential boycott by Ukraine, Bidnyi said &ldquo;the decision on whether to participate will be made collectively at a later stage, depending on many circumstances. When taking this decision, we will be guided solely by the interests of our free and united Ukraine.&rdquo;&nbsp;Winter OlympicsThe Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended since 2023 by the International Olympic Committee for breaking the Olympic charter by using an administrative land grab to incorporate regional sports bodies in occupied eastern Ukraine.&nbsp;Russians will be allowed to compete at next year&rsquo;s Milan-Cortina Winter Games in northern Italy from February 6, 2022. The IOC last week confirmed that it will follow the system it used at the Paris Games last year, allowing Russians to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, using the French acronym AIN.

Athletics

The International Paralympic Committee lifted suspensions on Russia and Belarus, restoring full membership rights. Ukraine criticized the move and may boycott the Milan-Cortina Paralympics. Russians can compete as neutrals in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
 


International Paralympic Committee lifts the partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Russia has conducted large-scale military exercises with Belarus, showcasing nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles, and thousands of troops, while NATO countries have ramped up defenses across Eastern Europe in response.&nbsp;The joint exercises, dubbed Zapad 2025, began earlier in September and concluded Tuesday. According to Belarus&#39; deputy defense minister, the drills included rehearsals for potential tactical nuclear weapon use and preparations to deploy Russia&rsquo;s new Oreshnik missile, the Associated Press reported.&nbsp;Russian state media claims the Oreshnik missile can carry multiple warheads and reach NATO targets within minutes.&nbsp;NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte slammed the exercises as &ldquo;reckless.&rdquo; Speaking in Brussels, he warned that Russia&#39;s increasing use of drones and missiles means &ldquo;no part of Europe is safe.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s agree that within this alliance of 32 countries, we all live on the eastern flank,&rdquo; Rutte said.&nbsp;Airspace violations heighten tensions&nbsp;The drills took place just days after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on September 10, according to AP. While Moscow denied that the drones were aimed at Poland, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a &ldquo;provocation&rdquo; and warned that Europe is now &ldquo;closer to open conflict than at any time since World War II.&rdquo;&nbsp;NATO later confirmed that Russian drones also violated the airspace of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.&nbsp;New nuclear doctrine and weapons deploymentThe timing of Zapad 2025 also coincides with the anniversary of Russia&#39;s revised nuclear doctrine. In 2024, President Vladimir Putin updated the policy to state that any conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be treated as a joint nuclear threat.&nbsp;Since Belarus falls under this security umbrella, Moscow reportedly intends to deploy Oreshnik missiles there later this year.&nbsp;Russia&rsquo;s Defense Ministry also released footage of strategic bombers and naval units launching nuclear-capable missiles as part of the drills. Analysts told AP that placing such weapons in Belarus revives Cold War-era dynamics, when Soviet missiles were aimed at Europe from Belarusian territory.&nbsp;Fighting continues in UkraineWhile Russia displays its military strength, the conflict in Ukraine continues unabated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Russian rockets struck the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, injuring 20 people, including four children.&nbsp;Zelenskyy also reported:<ul><li>A civilian logistics center near Kyiv was hit</li><li>Drones targeted Kharkiv, injuring four people at the National Pharmaceutical University</li></ul>&nbsp;He renewed his call for enhanced European air defenses:&nbsp;&ldquo;Now is the time to implement the joint protection of our European skies with a multilayered air defense system,&rdquo; Zelenskyy wrote.&nbsp;According to AP, Zelenskyy said Russia has fired over 3,500 drones,&nbsp;2,500 glide bombs&nbsp;and nearly 200 missiles&nbsp;just in the past two weeks. Glide bombs, dropped from high altitudes, have been particularly devastating as Ukraine lacks effective countermeasures.&nbsp;In retaliation, Ukraine has launched drone strikes inside Russia. On Tuesday, Ukraine&rsquo;s General Staff reported an attack on an oil refinery in Saratov, causing explosions and a fire. Repeated strikes on fuel infrastructure have reportedly contributed to gasoline shortages in Russia.&nbsp;NATO expands focus to the Arctic&nbsp;While Ukraine remains the central battleground, NATO is also extending its defensive posture northward.&nbsp;In Greenland, Denmark is leading Arctic Light 2025, a multinational drill involving over 550 troops from Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and Norway, AP reported.&nbsp;The training, which began on September 9 and runs through Friday, includes:&nbsp;<ul><li>Ship-boarding exercises</li><li>Helicopter landings</li><li>Live-fire drills</li></ul>&nbsp;Danish F-16 fighter jets and naval frigates are participating, with observers from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada present.&nbsp;Maj. Gen. S&oslash;ren Andersen, head of Denmark&rsquo;s Joint Arctic Command, emphasized that the goal is to build readiness and develop coordinated responses to threats in the Arctic and North Atlantic.&nbsp;&ldquo;Russia has been building up in the Arctic for the last 20 years. It&rsquo;s fair to say they are a regional superpower there,&rdquo; Andersen said.&nbsp;Earlier this year, Denmark also announced plans to increase its permanent military presence around Greenland and the Faroe Islands, including:&nbsp;<ul><li>New naval vessels</li><li>Long-range drones</li><li>Expanded satellite surveillance capacity</li><li>A Broader Security Shift</li></ul>&nbsp;The combination of nuclear drills in Belarus, ongoing attacks in Ukraine, and NATO maneuvers in the Arctic illustrates how the war is reshaping European and transatlantic security far beyond the front lines.&nbsp;Now entering its fourth year, the war has created flashpoints from Zaporizhzhia to the Arctic Circle, with no clear path to a diplomatic resolution in sight.

Russia's nuclear-capable drills with Belarus prompt NATO to bolster defenses across Europe and the Arctic amid escalating regional tensions.

Articles tagged with "Belarus"

Russia, Ukraine to exchange 500 POWs on March 5-6: negotiator

International Paralympic Committee lifts the partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus

Russia flaunts nuclear drills as NATO braces from Ukraine to Arctic

Russia, Ukraine to exchange 500 POWs on March 5-6: negotiator