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A US expert claims Russia is "withering" before our eyes, slamming the country's invasion of Ukraine as "pathetic" amid the assassination attempts against three pro-Russian officials in the last fortnight alone. The former US Defence Secretary, James Mattis, hit out at the "immoral" and "operationally stupid" war started by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine at the Seoul Forum 2022 on Friday (July 1). He said: “We have a saying in America, we say that nations with allies thrive, nations without allies wither and we’re watching Russia wither before our eyes right now. READ MORE: Anti-Putin campaigners 'using porn sites to show Russians the truth about Ukraine war' “The tragedy of our time is that Putin is a creature straight out of Dostoevsky. He goes to bed every night angry, he goes to bed every night fearful, he goes to bed every night thinking that Russia is surrounded by nightmares and this has guided him." Mr Mattis' comments were made after Russia made the … [Read more...] about Russia and Putin ‘withering’ amid three assassination plots, US expert claims

As Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on access to independent news and information in Russia , campaigners have turned to using porn sites to get their anti-war messages across. Russia recently introduced fake news legislation, a group of federal laws prohibiting the dissemination of information considered "unreliable" by Russian authorities, which many condemn as a tool to control criticism of the state. A jail term of up to 15 years is the punishment for spreading intentionally "fake" news about the military. READ MORE: Bikini model who posed on tank forced to flee Ukraine after bone-chilling threat To combat this Marina Ovsyannikova, a CEO at a Ukrainian digital marketing company, began buying ad space across websites in Russia and Belarus, linking to independent news on the war in Ukraine . As Russia's fake news laws made the bigger sites like Google and Youtube harder to use for her ploy, Ovsyannikova moved "into a darker realm", as the Guardian put it. … [Read more...] about Anti-Putin campaigners ‘using porn sites to show Russians the truth about Ukraine war’

A top Russian ice hockey star poised to play in the US is to be ‘forced instead into Vladimir Putin’s army’ which is at war in Ukraine . Ivan Fedotov, 25, was rushed to an army enlistment office after being dramatically held by a squad of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers in St Petersburg. The action - accusing him of seeking to dodge the military draft - is seen as revenge for signing to play in the US for the Philadelphia Flyers. Top goalkeeper Fedotov was formerly with CSKA - a club with close ties to the Russian army. READ MORE: Bernie Ecclestone says he'd "take a bullet" for Vladimir Putin as he's "first class" Fontanka news outlet reported he can now be sent to the Russian army rather than the US, but he might also be jailed. “He has just been detained ‘for evading the army’,” reported Russian journalist Dmitry Navosha. Fedotov - 6ft 7 inches tall - “did not realise that [the USSR] is back”. The player - the best keeper in the Kontinental Hockey … [Read more...] about Ice hockey star dragged to fight in Ukraine by Putin’s goons after signing for NHL side

The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that Russian forces have "liberated" all of Ukraine's Luhansk region. The ministry on Sunday said Russian forces had captured Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-held city in Ukraine's Luhansk province. Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Russia's troops and members of a local separatist militia "have established full control over Lysychansk and some nearby settlements," according to a post on the ministry's Telegram channel. "The total area of ​​the territories liberated over the past day amounted to 182 square kilometers," the post said. Control of Lysychansk would bring Moscow closer to its stated goal of seizing all of Ukraine's Donbas region. Ukraine's military did not immediately provide a response, but on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities had said that Lysychansk remained under Ukrainian control. Early on Sunday, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces were gaining a … [Read more...] about Moscow claims control over Luhansk region as missiles hit border towns

Joe Biden mistakenly said Switzerland would be joining Nato instead of Sweden in his latest gaffe during the transatlantic alliance’s summit in Madrid on Thursday. The US president praised the “historic” applications of Finland and Sweden , but went on to incorrectly refer to Switzerland. Mr Biden immediately caught his mistake, joking: “My goodness, I’m getting really anxious here about expanding Nato.” The blunder came in a rare solo press conference as he hailed the Nordic nations’ dramatic shift from decades-long foreign policy in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . “We’ve invited two new members to join Nato. It was a historic act,” he told reporters, before relating an earlier phone call with the president of Finland. He said: “We got on the telephone, he suggested we call the leader of, Switzerland – Switzerland, my goodness – I’m getting really anxious here about expanding Nato, of Sweden.” Switzerland is not a Nato member and has a long-standing … [Read more...] about Joe Biden mixes up Sweden and Switzerland in Nato gaffe

