Back to homepage / Europe Russia says it seized town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine Russia on Monday said its forces now fully controlled the town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “success” that would mean less shelling on the nearby Russian-held city of Donetsk. Issued on: 25/12/2023 – 22:32 1 min Russia’s President Vladimir Putin listens to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting after a flag-raising ceremony for the Admiral Golovko frigate joining the Russian Navy Fleet at a shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia, December 25, 2023. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin listens to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting after a flag-raising ceremony for the Admiral Golovko frigate joining the Russian Navy Fleet at a shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia, December 25, 2023. © Alexei Danichev via Reuters-Sputnik By: NEWS WIRES “Our assault units have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka,” Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin in a meeting shown on state television. Piles of rubble and gutted apartment buildings over a wide area could be seen in drone images shown on Russian television that were said to be of Maryinka. “I want to congratulate you,” Putin told Shoigu. “This is a success” which gives Russian troops “the opportunity to move into a wider operational area”. Shoigu said the control of Maryinka would enable his soldiers to “move further in this direction” and “make it possible to protect Donetsk more effectively from strikes” from Ukrainian forces. But Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for Ukraine’s army, said it was “incorrect” to claim that Maryinka was fully controlled by Russian forces. “The fighting for Maryinka continues,” he said, adding that there were still Ukrainian soldiers within the borders of the district of Maryinka. “The town is completely destroyed,” he said. The claims could not be independently verified. A counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces which started in June along the front line in the south and east of the country has largely petered out, with few successes. Russian forces have increased pressure in recent weeks. (AFP)

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Indian passenger plane held in France over human trafficking concerns takes off
A plane with close to 300 Indian passengers detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking took off Monday for Mumbai after being cleared for departure by French police, an AFP reporter said.

Issued on: 25/12/2023 – 16:22
Modified: 25/12/2023 – 17:02

2 min
The plane grounded by police at the Vatry airport takes off on December 25, 2023 in Vatry, eastern France.
The plane grounded by police at the Vatry airport takes off on December 25, 2023 in Vatry, eastern France. © Christophe Ena, AP
By:
NEWS WIRES
The Airbus A340 carrying 303 Indians had been bound for Nicaragua when it was detained last Thursday at Vatry airport, east of Paris, where it had stopped for refuelling.

It had arrived from Dubai and there was an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.

Of the original 303 people on the passenger list, 276 were on the plane that took off just before 3:00 pm (1400 GMT).

Among the passengers staying behind were two people questioned by French police over suspected people trafficking, but a judicial source said they had now been released after establishing that the 303 passengers had boarded the plane of their own free will.

Their suspects’ release came because “the investigating judge was able to resist media pressure in this case”, said their lawyer, Salome Cohen.

The others, 25 people of whom two are minors, have sought asylum in France, the prefecture said. Their applications would be processed at Charles-de-Gaulle airport.

After questioning the passengers for two days, French prosecutors on Sunday gave the go-ahead for the plane to leave.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP that the Indians were likely workers in the United Arab Emirates who had been bound for Nicaragua as a jumping off spot for the United States or Canada.

The passengers of the flight, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, were put up at the airport during the investigation.

Beds, toilets and showers were installed, the local prefecture said, while police have prevented press and outsiders from entering the airport.

The passengers included 11 unaccompanied minors, according to Paris prosecutors.

The Indian embassy in Paris Saturday posted on X that “embassy consular staff” were on site to work with French authorities “for the welfare” of detained passengers for an “early resolution of the situation”.

The authorisation for the plane to leave came after a French court ruled that any further detention of three of the passengers would be illegal.

But Genevieve Colas, coordinator at the Secours Catholique-Caritas association, said the release of the plane had “surprised” her.

“What if they really are victims of people trafficking,” she asked. “Then it wouldn’t be right to just let them take off to another country.”

The 30 crew members were not detained. Some handled the Dubai-Vatry leg and others were to take over for the flight to Managua. According to Flightradar24, Legend Airlines has just four planes.

(AFP)