Dilbar is one of the world’s largest superyachts. The 512-foot vessel weighs almost 16,000 tonnes and boasts a swimming pool, two helicopter pads, a sauna, a beauty salon, and a gym. According to the US Treasury, it is worth around £650 million. In April, after Russia’s illegal invasion of my country, the German authorities seized Dilbar as it was docked in Hamburg. They moved to act because the owner is Alisher Usmanov, a Russian oligarch once estimated to be the richest person in the UK . Following the invasion, Mr Usmanov, who used to co-own Arsenal Football Club, was placed on Western sanctions lists because of his close ties to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. The US Treasury said his links to the Kremlin “enrich him and enable his luxurious lifestyle”. It is not yet known what will happen to Dilbar. Legions of lawyers are now reportedly involved. But for Ukraine, it is very clear. The superyacht and all of its 1,000 sofa cushions should be confiscated from … [Read more...] about The West should confiscate Russian assets – and use them to rebuild Ukraine

Ukrainian fighters extracted from the last bastion of resistance in Mariupol have been taken to a former penal colony in Kremlin-controlled territory, with Kyiv officials saying they hope to exchange them for Russian prisoners of war. However, their fate appears up in the air. One Moscow lawmaker has said they should be brought to “justice,” as Russia threatened to put some of them on trial for war crimes. Russian news agencies are reporting that the Duma plans to take up a resolution on Wednesday to prevent the exchange of Azov Regiment fighters. Ending the siege Russia's Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday that 959 Ukrainian soldiers entrenched at the Azovstal steel site had surrendered since Monday. "In the last 24 hours 694 fighters, including 29 wounded, have been taken as prisoners. Since 16 May, fighters, including 80 wounded, have been taken prisoner," the ministry said in a statement, reiterated by Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Uncertainty over the fate of surrendered Mariupol defenders

Some 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers are now actively participating in defending the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised interview on Saturday. In comparison, Russia deployed anywhere between 100,000 to 190,000 troops when it launched its invasion on 24 February, with the exact numbers of currently active units unclear. Meanwhile, the Moscow forces continued their assault in the east after claiming victory in Mariupol on Friday as the last Ukrainian defenders holed up in Azovstal laid down their arms. Read more about the day's developments in our live blog below. 05.21.2022 10:03 Saturday's key points: Russia suspended its gas delivery to Finland on Saturday morning in response to the country's NATO membership bid. The Russian military says it has fully taken over the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after the last Ukrainian fighters gave themselves up. Earlier, Moscow said more than 1,900 Ukrainian fighters … [Read more...] about 700,000 soldiers defending Ukraine now, Zelenskyy says, as battles rage in the Donbas

Na versão e nas imagens publicadas pelo líder checheno Ramzan Kadyrov , a cidade de Lysychansk , tornada bastião da resistência ucraniana, caiu às mãos dos batalhões chechenos , aliados de Moscovo . Apesar de Volodymyr Zelenskyy declarar ser "impossível dizer que a cidade está sob controlo russo", as forças russas insistem que já assumiram o domínio deste ponto estratégico para tomar todo o Donbass . De acordo com um comunicado oficial, o Ministério da Defesa russo já terá mesmo informado Vladimir Putin da tomada de Lysychansk, evocando a "libertação da República Popular de Lugansk ", que juntamente com Donetsk está na base do confronto separatista. Segundo o governador regional, o grau de violência utilizada no ataque a Lysychansk é "sem precedentes". O porta-voz das forças armadas ucranianas veio dizer apenas que "os ocupantes estão a concentrar todos os esforços" na conquista desta localidade. Na cidade de Dobropillia , no Donetsk, os … [Read more...] about Líder checheno reclama tomada de Lysychansk mas Zelenskyy contradiz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron had an 80-minute telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Saturday. The two asked for the release of some 2,500 Ukrainian fighters who surrendered at the Azovstal steel mill, ending the siege of the southern port city of Mariupol. While Moscow claims to have taken the strategic town of Lyman and the fighting for Sievierodonetsk continues to rage, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia should not think that it will be holding the cities as they will eventually return to Ukraine. Follow Saturday's developments as they unfolded in our blog below: 05.28.2022 09:20 Saturday's key events: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Saturday, calling for "serious direct negotiations" with Kyiv and the release of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at Azovstal. "The Donbas will be Ukrainian", President … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Macron, Scholz ask Putin to free captured Azovstal fighters